LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Plenty of future collegiate and professional women's hockey stars were on the ice in Lake Placid this past week.
Forty-six of the best players in the nation from the 2008 through 2010 birth years took to the ice at the Olympic Center for USA Hockey's Under-18 Women's National Festival. In total, there were seven New Englanders on the U18 camp roster, including seven forwards and six defenders.
Just by being there, each player boosted their stock, regardless of whether they already have college commitments.
I made the drive to the Adirondacks to catch the final leg of the camp, taking in Thursday's and Friday's games. Last year, I looked at just the New Englanders. This year, I focused on everyone.
The camp, which ran in conjunction with USA Hockey's Women's National Team Festival, was also part of the selection process for the Under-18 women’s national team roster for the three-game U18 Series against Canada, which begins Wednesday in Lake Placid. Eight New Englanders made the U18 Series roster.
Here are the forwards who stood out. We'll get to the defenders and goalies who impressed in a separate story later this week.
Kylie Amelkovich
Shattuck-St. Mary's, 4/29/08, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Glen Ellyn, Ill.
NCAA: Penn State
Amelkovich played a strong, detailed game both days. She's a powerful skater and can get downhill quickly thanks to her long strides. Coupled with her frame, she was a lot to handle in transition for defenders. She scored twice on Thursday. The first came on a good drive to the net as the puck worked in from out high, and she cashed in on the backhand. The second was a classic case of good things happening when you put pucks on net. Off the rush, she put a hard, low shot on net, and it squeaked through Moira Landsverk. Amelkovich also had a fantastic effort on the backcheck on Friday, sweeping the puck away from Chyna Taylor in the neutral zone to jumpstart numbers the other way in overtime.
WOMEN'S RECRUITING: 2007 commitments | 2008 commitments | 2009 commitments
Tina Scalese
Groton, 1/17/08, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: West Boylston, Mass.
NCAA: Princeton
Scalese's line with Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) and Catherine McCool (West Roxbury, Mass.) on Thursday, as well as on Friday with Stepnowski and Maddy Kimbrel, was arguably the best on the ice. They consistently drove play, working pucks to the middle off the rush and generating Grade-A chances around the net. Scalese was a huge factor in all three zones with her high compete and hockey IQ. She frequently found herself in physical battles with Alaina Gnetz. Scalese scored a ridiculous goal on Thursday. After making herself available out of the high cycle with Stepnowski, Scalese cut to the middle, dangled a defender at the right circle and scored with a backhander to the top left corner from the slot.
Lindsay Stepnowski
Loomis Chaffee, 1/28/08, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: South Glastonbury, Conn.
NCAA: Harvard
Stepnowski was strong both days on her line with Scalese, but the former was at her best on Friday. Stepnowski's strength was impressive throughout as she successfully used it to protect pucks deep in the offensive zone. She was strong on her feet and had a knack for creating chances out of nothing. Stepnowski had a great look early on Friday, weaving through traffic to get between the dots for a tricky shot on net. Later, she had a terrific setup for Kimbrel in front, which came after good patience and vision by Stepnowski in the neutral zone.
Alaina Gnetz
Woodbury High, 1/25/08, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Woodbury, Minn.
NCAA: Minnesota-Duluth
Gnetz came through in the clutch in overtime both days. She set up Maggie Averill's (Wayland, Mass.) game-winner on Thursday, feeding her right on the tap as she drove to the net on a counter rush. On Friday, Gnetz was the hero herself, scoring on a breakaway with a quick release off the left post and in. Both days, Gnetz drove offense in transition and showcased her strength, driving to middle ice and winning battles in all three zones. She did a nice job of drawing a penalty on Thursday, fighting through two defenders for a chance as she got taken down. Gnetz also showed some good hands on Friday, toe-dragging Scalese at high speed in the neutral zone to shake her and open a skating lane.
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Lia Cericola
BK Selects, 2/18/08, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: West Chester, Pa.
NCAA: Princeton
Cericola was everywhere on Thursday, thanks to her speed and vision. Her skating impressed as she created so much space for herself so quickly. She accelerates in no time and quickly finds skating lanes. Her head was always up and her vision carrying the puck through the neutral zone in transition was especially impressive.
