Pictured: Olivia Maffeo, USA Hockey Tier 1 Nationals 2022
(F) ‘05 Alexia Aubin commits to Colgate for 2024
The Red Raiders pick up a 4.25 star forward for the 2024 season. The Levis, Quebec native put up some monster number last season for Stanstead College in the Canadian High School Hockey (CAHS) league with 20 goals and 30 assists in 37 games. On top of that she added 5 points in 6 games for her country during a Gold Medal run in World Juniors.
NZ Scouts (from the CAN/USA pre-tournament viewing): “Aubin contributes to this 2-way working roster with her willingness to play on both sides of the puck. She has good edgework and a clean stride with great adaptability to any scenario. Can execute sharp saucer passes cross-ice to her driving teammates. She has vision and the ability to execute. Particularly dangerous on the powerplay where she utilizes the extra time and space.”
(D) ‘05 Olivia Maffeo commits to Boston College for 2024
Maffeo, the Canton, Massachusetts native will head just down the road in 2024 from the Noble & Greenough School to join the Boston College Eagles squad. The 3.75 star defender has has excellent seasons with Noble’s and the Boston Jr. Eagles.
NZ Scouts (from USA Tier 1 National 16U Division viewing): “Maffeo is a strong defender who rushes the puck, wins pinching battles and drives the net with the foot speed to get back defensively. She has a physical edge to her game and is rarely beaten 1v1. Maffeo showcased decent hands and willingness to take the rock to the net. She keeps her feet moving but never does a fly by. She stops on pucks and battles to the whistle. Tons of hustle and strength in her game. She makes strong, zippy passes off the regroup and gets the puck moving north in a hurry.”
(F) ‘04 Ava McGaffigan commits to Assumption University for 2023
In their first season of play in the NEWHA conference, the Greyhounds add a 3.5 star forward to the lineup. The Mass native and Tabor Academy forward will stick out in her home state a little longer and continue her career next season in blue and white.
NZ Scouts (from the Patsy Oden Invite viewing): “McGaffigan showcased speed and was like a dog on a bone in puck pursuit. She played with toughness and flew into tough areas and crowds to win pucks. She was never outworked and really tough to play against. She played fast and with mobility as her edges are superb. Her turns were tight and she moved laterally to make people miss and create her shot. McGaffigan had a rare combination of real effort and high-level skill. She could get the puck using her speed and body and then attack the net, make someone miss and dish the puck cross-crease. Her game was versatile and the 2023 played winning hockey.”
(F) ‘05 Lily Kastelic commits to University of Western Ontario for 2023
The Mustangs pick up a quality forward in Kastelic who spent last season playing for the Burlington Barracuda in the OWHL. The Ontario native will stay close to home and sport the purple and white next season.
NZ Scouts (from End of the Season Ontario Report): “Kastelic has a great touch around the net making her a regular on the scoresheet. Her vision, patience and soft hands allow her to get into spaces to receive and cradle passes. She finds the back of the net in many different ways including sick snipes, dirty deflections and wicked wristers to goalmouth scramble tap ins, fighting off the D on net drives to slide home a pass, and battling in the slot to quickly release a shot and bury a few. The forward handles the puck well in traffic and sends off accurate passes to open linemates. Solid forecheck to force errors and get pucks to the net. Lily has a big shot and is very effective in battles on the walls. She does a good job rushing the point to force errors and block shots. She has good vision and patient puck control to find the seams and send crisp accurate passes to open teammates.”
(G) ‘04 Isabella Gould commits to Syracuse University for 2023
The Orange Women add a 3.25 star for their future netminding duties. The Virginia native will be donning the Orange and Navy next season after stints in Pittsburgh with the Pens Elite and now currently backstopping in the NAHA organization.
NZ Scouts (from Exeter Showcase viewing): “Gould is an athletic goalie that has good mechanics, fast half butterfly. She keeps her glove up and sees the puck well. She would hug the pipes tight and had good concentration. She held the front door closed numerous times, great under physical pressure and stopped break away shots. She has an awesome attitude and recovers quickly, even when opponents piled on her.”
(F) ‘05 Emma McGowan commits to Yale University for 2024
The Bullldogs gain a pure goal scorer for the future in McGowan. The 3.25 star still has time to continue to grow at Berkshire School and Mid-Fairfield CT Stars until she heads to Yale in 2024.
NZ Scouts (from NAHA Labor Day Tournament viewing)”McGowan is a natural goal scorer who scored in every game we saw including 4 of her team’s 7 goals in back to back games. She has a nose for the net and can finish a multitude of ways; she scored on quick, hard release on the rush, she scored on one-touch hard stick net drives, she scored on catch and shoot on the power play and she scored on slick handed deke moves. She’s got the speed to pull away and the edge control to change direction and cut inside on defenders on the rush. She had a ton of possession time and always seemed to be around the puck; she’s patient, composed and purposeful.”
