MARLBORO, Mass. — Some of the best girls hockey prospects in the nation, and even the world, took over Massachusetts last week.
USA Hockey held Tier I girls national tournaments at the trusty New England Sports Center. Among the 19U teams, five squads represented Massachusetts and New England, including Assabet Valley, the East Coast Wizards, the Massachusetts Spitfires, the Mid Fairfield CT Stars and NAHA.
The Bishop Kearney Selects took home the 19U Tier I crown, knocking off NAHA, 9-0, in Sunday's championship. BK had to go through the Spitfires in the quarterfinals and Assabet in the semifinals.
I saw every New England team at least once, focusing on the 19Us on Wednesday before catching the Assabet, NAHA and the Spitfires throughout the weekend's quarterfinals, semifinals and championship.
We broke down 18 standout 16U players earlier this week, and we'll get into the 19U defenders and goalies later this week. Now, it's time to take a look at the standout 19U forwards.
Kylie Amelkovich
Shattuck-St. Mary's, 4/29/2008, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Glen Ellyn, Ill.Â
NCAA: Penn State
Amelkovich was all over the ice in Shattuck's dramatic shootout win over the Spitfires on Wednesday, forcing turnovers and disrupting the play, leading to a shorthanded beauty with less than one second left in the first period. Amelkovich stole the puck at the offensive blue line, walked in and went forehand-backhand for a slick goal. In OT, she pounced on another giveaway and got a great chance in tight. Later, she intercepted a pass out high and got a break the other way. Then, she made a great play 1-on-1 against Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.), stopping her dead in her tracks along the boards.
Amelkovich came through with the shootout winner on Wednesday, making a nice move to bait Evelyn Lacey (Braintree, Mass.) before reaching around her on the forehand. Amelkovich posted six points (three goals) in four games.
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Kassidy Carmichael
NAHA, 10/14/06, F, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: Westford, Mass.
NCAA: Ohio State
Carmichael was a threat every time she was on the ice, and her ability to catch and shoot quickly was a major threat on NAHA's power play. She was everywhere in NAHA's win over the Chicago Mission on Wednesday, despite only finishing with an assist. She set up Mia Montanari (East Hampton, Conn.) for a one-time look in the slot, and she had several strong shots from the right circle. Chicago's Heather Wolff had her number. She should have had a second assist, setting up Mikah Keller's goal on a terrific give-and-go. Carmichael put a good shot on net for a rebound, and it went right to Keller for an easy finish. Later, Carmichael and Ella Johnson combined for two strong sequences on the penalty kill to force turnovers and get clears.
Carmichael started well in the finals, seeing the ice well early. She carved into the offensive zone on one rush and had daylight over the blocker. Her wrister barely missed. She had four points (four goals) in five games.
Violet Carroll
Mass. Spitfires/Williston Northampton, 5/22/2007, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Milton, Mass.
NCAA: Holy Cross
Carroll was excellent for the Spitfires along with Gretta Hulbig (Foxboro, Mass.) in their thrilling loss to Shattuck on Wednesday. Carroll posted a goal and an assist, was strong at the face-off dot and was effective with high energy. After jamming in a chance in front early in the second, Carroll and Hulbig combined to set up Maggie Berleth's second goal of the game. Carroll did a great job of winning a battle down low and maintaining possession, working the puck to Hulbig and providing support, and she dished to Berleth. Carroll posted four points (two goals) in four games.
Mary Derrenbacher
Shattuck-St. Mary's, 9/20/2008, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
Derrenbacher was one of the best players on the ice for Shattuck against the Spitfires, scoring a hat trick and generating a few other key chances. Her first goal came late in the second to cut it to 4-2, sparking Shattuck's comeback as she got a step on the defense, set her edges to hold off pressure and scored five-hole. She made it 4-3 on a wraparound, getting to the post quickly and barely beating Lacey. Her equalizer was a beauty, burying a one-timer top shelf off a great feed from Haley Box. Derrenbacher had a chance to win it in overtime, cutting to her forehand in tight, but Lacey stoned her. Derrenbacher, who is ucommmitted, led Shattuck with 10 points and five goals in four games.
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Ava Giroux
East Coast Wizards/Deerfield, 9/7/2007, F, right shot, 5-8
Hometown: St. Albans, Vt.
Giroux had a solid showing in the Wizards' loss to BK on Wednesday, despite not getting on the scoresheet. The power forward was good carrying the puck through the neutral zone, and she generated good straight-line speed with her strides. She had one of the Wizards' best chances of the game in the second when she found a skating lane and chipped the puck into space for Izzy King (Bedford, Mass.). Giroux drove to the net and got a feed from King in front, but she couldn't put it away. She posted a pair of assists across three games.
Nicole Gorbatenko
Chicago Mission, 7/20/2007, F, left shot, 5-11
Hometown: South Barrington, Ill.
NCAA: Wisconsin
Thanks to her size, Gorbatenko was a monster for the Mission The power forward excelled below the dots in the offensive zone, winning battles and protecting pucks. She knew how to effectively use her frame to win 1-on-1's and fend off pressure. The Wisconsin commit ended the week with a goal and an assist in four games.
