MARLBORO, Mass. — The fall hockey season is officially behind us.
Over the weekend, Mass. Hockey crowned its 16U and 19U girls state champions. It came down to Lovell Academy and the Boston Americans for the 16U Tier 1 title, with the Americans winning it all in a wild comeback.
But what about the rest of the tournament? Which players impressed?
Earlier this week, we broke down nine uncommitted 19Us who stood out. Now it's time to break down the 16Us.
I did my best to see most teams at least once. Here's who I saw:
- Assabet
- Bay State Breakers
- Boston Americans
- Boston Junior Eagles
- East Coast Wizards
- Islanders Hockey Club
- Lovell Academy
- Massachusetts Spitfires
- NAHA
- Valley Junior Warriors
We'll get into the defenders and goalies who impressed later this week. For now, let's dive into nine forwards who stood out.
MASS. STATE CHAMPS: Assabet beats Spitfires for repeat 19U title | Boston Americans rally against Lovell for 16U title
Joely Wexler
Lovell Academy, 4/14/2009, F, right shot, 5-1
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
NCAA: Union
Wexler made quality plays throughout the weekend, and she scored a great goal in Lovell's win over the Breakers on Friday. After Kari McKay made a great move at the left point, she slung a cross-ice feed right to Wexler's tape. Wexler went top shelf with a catch-and-release wrister for a terrific finish. Earlier in the game, she made a great play to steal from a defender in the neutral zone before walking in for a shot. Her good stick was on display in the semifinals against the Wizards, when she covered on defense and broke up Kelsey MacPherson's (Hopkinton, Mass.) rush.
Wexler had a goal and an assist across six contests.
Ava Carr
Bay State Breakers/Williston Northampton, 4/28/2010, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Medway, Mass.
Carr was a bright spot for the Breakers in their loss to Lovell on Friday. She drove play, did a good job carrying the puck through the neutral zone and set up chances offensively. She had one strong rush in particular, dangling a defender to get in alone for a shot. Carr finished with a goal and an assist in three games.
Ashlee Marsala
Islanders Hockey Club/Winchendon, 3/2/2009, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Kings Park, N.Y.
NCAA: Long Island
Marsala was one of the Islanders' very best throughout the weekend, and she was excellent on Friday in a dramatic overtime win over the Junior Eagles, finishing with a hat trick. Marsala did an excellent job on the penalty kill, clogging lanes out high, disrupting passes and hounding puck carriers on regroups. Her smart stick allowed her to make subtle plays, like a stick lift on Shelby Buckler (Sherborn, Mass.) to prevent an outlet and keep the Eagles hemmed in. Marsala completed her hat trick on a drive to the net on a rush with Haley Hasbargen. Marsala put up nearly two points per game with seven (five goals) in four contests.
NEW ENGLAND DISTRICT:Â Who won the 16U and 19U regional titles?
Catherine McCool
Boston Americans/Nobles, 10/2009, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: West Roxbury, Mass.
McCool made winning plays and created high-danger chances all weekend. She played an up-tempo game and worked well with Maddy Call (Dedham, Mass.). Against the Junior Eagles on Saturday, McCool did a perfect job of using a screen to her advantage to score with a wrist shot on the power play. She also had plenty of speed through the neutral zone, setting up Call for a goal on a counter rush in the semifinals against NAHA. She also executed a good give-and-go with Abbey Deroeve (Charlestown, Mass.) on a regroup, driving through center ice and getting a good shot.
McCool tied Nobles and Americans teammate Francie Ames (Brookline, Mass.) for the fourth-most points among the 16Us. The former had nine points (six goals) in six games.
Anne Gilbertson
NAHA, 8/20/2009, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Green Bay, Wis.
Gilbertson was a big-time shooting threat for NAHA, especially on the power play. She got a lot behind her shots with a quick release and created plenty of looks curling around the left circle for shots inside the dot. She rang a post against the Islanders on Saturday. Gilbertson cashed in on the power play against the Junior Warriors on Friday, scoring on a nasty release from a tough angle below the left dot. She beat the goalie cleanly inside the far post.
Gilbertson finished tied for fifth in tournament scoring. She had eight points (four goals) in five games.
Aubryn Monter
Lovell Academy, 2/19/2009, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: North Ridgeville, Ohio
NCAA: Penn State
Monter was one of the best players of the entire weekend. She was the tournament's third-highest producer with 11 points (five goals) in six games. The PSU commit's speed was a factor every time I saw Lovell as she powered through the neutral zone and put defenders on their heels. She did a great job of getting to the net, too, scoring a pair of goals against the Breakers on rebounds from long-range shots.
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Lydia Kealty
Boston Junior Eagles/Thayer, 02/2010, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Norfolk, Mass.
Kealty was a force, using her powerful skating and size to her advantage to create offense off the rush and get to the net. She cashed in on a drive to the net on Friday against the Islanders, hammering home a loose puck off a shot from out high after the Eagles won a face-off. Kealty came through again against the Americans on Saturday. After the Eagles worked the puck to the front, the Americans lost track of the puck with Marie Lee down and out, and Kealty was there to one-hand it home.
Simone Burns
Boston Americans/Rivers, 03/2009, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Burns had a strong connection with Ames, and it paid off in spades for the Americans. The former got open on the doorstep against the Spitfires on Saturday, getting to a perfect spot to finish off a slick setup by Ames. Burns' skating was a factor, too, and it helped her earn a breakaway later on, but the bid wouldn't go. She also scored a sweet goal against the Junior Warriors on Friday, sniping one under the bar from the left dot. Burns put up a point per game with six (four goals) in six contests.
Natasha Godfrey
Valley Junior Warriors/Brooks, 04/2009, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Scarborough, Maine
Godfrey scored a ridiculous goal against the Americans on Friday. She cut around a defender on the blue line to break in on a 2-on-1 with Avery Hutchins (North Andover, Mass.). Godfrey looked off the past and wired a perfect wrist shot off the far post and in from the right dot. She finished with three points (two goals) in four games.
GIRLS PREP BREAKOUT CANDIDATES: 24 forwards | 22 defenders | 8 goalies
