BEDFORD, Mass. — The Wizards Showcase always marks one of the top events on the offseason calendar.
This past weekend, 34 teams from across New England, the U.S. and even Canada flocked to the Edge Sports Center from Thursday to Sunday with exciting prospects in the U19, U16 and U14 age groups taking the ice.
I made it out to games on Thursday and Friday, focusing on the U16 and U19 action. It's an especially key time for the rising juniors among the U16s as they look to separate themselves in front of college coaches who may be watching. Rising juniors became eligible to commit on June 15.
Earlier this week, we broke down 11 uncommitted U19s who stood out over the weekend. Now, here are 13 players from the U16s who impressed.
Let's dive in.
Quinn Toll
Northern Prospects/Williston Northampton, 2009, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Brockville, ON
Toll was a strong play driver for the Northern Prospects against Hera Hockey on Friday, effectively carrying the puck through the neutral zone and gaining the offensive zone with possession. She also featured a heavy wrist shot. It was on display on her goal from the right dot. Toll dished back to the point, but kept herself available at the top of the circle. When she got it back, she had a shooting lane, closing on the dots and overpowering the goalie with a hard shot.
WIZARDS SHOWCASE: 11 uncommitted U19 forwards from the weekend
Kaidence Wright
Northern Prospects/Frederick Gunn, 3/9/2009, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Kent, Conn.
Wright was an exciting presence on the blue line for the Northern Prospects against Hera Hockey. She drove transition on practically every shift and was on the ice for most of the game due to a short bench. It didn't faze Wright, as she was frequently a one-person breakout, thanks to her quick strides and ability to find skating lanes through neutral ice. She was terrific leading the rush and skating the puck up herself.
McKenna Ruland
Mass. Spitfires/Milton Academy, Class of 2027, D, left shot, 5-2
Hometown: Binghamton, N.Y.
Ruland was a dynamic presence, especially in the offensive zone, for the Spitfires. She was creative offensively, strong on the puck and did a good job of protecting it from pressure. Ruland also featured strong backward skating and gap control in transition. Against Team West Teal on Thursday, she scored a great goal off the rush. She carried it through the neutral zone, cut around a defender into the slot and chipped a quick shot bar-down over the blocker. She had another strong chance later, dangling at the point, head-faking to open up the shooting lane and nearly picking the top corner again. On Friday, Ruland scored a slick power-play goal against the Western Selects. She took the puck off the half-wall, cut into the slot and scored short-side.
Gia Orizotti
Western Selects/Winchendon, 11/19/2009, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Vancouver, Wash.
Orizotti was constantly a dangerous presence offensively for the Western Selects, and she worked especially well with Winchendon teammate Keilani Sievers. Orizotti scored late against the Spitfires on Friday, burying a rebound in front off a strong net-drive. It all started with Sievers' rush up ice before working the puck to the middle, where Orizotti was parked to bury it. Orizotti later had a fantastic chance, cutting into the high slot and putting a heavy shot on net that handcuffed the goalie. Against Assabet on Thursday, she got a break after intercepting a pass out high, walking in alone and drawing a penalty as she got hooked.
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Georgia Murray
Mass. Spitfires/Bishop Feehan, Class of 2027, F, right shot
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
Murray played with good pace and high energy for the Spitfires on Thursday in their game against Team West Teal. She had some chances around the net and scored a terrific goal off the rush. Murray walked in from the blue line and wired a top-shelf wrister, picking the top-right corner and popping the water bottle. It was a hard, quick release that was off her stick in no time.
Alexandra Lee
Mass. Spitfires/St. Mark's, 1/13/2009, D, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Pomfret, Conn.
Lee showed well defending in transition and moving the puck up ice. Against Team West Teal on Thursday, she led a nice end-to-end rush, accelerating through the neutral zone after evading high forecheckers before cutting into the slot for a good shot. On Friday, she maintained good gaps defending the rush, helping her easily block a shot late.
