Raiders named hockey all-stars

Forward Isabel Donza was named to the Vermont Girls Ice Hockey Coaches Association’s first team, along with forwards Caitlyn Fielder from U-32 and Kassidy Haley of Woodstock, defenders Brook-Lynn Choiniere of the Kingdom Blades and Lily Gubbins of Woodstock, and goalie Samara Plunkett of Rice.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for repeat champion Woodstock — which Stowe had the misfortune of drawing in the second round of this year’s playoffs — the Wasps were well-represented in post-season all-star lineups, with Isabel Konijnenberg named the coaches association’s DII player of the year.

Hannah Cleary, a Peoples Academy senior, was named to the all-state academic squad, an honor reserved for seniors carrying a minimum cumulative 3.5 grade-point average.

Raiders coach Molly Burke said Donza was recognized “not only for her offensive productivity, but her relentless effort.”

“Donz is a quiet leader on and off the ice,” Burke said of the fourth-year player who’s still only a junior, having played varsity in 8th grade. “She put up 28 goals and 15 assists this winter, making her a contributor on over 70 percent of the teams’ goals. She is consistently the first person on the forecheck in the offensive zone and is still the hardest working player on the backcheck. Above all, she is a hard worker and a positive member of the Stowe Raiders team. She makes an effort to connect with all her teammates and elevate everyone's play throughout the season.”

Burke said Cleary is the young squad’s first graduating senior in two years, and described her leadership as “second to none.”

“She is one of the strongest and most determined players on the ice at any given time,” Burke said. “Hannah embodied kindness and determination every time she entered the rink, helping to include and make connections with many new teammates. She helped guide a very young team (10 freshmen and one 8th grader) to the first playoff win since 2019. The Raiders will miss Hannah's presence in the rink but truly wish her the best of luck as she heads out into the world.”

On the boys’ side, Woody Reichelt represents the Raiders as a forward on the Vermont Boys Hockey Coaches Association’s DII first team. He’s joined by fellow forwards Alex Brown of Mount Mansfield and Ozzie DeFelice of Hartford, defenders Jack McCoy of Burr and Burton and Sam Molson of Mount Mansfield, and goalie Declan Heney, also of MMU.

Reichelt was the backbone of the team points production wise. He was able to reach the 100-point mark in the playoffs which is an extremely difficult milestone, especially with Covid limiting his career games played,” coach Jon Grace said. “He has amazing hockey sense and is truly unselfish. He is also an exceptional leader who bought into our coaching philosophy. The Stowe program is going to miss him for years to come.”

Hartford’s Connor Tierney was named the DII player of the year and MMU skipper Bruce Garrapy was named coach of the year.

Stowe/PA forward Ashton Tibbits, also a Peoples Academy student, and goalie Liam Newhouse were named to the honorable mention squad.

Of Tibbits, Grace said: “Ashton is an exceptional competitor. He works extremely hard, and his speed separates him from his competition. He sees the ice well which makes him an unmatched play maker. He has that ability to wow people with his puck handling skills. We look forward to seeing what his senior year has in store for him.”

And Grace said of Newhouse: “Liam was the wall we needed as a goalie. Without Liam in net this would have been a different season. He is so athletic and makes difficult saves look easy. He put in a ton of work this year sometimes facing 50-plus shots, especially early in the season. That is not easy, especially with only one goalie during practice. As a junior, we look forward to seeing what is in store for him in the 2023/2024 season.”

Cleary and Reichelt were able to get some bonus post-postseason play as part of the 37th Rotary All-Star Hockey Classic game, held March 18 in Essex, reserved for the state’s best seniors.

Cleary played on Team Austin and Reichelt played for Team Harris. Reichelt was also named MVP for Team Harris after the game. Essex Rotary uses proceeds from the game for service projects, including local food pantries, winter coats for children in need and support for health and environmental initiatives, locally and internationally.