MILTON, Mass. — Williston Northampton can add another trophy to its collection.
The Wildcats shut out BB&N, 3-0, on Sunday to win the 43rd Harrington Invitational Tournament.
Sophomore forward Brooke Schlutter, junior defender and Catie Putt (Norfolk, Mass.) and sophomore forward Mia Daley (Lynnfield, Mass.) each scored for Williston (6-0-0). Senior goalie Liv Ferebee, a Cornell commit, earned the shutout in net.
Schlutter opened the scoring late in the first period, picking the top right corner with a wrist shot from the high slot after Putt and Alyssa Frazier (Berlin, Vt.) worked a give-and-go out high.
Putt, a New Hampshire commit, doubled the lead midway through the second with a backhand-forehand move on a shorthanded breakaway.
Daley added insurance on a 5-on-3 early in the third period. After Violet Carroll's (Milton, Mass.) shot trickled through BB&N's Barbara Ma, Daley was right there to jam in the loose puck.
It's the second time in three seasons that Christa Talbot Syfu's team has won the holiday tournament, and they're just a season removed from back-to-back Elite 8 titles.
Sunday also marked the first loss of the season for BB&N (5-1-1).
HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS:Â Full schedules, results for 2024 girls prep hockey holiday tournaments
Let's dive into some standouts and takeaways from the game.
1. Williston was flat-out the best team throughout the weekend at the Harrington, and it was only fitting to see them take home the trophy. They were relentless in all three zones. They forechecked and defended in layers, coming at BB&N in waves. The Wildcats took away time and space from puck carriers quickly and were constantly clogging up passing lanes. As a result, the Knights struggled to consistently generate clean breakouts and maintain offensive momentum.
2. It was no surprise to see Schlutter and Daley among the forwards getting it done for Williston. The Wildcats' top two lines were a major reason why they were so dominant all weekend. We'll have more on Williston's top six in some overarching takeaways and standouts from the entire tournament later this week, but Sunday's championship served as a microcosm of their success. Both lines consistently got pucks behind the defense, cycled well and worked it into high-danger areas.
3. The loss left a sour taste to an otherwise strong weekend for BB&N. The Knights had pockets of pressure in the first and second periods but couldn't sustain it. Hannah Weyerhaeuser (Cambridge, Mass.), Izzy King (Bedford, Mass.) and Lexi Mara (Winchester, Mass.) led an excellent shift in the second, hemming Williston in and getting a couple of good looks, but just when you thought BB&N had a chance to build on it, a penalty undid the momentum. By the time they had a late push with the net empty, it was too little, too late. The Knights just never found a groove, but those days happen. They're better than they showed.
Now, here are five standouts from the game.
TOP PERFORMERS: 13 standouts in girls prep from Dec. 10-17
Catie Putt
Williston Northampton, 10/17/07, D, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Norfolk, Mass.
NCAA: New Hampshire
Putt had a terrific effort on her shorthanded goal. She did it all. The blue-liner blocked a shot in front of the net before skating it out herself and bursting through a seam on a give-and-go with Carroll. She got an easy breakaway and made no mistake on a slick finish. She was also key on Schlutter's opening goal with some great movement with Frazier. Putt rotated into space at the left point before giving it back to Frazier along the boards, leaving a lane wide open for Schlutter.
Brooke Schlutter
Williston Northampton, 04/2009, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, Calif.
Schlutter read the play really well on her goal. With Frazier and Putt rotating toward the left point, Schlutter covered the right point and shaded middle toward the high slot. It left her a perfect spot for Frazier's centering pass, and she made no mistake on the shot. She got it off in no time and it was perfectly placed, going bar-down to the top right corner.
Nina Coffee
Williston Northampton, 3/16/07, D, left shot, 6-0
Hometown: Old Lyme, Conn.
NCAA: Holy Cross
Coffee got it done on both ends of the ice for the Wildcats. She and Caroll combined for a terrific chance off the rush early on. Coffee broke up BB&N's rush at her blue line before skating it up ice herself and dropping it off to Carroll at the top of the left circle for a dangerous shot. Defensively, Coffee used her size well, got in passing and shooting lanes and established strong stick and body position. She won battles on the penalty kill and broke up transition with a few good blocks and poke checks.
Emi Biotti
BB&N, 1/4/07, D, right shot, 5-10
Hometown: Cambridge, Mass.
NCAA: Harvard
Biotti had a strong day defensively for the Knights. She helped prevent what looked to be a sure goal in the first, laying out to clear the puck out of the net-front, preventing Daley from potting a rebound in a scramble around the crease. Later, Biotti established great stick and body positioning to knock Carroll off the puck, stealing it and skating it out for an exit. In the closing moments of regulation, the Harvard commit prevented an empty-net goal for Carroll, sticking with her on a partial break and making a strong stick check.
Izzy King
BB&N, 2/16/07, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Bedford, Mass.
NCAA: Providence
King was a big part of some of BB&N's best stretches in the offensive zone. She worked well in the cycle and below the dots, extending shifts in the offensive zone. She and Anika Singh (Lexington, Mass.) worked a great low-to-high play for a one-timer coming out of the cycle for Lexi Mara (Winchester, Mass.), which led to a couple of chances in a net-front scramble on the power play. King was back at it with Mara and Weyerhaeuser in the second, again generating a couple of looks around the net after good work along the boards to hem Williston in. She also drew a penalty in the third, giving BB&N a key chance to get back in it.
