MARLBORO, Mass. — The first weekend of the Beantown Classic is in the books.
Some of the best prospects in New England, across the country and even Canada flocked to Massachusetts for one of the summer's biggest showcases.
There was a lot of hockey. There were 158 teams competing across multiple divisions at nine different facilities with age groups ranging from 2009 (08) to 2014s. Next weekend will feature a Super Series/College division as well as two U19 brackets.
I spent the weekend at the trusty New England Sports Center focused on the 2009 (08) Red division, which featured 40 teams. Needless to say, I couldn't see everyone play. Nevertheless, there was high-quality hockey, and Stanstead College Spartans U16 came away with the title, shutting out the Snipers in the championship, 2-0.
Here are eight defenders and goalies who stood out this weekend. We broke down 10 standout forwards earlier this week.
Let's dive in.
Megan Hosman
Mid Fairfield CT Stars U16 Major 1/Loomis Chaffee, 01/2009, D, right shot, 5-9
Mid Fairfield dominated the WC Swans on Friday, and Hosman's pair with Loomis teammate Hattie Willard was a big reason why. Hosman was fantastic at the offensive blue line, making good, aggressive decisions to pinch and keep the pressure going. It led to a ton of sustained pressure for the Stars, including a goal for Willard on a wrister from the point. Hosman kept the puck in at the blue line and made a subtle shimmy move to bait a defender, working the puck back in deep before it came around to Willard. Hosman also showcased one of the heaviest shots I saw all weekend. She put hard shots on net quickly from the point, and rang the post on a rush, pulling the puck to her forehand with a quick cut to the inside and rifling it over the goalie’s shoulder.
Jovie Maddie Sousa
Stanstead College Spartans U16/Collège Charles-Lemoyne M15/D2, 2010, G, catches left
Sousa was sensational in Sanstead’s semifinal win over Tropics on Sunday. She was at her best in the second half of the game, protecting the lead as Tropics found momentum and made a huge push. She made all kinds of quality saves, playing out at the top of the crease and taking good angles on shooters. Sousa somehow managed to keep Lovell’s wraparound attempt out during a goal-mouth scramble. She later made a big right-to-left push to stone a backdoor feed. She made another save in front look easy, smothering it after being in a perfect position off a centering feed.
Meghan Holmes
NA Elite White/Rothesay Nethwerood School, 2010, D, left shot, 5-7
Holmes played a steady, solid stay-at-home game against Stanstead on Friday. She had good positioning and gap control, consistently keeping puck carriers in front of her and forcing them to the outside. She also had a good stick around the front of her net, tying up forwards and taking away potential chances. Holmes made a great play with her stick to step up and disrupt a counter rush late in the game.
Annabelle Lovell
Tropics Gold/Lovell Academy, 2/25/2009, D/F, right shot, 5-0
Lovell (Hingham, Mass.) was probably the most dynamic player on the ice in both of Tropics’ games that I saw. Her speed and agility made it extremely difficult for the opposition to contain her. She was excellent running the top of the umbrella on the power play, and she put shots on net quickly from range, which led to a redirect goal for Maddie Allen on Friday. Defensively, she could stick with forwards and take away space quickly. She mishandled the puck and coughed it up against Stanstead on Sunday but recovered very well, playing the forward perfectly, keeping her to the outside and preventing a play to the middle. Later on the same shift, she had a quick stick to break up a centering pass. She also scored Tropics' lone goal of the game against Stanstead. Lovell finished with seven points (four goals) in six games.
Johanna Sintschnig
Stanstead College Spartans U16/Villach Lady Hawks, 7/10/2011, D, left shot
Sintschnig was excellent at stepping up and holding the defensive blue line to prevent clean zone entries throughout the weekend, particularly against the Snipers in Sunday's championship. She was physical when she stepped up against a rush or on pinches inside the offensive blue line. She was strong with the puck, too. Sintschnig scanned the ice well and had silky, effortless strides to go along with a lengthy reach. She drew a hook after jumping up to lead the rush early in the game as well.
Mirella Martinelli
Tropics Gold/Lovell Academy, 3/28/2009, D, right shot, 5-4
Martinelli (North Providence, R.I.) had a brutal giveaway that led directly to Stanstead’s second goal on Sunday, but one play did not define what was a good weekend for her, overall. She was strong against NA Elite Black on Friday, showcasing her smarts in transition and the defensive zone. She scanned the ice really well and made good passes on the breakout and through the neutral zone, identifying open seams and leading forwards into good spots. In the offensive zone, she made quick decisions and scored with a shot from range that had eyes through traffic as well. She had four goals and six points in six games.
Samantha Crowley
NA Elite White/Phillips Exeter, 2008, D, left shot, 5-2
Crowley (Wilmington, Mass.) was excellent in transition against Stanstead on Friday. She was super shifty and smart with the puck, always looking for a better play to make. She did a good job of shielding pucks from forecheckers and using solid edge work to spin off pressure to open up a skating or passing lane for an exit. Defensively, she did a good job of closing against puck carriers, and she read a pair of 2-on-1’s perfectly, getting into the lanes and breaking up passes. She did a great job of killing clock on the penalty kill (shorthanded teams couldn’t ice the puck), protecting the puck and facilitating a zone exit. Crowley finished the weekend with one assist.
BEANTOWN CLASSIC: 10 standout forwards from the weekend
Chloe Ramos
NA Elite Black/Sno-King Jr. Tbirds 14U AA, 2010, G, catches left, 5-4
Ramos was a big reason that NA Elite Black came away with a tie against Central Glory 2009 White on Friday. She made key saves late in the game as Glory pushed for a 3-1 advantage. Once NA Elite Black made it a 2-2 game, she made the best save I saw all weekend, amazingly robbing a potential game-winner. She was square to the initial shot, but the rebound got away from her. She reached out with her glove to stuff Kate Mulvilhill on the goal line and save the game with 23.8 seconds left.
