18 standouts from 16U girls USA Hockey Nationals

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 1 girls national tournaments at the trusty New England Sports Center. Among the 16U teams, four represented Massachusetts and New England as the CT Polar Bears, the Mid Fairfield CT Stars, the East Coast Wizards and Lovell Academy each competed.

MN Silver took home the 16U Tier I crown, knocking off Shattuck-St. Mary's, 6-1, in Sunday's championship, scoring five unanswered in the third period. MN Silver had to go through the CT Polar Bears in the semifinals, while Shattuck's road to the final included Lovell Academy in the quarterfinals.

I saw every New England team at least once, focusing on the 16Us on Tuesday before catching the Polar Bears and Lovell in Friday's quarterfinals and the Polar Bears in Saturday's semifinals.

Let's dive into 18 standouts among the 16Us from the week.

Bianca Biagini

Little Caesars 16U, Class of 2026, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Biagini opened the scoring between Little Caesars and the CT Polar Bears in Friday's quarterfinals. She did a good job of making herself available at the left point on the power play as CT applied heavy pressure on the far side. Once she got the puck, Biagini wasted no time and put a good wrister on net that found a way through, thanks to a good screen from Taylor Morrison. Later, Biagini used her size effectively, making a good power move to the net off the rush. She drove by everyone and got a backhand bid in tight, but couldn't solve Katie Hurley. Biagini had three points (one goal) in four games this week.

Mia Daley

East Coast Wizards/Williston Northampton, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Lynnfield, Mass.

Daley was the Wizards' most productive player during the week, and she was the best forward on the ice in their win over the Kachinas on Tuesday. She was confident and deliberate with the puck, slowing the game down and dictating the play any time she had it on her tape. She scored one of the best goals I saw all week after Carly Dann (Hanover, N.H.) led a fantastic rush. Daley got open in the slot for the feed and went bar-down with a fantastic shot. She later set up Maggie Lovering's (Scituate, Mass.) first goal of the game with the extra attacker on, finishing a good sequence with Lily Bromley (Carlisle, Mass.). Daley took it behind the net and sent a feed in front. The initial bid wouldn't go, but she found the loose puck and found Lovering at the right post for an easy goal.

Daley finished with two points per game, posting six (three goals) in three contests.

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Carly Dann

East Coast Wizards/Loomis Chaffee, 7/21/2008, D, left shot, 5-9
Hometown: Hanover, N.H.
NCAA: Cornell

Dann was dominant against the Kachinas between her size, strength and skating as she was effective at both ends. Arizona had no answer for her, and she was arguably the best player on the ice alongside Daley. She set up Daley's beauty with a slick stop-and-start skating backward in the neutral zone, evading a forechecker and jumpstarting the rush the other way. Dann fed Daley in front, and Daley did the rest. The former later scored on a one-timer off a feed from Williston teammate Brenna Ziter (Williston, Vt.). Moments earlier, Dann set up Ziter for a chance that rang the post after she recovered and won a battle.

Tereza Gildainova

Lovell Academy, 1/31/2008, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Sazava, Czech Republic

Gildainova was strong in Lovell's win over Mid Fairfield on Tuesday. She showed nice hands as well as good speed through the neutral zone with long strides. She got a great redirect chance in tight in the second period, driving to the front of the net after leading a clean entry into the zone. Later, she got rewarded on the power play when Caroline Clark (York, Maine) found her through a seam. Gildainova made no mistake, burying a great wrister inside the far post from the left dot. She had a goal and an assist in four games.

Keira Gould

CT Polar Bears/Williston Northampton, 2009, D/F, right shot
Hometown: White Plains, N.Y.

Gould had a fantastic week for the Polar Bears. She was strong defensively and a force on the power play when she shifted up to forward. In her own end, Gould had a good stick and did a good job of clogging lanes, blocking plenty of shots, especially in the semis. She had a pair of goals against Team North Dakota on Tuesday, redirecting a shot from Sophia Lind (Madison, Conn.) on the power play before burying a feed from Brooke Schlutter in front off the rush. Schlutter connected with her again in the quarterfinals on Saturday for the game-winning goal, finding her at the far post through a seam for an easy one-timer. Gould had six points in five games, leading the Polar Bears with five goals, which ranked second among all skaters and first among defenders in the tournament.

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Kathryn Hall

Shattuck-St. Mary’s, 7/2/2008, D, left shot, 5-10
Hometown: Greenwich, Conn.

