Tag: Lena Zieba

Womens Hockey

2022 Top 50 Women’s U20 Players. #7-6

Moving on to the players that just missed out on the top five. Just like the rest of our top ten these players have continued to rise up the rankings. While the two in this article didn’t have gigantic jumps, both moved up in the top ten and have a strong shot at making the top five next year. Outside of the ranking spots, these players had pretty identical PLHK seasons, but one of them was able to break out a bit more outside of Poland’s top league.

Players had to be under the age of 20 and at least 13 years old on September 12th, 2022. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. Skaters must have played at least five games to be considered. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. 113 players were considered for the list and reviewed. Fifty players received a ranking.

Players 50-31Players 15-11
Players 30-21Players 10-8
Players 20-16

7 – Lena Zięba (F), 16, Polonia Bytom (10, +3) 

Zięba struggled last year to find a permanent spot on the Polonia Bytom roster, but in 2022 she was one of the team’s stars. In 22 games this past year, she scored 23 goals and assisted on an additional 20 goals. Her 43 points were second among all U16 skaters and twelfth for all skaters. After four points in eight games last year, you love to see this breakout of scoring. Zięba represented team Poland U18 at the Division 1 Group B Championships but did not display the same scoring prowess as in the PLHK. She is a very talented forward who will only continue developing her offensive game as she gains more senior experience. Her key offensive smarts are on full display when on the powerplay, where she excels when defenses start to collapse.

Lena Zieba Goal vs Spain. International Exbniton

6 – Julia Łapińska (F), 17, Stoczniowiec Gdansk (9, +3) 

Łapińska played just about everywhere she should in 2022 and looked good at each spot. Her season started with representing the Polish national team at the final round of Olympic qualification, and she recorded one assist in three games. She then split her club season between Gdansk and Metropolis Katowice. While she was held pointless in ten EWHL games, her PLHK season was top-tier. In 20 games, she recorded 45 points (17G-28A-45PTS), eleventh among all PLHK skaters. 

Julia Łapińska Goal vs Podhale. PLHK

Łapińska finished her terrific season with two more national team appearances. The first was representing the senior Poland team at the Division 1 Group B World Championships. The second was as a part of the U18 squad for the September tournament, where she posted one assist in four games.  Łapińska cemented herself in 2022 as a part of the senior national team and their quest for gold.

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Womens Hockey

2021 Top 30 Women’s U20 Players. #10-8

We have now hit the top ten of our rankings. It was a really explosive year for newcomers on the list, as three players who were not ranked the previous year have found themselves in the top ten. While three other players have gigantic rises to make the top. In fact, a whole four players from last year’s top ten were able to survive and stay in the ten best. 

Players had to be under 20 on June 30th, 2021. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. Ninety-five players were considered for the list and reviewed, and fifty players received a ranking. Players 50-31 will be revealed at the end of the series in the breakdown article. Only the top 30 players receive a report.

Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2020, change in rankings)

Players 30-21

Players 20-16

Players 15-11

10 – Lena Zięba (F), 15, Polonia Bytom, (Not Ranked)

Zięba jumps all the way to the top 10. She had just missed being ranked in the previous edition after a strong year with Janow in the PLHK B and later training with the Metropolis Katowice in the EWHL. She moved from Janow to Polonia Bytom, a great sign for anyone’s future. Not only that, but she delivered at both the senior and junior levels. She scored 15 goals and added two assists in 19 games in the Żak Starszy ŚZHL while posting three goals and one assist in eight PLHK A games. She is showing a lot of promise, and I’m very disappointed we haven’t been able to see her at the IIHF level yet. She scored two goals and two assists in two exhibition games vs. Latvia. This was all done in her aged 14 season.

Lena Zięba Goal vs. Latvia

9 –  Julia Łapińska (F), 16, Stoczniowiec Gdansk, (21, +12)  

Łapińska makes a huge jump on the list, moving from the 20s to the top ten. The Elblag native posted a new career-high in points for the PLHK A with 12 points (5G, 7A, 12PTS) in 15 games. Łapińska has continued to improve and improve on her craft in Gdansk and is poised to be a strong young player for Poland. Her talent level is beyond her years, and she is already contributing to senior teams in a major role at just 16-years-old. I’m not sure what her ceiling would project to be right now. I think her floor is a top PLHK player who makes national team appearances. 

8 – Maja Brzezińska (F), 16, Stoczniowiec Gdansk, (Not Ranked)

From one great young Gdansk star to the next, with more to come, Brzezińska comes in ranked in the top ten in her first ranking. She is also the second-highest debut ranking for this year. It is well deserved after posting eight goals and seven assists in 12 regular-season games this year. Her 15 points were seventh among all skaters in PLHK A. Another player with lost U18 IIHF experiences due to the pandemic cancellations. But she made her presence felt when Poland took on Latvia, scoring two goals and assisting on five other goals in just two games. She generates scoring rates at such a high rate whenever on the ice. Often leaving her teammates with easy finishes. 

Maja Brzezińska Goal vs. Latvia

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