ASTON, Pa. – Madeline Fouts scored the final goal of the Atlantic District Tier I 14-and-Under girls’ hockey tournament, but her contributions were much larger in other areas.
Fouts served as team captain and led a defensive unit for the New Jersey Colonials, who not only repeated as champion but went unscored upon through three round-robin tournament games for the second straight year.
“She’s one of our hardest workers and obviously is a skilled kid,” Colonials girls’ hockey director Sis Paulsen said of the 14-year-old from Rye, N.Y. “She’s one of our most dedicated players. She’s a very level-headed leader who doesn’t get rattled in games like this.
“The other kids look to her for guidance.”
Fouts is the only player back from last year’s Tier I 14U championship squad, which went on to earn a bronze medal at USA Hockey National Championships in San Jose, Calif. Many of her teammates on this year’s squad, which secured a berth to nationals with the Atlantic district title, also have experience on the national level. The bulk of the lineup consists of players who also went unscored upon in the Atlantic District tournament while winning the Tier II 14U title last season.
Goalie Kate Winstanlev made 14 saves in Friday’s 2-0 win over the Chester County Cougars, 11 in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over the Quakers and 17 more in Sunday’s 2-0 triumph over the Princeton Tiger Lilies, who also entered the game with wins the first two days.
Fouts led a defense that includes Grace Schreiber, Jordan Sanislo, Sierra Watkins and Kirsten MacDowell and occasional contributions from Chloe Glass, a versatile two-way forward who fills in when needed.
The first game was scoreless until Watkins scored with 11:05 remaining and assisted on Cameron Marino’s goal 40 seconds later.
Marino also scored against the Quakers when Haley Uliasz and Mariella Catalano had a goal and an assist each.
Marino assisted Willa King’s power-play goal for the game-winner midway through Sunday’s deciding game against Princeton. Fouts provided a little breathing room on her third-period shot from the left point.
“The Princeton Tiger Lilies are a really good team,” Fouts said. “Whenever we play against them, we have to work harder to play our best.”
Strong Showing from Colonials
The Colonials swept the district’s three Tier I titles for the second straight year, going unbeaten in seven games, allowing just four goals total while posting five shutouts.
“I think if you watch anywhere from our 10U program all the way to our 19s, you’ll see almost a carbon copy,” Paulsen said. “It’s hard work, commitment and solid blue-collar hockey.”
That shows, in particular, on the defensive end of the ice.
“We work hard and we take care of our defensive zone,” Paulsen said. “Offense will take care of itself.
“It’s a credit to the kids throughout the program. Great goaltending always helps, and we’re getting great defense.”
Colonials take Tier I 16U title
Emma Polaski scored three goals in two games, including the game-winning goal in the clincher, to lead the Colonials to the Tier I 16U title.
The Colonials defeated the Quakers in two straight in the best-of-three championship series, winning games 3-0 and 4-3 on Saturday.
Jordan Naidrich scored the first and last goal and assisted on Polaski’s goal in the series opener. Abbie Ives made 20 saves in the shutout, including 10 in the first period.
The Quakers rallied to tie three times in the second game, twice answering in 1:10 or less. Polaski, who had a goal and an assist in the first game, had the last two Colonials’ goals of the second game. She scored the game-winner with 8:21 left. Ives had 18 saves in the second game. Allie Olnowich and Egan Sachts-Hecht had the other goals.
Katherine Stueve, Elizabeth DiGinto and Michaela Caldwell scored for the Quakers.
19U Colonials secure the Tier I sweep
Rebekah Lewis scored two goals in each game Saturday when the Colonials swept the New Jersey Rockets, 3-1 and 4-0, in a best-of-three Tier I 19U championship series.
Lewis also had an assist in the first game when the Rockets built a 43-13 advantage in shots on goal. Kendall Cornine added a goal and an assist. Madison Weller scored an unassisted goal for the Rockets.
The Colonials had a 2-0 lead then broke open the second game with two more goals in the last four minutes. Cornine scored again and Melissa Stys had two assists.
Sophia Lattanzo, who made 12 saves in the first game, had seven saves in the shutout.
New Jersey Titans stand tall over Tier II 14U
The New Jersey Titans did not allow a goal over the final 119:05 while winning each of three days on the weekend to take the Tier II 14U title in the round-robin format.
Karoline Winzer stopped 46 of 47 shots as the Titans defeated Hershey 4-1 Friday; the Delco Phantoms 5-0 Saturday; and the New Jersey Colonials 7-0 Sunday.
Rebecca Foggia finished the tournament with nine goals and five assists while Brianna Haviland had five goals and three assists and Jess Devito had a goal and five assists.
Foggia had five goals and two assists in Sunday’s title-clinching rout. The game was scoreless until the Titans broke out for three goals in 48 seconds to end the first period and start the second.
Foggia scored with 27 seconds left in the first and added a power-play goal 12 seconds into the second before assisting a Devito goal nine seconds later. Foggia completed the hat trick before the midway point in the game on the first of her three straight unassisted goals.
Hershey secured second place with a 4-3 win over Delco on Sunday when Katelyn Brightbill scored a hat trick and assisted the other goal. Brightbill also scored in a 3-2 win over the Colonials.
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
Girls Tier I
14U: New Jersey Colonials
16U: New Jersey Colonials
19U: New Jersey Colonials
Girls Tier II
14U: New Jersey Titans
16U: Princeton Tiger Lilies
19U: Princeton Tiger Lilies
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