Columbus Day weekend brought us a top tier u14 tournament at the Edge Sports Center in Bedford, MA hosted by the East Coast Wizards. The following is our scouting report from 3 days of play at the East Coast Wizards Tier 1 Columbus Day U14 Tournament. Players are listed under their team name in descending letter grade order.
Assabet
Molly Bardol (Cushing Academy, F, 2027) : Molly is a strong skater who uses her long strides to forecheck and press the opposing defense in the neutral zone effectively. She battles hard for the puck and uses her frame to separate the puck away from the opposition. Her hockey IQ to know where the puck is going to be is strong and it makes her a great penalty killer as well as a good defensive forward. She also reacts and gets to loose pucks very quickly and will be a great addition to the penguins this year. B+
Alexandra Lee (Pomfret School, D, 2027) : Alexandra showed signs of being a very effective offensive Dman. She likes to walk the line to give herself a better shot lane to the net. When she gets that shot off, it is low and towards the net which is good for tips and goal scoring. We know she will continue working on hitting the net at a higher rate. Her skating is also strong due to how well she can gap up with forwards and use her stick to break up chances going towards the goal. B
Jr Flyers
Rachel Steward (Philadelphia Jr. Flyers U14, F, 2027) : Rachel headmans the puck and forces the play up ice in a good way to get her team on the attack. She gets her teammates involved by moving the puck to them to make defending her line more challenging. She is smart with the puck to put it into an area her linemates can skate to instead of risking a pass breakup. Her zone entries are not rushed and she will stop to see how the play develops at times which is effective to make the most of having the puck. Her shot also is something we noticed which always seems to be a threat due to its power and accuracy on net. A-
Allyson Dembzynski (Philadelphia Jr. Flyers U14, F, 2027) : Allyson is a strong skater who is smooth skating and can get to high speeds on the ice. She forechecks in the offensive zone and wants possession of the puck at all times. When she has the puck she can put on a good shot with good velocity and we saw against Charles River, she has goal scorer ability. Her hands allow her to handle the puck up ice when she finds skating lanes and allows her to get more time and space. B+
Madeline Allen (Philadelphia Jr. Flyers U14, F, 2027) : Madeline is a fast skater who uses her speed to explode through gaps in coverage which is why we are not surprised to see her get a breakaway in the Charles River game. The finishing will come, she will get better shots on net that will find the back of the net as the season progresses. We also love her confidence with the puck. She handles the puck well up ice and possesses it long enough to look for a play. B
LA Lions
Maecyn Anderson (LA Lions, F, 2028) : Maecyn always has her head up looking to move the puck. She is a great playmaker who can get passes through bodies to teammates. A Lot of the lion’s chances on net came from a pass from Maecyns stick. She is very effective on the powerplay from her playmaking and making tape to tape quick passes around the offensive zone. We also have no doubts she can be an effective shooter if we see more shots on goal! B+
Sierra Hickling (LA Lions, F, 2027) : We loved to see the coach put Sierra on the point for the powerplay. She is such a good skater and moves the puck so well, it’s a wise decision to let her control the top. She used the sidewalls well to shift the opposing penalty killers out of possession which opens up shot and pass lanes. When she shoots, she gets her shots through and creates chances. We wish we could see her use her skating ability a bit more to walk the line because she can absolutely amplify her game if she develops that skill. B+
Charlotte Lee (LA Lions, D/F, 2027) : Charlotte was used on both positions but we liked her best on defense in the game we watched. She uses proper head fakes on the rush to confuse the opposition to where she will be going. She is a strong skater who is hard to nudge off the puck. She carries and handles the puck well up ice and is confident with the puck which allows her to enter the zone and makes passes to her teammates to start an offensive threat. B+
Gia Orizotti (LA Lions, F, 2028) : Gia is a strong player who battles hard along the boards and frees up the puck to continue offensive pressure. Gia is also effective in front of the net to screen the goalie and whack loose pucks towards the net. She also forechecks and shows great effort everytime she is on the ice. B
Mid-Fairfield
Karli Charron (Mid-Fairfield U14, D, 2028) : Karli is a good defenseman who has a strong stick that is active in passing and shooting lanes. She also keeps good gaps on rushing forwards and makes it hard to generate offense against her because of how well she keeps the play of the game in front of her. She is also very strong along the boards and can win pucks and get the play up ice as fast as she can. B+
Leah Frost (Mid-Fairfield U14, F, 2028) : Leah is a fast skater who uses her size to utilize long stride skating to get up and down the ice in a hurry. She has quick edges that allow her to keep up with opposing defenses when they are trying to escape from her and uses her long reach to break up passing lanes. She also has a high motor and seems to not get tired and keeps her legs moving at all times to hound the opposition. B
Adriana Gromelski (Mid-Fairfield U14, F, 2028) : Adriana is good along the boards and wins her puck battles for the puck. Afterwards she will move the puck to a teammate and she has an act to go right to the net which is a great place to dart to. She always seemed to be in the right position, she is constantly moving and finding open ice to make herself available to teammates. When she has the puck she likes to find the easy pass which is a smart choice to continue the offensive pressure. B
