MIDDLETOWN, R.I. — Some of the top teams in girls prep hockey rang in 2025 earlier this week at the New Year's Prep Puck Drop, hosted by St. George's.
Aside from the host Dragons (6-4-0), the tournament featured Canterbury (1-6-0), Cushing (10-2-0), Hill School (7-5-0), Rivers (7-2-0) and Williston Northampton (9-0-0).
Just as it did at the Harrington Tournament before the holiday break, Williston ran the table, adding a second trophy to this season's collection. The Wildcats shut out Cushing, 5-0, in Monday's championship after beating Rivers, 5-1, and Canterbury, 8-1, on Sunday. Nora Curtis powered Williston with two goals and two assists against Cushing, while Olivia Ferebee and River Grady (Bedford, NH) combined for the clean sheet.
I made it down to St. George's on Monday morning to take in the final day of action. In addition to the championship, I caught Rivers' 4-1 win over Hill as well as St. George's 5-2 triumph over Canterbury.
We'll get into some standout defenders from the day later this week. For now, here are nine forwards who stood out.
Nora Curtis
Williston Northampton, 1/9/06, F, right shot, 5-10
Hometown: Skaneateles, NY
NCAA: Cornell
Curtis was everywhere for the Wildcats in a four-point outing. Her line factored in on all three first-period goals, too. She dominated possession before working the puck back out high for Alyssa Frazier (Berlin, Vt.), who opened the scoring. Later in the first, Curtis took advantage of open space in the slot, getting open for a feed and getting a shot off in an instant to make it 3-0. She put the game away in the third with a beautiful shorthanded goal. Curtis easily stole the puck from Julia Lambert (Wilmington, Mass.) in the neutral zone, walked in, dangled, pump-faked and buried it five-hole.
TOP PERFORMERS: Here's who stood out in girls prep hockey through the first month
Violet Carroll
Williston Northampton, 5/22/07, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Milton, Mass.
NCAA: Holy Cross
Carroll should have had two goals but only finished with one. Her line with Zola Piekarski (Concord, Mass.) and Brooke Schlutter dominated like it has all season, dictating possession, generating strong chances and reading off each other well. Carroll was once again strong running the point on the power play. She appeared to score when she blasted a slap shot perfectly into the top left corner as it ricocheted right out off the back bar, but the official thought it hit the crossbar, waving it off. She got on the board later in the second with another power-play blast from out high. Carroll can absolutely hammer the puck, too. She had another good look in the second in a give-and-go with Piekarski in the corner. Carroll got the puck below the goal line, kept her head up and swiveled to open a lane, and the centering pass nearly deflected in.
Zola Piekarski
Williston Northampton, 11/3/06, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
Piekarski's soft hands and hand-eye coordination were very impressive on Monday. She managed to corral several bouncing pucks or off-target passes that would have been difficult for most players to handle, and she was still able to maintain her speed or make a play coming out of them. The junior had some excellent scoring chances, too. In the second, she slipped behind the defense for a breakaway and her chip shot rang the crossbar. Later, she made a sweet toe drag to the front of the net and nearly roofed a backhander. In the third, Piekarski pounced on the puck off a face-off, deked the defender in tight to get in alone and nearly made it 6-0.
Brooke Bartlett
Rivers, 04/2008, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Wayland, Mass.
Bartlett's line with Simone Burns (Winchester, Mass.) and Kate Hayes (Wellesley, Mass.), who had a pair of goals, was fantastic against Hill School on Monday. They pushed the pace and generated chances in transition, and they consistently set up shop and worked the puck well in the offensive zone. Bartlett finished with a goal and two assists. She opened the scoring with a terrific net drive on a rush with Burns, establishing inside position with her stick on the ice to perfectly redirect the centering pass. It came after Bartlett had a nice sequence on an early power play, showing nice hands in a tight space as she dug the puck out of a battle, cut middle and found an open passing lane.
TENNEY CUP: 9 standout forwards | 10 standout defenders and goalies
Brooke Fallon
Cushing, 2009, F, left shot
Hometown: Bedford, NH
Fallon was arguably Cushing's best player in an otherwise rough game against Williston. Her speed and strong skating helped her pressure puck carriers and make plays on the forecheck, and she was one of the Penguins' only skaters to have consistent success gaining the offensive blue line with possession. In the third, she had a good shooting chance in the high slot after driving to open space in middle ice. Later, she used her speed to track down a puck carrier outside the offensive blue line, winning the puck back and getting a re-entry and more zone time for Cushing.
Simone Burns
Rivers, 03/2009, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Burns had a strong day on Rivers' top line, finishing with three assists. She made good decisions, moved the puck quickly, found open passing lanes and won races to pucks as her speed and playmaking gave her an advantage all game. It was best on display when she set up Bartlett for the game's first goal. Burns turned on the jets when she got the puck in the neutral zone, blowing past the defender with a strong set of opening strides. She kept her head up and timed her pass for Bartlett perfectly, putting it right on her tape for an easy redirect to finish a pretty sequence.
Maddie Lahah
St. George’s, 2008, F, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
NCAA: Holy Cross
Lahah, the NEPSAC's scoring leader, was the most dynamic player on the ice in St. George's win over Canterbury, finishing with two goals. It felt like she never left the ice, too. She played a ton of minutes in all situations, dominating at the face-off circle. Lahah's smarts were on display during a great sequence on a second-period penalty kill as she got in shooting lanes, blocked a centering pass and was disruptive on the forecheck. Her work on the forecheck led to a great setup for Calleigh Bellow (Brighton, Mass.), winning a battle in the corner before zipping a pass to Bellow in the slot for a one-timer.
Lahah's first goal was a thing of beauty, too. Shorthanded, Lahah stripped the puck at the right dot, cut to the middle and tucked a backhand under the bar for the eventual game-winner. Her second goal capped off a great shift late in regulation. She walked into the offensive zone and nearly picked the top corner with a heavy shot. She stuck with the play and beat a defender to a rebound, maintaining a strong stick and burying it for the 5-2 lead.
GIRLS PREP RANKINGS: There’s a clear No. 1 entering the new semester
Cora Buzzard
St. George's, 3/12/07, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Branford, Conn.
Buzzard scored for St. George's against Canterbury and had other strong chances in the second and third periods, too. She tied the game in the second period when she crashed the net, found the loose puck in a net-front scramble and buried it. Buzzard nearly scored another in the second, getting open for an outlet during a regroup and gaining the line with possession before cutting to the middle and ripping a snap shot glove-side. It nearly tumbled in after the netminder got a piece of it initially.
Brenna Ziter
Williston Northampton, 03/2008, F, right shot, 5-2
Hometown: Williston, Vt.
Ziter didn't find the scoresheet but had a great game for Williston. She was constantly in the right spots, making things happen and reading the play well. Despite her smaller frame, she did a great job of maintaining possession and winning battles against bigger matchups, thanks in part to some good hands. Although she hasn't filled the scoresheet, Ziter is a lot like Piekarski in that she does so many little things well that add up and lead to success every time she's on the ice for the Wildcats.
