Two of the biggest names to watch among American-born 2009s, let alone New England, landed their commitments over the weekend.
Lovell Academy forward and defender Annabelle Lovell (Hingham, Mass.) committed to Minnesota, while Phillips Andover defender Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) committed to Princeton.
They're two of the most notable dominoes to fall since women's college hockey prospects in the class of 2027 became eligible to commit on June 15. Both are skating at USA Hockey's Under-18 Women's National Festival in Lake Placid this week.
Lovell joins linemate Sydney Stoughton in the Golden Gophers' pipeline.
Averill joins older sister and Andover forward Caroline in the Tigers' pipeline. Their oldest sister, Anne, is a rising junior defender at Dartmouth, while their youngest sister, Elizabeth, is entering her freshman season at Andover.
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Lovell, who stands 5-foot-3, is the latest Lions standout to commit to a Big Ten program, joining Stoughton, top '09 defender Chyna Taylor (Wisconsin) and productive '09 defender Aubryn Monter (Penn State).
Lovell is a versatile skater who can play forward and defense effectively. She led the Lions' 16U squad with 158 points in 83 games last season in a run that included the Massachusetts 16U Tier 1 state title. Her 57 goals were the second-most on the team. She also skated with Team USA in the IIHF Women's Under-18 World Championships in January, taking home silver as she recorded a goal and an assist and a plus-six rating in six games. She can seamlessly quarterback a power play, drive play on the top line, defend well and facilitate transition on the back end.
"I don't know of any other player in the country who can go and play on a first line or be a team's best defender," Lovell Academy girls program coordinator and head coach Caitrin Lonergan (Roslindale, Mass.) told NEHJ in June. "She puts you in a good position to succeed. She creates time and space for her linemates or her D partners. She's someone who is constantly drawing people toward her, then dishing the puck. If she doesn't have people on her, she skates.
"She plays instinctively, and she's not an overthinker."
Lovell is an elite skater, and it helps her instantly stand out. Her quick feet, coupled with good hands as well as superb vision and hockey IQ, make her a constant threat, no matter the position she's playing, and she elevates those around her.
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"Her skating is extremely dynamic," Lonergan said. "She's able to generate speed so quickly, especially in the neutral zone. She's able to go north-south and east-west extremely quickly. Her edges are some of the best edges I've seen for her age in the whole country."
Averill, meanwhile, joins Nobles forward Lily Bromley (Carlisle, Mass.) as the latest New England '09 to commit to Princeton. The former has posted two productive seasons on the Big Blue's blue line, reaching double-digit goals in both. She had 22 points (12 goals) as a sophomore, following 18 points (10 goals) as a freshman. Averill also skated with Team USA at the 2025 U18 Women's Worlds, scoring once and posting a plus-four rating. She also won gold with the U.S. in 2024. At Andover, she has helped the Big Blue reach two straight Elite 8 berths, including a run to the championship game this past March before falling to Loomis Chaffee. She's also a standout with Assabet Valley, playing a key role in their run to the Mass. 19U Tier 1 state title last fall.
Standing at 5-foot-11, Averill's size helps separate her from the crowd on the back end. Offensively, she can quarterback a power play and effectively jump into the play. Her booming shot, especially her one-timer, makes her a daunting threat at the top of the umbrella, the high slot or the off-wing on the advantage. Defensively, her lengthy reach, high compete and physicality make her effective.
Averill and Molly Boyle (Scituate, Mass.) have made up one of the NEPSAC's best blue-line duos over the last two seasons. Boyle is bound for Yale this coming season, as Averill is poised to shoulder more responsibility for Andover.
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“With both of them, you’ve got kids who are super offensively-minded and can also cover for themselves and cover for their teammates really well in the defensive end,” Andover coach Martha Fenton said of Averill and Boyle's connection going into last season. “It’s great to have the offensive looks that we get from the blue line, and I think they generate a lot just with the way they move the puck up the ice. Then their play in the D zone is pretty extraordinary.”
