It's here. New England Hockey Journal is unveiling a new Best of New England series: Ranking our top 50 girls hockey prospects in the '07, '08 and '09 birth years, as well as a watchlist for the '10s.
We'll start with the '07s.
First, we need some guidelines. We included New England natives, as well as non-New England natives who played for programs based in the region.
Many of the region's top 2007-born players are already competing at the collegiate level. Those players were not eligible to be included.
I evaluated each player by both current form and how they project.
I've been watching the '07s since their 16U season, when many were just sophomores (or even freshmen). Plenty has changed since then.
Many of these players listed below are college commits. Many will begin their NCAA careers as soon as this coming fall. Some will return for senior years or even potential postgraduate opportunities at prep schools or academies. Some are uncommitted.
This was a lot of fun to put together and think about, but that doesn't mean it was easy. As I got further from the top, things got much, much harder.
Let's dive into the '07s.
Top 10
1. Caroline Averill
Team: Phillips Andover/Assabet Valley
Position: F
NCAA: Princeton
Hometown: Wayland, Mass.
2. Quinn Taylor
Team: NAHA
Position: F
NCAA: Boston University
Hometown: Centerville, Mass.
3. Sarah Powers
Team: Phillips Andover/Massachusetts Spitfires
Position: F
NCAA: Boston College
Hometown: Lynnfield, Mass.
4. Chloe Cleaves
Team: Deerfield/Mid Fairfield CT Stars
Position: D
NCAA: Yale
Hometown: Riverside, Conn.
5. Gretta Hulbig
Team: Nobles/Massachusetts Spitfires
Position: F
NCAA: Yale
Hometown: Foxboro, Mass.
6. Evelyn Doyle
Team: Dexter Southfield/Assabet Valley
Position: F
NCAA: Yale
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
7. Maria Gray
Team: Phillips Exeter/Valley Junior Warriors
Position: F
NCAA: Vermont
Hometown: Monona, Wis.
8. Addy Peel
Team: New Hampton/Valley Junior Warriors
Position: D
NCAA: Vermont
Hometown: Scarborough, Maine
9. Anika Singh
Team: BB&N/Massachusetts Spitfires
Position: F
NCAA: Brown
Hometown: Lexington, Mass.
10. Nina Coffee
Team: Williston Northampton/Mid Fairfield CT Stars
Position: D
NCAA: Holy Cross
Hometown: Old Lyme, Conn.
Top 10 notes: The '07s are forward-heavy at the top.
At the start of this season, I would have had Averill near the top, no doubt, but I'm not sure I would have her No. 1. She found another level for Phillips Andover, along with Powers, as the two had dominant prep seasons. Taylor's stock jumped, too, after improving her pace and establishing herself as a premier scorer with over 100 points for NAHA. She was the JWHL Forward of the Year this season. Cleaves is a dominant presence on defense with the puck, and she has plenty of mobility for her size. She was a game-changer for Deerfield. Hulbig rounds out the top five. She and fellow Yale commit Doyle are detailed, well-rounded centers with offensive upside. Doyle was arguably the best all-around center in prep over the past season-plus.
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In Gray, you've got one of prep's top scorers over the past few seasons, fresh off a stellar playoff run. I went back and forth on who my second defender on the board would be. Peel, like Cleaves, has a unique blend of size and offensive upside. She's come into her own over the last 12 months. The same goes for Coffee, who has also ascended, although the production hasn't followed at the same rate. Singh plays as hard as anyone on this list, and her production took a big step this past season.
Nos. 11-20
11. Maggie Berleth
Team: St. Paul's/Assabet Valley
Position: D
NCAA: Brown
Hometown: Manchester, N.H.
12. Annika Jonas
Team: Nobles/Assabet Valley
Position: G
NCAA: Yale
Hometown: Weston, Mass.
13. Evelyn Lacey
Team: Tabor/Massachusetts Spitfires
Position: G
NCAA: Brown
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.
14. Grace Riley
Team: Phillips Exeter/Valley Junior Warriors
Position: D
NCAA: UConn
Hometown: Winter Garden, Fla.
