BEDFORD, Mass. — The Wizards Showcase always marks one of the top events on the offseason calendar.
This past weekend, 34 teams from across New England, the U.S. and even Canada flocked to the Edge Sports Center from Thursday to Sunday with exciting prospects in the U19, U16 and U14 age groups taking the ice.
I made it out to games on Thursday and Friday, focusing on the U16 and U19 action.
It's an especially key time for rising juniors and seniors as they look to separate themselves in front of college coaches who may be watching. Rising juniors became eligible to commit on June 15.
Here are 11 uncommitted players among the U19s who stood out. We'll tackle standout U16s in a separate article later this week.
Kate Hayes
Bay State Breakers/Rivers, Class of 2026, F, right shot
Hometown: Wellesley, Mass.
Hayes was a huge play driver for the Breakers in their game against the Islanders U19s on Friday, creating offense in transition on practically every shift. She worked well off the rush with Maddie Greenwood (Duxbury, Mass.), especially. Hayes set up a fantastic goal for Greenwood early, dangling around a defender and putting a pass right on the money for Greenwood to one-time it home. Later, Hayes set up a pair of strong chances, slipping a backhand feed through a seam for Greenwood in front. She stuck with the loose puck as she curled behind the net and found Chloe Chitkara (Wayland, Mass.) in the slot for a one-timer.
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Avah Miller
North East Generals, 8/9/2009, D, right shot
Hometown: Plymouth, Mass.
Miller's strong skating ability was on full display as she was frequently a one-person breakout for the Generals on Thursday and Friday. She took advantage of skating lanes, time and space through the neutral zone. One instance stood out against Assabet on Friday. As she went back to retrieve the puck on a regroup with a forechecker bearing down on her, Miller head-faked one way before curling the other to buy herself some time to motor up the right wing. Miller also had a good stick defensively against the Mass. Spitfires on Thursday, quickly breaking up a potential back-door tap-in shortly before disrupting Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) as she tried to walk into the slot. Moments later, Miller tied up Anika Singh (Lexington, Mass.) along the boards, winning the puck and leading a clean exit.
CC Flynn
Bay State Breakers/Hingham, Class of 2026, D, left shot
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
Flynn was her usual stout, steady presence on the blue line in the Breakers' win over the Islanders on Friday morning. She was strong on the penalty kill in particular with a good stick and defensive awareness. She had strong stick and body positioning, which allowed her to break up plays down low and around the net.
Carly Greer
Islanders/Phillips Andover, 1/11/2007, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Randolph, N.J.
Greer was excellent hunting pucks for the Islanders against the Breakers on Friday. She showed good speed as she pressured puck carriers on the forecheck and disrupted exits. Greer set up Kate Tarr (Manchester, N.H.) for a great one-time chance in front after winning the puck below the goal line, curling around the net and hitting her on the tape.
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Ava Decourcey
Assabet/Nobles, 7/2008, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Rockland, Mass.
Decourcey was a dynamic presence on Assabet's blue line, frequently working alongside either Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) or Kimee Duplessis (Framingham, Mass.). Decourcey was strong in transition and in the offensive blue line with her head constantly up and reading the ice well. She took advantage of a skating lane up the middle before finding Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.) over the blue line for a clean entry, setting up an extended offensive zone shift for Assabet. That same shift, Decourcey found a cross-ice seam and zipped a pass right to Caroline Averill's (Wayland, Mass.) tape. Decourcey was also strong quarterbacking the power play, keeping in constant motion out high and moving pucks quickly. She scored a sweet goal from the top of the umbrella, ripping a quick wrister to the top left corner, off the bar and in.
Brooke Bartlett
East Coast Wizards/Rivers, 04/2008, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Wayland, Mass.
Bartlett showed quick feet and hands in the offensive zone for the Wizards against PIP on Friday. She worked pucks to the middle and won races. One play in particular that stood out was in the third period. Bartlett lost an offensive zone face-off but quickly stepped around the opposing center and won the puck back before sending a pass to the slot for a Grade-A look.
Annabelle Aitken
PIP/Dexter Southfield, 11/24/2008, G, catches right, 5-5
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Aitken made some huge saves to preserve a 1-1 tie for PIP against the Wizards on Friday. She took away shooting angles, reacted well and came through in the clutch. She made a strong save on Violet Dittman's catch-and-release shot on the doorstep before standing tall with sticks digging away at the rebound. Aitken later made a terrific save on Maggie Lovering's rebound bid on the doorstep, lunging to stone her with the pad after fighting off Sienna DeAngelis' initial bid. Aitken also had a big shoulder save with time winding down on Brenna Ziter's (Williston, Vt.) wrister as she cut into the slot.
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Addie Sutherland
Mass. Spitfires/Dexter Southfield, 01/2008, G, catches left, 5-4
Hometown: West Roxbury, Mass.
Like Aitken at the other end, Sutherland also came up with some key saves of her own for the Wizards. She moved quickly in her crease and read the play well, coming up with quality saves on strong looks in dangerous areas of the ice. One of her best saves came on Annika Egert's breakaway, stoning her low bid and giving her absolutely nothing to shoot at.
Sienna DeAngelis
East Coast Wizards/Phillips Andover, 10/2008, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Holmdel, N.J.
DeAngelis' speed and skating ability was on full display in the Wizards' tie with PIP on Friday. She used it to her full advantage carrying the puck through the neutral zone and walking the blue line. DeAngelis had a strong shift in the offensive zone late. After she had a shot blocked out high, she made a good pinch and poke check to break up the exit and keep the pressure up. She got it back, closed between the dots and put a heavy shot on net, trying to go under the glove. The rebound popped right to Lovering in front for another bid.
Kaida Okamura
North East Generals/Kimball Union, 4/18/2008, F, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.
Okamura was strong on her skates, and her speed was the biggest thing that stood out, helping her work pucks behind the defense in transition and hunt them on the back-check. She had a great read on the back-check against the Spitfires on Thursday, taking a good angle on Jamie Noonan (West Bridgewater, Mass.) carrying the puck out of the zone and stopping her dead in her tracks. Okamura had a similar play against Assabet on Friday, winning the puck back on the power play just outside the blue line, preventing a clear and carrying the puck back into the attacking zone.
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Keileigh Donovan
North East Generals/Worcester Academy, Class of 2026, D, left shot
Hometown: Wilmington, Mass.
Donovan played a noticeably heavy, physical game for the Generals. She used her size and strength to establish body position in the defensive zone. She was effective along the boards in transition and down low as she dolled out some punishment, separating forwards from the puck and winning battles. Donavan had a great recovery late against the Spitfires to track back and break up a potential breakaway for Quatrale.
