What a weekend it was in girls prep hockey.
The holiday tournaments certainly brought the action. You had Loomis Chaffee repeating as Patsy K. Odden Tournament champions, while Williston Northampton claimed its second title in three seasons at the Harrington Tournament. Meanwhile, Thayer won the Dexter Southfield Holiday Tournament, and Cushing took home some hardware at the Edward G. Watkins Invitational.
Each team had multiple players earning recognition this week, including some repeat top performers from previous weeks. Other top performers this week showed well in their respective holiday tournaments.
A friendly reminder: attending every NEPSAC girls prep hockey game in New England is impossible, so we rely on reports from coaches, parents and social media accounts to help us select the performers in a given week. If you have a nominee, please email me at patrick.donnelly@hockeyjournal.com.
Let's dive into the top performers in girls prep hockey from the last week, Dec. 17-24.
Emi Biotti
BB&N, 1/4/07, D, right shot, 5-10
Hometown: Cambridge, Mass.
NCAA: Harvard
Biotti was a force at both ends of the ice for the Knights as they finished runner-up at the Harrington Tournament. She had three multi-point outings with a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win over St. Paul's, two goals and an assist in a 3-0 victory over Milton and a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win over St. Mark's. In her own end, Biotti defended hard. She was physical, had a good stick and moved the puck quickly. She's already matched her goal total from last season (five).
RANKINGS: Holiday tournaments lead to more shuffling in latest top 10
Kyleigh Matola
Brooks, 2006, G, catches right, 5-4
Hometown: Coventry, R.I.
Matola was strong in net for Brooks at the Dexter Southfield Holiday Tournament as she faced a heavy shot volume. She finished with a .946 save percentage over three appearances. The senior stopped 54 shots in a 3-0 loss to Thayer before turning aside 43 shots in a 1-1 tie with Nichols. On Sunday, She made 26 saves in a 3-3 tie with Middlesex. Matola has a .929 save percentage in seven appearances this season.
Bella Freitas
Cushing, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Everett, Mass.
Freitas hasn't missed a beat in her jump from the MIAA to prep, sitting at 15 points (10 goals) in nine games. She had two points in each of Cushing's four games this weekend, leading the Penguins to a win at the Watkins Tournament. She had two goals in a 5-2 win over Pingree, a goal and an assist in a 7-2 win over Worcester Academy and a 6-0 win over Millbrook as well as two goals in a 4-1 win over Groton in the championship. Seven of her goals this season have been at even-strength.
Sadie Bellissimo
Cushing, 10/2006, G, catches right, 5-7
Hometown: Littleton, Colo.
NCAA: RPI
Bellissimo was a stud in net for Cushing throughout the Watkins Tournament. She made 27 saves in a 7-2 win over Worcester Academy before a 30-save, 6-0 shutout over Millbrook. She saved her best for the championship in a big-time tilt with Groton, turning aside 44 of 45 shots en route to a 4-1 win. The junior finished with a .972 save percentage in three games and has a .965 marker on the season.
HARRINGTON TOURNAMENT:Â 9 takeaways from the 43rd edition of the tournament
Izzy Blake
Frederick Gunn, Class of 2026, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Martha's Vineyard, Mass.
Blake had a seven-point week across four games for Gunn. She had a goal and an assist in a 10-0 win over Greenwich Academy on Dec. 18. At the Portsmouth Abbey Holiday Tournament, Blake had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over PA as well as two goals and an assist in a 4-2 victory against Pomfret.
McKenna Dockery
Kimball Union, Class of 2025, F, right shot
Hometown: Boxford, Mass.
Dockery has already set career-highs in goals (seven) and points (10) through 10 games this season. The senior had six points across four games for KUA at the Dexter Southfield Holiday Tournament. She scored a pair in a 5-4 overtime loss to Rivers as well as in a 6-3 win over Middlesex. She added an assist in a loss to Hill School and a goal in a loss to Nichols.
