Depleted bench or not, the Massachusetts Spitfires 19 & Under team found itself in a class of its own when the USA Hockey Tier II 19-U National Championship crown was handed out on Sunday.

Bay State, which plays the Glenview Stars in the quarterfinals on Saturday, has outscored opponents 17-1, which included a lopsided 12-1 win over Team Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

Stacey Hiles, who will join her team at the USA Hockey Tier II 19 & Under National Championships April 7-11 in East Lansing, Mich., took on and beat an opponent much more imposing than the biggest defenseman or burliest winger. Hiles beat cancer.

Some players hop team to team like double-espresso fueled kangaroos. Then there are those on the St. Clair Shores (Mich.) Saintes Tier II 19 & Under team. A core group of seven players has been on the same side since they were 10 years old. Two coaches, Rich Warner and Mark Burlingame, have directed the Saintes during that span.

When Emily Federspiel first experienced the USA Hockey National Championships on her 12 & Under team five years ago, it seemed to her like she could make it back to the top. She was, eventually, proven correct, but it took longer than she planned. Federspiel has reached nationals again, this time with her Texas-based Alliance Bulldogs Tier II 19-U team.

The Edgewood Lady Hawks 19-U team may have missed out on a trip to the USA Hockey National Championship, but proved that Rhode Island can keep its female hockey talent at home and succeed.

Kiana Leisz never intended to be trailblazer. She’s simply a girl from Casper, Wyo., who loves to play hockey. Leisz made her own path, playing on boys’ teams and traveling the country with her parents Mike and Titia to play in tournaments and camps. Her determination has been rewarded, as her 19 & Under Team Wyoming club has qualified for the USA Hockey National Championship April 7-11 in East Lansing, Mich. And she’s off to play college hockey in the fall.

The Tier II 19 & Under Anaheim Lady Ducks girls’ hockey team came north to the 2010 USA Hockey Pacific District Championship in San Jose hoping to play well. They left and flew south with a first-place banner.

The Quakers 19 & Under girls’ team decided to play for a higher purpose this season. The fact the squad qualified for the USA Hockey Tier II National Championship in East Lansing, Mich., was an added bonus. Players on the West Chester, Pa., outfit dedicated their season as “Skate for the Cure” to heighten breast cancer awareness.

The Junior Sharks’ epoxy is a simple love of the game, which has only grown as the Bay Area has taken to the surging NHL San Jose Sharks. The girls’ team wears the same style uniforms and plays in the pro team’s practice facility, Sharks Ice at San Jose.