ROCKLAND, Mass. — Some of the best players in Massachusetts took the ice at Lovell Arena this past weekend.
Mass. Hockey's 2025 girls festival featured a total of 229 players across the 2008, 2009 and 2010 age groups.
Each group will be whittled down to the Final 40, which will be at Lovell Arena from May 17-18. From there, players will be selected for USA Hockey's national camps — the National 15 Camp, the National 15 Goalie Camp and the National 16/17 Camp at Miami University (Ohio) in July, as well as the U18 Women's National Festival in Lake Placid in August.
During this weekend's festival, I made sure to spend equal time watching each group. I spent Friday watching the 2008s. On Saturday, I saw the '09s, while I watched the 2010s on Sunday.
Let's dive into 15 standouts among the '08s.
Brooke Bartlett
Rivers, 04/2008, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Wayland, Mass.
Bartlett's line with Cassidy Lobisser (Bellingham, Mass.) and Mary Murray (Hingham, Mass.) was extremely effective at driving play and creating offense. Bartlett scored an easy goal after Lobisser and Murray forced a turnover along the boards. Bartlett found an open lane coming in as the trailer and scored with a wrister. Later, she made some nifty passes, including one to Murray on the far side after she looked off the defender as she entered the zone. Bartlett also hit Lobisser in stride in transition to send her in for 1-on-1 with a ton of speed. Bartlett later got a Grade-A chance, stealing the puck at the hash mark, walking in and trying to go upstairs.
Cassidy Lobisser
NAHA, 07/2008, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Bellingham, Mass.
NCAA: Quinnipiac
Lobisser's skating and vision set her apart from the pack. She did a good job of exploiting skating lanes and putting defenders on their heels. She came oh-so-close to a goal after weaving through the neutral zone and taking advantage of wide open space on the near side, walking in for a drag-snap shot that barely caught the knob of the goalie's stick. Lobisser also made a slick pass to Bartlett for a goal after helping to force a turnover with Murray.
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Mary Murray
BB&N, 04/2008, F, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
Murray was constantly in good spots and was relentless on the forecheck. She strongly pursued Jamie Noonan (East Bridgewater, Mass.), cornering her and forcing a turnover with Lobisser, who set up Bartlett. Later, Murray led a rush after spinning off pressure low in the defensive zone. She somehow maintained possession through heavy stick pressure as she kept her feet moving. She showed good hands in a board battle out high, keeping the puck in and hitting Bartlett with a cross-ice pass for a shot. Murray also made a slick steal along the boards before driving to the slot. The chance went by the wayside after her dish to Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) didn't connect.
Annabelle Aitken
Dexter Southfield, 11/24/2008, G, catches right, 5-5
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Aitken was excellent in the crease. She was sound and made sharp saves on high-quality chances, showing good anticipation and quick lateral movement. All of it made difficult saves look easy. One of her best saves came when she stoned a back-door one-timer on a 2-on-1 rush, pushing over to make the save in plenty of time. It came after she gave Maddie Lahah (North Attleboro, Mass.) nothing on another 2-on-1 earlier. Aitken also came up big against Merritt Fitch (Winchester, Mass.) after she got in alone, sticking with her the whole way and making the save with her mask.
Ava Decourcey
Nobles, 7/2008, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Rockland, Mass.
Decourcey made great reads in the defensive and neutral zones on Friday. She also showcased smooth skating, made good use of her longer reach and put pucks in good spots for forwards on breakouts and regroups. She anticipated a stretch pass, stepping up just outside the offensive blue line and intercepting it. Decourcey also had some strong rushes, including one where she poked the puck free inside her own zone and started transition the other way, doing a good job of maintaining possession through traffic with her length and edgework before driving into the zone for a hard shot. Later, she built speed as she curled around her net, cut away from pressure in the neutral zone and hit her forward through a seam for an entry. Decourcey also made an awesome poke check in a 1-on-1 with Cassidy Lobisser (Bellingham, Mass.), stopping the speedy forward in her tracks.
Julia Lambert
Cushing, 7/1/2008, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Wilmington, Mass.
NCAA: Stonehill
Lambert did a really nice job as a puck-carrier, constantly evading defenders and pulling off well-timed dekes. She led good rushes through the neutral zone and had smooth hands in tight spaces as she seemingly had the puck on a string at times. She had one nifty pass late, threading it to Oona Kathan (Arlington, Mass.) jumping into the play at the blue line. It sent Kathan in for a good shot in the high slot.