(F) ‘05 Greta Brezenski commits to Clarkson University for 2024
The Golden Knights will add BK Selects forward Brezenski to their 2024 roster. The Waunakee, Wisconsin native will have two more seasons with Bishop Karney to continue to hone her skills and and be a difference maker for Clarkson.
NZ Scouts (from USA Hockey Tier 1 Nationals viewing): “Greta works well with a variety of different linemates, making good passing decisions both off the rush and off the cycle. Brezenski plays well in all situations. At even strength and on the penalty kill she gets out quick and makes herself big to block at the point. On the PK, she can read plays and make cerebral switches with the other forward to make sure lanes are covered. Offensively, she can produce and puts herself in good positions to cash in. She tallied a couple of goals. One on the powerplay where she banged away for a loose puck. On her second goal Brezenski drove the net off a rebound and snapped it quick top shelf.”
(F) ‘05 Kyra Anderson commits to Saint Anslem College for 2023
The Greyhounds add another hard working 3.25 star forward to the lineup for the 2023 season. The Regina, Saskatchewan native put up excellent numbers last season with 31 points in 30 games for the Notre Dame Hounds.
NZ Scouts (from Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament viewing): “Kyra might not impress you with a lot of end to end rushes but she will grab your attention with all the smart plays she makes. Every team needs her versatility in the lineup. She can play center or wing and will generate chances from her forecheck when her teammates have the puck, she is in good supporting position. Kyra will go to the tough areas and capitalize on her chances which are two traits that are priceless in the female game.”
(F) ‘05 Emily Hamann commits to Harvard University for 2024
The Crimson Women add a current 3 star forward from Williston Northhampton School to their future squad. The Marlborough, MA native will have two more seasons to continue to grow her game, then head down the road to don the Crimson and White.
NZ Scouts (from USA Hockey PDC 16/17’s viewing): “Hamann is pure hustle on the forecheck. She is always forcing the issue and making defenders make poor choices with the puck. She is strong in battle areas and uses her size, strength, and stability to her advantage. The strong power forward protects the puck well and will drive the net hard.”
(F) ‘05 Mackenzie Alexander commits to Princeton University for 2024
Alexander is yet another Ontario native to commit to an Ivy League school. The Tigers will add the current 3 star forward to the lineup starting in their 2024 campaign. Alexander put up 14 points in 28 games for her hometown team, the Etobicoke Dolphins of the OWHL and is expected to improve upon those numbers this season as well.
NZ Scouts (from Stoney Creek Tournament viewing): “Alexander gets in quickly on the forecheck to force errors, create turnovers and cause chaos. She uses her speed to get into spaces and make smart puck decisions for shots on goal, passes and to pounce on rebounds. Does a good job rushing the point to block shots and force errors.”
(F) ‘06 Jenna Smellie commits to Clarkson University for 2024
Another commitment from the Etobicoke Dolphins organization in Smellie. The Golden Knights add the Whitby, Ontario native to their roster for the 2024 season. Last season Smellie tallied 16 points in 28 games for the Dolphins.
NZ Scouts (from Ontario End of 21/22 Season U22 Report): “Smellie battles hard and shows good defensive positioning, coverage and support. She shields the puck and moves the puck well on the fly especially when entering the zone with speed to dish to an open linemate or working the give and go to set up goals. The center wins a high percentage of draws clean for possession and has a good net presence to get pucks on goal. Defensively she is a strong back checker and has a good hockey sense to be in proper position and in lanes.”
(D) ‘06 Victoria Damiani commits to Brown University for 2024
Damiani is an excellent current 3 star addition for the Bears. The Woodbridge, Ontario native will have a few more seasons with the Mississauga Hurricanes to continue to grow her game before she heads off to Rhode Island and join the Ivy League ranks.
NZ Scouts (from Ontario U22 End of 21/22 Season Report viewing): “Damiani does a good job getting to the middle on the PP to dish flat passes to open linemates. She moves the puck well with her partner. Damiani does a good job getting pucks to the net for chances. Damiani battles hard, takes the body and wins pucks. She gets in the shooting lanes to block shots. Has a good slapshot from the point to bury a few.”
(F) ‘04 Ella Rago commits to Assumption College for 2023
The Greyhounds add what may be their most underrated player in the class in Rago. The Lawrence Academy forward to show that Assumption that they made an excellent choice in believing in her to come help them next season in Worchester as they embark on their first season in the NEWHA conference.
