PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State University women's ice hockey graduate student Lauren McNeil (Ottawa, Ontario) has signed a professional contract with IF Troja Ljungby of the Nationella Damhockeyligan (NDHL).
 
Based in Ljungby, Sweden, IF Troja-Ljungby plays its home games at Ljungby Arena and competes in the South division of the NDHL – the second-highest league in Sweden. The league features promotion and relegation with the top-tier Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) and the third-tier Damtvåan.
 
McNeil, a 5-10 defenseman, completed her fifth season with the Panthers this winter, posting career highs of seven goals, 12 assists and 19 points. She earned All-MASCAC First Team honors after tying for the league lead with a +23 ranking. Her 19 points were the second-most among defensemen in the MASCAC, while she led the Panthers with 26 blocked shots. McNeil played a pivotal role in PSU's run to the MASCAC Tournament title, scoring the championship game's opening goal midway through the second period.
 
Plymouth State shattered the program's single-season wins record, earned a share of the MASCAC regular season title, and captured the inaugural MASCAC Women's Ice Hockey Tournament crown by outlasting third-seeded Rivier University, 2-1, in four overtimes. The contest officially ranks as the second-longest NCAA Division III women's ice hockey game in history. The Panthers closed out the season with a program-best 18-7-2 record.