Hall played a steady, smart game on defense for Shattuck. She anticipated, clogged seams and used her long reach to her advantage. She had a fantastic assist on Kendall Doiron's breakaway goal against Lovell, making a heads-up play to send her in alone with an awesome stretch pass. Hall didn't waste any time and immediately got it up to her right on the tape. She had a goal and an assist in six games.

Talla Hansen

MN Silver, 11/22/2008, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Plymouth, Minn.

Hansen led the way in the Silver's semifinal win over the Polar Bears, potting a pair of goals. She constantly drove play and generated offense, and she opened the scoring with a beauty on a shorthanded breakaway. Hansen got in alone, sold a forehand and cut back to her backhand for an easy finish. She picked up her second of the game in the third on a set face-off play. Madelyn Kimbrel drove below the goal line off the draw and dished to Hansen, who was in a perfect spot in front to jam it home. Hansen totaled five points (three goals) in six games, including a goal and an assist in the championship.

Katie Hurley

CT Polar Bears/Berkshire, 2009, G, catches left
Hometown: Grand Falls-Windsor, NL

Hurley was fantastic in the semis against MN Silver, and she's the main reason the game was within reach for as long as it was, despite the 5-1 final. She finished with 32 saves, including multiple breakaway stops. She anticipated and moved quickly in the crease to stifle chances in tight. One of her best stops came on a 2-on-1, popping out to make a kick save on Brooke Gnetz at the far post. She wasn't as busy in Tuesday's 6-0 win over Team North Dakota, making just seven saves, but had some high-quality stops in big spots early before CT pulled away. Hurley posted a 2.25 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage in five games, ranking in the top five among goalies with at least three appearances on the week. Her 109 total saves were the fourth-highest.

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Sophia Lind

CT Polar Bears/Choate, 2008, D, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Madison, Conn.

Lind was smooth with the puck and moved well on defense for the Polar Bears, and she did a good job quarterbacking the power play, creating a lot on the advantage. She had a goal and an assist in Tuesday's win over Team North Dakota. Her goal came on the power play, activating in the play and driving to the net on the rush to bury a rebound. Later, she threaded a quick shot from the point that Gould tipped in. Against MN Silver, Lind got a great chance, trying to go short-side high below the left dot after rotating with Gould out high. Later, she sent Quinn Toll in for a 1-on-1 look after an excellent bank pass. Lind posted six points (five assists) in five games.

Emma MacPherson

East Coast Wizards/New Hampton, 06/2008, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Sandwich, Mass.

MacPherson was terrific alongside Lovering in the Wizards' win over the Kachinas on Tuesday, posting a goal and an assist. MacPherson made a hell of an assist on Lovering's second of the game. She pulled up at the far hash off the rush, using the lane that opened up to cut toward the middle and hitting Lovering on the tape at the right post for an easy goal. MacPherson got on the board moments later after a terrific effort from Paisley Meyer (Greenland, N.H.), hanging around the front of the net and burying it in tight.

Easton Pramuka

Mid Fairfield CT Stars/Loomis Chaffee, 7/20/2008, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Palm Springs, Calif.

Pramuka was a bright spot for the Stars in a lopsided, 4-0 loss against Lovell on Tuesday. She was one of a handful of Mid Fairfield skaters to generate multiple good scoring chances. She had a break in the second period, forcing a turnover and winning a race before she opted to pass instead of taking the lane to the net. Later, she got another chance in tight on a 2-on-1 with Merritt Tessier. After it wouldn't go, Pramuka stuck with the play, intercepting a breakout pass at the blue line and getting it back in deep to maintain good pressure. She had three points (one goal) in three games.

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Katya Sander

MN Silver, 3/4/2008, D, left shot, 5-9
Hometown: Chanhassen, Minn.
NCAA: Minnesota

Sander was a three-zone force for the Silver in their semifinal win over the Polar Bears. She was active in all three zones and used her long reach effectively, whether in defensive battles or when carrying the puck. No one could take the puck from her. She covers a ton of ground in just a few long, efficient strides. She also sprung June Semling for a breakaway, threading a perfect stretch pass between the defense. Sander finished the tournament with four points (one goal) in six games, including an assist on Cate McCoy's game-winner in the championship.

Brooke Schlutter

CT Polar Bears/Williston Northampton, 04/2009, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, Calif.

