Liza Demain (middle) is entering her sophomore season at St. Paul’s. (Patrick Donnelly/NEHJ)
BURLINGTON, Mass. — Summer is in full swing in New England, and with it comes summer hockey.
The new Premier Prep League (PPL) got underway this week at the Burlington Ice Palace, giving players an opportunity to keep their games sharp throughout the offseason.
Started by Brooks head coach Michael Burns, the PPL offers a chance to see some of the top local players all in one place on a weekly basis during the summer.
It features four teams of local players, mainly rising freshmen and sophomores from area prep schools and some MIAA programs. Games will run every Thursday through August 21, with games at 4:50 and 6 p.m.
There were definitely some habits and tendencies of summer hockey throughout the two games on Thursday, but both were competitive as hell, especially the first game of the evening between Team Blue and Team Black.
While I won’t be able to make it out every week to highlight standouts, I have a handful of Thursdays circled on the calendar for the rest of the season. If Week 1 was any indication, there’s going to be some high-paced, quality hockey to catch over the next several weeks.
Let’s dive into 13 standouts from Week 1.