ROCKLAND, Mass. — Massachusetts’ best girls hockey players took over Lovell Arena this past weekend.
Mass. Hockey’s girls festival came down to its Final 40 across the 2008, 2009 and 2010 age groups.
Players will now be selected for USA Hockey’s National Development Camps in the summer. The Girls National 16/17 (2008/2009) and the Girls National 15 (2010) camps will be at Miami University (Ohio) in July. The U18 Women’s National Festival (2008-10) will be at the Northwood School in Lake Placid, N.Y., in August.
Last year, selections for each camp were released before the end of the month.
A friendly reminder, Massachusetts is its own district in the eyes of USA Hockey. Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont make up the New England District.
One theme from the 2009s this weekend was that many skaters who impressed at last month's festival kept the momentum rolling right into the Final 40. Going into the weekend, I highlighted the '09 forwards as a deep group, chock-full of exciting talent. That's also reflected below.
Let’s dive into 11 standouts from the 2009s.
Jane Daley
Shattuck-St. Mary’s, 3/21/2009, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.
Daley was once again one of the most dynamic talents on the ice. Her line with Simone Burns (Winchester, Mass.) and Bella Freitas (Everett, Mass.) did practically whatever it wanted in the offensive zone, forcing turnovers on the forecheck and creating offense out of the cycle. On Saturday, Daley had a pair of great looks on one of her first shifts, wheeling around the zone and ringing the post with an effortless wrister. She then stole the puck out high and walked back in for a chance.
On Sunday, she had a great feed to Freitas alone in the slot after dancing around a defender in the corner. Later, she finished a pretty play with Burns, driving straight to the far post on the 2-on-1 and hammering a one-timer on the cross-ice dish. Daley capped things off with an effortless goal, making it look easy as she went in 1-on-3 on a rush. She fended off the pressure and roofed a wrister to the top-right corner.
FINAL 40: 8 standout 2008 players from Mass. Hockey girls Final 40
Simone Burns
Rivers, 03/2009, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Burns' speed made her a huge factor offensively alongside Jane Daley and Freitas. On Saturday, she had a great chance off the rush, using her quick feet to drive wide around the defender and cutting inside to out to try to chip it over the blocker. She later scored on a breakaway, easily gaining separation and going forehand-backhand. On Sunday, Burns had an insane assist to Daley on a 2-on-1. After getting a stretch pass from Freitas, Burns turned on the jets and flew into the zone, whipping a cross-crease pass to Daley right on the money for the one-timer.
Maddy Call
Thayer, 2009, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Dedham, Mass.
Call was dangerous offensively throughout both days. She played with a lot of pace and generated some great looks off the rush, while her line with Catherine McCool (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Lily Bromley (Carlisle, Mass.) clicked. On Saturday, she took advantage of a giveaway in the neutral zone, flying in for a partial break, but got tripped up. On Sunday, Call scored a highlight-reel goal. She stole the puck and chipped it into space for McCool in the neutral zone, flying ahead for a give-and-go. Call drove to the slot and got the puck back, quickly pulling to her forehand and chipping it bar-down. Toward the end of the session, she forced another turnover at the point, intercepting a pass and flying the other way for another good chance.
Sienna Glass
Phillips Andover, 02/2009, D, right shot
Hometown: Andover, Mass.
Glass was at her best on Sunday, playing aggressively with a ton of jump in her stride. She was active and jumped into the play plenty. She made an aggressive play to jump up and pressure Mia MacDonald (Walpole, Mass.) at the left dot on a breakout, forcing a turnover and putting a shot on net, where Stella Walsh (Dorchester, Mass.) potted the rebound on the net drive. Later, Glass scrambled to get back in transition before intercepting a centering pass from Jane Daley. Glass led the counter rush the other way, finding Alexa Georgantas (Foxboro, Mass.) over the line, who fed Brooke Carlson (North Andover, Mass.) in the slot for a chance.
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Brooke Carlson
Governor’s, 1/2009, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: North Andover, Mass.
