I play prep lax at PA, so i can give some insight about the process and what playing entails, including what ive heard from my friends who play male/female hockey. first, pertaining to the partnes statement that their kids were just “offered.” I was a great lacrosse player in public school/at the club level, for all schools that are well regarded academically, you will have to submit an application. how much of a formality this application is difers by the quality of your daughters hockey, and the rigor of the school. i recieved help athletically at every school i applied to, but i still only went 50%. you state that your daughter desires to be a vet, which means she is thinking about her future, thus i presume a nepsac school is going to be the best fit for you, due to their regard and academic prowess. the application process starts in the fall, and you submit applications late winter/early spring. I would definitly reach out to a bunch of coaches at a ton of schools, and then use that to narrow down your list of schools. if everyone wants you, you may need to trim it even further, i would say the sweet spot is 4-8 schools. 4-8 schools garun tees time to formulate quality applications, and form relationships talking on the phone with coaches. as for the level of the compition, at PA (Phillips Academy) we recently sent 3 girls ice hockey players to the u18 world championships in europe, in which the us won gold (heres an article link: The Phillipian - Road to Gold: Three Andover Athletes Bring Home Gold In Ice Hockey U-18 Women’s World Championship). As you can glean from this article, the hockey is serious. private message me with any other questions. i went through this process two years ago, and i did some things right and other things wrong, id love to share what i’ve learned.