Established 1996
 
 

 

A Thanksgiving Note

First off, we're thankful that the start of the prep school hockey season is upon us. And we're also thankful for all the schools who have posted their rosters and schedules. Right now, we have about two-thirds of them and hopefully by next Wednesday we'll have all of them.

The Prep Pages, if you haven't noticed, are open for business. So far, in the November News, we have several accounts of games and scrimmages. We also have a full schedule of all the jamborees and holiday tournaments. And to top it off, we have a weekly composite schedule covering all games through the end of the month. It goes without saying that there will be a lot more coming.

We also want to take this moment to say how thankful we are for every one of our subscribers. Without you, USHR would not exist. This is our 20th season on the Internet (we were a paper-only publication prior to that) and the reason we have lasted this long is because of readers like you. You make up a community, it's your's and the players', and we're fortunate to be able to report on it.

Thank you.

Note: Please send all thoughts, comments, corrections, requests for help, etc. to information (at) ushr.com.

 

Mass Regionals Wrapup
Last weekend, USHR was at the Mass Regionals at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass. Not the whole thing, mind you, but enough to report that the Cape Cod Whalers had one impressive weekend, sweeping the competition at both the U16 and U18 levels.

Come March, they will reconvene and head to San Jose, California for Nationals. For now, they can swing their attention to the prep and high school seasons, something we are looking forward to as well.

Here, then, are players who stood out for us last weekend. In many cases – most, actually – they are players who have stood out for us all fall.

(Please note that we were unable to see all teams. Also, for scores of all games at the Mass. and New England regionals, please scroll down the page. Players below are arranged alphabetically within their grouping.)

U16

‘A’ Players

Michael Callahan
, Late ’99 LD, 6-1/190, #24 Cape Cod Whalers (Roxbury Latin) –Strong two-way defenseman gets up the ice well and moves well laterally. Makes a good first pass coming out of his own zone. Offensively, he does an excellent job getting pucks to the net with a hard, heavy shot. Activates well, jumping into the rush. Defensively, he keeps his gaps tight, is capable of hard open-ice hits, and can be mean in front of his own net. A solid NHL draft prospect, Callahan is not draft-eligible until 2018.  College: Providence College.

Marc McLaughlin, ’99 F, 5-11/180, #26 Cape Cod Whalers (Cushing Academy) – McLaughlin, coming back from an injury, looked good. A strong skater with a powerful stride, he plays a two-way game, anticipating the play well without the puck, and using his hockey sense to break up plays. Is capable of playing physically and delivered some big open-ice hits throughout the weekend. Has improved a lot since last winter. College: St. Lawrence University.

Jack Rathbone, ’99 LD, 5-10/165, #5 Cape Cod Whalers (Dexter) – A mixture of  competitiveness and high skill, Rathbone has flash, highlighted by his ability to take the puck end to end without anyone even touching him. But that’s always been a highlight of his game. Now, increasingly, he is showing terrific patience and poise with the puck. His decision-making in transition needs improvement, and he tries at times to make the perfect play instead of the simple, easy play. But, overall, Rathbone is capable of taking over a game with the puck on his stick. College: Harvard.


‘B’ Players

Jayson Dobay
, ’99 RD, 5-11/170, #7 Cape Cod Whalers (BC High) – Steady on the back end, Dobay plays with a little bite and has some offensive ability to boot. A smart player with high hockey IQ, he reads the ice well and breaks up plays with an active stick. Not overly physical, but isn’t afraid to throw his body around. College: Uncommitted.

Sean Keohan, ’99 RD, 5-11/170, #6 Cape Cod Whalers (Dexter) – Smooth-skating defenseman plays a steady two-way game. Moves well laterally and makes a good first pass. There’s not a lot of flash to his game. He keeps it simple, moves the puck, and defends well. College: Dartmouth.

Ian Murphy, ’99 F, 6-0/175, #12 Cape Cod Whalers (BC High) – Two-way forward with high hockey IQ. Thinks the game well, moves the puck effectively, and has the ability to make plays off the rush or in the zone. Murphy is the type of forward who can likely play up or down in the lineup depending on what you want out of his game. Pretty sturdy on his feet but needs to get stronger. That should come as he matures. College: Uncommitted.

Jay O’Brien, Late ’99 F, 5-10/165, #19 Cape Cod Whalers (Dexter) – A complete all-around forward who skates well, competes hard, and has skill. O’Brien, a natural center, is strong on pucks, has vision, and moves the puck quickly and efficiently. A playmaker who can finish. College: Providence College.