Carlson, Mia Daley (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Lana Hardin (Tyngsboro, Mass.) had excellent chemistry all weekend, and it led to some strong chances for their line. Carlson did a great job of finding open space between the dots for shooting chances. She had some great chances on Saturday. The first was a look in the slot, coming off a cycle along the wall with Hardin, and the second was a heavy one-timer on a 2-on-1. On Sunday, Carlson set up Daley's goal in the slot with a nice feed. Later, Carlson drove to the slot on a counter rush with Georgantas, dangling around a defender and getting a backhand look in tight.
Catherine McCool
Nobles, 10/2009, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: West Roxbury, Mass.
McCool was dynamic possessing the puck in the offensive zone all weekend. Her line with Call and Bromley had the puck on a string on many shifts both Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, McCool set up Call's slick goal off the give-and-go, finding her alone in the slot off the rush with a perfect feed. Later, McCool had a dominant shift in the attacking zone, maintaining possession as she took a tour of the zone. She found MacDonald at the point, who put a quick shot on, and Bromley buried the rebound.
Tatum Friedholm
Groton, 08/2009, D, left shot, 5-9
Hometown: Sudbury, Mass.
Friedholm did an excellent job of using her reach to her advantage in the defensive zone. On one sequence in particular on Saturday, she had a good stick in the corner, killing the play as the forwards tried to work it toward the front of the net. On Sunday, she stepped up and made a good poke check on Glass jumping into the play, killing the rush. Friedholm also had a great stretch pass to Clara Cary (Danvers, Mass.) on Sunday, timing it well as she hit her on the tape and in stride.
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Annabelle Lovell
Lovell Academy, 2/25/2009, F/D, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
Lovell's skating and vision of the ice helped her stand out once again. Her speed allowed her to easily carve through the neutral zone in transition. On Saturday, she led a good rush into the offensive zone as her team got a change, pulling up at the top of the circle to wait for reinforcements before laying a pass into space for Nora Swaim (Concord, Mass.). Later, Lovell blew through the neutral zone easily for a 2-on-1, putting a tough shot on net. On Sunday, Lovell had a give-and-go with Madeline Carey (Braintree, Mass.) in the corner, making a beeline for the slot to get in position for a one-timer. Later, she took a penalty but made up for it by tracking down Angela Wells (Boston, Mass.) on the breakaway, lifting her stick and preventing the shot.
Lana Hardin
Governor's, 2009, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Tyngsboro, Mass.
Hardin showed strong awareness in offensive situations, working well with Carlson and Mia Daley. She set up a great look for Carlson in the slot on Saturday, slipping a slick feed to her coming off rotation along the half-wall. On Sunday, Hardin won a footrace to a loose puck in the offensive zone while her side was in the middle of a change. She smartly bought time for reinforcements and found Lovell flying into the slot. Later, Hardin made herself available in the slot to continue the pressure after Mia Daley intercepted a pass out high.
Mia Daley
Williston Northampton, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Lynnfield, Mass.
Daley's line was good throughout the weekend, and, individually, she got better as things progressed, particularly on Sunday. She scored a slick goal with a top-shelf finish on a wrister in tight off a feed from Carlson from behind the net. Later, Daley set up Hardin for a one-timer in the slot with a nice dish from the corner. Daley also hunted pucks on the back check, intercepting a breakout pass out high before finding Hardin in middle ice to ramp up the pressure.
MASS. HOCKEY GIRLS FESTIVAL: 15 standout 2008s | 14 standout 2009s | 13 standout 2010s
Avah Miller
Undecided, 8/9/2009, D, right shot
Hometown: Plymouth, Mass.
Miller was strong in transition throughout the weekend. On Saturday, she was active and used her skating to lead play through the neutral zone. On Sunday, she got everything started on Daley's goal from Burns. Miller pulled up at the hash mark as she curled out of the corner, spinning off pressure and slipping an outlet pass to Freitas, who sent Burns in on the 2-on-1. Miller also scored on a breakaway with a quick wrister inside the left post.