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Merritt Fitch
Middlesex, 2008, F, right shot, 5-2
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Fitch generated quality chances, showcased good stickhandling and put herself in good spots for outlet passes. One of her best looks came when she dangled to the front of the net, getting in alone and trying to roof it. Aitken made the save. Later, Fitch reacted quickly and deftly controlled a pass that was well behind her. After gathering it, she took advantage of the space that opened up after the defenders had backed off, walking in and getting a good look in middle ice.
Leah Hafer
Dexter Southfield, 12/6/2008, F, right shot
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Hafer made good plays to impact transition. She made a slick cut-back move in the neutral zone to open a lane, leading a rush and getting a good chance after shaking the defender. Not long after, she had a great effort out high in the defensive zone. After getting tied up by the pinching defender, Hafer stuck with it and managed to chip the puck to space for Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.) to go off to the races in a 2-on-1 with Lahah.
Erin Flaherty
St. Paul’s, 06/2008, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
Flaherty played with a high motor, and her relentless puck pursuit was very impressive. She had quick feet, powerful strides and caused problems for opponents on the backcheck and the forecheck. She had a great effort down low in the corner after tracking back, winning the puck and skating it out for a clean exit. Later, she was outnumbered down low but managed to be an effective one-person forecheck, keeping the play alive with timely stick lifts. She eventually flew back to break up a 2-on-1, busting a gut through the neutral zone before diving to stymie the pass.
Kaili Dawson
Winchendon, 01/2008, F, right shot
Hometown: Shirley, Mass.
Dawson had good speed, which allowed her to create separation and push past defenders in transition. She had a breakaway that wouldn't go after flying through a seam to put herself in position for a stretch pass and splitting the defense. Later, she got the puck high in the defensive zone and motored past everyone in the neutral zone, getting numbers the other way, which led to a good chance around the net.
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Sawyer Merrill
Dexter Southfield, 01/2008, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
NCAA: Yale
Merrill's soft hands and long strides made everything look so easy for her. She played with confidence, and it showed in both of her goals. Her first came after she used her strides to blow by everyone, working in alone and burying a short-side backhand. She scored again in quick succession. Olivia Bonarrigo (Walpole, Mass.) hit her with a great stretch pass over the blue line. Merrill protected the puck with her long reach and easily pushed past the defender before chipping a quick shot top shelf. It felt almost effortless.
Janie Martin
Middlesex, 2008, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Burlington, Mass.
Martin was dangerous and had several strong scoring chances. She should have had multiple breakaways, getting steps on defenders and finding seams through middle ice. When she finally got one, she made no mistake. Martin flew in alone and capitalized with a sweet forehand-backhand finish.
Maggie Averill
Phillips Andover, 9/9/2008, D, right shot, 5-11
Hometown: Wayland, Mass.
Averill and defense partner Emma Cerruti (Norwell, Mass.) had complete command of the ice whenever they were out there, especially in the offensive zone. Averill, per usual, was unafraid to take risks and jump into the play. It extended offensive sequences and added another dangerous layer for defenders to account for. She had an awesome cross-ice pass to Chloe Chitkara (Wayland, Mass.) at the right dot for what would likely have been a goal, but she couldn't get the shot off.
Emma Cerruti
Shattuck-St. Mary’s, 2/11/2008, D, right shot, 5-8
Hometown: Norwell, Mass.
NCAA: Wisconsin
Cerruti's high hockey sense, vision and hands helped her be a big difference-maker. She protected pucks well in 1-on-1s and showed a ton of patience high in the offensive zone, letting the play come to her and finding good seams for passes as things opened up. She made quick decisions and had some smart rushes, taking the skating lane when an outlet wasn't available.
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Tina Scalese
Groton, 1/17/2008, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: West Boylston, Mass.
NCAA: Princeton
Scalese had a case to be the best player on the ice on Friday. Typically on a line with Lahah, Scalese drove play and made strong impacts in all three zones. What was most impressive was her strength in battles, especially in size mismatches. She gave Averill a hard bump as the two of them battled for a loose puck, easily winning it after she created her own space. It almost seemed to catch the much-taller Averill by surprise. Scalese later scored a slick goal, picking the top right corner with a turnaround shot in the slot. She had almost no room, but turned and fired a well-placed wrister.
