St. Mary’s Lynn coach Frank Pagliuca has seen high school girls hockey grow exponentially in Massachusetts over the past 10 to 15 years.
He said there are many opportunities for girls, whether it is staying at a public school, going to a Catholic school or playing juniors.
“There are a lot of really good players who get labeled because they stay at their public school instead of going the prep route,” Pagliuca said. “All in all, the majority of girls are going to end up where they end up whether they go to a prep school or stay. It’s the amount of work and dedication and most importantly, the amount of talent that they have that is going to carry them to where they have to go.”
Here is a look at some of the top returning high school players across the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Jenna Chaplain
Sr., F, St. Mary’s Lynn
Chaplain has accomplished a lot in her tenure with St. Mary’s Lynn. In the lineup since seventh grade, she enters her senior season ranked as the school’s seventh all-time scorer with 99 goals and 74 assists for 173 points, including 22 goals and 19 assists in her junior year. She was named Catholic Central League co-MVP as a sophomore.
“She is one of the hardest-working kids in our program,” Pagliuca said. “She loves hockey and being part of the team. Not everybody has to go through the prep school route to get to where you have to be, and Jenna proves it.”
Pagliuca said Chaplain’s hands and vision put her on an elite level.
“She is very smooth and crafty with the puck,” Pagliuca said. “She can be a prolific goal scorer but can also facilitate and set other people up. She can also slow the game down when things get chaotic.”
A returning captain, Chaplain is not the most vocal person but leads by example with her work ethic. “When something needs to be said, she’ll say it,” Pagliuca said.
“She sets a great example for our program,” he added. “She is very humble, loves to be around her teammates and plays for the right reasons. That is what I expect and admire about her.”
Chaplain has committed to Assumption University, where she will be part of the school’s inaugural women’s hockey team.
“The exciting part about Jenna is she hasn’t hit her ceiling yet,” Pagliuca said. “She has a lot of room to grow and develop her game, especially going into the Division 1 level.”
Caroline Doherty
So., F, Hingham
Doherty was Hingham’s go-to person on offense last year, and she was only a freshman.
Doherty, who led the Harborwomen with 25 goals and 23 assists and was named team MVP, again will be a big cog in Hingham’s success.
Tom Findley, who retired as head coach after last season, said the three-year player is “one of the nicest young ladies he has ever coached and the epitome of what a coach is always looking for in a player and person.”
“She wants to be a Division 1 college hockey player and she is well on her way,” Findley said. “She has every attribute that college coaches look for. She has size, speed and hockey IQ. She continually works on her game and is constantly getting herself stronger and in better condition. She does everything that it takes to be successful. She is a good student and is kind to other players. She is humble.”
Doherty said she improved her game over the summer by working out with a trainer six days a week and skating five to six times per week. She also played field hockey in the fall, which has helped her become a better runner and should make her faster on the ice.
Doherty is within reach of 100 career points by the end of her sophomore season and could break the school record for most assists.
She has attended the USA Hockey National Development Camp in Minnesota the past two years.
Giovanna Gulinello
So., F, Billerica/Chelmsford
After recording three goals and 10 assists as a freshman, good enough for fourth in scoring last year for Billerica/Chelmsford, Gulinello is primed for a strong sophomore season.
“Each year she has gotten better and better,” coach Ray Monroe said. “Her confidence is growing. She has a lot of speed and very good hands. She also put in a lot of work on her shot and plays strong for her size. I really think she is going to have a breakout season.”
The right winger can play anywhere on the ice, whether it’s the first or second forward line, power play or penalty kill. Monroe said Gulinello’s ability to be a two-way hockey player separates her from other players.
“She is just as good in the defensive zone as she is in the offensive zone,” Monroe said. “She is very capable in both zones, which is why she is such a reliable player for me.”
Gulinello is not a captain, but Monroe said she has shown leadership abilities in helping run preseason workouts when the actual captains are not there due to playing fall sports.
“She’s a great kid,” Munroe said. “She’s also a multi-sport athlete as she plays lacrosse, and plays both sports year-round.”
Gulinello also plays for Munroe with the U-16 Tier 1 Flames, averaging a point per game.
Lexi MacKinnon
So., F, Burlington
MacKinnon was a cog for Burlington’s offense last year as a freshman and should make an even bigger impact as a sophomore.
As a freshman right winger, MacKinnon tied for the team lead in goals (18) and paced the squad in assists (22) and points (40).
Coach Rick Sheehan said MacKinnon, a returning Middlesex League All-Star, gives a consistent effort all of the time, whether it’s 5-on-5, penalty kill or power play.
“She goes 100 miles per hour, backchecks and forechecks like there is no tomorrow, and has a pretty hard shot, which is why she scores the amount that she does,” Sheehan said. “She has three older brothers who all play hockey so she is not shy or afraid of anything.”
