Every year, there are always unsung heroes that emerge in the playoffs.
That was no different in this season's NEPSAC girls tournaments.
While some of the region's biggest producers and top commits, like Loomis Chaffee's Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.; Harvard), had standout postseason performances, there were plenty of uncommitted players who had strong runs.
The playoffs give upperclassmen another opportunity to show what they've got, and it offers younger players a chance to put their names on the radar.
I did my best to keep tabs on everything going on throughout the playoffs, whether that was watching as many streams as I could during Wednesday's quarterfinals, getting down to Loomis Chaffee for the Elite 8 semis against BB&N, tracking down video from the rest of Saturday's semifinals or spending Sunday at Taft for all three championships.
One thing a lot of the teams that made deep runs had in common was having older, experienced defensive cores with their fair share of commits. So, this article is fairly forward-heavy.
Let's dive into 10 uncommitted players who boosted their stock last week.
Lilly Shaughnessy
Tabor, Class of 2026, F, right shot, 5-9
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.
Shaughnessy came through in the clutch for the Seawolves in their quarterfinal and semifinal upsets. She scored one of Tabor's two unanswered goals in the third against Exeter to power the comeback before she had two goals and an assist in an overtime win at Thayer. In the semis, Shaughnessy got on the board in the second with a one-timer from the slot, getting to open space in front after working the puck low on the cycle. She set up Jen Birolini's (Pembroke, Mass.) equalizer late with a cross-ice pass on the power play for a one-timer. In overtime, Shaughnessy won it with a power move to the front of the net in a 1-on-1 before sticking with it and potting her own rebound. She didn't get on the board in the championship, but was strong around the net and in battles.
She finished with career-highs in goals (five) and points (14) this season.
CHAMPS: Loomis survives Andover in Elite 8 | Deerfield blanks Tabor in Large School | New Hampton three-peats in Small School
Bella Zolezzi
Loomis Chaffee, 12/11/2007, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Oswego, Ill.
Zolezzi is a bit of an unsung hero on a deep roster at Loomis, and she came through when they needed her most with a pair of goals in the Elite 8 championship. Her first goal was a thing of beauty. Flying in off the bench, Zolezzi pounced on a turnover in the neutral zone, walked in and perfectly picked the top left corner from the left dot. In the second, she scored with a quick shot from the slot, turning and firing it inside the right post on the power play. After adding an assist in the quarterfinals, Zolezzi finished with eight goals and 13 points for a second straight year.
Ellie Lachance
Loomis Chaffee, Class of 2025, F, right shot
Hometown: West Hartford, Conn.
Stepnowski and Chloe Obser grabbed a lot of the headlines on the Pelicans' top line — and for good reason — but Lachance impacted the play every time she was on the ice. She had assists in the semis and the championship. In the final, she set up Zolezzi's second goal, threading a quick pass to her in the slot from the half wall. Zolezzi plays with a high hockey IQ, has a quick stick in battles and makes a lot of smart, little plays along the boards in the offensive zone. The senior had a career season with 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists).
Molly Halloran
BB&N, 06/2008, F, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: Belmont, Mass.
Halloran was fantastic in BB&N's quarterfinals upset of Dexter Southfield, scoring the Knights' first two goals of the game. She showed good awareness and did a lot of damage around the net. On her first goal, she made a great play coming off the bench to steal the puck before driving to the front of the net for a chance and burying her own rebound. On the second, she got to the loose puck first off the face-off, tapped it to the point and parked right in front to provide a screen before potting a rebound. Halloran had a career season with 10 goals and 13 points. She had the third-highest goal total for the Knights.
ALL-TOURNAMENT: All-Elite 8 team | All-Large School team | All-Small School team
Kelsey Baker
New Hampton, Class of 2026, F, right shot
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
Baker had a terrific postseason with four points (two goals) in three games. She had two helpers in the quarterfinals against Frederick Gunn before scoring in the semis and the final. As I wrote in our All-Tournament team for the Small School bracket, Baker was one of the best players on the ice in the championship. She was everywhere in the offensive zone and had several Grade-A opportunities to score, whether on a tip in the slot, a good shot between the dots and more. She finally broke through with a fortunate bounce. The junior had a career-high 21 assists and 30 points this season.
Adeline Roper
Loomis Chaffee, 03/2008, G, catches left, 5-6
Hometown: Kennebunk, Maine
Roper was excellent all season and found another gear in the postseason. She made 28 saves in the quarterfinals and 25 saves for a shutout in the semis before standing on her head in the championship. With Loomis shorthanded for much of the third period, Roper came up with key saves at nearly every turn. She was poised, quick and handled a heavy wave of shots around her crease down the stretch. You need your goalie to be your best penalty killer, and Roper was.
Abby DeAnzeris
Thayer, 3/1/2007, D, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
DeAnzeris finished third in scoring for the Tigers this season, posting five goals and 25 assists for 30 points. The latter two marks are career-bests. She had three assists in two tournament games for Thayer. One of her helpers in the quarterfinals came on Kate Sullivan's (Hingham, Mass.) first goal of the game on the power play. The two had good rotation at the point as DeAnzeris drew the defender with her toward the boards before laying it back for Sullivan, who had a shooting lane from the point.
Jen Birolini
Tabor, 4/3/2007, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Pembroke, Mass.
Birolini had a strong finish to a nice first season in the NEPSAC after making the jump from the MIAA. The junior had an assist in the quarterfinals before a goal and an assist in the semis against Thayer. She came through with the equalizer late in the third, blasting a one-timer from inside the left dot. In the championship, Birolini was one of Tabor's more dangerous skaters. She had a great look in the first, taking advantage of a turnover up the middle, walking in and trying to roof a backhand. Birolini also had a breakaway in the second that wouldn't go. She led Tabor with 14 goals and 24 points this season.
PREP RESULTS: Girls Elite 8 | Girls Large School | Girls Small School | Boys Elite 8 | Boys Large School | Boys Small School
Maribeth Fitzgerald
St. Mark's, Class of 2026, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Boylston, Mass.
Fitzgerald, who impressed at one of the CPC tournaments I covered back in the fall, came through down the stretch during St. Mark's run to the Small School final. The junior assisted both of Ella Lefebvre's (Grafton, Mass.) goals in the quarterfinal upset of Governor's, and she opened the scoring in the semifinal upset of Rivers. On the power play, Fitzgerald parked herself in front of the crease and perfectly redirected a feed into the back of the net.
Marie Lee
Phillips Andover, 3/6/2010, G, catches left, 5-7
Hometown: Southboro, Mass.
Lee struggled in the Elite 8 championship, which spoiled an otherwise strong season and tournament for the young freshman. She made 24 saves in the Big Blue's upset of Nobles in the quarterfinals before pitching a shutout in a semifinal upset of top-seeded Williston. Lee was fantastic down the stretch against Nobles as Andover clung to a one-goal lead, making quality saves on strong looks in middle ice. She's quick in her crease.
