Senior Celebration Series: Women's Hockey

At Rensselaer, we are proud to recognize the student-athletes who are members of the Class of 2021. We thank them for their hard work, dedication and tremendous efforts in representing the Institute in a first-class manner academically and athletically. We wish them well in all their future endeavors. 

MADELEINE BURNETT

London, Ontario | Industrial and Management Engineering

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• Burney has such a calming presence on and off the ice. Her friendliness and consistency acts as reassurance for her teammates, especially during tough games.
• The one season I got to play with Burney, she was injured most of it. However, from the sidelines she was such a positive influence on me. She always took the time to talk to me about what I can do better, what is open during the games, and what I am doing really well at. Having her as a mentor for my first season was huge for me, and she really helped me grow as a hockey player.
• Burney was a great leader from start to finish. My freshman year I instantly looked up to her because of who she was as a person, how she treated her teammates and her dedication to hockey. She will forever be one of my favorite people and I will miss her.
• Day one of meeting Burney, she immediately took us under her wing and showed us the ropes. She is a leader on the ice with her continuous work ethic and positive energy along with her honesty and trust.
• Burnett always gave the best advice in the room between periods and at practice. She is super talented and communicates so well! She is also the kindest, most caring teammate I could ask for, and helped create a great team atmosphere. It really was a pleasure to be able to play with her!
• Top defense with an impressive speed and endurance. She was a silent leader on the team and had a professional attitude about the sport.
• From a coach: Maddy stepped into a top four role from day one on campus. She was called on to be a top defender at a young age and play against the other team’s best players. Never mind the fact that she was literally the youngest member of the team, having skipped ahead in school; she was completely un-phased and rose to the occasion. Her tremendous compete level and physicality made her one of our best defenders every season. Maddy’s work ethic in the classroom has been impressive and we look forward to watching her begin a wonderful career.

JENN GREGG

Altamont, New York | Chemistry

Favorite RPI Athletics Memory: I really enjoyed our team Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas parties that we had every year. 

What Makes Rensselaer So Special: The professors at RPI are so personal and really show that they care about our education. I have had a lot of good experiences with getting to know professors outside of just academics and knowing them more as a friend and mentor. It’s something that has really stood out to me about the faculty at RPI and I am grateful for the professors that I have come to know and have helped me through these past four years. 

Post-Graduation Plans: Accepted a job at Albany Molecular Research, Inc. as a Medicinal Research Chemist.

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• Jenn was one of the most dedicated student-athletes I know. She was always working hard, dedicated and focused on getting better. She has great character and is someone everyone can learn something from.
• When I first met Jenn as a freshman, I found her reserved, but soon after I came to know her as one of the most dedicated, smart, patient and hilarious people I’ve met. Jenn had the leadership qualities of always being there for her teammates, whether cheering on a good play in practice or offering support to a struggling freshman. I’m thankful to have had a leader like Jenn to confide in and look up to.
• A hard working goalie who was a resilient and tough-minded individual. Jenn was quiet but her dedication and grit showed through her performance on the ice and in the gym.
• Jenn is one of the smartest, detailed-orientated, resilient hockey players I’ve known. I will forever miss my on-ice pre-game warmup buddy.
• Jenn was a phenomenal goalie, a good teammate, and one of the smartest people I know.
• Jenn is one of the most hard working players, especially off the ice, that I have ever met. She always pushes the hardest in the gym and in the classroom. Freshman year, she supported me multiple times in school, explaining chemistry concepts that stumped me and always having an encouraging word when I needed it.
• Jenn always shows up to practice ready to work and do whatever was asked of her. She is a beast in the gym, always raising the expectations and demanding the best from everyone around her. 
• From a coach: It is a special accomplishment to wear the jersey of your hometown college hockey program. Watching Jenn live that out after growing up in the Troy-Albany youth program was an inspiration to the many young players in the Capital District who also dream of playing at the highest level. Goaltending is one of the hardest positions in sports and really requires somebody to be totally committed to the craft. That describes Jenn to a tee. She showed up each day ready to work on her game, and improved tremendously due to that investment in her game on and off the ice. She was always there to support and help her teammates and was well respected for her strong character. Jenn did a tremendous job in the classroom in a tough major. Jenn could always be counted on for a great quip, an acrobatic save and uncanny Band of Brothers trivia. We can’t wait to see all that she accomplishes next! 

MORGAN ONDRICK

Shorewood, Illinois | Business and Management

Favorite RPI Athletics Memory: My favorite memory during my time at RPI was our playoff series at Cornell my sophomore year. So much fun to take the series to three games and get to experience that with that team. 

What Makes Rensselaer So Special: Rensselaer is special because of the tight knit relationship between all of the athletic teams. Seeing other teams at your games, going and watching other teams compete, and celebrating each other has made my time here really special. 

Post-Graduation Plans: I will be returning to RPI for the fall semester to finish my graduate degree in Quantitative Finance and Risk Analytics.