Pens Elite
Brooklyn Ligda (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, F, 2028) : Brooklyn has quick hands that allows her to find time and space to use her playmaking ability and get her teammates involved in the play. She is crafty with the puck and shows her craft and IQ by putting the puck to an area where a teammate can scoop it up which avoids a pass breakup. She is also strong along the boards and can escape off the wall using her feet and makes sure she gets the puck off her stick quickly with a hard snap shot on net. B+
Sienna Suisham (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, D, 2027) : Sienna is a threat on the point. She always has her head up looking and finding a shot lane that causes chances for forwards to whack home rebounds. She also shows good poise on the blue line by not doing the first play she sees and instead finding the best possible play. Sienna also lets the play develop in front of her and uses her IQ of the game to survey the playing surface and make the best possible play. B+
Berkeley Whitehead (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, F/D, 2027) : We watched Berkeley on forward, she battles and comes up with the puck and has good awareness to know where her teammates are. She utilizes the cycle and it is extra effective due to always keeping her legs moving. She is the type of player you can slot in at any line and she can find success. B
Mia Grasser (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, F, 2029) : Mia is good with the puck and has smart and effective rushes up the ice. She handles the puck well and has an act for passing the puck when she has the opportunity. We love this about her game because she has a good team around her that also moves the puck well like her and using good teammate utilization will continue to amplify her game. B
Chloe Lundy (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, F, 2027) : Chloe has silky smooth hands that give her extra time to use the perimeter of the ice to get pucks into the middle of the slot to get shots and continue offensive play. She is a taller player but is a good skater which helps her play against the perimeter of the ice that emulates a Taylor Hall type of game. B
Amanda King (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, F, 2027) : Amanda is a fast player who makes herself even more effective with her high motor and work ethic. She is good with the puck and can buzz around the lower half of the offensive zone to move the opposition out of position and create chances for her team. She also will backcheck and pick up sticks when the other team is on the attack. B
Mia Monaco (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, D, 2027) : Mia is a taller defenseman who uses her size to her advantage. She has a long reach and can poke pucks off players, stick on one on ones and use her long strides to jump into the play if needed to create odd man rushes. She has an act to get the puck out of the zone cleanly by finding open forwards on the boards or through the middle. When play translates into the O Zone she has a heavy shot that opposing players seem to try and get out of the way of due to its speed and accuracy on net. B
Wizards
Nora Wilson (Groton, G, 2027) : Nora is a good and consistent goalie. She has something you cannot teach which is her size in front of the net. She is also always square to pucks and seemed to always make the first save in the game against the Spitfires. A-
Sienna Glass (Phillips Andover Academy, D, 2027) : Sienna made our report last year at this tournament and we are not surprised to see her again. She is a very consistent player who brings it every game. She lets off hard low shots on net that keeps offensive pressure and can get her shot off quickly which is a skill she will bring with her at the prep level to create offense and allow her to play high minutes. She is also good at keeping the puck in with her feet, stick and using smart pinches to really press the opposition in their own end. A-
Chloe Crabtree (BB&N, D, 2027) : Chloe always keeps good one-on-one gaps against the opposition. She is a taller player which allows her to use her stick to get in passing and shooting lanes to break up an opposing attack. She is good defensively but adds a great ability to find the open player on the breakout and get her team out of the zone and back up ice to become a scoring threat. B+
Kayleigh Norton (Austin Prep, F, 2027) : Kayleigh is good along the boards and uses her feet to free up the puck. She also is good at shielding the puck until reinforcements come so that she can escape out of a pile and look for offense. She is scrappy and plays with an edge like a Marchand but with his best qualities of being a hockey player. She also uses her body to shield defenders along the perimeter so that she can make an offensive play to a teammate or get the puck towards the cage. B+
Nora Swaim (Rivers School, F, 2027) : Nora hounds the puck and is likely always first to pucks. She skates very hard and is a good backchecker and forechecker who gets on players quickly to give the opposition less time to make a decision. When she has the puck on her stick she gets shots on the net and creates offense that way which is an effective way to get real good chances. B
Nora Shea (Braintree Wamps, D, 2027) : Nora likes to control the puck and make sure things are set up before she will let the puck exit the zone. She likes to bring the puck behind the net and let everyone get in position. When pressure is coming she escapes from the pressure well and will get the puck out of the zone cleanly. B
MA Spitfires