15. Catie Putt
Team: Williston Northampton/Massachusetts Spitfires
Position: D/F
NCAA: New Hampshire
Hometown: Norfolk, Mass.
16. Abby DeAnzeris
Team: Thayer/Massachusetts Spitfires
Position: D
NCAA: Saint Anselm
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
17. Keira Bruen
Team: Phillips Andover/Valley Junior Warriors
Position: F
NCAA: Cornell
Hometown: West Roxbury, Mass.
18. Brooke Harb
Team: Cushing/East Coast Wizards
Position: F
NCAA: Stonehill
Hometown: Atkinson, N.H.
19. Lilly McInerney
Team: Phillips Andover/Valley Junior Warriors
Position: F
NCAA: Northeastern
Hometown: North Reading, Mass.
20. Madi Soderquist
Team: Cushing/Assabet Valley
Position: F
NCAA: New Hampshire
Hometown: Woburn, Mass.
11-20 notes: Berleth leads this next crop as one of the more underrated defenders in prep over the last few seasons. She did a lot of things well in all three zones for St. Paul's and Assabet. Then, we have our first two goalies in Jonas and Lacey. Both have been two of the best in the region, and that should continue into their senior years next winter. The run on defenders continues with Riley, who has an elite offensive skill set, followed by the versatile Putt and then DeAnzeris, who is consistent inside the offensive blue line.
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Bruen is a hulking presence who moves well for her size and has a heavy shot. McInerney and Harb both have high motors and strong details. They backed it up on the scoresheet this past winter, too. Soderquist, meanwhile, was a premier scoring threat on a high-flying Cushing offense. One thing is for sure, so far: a lot of Ivies and Hockey East programs have to be thrilled with their upcoming recruiting classes.
Nos. 21-30
21. Keira Austen
Team: Deerfield/Mid Fairfield CT Stars
Position: D
NCAA: Brown
Hometown: Darien, Conn.
22. Elizabeth Allen
Team: Dexter Southfield/Assabet Valley
Position: F
NCAA: New Hampshire
Hometown: Brookline, Mass.
23. Ava Giroux
Team: Deerfield/East Coast Wizards
Position: F
NCAA: Dartmouth
Hometown: St. Albans, Vt.
24. Rachel Zhao
Team: Nobles/East Coast Wizards
Position: F
NCAA: Uncommitted
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
25. Jen Birolini
Team: Tabor/Massachusetts Spitfires
Position: F
NCAA: Saint Michael's
Hometown: Pembroke, Mass.
26. Mary Quatrale
Team: Milton Academy/Massachusetts Spitfires
Position: F
NCAA: Holy Cross
Hometown: Pembroke, Mass.
27. Lilly Shaughnessy
Team: Tabor/Massachusetts Spitfires
Position: F
NCAA: Colby
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.
28. Ellie Lachance
Team: NAHA
Position: F
NCAA: Colby
Hometown: West Hartford, Conn.
29. Annie Forker
Team: Choate/Mid Fairfield CT Stars
Position: F
NCAA: Assumption
Hometown: Stratford, Conn.
30. Yasmine McKenzie
Team: Williston Northampton/Massachusetts Spitfires
Position: D
NCAA: Amherst
Hometown: Holden, Mass.
21-30 notes: A common theme among a lot of these players is that they aren't the flashiest, but all find ways to impact the game and drive play. A few skaters are particularly interesting. Zhao remains uncommitted at the time of writing, following a fantastic career at Nobles. Birolini was uncommitted entering the prep season before earning a Division 1 look at Saint Michael's. Her scoring touch was worthy of a D1 opportunity. The same goes for Zhao's strength with the puck and production.
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Lachance, a detailed forward, wrapped up a strong career at Loomis Chaffee before earning a D3 commitment to Colby during her postgrad year with NAHA. She and Allen can help elevate elite players on their lines. Giroux, Quatrale and Forker are two powerful presences, each coming off career seasons in prep.
Nos. 31-40
31. Kelsey Baker
Team: New Hampton/Valley Junior Warriors
Position: F
NCAA: Colby
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
32. Lily Winckler
Team: Cushing/East Coast Wizards
Position: F
NCAA: Saint Anselm
Hometown: Manhattan Beach, Calif.
