The holiday tournaments always offer the biggest stages early on in the girls prep hockey season.
They're big opportunities for players to prove themselves and shine with some mid-season hardware on the line.
This year was no different, with plenty of individual heroics across the region, from the Patsy K. Odden Invitational to the Harrington Invitational, Dexter Southfield Holiday Tournament, Governor's Jamboree, Howard Invitational, Watkins Tournament and more.
A friendly reminder: attending every NEPSAC girls prep hockey game in New England is impossible, so we rely on reports from coaches, parents and social media accounts to help us select the performers in a given week. If you have a nominee, please email me at patrick.donnelly@hockeyjournal.com by Tuesday of a given week.
Let's dive into the top girls prep performers from the 2025 holiday tournaments.
Cadence Crowley
St. Paul’s, 07/2009, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: North Reading, Mass.
Crowley had three points in four games at the Harrington Invitational, and she was clutch in the third-place game against Lawrence Academy. After adding an assist in a 3-1 loss to Williston, the sophomore scored a pair in a 5-0 win over Lawrence.
Molly Halloran
BB&N, 06/2008, F, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: Belmont, Mass.
Halloran had three goals in four games at the Harrington. The junior scored in a 4-2 loss to Lawrence Academy, and she followed it up with two goals in a 3-0 win over St. Mark's on Sunday.
Annie Schwarz
Loomis Chaffee, 2/5/2008, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.
NCAA: Yale
Schwarz has found the scoresheet in every game so far this season, and she stayed hot at the Patsy K. Odden Invitational en route to a title for Loomis. She had two assists in a 4-0 win over Lawrenceville before scoring in a 6-0 win over Kent. The senior also had four points (three assists) in a 9-0 win over Hotchkiss before three points (two goals) in a 4-3 comeback against Andover for the title.
Lindsay Stepnowski
Loomis Chaffee, 1/28/2008, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: South Glastonbury, Conn.
NCAA: Harvard
Stepnowski has points in eight straight, and she's coming off a nine-point showing in four games at the PKO. Stepnowski found the back of the net in every game. She had a goal and an assist against Lawrenceville, Kent and Andover, and she had two goals and an assist against Hotchkiss.
Francie Ames
Nobles, 5/25/2010, F, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: Brookline, Mass.
Ames has a point in every game so far this season, and she had seven in four games at the Harrington, including goals in three straight to end the weekend. After two assists in a 5-0 win over BB&N, Ames had a goal in a 4-1 win over Westminster and three points (two assists) in a 5-0 win over Lawrence. She also scored the eventual game-winner in a 3-0 shutout of Williston in the final.
HARRINGTON: 15 standouts, takeaways from the 44th Harrington Invitational
Brooke Carlson
Governor’s, 01/2009, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: North Andover, Mass.
Carlson has scored at least a point in every game this season for Gov's, and she has at least a goal in all but one. That continued at the Governor's Jamboree. She had two assists in a 3-0 win over Holderness before scoring in a 4-0 win over Canterbury and a 3-0 win over Berwick.
Jessica Barnes
Hebron, Class of 2028, F, left shot
Hometown: Cicero, N.Y.
Hebron wasn't at a holiday tournament, but they did put up a huge number in a 15-3 win over Winsor School. Barnes showed out with an eight-point game, finishing with a hat trick and five assists.
Sage Joyce
Hebron, 2009, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: St. Augustine, Fla.Â
Joyce also had a massive night in Hebron's rout against Winsor. The junior had a six-point game, finishing with four goals and two assists.
Lily Winckler
Cushing, Class of 2026, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Manhattan Beach, Calif.
NCAA: Saint Anselm
Winckler is red-hot to begin the season with 12 points in eight games. She had six points in three games at the Watkins Tournament. The senior had four points (two goals) in a 7-2 win over Worcester Academy before assisting the overtime winner in a 1-0 win over Frederick Gunn. Winckler also scored the lone goal in a 4-1 loss to Groton in the final.

Simone Burns

Rivers, 03/2009, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Burns had goals and points in three of four games at the Dexter Southfield Holiday Tournament, helping Rivers reach the final. She was the difference with the lone goal in a 1-0 win over New Hampton before adding another goal in a 5-0 win over Brooks. Burns also had three points (one goal) in a 5-0 win over Hill School.
GIRLS PREP RANKINGS:Â Post-holiday tournament shakeup at the break
Tina Scalese
Groton, 1/17/2008, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: West Boylston, Mass.
NCAA: Princeton
Scalese put up five points in three games at the Watkins, and she was at her best when it mattered most. After posting assists against Millbrook and Berkshire, the senior led the charge in the title game, finishing with two goals and an assist.
Catherine McCool
Nobles, 10/2009, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: West Roxbury, Mass.
McCool was one of Nobles' best at the Harrington with six points in four games. She had an assist against both BB&N and Westminster before scoring against Lawrence. The sophomore was at her best in the championship with a hand in all three goals, posting a goal and two assists against Williston.
Maddie Lahah
St. George’s, 2008, F, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
NCAA: Yale
Lahah was fantastic in two games for St. George's at the Howard, finishing with goals in both and four points overall. She had a goal in a 2-1 win over Austin Prep before a three-point showing in a 4-1 win over Brewster.
Megan O'Connor
Portsmouth Abbey, Class of 2026, F, right shot
Hometown: Greenville, R.I.
The senior drove the offense for the Ravens at their own holiday tournament, posting five points in three games. O'Connor had a hat trick in a 3-1 win over Kimball Union before putting up an assist in a 3-1 win over Tilton. O'Connor also scored in a 3-1 win over Mount St. Charles.
Evelyn Doyle
Dexter Southfield, 8/14/2007, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
NCAA: Yale
Doyle is off to a huge start to her senior season with over a point per game. Eight points in four games at the Dexter tournament will certainly help that. She had three assists in a 7-1 win over Nichols School before a three-point game, including two goals, in a 5-2 win over then-No. 8 Deerfield. Doyle also scored both regulation goals in a 2-2 tie (and eventual five-overtime win) over Rivers for the title.
HARRINGTON: 11 standouts, takeaways from Nobles’ Harrington win over Williston

