NCAA Commits Lead The Way At NIT Showcase

NCAA committed players headlined the top performers at the Tradition NIT Showcase this weekend in Blaine, Minnesota.

The Tradition NIT Showcase took place this weekend in Blaine, Minnesota bringing together 96 of North America's top youth programs. 

Bishop Kearney was again the top team in the tournament, beating other elite programs including RHA Kelowna and Shattuck St. Mary's in tight one goal games, and shutting out Chicago Mission and Empowers Performance, a Minnesota all-star team made up of national team members including Kendra Distad, Layla Hemp, Lindzi Avar, and Josie St. Martin.

Detroit Little Caesars had several of the top scorers at the tournament including 2006 born forward Paige Cline, who is committed to play NCAA hockey for Lindenwood. Cline scored 46 goals and 97 points in 66 games last season for Little Caesars' U-16 team and had six goals and seven points in the first four games of the NIT tournament.

Her totals trailed only Philadelphia's Ava Thomas who had eight points in four games, and tied Nela Lopusanova of Bishop Kearney. Thomas is committed to play for Boston College, while Lopusanova remains uncommitted.

Cline's Detroit teammate Addison Spitz, who had 168 points in 65 games at the U-16 level last season finished the tournament with six points in four games. She's headed to Colgate next season.

The top scoring defender from the tournament was Winnipeg Avros blueliner Evy West who had five points in four games.

Other notable performers from the tournament were Minnesota-Duluth commit Rhianna Mayer of Bishop Kearney, Shattuck's Maggie Scannell who is headed to Wisconsin, and Lindzi Avar, a Minnetonka High School player who competed for for Empowers Performance and is committed to Cornell. 

In net Dartmouth commit Grace Zhan, who plays for Hill-Murray and competed in the tournament for Tradition Mortgage was stellar posting a 0.75 goals against average, .962 save percentage in three games, while Danielle Strom, a St. Thomas commit and member of Empowers Performance and Maple Grove High had two shutouts in four games.