Anne Flippo
Mass. Spitfires/St. Mark's, 12/4/2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.
Flippo's speed and puck pursuit low in the offensive zone led to good things for the Spitfires against Team West Teal. Early on, she won a board battle and slipped a sweet, no look feed on her backhand to Sophie Procaccini (Walpole, Mass.) in front for a one-timer. Later, Flippo found Murray with a cross-crease feed as she curled out from behind the net. Flippo also scored early on when her shot from the half-wall found a way through, proving good things happen when you put pucks on net.
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Chloe Scott
East Coast Wizards/Brewster, Class of 2027, G, catches left, 5-5
Hometown: Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Scott was terrific for the Wizards Major 2 in the snippet of their game I saw against the North East Generals on Thursday. She was the biggest reason it was scoreless at the time, and it eventually ended in a scoreless tie. Scott made quality saves on dangerous looks in transition, taking good angles and playing big in the net to cut down shooting lanes. She came through against Lila Huggon (Plymouth, Mass.) multiple times, including a strong low-glove save off the rush. Scott later made big saves on a pair of chances with forwards in alone, reading them the whole way.
Emersyn Fisher-Bailey
Assabet/Cushing, Class of 2028, D, left shot
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.
Fisher-Bailey made good reads and quickly identified outlets on breakouts in Assabet's tilt with the Western Selects on Thursday, making good first passes and finding skating lanes when she needed. She had a strong defensive play on the penalty kill, too. Fisher-Bailey jumped up to cut off the high forward, breaking up a stretch pass and preventing the entry before getting the play going the other way again.
Breanna Bray
Hera Hockey/Nepean Wildcats, 4/28/2010, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Ottawa, ON
Bray played with high pace and was strong creating offense from the start for Hera Hockey against the Northern Prospects on Friday. Right off the opening draw, Bray won a race for a loose puck and slipped a nice feed to Grace Phillips all alone in the slot for a Grade-A look that wouldn't go. Bray's speed and anticipation also earned her multiple breakaways, and she made no mistake on one. She pump-faked on her forehand before dangling to her backhand for an sweet goal.
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Frankie Cormier-McFarlane
Assabet/Berwick, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Cormier-McFarlane played a rough and tumble game against the Western Selects on Thursday. She constantly found herself around the puck and making an impact in the dirty areas. She had a good sequence early on that led to a goal for Grace Munroe (Sudbury, Mass.). Cormier-McFarlane led the rush and put a hard shot on net, forcing Reagan Rivera to make a good save. Cormier-McFarlane stuck with it, getting in front to screen and getting a deflection. She kept the play alive coming out of the corner, putting another shot on net that pin-balled to Munroe, who put it home.
Clara Ryan
Mass. Spitfires/Milton Academy, Class of 2028, D, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Ryan had a strong showing in all three zones, and she was particularly impressive defending the rush. She played a 2-on-1 perfectly against Team West Teal, playing the pass with her stick in the lane and easily intercepting before jumpstarting the rush the other way. Against the Western Selects on Friday, she did a great job late to gap up and force the puck carrier to the boards upon entry, giving them nothing and easily breaking up the rush. Against Team West Teal, Ryan also opened the scoring on the power play, walking in off the rush and putting a hard shot on net. She followed the rebound and buried it after the goalie couldn't smother it. She later used her reach to shield the puck from pressure in the neutral zone before gaining the line with possession.
Makenzie Sloane
Western Selects/Airdrie Lightning, 12/29/2009, F, right shot, 5-8
Hometown: Okotoks, AB
Sloane was among several forwards with good size who made an impact for the Western Selects, like Beatrix Wiedenmayer and Groton's Zoe Smith (Bolton, Mass.). The three of them, especially Sloane, constantly provided pressure in dangerous areas and found themselves around the net. She scored early against Assabet on Thursday, cashing in on a rebound in front. She drove to the net after dishing the puck off in transition, and she was right there to bury it on the rebound to finish the give-and-go.
