MARLBORO, Mass. — One of the biggest weekends of the offseason is in the books.
Mass. Hockey's girls festival was this past weekend at the trusty New England Sports Center, featuring 224 of the top players in the state across the 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years. Now, all eyes will look ahead to the Final 40 at the NESC in a few short weeks.
The ’09s and ’10s are competing for spots at National 16/17 Camp, as well as the Under-18 Women’s National Team Festival. Meanwhile, the ’11s are on the hunt for spots at National 15 Camp and the U18 WNT Festival. They’ll also be eligible for the Eastern 15 Camp.
I spent Friday watching the '09s before catching the '10s on Saturday and the '11s on Sunday.
Here are 16 uncommitted '09s who stood out.
Chloe Crabtree
BB&N/East Coast Wizards, 2009, D, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Saugus, Mass.
Crabtree found good outlets in the neutral zone and did a good job skating it herself when needed, thanks to her quick feet. She scored a sweet goal after getting the puck on a regroup and powering past the defense with a couple of strong strides. She drove in and rifled a quick wrister off the left post and in.
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Bella Freitas
Cushing/East Coast Wizards, 8/12/2009, F, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: Everett, Mass.
Freitas had a hat trick on Friday, and each goal was a beauty. The first and third goals came in 3-on-3 play. On the first, she drove hard to the net and was in a perfect spot for a well-timed pass from Sienna Glass right on the money, which Freitas easily one-timed inside the left post. Later, Freitas stole the puck at the top of the zone, walked into the slot and went bar-down over the glove with a laser. She completed the hat trick when she pulled the puck off the boards, cut between the dots and picked the corner with another bar-down laser over the blocker.
Avah Miller
NAHA, 8/9/2009, D, right shot
Hometown: Plymouth, Mass.
Miller consistently drove transition on Friday, showing strong vision on breakouts as she found skating and passing lanes. One of her best plays came when she stole a bank pass low in the defensive zone and sped the other way. She faked a shot and dangled the defender to get in alone, but couldn't get the shot off. Miller was also strong on her skates against forecheckers behind the net.
Nora Swaim
Rivers/East Coast Wizards, 11/2009, F, left shot
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
Swaim played with plenty of pace and created chances off the rush with her speed and hands. She scored a beauty on a breakaway early on. Swaim smartly flew the neutral zone off a face-off win in the defensive zone, getting all alone for a stretch pass from Maddy Call and walking in to score a forehand-backhand deke off the post and in.
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Angela Wells
Boston Latin/Boston Junior Eagles, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
Wells consistently made plays in the neutral zone, whether in transition or on the backcheck, forcing turnovers and creating chances off of them. Early on, she intercepted a pass coming out of the zone, reading it perfectly up the middle before sending a quick chip off the boards to spark a 2-on-0. Later, Wells powered through traffic off a turnover and drove in for a quality shot on a 2-on-1, forcing the goalie to make a strong blocker save.
Abbey Deroeve
St. Mark’s/Boston Americans, 06/2009, D, left shot
Hometown: Charlestown, Mass.
Deroeve was assertive and physical in the neutral and defensive zones. In transition, she made quick decisions and led strong rushes. She had a pair of breakaways, going forehand-backhand on both. The first was flat-out robbed by Alyssa Vieira. On the second, Deroeve did everything but score, losing the handle at the last second. She also had a hell of an effort to get back and knock Joely Wexler off the puck to prevent a potential break.
Sophie Procaccini
St. George's/Massachusetts Spitfires, 2009, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Walpole, Mass.
Procaccini made life difficult for defenders on the forecheck. She was hard to knock off pucks, and she won races for loose pucks. She also made a handful of heads-up plays in the neutral and defensive zones. Early on, she helped force a turnover high in the defensive zone and sparked a quick counter the other way, leading to a quality chance.
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Georgia Murray
Bishop Feehan/Massachusetts Spitfires, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
Murray scored a pair of highlight-reel goals on Friday. The first came in a 1-on-1 off the rush, getting a step around the defender and maintaining possession against physical pressure before a five-hole finish. Later, she slipped through a seam in 3-on-3 to break in alone off a quick pass, faking the forehand shot before going backhand for the finish. Murray had another quality chance earlier, getting the puck in the defensive zone and speeding the other way for a chance in tight.
