USA Hockey Announces Holiday Camp Players

[girlshockey]

USA Hockey Press Release

http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usaho ... &id=204370

[MNHockeyFan]

USA Hockey Press Release

http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usaho ... &id=204370

It is my understanding that the following high schools will lose the listed key players during the upcoming U18 camp. They will miss whatever Holiday tournament their team is participating in plus several other games depending on their team's schedule.

Eagan - Alyssa Grogan
Forest Lake - Audrey Hanmer
St. Cloud Icebreakers - Anne Schleper
Cretin-Derham Hall - Kelly Wild
Benilde-St. Margaret's - Kate Bacon
Bemidji - Sarah Erickson

Any more I may have missed?

[iceit]

Congrads!!! to Kelly Wild and the rest of the MN girls going to Calgary!
Go get em Ladies!

[hockeymaven]

No offense to those selected but I find it interesting that there are only two forwards from MN high schools selected out of 12 spots. Yet when it comes to D1 players every year around a third of the total US players are from MN high schools.

Is it speed, size, style of play, a bias in favor of the USA Hockey vs high school system, etc.

Anyone have any thoughts/insights?

[xwildfan]

The word/opinion about the MN forwards is that while they are great individual players, the powers at be felt that they were not as good when they didn't have the puck. The Canadian U18's were far superior at getting open and playing without the puck than the US forwards. I guess we will see if the revamped US squad does any better in Calgary than Ottawa where the US was dominated by the Canadian gals.

[finance_gal]

USA hockey is looking for girls that can

A) give and recieve hard passes that are right on the money
B) can forecheck and backcheck like crazy
C) can shoot, and don't just throw the puck at the net

Basicly play a team game

Most high school players are unable to do this because the nature of girls high school hockey is plug and play coaching where the girls are plugged into spots depending on there skill level and let them play. Team skill development is secondary in high school to playing for the breakaway because feeding one or two players is enough to beat average teams while at USA hockey all the teams are good and team play is the only way to to win. Thats why you don't see large numbers of High School girls on the team.

[hockeya1a]

Unfortunately too many of the girls HS players are one dimensional they do not play the puck both ways, But they can be taught it is never too late!

[gomnhky]

I would have to agree with this assessment. After watching a few games in a girls tournament over the holidays, it seemed to me that while the individual skills for girls has improved significantly, the top individual players that I saw lack the overall ability to move the puck and use their teammates very well - lots of heads down hockey and unfortunately it seems this could be a big downfall for some of the players and their ability to succeed at the next level. A couple of "star" players can still win games for teams and coaches seem more than happy to having this be the case.

[eastsidehockey]

I think it is difficult to judge how HS girls "play" when they are on a team such as this. I think the variety of tryouts (as i am not sure of how many or the names) or to use the phrase "selects" teams will show how a player will be with teammates of her caliber, or D1 for the next level.

A lot of times great girl hockey players dont have team mates that can skate with them, depending on which areas of the ice. If you are fore-checking and working the puck down low, this is where you see "team" work and the ability to work together as there is not as much open ice to skate.

So in short, I think a lot of girls who lack the ability to move the puck in HS can make the adjustment to college, more so than international hockey however.

Back checking and defense is basically effort, any one can do it depending on how much effort is given.

[twowayplay]

I would agree with the above however, I think the team play has much improved given how there is less seperation between teams in the Top 15-20.

That said, who do you think the players are this year who best meet what USA Hockey is looking for?

[eastsidehockey]

That said, who do you think the players are this year who best meet what USA Hockey is looking for?

I personally think that there isn't one girl who truly seperates herself, but a lot of great hockey players who may have a glitch that could be corrected through more in-depth coaching or a glitch such as lack of seperation speed. But I am no expert