MARLBORO, Mass. — The first weekend of the Beantown Classic is in the books.
The last three days saw some of the best prospects in New England, across the country and even Canada flock to Massachusetts for one of the summer's biggest showcases.
There was a lot of hockey. There were a total of 158 teams competing across multiple divisions at nine different facilities with age groups ranging from 2009 (08) to 2014s. Next weekend will feature a Super Series/College division as well as two U19 brackets.
I spent the weekend at the trusty New England Sports Center focused on the 2009 (08) Red division, which featured 40 teams. Needless to say, I couldn't see everyone play. Nevertheless, there was high-quality hockey, and Stanstead College Spartans U16 came away with the title, shutting out the Snipers in the championship, 2-0.
Here are 10 forwards who stood out this weekend. We'll break down the top defenders and goalies later this week.
Let's dive in.
Élisabeth Bélanger
Stanstead College Spartans U16/Richelieu Remparts M15 AAA, 2010, F, left shot
Bélanger came through in the clutch for Stanstead, breaking the stalemate against Snipers after the Spartans did everything but score to that point in the game. She and Eve Pelletier had a great connection going, and it showed on the goal as the two finished off a sweet rush. Pelletier found Bélanger with a backhand dish to the slot. Bélanger pulled the puck away from the defense before roofing a beautiful backhand shot under the crossbar. She led the Spartans in scoring this weekend with seven points (six goals) in seven games.
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Sophie Frost
Mid-Fairfield CT Stars U16 Major 1/Deerfield, 2008, F, left shot, 5-5
Frost’s line with Deerfield teammate Olivia Austen flat-out dominated possession against the WC Swans 2009 Black on Friday. Frost scored a sweet goal early on, curling around the top of the right circle and picking the top left corner with a quick release. She later rang the crossbar, pouncing on a loose puck for a counter rush. She was dangerous and difficult to contain on every shift. Frost finished with a goal and an assist this weekend.
Charlotte Giguère
Stanstead College Spartans U16/Ontario Hockey Academy U18, 12/21/2009 F, left shot, 5-4
Giguère was all over the ice each time I saw Stanstead. She scored twice against NA Gold on Friday. The first came on the power play when she beat the goalie low inside the right post with a quick wrist shot. It was a good job to find empty space as the trailer off the rush. She later scored a slick breakaway goal, beating the pad low to the left post after she caught NA sleeping on a change for an easy break. Her line was on it again on Sunday. She won a 50/50 puck late against Mid-Fairfield, poking it to 14 for the empty-netter. Against Tropics, she pickpocketed Mirella Martinelli (North Providence, R.I.) in the offensive zone before walking in for a sweet goal. She got the goalie to bite hard on a backhand fake before reaching around for a forehand finish. Against Snipers, Giguère sealed the win with an empty-netter after winning a puck battle at the half wall. The coaches clearly trusted her to routinely have her out in end-of-game situations.
Keshia Zonnon
Stanstead College Spartans U16, 2009, F, right shot
Zonnon was in the thick of the play practically every shift I saw Stanstead. She finished with two goals and an assist and absolutely deserved to have more production to her credit. What made her most effective was the chaos she caused in the offensive zone. A big, strong player, her physical game made her hard to contain along the perimeter and around the net, and it also meant she was punishing on the forecheck. Zonnon easily could have had a multi-point effort in the championship. She picked off a clearing attempt at the offensive blue line early on and got a solid chance in the high slot. Later she had a perfect shot for a rebound off the rush that Bélanger couldn't bury. On the same shift, she had several golden opportunities in front but couldn't capitalize in the scrambles. She and Bélanger later combined for a phenomenal 2-on-1 with Zonnon sending Bélanger in on goal with a smooth feed, but the goalie made the save once again.
Olivia Austen
Mid Fairfield CT Stars U16 Major 1/Deerfield, 10/2008, F, right shot, 5-6
Just as she did at the New England District tryout in May, Austen (Darien, Conn.) facilitated a lot of offense on the cycle in the offensive zone. She had a great connection with Frost, and the two fed off each other really well. She was constantly in motion, finding soft space down low and around the net. Austen led the Stars with four goals and five points in five games during the tournament.
Maddie Allen
Tropics Gold/Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, 2009 F, right shot, 5-7
Allen had a fantastic game against NA Elite Black on Friday, scoring a pair of goals. She busted in behind the defense for a partial break, fending off pressure and scoring five hole with a backhand-forehand finish in tight. She scored again on the power play, redirecting Annabelle Lovell’s (Hingham, Mass.) shot from the point as she battled for position in front of the net. Allen finished with four goals and two assists this weekend.
Victoria Tesoro
Mid Fairfield CT Stars U16/Berkshire, F, left shot, 5-6
Tesoro set the tone for Mid Fairfield against the WC Swans, creating a good look off the rush right off the opening face-off after driving wide and sending a good feed to the slot. She eventually got rewarded with a goal later in the first. After her initial rush got broken up, she tracked down the puck carrier and pick-pocketed her before cutting into the slot and feathering a crafty shot over the blocker. She had a strong connection with Loomis Chaffee's Easton Pramuka, who was all over the place in the offensive zone as well. Tesoro did a great job of finding teammates in open space around the crease, later setting up Juliette Lebel in the slot for a one-time goal coming off the cycle with Pramuka. Tesoro totaled a goal and a pair of assists.
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Madison Levesque
Rattlesnakes/Collège Bourget M15 D1, 3/4/2009, F, left shot, 5-4
In the brief snippet I saw of the Rattlesnakes' game against Maverick Hockey, Levesque was a major offensive threat. On one of her shifts, she broke in behind the defense for a partial break and looked like she had the top left corner picked with a quick, hard snap shot, but the goalie made a tremendous save. She stuck with the play and made a great pass to Julyana Farray at the far post for a goal. It was one of her four assists and five points in five games this weekend.
Elena Gordon
NA Elite Black/Governor's, 2009, F, left shot
I caught the second half of NA Elite Black's game against Central Glory 2009 Red, and Gordon was strong in the neutral zone on the backcheck and in transition. She did a good job of getting into passing lanes to disrupt and even intercept a handful of breakout passes, and she did a good job of heading the puck through the neutral zone and gaining the offensive blue line with possession. She finished with a goal in four games.
Merritt Tessier
Mid Fairfield CT Stars U16 Major 1/Millbrook, 07/2009, F, left shot
Like the Frost-Austen combo, Tessier (Litchfield, Conn.) and Kent's Ainsley Moffitt were unstoppable in the offensive zone, effortlessly working the cycle, even if the chances didn’t come immediately for them. Tessier was excellent as a one-person forecheck in the offensive zone on the penalty kill, too, maintaining possession and smartly bleeding off time as she bought time for reinforcements. Tessier didn't find the scoresheet this weekend but deserved to.
