30 players named to the 23rd Annual Free Press All-State Girls Hockey Team
For the 23rd consecutive year, the Burlington Free Press sports staff wore out the phone lines and filled up email boxes to find the best high school girls hockey players Vermont has to offer.
As always, trimming the list down to first and second teams of 12 total players, plus a cast of honorable mentions, is never easy. But at the end of the day it remains a subjective process, and one we undertake with great pride and care.
Congratulations to the 30 players listed below, headlined by BFA-St. Albans senior Bri Jarvis, who was named our Miss Hockey on Tuesday.
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THE FIRST TEAM
Bri Jarvis, BFA-St. Albans
Senior, forward
• The player: With breathtaking speed and top-notch stick-handling ability to glide through and past defensemen, Jarvis was a game-wrecker for the Comets, who reached the Division I title game. After playing her eighth grade and freshman year at Missisquoi, Jarvis compiled 76 and 43 assists and made two BFP all-state first teams over her final three seasons at BFA. This winter, her 39 goals and 50 points broke the program's single-season marks.
• Coach Luke Cioffi on Jarvis: "With the first three strides, she was going to beat anyone on the ice. We had a tough time trying to get people up there to support her. As skilled as Bri is, she's always looking out for her teammates and doing what's best for the team."
Isabel Donza, Stowe High School
Senior, forward
• The player: A BFP all-state second-team selection last winter, Donza lands on the top line as a senior following a 35-goal, 15-assist campaign. Over her five seasons, Donza compiled 101 goals and 48 assists. She is the first player in program history to reach 100 goals and owns the club's mark for career points.
• Coach Molly Burke on Donza: "She leaves huge shoes to fill after leading our program for the past five years. She’s consistent, she’s a leader and I know we can count on her on both ends of the ice. She set the tone for our program for years to come."
Holley MacLellan, Burlington/Colchester
Junior, forward
• The player: A second-team BFP all-state pick last winter, the soccer star MacLellan racked up a team-high 37 goals to go with nine assists as a junior to help the Sealakers claim the cooperative program's first championship. MacLellan notched her 100th career tally in the quarterfinals and has 138 points (105 goals, 33 assists) with one more season to go.
• Coach Molly Beauregard on MacLellan: "She’s sees her next move way before opponents or teammates. She’ll get that goal when you need it. She’s very knowledgeable on the game and a hard-worker. We’re lucky to have her back next year."
Hannah Gubbins, Woodstock Union High School
Senior, defense
• The player: After tallying seven goals and 17 assists on last year's D-II title team, Gubbins led the Wasps in scoring this winter (23 goals, six assists) while protecting the puck and placing her defensive assignments as the priority. Gubbins also led by example with her gritty play and nonstop mentality.
• Coach Ian Coates on Gubbins: "The way she plays the game, she's just such a warrior. It was easy for her teammates to see how hard Hannah played the game. She stands out a little bit more out there and does a lot of good things right especially on the defensive end."
Braelyn Park, Hartford High School
Sophomore, defense
• The player: One of just three defensemen on Hartford's Division II championship club, Park had a breakout season from a developmental standpoint. A poised skater who drew a good amount of penalties, Park totaled 17 goals and 15 assists.
• Coach Kylie Young on Park: "She blossomed this year in terms of controlling her emotions and was a big asset for us. Her puck control is something you don't see very often in girls hockey. She learned she can control the play when she controlled the puck."
Makenna Montgomery, BFA-St. Albans
Senior, goalie
• The player: With improved communication on defense and an aggressive style to deny opposing players' shots, Montgomery anchored BFA's young blue line to sport a 13-2-2 mark in a run to the D-I title game. She also had a 1.6 goals-against average and 93.1% save percentage. Her 33 career wins ranked fourth on BFA's all-time chart.
• Coach Luke Cioffi on Montgomery: "She has that personal drive for self-improvement and she's a strong competitor. She wants to win, she wants to be the best. She challenged shooters more consistently (this winter)."
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THE SECOND TEAM
Hadia Ahmed, South Burlington High School
Sophomore, forward
• The player: With one of the league's deadliest shots, Ahmed surged to a breakout sophomore campaign as the Wolves turned into one of Division I's top teams. Ahmed had a hat trick in the quarterfinal victory over reigning champion Spaulding and totaled 17 goals, five assists for the year.
