Standout defensemen, goalies in Vermont high school girls hockey? Here are 12 to headline.

Defensemen play critical roles defending on the blue line, rushing to join the attack and factoring into power play units. Goalies can be the difference in preserving wins — or stealing one — and turning a team from contention status into a potential championship squad.

To give proper due for their contributions, we reached out to high school girls hockey coaches across Vermont and came up with a dozen names who've made a mark so far during the 2023-24 season.

The key qualifier: We limited our list to just one player (defenseman or goalie) per team. And while this endeavor will undoubtedly not recognize all of Vermont's standout defensemen and goalies, it has a nice representation of deserving players from schools from Hartford to South Burlington.

COMING FRIDAY: 12 standout defensemen, goalies in Vermont high school boys hockey

EARLIER THIS WEEK: 12 unsung heroes in Vermont high school girls basketball

EARLIER THIS WEEK: 12 unsung heroes in Vermont high school boys basketball

RETURNING NEXT WEEK: After a week hiatus, power rankings in basketball and hockey will resume.

Enjoy!

STANDOUT DEFENSEMEN, GOALIES

*Any stats mentioned are through games played Feb. 6.

Taylor Blaise, Kingdom Blades

At 6 feet, the sophomore Blaise is agile and quick, making her a tough goaltender to beat in almost every situation, from odd-man rushes to 1-on-1 looks for opposing teams. In 11 games, Blaise has yielded seven goals and posted six shutouts with a .656 goals-against average and a 96.5 save percentage.

"Taylor is a competitor, she prepares and competes every game like it's a championship game," Kingdom Blades coach Shaun Mosher said. "She has made many big saves for us this season. There's no doubt that she is the best goaltender in Vermont girls high school hockey."

Meridian Bremel, Woodstock Union High School

Also a football player and track and field athlete for the Wasps, the senior goalie is keeping the two-time defending Division II champions in every game. The hard-working Bremel, who's developed better footwork this winter, is usually the first or second player to show up for 5:45 a.m. practices. As a team, Woodstock has five shutouts this winter.

"What makes her so good this year is her competitiveness. She's super-aggressive," Woodstock coach Ian Coates said. "She just gets after it and not afraid of anything. I will rip men's league's slapshots at her (during practice) and she wants to stop that puck."

Clark Clark, Champlain Valley/Mount Mansfield

Tenacious and a really solid player on both ends of the ice, Clark rushes into the offensive zone at the right times, has produced nice wristers with high accuracy and has great gap control on defense. The junior is also good at making against the grain passes to open up play.

"On the ice, Clark stands out. Clark is a good skater, smart and physical," CVU/MMU coach Matt Bunting said. "Clark sees the ice very well. All of Clark's stellar play takes pressure off (goalie Ella Gilbert), who's been a standout in net."

Lily Finn, Middlebury Union High School

One of two seniors on the Tigers' squad, Finn is a stalwart defender, can supply offense when needed and is fearless when it comes to blocking shots.

"Her ability to dictate the play, shut down opponents' top players and initiate offense from the back end has been a huge asset all season long," Middlebury coach PJ Lalonde, Jr. said. "She's an absolute beast on defense."

Makenna Montgomery, BFA-St. Albans

The senior netminder tracks the puck well, controls rebounds and is rarely found out of position for the Comets. Montgomery owns a 9-1 mark with a 1.68 goals-against average and a 93.5 save percentage for BFA, which is undefeated against Vermont opponents.

"She's been very consistent, is working hard and is a positive teammate on and off the ice," BFA coach Luke Cioffi said. "We are young defensively, so she's had to make up for some shortcomings early on. She's come up with big saves in several games. She's been in the right spots a lot."

Norra Moody, Burlington/Colchester

The senior defenseman is composed on the ice, has a good reach and positioning and possesses the hardest pass for the Sealakers, last year's Division I runner-up. Moody has four goals and five assists this season.

"She's definitely the backbone of our team," Burlington/Colchester coach Molly DiMasi said. "She sees the ice well and she's a player that you want on your team — very coachable and has so much passion for the game."

Braelyn Park, Hartford High School

The sophomore is in her third year with the Hartford and has 63 career points, production that includes 12 goals and 20 points this season. The quarterback of Hartford's power play, Park can also rush with the puck, has great control and quick hands.

"The biggest growth the last few seasons is her mental game," Hartford coach Kylie Young said. "She's the target for many teams and she's gotten tougher mentally."

Skylar Smith, Burr and Burton Academy

In just 11 games, Smith has nine goals and seven assists for the Bulldogs, the state's top-ranked team in Division II. Smith, a senior, is also a lockdown defender for a BBA squad that has conceded 21 goals in 16 games.

"She is one of our leaders on both special teams," BBA coach Ed Lewicki said. "Not only can she play the physical game, she is a gifted skater that comes up clutch in crucial moments."

Emily Stempek, Essex High School

Stempek is Essex's most experienced defensemen, and the junior is in the midst of a breakout campaign. A smart player who has key roles on the power play and penalty kill units, Stempek has also stepped into a leadership role as an assistant captain and has helped a young team mature in a short amount of time, according to Essex coach John Maddalena.

"Her composure on the ice: We put her in situations where there is a lot of pressure," Maddalena said. "We know that if we make a mistake, we are in trouble and that can be hard to handle and she's handled it well."

Finley Strong, Rice Memorial High School

Close to 20 points on the season, the captain is an offensive-minded defenseman with a booming slapshot. Strong also has at least five goals on the power play, stationed on the right side of Rice's umbrella on the man-advantage.

"I like the way she's been moving the puck. She's looked to pass more this year, which is great, trusting her teammates," Rice coach Tom Rugg said. "Her ability to skate the puck out is a pretty good weapon. We want to play fast."

Lanie Thayer, Spaulding High School

The junior has taken on a full-time role on the blue line and has flourished, playing a shutdown style with physicality and toughness. Thayer, who has already surpassed last year's point total with five goals and eight assists, is a weapon on the power play with a hard shot from the point.

"She's not afraid to go into the corners or block shots or battle in front of the net to help our goalie," Spaulding coach Dave Lawrence said. "She's not afraid of anybody, she doesn't back down."

Taylor Tobrocke, South Burlington High School

One of South Burlington's best goalies in recent memory, Tobrocke owns a 1.71 goals-against average and a 92.5 save percentage in 14 games for the surging Wolves. Tobrocke, formerly of Rice Prep, pitched her first shutout last month, a 3-0 win at Hartford.

"I've been very nervous when the puck is our end (in past seasons), but that nervous feeling has gone away. Taylor comes up with clutch saves, big ones, but also makes the saves that a goalie should make," South Burlington coach Courtney Barrett said. "She's confident, she's carrying herself well. Right now, she's the backbone of our team."

Become a member of the Vermont Varsity Insider Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2MGSfvX. 

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont high school girls hockey: 12 standout defensemen, goalies