Chloe Obser
Loomis Chaffee, 10/28/06, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Manhasset, NY
NCAA: RPI
Obser has been red-hot of late for the Pelicans, with nine points in her last five games. She had seven points in four games at the Patsy K. Odden Tournament, helping Loomis repeat as champions. She had a pair of assists in a 3-1 win over Kent, and she had two goals in a 4-1 win over Taft as well as in the championship triumph over Phillips Andover. Obser added a helper in a 4-2 win over Choate, too.
HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS:Â Full results for 2024 girls prep hockey holiday tournaments
Lindsay Stepnowski
Loomis Chaffee, 1/28/08, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: South Glastonbury, Conn.
NCAA: Harvard
Stepnowski has been a force lately as well, sitting among the top performers for a second straight week. She finished with eight points in four games in the PKO Tournament. The junior posted two goals against Kent, a goal and an assist against Taft as well as a goal and two assists against Choate. She also added an assist against Andover. At 15 points (seven goals) in eight games, Stepnowski is well on her way to beating last season's career bests (eight goals, 18 points).
Janie Martin
Middlesex, 2008, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Burlington, Mass.
Martin helped lead the way for Middlesex at the Dexter Southfield tournament. She had four points in four games, posting a goal and an assist in Sunday's draw with Brooks, a goal against KUA and an assist versus Rivers.
Neely Payne
Pingree, Class of 2026, F, left shot
Hometown: Marblehead, Mass.
Payne had a big week for Pingree with seven points across four games. She had two goals and two assists in an 11-1 win over Winsor on Dec. 18. At the Newton Country Day tournament, she had a goal and an assist in a win over Newton CD before a goal against Greenwich Country Day.
REVENGE GAME: 12 standouts and takeaways from Groton's win over New Hampton
Maddie Lahah
St. George’s, 2008, F, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
NCAA: Holy Cross
Lahah is en route to another big season at St. George's with 14 points (nine goals) in seven games this season. She's found the scoresheet in every game this season, and she's found the back of the net in all but one. At the Howard Tournament this past weekend, Lahah had seven points in three games. She scored in a win over Austin Prep before adding two goals and an assist in lopsided shutouts of Greenwich Academy and Brewster.
Abigail DeRoeve
Thayer, Class of 2028, D, left shot
Hometown: Charlestown, Mass.
DeRoeve was a major factor in Thayer winning the Dexter Southfield tournament this past weekend, facilitating offense with seven assists in four games. She assisted on all three goals in a 3-0 win over Brooks. She added another assist in a 1-1 draw with Dexter, and she had three more assists in a 6-1 win over Nichols.
Morgan McGathey
Thayer, 8/30/2006, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.
NCAA: Harvard
McGathey caught fire down the stretch at the Dexter tournament, posting seven points in the final two games of the weekend. She had a four-point outing on Saturday, posting a hat trick and an assist against Nichols. In the championship win over Rivers, she had a goal and a pair of assists.
WILLISTON WINS: 8 standouts and takeaways from Williston’s Harrington championship victory
Violet Carroll
Williston Northampton, 5/22/07, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Milton, Mass.
NCAA: Holy Cross
Carroll has points in six straight for the Wildcats, and she had a huge weekend at the Harrington Tournament, helping Williston claim its second title in three seasons. She had two assists in a win over Westminster as well as in the championship against BB&N. The Holy Cross commit also added a goal against Nobles, following a huge four-point outing (three assists) against Lawrence Academy. Carroll was hard-nosed and played with pace all weekend, creating offense on nearly every shift.
Brooke Schlutter
Williston Northampton, 04/2009, F, right sho, 5-5
Hometown: Ladera Beach, Calif.Â
Schlutter has already shattered her goal total (three) from her freshman season, sitting at six in seven games. The sophomore was a major factor in Williston's success on a line with Carroll and Zola Piekarski (Concord, Mass.). Schlutter scored in each of the four games. She had a goal against Westminster, two goals against Lawrence as well and a goal against Nobles and BB&N. She did a good job of finding open space in the offensive zone and showcased a quick release.
