It’s not easy for an underclassman to step into the starting lineup of a varsity program and make an impact right away. But you wouldn’t know that by watching Marblehead’s Elsa Wood play.
Only a freshman, Wood has burst onto the scene in a competitive and talented Northeastern Hockey League this season. The forward is currently one of the top scorers on the North Shore with nine goals, and her 11 points puts her at the top of the list on her own team.
“Elsa has been a standout player so far this year and she’s really come into her own,” said Marblehead coach Brittany Smith. “She’s an amazing player, but even a better person. She’s always looking for ways to improve her game, and she’s trying her best in every practice and game.”
But Wood has been impressing Smith long before this season started. After playing for the Magicians as an eighth-grader last year, Wood showed Smith — a former Magicians star herself — that she has the ability to excel at the high-school level.
“She’s grown tremendously from last year,” said Smith. “She’s really learned how to carry the puck, make plays and score. She’s really learned to drive the net, and I love seeing her at left wing as a righty because of that. She’s also much more verbal and outgoing in the locker room this year, which I think has a lot to do with her confidence.”
Wood is one of four players from Manchester-Essex on the Magicians squad, which is another similarity she shares with her coach. The other three Manchester-Essex players are star sophomore goalie Lily Francoeur, senior defenseman Jane Whitten and eighth-grade forward Teyah Fleming.
“Elsa has a strong bond with some of the M-E girls,” said Smith. “They spend hours each week carpooling, and I can only imagine how much bonding goes on there.”
The Marblehead team is also made up of players from Marblehead, Swampscott and Hamilton-Wenham.
As far as what Marblehead needs to do the rest of the season, Smith says the Magicians — who just snapped a three-game losing streak — need to continue improving and try to get as many points as they can in their league games.
“I think we need to work on our powerplay and also get more consistent finding the back of the net,” said Smith. “We have a tendency to not take shots when the opportunity is presented, so we have to start working on cashing in on those chances.”