• Coach Courtney Barrett on Ahmed: "She has one of the best shots in the league. She is the kid who is working hard when nobody is noticing. She has flourished in the last year to now and she is only going to get better."
Sabrina Brunet, South Burlington High School
Senior, forward
• The player: The Free Press' field hockey player of the year this past fall, Brunet keyed South Burlington's offense with tremendous skill and stick-handling ability, carving out 28 goals and 15 assists for a Wolves squad that reached the D-I semifinals. She also joined the 100-point club this winter and totaled 79 goals and 41 assists over her career.
• Coach Courtney Barrett on Brunet: "Anything we ask her to do, play offense, play defense, she does it. She’s an all-around really good athlete. Sabrina really is the pulse of our team. When she’s off the ice, we feel it. She does the right things, on and off the ice."
Camryn Poulin, Burlington/Colchester
Senior, forward
• The player: A team captain, Poulin played with poise, leadership and passion in sparking the Sealakers to the cooperative program's first title. A year after tallying 15 goals and 11 assists, Poulin tacked on 22 goals and another 11 helpers to make the BFP all-state second team for a second straight season. She also scored the go-ahead goal in this year's state final.
• Coach Molly Beauregard on Poulin: "Her leadership skills definitely played a huge role on the team. She knows how to overcome situations even when things got tough. She got the team fired up and she put the team first. We put a lot on her back and she did a good job with it and carried the team when we needed it most."
Kiley Burke, South Burlington High School
Senior, defense
• The player: The stay-at-home defenseman was as steady as ever for her senior year, helping the Wolves seize a 16-win season one year after a 7-14 campaign. Consistency and poise typified Burke's play on the blue line. She had three goals, five assists this winter.
• Coach Courtney Barrett on Burke: She's a silent leader and does everything off the ice that we need and her teammates follow suit. She's one of the best defensemen to come through the program. She does the right thing in the (defensive) zone, communicates with (teammates) and sees the play develop right in front of her."
Norra Moody, Burlington/Colchester
Senior, defense
• The player: A prototypical defenseman, Moody played angles correctly on the blue line, rifled precise passes to teammates and provided a lift offensively when called upon. She recorded four goals and eight assists for the Division I state champion Sealakers.
• Coach Molly Beauregard on Moody: "She sees the ice really well and was the backbone of our team. She’s really smart with her plays and decision-making and she has the hardest pass on the team, not many people can handle it. You definitely want her on the team."
Taylor Blaise, Kingdom Blades
Sophomore, goalie
• The player: The Lake Region athlete used her size and quickness to limit opponent scoring for a Kingdom Blades squad that opened the season 12-0 and hosted a D-I semifinal before bowing out of the playoffs. Blaise earned a 96.3% save percentage and was part of eight shutouts with a .812 goals-against average.
• Coach Shaun Mosher on Blaise: "Beyond her stats and ability, what was really impressive with Taylor this year, was her ability and consistency throughout the season in each game to never lose focus, and never let emotions get the best of her. If something didn't go her way, she had the ability to move on to face what was next. Her focus led to saves, that led to wins."
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Forwards
Rae Alexander, BFA-St. Albans, senior
Madison Barwood, Hartford, junior
Emma Bazin, Hartford, junior
Ella Blaise, Kingdom Blades, sophomore
Brooke-Lynne Choiniere, Kingdom Blades, senior
Hannah Drury, U-32, freshman
Mai-Liis Edwards, Burr and Burton, junior
Ruby Harrington, Spaulding, senior
Gracelyn Laperle, Woodstock, senior
Defense
Clark Clark, Champlain Valley/Mount Mansfield, junior
Fiona McHugh, Burlington/Colchester, junior
Brooke Rainville, Missisquoi, senior
Skylar Smith, Burr and Burton, senior
Finley Strong, Rice, junior
Goalies
Leah Boyd, Burlington/Colchester, junior
Meridian Bremel, Woodstock, senior
Cyra Pacher, Burr and Burton, senior
Taylor Tobrocke, South Burlington, senior
Recent BFP all-state teams
2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
Recent coaches' all-star teams
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
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Contact Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont high school hockey: Free Press All-State Girls Hockey Team