Sarah Sampson

Austin Prep, Class of 2026, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Wilmington, Mass.
Sampson is back in the top performers once again after putting up five points over AP's final two games at the Howard Invitational. She had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over Vermont Academy before putting up two goals and an assist in a 5-2 win over Brewster.

Jillian Smith

Hill School, Class of 2026, F, left shot
Hometown: Long Valley, N.J.
NCAA: Middlebury
Smith did it all in Hill School's 4-1 win over New Hampton at the Dexter tournament, as she had a hand in all four goals. The senior scored twice and added two assists.
Anika Singh
BB&N, 11/10/2007, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Lexington, Mass.
NCAA: Brown
Singh was at the forefront of BB&N's attack at the Harrington with five points in three games to close the weekend. She had an assist in a 4-2 loss to Lawrence before scoring a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over Westminster. The senior also had two assists against St. Mark's.
Caroline Averill
Phillips Andover, 1/14/07, F, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: Wayland, Mass.
NCAA: Princeton
Averill scored in bunches at the PKO. The Princeton commit up two goals and an assist in a 7-1 win over Taft before scoring a pair in the championship against Loomis.
Easton Pramuka
Loomis Chaffee, 7/20/2008, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Palm Springs, Calif
Pramuka was on fire at the PKO with seven points in four games. She had a goal and an assist against Lawrenceville before a goal and two assists against Kent. Pramuka also had assists against Hotchkiss and Andover, extending her point streak to five straight.
HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS:Â Full schedules, results for 2025-26 girls prep hockey holiday tournaments
Julie-Catherine Bernard
Kimball Union, 2007, F, left shot, 5-1
Hometown: Quebec
Bernard finished the Portsmouth Abbey tournament on a high note with three goals across the final two games. She potted one in a 4-0 win over Mount St. Charles, and she was the difference with both goals in a 2-1 win over Tilton.
Grace Rizzitano
Brewster Academy, 4/8/2008, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Abington, Mass.
Rizzitano was a key producer for Brewster at the Howard Invitational, scoring three goals on the weekend. She had a goal in a 2-0 win over Vermont Academy before scoring both of Brewster's goals in a 5-2 loss to Austin Prep.
Brooke Schlutter
Williston Northampton, 04/2009, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, Calif.
NCAA: Cornell
Schlutter was held in check in the final, but she was fantastic with four goals in Williston's first three games of the Harrington. She scored in a 4-0 win against St. Mark's. Schlutter also iced a 3-1 win over St. Paul's with a hard-fought empty-netter before scoring twice and adding an assist in a 6-0 win over Milton Academy.
Chelsea Bell
St. Paul’s, 10/17/2006, D, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Barre, Vt.
NCAA: Middlebury
Bell came through with key production as she stepped up to play forward for the Big Red at the Harrington. She had an assist against Lawrence Academy, setting up Erin Flaherty's (Boston, Mass.) goal. Bell also had a big game in a 3-0 win over Milton Academy with a goal and an assist.
Elizabeth Vincent
New Hampton, 2008, G, catches left
Hometown: Quebec City, QC
Vincent was New Hampton's backbone at the Dexter tournament, finishing with a .937 save percentage across three appearances. She made 24 saves in a tight, 1-0 loss to Dexter before making 15 saves in a 7-2 win over Brooks. She was also key to a 2-1 win over Thayer with 20 saves.
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Kate Rubinstein
Millbrook, 2008, G, catches left
Hometown: Tenafly, N.J.
Rubinstein was terrific in two starts for Millbrook at the Watkins. The junior made 35 saves in a 1-0 loss to Groton, and she was stout with another 35-save outing in a 2-2 draw with Worcester Academy.
Nora Wilson
Groton, 7/21/2009, G, catches left
Hometown: Weybridge, Vt.
Wilson was strong for Groton at the Watkins tournament, finishing with a .962 save percentage across three games. She made 14 saves for a 1-0 shutout over Millbrook before backstopping a 2-1 overtime win over Berkshire with 22 saves. She also helped keep a potent Cushing offense at bay with 14 saves in a 4-1 win for the title.
Sophie Frost
Deerfield, 2008, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Orleans, Ontario
NCAA: Yale
Frost had a big weekend at the Dexter tournament with four goals. She scored twice in Deerfield's 5-1 win over Nichols School before scoring another pair in the Big Green's 5-1 win over Hill School.


