BEDFORD, Mass. — Summer is in the rearview, and with that, fall hockey is officially back.
The NEGHL was back in full swing this weekend, with top club programs around the region taking the ice. I made it out to the Edge Sports Center on Sunday to catch the 19U East Coast Wizards' 3-1 win over Islanders HC.
The Wizards dictated most of the play in what was a highly physical battle, featuring intensity you don't always get in the fall slate.
Jocelyn Gray (Hanover, Mass.) had a goal and an assist for the Wizards, while Kate Glantz (Burlington, Mass.) and Lorenna McGrath also scored. Kate Tarr (Manchester, N.H.) scored for the Islanders.
Glantz opened the scoring five minutes in, one-timing a loose puck in the slot after Ella McDonald's (Winchester, Mass.) centering pass didn't connect.
The Wizards racked up pressure and shots on Islanders goalie Niamh Tobin (Dorchester, Mass.) but didn't break through again until midway through the third period when Gray put home a wrister from the slot with seven minutes to go.
Tarr answered moments later to cut it to 2-1, depositing a loose puck in a scramble in front on the power play.
McGrath added insurance when she went bar-down off a drop pass from Gray off the rush with three seconds left for the 3-1 final.
Let's dive into eight uncommitted standouts from the game.
Jocelyn Gray
East Coast Wizards/St. Mark's, 9/25/2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Hanover, Mass.
Gray played a strong two-way game with her speed and compete. She won battles on the forecheck and backcheck, forcing turnovers with stick lifts and strong body positioning. She set up a 2-on-1 with MacPherson, making up for a turnover by stripping the puck back at the top of the zone. Gray capped a dominant shift in the third with her goal, curling into the slot and beating Tobin stick-side with a well-placed wrister. Gray's setup for McGrath was ridiculous, too, driving into the slot on a 1-on-1 and pulling off a sweet backhand toe-drag before dropping it off for McGrath.
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Nora Swaim
East Coast Wizards/Rivers, 11/11/2009, F, left shot
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
Swaim set the tone from the start when she rang the post off the opening face-off. She had several more quality chances throughout the game, and she was fantastic around the net in the offensive zone. Swaim battled hard, provided screens and found open space in the slot. One of her best chances of the game came when she got open in the slot for a point-blank one-timer that somehow didn't go in.
Niamh Tobin
Islanders HC/Middlesex, 10/25/2008, G, catches left, 5-10
Hometown: Dorchester, Mass.
Tobin was the biggest reason the game remained 1-0 for as long as it did, making save after save against quality looks. She reacted quickly, had strong angles and prevented big rebounds. The senior made a handful of ridiculous saves, including the point-blank stop on Swaim's one-timer. Tobin came through again with a lunging blocker stop on Swaim later on before a big push over to deny a cross-crease feed off the rush. She kept it up down the stretch, stretching to get her toe on a Glantz chance in tight before flashing the glove on Emma MacPherson (Scituate, Mass.) breaking in alone.
Maggie Lovering
East Coast Wizards/Dexter Southfield, 09/2008, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Scituate, Mass.
Lovering played with a ton of pace, and she was aggressive in the offensive zone all game. She cycled well and consistently got the puck to the attacking areas. She did it all in the lead-up to Swaim's one-time bid, winning a battle before taking a tour of the offensive zone, driving down the left circle and putting a feed on the money for the chance. Lovering's quick hands and confidence helped her create chances around the net, too.
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Elizabeth Maher
Islanders HC/Holderness, 8/9/2009, F, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Lebanon, N.H.
Maher was a thorn in the Wizards' side all game. She played hard, brought a ton of physicality and was terrific on the backcheck. Early on, Maher forced a turnover at the attacking blue line and sent Olivia Cohen (Natick, Mass.) in for a quality look. Moments later, Maher won the puck back again when she knocked Bella Freitas (Everett, Mass.) off the puck in the neutral zone. Later, Maher made another great read to cut off Lovering and prevent a centering pass off the rush. She created chances, too, setting up a one-timer for Carson Weglarz (Quechee, Vt.) with a quick, heads-up pass from the high slot.
Lindsay Fox
East Coast Wizards/Tabor, 05/2008, D, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Franklin, Mass.
Fox did a good job of keeping it simple on the back end, finding quick outlets and making high-percentage plays. Her quick decision-making on a regroup with Alexine Beaulieu (Hudson, N.H.) led to the Wizards getting numbers up ice and a Grade-A look off the rush. Fox was also strong pinching and keeping plays alive at the point. She had a big keep-in at the blue line to extend the attacking sequence ahead of Gray's goal.
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Ella McDonald
East Coast Wizards/Governor's, 2008, F, left shot
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
McDonald was a key piece to the Wizards' ability to sustain offensive pressure. She moved off the puck well, constantly finding open space in the attacking zone. She was instrumental to Glantz's goal, winning a battle along the boards and driving low to send a feed in front, which ricocheted right to Glantz. McDonald had a great look of her own later, stepping into a loose puck for a heavy shot, which Tobin denied with the knob of her stick.
Kate Tarr
Islanders HC/Lawrence Academy, 12/29/2008, F, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: Manchester, N.H.
Tarr played a detailed game and didn't quit on plays. It was all there on her goal. After Addie Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.) made the initial save on a shot from the right dot, Tarr made a beeline for the loose puck at the far post and jammed it home to cut it to a one-goal game.
