Maggie Averill (2) celebrates her game-winning goal in Thursday’s scrimmage. (Patrick Donnelly/NEHJ)
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Plenty of future collegiate and professional women’s hockey stars were on the ice in Lake Placid this past week.
Forty-six of the best players in the nation from the 2008 through 2010 birth years took to the ice at the Olympic Center for USA Hockey’s Under-18 Women’s National Festival. In total, there were seven New Englanders on the U18 camp roster, including seven forwards and six defenders.
Just by being there, each player boosted their stock, regardless of whether they already have college commitments.
I made the drive to the Adirondacks to catch the final leg of the camp, taking in Thursday’s and Friday’s games. Last year, I looked at just the New Englanders. This year, I focused on everyone.
The camp, which ran in conjunction with USA Hockey’s Women’s National Team Festival, was also part of the selection process for the Under-18 women’s national team roster for the three-game U18 Series against Canada, which begins Wednesday in Lake Placid. Eight New Englanders made the U18 Series roster.
Here are the defenders and goalies who stood out. We broke down 13 forwards who impressed in a separate story earlier this week.