‘C’ Players

Hunter Brackett, Late ’00 F, 5-10/160, #22 Junior Bruins – Extremely competitive. Plays with an edge. Loves to throw his body around and chirp after the whistle. Above-average hockey sense. Showed sound positioning in all three zones. Not sure how much upside Brackett has to his game as we didn’t see much from him offensively. But there are roles suited to his style of play. College: Uncommitted.

Sean Farrell, Late ’01 F, 5-8/145, #81 Junior Bruins – Underager is one of the Junior Bruins’ most offensively-talented players. He also plays a strong two-way game, working hard in all three zones. A smooth skater with excellent hockey sense, Farrell may be young, but he’s not out of place. College: Uncommitted.

Patrick Keegan, Late ’00 LD, 6-0/195, #9 East Coast Wizards Tier II (Billerica HS) – An extremely raw defenseman with a lot of upside, Keegan has size and is a decent skater. There’s power behind his strides. Under pressure, he shows poise with the puck and goes back on pucks well. Very strong on his feet. Possesses a heavy shot, but needs to get it off more quickly. A lot of work needed, but he has the basic tools. College: Uncommitted.


Honorable Mention

Sean Healy, Late ’99 RD, 6-4/200, #11 Boston Jr. Terriers (BC High) – Another really raw defenseman who is intriguing due to his size. Is an average skater – a lanky type who lacks explosiveness. But he does activate on the back end and tries to involve himself offensively, both off the rush and in the offensive zone. Made smart and simple plays with the puck. Needs work, but has upside. College: Uncommitted.


***
U18

‘A’ Players

Patrick Harper, ’98 F, 5-8/155, #7 Neponset River Rats (Avon Old Farms) – Played well, though not as well as we have seen him in the past. (He’s set the bar high.) Always a threat with the puck on his stick and is capable of making high-end plays at top speed. Struggled a bit in the semifinals versus the Cape Cod Whalers, as he just couldn’t get much going offensively against the eventual champions. But he did compete hard and showed solid lower-body strength as he was hard to muscle off pucks. Will have a big year at Avon Old Farms this winter. College: Boston University

Adam Karashik, ’98 RD, 5-11/180, #16 Neponset River Rats (Avon Old Farms) – A smooth skater who moves well laterally, Karashik shows vision with the puck and makes a good first pass. Isn’t afraid to jump into the rush or lead the rush himself. Defends well, keeps tight gaps, and is capable of throwing hard open-ice hits along the boards. Not a ton of nastiness to his game but he’s not afraid of mixing it up either. College: University of Connecticut.

‘B’ Players

Jamie Armstrong, ’98 F, 6-2/190, #12 Neponset River Rats (Avon Old Farms) – Like Harper, Armstrong played well this weekend, though not as well as many other times we have seen him. Some of that credit has to go to opponents’ play. Armstrong plays with an edge and likes to mix things up physically. Can make plays one-on-one and has a heavy shot mixed with a very quick release. Needs to improve his skating, as he lacks explosiveness and quick acceleration. College: Northeastern University.

Ben Taylor, ’97 F, 6-0/200, #5 Neponset River Rats (Tabor Academy) – A big, strong forward who plays an honest two-way game, Taylor competes hard at both ends of the ice. He’s reliable in his defensive zone and makes it hard for opposing defensemen in the offensive zone. He’s hard on the forecheck and protects the puck well using his large frame. Game has been trending upward all fall. College: Brown University.

‘C’ Players

Ty Amonte, ’98 F, 5-11/175, #12 Cape Cod Whalers (Thayer Academy) – Amonte has developed into a reliable two-way player who works hard, has good positioning on the ice, and finishes his checks. Doesn’t contribute a ton offensively, but does have a decent set of hands and is capable of finishing when the opportunity is there. College: Uncommitted.

Cam Burke, ’99 F, 5-10/170, #7 Boston Little Bruins (Noble & Greenough) – An underager playing at the U18 level, Burke plays a strong two-way game, has hockey sense, and positions himself well in all three zones. He’s reliable, and opportunistic off of turnovers in the offensive zone. His work ethic makes him difficult to play against. College: University of Notre Dame.

Danny Jacobs, ’97 F, 5-10/170, #14 Neponset River Rats (Noble & Greenough) – Forechecks hard, and keeps his feet moving. Puck seems to find him a lot in the offensive zone. Does a nice job moving it around and getting shots on net. College: Uncommitted.

