CONCORD, N.H. — Make it a six-game win streak and an 10-game unbeaten streak for Deerfield.
The Big Green took home a 4-1 win on the road at St. Paul's on Wednesday to improve to 9-0-1 since Dec. 21.
Chloe Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.), Olivia Austen (Darien, Conn.), Amelia Healey (Barre, Vt.) and Sophie Frost each scored for Deerfield, while Izzy Kirby earned the win in net. The Big Green improved to 13-3-2 on the season as they pushed for a spot in the Elite 8. If the playoffs were to start right now, they'd be No. 1 in the Large School tournament, according to USHR. They're also projected to finish the season as the top seed in the Large bracket.
Chelsea Bell (Barre, Vt.) scored for St. Paul's, who dropped to 9-10-1. The Big Red would be No. 8 in the Large School tournament if it were to start today. They're projected to finish as the eighth seed in the Large Bracket.
Cleaves opened the scoring on a seeing-eye wrist shot from the point with 12:24 to go in the first after Gia Thompson worked the puck off a face-off win for Deerfield.
Healey doubled the lead with 10:23 to go in the second, shading into open space in the slot and one-timing a loose puck after SPS broke up Ava Giroux's (St. Alban's, Vt.) centering feed.
Olivia Austen made it 3-0 less than two minutes later, redirecting a shot-pass from Keira Austen (Darien, Conn.) at the right post.
Bell cut it to 3-1 with 10:56 to go in regulation with a wrister from the point through traffic, but Giroux iced it when she took advantage of a turnover and buried an empty-netter with two seconds left in the game for the 4-1 final.
Let's dive into seven standouts from the game.
Chloe Cleaves
Deerfield, 11/27/2007, D, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Riverside, Conn.
NCAA: Yale
Cleaves was dynamic in all three zones, and she was especially strong using her legs to drive transition for the Big Green. Her head was always up and she took full advantage of the skating lanes she had in the neutral zone, on exits and on entries. She started it all on Olivia Austen's goal, jumping into a lane to give Deerfield an outlet before motoring through the neutral zone. In the third, Cleaves did a great job of recognizing an open seam and driving to the back door for a look on the power play. Keira Austen found her, but the pass was slightly in Cleaves' feet, so she couldn't one-time it. Cleaves also had a great stick in front in the second period, preventing a centering pass and breaking up some good pressure for SPS.
Her goal to open the scoring came off a quick wrist shot. She wasted no time when she got the puck at the point, throwing it in front looking for a tip or rebound. It had eyes and found a way through.
RANKINGS: Thayer cracks top 5; Groton re-enters the fold in latest girls prep top 10
Olivia Austen
Deerfield, 10/2008, F, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Darien, Conn.
Austen's smooth hands and strong instincts were on display all game. She was shifty and confident with the puck, unafraid to dangle in tight spaces and make plays. After SPS blocked her centering feed, Austen went right to the front of the net, where she was in a perfect spot to redirect her sister's feed from the point. In the third, Austen led the rush and showed nice hands in a tight space before finding Cleaves for a wrist shot that led to a tip chance on the doorstep.
Keira Austen
Deerfield, 6/28/2007, D, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Darien, Conn.
NCAA: Brown
Austen was good facilitating offense out high at the point for Deerfield. Her assist on her sister's goal was a thing of beauty. She knew where she was going with it as soon as she got the loose puck at the point. She had her head up and zipped a heavy shot-pass perfectly to her sister's tape at the right post for the redirect. Austen set up another great look for Deerfield in the third on a set play off a face-off. She got the puck at the left point off the draw and fed Julia Tamul (North Attleboro, Mass.) through a seam at the right post for a good chance.
Sophie Frost
Deerfield, 2008, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Orleans, Ontario
Frost did a good job of carrying the puck through the neutral zone and consistently gaining the attacking line with possession. She was a powerful skater with the puck with strong strides, and she was a drove play a ton for the Big Green, especially in the first period. She got a great look in the second when she intercepted a breakout pass at the blue line and got a dangerous shot at the left dot. Frost got rewarded in the third when she kept playing to the whistle, hustling to get in on the forecheck before she was in a perfect spot to backhand a loose puck into the empty net off a turnover.
Chelsea Bell
St. Paul's, 10/17/2006, D, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Barre, Vt.
Bell's mobility on defense and ability to lead transition was impressive once again. She's strong on her skates, which allows her to withstand pressure on the forecheck, and she generates speed quickly coming around her net. Bell's ability to find skating lanes and carve through the neutral zone was on full display. In the first, she made a nice move behind her net to shake a forechecker before using the open space she had to make a good stretch pass for an exit. Before her goal, Bell led the rush with a ton of speed, making a move to get by two forwards on the exit before blowing by two defenders on the entry. She wasted no time with her wrist shot either, putting it on net quickly, and it found a way in.
Maealie Glanzer
St. Paul's, Class of 2028, F, right shot
Hometown: Bellingham, Wash.
Glanzer found quick outlets in transition, whether on breakouts or in neutral ice, and she also had some strong efforts on the back-check. The freshman made a great play to track back and break up a counter rush with a stick lift in the second period. In the third, she had another good back-check on Frost to strip the puck from her and send it right back in deep to keep the pressure up.
STATEMENT WIN: 11 standouts, takeaways from Phillips Andover’s win over Cushing
Cadence Crowley
St. Paul’s, 07/2009, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: North Reading, Mass.
Crowley assisted on Bell's goal. She won a race to the loose puck behind the net before fending off a defender as she worked the puck to Bell at the point. Most importantly, she did a great job to provide the screen in the slot, taking away Kirby's eyes as she parked herself perfectly in the lane. Late in the second, Crowley also had one of the Big Red's best looks of the game up to that point. She led the rush up ice before setting her edges working against a defender 1-on-1, driving to the net and trying to stuff it five-hole. Kirby stood her ground, though.