33. Ella Souza
Team: Berwick/Assabet Valley
Position: D
NCAA: New Hampshire
Hometown: Portsmouth, N.H.
34 Teagan Flod
Team: NAHA
Position: F
NCAA: Uncommitted
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pa.
35. Kate Tortorella
Team: Choate/Mid Fairfield CT Stars
Position: D
NCAA: Ohio State (rowing)
Hometown: Westport, Conn.
36. Tess Mulkerron
Team: St. Paul's/Valley Junior Warriors
Position: F
NCAA: SUNY Plattsburgh
Hometown: Concord, N.H.
37. Liz Luong
Team: Governor's/Assabet Valley
Position: G
NCAA: Colby (field hockey)
Hometown: Framingham, Mass.
38 Juliana Iannace
Team: Choate/Connecticut Polar Bears
Position: D
NCAA: Uncommitted
Hometown: Holly Springs, N.C.
39 Brady Wierl
Team: Deerfield/Valley Junior Warriors
Position: F
NCAA: Middlebury
Hometown: South Salem, N.Y.
40. Peyton Wierl
Team: Deerfield/Valley Junior Warriors
Position: F
NCAA: Middlebury
Hometown: South Salem, N.Y.
31-40 notes: There are some more intriguing cases in this group, too. Baker was sneakily one of the top producers in prep over her four seniors, finishing with over 100 career points. Tortorella and Luong are two players who have the talent to play some level of college hockey, but both found collegiate homes in other sports. The same belief goes for uncommitted Iannace, a rising senior, who boosted her stock during the NEPSAC playoffs.
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Flod was a dynamic scorer with the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers before joining NAHA. She had solid numbers as an uncommitted junior this winter. Winckler parlayed a productive junior year at Cushing into a D1 commitment, and she kept it up as a senior. Mulkerron had a career season as a senior and earned a D3 commitment. She, the Wierl twins and Souza were all consistent producers in prep.
Nos. 41-50
41. Ava Scannell
Team: Milton Academy/Valley Junior Warriors
Position: G
NCAA: Northeastern
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.
42. Bella Zolezzi
Team: Loomis Chaffee/Mid Fairfield CT Stars
Position: F
NCAA: Assumption
Hometown: Oswego, Ill.
43. Sophia Busa
Team: Berkshire/Mid Fairfield CT Stars
Position: F
NCAA: Dartmouth
Hometown: Huntington, N.Y.
44. Noel Schaab
Team: Choate/Mid Fairfield CT Stars
Position: G
NCAA: Hamilton
Hometown: Sherman, Conn.
45. Ashley Loeber
Team: Nobles/Islanders Hockey Club
Position: F
NCAA: Bowdoin
Hometown: Weston, Mass.
46. Alex Mitsakis
Team: Dexter Southfield/Boston Junior Eagles
Position: F
NCAA: Stonehill
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
47. Sarah Lackley
Team: Phillips Andover/Valley Junior Warriors
Position: D
NCAA: Colby
Hometown: Woodstock, Vt.
48. Alara Murphy
Team: NAHA
Position: D
NCAA: Syracuse
Hometown: Mosquodoboit Harbour, NS
49. Natalie Beach
Team: Choate/Mid Fairfield CT Stars
Position: F
NCAA: Williams
Hometown: Darien, Conn.
50. Lindsey Pontillo
Team: Lovell Academy
Position: F
NCAA: Saint Anselm
Hometown: Mahopac, N.Y.
41-50 notes: Some more interesting cases round out the top 50. I had high hopes for Zolezzi and Busa entering their senior prep seasons, but both were out for the year with injury. Meanwhile, Scannell saw a staggering shot volume as a senior this season, and she still posted good numbers. Schaab was also strong over the last two seasons at Choate. She was the bedrock of their run to the Large School final this season.
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Mitsakis, Loeber and Lackley were all steady senior presences for their teams this season. Although her numbers dipped this season, Mitsakis was a solid producer at Dexter, as was Loeber for Nobles. Pontillo parlayed a postgrad year with Lovell Academy into a Division 1 look, too.