Sheehan said MacKinnon is as close to a captain that they have in the locker room without wearing the ‘C.’
“She’s a positive kid in the locker room, which I think is important,” Sheehan said. “You need a kid like her for your team to be successful.”
Allison Corrieri
Jr., D, Acton-Boxboro
It’s not every day a defenseman leads a team in scoring, but Corrieri is not your average player. The Acton-Boxboro junior is coming off a sophomore campaign where she was the team’s leading scorer with 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points while anchoring the penalty kill and power play.
“She’s the whole package. There’s no question about it,” coach Brian Fontas said. “She’s got the green light from me and our coaching staff to pinch in the offensive zone and become part of the offense when she wants to.”
The Dual County League/Merrimack Valley Conference All-Star shined on the biggest stage, scoring on a one-timer for the game-winning goal in Acton-Boxboro’s 2-1 overtime win over Billerica/Chelmsford in a Division 1 round of 16 contest. She then scored the tying goal and assisted on the game-winner in a 5-4 overtime win over St. Mary’s Lynn in the quarterfinals.
“She steps up in big moments,” Fontas said.
Fontas said Corrieri does everything she can to get better, such as taking edge classes with a figure skating coach. She also is a three-sport athlete, playing soccer and lacrosse.
“She is a great hockey player, but an even better person,” Fontas said. “She is someone you want to have on your team.”
Maya Battista
Sr., D, Canton
Battista, who finished her junior year with nine goals and 13 assists, brings a ton of experience and leadership on the blue line to Canton, which lost to Algonquin/Hudson, 2-1, in overtime in the Division 2 state finals.
“We have a large freshman class and almost half are defensemen,” new Canton coach Nikki Petrich said. “She will be one of our captains, and her leadership will help the younger class.”
Petrich expects to use Battista, a returning Hockomock League All-Star, all over the ice, whether it is on the power play, penalty kill or 5-on-5.
“She is that solid back there,” Petrich said. “She has such a love for the game.”
Dennis Aldrich, who coached Battista for three years, said one of her best assets is her ability to get pucks through traffic from the blue line and score. He said four or five of her goals last year were scored that way.
“She is a very aggressive defenseman who likes to crash the wall,” he said. “She competes hard, not only in practice but in games. Her improvement is a testament to her work ethic. She is very self-motivated. I’m proud of what Maya has been able to do in her time with the team.”
MJ Petisce
So., D, Methuen/Tewksbury
Petisce has been a key part of the Methuen/Tewksbury defense for three years.
Coach Sarah Doucette said Petisce’s ceiling is high.
“She has really good vision on the ice, a strong shot and really loves the game,” Doucette said. “She has been working hard on her skating and speed to get that level. Our hope is for her to achieve even more every year.”
Petisce also contributed three goals and three assists last season.
Julianna Taylor
So., G, Haverhill/Pentucket/North Andover
Taylor wowed many teams with her goaltending abilities as a freshman, so it’s not a surprise that coach Gary Kane is excited about her upcoming sophomore campaign.
“Like any freshman, she had some early struggles with pace of play, but by the end of the season, she was absolutely incredible and played like an upperclassman,” Kane said. “She moves with more maturity than her age. She is very vocal on the ice, has the size, and is competitive and coachable.”
Taylor recorded a 1.60 goals-against average with five shutouts and allowed more than three goals only twice. She stepped up huge against eventual Division 1 state champion Austin Prep, allowing two goals in the regular-season meeting and four in the state quarterfinals in what was the team’s deepest playoff run in 10 years.
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Taylor also was huge in HPNA’s 2-0 shutout win over Reading in the round of 16, recording 20 saves.
Kane credits his goalie coach, daughter Michaela, who played at Saint Anselm, for helping with Taylor’s development.
Bridget Gray
Sr., G, Belmont
Gray has been the backbone for Belmont. The senior netminder has played every minute in net since her freshman year and is coming off a junior campaign in which she recorded 601 saves, a 2.72 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and two shutouts.
“With any successful hockey team, it starts with the goalie, and there is none better than Bridget,” assistant coach Josh Glionna said.
The Middlesex League All-Star had many big games last year, including a 50-plus save performance in a 2-2 overtime tie against Winchester, which came into the game with a 10-1 record.
“She played awesome,” Glionna said. “We got a tie thanks to her, but it felt like a win because she made so many saves.”
Glionna said Gray is agile and quick in net, and good at not letting in rebounds. Her work ethic is unmatched. Glionna said it would be common at practice for Gray to be off to the side working. “She would set up her own drills and work on angles or skating,” Glionna said.
A two-year captain, Glionna called Gray a “lead-by-example” sort.
“She’s a natural leader who works on her craft,” Glionna said. “She doesn’t have too much to say but she leads by example at practice or games.”
Gray also helped the East Coast Wizards win the USA Hockey U-19 Tier 2A girls national championship in April. Gray also played midfield for Belmont soccer
