Another girls prep hockey season is in the books.
This season, it all came down to Loomis Chaffee and Deerfield in the Elite 8.
In the end, the fifth-seeded Pelicans pulled away from the No. 6 Big Green for their second straight Elite 8 title with a 5-1 win. It was also the second year in a row that Deerfield played for a trophy after winning the Large School title last season.
Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) and Easton Pramuka each scored twice for Loomis (24-4-0). Carly Dann (Hanover, N.H.) also scored, and Adeline Roper (Kennebunk, Maine) earned the win in net. Gia Thompson scored for Deerfield (21-5-2).
Going back to the end of our preseason podcast, Loomis was one of my two picks to reach the final. While my other pick (Cushing) didn't work out, I did, however, also tab Deerfield as a dark horse. We'll count it as partial credit.
Fast forward to the past week, and several players throughout the tournament delivered outstanding performances when it mattered most.
So, let's dive into this year’s Chuck Vernon Elite 8 All-Tournament team and MVP.
Most Valuable Player: Lindsay Stepnowski
What more can you say about Stepnowski in the postseason? I don't know if I've ever seen another player find that next level in the postseason quite like Stepnowski has. The Harvard commit earned her second-straight MVP, posting 10 points (six goals) in three games. That followed last year's run of seven points (six goals) in three games. Whether it was sharp-shooting from the left circle or breakaway dangles, there was almost no limit to her bag of tricks.
READ MORE: All-Elite 8 boys team
She scored two breakaway beauties against Deerfield in the final. In the semis, Stepnowski helped lead a comeback against No. 1 Nobles when Loomis trailed, 3-1 and 4-3, in the third period. The senior had a pair of assists in the third before scoring a highlight-reel goal in overtime for the 5-4 win and to send the Pelicans to the finals. Against No. 5 Dexter Southfield in the quarterfinals, Stepnowski had four points (two goals), helping Loomis come back after trailing, 3-2, before pulling away for a 7-3 win.
All-Elite 8 Team
Forward: Lindsay Stepnowski, Loomis Chaffee
Two years in a row. Never a doubt.
Forward: Annie Schwarz, Loomis Chaffee
Schwarz (Fairfield, Conn.) was just as dangerous up front for Loomis throughout the postseason, posting five points across the quarterfinals and semis. The senior Yale commit scored twice against Dexter, including critical insurance early in the third that led to a three-goal outburst as Loomis pulled away. Against Nobles, she had a goal and two assists during a third-period comeback, cutting the deficit to 3-2 before assisting Dann and Stepnowski’s equalizers later in the period. Even though Schwarz didn’t find the scoresheet in the final, she was still an effective play-driver.
Forward: Carly Dann, Loomis Chaffee
Pramuka had a strong case for the final spot after her two goals put the title away, but Dann got the edge after scoring clutch goals in the semis and final. Dann, a natural defender, buried a rebound in the third period against Nobles to tie it, 3-3, amid the Pelicans' comeback effort. The senior Cornell commit also scored a beauty to make it 2-0 against Deerfield, driving to the slot and going bar-down off a feed from Sophie DiGioia (Milford, Conn.).
MORE CHAMPIONS: Boys Elite 8 — Avon Old Farms beats St. Mark’s | Boys Large School — Cushing beats Berwick | Boys Small School — Winchendon beats Holderness | Girls Large School — Phillips Exeter beats Choate | Girls Small School — Groton beats New Hampton
Defense: Chloe Cleaves, Deerfield
Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.) was an effective catalyst in all three zones on the blue line for the Big Green, and her ability to take over play in the offensive zone was key. She had three points in two games. The senior Yale commit had a goal and an assist in a quarterfinal upset of No. 3 Williston, coming through with a big goal in the opening minute of the second period and setting up Alessandra Picard's (Madison, Conn.) game-deciding goal. Cleaves also added an assist in the semifinals against No. 7 Tabor.
Defense: Megan Hosman, Loomis Chaffee
Hosman did it all on the back end for the Pelicans this postseason. The senior Penn State commit posted four assists in three games. She was great quarterbacking the power play, and made a terrific stretch pass to DiGioia in the run-up to Dann's goal against Deerfield. Hosman was also effective defending in transition, using her reach effectively to disrupt plays around the defensive blue line.
READ MORE: Go inside Loomis Chaffee's Elite 8 win over Deerfield
Goalie: Adeline Roper, Loomis Chaffee
Roper did enough to win in the semis and quarterfinals, but she posted an .881 save percentage across the two games. She made 28 saves on 31 shots against Dexter before stopping 24 of 28 against Nobles. But when the lights were brightest, Roper was at her best once again, backstopping another championship effort. The Williams commit posted 25 saves on 26 shots, including some big stops in key moments. She was poised and denied Grade-A looks early in the first, late in the second and late in regulation when Deerfield mounted pressure. It was an incredibly impressive reset that speaks volumes about Roper. She finished the postseason with a .906 save percentage.