Christian O’Neill, ’98 F, 6-1/185, #8 Cape Cod Whalers (Belmont Hill) – A fast skater with quick feet, O’Neill works hard and produces offense. Generates a lot of chances using his speed off the rush. Does a nice job winning puck battles in the corners. College: Princeton.

Honorable Mention

Casey Carreau, ’98 F, 5-11/170, #22 Cape Cod Whalers (Thayer Academy) – Under-the-radar forward plays a two-way game and competes hard. Good along the walls on the breakout. Works hard in the dirty areas. College: Uncommitted.

Brendan Hamblet, Late ’98 F, 5-11/175, #16 Cape Cod Whalers (Rivers School) – Physical forward finishes his checks and likes to mix it up. Skating is average to above average but he has good hockey sense and his positioning allows him to be in the right place at the right time. Should have another good year for Rivers this winter. College: Uncommitted.

Kyle Peterson, ’97 RD, 6-0/180, #18 Cape Cod Whalers (Thayer Academy) – Peterson was quite noticeable in the Whalers semifinal game against the River Rats. Pivots well, is strong on his feet, and uses the reverse hit to his advantage on forwards that don’t see it coming. Has a good stick. Ability to defend was inconsistent at times, especially off the rush and in front of the net. College: Uncommitted.

 

 

Cape Cod Whalers Sweep U16s, U18s

In Massachusetts, the Cape Cod Whalers swept the weekend, with the U16s and U18s both going 5-0-0 en route to punching their ticket to the Tier I Nationals March 31-April 4 in San Jose, California.

Mass. U16 Regional Results

Pool A
1. GBL Bruins (1-2-0-0)
2. Quincy 67's (0-2-0-1)
3. Junior Bruins (1-0-1-1) Semifinalists
4. Boston Jr. Bruins (2-0-1-0) Runners-up

Pool B
1. Neponset Valley River Rats (2-1-0-0) Semifinalists
2. East Coast Wizards (0-3-0-0)
3. Cape Cod Whalers (3-0-0-0) Champions
4. Boston Jr. Terriers (1-2-0-0)

Pool Play (Friday night):

Boston Jr. Bruins 7, GBL Bruins 3
Junior Bruins 5, Quincy 67's 4
Cape Cod Whalers 6, Neponset Valley River Rats 2
Boston Junior Terriers 7, East Coast Wizards 1

Pool Play (Saturday morning):

GBL Bruins 4, Quincy 67's 2
Boston Jr. Bruins 3, Junior Bruins 2
Neponset Valley River Rats 6, East Coast Wizards 2
Cape Cod Whalers 3, Boston Jr. Terriers 2

Pool Play (Saturday night):

Junior Bruins 5, GBL Bruins 1
Boston Jr. Bruins 7, Quincy 67's 1
Neponset Valley River Rats 9, Boston Jr. Terriers 1
Cape Cod Whalers 6, East Coast Wizards 3

Playoffs (Sunday):

Semifinals:

Boston Jr. Bruins 4, Neponset Valley River Rats 3
Cape Cod Whalers 8, Junior Bruins 1

Final:

Cape Cod Whalers 12, Boston Jr. Bruins 2

The Cape Cod Whalers outscored their opponents 35-10 on the weekend. In the semis, Aidan McDonough and Matt Fawcett each had a pair of goals. In the championship game, McDonough had four goals, Marc McLaughlin three, and defenseman Jayson Dobay two.

***
Mass. U18 Regional Results

Pool A
1. Cape Cod Whalers (4-0-1-0) Champions
2. Boston Bulldogs (3-1-0-1) Runners-up
3. Boston Bandits (0-2-1-0)
4. Bay State Breakers (0-2-0-1)

Pool B
1. Neponset Valley River Rats (2-1-0-1) Semifinalists
2. Boston Jr. Bruins (2-1-1-0) Semifinalists
3. Junior Bruins (1-2-0-0)
4. North Suburban Wings (0-3-0-0)

Pool Play (Friday night):
Boston Bulldogs 12, Boston Bandits 3
Cape Cod Whalers 10, Bay State Breakers 1
Neponset Valley River Rats 10, North Suburban Wings 2
Boston Jr. Bruins 4, Junior Bruins 1

