BELMONT, Mass. — As the summer rolls on, so does the Premier Prep League.
Week 5 featured plenty of high-end action at Belmont's Skip Viglirolo Rink as some of the area's top prospects stay sharp in the summer.
You had a nail-biter between Team White and Team Red in the early game, a high-scoring barn-burner between Team Light Blue and Team Blue and another tight matchup between Team Black and Team Gray in the nightcap.
Two weeks remain in the PPL season, including games next Monday afternoon and the usual Wednesday night slate, which will feature the semifinal matchups. The championship game and consolation matchups will be the following Wednesday, Aug. 26. Click or tap here for the rosters and schedule.
Let's dive into 11 standouts from Wednesday night.
Bea Hare
Berkshire/Bay State Breakers, 2010, D, left shot
Hometown: Scituate, Mass.
Hare skated for both Team White and Team Blue, making some excellent defensive plays in both games. In the early game, she had a strong stick defending the rush, including one that broke up a 3-on-2 counter rush. She later did a good job of stepping up in the neutral zone to break up a play at center ice before getting a clean entry in the attacking zone. Hare kept it up in the second game, including an excellent stick check to deny Jenna Henley a lane to the net off the rush.
U18 WOMEN'S NATIONAL FESTIVAL: 11 standout forwards | 9 standout defenders, goalies
Mia MacDonald
Rivers/Boston Americans, 2009, D, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Walpole, Mass.
NCAA: Dartmouth
MacDonald was everywhere for Team White, using her skating to her advantage and constantly leading the rush. She had her head up and scanned the ice at all times with the puck, too. She opened the scoring on a penalty shot after drawing a trip, and she didn't tip her hand for a deke or a shot before roofing one top-right. Later, MacDonald made a great play on a bouncing puck at the point to keep it in, leading to an excellent look for Elliana Tabor in the slot.
Maddie Perkins
Thayer/East Coast Wizards, 4/7/2010, F, left shot
Hometown: Milton, Mass.
Perkins played with high energy and pace. She consistently won pucks and worked toward the attacking areas of the offensive zone. One of her best plays of the night came when she made a great steal behind the net before driving toward the middle and finding Amelia Paes at the left circle for a Grade-A chance.
Amelia Paes
Williston Northampton/Boston Junior Eagles, 2011, F, left shot
Hometown: West Roxbury, Mass.
Paes, naturally a forward, played defense for both Team White and Team Light Blue, and she looked the part. She was effective on the rush and at the attacking blue line, taking advantage of open lanes to lead transition herself and generating power with her skating. She set up a great look for Team White, leading the rush and pulling up at the right dot to find Clara Cary as the trailer for a shot in the high slot. Later, Paes got a great chance of her own, finding open space at the left circle after Perkins' work on the forecheck.
TEAM USA SELECT ROSTERS: 7 locals make Under-18 Series | 6 locals make Collegiate Series
Kelsey MacPherson
St. Paul's/East Coast Wizards, 11/12/2010, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Hopkinton, Mass.
MacPherson flat-out dominated for Team Light Blue alongside Ava Carr and Shelby Buckler, who were just as good. MacPherson set up an early goal for Carr on a 2-on-1, forcing the defender to overcommit to her before slipping a feed to Carr for a short-side goal. Later, MacPherson scored a beauty after Team Blue coughed up the puck, stealing it and walking in alone before easily potting a backhand after faking the shot. She added another assist when she and Sammi Ruzzo set up Jocelyn Gray for a tic-tac-toe goal on a 3-on-1. MacPherson capped the night with a tap-in as she drove hard to the left post, potting a gorgeous feed from Carr.
Shelby Buckler
Brooks/Boston Junior Eagles, 2010, F, left shot
Hometown: Sherborn, Mass.
Buckler seemingly had a breakaway or a Grade-A scoring chance on practically every shift, and it showed as she finished with a hat trick. She scored on a breakaway after Team Light Blue won a defensive zone draw and made quick work in transition. Buckler flew up the middle, taking a quick feed from Kalli O'Brien to break in alone before wristing it inside the left post. Later, Buckler scored on another breakaway as a home run pass found her flying the zone, and she walked in and picked the corner for a beauty. She capped off the hat trick when she buried one off the post and in on a rush.
Emersyn Fisher-Bailey
Cushing/Assabet, 2009, D, left shot
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.
Fisher-Bailey played with an active stick in the defensive zone and showcased quick, agile skating throughout the game for Team Light Blue. In one sequence, she made a great pinch at the attacking blue line, which led to a quality chance, before gapping up quickly at the other end and breaking up a 1-on-1 rush with a great stick check. Her skating helped her evade forechecking pressure and take away space quickly in transition.
PREMIER PREP LEAGUE: 15 standouts from Week 3 of the PPL
Blake Metcalf
Cushing/Boston Americans, 2009, D, right shot
Hometown: Scarborough, Maine
Metcalf was strong in all three zones for Team Black in the nightcap, and her reach and active stick helped her defend the rush. She had an awesome give-and-go in the attacking zone with Cassie Ling. After sending the puck back down low, Metcalf drove toward the slot as Ling found her with a slick feed, setting up what would have been a Grade-A look had Metcalf gotten a shot. Later, she made an excellent poke check to easily break up Riley Bergeron's rush.
Teagan Beigel
Dexter Southfield/Boston Junior Eagles, 09/2010, F/D, left shot, 5-9
Hometown: Natick, Mass.
Beigel played an outstanding two-way game for Team Blue in a high-scoring loss to Team Light Blue. She played with plenty of compete on the back check and in her own end. She made an awesome effort to hustle back and break up Buckler on a breakaway. Beigel later made a nice steal against Abby Macaulay at the attacking blue line. Later on the same shift, Beigel made a stick lift to break up a shot in the slot, and another slick poke check helped her easily steal the puck in the corner before she got the rush going the other way. She nearly got rewarded with a beauty, entering the zone with a ton of speed and getting in alone after dangling the defense. Beigel eventually broke through late, burying a shot from the right dot.
Merritt Fitch
New Hampton/Boston Americans, 2008, F, right shot
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Fitch had a ton of pace and compete for Team Black in the late game. She was effective at rushing the puck through the neutral zone, and her speed helped her create pressure on the forecheck. She made an excellent defensive play to steal from Lana Hardin before sending Henley the other way on a rush. It prevented a potential high-danger chance after Team Black turned it over.
READ MORE: What does it take to play college hockey? Girls prep coaches weigh in
Brooke Carlson
Governor's/Valley Junior Warriors, 01/2009, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: North Andover, Mass.
Carlson was one of the best players on the ice in the late game. She set up Hardin's opening goal with a fantastic cross-crease feed from the corner. Later, Carlson got several strong chances of her own, including a backhand in the slot as she drove in off a nice give-and-go with Taylor Bierschied. Carlson got another Grade-A look, driving hard to the net for a redirect from Megan Carlson off the rush.
