In the fall of 2007, Carpenter joined The Governor's Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts, where she played for their varsity team beginning at 13 years old.

After fielding calls from over 20 programs on the first day she was eligible for recruitment, she chose between Boston College and Harvard, swayed in part by her experience playing alongside BC students at the international level and her respect for Eagles coach Katie King.

She set a conference record with a 24-game point streak from October 21, 2012 to February 2, 2013, and was named player of the year for both Hockey East and New England.

She was named Most Valuable Player of the Hockey East Tournament, scoring three goals and six points as Boston College claimed the conference championship.

[7] During the summer of 2016, Carpenter signed with the Boston Pride for a one-year, $19,500 contract, making her the highest paid player of the 2015 NWHL draft class.

Carpenter again chose to remain in China, citing the better facilities and player support provided by the team than what she had experienced in the NWHL.

[15] She supported the boycott of North American leagues that had led to the formation of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and occasionally attended its meetings despite being unable to participate in its events.

[22] Returning for the 2011 World U18 Championship, Carpenter led the tournament with ten points on the strength of six goals, including one in the 5–2 gold medal victory over Canada.

[23] The following year, Carpenter captained the silver-winning American team, recorded four goals and nine points, and once again earned Best Forward honors.

[26] She returned to the national team at the 2014 Olympics as one of their youngest players, scoring four goals and adding an assist in five games as the Americans claimed silver, losing 3–2 in overtime to Canada in the finals.

[30] At the 2016 Women's World Championship, Carpenter scored a game-winning overtime goal to clinch a gold medal in a 1–0 victory over Canada.

[31] Despite being considered one of the best players in the world and having been an Olympian at 19 years old at the previous games, Carpenter was unexpectedly cut from the Team USA roster ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics.

[35] Carpenter represented the United States at the 2024 World Championship, where she tied for the tournament lead in scoring with six goals and four assists in seven games and won a silver medal.