Schlutter was the Polar Bears' most consistent player, impacting the play on a shift-to-shift basis. She drew several penalties, showed a high hockey IQ and was excellent carrying the puck and leading transition through center ice. She should have scored a highlight-reel goal against North Dakota on Tuesday, deking out high to shake a defender before working the puck middle. After providing support in a battle down low, Schlutter dangled into the slot and should have tucked a backhand around the goalie, but she got hauled down. She set up Gould's goal with a great rush and feed curling around the net on the ensuing power play.

In the quarterfinals, Schlutter authored the Polar Bears' comeback, tying the game early in the third before setting up Gould's winner on the power play with a great setup through a seam. Schlutter took a beating in the semis but was still effective. She rang the post early before getting CT on the board in the second with a dazzling goal. After she and Stocker forced a turnover out high, Schlutter smartly kept it on the 2-on-0 and went forehand-backhand for a great finish. Her eight points (three goals) in five games ranked fourth among all skaters.

Keira Shin

Arizona Kachinas, 08/2008, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Gilbert, AZ

Shin can flat-out fly, and she gave the Wizards headaches, despite the lopsided result against the Kachinas. She opened the scoring when she caught the defense sleeping, sneaking behind them for a breakaway and scoring with a nice stutter step fake on her forehand. She picked up her second of the game on the power play, beating everyone to a loose puck in front and jamming it in. Shin led the Kachinas with five points (four goals) in three games.

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Riley Stocker

CT Polar Bears/Williston Northampton, 06/2008, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Verona, N.J.

Stocker was among the dominant Williston contingent for the Polar Bears. The power forward constantly drove to middle ice and won 1-on-1 matchups. She had a three-point game against Team North Dakota with a pair of goals and an assist. She opened the scoring when she drove to the front of the net for a backhand and jammed in the rebound. Later, she set up Lind's power-play goal with a good shot off the rush as the trailer. Stocker's second of the game was a terrific individual effort on a 5-on-3, walking a defender with an in-to-out move, driving to the net on her backhand and pulling to her forehand to chip it top shelf.

In the quarterfinals, Stocker was a monster late as CT protected a one-goal lead. She made a good play to cut off a puck-carrier, win it back and chip it in deep to bleed time off the clock. In the semis, Stocker helped force a turnover out high with Schlutter before the latter scored on the ensuing 2-on-0. Later, Stocker saved a potential goal, finding the loose puck in a scramble and swiping it out of the crease as it tumbled toward the line. She finished with five points (three goals) in five games.

Sydney Stoughton

Lovell Academy, 2009, F, left shot, 5-9
Hometown: Mason, OH

Stoughton was consistently one of Lovell's most effective skaters in all situations, and she was a force in the quarterfinals against Shattuck. She got on the board in the first period, digging the puck free in a goalmouth scramble and scoring. Later, she got a breakaway coming out of the box and drew a penalty shot. In the third, she had a terrific second effort to get to a loose puck and swipe it away. It prevented a clean exit for Shattuck and a potential 3-on-2 the other way. Stoughton also added a power-play goal on Tuesday against Mid Fairfield. After nice low-to-high movement with Annabelle Lovell (Hingham, Mass.), Stoughton rotated into a shooting lane, and her quick wrister found a way through. She had five points in four games, leading Lovell with four goals.

Chyna Taylor

Lovell Academy, 2009, D, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Louisville, KY

Taylor was dynamic and read the ice well, especially against Mid Fairfield. She and Mirella Martinelli (East Providence, R.I.) pushed the pace and got pucks up ice quickly. Taylor nearly scored a beauty off a set face-off play in the defensive zone. Once the puck dropped, she turned on the jets, curling around the net and into the neutral zone. The Lions hit her with a stretch pass and she was off to the races, but Emily Hosman made a fantastic save as Taylor tried to reach around a backhand around her. Taylor's vision and patience in transition were impressive, too, including one sequence that ended with an insane cross-ice saucer pass for an entry. She had three points (one goal) in four games.

Bella Zapata

CT Polar Bears/Westminster, 5/9/2008, F, left shot, 5-1
Hometown: Voorhees, N.J.

Zapata was one of the Polar Bears' most impactful skaters, and she might have been their biggest play-driver outside of Schlutter. She's an elite skater with good speed, and that gave her a big-time edge carrying the puck. It also paid off if she got caught in defensive situations when she was on the point on the power play. She made a great play defending the rush 1-on-1 on Tuesday, forcing the puck carrier to the outside, pinning her to the boards and winning the puck back. In the semis, she set up Emily Cumming for a great look, leading the rush and finding her with terrific cross-ice feed through a seam. Zapata finished with a pair of goals in five games.