Mia MacDonald (Thayer Academy, D, 2028) : Mia was the best player on the ice in our opinion in her game against the tournament winning Wizards. She is very skilled and can skate around any player she pleases. She has a motor that runs all game long and skates fast and explosively all over the ice. She will rush the puck often and a common concern is not getting back to defend after and do not worry, she will. She is also great on breakouts due to her passes to teammates and can break it out herself with her legs. A
Julia Verderber (Massachusetts Spitfires U14, D, 2028) : Julia handles the puck well and can skate up and down the ice with the puck confidently. Her best asset is her quickness which means she has quick feet to escape from pressure and to get up the ice. She also is quick with the puck and can get her passes off quickly and shots on net in a hurry. B+
Alexa Georgantas (Noble and Greenough School, F, 2028) : Alexa is a quick skater who gets to where she needs to be in a hurry. Her quick feet are matched with quick hands which means she is a real pain to cover because she can make you look silly by trying to poke the puck from her. When she has a shooting lane, she gets pucks to the net and often will get her own rebound to create plenty of chances off rebounds. B
Windy City Chicago
|Mickey^O’Malley|: Strong, well balanced skater with good top end speed and strong edges. Skates with tempo and purpose. Good stickhandler in tight and in open ice. Quick stick. Strong stick as she is a strong stick checker at F1. At F2 she showed structure to her positioning and was diligent at her tempo pursuit. Attacked with body well during confrontations and was successful at winning most 50/50s. B+
Jilliyn Yung (Windy City U14, F, 2027) : Fast, strong skater with quick feet and well balanced edges. Showed good IQ as she displayed proper positioning in all 3 zones most every shift. Very quick first 3 step burst helps her beat opponents to loose pucks and she closes quickly to win most 50/50s. Has a nose for the net. Likes to battle in the blue paint for scraps. B+
Annie Chen (Windy City U14, F, 2027) : Strong skating, well balanced skater who is relentless on the puck. High motor gal who likes to be vocal and showed leadership by directing traffic for her teammates positioning. Smart in all 3 zones as her positioning was spot on. Very good on ice IQ. Wants the puck and is crafty in her decisions when she has the puck on her stick. Head up style when carrying the puck displaying good hands as she passes with tempo and touch. B+
Isabella Wolfe (Team Illinois U14, D, 2027) : Strong skating defenseman with good speed and good transitional footwork from forward to back both with and without the puck. Keeps proper gaps in reverse and makes an effort to play the player not the puck. Well rounded defender who is effective in both the offensive and defensive zone. Keeps her goalie clean during rebounds as she looks for attackers in pursuit to check from the puck. B
Vivi Taylor (Windy City U14, D, 2029) : Excellent, well balanced edges gives her the ability to be effective in the cycle. First three stride bursts and explosive strides are clearly evident in her game. Neutral zone transitional footwork is excellent. Strong stick checker and ferocity to win puck battles. Keeps good gaps in reverse and will play body and not get fooled into deception by opponents. B
Boston Jr. Eagles
Annie Liebhoff (Boston Jr. Eagles U14, F, 2027) : Smart, skilled, fast skating forward who showed good IQ. Positioned well in all 3 zones consistently. Head up skating style she plays with determination to win puck battles. Long strides and good top end speed with good edges/footwork. Makes noticeably smart decisions with the puck on dump-ins and headmans the puck to push the play. B+
Chloe Rabazzi (Boston Jr. Eagles U14, D, 2029) : Showed lots of skill for a relative youngster (2029). Puck handling is very good in close quarters and in open ice transition. Keeps her head up while carrying the puck and passes with touch. Can rifle a stretch pass up ice to headman. Excellent transitional footwork in the offensive zone and in the Neutral zone. B+
Joelle Burns (Boston Jr. Eagles U14, D, 2029) : Very skilled, strong skating defenseman who showed high IQ. Well balanced skater with good transitional footwork in all 3 zones. Can skate the puck up ice with confidence and is capable of creating offense most every shift. Effortless skater who closes quick to the opposition and takes good angles to disrupt plays. Displayed a hard accurate shot from the point countlessly. Strong on stick along the wall. Stick checks very effectively. B+
Simone Burns (Rivers School, F, 2028) : Speedy, quick and relentless on the puck. Very high on ice IQ as she makes excellent decisions with or without the puck. Strong, well balanced skater with a quick 3 step burst and excellent edges. Scored a beauty on a breakaway after beating a player to puck with poke checking the puck ahead and scoring top shelf. Crafty smart as she has her stick in passing lanes constantly to make life difficult for opponents. B
Abigail Deroeve (Thayer Academy, D, 2028) : Smart, well positioned defender who skates with ease. Footwork is very good. Forward to back transitions and edge work with or without puck is impressive. Closing speed is very good and gives her advantage in open ice and along the walls. Moves quickly up ice after breakout to keep pace with the offense and wants to gain the blue line to keep plays alive or to crash down as an added offensive zone threat. B
Francie Ames (Noble and Greenough School, F, 2028) : Francie is a taller player who has good hands and skating ability. She can motor up the ice and uses poise and her stickhandling to find time and space to give tape to tape passes to teammates to keep offensive pressure. She is also strong on the boards and goes into scrums to poke out loose pucks and possess the puck. B