BURLINGTON, Mass. — Summer is in full swing in New England, and with it comes summer hockey.
The new Premier Prep League (PPL) got underway this week at the Burlington Ice Palace, giving players an opportunity to keep their games sharp throughout the offseason.
Started by Brooks head coach Michael Burns, the PPL offers a chance to see some of the top local players all in one place every week during the summer.
It features four teams of local players, mainly rising freshmen and sophomores from area prep schools and some MIAA programs. Games will run every Thursday through August 21, at 4:50 and 6 p.m.
There were definitely some habits and tendencies of summer hockey throughout Thursday's two games. Still, both were competitive, especially the first game of the evening between Team Blue and Team Black.
While I won't be able to make it out every week to highlight standouts, I have a handful of Thursdays circled on the calendar for the rest of the season. If Week 1 was any indication, there will be some high-paced, quality hockey to catch over the next several weeks.
Let's dive into 13 standouts from Week 1.
Maggie Chudzinski
Dexter Southfield, 4/3/2010, D, right shot, 5-8
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
Chudzinski was one of the best players on the ice, making an impact for Team Blue on nearly every shift. She was strong in all three zones, recognizing skating lanes in transition and defending physically in her own end. She had good offensive awareness, and it showed when she got a great chance after shading toward the right dot. The puck found her, and she nearly picked the corner. She was everywhere late as Blue tried to find an equalizer, getting two great chances off the rush before another from the top of the circle.
Joelle Burns
Rivers, 2010, D, left shot
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Burns played hard and physical in the defensive zone for Team Black, playing above her size, especially in some lopsided physical matchups. She did a nice job against Chudzinski in a 1-on-1, taking the body and killing the play when Chudzinski tried to deke around her in the slot. It prevented a clean lane to the net.
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Amelia Paes
Arlington Catholic, 7/19/2011, F, left shot
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.
Paes might have been the youngest skater on the ice on Thursday, but you never would have known it. Her smooth skating and edgework helped her stand out for Team Black. She was quick, played with her head up and read the ice well, and she had a strong connection with linemate Abby Macauley (Avon, Mass.). Paes set up Macauley early off the rush, keeping her feet moving and powering through defensive pressure in neutral ice to get numbers into the attacking zone before finding Macauley for a backdoor look. Paes had a great chance of her own off Macauley's shot for a rebound off the rush, but the tumbling puck jumped over her stick.
Shelby Buckler
Brooks, 2010 F, left shot
Hometown: Sherborn, Mass.
Buckler had some nice flashes throughout the game for Team White. She had smooth, efficient strides that looked almost effortless as she sped through skating lanes in the neutral zone. She had a nice chance late, changing speeds and shimmying around a defender on the rush before getting a look in tight.
Leah Hafer
Dexter Southfield, 12/6/2008, F, right shot
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Hafer made an impact practically every time she touched the ice for Team Blue. Her line with Annie Liebhoff and Molly Whittier (Waltham, Mass.) was particularly strong, pursuing pucks and funneling them to the middle off the forecheck. Hafer had a great chance early with a slick toe-drag around a defender off the rush. She constantly created offense, won pucks and made plays to the scoring areas.
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Olivia Doucette
Lawrence Academy, Class of 2027, G, catches left, 5-3
Hometown: South Hamilton, Mass.
Doucette will want MacDonald's goal back, but she still had a strong day in the crease overall. She was quick and played big at the top of her crease. She stoned Macauley at the backdoor on her bid from Paes, making a big right-to-left push to beat her to the post with the pad. Doucette followed it up with some strong saves on Carr in the slot, including some quality stops with her blocker. On one of those saves, Doucette burst to the top of her crease and did a good job of steering the high-blocker save toward the high glass. She made an unbelievable diving save on Carr's bid on a loose puck with a wide-open net late.
Lily Bromley
Nobles, 02/2009, F, left shot
Hometown: Carlisle, Mass.
Bromley was active from the start for Team Red, and she got rewarded with the first of a few highlight-reel goals in Red's tilt with Team White. Bromley sped through a seam in the neutral zone before making an inside-out deke to get around a defender. She quickly ripped a wrister bar-down. It was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it play, and she couldn't have released it any better.
Ava Carr
Williston Northampton, 4/28/2010, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Medway, Mass.
Carr did everything but score for Team Black as Doucette had her number at the other end. Carr constantly got to the slot and generated strong scoring chances. She had a good bid early after powering to the middle and trying to go over the blocker. Later, she cut into the slot again and tried to go top-shelf, forcing Doucette to make a similar save. Carr had a golden chance shortly after with the puck loose in the crease, but somehow Doucette made the save. It was just one of those days.
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Avery Savage
Pope Francis, Class of 2028, G, catches left
Savage was phenomenal for Team White, facing heavy pressure from Red throughout the game. She flat-out robbed Clara Cary twice, including an early breakaway in which she made it look easy with the glove. After making a save on Cary all alone in the slot, Savage recovered and made a windmill glove save on Liz Levering's (Westwood, Mass.) wrister from the high slot that looked labeled for twine. Savage also stoned Lydia Kealty (Dedham, Mass.) late.
Mia MacDonald
Rivers, Class of 2028, D, right shot
Hometown: Walpole, Mass.
MacDonald was overcomplicating plays at times early, but she simplified and got better as the game went on for Team Black. She did a good job of evading pressure low in the defensive zone and finding outlets. MacDonald scored late with a perfectly-placed wrister to the top left corner as she led the rush over the blue line. It caught everyone in the building by surprise, especially Doucette, who had no chance. MacDonald couldn't have placed it any better.
Payton Curran
Reading, F, right shot
Hometown: Reading, Mass.
Curran's line, which included Jenna Henley, was strong for Team White. She set up Henley for a sweet goal off some tic-tac-toe passing off the rush. Curran found Henley alone in front as the trailer before Henley pump-faked forehand before going to her backhand for an easy finish. Curran scored a beauty of her own late in the game. She stole the puck out high and motored the other way on a breakaway, beating the netminder inside the left post.
Liza Demain
St. Paul's, 09/2009, F, right shot, 5-9
Hometown: Wolfeboro, N.H.
Demain scored a pretty goal for Team Black, and it went down as the game-winner against Team Blue. She walked a defender off the rush after flying through a seam for a stretch pass. Demain closed and beat Doucette inside the left post with a nice wrister. She had been active offensively and on the backcheck throughout the game, and it was good to see her get rewarded.