Ella Johnson
NAHA, 7/25/07, F, left shot, 5-10
Hometown: Palmer, AK
NCAA: Quinnipiac
Johnson was one of the best players I saw all tournament, and she was NAHA's best all week. She led the tournament in scoring with 14 points in six games, and her nine goals were tied for second. The Quinnipiac commit scored both goals for NAHA in the semis. The first was a power-play one-timer off a slick dish from Mikah Keller, and the second came off another feed from Keller moments later. In the finals, Johnson had one of NAHA's best chances of the game on a breakaway. She had two goals and an assist in a fantastic game against the Mission on Wednesday. Her first was a beauty, getting the puck outside the offensive blue line, motoring in and powering to the slot with a defender draped all over her before beating the goalie over the glove in tight.
Johnson also added a goal and an assist against Belle Tire in the quarterfinals.
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Nela Lopušanová
BK Selects, 2/26/2008, F, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Žilina, Slovakia
NCAA: Wisconsin
Lopušanová lived up to the hype all week, leading the tournament with 10 goals in six games and posting over two points per game with 13, which ranked second. Lopušanová processes the game so well, she has quick hands and she can score from any spot in any way. She had two goals and an assist against the Wizards on Wednesday and could have easily finished the hat trick when she walked down the slot off the rush, dangled and tried to roof a backhand, but Sadie Bellissimo absolutely robbed her. She added two goals against NAHA in the finals, a hat trick against Assabet in the semis and a goal and two assists against the Spitfires in the quarterfinals.
Emily Mara
Assabet/Phillips Andover, 2/27/2007, F, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
NCAA: Boston College (soccer)
Mara played with the same tenacity and pace that made her such an effective scorer in prep, and she came through in some huge spots. She scored the game-winner in Assabet's comeback win over the Mission on Friday, finishing off a fantastic sequence when she won the race after Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.) tapped the puck into open space. Mara made no mistake, burying it in alone. She came through the next day when she tied it 1-1 in the second in Assabet's semifinal loss to BK. She had a great bid in the third, winning a race and trying to stuff a backhand in front. Mara posted two goals in five games.
Molly MacCurtain
East Coast Wizards/Nobles, 6/30/06, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Reading, Mass.
NCAA: Northeastern
MacCurtain had an excellent assist in the Wizards' 5-2 loss to BK on Wednesday. She had a good back-and-forth with Morgan McGathey (Braintree, Mass.) at the left circle, opening a shooting lane for McGathey. MacCurtain got the rebound, curled around the net and surveyed with her head up before zipping a cross-crease pass right to Hannah Weyerhaeuser's tape. The initial one-timer rang the post, but Weyerhaeuser stuck with it and buried the rebound. It was a phenomenal pass from MacCurtain, threading the needle. She led the Wizards with four assists in three games.
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Morgan McGathey
East Coast Wizards/Thayer, 8/30/2006, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.
NCAA: Harvard
Despite not getting on the board, McGathey was one of the Wizards' best play-drivers against BK on Wednesday. BK had to constantly account for her whenever she was on the ice, and she created offense for herself and her teammates. She commanded a ton of respect on the power play, which opened things up for MacCurtain and Weyerhaeuser around the net on the latter's goal. Later in the third, McGathey nearly scored an unbelievable goal. She deked around the opposing center with a quick tap off the face-off and she immediately ripped a shot that rang the crossbar. It was labeled. McGathey led the Wizards with three goals in three games.
Mia Montanari
NAHA, 8/15/2006, F, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: East Hampton, Conn.
NCAA: RPI
Montanari looked much more confident and assertive compared to the last time I saw NAHA, which was in the Massachusetts state championship after Thanksgiving. The former Kent standout was a good two-way presence against the Chicago Mission on Wednesday, making good reads in the neutral and defensive zones and creating separation with good strides. She and Carmichael combined for some strong looks in the second period, and Montanari finally got rewarded with a shorthanded goal in the third. She got to a loose puck at the top of the zone and broke the other way on a 2-on-1 with Johnson. Montanari dished to Johnson, who put a perfect shot on for a rebound, which popped right to Montanari as she buried it. The RPI commit also scored against Belle Tire in the quarterfinals on Friday. She was third on NAHA with seven points (three goals) in six games.
Mary Quatrale
Mass. Spitfires/Milton, 11/3/2007, F, right shot, 5-10
Hometown: Pembroke, Mass.
Quatrale didn't get on the board against Shattuck on Wednesday, but her size made her an effective forechecker as she created some chaos out high and got a few good chances. After the Spitfires forced a turnover out high in the second, Quatrale pounced on the loose puck, drove into the high slot and ripped a shot off the crossbar. Later, she had good pressure out high to break up an exit. In the third, she had a hell of an effort at the top of the zone, using her size and reach to protect the puck as she worked toward the net before putting a good shot on. It didn't seem like she had much leverage, but she got a ton on it and barely missed high.
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Stryker Zablocki
BK Select, 1/17/2007, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Prince Albert, SK
NCAA: Northeastern
Zablocki was one of BK's most dynamic players for the week, standing out on a team full of elite talent, and she was the best on the ice in their win over the Wizards on Wednesday, posting three assists. She got better as the game went on, starting with her assist on Lopušanová's second of the game as she carried the puck into the offensive zone, fended off a defender and sent a backhand dish right on the money for Lopušanová's redirect. Zablocki had some fantastic releases from the tops of the circles, one of which set up Addison Tremel's rebound goal. In the third, Zablocki tracked down Kennedy Walker (Middleton, Mass.) to thwart a shorthanded breakaway. Later, she turned on the jets in the neutral zone to blow right by a defender before trying to go upstairs.
Zablocki added a goal and an assist against the Spitfires in the semis on Wednesday before scoring another pretty goal in the finals. She was among the tournament's top scorers with 11 points (seven goals) in six games.
