Rennie Signs with ECDC Memmingen in Germany

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse has officially elevated another player to the professional ranks.

Savannah Rennie '20 (East St. Paul, Manitoba) signed to play with the ECDC Memmingen Indians of the German Women's Ice Hockey Bundesliga (DFEL) Tuesday, May 26. Rennie was previously drafted by the Connecticut Whale of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) on April 29, but cited the desire to experience a new country and culture as the primary driving force behind her decision to play overseas.

"I think Memmingen is the best fit for me and will make me the most happy," Rennie said. "The Whale are a great organization and so is the NWHL, and all of those programs are run extremely well, but at the end of the day it came down to the experience. I wanted to go somewhere new and unknown and experience new cultures and new things that aren't similar to the U.S. or Canada so I can see the world in a way I haven't before. I love the game so much and I'm not ready to give it up, especially if it's able to take me to new cities and new places. I'm extremely excited for this opportunity and can't wait to get out to Germany."

⭐ Going pro ⭐

Excited to share that Savannah Rennie has signed a professional contract with the ECDC Memmingen Indians in Germany!🍊

📰https://t.co/rxMqMQhaRA pic.twitter.com/t1ekSltTvK
— Syracuse Ice Hockey (@CuseIce) May 26, 2020

The DFEL is the top women's league in Germany, includes seven teams, and runs September-March. After 20 games, the Indians were tied for first alongside seven-time league champion ESC Planegg before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Memmingen has claimed the DFEL title three times and went back-to-back in 2018 and 2019. The city of Memmingen has a population of just under 44,000 and sits 73 miles west of Munich.

The Indians also compete in the European Women's Hockey League (EWHL) Super Cup, an eight-team competition created in 2011 by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) that puts top teams in the EWHL against other top European talent. The Indians won the Super Cup in 2017 and were runners-up in 2013, 2018 and 2019.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for Savannah," Syracuse head coach Paul Flanagan said. "Living and working in such a beautiful part of Europe while experiencing a new culture and having the ability to easily visit many other countries while she is over there should be a great experience. She has worked hard for this and we wish her the best."

A Second Team All-Conference honoree for the 2019-20 season, Rennie's 23 points (8-15) tied for second on the team. Her seven multi-point games were also a team-high. Rennie's performance helped 'Cuse score a program-best 105 goals and 275 points last season, and her seven points the year before helped the Orange claim the first College Hockey America (CHA) Tournament Title in program history. Rennie posted 26 goals and 39 assists in 120 career games.

Rennie is the sixth Orange to play professionally outside of North America in the last five years, and the first to sign with a German club. Stefanie Marty '11 spent three years with Neuchâtel Hockey Academy in Sweden, Nicole Renault '16 and 100-point club member Melissa Piacentini '16 both joined EV Bozen in Italy for the 2016-17 season, Akane Hosoyamada '15 has had an extensive career in Japan, and Allie Munroe '19 joined Djurgårdens IF in Sweden last year.

A full list of Orange who went on to play after Syracuse can be seen here.

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Congratulations to @savvyrennie44 on inking a contract with the ECDC Memmingen Indians! ✍ . . . Rennie is the sixth Orange to play overseas in the last five years. 🍊🏒

A post shared by Syracuse Hockey 🍊🏒 (@cuseice) on May 26, 2020 at 12:18pm PDT