CANTON, Mass. — Summer is in the rearview, as fall hockey is officially here.
Another NAHA Labor Day Showcase is in the books after teams from both near and far flocked to Massachusetts to spend the long weekend on the ice. I made it out to the Canton Ice House on Friday to take in the 19U action.
Here are the teams that I saw:
- Anaheim Lady Ducks
- Arizona Kachinas
- Bay State Breakers
- Boston Advantage
- Connecticut Junior Rangers
- Masters Academy International
- Northeast Generals
- Winchendon
Soon enough, we’ll be fully into the fall showcases and the NEGHL season ahead of another winter of prep hockey. But before any of that, here are 10 standout defenders and goalies from this past weekend. We already broke down 10 standout 19U forwards earlier this week.
Let’s dive in.
Lilly Busconi
Boston Advantage/Thayer, 7/3/2008, D, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Milton, Mass.
Busconi's skating and ability to make quick decisions helped her excel at both ends of the ice. She played with her head up and did an excellent job closing down space at the point, breaking up exits and keeping plays alive. She was strong pulling pucks off the wall in low-to-high plays, too. Busconi was also terrific late in the game, protecting a one-goal lead as the Kachinas pulled their goalie. She disrupted zone entries and did just enough to prevent a shot on a dangerous rebound as time expired.
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Emily Wiese
Masters Academy International, 3/9/2008, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
NCAA: Assumption
Wiese handled a ton of minutes in all situations for MAI. After a giveaway led directly to a goal early on against the Generals, Wiese responded the rest of the way. She worked well at the point with Brooklyn Taylor (Framingham, Mass.). Wiese's quick feet and hands helped her attack open lanes from out high, shake free from pressure and jumpstart rushes from her own zone. She set up Gia Orizotti's tally, coming off a high cycle, and she was strong defending a late 2-on-1, getting back to fill a lane and breaking up the centering pass. Wiese finished with three assists in five games.
Anna Greening
Winchendon, 11/9/2009, D, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Clarenville, NL
Greening's patience with the puck and ability to read the play helped her excel in transition and on regroups. It helped her exploit open skating lanes and generate clean zone entries. She had a big rush early to create a scoring chance, cutting back to the strong side and flying up the open lane to enter the zone before sending a feed in front.
Violet Yingling
Northeast Generals/Nauset-Monomoy, 01/2008, D, left shot, 5-10
Hometown: Truro, Mass.
Yingling's size helped her instantly stand apart from the crowd, and she did a good job of using her length and strength to her advantage in the defensive zone. She consistently got stick on puck defending 1-on-1 rushes, and she also did a good job on pinches at the attacking blue line, breaking up plays at the wall and sealing the boards. Yingling also had her moments of turning defense into offense, finding quick outlets the other way.
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Avah Miller
Winchendon, 8/9/2009, D, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Plymouth, Mass.
NCAA: St. Cloud State
Miller's pair with Abby Waara dominated in Winchendon's 1-0 win over the Junior Rangers. When they were on the ice, CJR hardly ever touched the puck. Miller was aggressive at the point, consistently pinching, playing up toward the tops of the circles and winning races. She created a fantastic look, making a quick adjustment on a tricky pass to the point before driving down the wall and around the net for a perfect feed in front for a one-timer. Later, she nearly picked the top corner after splitting the defense off the rush. Miller had four points (one goal) in five games.
Riley Pike
Bay State Breakers/Tabor, 9/19/2009, D, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Topsfield, Mass.
Pike always brings an aggressive mindset and plenty of compete, and she's always following the play up ice and looking for a chance to jump into the rush. She kept plays alive at the point with good pinches, and she moved pucks quickly once she won them. Pike got a terrific scoring chance when she powered past a defender out high and drove toward the left dot, putting a good low-glove shot on net.
Abby Waara
Winchendon, 4/14/2009, D, right shot, 5-8
Hometown: Sheboygan, Wis.
NCAA: Northeastern
Waara, like Miller, was a threat in all three zones, constantly getting the play up ice quickly and defending aggressively. She used her length effectively, breaking up exits at the point, getting stick on puck and killing plays in the neutral zone. As Winchendon held onto a 1-0 lead late, Waara made it look easy defending a 2-on-1, taking away the passing lane and intercepting the feed. Waara had three goals in five games.
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Chloe Kim
Connecticut Junior Rangers, 9/10/2008, G, catches right, 5-6
Hometown: Jermyn, Pa.
Kim was the biggest reason the Junior Rangers had a puncher's chance in the loss to Winchendon, in which CJR struggled to generate consistent offense and possession. She was excellent against dangerous chances around the net and on shots through traffic. She made a heck of a blocker save on Gianna Butto's missile from the point, seeing it at the last second and punching it away. Kim later made a desperation save on her stomach, somehow getting a piece of Neely Palsic's rebound bid in a net-front scramble.
Elle Gasseau
Anaheim Lady Ducks, 8/25/2008, D/F, left shot, 5-9
Hometown: Long Beach, Calif.
Gasseau's speed and ability to move the puck quickly in transition, be it with her skating or a strong first pass, were huge for the Lady Ducks in their win over the Breakers. She finished with a goal and an assist in the game. Her goal was a beauty, too. Gasseau stepped up to win a puck at center ice before flying the other way on a counter rush and wiring a top-left snipe as she used the defender perfectly for a screen. Her quick puck-movement at the point led to a goal later on, too, as she slipped a quick pass to Sarah Johnson on a high cycle, setting up a play to the net before the Ducks cashed in on the rebound. Gasseau posted three points (two goals) in five games on the weekend.
Grace Mumford
Masters Academy International, 2010, D, right shot
Hometown: Arlington, Va.
Mumford moved well off the puck at the point and in transition, making herself available for D-to-D outlets or low-to-high plays. Once she got the puck, she did a great job of moving it quickly up ice, funneling pucks to middle ice and getting her shots through from the point.