Molly Bardol
Cushing/Assabet Valley, 1/20/2009, F, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Walpole, Mass.
Bardol played a high-IQ game with plenty of speed on Friday, winning races and battles below the dots. She had some awesome chances in 3-on-3, including when she flew in for a breakaway that wouldn't go. Earlier, she made a strong steal at center ice to go the other way before time expired. Bardol also made a heads-up play to take an extra second on a breakout, step around a forechecker and slip an outlet to Freitas.
Izzy Duarte
North Yarmouth Academy/Casco Bay, 2009, G, catches left
Hometown: East Freetown, Mass.
Duarte and Maggie Whelden made some fantastic saves for their squad on Friday. Duarte in particular made a handful of big-time stops later in Friday's session. She made a strong blocker stop off of Lauren Dockray's high-slot bid. Later, she exploded off her line for a lunging pad stop on Glass driving to the crease. In 3-on-3, Duarte robbed Bardol's five-hole bid on a breakaway before sealing the post on a follow-up bid. The frenzy around the net continued as she stoned Natali Chriss in the slot moments later. Duarte was aggressive and took away space for shooters.
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Mia Amato
Billerica-Chelmsford/East Coast Wizards, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Billerica, Mass.
Amato made several strong plays in the offensive zone. She helped generate odd-numbered rushes, whether a 2-on-1 with Mattison Sherman or a 2-on-0 with Tatum Friedholm. Amato also scored a pair of goals. On the second, she drove to the net from the corner for a strong bid. She stuck with it and reached around to bury the follow-up. She had several other quality looks earlier in the shift, and she also made a nice play out high to break up an exit before feeding Gray down low.
Lana Hardin
Governor’s/Valley Junior Warriors, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Tyngsboro, Mass.
Hardin played with a ton of intensity, pursuing pucks hard and playing physical in 1-on-1s in all three zones. She made a fantastic effort on a backcheck, getting back to defend a 2-on-1. She filled the lane and blocked the centering pass before winning a 1-on-1 battle along the boards and finding an outlet pass. Hardin also scored on a breakaway with a forehand-backhand deke. Her squad was off to the races off a blocked shot, and Mallory Harold sent her in alone with a quick pass.
Emersyn Fisher-Bailey
Cushing/Assabet Valley, 2009, D, left shot
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.
Fisher-Bailey had a quick stick defensively and was opportunistic in the neutral zone. She had some quick turns and cutbacks to protect pucks against forecheckers before finding outlets. Later, she made a nice read to pounce on a loose puck at center ice before leading the play back in. Fisher-Bailey also showed nice patience with the puck on one regroup, not forcing an entry and setting up a give-and-go up the middle. She should've had a breakaway off it, but the pass was too far forward.
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Maggie Fitzpatrick
NAHA, 2009, D, right shot
Hometown: Syosset, N.Y.
Fitzpatrick stood out for many of the same reasons as Miller. She played with high compete low in the defensive zone and outmuscled opponents in 1-on-1s. She was strong in transition and decisive with the puck on her stick, seeing the ice well, skating the puck effectively and making a good first pass. Offensively, Fitzpatrick also made quick decisions at the point.
Cadence Crowley
St. Paul's/Valley Jr. Warriors, 07/2009, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: North Reading, Mass.
Crowley's smarts helped her force turnovers on the forecheck and in the neutral zone. Each time, she drove toward middle ice for chances. Early on, she stole the puck in the neutral zone before walking back in for a chance. Later, she pick-pocketed Alexa Georgantas on an exit and got a quality look at the top of the right circle, but the bouncing puck wouldn't cooperate on the shot.
Jocelyn Gray
St. Mark's/Boston Jr. Eagles, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Hanover, Mass.
Gray played an up-tempo game and showcased some sweet hands throughout Friday's session. She set up the first of a handful of goals for Wexler off of dogged work on the forecheck, jumping on a turnover and taking it right to the net. Later, Gray made a nice feed to send Simone Burns in on a breakaway. She stuck with the play and drove hard to the net, burying the rebound. Gray later had a slick between-the-legs at the right post.
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