Pool Play (Saturday afternoon):
Boston Bulldogs 7, Bay State Breakers 2
Cape Cod Whalers 2, Boston Bandits 0
Neponset Valley River Rats 7, Junior Bruins 2
Boston Jr. Bruins 8, North Suburban Wings 1

Pool Play (Saturday night):
Cape Cod Whalers 4, Boston Bulldogs 3
Boston Bandits 4, Bay State Breakers 3

Playoffs (Sunday)

Semifinals:

Cape Cod Whalers 4, Neponset Valley River Rats 3
Boston Bulldogs 5, Boston Jr. Bruins 1

Final:

Cape Cod Whalers 2, Boston Bulldogs 1 -- Winning goal came with .4 seconds remaining, as Casey Carreau converted a pass from Thayer teammate Ty Amonte.

***
The Boston Junior Eagles won the U14 division easily, winning all five games while outscoring their opponents 30-2. The Eagles blanked the East Coast Wizards 6-0 in Sunday's semi and then came back later and blanked the Valley Junior Warriors by the same score in the title game.

***
Mid-Fairfield U18s, Yale U16s Heading to Nationals

U18 Seedings
1. Mid-Fairfield (4-1-0) Champions
2. NH Jr. Monarchs (0-3-0)
3. Northern Cyclones (0-3-0)
4. Selects Academy (2-1-1) Semifinalists
5. Yale (4-1-0) Runners-up
6. Connecticut Riverhawks (1-2-1) Semifinalists

Fri. Pool Results:
Connecticut Riverhawks 2, Mid-Fairfield 1
Selects Academy 4, NH Jr. Monarchs 0
Yale 5, Northern Cyclones 0

Sat. Pool Results:
Mid-Fairfield 8, NH Jr. Monarchs 1
Selects Academy 5, Northern Cyclones 2
Yale 7, Connecticut Riverhawks 1
Mid-Fairfield 10, Northern Cyclones 1
Connecticut Riverhawks 1, Selects Academy 1
Yale 5, NH Jr. Monarchs 1

Sunday Playoffs:
Semifinal #1 -- Yale 3, Connecticut Riverhawks 2
Semifinal #2 -- Mid-Fairfield 6, Selects Academy 3
Final -- Mid-Fairfield 5, Yale 1

***
U16 Seedings
1. Yale (4-1-0) Champions
2. Selects Academy (4-1-0) Runners-up
3. NH Jr. Monarchs (0-3-0)
4. Northern Cyclones (2-2-0) Semifinalists
5. Cheshire Academy (2-2-0) Semifinalists
6. Mid-Fairfield (0-3-0)

Fri. Pool Results:
Yale 10, Mid-Fairfield 3
Selects Academy 6, Northern Cyclones 3
Cheshire Academy 4, NH Jr. Monarchs 0

Sat. Pool Results:
Northern Cyclones 5, Mid-Fairfield 2
Yale 5, NH Jr. Monarchs 3
Selects Academy 6, Cheshire Academy 0
Northern Cyclones 5, NH Jr. Monarchs 2
Selects Academy 6, Yale 4
Cheshire Academy 5, Mid-Fairfield 3

Sunday Playoffs:
Semifinal #1 -- Selects Academy 6, Cheshire Academy 2
Semifinal #2 -- Yale 7, Northern Cyclones 2
Final -- Yale 6, Selects 2


 

MPHL Kick-Off Classic Schedule & Rosters

Rice Memorial is hosting the Midwest Prep Hockey League Kick-Off Weekend today through Sunday (Nov. 13-15) at Cairns Arena in South Burlington, Vermont.

All ten of the league schools will be in action.

MPHL Kick-Off Weekend Program Book

MPHL Website


 

Mass. State Championships Schedules & Rosters

The 2015-16 Mass State Championships will be held this coming weekend, Fri.-Sun. Nov. 13-15, at The New England Sports Center In Marlborough, Mass (16U and 18U) and Rodman Arena in Walpole, Mass (14U).

2015-16 Mass State Championships Program Book


 

U16s and U18s at Fall Beantown

USHR made it out to the Fall Beantown at the New England Sports Center on Halloween weekend. The only thing that spooked us was the number of teams. There were over a hundred, meaning there were a lot of teams we were unable to see.

Here’s who we liked, and why.

(Players, within groupings, are arranged alphabetically.)


