FOXBORO, Mass. — Without the New England Patriots in action, a late October Sunday in Foxboro meant only one thing: fall hockey.
The NEGHL Showcase took over the Foxboro Sports Center. It was a great opportunity to see many of the region's top 16U and 19U club programs and prospects compete under one roof as the prep season quickly approaches.
I made it to Foxboro on Sunday morning and bounced between a handful of 16U and 19U games.
Here are the 19U games I caught:
- Boston Junior Eagles vs. East Coast Wizards
- Connecticut Polar Bears vs. Massachusetts Spitfires
- Islanders HC vs. Northeast Generals
We'll get to 16U standouts in a separate article later this week. Here are 11 standout 19U prospects from the action.
Gabby Ogunnupe
CT Polar Bears/Berkshire, 4/29/2009, D, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: St. Albert, AB
NCAA: Brown
Ogunnupe was explosive and dynamic, moving the puck effectively at even strength and on the power play with her powerful skating. She won races and closed on puck carriers quickly. Ogunnupe got a great chance flying off the bench for a loose puck inside the offensive blue line. She won the race and drove in for a short-side bid. Later, she made a terrific heads-up stretch pass to spring Riley Stocker for a breakaway.
GIRLS PREP PREVIEWS: Loomis Chaffee | Groton | Phillips Andover | Brooks
Lily Curtis
Mass. Spitfires/Williston Northampton, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Skaneateles, N.Y.
Curtis played a detailed game in all three zones and was an effective defensive center with her ability to gain inside position and win battles. She did a good job of providing support down low and knocking Makenna Komanecky off a puck to win it before quickly finding an outlet up ice. Later, Curtis drew a trip after she got a step on Maggie Lyden in a physical battle for the puck and got taken down. It was a good job of getting leverage against a bigger matchup.
Brooke Fallon
East Coast Wizards/Cushing, 5/24/2009, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Bedford, N.H.
NCAA: Amherst
Fallon looked like she was shot out of a cannon on practically every shift. Her motor was always going on the forecheck, and her physicality down low gave defenders fits in battles. She consistently knocked opponents off pucks and kept plays alive in the attacking zone.
Elizabeth Maher
Islanders HC/Holderness, 8/9/2009, F, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Lebanon, N.H.
Maher impressed with her versatility on the Islanders' power play. She battled hard in front of the net, getting a quality chance on a rebound. She was also strong on cycles down low and out high. After supporting her linemate in a battle down low, Maher made a low-to-high play and rotated into space at the point. She got the puck back and moved laterally to draw the defender with her before slipping a feed to Lucia Peraza in the high slot for a chance.
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Riley Stocker
CT Polar Bears/Williston Northampton, 06/2008, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Verona, N.J.
NCAA: Merrimack
Stocker was arguably the Polar Bears' most impactful skater on Sunday with her strength, compete and ability to create offense, constantly creating headaches for Spitfire defenders. She got rewarded with a short-handed goal late. After intercepting a stretch pass, she drove into the attacking zone for a chance. When Brianne Martin won a battle to keep the play alive at the left dot, Stocker swung toward the bottom of the circle and roofed a shot under the crossbar from a tough angle.
Charlotte Haig
Mass. Spitfires/Thayer, 2009, D, right shot
Hometown: Wellesley, Mass.
Haig played a steady, reliable game in her own end against the Polar Bears, and she had Stocker's number on a couple of 1-on-1 matchups. She maintained strong gaps and kept her stick in shooting and passing lanes, including one counterattack where she prevented a shot in the high slot. Haig also did a great job defending the front of the net with her physicality, whether at 5-on-5 or on the penalty kill. After preventing a clean shot with another good stick, Haig cleared Stocker out of the crease and prevented her from getting to the rebound.
Maddy Allen
Boston Junior Eagles/St. Paul's, 01/2009, F, right shot, 5-8
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
NCAA: Brown
Allen made an impact at both ends of the ice. She used her size effectively to win puck battles along the boards in the defensive zone, and she had a great back-checking effort and stick lift against Lorenna McGrath to prevent her from driving to the net for a clean chance. Allen also scored on the power play, taking advantage of open space in front as she jammed in a bang-bang feed from Kayleigh Koen.
WIZARDS 14U SHOWCASE: 11 standout forwards | 10 standout defenders
Nora Swaim
East Coast Wizards/Rivers, 11/11/2009, F, left shot
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
Swaim's ability to generate speed made her effective in transition and in tight areas in the attacking zone. She got a good chance late in the first when she got the puck high in the defensive zone and flew the other way with a big burst of speed. Her quick feet also helped her create space for herself in the offensive zone with one or two steps out of pressure.
Layla Smart
Boston Junior Eagles/Tabor, 11/24/2009, D, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Manlius, N.Y.
Smart has gotten bigger and stronger, and it showed in how effective she was at taking away space and winning pucks in the defensive zone. Her pair with Nicole Sciarretta was effective in all three zones, too. Smart made quick decisions with the puck and quarterbacked the power play well in the second period. She was decisive and found open lanes to the net.
Milana Shuman
CT Polar Bears/Deerfield, 2008, F, left shot
Hometown: Westfield, Mass.Â
Shuman was at the center of several quality chances for the Polar Bears on Sunday, and she got rewarded with a beauty on the power play. When Mia Lynch kept the play alive along the boards, Shuman picked up the puck, turned a corner and drove toward the slot. She ripped a quick wrist shot that picked the top right corner.
BOYS PREP PREVIEWS: Brunswick | Winchendon | Cushing | Salisbury | Kimball Union | Hotchkiss | Williston
Georgia Murray
Mass. Spitfires/Tabor, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
Murray nearly scored a shorthanded beauty, and it was all off a big second effort at the end of a shift. She had a good stick at the defensive blue line, stealing the puck and speeding the other way. After side-stepping Ogunnupe, Murray drove to the post for a chance that wouldn't go.
