It's that time of year.
The girls prep hockey season is underway, and there have been dazzling individual performances and strong showings from several teams across the region.
Throughout the season, we’ll run a weekly watch list, recognizing standout performances across the region.
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 select the performers in a given week. If you have a nominee, please email me at patrick.donnelly@hockeyjournal.com.
This week's top performers will cover the first week-plus of games from Nov. 23-Dec. 10 (a couple of teams kicked their seasons off before Thanksgiving).
Let's dive in.
Jayden Elias
Portsmouth Abbey, 12/15/07, G, catches left, 5-3
Hometown: Manalapan, NJ
After facing one of the highest shot volumes in the NEPSAC and posting a .958 save percentage last season, Elias picked up right where she left off for Portsmouth Abbey. Through two games, she has a .950 save percentage. The junior stopped 66 of 70 shots (yes, 66 of 70) in a 4-2 loss at Groton in the season opener. She followed it up with a 29-save performance in a 1-1 tie at Worcester Academy.
Maddie Cronan
Groton, 9/10/06, F, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Ashland, Mass.
NCAA: Colgate
Cronan has led the way for Groton in the early going with six points (four assists) in two games. She's right back at it with linemate Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.), who has four goals and an assist. Cronan scored and added a helper in a 4-2 win against Portsmouth Abbey. In a 7-1 win at Kimball Union, she had a goal and three assists.
Alex Hebert
Austin Prep, Class of 2026, G, catches left, 5-8
Hometown: Reading, Mass.
Hebert has been excellent for AP through two games this season. She wasn't tested often but made the saves she needed to make in an 11-save shutout over Northfield Mount Hermon, opening the season with a 9-0 triumph. Last time out, the junior was sensational in a 4-1 win over Tilton, stopping 37 of 38 shots. She has a .980 save percentage through two games.
HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS: Full schedules, results for 2024 girls prep hockey holiday tournaments
Savana Littlewood
BB&N, 7/5/06, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.
NCAA: Williams
Littlewood has back-to-back multi-point outings to start her season. She had a goal, an assist and several more scoring chances against Dexter Southfield in a 3-3 tie last Friday. The Williams commit followed it up with a three-point game against Pomfret, putting up a goal and a pair of helpers in a 7-0 triumph.
Maddie Murphy
Dexter Southfield, 4/24/07, D, right shot, 5-9
Hometown: Dorchester, Mass.
NCAA: Boston College
Murphy looks primed for a monster senior season at Dexter. She was arguably the best player on the ice in Dexter's 3-3 tie with BB&N in the opener, despite being held off the scoresheet. The points certainly came to fruition the following day against Middlesex, though. Murphy posted a hat trick and two assists, including a shorthanded goal. Her first goal was a thing of beauty, dangling around a forward at the top of the right circle before picking the top corner.
BIG REMATCH: 11 standouts and takeaways from Dexter Southfield's and BB&N's 3-3 tie
Liz Luong
Governor’s, 05/2007, G, catches left, 5-5
Hometown: Framingham, Mass.
After a standout performance in Assabet Valley's U19 Mass. state championship win, Luong kept the momentum going into the prep season. She pitched a 30-save shutout in a 3-0 win over North Yarmouth Academy in the opener. Over the weekend, Luong stopped 32 of 33 shots in a 2-0 loss to Phillips Exeter before turning aside 15 shots in a 4-1 win over Brewster. She has a .975 save percentage through three games.
Julia Lambert
Cushing, 07/2008, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Wilmington, Mass.
NCAA: Stonehill
Lambert has posted two or more points in each of Cushing's three games this season, sitting at seven points (five goals). She's been a major offensive driver along with freshman Bella Freitas (Everett, Mass.), who has six points (three goals). Lambert scored twice in both a 6-0 win over Brooks and a 7-2 win over Worcester Academy. She came through in a 4-3 win over Tabor with a goal and an assist.
Eva Mayo
Kent, 11/16/06, F/D, right shot, 5-7
Hometown: Honeoye Falls, NY
NCAA: Delaware
Mayo had a goal and an assist in Kent's season-opening, 3-2 win over Berkshire. She was the hero in overtime, making no mistake on a breakaway with a quick wrist shot to the top right corner.
STATEMENT WIN: 12 standouts and takeaways from New Hampton’s win at Nobles
Julia Loughlin
New Hampton, 2/5/06, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Scituate, Mass.
NCAA: New Hampshire
Loughlin has been the heartbeat for the Huskies so far. She powered New Hampton to a massive 4-3 win over Nobles in the season-opener, scoring twice and adding an assist. She opened the scoring on a breakaway after making Nobles pay for a turnover at the far blue line. Loughlin later set up Addy Peel's (Scarborough, Maine) goal with a power move to the crease before scoring her second on a strong net drive. The UNH commit added another goal in a 6-0 win over Milton last time out.
Evelyn Lacey
Tilton, 10/22/07, G, catches left, 5-8
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.
Lacey, one of the better goaltending prospects in prep, is back at it after an excellent season last winter. She made 36 saves in a 2-1 overtime win over Holderness in the opener before stopping 11 shots in a 3-2 overtime win over Proctor. Last time out, Lacey stopped 38 of 42 shots in a 4-1 loss to Austin Prep. She has a .924 save percentage through three games.
Kaylyn Bou
rque
Kents Hill, 7/4/06, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Benton, Maine
NCAA: Nichols
Bourque, who will play hockey and lacrosse in college, came out firing to start this season. The senior scored a hat trick and added a pair of assists in Kent Hill's season-opening 7-0 win over Newton Country Day.
RANKINGS: A shakeup in the girls prep top 10 after one week of action
Alexa Buco
Mount Saint Charles, 1/8/2010, F, left shot
Buco has Mount off to a great start in its first NEPSAC season. The eighth-grader has scored in each of Mount's five games this season. She has back-to-back hat tricks, including a five-point outing against Kuper Academy to clinch first place at the Pingree Invitational this past weekend. The hat tricks followed back-to-back two-goal outings, including a four-point showing against Greenwich Country Day. Buco also scored in a season-opening loss to Hill School.