NZ Scouts (from Harrington Tournament viewing): “Rago plays with a lot of heart and sheer determination. She stops on pucks and doesn’t fly by. She always has stick on puck and will be challenging and difficult to play against no matter the skill level of her opponent. Her speed is not super, but it is above average and any lack thereof Rago makes up for with excellent positioning. She will hunt pucks and force turnovers between tops of the circles and the blue line. Rago never quicks and seems to have the conditioning to play heavy minutes and still be fresh. Rago has nice wrist shot that she can pull in tight and get off in stride. But what was more impressive was her backhand shot. Rago has the ability to pull the puck to her backhand, protect it from defenders, and in stride go roof with the backhand shot. It looks surprising because she gets the shot off with such little effort, but it jumps off quick.”
(F) ‘03 Hailey Tullo commits to Saint Anselm College for 2023
Once Tullo finishes her final season at Westminster School, the Saint Anselm College Hawks will gain the 5’7″ late ’03 forward for their ’23 season.
NZ Scouts (from USA Hockey Tier 1 Nationals 2022 – U19): “Tullo provides good pressure on the backcheck. She has a high tempo and can make some fancy handles through defenders to create offense and get herself all alone with the goalie. On one of those plays she sniped with ease, showing she has a sharp shot with accuracy.”
(F) ‘05 Cami Bell commits to Yale University for 2024
Bell will be an excellent addition to the Bulldogs squad in ’24. The forward will have two more seasons with St. Paul’s School to sharpen her game before jetting over to New Haven.
NZ Scouts (from Harrington Tournament viewing): “If Bell is given a little bit of ice in the neutral zone with the puck, she has another gear that kicks in the afterburners. Her quick 1-2 step and then she bends strides deep to blow by her opponents was fun to watch. Hesitate or take an unforgiving angle against her and she’ll make that player pay. She’s very strong on her skates and even when defenders think they have a bead on her, she can skate through sticks and arms. Bell also has a fantastic wrist shot that is heavy and she releases from her low stride with power driven from her legs. Bell is not afraid to hold on the puck in traffic. She’s confident in her stickhandling and combined that with her excellent use of her edges she can carve through opponents, pull the puck out wide, or stickhandle in tight. Bell comes back hard on the backcheck and is always skating to be on the D-side of the puck.”
(D) ‘04 Sophia Levering commits to Yale University for 2024
The Bulldogs will be adding another excellent skating defender to their roster in 2024 in Levering. While already showing excellent performances, she will have two more seasons at Noble & Greenough School to grow into an serious threat for Yale.
NZ Scouts (from Harrington Tournament viewing): “Levering is a smooth skater. Her forwards to backwards to forward transition skating is brilliant and easy. She’s comfortable on her edges and uses them to cut and go up ice as well as walking the blue line with the puck. When the puck is on her stick, she always has her head up looking for the right play. Her laterally movement helps her to create shooting lanes. When she gets that lane, she doesn’t wind up and take a big booming shot. Rather she prefers to the puck off quick with a hard snap/wrist shot that aims for sticks in front. She finds seams and threads pucks through them. Defensively her skating abilities make her tough to play against because she can stop, go, shift, and turn as well as the forwards can. She stays right with everyone, has her stick on the puck, and is not afraid to play the body along the boards.”
(F) ‘06 Alanna Devlin commits to Boston College for 2024
Devlin’s hard work mentality will fit right into the Eagles system. While last season she put up 52 points in 64 games for the U16 NAHA squad, she’ll have a few more seasons to adapt at the U19 level before heading off to Boston.
NZ Scouts (from USA Hockey PDC 16/17’s): “Devlin showed her ability to maneuver around players, cycle with the puck and get to the play first. She will use her edges and open hips to make herself available. This Marchfield, MA native has a high IQ, aware of the ice, she would pick passes and skate full ice to come in hard with a wrist shot on net, making a break-away look easy. Keeping her feet moving to find the best shooting lane or open teammate for quick release, keeping her head up and making the smart play is her game. She worked hard on the Overtime starting line, battling for possession and creating layers to hold the opponents, helping to force a shoot out. She supported her team on the power play with fire and displayed a sharp shooter mentality. Devlin is a battler, grinder, and hard worker. Throughout the week she would finish through players hands and force errors/turnovers. She goes hard to the whistle and never gives up on a play, especially at the paint. She’s battle ready and is a force in corners even against bigger players.”
(D) ‘05 Julianna Herman commits to Saint Anselm College for 2023
(D) ‘03 Isabella DiReda commits to Assumption College for 2023
(D) ‘05 Madeline Smith commits to Sacred Heart University for 2024
(F) ‘06 Alexis Vrana commits to Providence College for 2024
(F) ‘06 Sadie Hotles commits to University of Connecticut for 2024
(D) ‘06 Pusle Dyring-Andersen commits to University of Alberta for 2023
(D) ‘04 Aislin Tobin-Fretwell commits to Queens University for 2023
(D) ‘05 Jaylyn Morris commits to University of British Columbia for 2023
(F) ‘05 Hailey Jackson commits to University of New Brunswick for 2023