Lily Bromley
Nobles, 2/2/09, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Carlisle, Mass.
NCAA: Princeton
Bromley was excellent on a line with Amelkovich and Sydney Boss Krohn on Thursday, finishing with a goal and an assist for the day. Bromley and Boss Krohn had strong work out high before working the puck to the slot, where Amelkovich buried it. Later, Bromley was rewarded with a strong effort as time wound down, playing to the whistle and driving to the net before jamming home a feed from Boss Krohn off the rush. Bromley also set up Gnetz's game-winner in OT on Friday, coming up with the puck high in the defensive zone and springing her on a breakaway.
Mary Derrenbacher
Shattuck-St. Mary's, 9/20/08, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
After what felt like a quiet game on Thursday, Derrenbacher was fantastic on Friday. She was flying from the start, playing assertively, pushing the pace and using her speed to her advantage. She made a great setup for Decourcey at the right circle. Derrenbacher curled around the dot, head-faked and made a slick drop pass to Decourcey to skate into a shooting lane. Derrenbacher's high compete was on full display later on when she completely overwhelmed Addy McLay at center ice to win the puck and get the play going the other way.
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Catherine McCool
Nobles, 10/2/09, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: West Roxbury, Mass.
McCool was strong in all three zones on Thursday and Friday before she exited the game late with an injury. She had a tremendous defensive effort on Thursday. She showed quick feet off the draw to close down on Ava Decourcey (Rockland, Mass.) at the point before playing the body and bumping her off the puck to force her out of the zone. It sprang Scalese and Stepnowski the other way for a good chance. On Friday, McCool showed good poise and patience as she made a heads-up play high in the defensive zone. She came up with the puck out of a scramble, picked her head up and found a skating lane up the far side, taking it the length of the ice and driving to the slot for a look as she fought through contact.
Bella Freitas
Cushing, 8/12/09, F, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: Everett, Mass.
Freitas worked well on a line with Jane Daley, particularly on Friday. The former's hands and shot were lightning quick on both days, and her ability to get hard shots off quickly in tight areas around the offensive zone was impressive. Her and Daley's confidence and creativity helped their line create chances in transition and generate odd-numbered rushes.
Bria Schilling
Shattuck-St. Mary's, 10/16/09, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Valencia, Calif.
NCAA: Cornell
Schilling played with a high motor and strong details, making an impact in the dirty areas. She got rewarded on Thursday when she jammed one home in a scramble to the left of the net on the power play. Later, she had some herculean defensive efforts at the end of a long shift, breaking up puck carriers with a good stick, winning pucks and eventually getting a much-needed clear.
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Maddy Kimbrel
Orono High, 5/5/08, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Long Lake, Minn.
NCAA: Wisconsin
Kimbrel was one of the best players on the ice on Thursday. She scored a nasty goal off the rush in the second period. With a head of steam entering the zone, she looked off the pass before picking the top right corner from inside the dot with a perfect shot. She had a hand in two excellent chances later, both also a result of her speed. On the first, Kimbrel nearly blew past both defenders for a breakaway before she got slashed but managed to get a quality shot off as she fell. Later, Kimbrel showed off her speed again, blowing by everyone in the neutral zone to break it down into a 2-on-1 with Emily Pohl. Kimbrel fed her right on the money at the back post, but Pohl's stick broke on the shot.
Brittyn Lybecker
Culver Academy, 5/15/08, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colo.
NCAA: Clarkson
Lybecker was impactful in all three zones and it was on full display with her goal early on Thursday. It all started with Lybecker providing support low in the defensive zone in a broken play, picking the puck up and curling around the net for a give-and-go with her winger to start the rush. Lybecker drove to the slot on a give-and-go with Pohl in the ensuing 2-on-1, meeting the centering feed in front to jam it home as she paid the price. It finished off a pretty sequence.
Sydney Stoughton
Lovell Academy, 4/14/09, F, left shot, 5-9
Hometown: Mason, Ohio
NCAA: Minnesota
Many of the traits that have helped Stoughton stand out with Lovell Academy were on display on Thursday and Friday. She was effective in all situations and her high compete allowed her to make an impact on the forecheck and the backcheck. Her size also gave her an advantage when carrying the puck through the neutral zone, creating space for herself and outmuscling defenders.
