BEDFORD, Mass. — Some of the top 14U prospects in the region made their way to the Edge Sports Center over the long weekend for the annual East Coast Wizards 14U Columbus Day Invitational.
It was a great chance to see some of the top 2012- and 2013-born prospects in New England.
A smattering of talent from the showcase will make an impact in prep this winter, along with many more in the MIAA, CIAC, and Maine. We’ll surely see more and more of the ’12s entering the NEPSAC in the coming seasons.
I took in several games on Friday. Here are the teams I saw:
- Assabet Valley
- Boston Junior Eagles
- Connecticut Ice Cats
- Connecticut Polar Bears
- East Coast Wizards
- Islanders HC
- Massachusetts Spitfires
- Minuteman Flames
Earlier this week, we broke down 11 forwards who impressed over the weekend. Now, here are 10 standout defenders.
Let’s dive in.
Ariel Zhuang
Assabet Valley/Rivers, 2/26/2012, D, right shot
Home state: California
Zhuang was strong from the start against the Junior Eagles. She was effective at the point with her heavy shot, good reads on pinches and ability to keep plays alive out high. She was also poised on regroups, playing with her head up and making crisp, well-timed passes.
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Hannah Burr
CT Polar Bears/New Canaan Country Day, Class of 2031, D, right shot
Hometown: New Canaan, Conn.
Burr was fantastic quarterbacking the Polar Bears' power play against the Ice Cats. She quickly found passing lanes and funneled pucks to the net. In the third, she did a good job of pinching at the left wall, winning the puck from the forward and cutting to the slot for a quality chance.
Lilly Cannon
Boston Junior Eagles/Barnsable, Class of 2031, D, right shot
Hometown: Barnstable, Mass.
Cannon was fantastic defending the rush against Assabet with her strong gap control, killing plays as they entered the zone with her quick stick and penchant for stepping up on forwards. Cannon also did a good job at the top of the umbrella on the power play, setting up one of Giada Gambino's tallies on the advantage.
Maria Hamm
Assabet Valley, 2012, D, right shot
Hometown: Hardwick, Mass.
Hamm was strong at facilitating offense at the point both at even strength and on the power play, thanks to her ability to make quick decisions. She set up Vicky Swim's power-play goal with a heads-up high-low play to the left post, where Swim jammed it home as she dug away in the battle. Hamm was good on the penalty kill, too, playing with a quick stick. She outmuscled a bigger forward to win a 50/50 puck behind the net.
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Elaine Wu
East Coast Wizards/Groton, 2012, D, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
Wu was active early on for the Wizards against the Spitfires and always jumping into the play. She was aggressive and made quick decisions. She set up an extended attacking zone shift early, stealing the puck at center ice before driving right back in. Later, she drove hard to the net off the rush for a feed in front, creating some chaos around the crease.
Abby Casavant
Islanders HC/Needham, Class of 2030, D, right shot
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
Casavant used her strong frame to her advantage and was solid moving the puck up ice, finding skating and passing lanes in the neutral zone. Late in the third, as the Islanders pushed for offense, she won a battle out high to keep the play alive before quickly cycling the puck back down low. It led to an extended offensive shift and a power play for the Islanders.
Lia Cresta
Islanders HC/Bedford, 08/2012, D, left shot
Hometown: Bedford, Mass.
Cresta was effective at both ends of the ice with her high compete and quick skating. She moved the puck quickly at the point and on breakouts, playing decisively and skating it herself when needed. She was also strong in 1-on-1 battles in her own end, even when there were size mismatches. Cresta fought hard for pucks and wasn't afraid to get physical in battles.
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Bria Armour
Massachusetts Spitfires, Class of 2031, D/F, left shot
Hometown: Norfolk, Mass.
Armour was a stout defensive presence against the Wizards, defending the rush effectively with strong stick and body positioning. She made good reads when stepping up on forwards. She had one strong sequence in particular when she stripped the puck, kicked it to her stick and got the play going back up ice. Armour also did a terrific job in a 1-on-1 against Abby Burke, tying her up in the corner, knocking her off the puck and winning it back.
Adriana Komisarek
CT Ice Cats, Class of 2031, D, right shot
Hometown: New Canaan, Conn.
Komisarek was a big, strong presence in the defensive zone against the Polar Bears. She used her long reach effectively and did a good job clearing out the front of the net. She did a good job of holding her own in a 1-on-1 against Bevin Skibo, even in a speed mismatch, stepping up with a good stick check and killing the play before it materialized into a scoring chance.
Aya Lynch
Connecticut Polar Bears, Class of 2031, D, right shot
Hometown: Rye, Conn.
Lynch did a great job of killing plays to the slot and along the boards with her active stick, preventing the Ice Cats from getting clean entries and establishing their cycle. Lynch also made good breakout passes, including a terrific heads-up stretch pass through a seam to spring Skibo for the aforementioned fast break against Komisarek.
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