LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Last week, 76 of the best girls Under-18 hockey players in the nation took the ice at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid for USA Hockey's girls U18 Select Camp.
The camp featured players from the 2007-2009 birth years. In total, 21 New England natives (11 forwards and 10 defenders) took the ice among the groups at 1932 Rink throughout the week. There were 16 skaters from Massachusetts and five from the New England District, which is separate from Mass. Hockey.
Just by being there, players improved their status and set themselves up well for strong 2024-25 seasons. However, some players really boosted their standing among their peers, whether in terms of recruiting, being on national team radars or their stock in general.
The camp, which was part of USA Hockey's National Women's Festival, was also part of the selection process for the Under-18 women's national team roster for the U18 Series against Canada. Nine New England natives from the camp made the U18 Series roster.
I made the drive from Massachusetts to the Adirondacks to catch the final three days of games from Aug. 6-8, focusing on the skaters from New England.
Let's dive into the forwards from the region who stood out last week.
Cassidy Lobisser
NAHA Red U16, 07/2008, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Bellingham, Mass.
Lobisser stood out with her speed and skating all week, which helped her generate some good chances. She has a strong first step and accelerates quickly. On Tuesday, she easily led a solo regroup in the neutral zone, flying back into the offensive end and getting a good shot on net. Lobisser played her best game on Thursday. She burst into the zone off the opening draw of the second period for a Grade-A scoring chance that wouldn't go. She later blazed through the defense for a partial breakaway, getting a shot on net even as she fought off heavy pressure. I took the shootouts with a grain of salt, but Lobisser scored with a quick release between the blocker and pad on Tuesday, too. The NAHA standout also had a good week at the face-off dot.
Elle Sproule
Shattuck-St. Mary’s/CT Polar Bears 16U, 5/21/2007, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Old Greenwich, Conn.
NCAA: Harvard
Just like it did at the New England District's camp, Sproule's speed was the biggest difference-maker for her game. Her line with Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Jillian McLaughlin was perhaps the Navy team's best line on Wednesday and Thursday. Sproule and Powers' connection was particularly effective. They were the only ones to generate any consistent pressure deep in the offensive zone, especially on Wednesday.
Sproule showcased soft hands in tight spaces around the net, setting up Powers a few times with some nice feeds and giving herself strong scoring chances as well. There was one on Wednesday where she drove wide with a strong push and nearly roofed a shot in tight but hit the crossbar. She was rewarded on Thursday with a goal in the high slot, catching the goalie off guard with a quick release under the bar. The Harvard commit finished with a goal and an assist in four games.
Evelyn Doyle
Assabet/Dexter Southfield, 8/14/2007, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
Doyle was impactful throughout the week. She was strong in all three zones on Tuesday. The rising junior at Dexter Southfield showed nice hands in the slot, corralling a tough pass before battling to get a shot on net. She was excellent defensively in the 3-on-3 overtime, defending a 1-on-1 well and preventing a shot. She stuck with the play and tied up a stick to take away a centering pass to the crease.
Doyle had a good day on the forecheck on Wednesday, getting into passing lanes and making life difficult on the opposition below the dots. It led to a strong scoring chance later after she won a board battle and attacked toward the net. She had another great chance in the slot on Thursday in a sequence with Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.), but the goalie robbed her. Doyle finished with one goal in for games and made the U18 series roster.
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Tina Scalese
Assabet/Groton, 1/17/2008, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: West Boylston, Mass.
Scalese's biggest impact was in the defensive zone. She was strong at the dot and on Tuesday, was excellent on the penalty kill, making a heads-up play to get her stick on a centering pass in the slot and prevent what might have been a sure goal. The rising junior at Groton was strong helping down low as the center. Amid a frantic breakout on Wednesday, Scalese calmly settled things down once she got possession and led a clean exit through after finding a lane up the middle. She was solid in the high-slot "bumper" on the power play on Wednesday, rotating into open spaces and getting some shots on net.
The quality scoring chances didn't come very easily for her before Thursday, save for a nice look on Tuesday when she pulled the puck out of scrum along the boards, walked in and tried to go short side. Thursday was her best day offensively. Her smarts allowed her to find soft space in the attacking zone. She drove hard to the net for a decent chance on a rebound early on. After drawing a tripping penalty, she wreaked havoc around the net with Gretta Hulbig (Foxboro, Mass.), getting a good redirect in front. She later got open in the slot for another dangerous chance that wouldn't go. Scalese had one assist in four games.
Jane Daley
Shattuck-St. Mary’s U16, 3/21/2009, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.
Daley's speed was an issue for defenders. She won foot races and consistently put the defense on its heels and backed them up in transition, leading to clean zone entries. On Wednesday, she forced a turnover with a smart stick after quickly closing down on a puck carrier. It led to a terrific chance alone in front. She later combined for a pair of great chances with Annabelle Lovell (Hingham, Mass.) on odd-numbered rushes. On one of them, she made a sweet pass to Lovell at the back post, but the shot missed the net.
Their connection continued on Thursday when Daley got a great shot on net from the top of the right circle after a drop pass from Lovell. Later in the game, Daley danced around the defense for a dangerous chance in alone. On the same sequence, she got another golden chance with some slick hands in tight, but the goalie robbed her on both looks. She scored a sweet goal in the shootout, changing speeds and throwing the goalie's timing off before roofing a chip shot over the glove. Daley earned a spot on the U18 Series roster.
Lindsay Stepnowski
Mass. Spitfires/Loomis Chaffee, 2008, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: South Glastonbury, Conn.
Stepnowski was the most consistent from the region all week. She made an impact on the ice each of the three days I saw her. She drove play and did a good job leading transition through the neutral zone, particularly on Tuesday. The rising junior at Loomis Chaffee was solid on face-offs, and on Wednesday, she set up a great chance in front after winning the puck back on the forecheck and making a heads-up pass to her teammate, who was flying in off the bench. On Thursday, Stepnowski put herself in good positions in her own end to provide support for the defense on breakouts. She later broke in alone in tight for a Grade-A look, but the goalie made a great save to rob her. Stepnowski earned a spot on the roster for this week's U18 series.
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Annabelle Lovell
Lovell Academy, 2/25/2009, F/D, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
Lovell played her best on Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday, she made a phenomenal pass to set up Maddie Murphy (Dorchester, Mass.) for a one-timer on a 2-on-1 that wouldn't go. Lovell stuck with it and set up Megan Healy's (South Burlington, Vt.) for a goal later in the sequence. That sequence gave Lovell momentum for the rest of the camp as her connection with Daley flourished. Lovell found Daley with a slick saucer pass on a 2-on-1, but Daley couldn't bury the chance.
On Thursday, Lovell motored into the offensive zone, baited the defense with a deke and dropped off to Daley for a good shot at the top of the circle. Later in overtime, Lovell made a fantastic defensive play. She stepped up with a good stick check to stop the rush dead in its tracks at the blue line before starting transition the other way. Despite being one of the youngest and smallest skaters in the field, Lovell's speed and playmaking allowed her to be effective. She had one assist in four games and made the U18 Series roster.
