HAVERHILL, Mass. — Some rising impact players in the girls prep hockey ranks descended upon the Haverhill Valley Forum over the long weekend for the CPC Columbus Day Showcase.
The weekend featured 12 total teams in both the U16 and U19 age groups.
Among the U16s, I caught the Valley Jr. Warriors Tier 1s taking down Boston Hockey Academy on Saturday evening as well as the Boston American's Tier 1s taking on the Americans U19 Tier 1s on Sunday before their tilt with BHA later in the afternoon. I also saw the Jr. Warriors face off against VJW's U19 Tier 1's on Sunday afternoon.
We'll focus on the Jr. Warriors and Americans U16 Tier 1s for now. BHA skates as a U19 AAA squad, so we'll focus on their standouts with the rest of the U19s in another piece later this week.
Let's dive into the U16 standouts from the CPC showcase.
Megan Carlson
Valley Jr. Warriors/Governor's, 2009, D, left shot, 5-6
Carlson (North Andover, Mass.) was one of the best blue-liners of the entire weekend. She was fast, dynamic and immensely more poised and sure of herself compared to when I last saw her at the Under-18 Selects in August, where she was one of the youngest players in the field. She sees the ice very well and uses her speed and acceleration to her advantage in transition.
Carlson scored early on in Saturday's win over BHA with a quick shot from the top of the right circle that beat the netminder cleanly through traffic. Later in that game, she led a great give-and-go in the neutral zone that started with a quick burst of speed in her own end before finding an outlet and busting through a seam at center ice. After that game, she turned right back around to skate with the VJW U19 Tier 1s. It was more of the same on Sunday for Carlson, who hit Natasha Godfrey (Scarborough, Maine) with a phenomenal stretch pass, opening up the ice for an easy exit and entry.
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Cadence Crowley
Valley Jr. Warriors/St. Paul's, 07/2009, F, right shot, 5-3
Crowley (North Reading, Mass.) was one of VJW's best forwards this weekend, especially on Sunday. She had a terrific start to the game against the U19 Warriors, making a great heads-up stretch pass to Godfrey to jumpstart a rush. On her next shift, Crowley exposed a seam in the neutral zone for a breakaway. Later, she had a Grade-A chance in front after finding soft space around the net, putting herself in a perfect spot to get to a rebound.
Her ability to get lost in coverage around the net was on display during Saturday's game when she scored in tight off a cross-crease feed from Maya Kou, who Crowley found with an excellent cross-ice feed earlier. Crowley, who was excellent at the face-off dot both days, was dangerous in shorthanded situations with Godfrey, too, making plays at the point that led to breaks going the other way. She set up Crowley for a shorthanded goal after blowing by the defense for a 2-on-0, faking a shot and hitting Godfrey at the back post for an easy tap-in. In a similar sequence in the third, she made a great pass behind the defense to send Godfrey in alone.
Reagan Deery
Boston Americans/Deerfield, Grad year: 2028, F, right shot, 5-4
Deery had a solid day on Sunday, particularly in the Americans' second game against BHA. She saw the ice well and deliberately moved the puck in the offensive zone, confidently scanning the ice for the best option rather than forcing plays to the middle. She scored with a nice release in tight, getting to Allison Sauls' rebound and feathering a shot to the top right corner. Deery had several other scoring chances as well, mostly around the front of the net. She did have a nice rush late on a counter rush, cutting back to shake free of the defender and work into the slot before forcing the netminder to make a quality save on a hard, high wrister. Later, Deery stripped the puck from a defender behind the net and set up a few chances at the empty net that somehow wouldn't go.
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Brooke Nelson
Boston Americans/Concord High, Grad year: 2027, F, right shot
Nelson (Concord, NH) had a strong game against older competition in the Americans U16s' tilt against the U19s on Sunday. She opened the scoring with a slick shot to pick the top left corner from the left dot early on. She was patient and let the shooting lane open up as she closed in on goal, making it look easy with a quick release to beat the goalie cleanly. Later, Nelson made an excellent effort at the offensive blue line. She tracked down and disrupted the puck carrier before diving to keep the play going in the attacking zone.
Dominique Reiher
Valley Jr. Warriors/Phillips Exeter, 12/2009, F, left shot, 5-7
Reiher dominated alongside Elena Gordon (Rowley, Mass.) on Saturday. Both were dynamic and shifty, overwhelming BHA with their speed, quick passing and strong chemistry in the offensive zone. Reiher came through with a pair of goals. She got on the board early in the first, making herself available in front for a nice feed from Liza Demain (Wolfeboro, NH). She got open at the back post again to get an easy tap-in off Gordon's toe drag and slick backhand feed. Reiher had another excellent scoring chance later, intercepting a pass in the neutral zone, toe-dragging to the slot and trying to stuff it five-hole.
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Natasha Godfrey
Valley Jr. Warriors/North Yarmouth Academy, F, right shot, 5-3
Like Reiher and Gordon, Godfrey's connection with Crowley helped her make an impact every time she was on the ice. She scored on a gorgeous shorthanded sequence with Crowley on Saturday, driving to the far post on a 2-on-0 and easily beating the goalie with a redirect. Later, she made a beeline through center ice to break free, but her five-hole attempt was robbed. Godfrey showcased her quick, heavy release on Sunday, hitting a post in stride off the rush early on. Later in the first, she forced a turnover at the point and got a breakaway before wiring a wrist shot bar-down to the top-right corner for a pretty goal.
Brooke Carlson
Valley Jr. Warriors/Governor's, 07/2009, F, left shot, 5-8
Carlson (North Andover, Mass.) impressed with her blend of size, skating and hands. She excelled as a puck-carrier in the neutral zone, getting clean entries and seeing the ice well. She made a great play on Saturday when she didn't force an offensive zone entry through traffic. Instead, she smartly pulled up, regrouped on her own and found Crowley with a cross-ice pass, opening up the ice and gaining the zone with possession. Carlson later had a nice scoring chance in front, showing nice hands in a tight space in the slot, corralling a puck sent in from the point with defenders bearing down on her before spinning and firing a shot on net.
