BEDFORD, Mass. — One of the biggest events of the offseason calendar is in the rearview.
The Wizards Showcase took over the Edge Sports Center this past weekend, featuring 31 teams from New England, the western U.S. and western Canada and some of the best prospects in the U19, U16 and U14 age groups.
I spent my weekend focusing primarily on the U16 and U19 teams, doing my best to see each New England team at least once. All told, I saw 21 total games, most for at least two periods.
Here are eight U19 forwards who stood out throughout the weekend. We'll dive into U19 defenders and goalies, plus the U16s, as the week progresses.
Evelyn Doyle
Assabet/Dexter Southfield, 8/14/2007, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
Doyle's line with Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.) was Assabet's best against the Connecticut Jr. Eagles on Friday. The trio seemed to have the puck on a string throughout the game. Doyle came through with a power play goal, burying her own rebound after shielding the puck from a defender for a chance in tight and sticking with the play. She had been around it all game to that point, and she got rewarded. The chances kept coming, too. Doyle found Powers with a great setup at the far post that couldn't beat Nikki Ferraro's (New Canaan, Conn.) sprawling effort. She had another Grade-A chance at the horn, but Ferraro robbed her one-timer with a fantastic pad save. Doyle made a habit of getting lost in open space in the offensive zone. She led Assabet forwards with three points (one goal) on the weekend.
Brooke Harb
Premier Ice Prospects/Cushing, 07/2007, F, left shot, 5-1
Hometown: Atkinson, NH
Harb didn't light up the scoresheet, posting one goal over four games. She did, however, do a lot of little things well with PIP. She nearly scored against the Spitfires on Friday morning. The rising Cushing junior did a great job of using a defender as a screen before beating Evelyn Lacey (Braintree, Mass.) with a great release to the top right corner. Unfortunately, she didn't beat the crossbar. Harb, who led Cushing in scoring this past season, also did a great job of holding onto pucks and fending off defenders below the goal line, despite her smaller frame.
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Gretta Hulbig
Spitfires/Nobles, 8/11/2007, C, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Foxboro, Mass.
Hulbig was one of the Spitfires' best skaters on Friday morning, playing a strong game in all three zones. She had a gorgeous setup to Caroline Doherty (Hingham, Mass.) for a goal off the rush. Hulbig regrouped at her own blue line before wheeling through the neutral zone with a ton of speed. She found Doherty with a great pass to the back post for an easy tap-in. Hulbig looked noticeably quicker since the end of the prep season, and she finished with three goals and five points in four games.
Morgan McGathey
East Coast Wizards/Thayer, 8/30/2006, C, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.
NCAA: Harvard
McGathey's line with Hannah Weyerhaeuser (Cambridge, Mass.) and Savana Littlewood (Braintree, Mass.) was fantastic for the Wizards against PIP on Saturday. McGathey, who tallied six points (four goals) across four games, scored the Wizards' lone goal on a dominant individual effort. She sped through the neutral zone, drove wide around a defender 1-on-1 and cut toward the net before tucking a backhand inside the left post. The Harvard commit made it look easy. She was strong in battles and without the puck, too. The Thayer standout had a strong interception on the back check early in the game, taking a good route and anticipating a drop pass.
Lindsay Stepnowski
Mass. Spitfires/Loomis Chaffee, 2008, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: South Glastonbury, Conn.
Stepnowski was tied for second in scoring among the U19s on the weekend, putting up six points (two goals) in four games. She scored in the Spitfires' game against PIP early Friday morning, picking the top right corner with a perfect release off the bar and in. Her line consistently created chances. She had a great give-and-go with Alaina Dunn (Walpole, Mass.) out high for a good look on net. Later in the game, Stepnowski won a puck battle below the goal line against a bigger opponent before zipping a terrific heads-up feed right to Lilly Shaughnessy (Medfield, Mass.) in front for a one-time goal.
Whitney Horton
Premier Ice Prospects/Edina High School, 12/23/2006, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Edina, Minn.
NCAA: St. Thomas
Horton was arguably PIP's best forward this weekend, scoring a pair of goals. What stood out right away was her skating ability, specifically her speed. Horton has long strides and accelerates quickly, allowing her to gain separation and put the defense on its heels routinely. It also made things difficult for opposing puck carriers on the forecheck. Her speed was on display on her goal on Sunday against Team Western Canada. After blocking a shot at her own blue line, Horton was off to the races. The defense had no chance to catch her as she scored with a silky forehand-backhand finish. Horton had another strong scoring chance against the Wizards on Saturday, head-faking to her left before shooting to the right to force Annika Jonas (Weston, Mass.) into an awkward save. She facilitated well in the offensive zone in low-to-high plays and the cycle throughout the weekend, too.
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Kennedy Walker
East Coast Wizards/New Hampton, 5/25/2006, F, right shot, 5-9
Hometown: Rochester, Mich.
NCAA: Yale
Walker, a standout at New Hampton, was a point-per-game player this weekend with two goals and two assists in four games. She found ways to create offense, especially in transition, every time she was on the ice against PIP on Saturday, slipping behind the defense multiple times for partial breaks. She just couldn't solve Maelee Ambrass. Walker did a fantastic job of using her size and strength to maintain possession along the boards, outmuscling defenders and typically opening up space elsewhere for teammates.
Lia Cericola
Premier Ice Prospects/Bishop Kearney Selects U16, 02/2008, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: West Chester, Penn.
Cericola was also one of PIP's best, potting a pair of goals on Sunday. She blew by the defense after a turnover at the defensive blue line for a chance in alone, which she buried with a quick shot over the pad and under the glove. A lot of players might have tried to deke too much or pick the corner, but Cericola scored with a simple, smart and well-placed shot. Her second goal came in transition as well after she led the rush and scored with nice hands in tight. She's a shifty skater with good puck skills who creates a lot of chances off the rush.
