LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Some of the very best prospects in the nation hit the ice in Lake Placid for USA Hockey’s Under-18 Women’s National Festival.
Forty-six players from the 2009 and 2010 birth years skated at Herb Brooks Arena at the Olympic Center, looking to show well on a national stage. In total, 12 New Englanders were on the Under-18 Festival roster, including seven forwards, five defenders and one goalie.
Just by being there, each player boosted their stock, regardless of whether they already have college commitments.
The camp is part of the selection process for the Under-18 Women’s Select Team roster for the three-game U18 Series against Canada, which begins Wednesday in Richmond, B.C. It coincided with the collegiate (Over-18) camp, which is part of the selection process for the Collegiate Select Team, which will also take on Canada in a three-game set. Seven Massachusetts natives made the Under-18 Select roster, while six New Englanders made the Collegiate Selects.
I made the drive to the Adirondacks to catch the opening leg of the U18 camp, taking in Monday and Tuesday’s games. We broke down 11 forwards who impressed earlier this week. Now, it's time to look at nine defenders and goalies who stood out.
Let’s dive in.
Alexis Ulrich
Breck School, 4/9/2010, D, right shot, 5-9
Hometown: Prior Lake, Minn.
Ulrich's mobility and shot from the point made her a dynamic presence in the attacking zone. She featured an effortless wrist shot with plenty of power. She showed it off with a beauty on Tuesday. Ulrich did an excellent job of moving laterally on the blue line to open up for a D-to-D pass before opening the shooting lane, and she made no mistake with a wrister to the top left corner.
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Chyna Taylor
Lovell Academy, 7/10/2009, D, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Louisville, KY
NCAA: Wisconsin
Taylor's skating and vision helped her stand apart from the crowd. She scored a beauty on the power play on Monday, adjusting to a late pass with some good edgework before rifling a top-left wrister. She had Jane Daley's number in a handful of 1-on-1 battles on Tuesday, thanks to her ability to keep up with her and match her step for step. Taylor made some excellent stick checks to break up the chances. She tied for the camp lead in scoring with four points (two goals) in four games.
Reese Engel
Nobles/Boston Americans, 06/2009, D, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
NCAA: Princeton
Engel got better and better throughout Monday and Tuesday, and she made quick decisions with the puck in transition. She scored on the power play on Tuesday, one-timing a missile off a setup from Brooke Schlutter. Later, Engel picked off an errant stretch pass in the neutral zone and sprung Reese Unklesbay with a quick outlet for a chance the other way.
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Nora Wilson
Groton/East Coast Wizards, 2009, G, catches left, 5-9
Hometown: Weybridge, Vt.
NCAA: Dartmouth
Wilson got the second half of Tuesday's game, and she was outstanding, making 17 saves amid heavy pressure. She made big saves in big moments, was poised in scrambles around her net and handled shots through traffic. One of her best saves was a fantastic kick save on Daley's bid from the right dot with the net empty late. Earlier, Wilson made a handful of big saves in a scramble in tight, including an aggressive read to cut off a backdoor bid for Aliyah Mihlbauer. In overtime, Wilson stoned Sydney Boss Krohn's breakaway.
Emma Pieper
East Grand Forks High, 1/7/2010, G, catches left, 5-5
Hometown: East Grand Forks, Minn.
Pieper got the back half of Monday's game and started on Tuesday for Team Yellow. She was sharp throughout the action, and she got better as the games went on. On Monday, Pieper made several huge stops against Mia Sutch on the penalty kill, denying a backhand in tight before stoning a one-timer off a quick pass from Francie Ames. Pieper made some acrobatic saves late in the game as Team Red pushed with the net empty, and she was rock solid in the shootout, moving well laterally in the crease and not giving shooters any daylight. Pieper carried the momentum into Tuesday with an outstanding save on Sutch's breakaway, reading it perfectly as she went forehand-backhand.
Maggie Chudzinski
Dexter Southfield/Boston Junior Eagles, 4/3/2010, D, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
NCAA: Harvard
Chudzinski was a strong two-way contributor across both Monday and Tuesday. She scored on Monday after excellent forechecking by Annabelle Lovell and Aubryn Monter, getting the puck at the right circle and wristing it home inside the right post. Later, as her teammates won a battle along the left boards, Chudzinski recognized a lane to the net and drove hard to the right post, getting a Grade-A look off the cross-ice feed. She also made some strong defensive plays, too, including on Monday when she did a heck of a job tying up the puck along the boards at center ice, preventing a likely breakaway. On Tuesday, she made a terrific read at center ice to intercept a pass before driving back in on the rush, outmuscling a defender and maintaining possession.
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Poppy Carlson
Minnetonka, 11/20/2010, G, catches left, 5-8
Hometown: Minnetonka, Minn.
Carlson came through in key spots for Team Red late in Tuesday's game, making some highlight-reel stops on Grade-A looks. She made an excellent save on Alexa Georgantas in a 2-on-1 with Maddy Call. Carlson didn't cheat for the pass and squeezed Georgantas' shot under her blocker for the stop. In overtime, she made a terrific save on Lovell in tight, giving her nothing after she toe-dragged a defender to get in alone.
Taylor Schreifels
Andover (Minn.), 4/16/2009, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Andover, Minn.
NCAA: Sacred Heart
Schreifels showcased smooth hands and quick decision-making at the attacking blue line. She also made some impressive stretch passes in transition. Schreifels proved good things happen when you put the puck on net, throwing a wrister on net from the right circle that found daylight as bodies converged around the crease after a scramble. Later, she had a fantastic look, leading the rush and weaving into the slot before putting a laser on net.
Gianna Monaco
Shattuck-St. Mary's, 9/10/2009, D, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Elgin, Ill.
NCAA: Merrimack
Monaco's skating and edges gave her a massive leg up in the face of pressure on regroups and breakouts. One of her best regroups was early on in Monday's game, as she made a tight turn toward the boards and shook the forechecker. It would have been easy for her to open herself up to the pressure by cutting toward center ice or forcing a play up the middle. On Tuesday, Monaco showed terrific poise, escaping pressure with another tight turn before motoring the other way as Nadiya Nadoud hounded her on the forecheck.