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• Morgan is someone you just always want to be around. She was a great leader and someone you could trust and look up to. She is a hard worker and was motivated to get better every time she had the chance. 
• Morgan wasn’t the loudest voice on the team, but she was there for her teammates in every way that counted. Anything I needed; from a ride to CVS, help in a class, a friend to confide in, clarification in a drill, to just borrowing hairspray, Morgan provided. She led through her actions and it showed on the ice, in the weight room, and in the classroom. I’m grateful to have had a role model and friend like Morgan. 
• Morgan was a force on the ice and made smart plays to benefit the team. She was a tactical player who managed to come out with goals and assists by being in the right places and working hard.
• Morgan is a great leader on and off the ice. Her work ethic and determination are inspiring. She is someone who will go out of her way to be there for anyone in time of need.
• Morgan was always such a positive influence on the team. She always kept things light, made sure our minds were in perspective and she had such a sturdy presence on the ice.
• Morgan is one of the best team-first minded players I’ve played with. She always had the team's best interest at heart and I know she cares about every player in our room. People like Morgan are vital to the team dynamic and truly help us become a tight-knit group. She also had a great work ethic in the classroom and showed everyone the importance and success that comes out of dedication to our academics.
• Morgan was so welcoming when I came onto campus as a freshman. She made our whole class feel like a part of the team right away. She is also one of the hardest working people, both as a hockey player and in the classroom. 
• Morgan plays with a lot of passion during games. Her toughness in corners, physicality and determination are inspirational for all players on the bench. 
• From a coach: Morgan’s infectious smile and caring personality earned her the respect of her teammates from Day 1. She built strong friendships with everybody in the locker room and was always there for her teammates. On the ice, she showed herself to be a smart hockey player who could be relied on in any situation. Morgan really grew steadily each season and developed into a dependable center who won our Most Improved Player award during her career. She also exemplified what it means to be an RPI hockey player by being a great leader in our community through various volunteer efforts. On top of that, she accelerated her coursework in the Lally School and is currently working towards her Master’s. Led by her strong work ethic, Morgan was our nominee for the Mandi Schwartz ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year Award. We are so proud of all that she has accomplished at RPI and look forward to seeing her take the business world by storm.

LAUREN SEVERSON

Rockford, Illinois | Industrial and Management Engineering

Favorite RPI Athletics Memory: Recently I look back on going to Lake Placid my freshmen year for our first official practice. We hiked, swam in the lake, practiced and most importantly got to know each other. While we were hiking, I had vulnerable, honest conversations with the seniors. I looked up to them after Lake Placid more then I did before because they went from role models to reachable leaders that I'd be forever thankful for. I still call for advice now that I am a senior and they are alumni.

What Makes Rensselaer So Special: Rensselaer is different in a lot of aspects. It is special because of the inescapable bond between teammates in the locker room and classroom. Conversations are always pleasant and effective because of the mutual respect athletes and students have for each other. Hard work is not an option at RPI and I always feel supported by my faculty and peers. 

Post-Graduation Plans: I am continuing to pursue my MBA at RPI next fall and spring. 

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• Lauren, better known as Sevie, is such an energy person for our team. She is a leader for us, both on and off the ice, and makes everyone around her better.
• A dedicated individual who is a supportive teammate and will go to great lengths to sacrifice herself for the team. Not only is she smart in the classroom but she is a smart player on the ice.
• Sevie always shows up to the rink with a smile on her face and an energy that is so fun to be around. She continuously brings joy and laughter along with some questionable yet entertaining jokes.
• Lauren always had the best “let’s get after it” attitude in the gym that was so contagious to everyone around her. She made me want to do better and push myself to get stronger. I really appreciated her leadership in the gym and I know everyone else did too!
• Lauren always finds a way to make you laugh, smile and just brighten up the room. She was a great teammate and captain to look up to. She was someone who you could learn from when it came to school and hockey.
• There aren’t enough good things I can say about Sevie. She’s down to Earth, dedicated and passionate about her hockey, school and she’s a great friend. Sevie is an amazing leader and has the ability to make her teammates smile no matter the circumstance. I’m extremely grateful to have had a captain, friend and role model like Sevie
• Sevie has such a bubbly personality; she can always make you smile. She always has such a tenacious attitude on the ice and her competitiveness level helps to elevate and push her teammates.
• Sevie was a great player and had a strong dedication for the team. She was always trying to look out for everyone.
• From a coach: Lauren puts a tremendous amount of heart into everything she does. This was evident when we played at Cornell in the ECAC Hockey Playoffs in 2019 and Lauren, sick as a dog and playing key minutes due to injuries, persevered through the entire weekend and played tough against one of the best teams in the country. She loves hockey and loves being a great teammate. Each year we challenge our players to push themselves in their strength and conditioning development, and each year Lauren answered the bell. She set the standard for hard work in our program and demonstrated a tremendous example for her teammates to follow. Most importantly, we appreciate Lauren for how genuine, sincere and humble she is. Sevie was a leader and example to her teammates on how hard you have to work to be successful. She is working towards her Master’s degree and we anticipate her returning to the team in the fall.

Attention Rensselaer student-athletes, coaches & staff: Should you wish to add any information or provide comments, please click HERE and submit the form.

as of June 1, 2021