FOXBORO, Mass. – It was all about Sophie Frost at the Foxboro Sports Center on Sunday afternoon.
Poised for a strong senior season at Deerfield, the Yale commit led the way for the 19U Mid Fairfield CT Stars, scoring a natural hat trick to pace a 4-0 win over the Bay State Breakers.
Frost opened the scoring with 2:53 to go in the first as she and Olivia Austen (Darien, Conn.) capitalized on a turnover. Austen found Frost all alone down low, and she cut to the middle for the backhand score. Frost doubled the lead just 36 seconds later, burying a one-timer from the high slot on a feed from Annie Schwarz (Fairfield, Conn.).
Frost cashed in again five minutes into the second period to complete the hat trick, burying the rebound off of Katelyn Tortorella's shot from the point.
Natalie Beach made it 4-0 with 2:39 to go in regulation on a shot from the right dot after Tortorella found her on a cross-ice dish.
Let's dive into nine standouts from the NEGHL clash.
Sophie Frost
Mid Fairfield/Deerfield, 2008, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Orleans, Ontario
NCAA: Yale
It was a big day for Mid Fairfield's Deerfield contingent, led by Frost, who did a fantastic job getting open in the scoring areas and making the defense pay for mistakes. She had a great finish on her first goal, going to the net and cutting to her backhand to reach around the goalie. Her second goal finished off a great offensive shift as she got alone in the high slot and made no mistake on the one-timer. Frost nearly completed the hat trick early in the second, going off to the races after blocking a shot high in the defensive zone, but her bid wouldn't go. Frost could have tacked on more in the third with a breakaway and a one-timer in the slot, too.
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Annie Schwarz
Mid Fairfield/Loomis Chaffee, 2/5/08, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.
NCAA: Yale
Like Frost was for the Deerfield contingent, Schwarz led the way for a strong Loomis Chaffee crop on Mid Fairfield. She was everywhere from the start, and she was instrumental to Frost's second goal. Schwarz got it started, setting up Tortorella's initial bid before getting to the far corner for the cycle with Keira Austen (Darien, Conn.). Schwarz got the puck and immediately put it on the money for Frost's one-timer. The former had some great looks of her own as the game wore on, including ringing the crossbar on a nifty move off a second-period face-off to step around the center and shoot. She nearly cashed in on a point-blank one-timer off a giveaway in the third, too.
Noel Schaab
Bay State Breakers/Choate, 4/18/07, G, catches left, 5-10
Hometown: Sherman, Conn.
NCAA: Hamilton
Schaab entered the game midway through the second period and was nails for the Breakers. She was sound positionally, took up a lot of the net (being 5-10 will help) and did a great job of limiting rebounds. Schaab was also good at tracking pucks from the point through traffic. She was calm and poised, making it look easy as she stoned Bella Zolezzi and Schwarz in tight off giveaways. She also came up big against a Frost breakaway and one-timer from the slot in the third.
Olivia Austen
Mid Fairfield/Deerfield, 10/2008, F, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Darien, Conn.
NCAA: Brown
The Austen sisters were fantastic, especially Olivia, whose smooth hands were impressive all game. It felt like she had the puck on a string at times. Her quick stick-handling and strong lower body made it difficult for defenders to knock her off the puck or break her up as she cut to middle ice. She made a great play to set up Frost's first of the game, intercepting a breakout pass high in the offensive zone and quickly feeding her down low for the score.
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Katelyn Tortorella
Mid Fairfield/Choate, 8/27/07, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Mamaroneck, N.Y.
NCAA: Ohio State (rowing)
Tortorella did a great job at the point for the Stars, moving well off the puck to open lanes for shots and passes in addition to effectively holding the blue line. She was key to Frost's second goal, sticking with the play after her initial one-timer off the rush wouldn't go. The blue-liner got the puck back and drove toward the far side, finding Kiera Austen, who swiveled to Schwarz down low before the setup for Frost. Tortorella also did a good job of putting a low shot on net, leading to Frost's goal on the rebound for the hat trick. Tortorella also made a fantastic play to set up Beach late in the third, winning the puck back on the far side, cutting around a defender and finding Beach wide open through a cross-ice seam.
Aislin VanVliet
Bay State Breakers/BB&N, 11/21/2008, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
VanVliet did a good job of turning defense into offense for the Breakers, leading rushes and getting the puck deep into the attacking zone. She had two fantastic defensive plays in the neutral zone to prevent two 2-on-1s in the first. The first came when she got her stick on a stretch pass to disrupt the breakout. Seconds later, VanVliet did a good job of getting back and cutting off the puck carrier, winning the battle and leading the rush the other way.
Charleigh Milburn
Bay State Breakers/Tabor, 8/18/08, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Castle Rock, Colo.
Milburn was strong in pursuing the puck on the forecheck and creating pressure. She had a terrific play on the opening shift of the game, winning the puck from Chloe Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.) as a one-person forecheck at the end of a long shift. Milburn took it to the net and got an offensive zone draw, too. She had some good shots in the third, including one as she took advantage of a turnover in the neutral zone.
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Lucy Stearns
Bay State Breakers/Tabor, 10/10/07, D, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Carver, Mass.
Stearns had a good stick in the defensive zone and made some great plays to disrupt dangerous chances that would have had the score get out of hand. In the second, she had a hell of an effort in a 1-on-1 against Beach, taking the body and preventing her from getting a clear lane to the net as the chance went by the wayside. On the penalty kill in the third, Stearns did a good job of kicking out toward the right circle and blocking Schwarz after she initially had a wide-open lane for a shot.
Natalie Beach
Mid Fairfield/Choate, 5/28/07, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Darien, Conn.
NCAA: Hamilton
Beach had some great plays off the rush for Mid Fairfield, and it was good to see her rewarded with the late goal. She found open space at the right circle as the defense lost track of her, focusing on Tortorella on the far side. Beach got the pass, closed toward the net and made no mistake with a quick wrister.