U16

‘A’ Players:

Patrick Giles
, ’00 F, 6-3/185, #42 Skipjacks Hockey Club U16 – A man among boys at 6’3” and 185 lbs., Giles, a right-shot center from Chevy Chase, Maryland, skates well, has smooth hands, and uses his size in protecting the puck. Strong on the wall, with good feet down low and a scorer’s touch. As he gains more agility and coordination, we’ll be able to better gauge his overall athleticism and, with that, a clearer picture of what he could become. As for now, there’s plenty of upside. College: Boston College

Mathia Emilio Pettersen
, ’00 F, 5-10/155, #20 Selects Academy National U16 – Pettersen is shiftiness personified, and a pure pleasure to watch. Great edges. Lateral movement makes him hard to line up.  Has gotten stronger since last year. A well-rounded player who pays attention to the details, competes hard every shift, and has a high hockey IQ and skill level. Battles hard for pucks and doesn’t take shifts off. Centered line with Joel Farabee and Chris Garbe on the wings. College: University of Denver

Jack Rathbone
, ’99 D, 5-10/165, LS, #5 Cape Cod Whalers (Dexter) – An excellent skater with a smooth stride and quick feet, Rathbone can get up the ice in a hurry. Plays a high risk/high reward type of style at this level and puts himself in vulnerable positions at times. But his confidence and skill with the puck allows him to make high-end plays. Left-shot d-man is going into second season at Dexter. College: Uncommitted.

Adam Samuelsson, ’00 D. 6-3/205, #5 Connecticut Junior Rangers U16 – The son of NY Rangers assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson – and brother of Philip and Henrik -- competes hard, plays with an edge, and exhibits confidence with the puck. He’s not a fast skater but has good mobility, moving well laterally despite being 15 years old and 6’3”.  On occasion, he gets up-ice and becomes involved offensively, but he’s more likely to be a stay-at-home defenseman at the next level. College: Boston College

Bode Wilde, ’00 D, 6-2/185, #74 Chicago Mission U16 – Wilde, who is 6’2” and can get end-to-end in a hurry with his long strides, is a Montreal-born dual citizen who has moved over to the Mission from Honeybaked. Defensively, he’s steady, showing poise with the puck and making a good first pass coming out of his end. Offensively, he’s a handful for opposing defenders. At the Beantown, Wilde didn’t show as much of his offensive side as we have previously seen, nor did he assert himself as a shutdown defenseman. He kind of played it down the middle. College: Harvard University

‘B’ Players:

John (Jack) Drury
, ’00 F, 5-11/179, #15 Chicago Mission U16 – A smart playmaker, Drury, a left-shot center, wins draws and shows good positioning in all three zones. Has excellent hockey sense both with and without the puck. Can break up plays as well as make them. Needs to have a stronger first step. Is the son of former Harvard and NHL forward Ted Drury. College: Uncommitted.

Drew Elser, ’00 F, 5-11/170, #8 Selects Academy National U16 – Elser, a left-shot playing the off-wing, has breakaway speed, competes hard every shift, finishes his checks, and has solid puck skills. Very athletic. A couple of times we saw him leave his feet to prevent zone clears. College: University of Connecticut

Joel Farabee, ’00 F, 5-10/150, #28 Selects Academy National U16 -- A left wing on Pettersen’s line, Farabee was outstanding in a semifinal win over Pittsburgh, using his speed to score a couple of goals. Excellent off the rush. Gets to the net fast, and has a finishing touch. Has grown a lot in the past year. Was formerly committed to UNH. Providence and Boston University are reported to be the leading contenders for his services now.  College: Uncommitted.

Conner Hutchison, ’00 D, 5-11/170, LS, #14 Selects Academy National U16 --  Hutchison has strong instincts without the puck, showing the ability to read plays and anticipate well. He’s an all-around good skater, can wheel the net well and get up ice to join the rush. Excellent escapability. Makes smart decisions with the puck and makes a good first pass. Long Island native is the younger brother of Canisius commit Nick Hutchison. College: Uncommitted.

Blade Jenkins, ’00 F, 6-0/170, #20 Compuware U16 – Didn’t wow us at the Beantown, but Jenkins is an excellent prospect and showed flashes. He’s a strong skater with power behind his strides, great acceleration, and quick feet. Doesn’t slow down with the puck on his stick. Off the rush, Jenkins gets his shot off quickly which makes him a threat, even from the perimeter. Competes hard every shift. Son of Todd Jenkins, who played at the University of Maine in the late ‘80s. College: University of Michigan

John Mulera
, ’99 F, 5-7/135, #41 Skipjacks Hockey Club U16 – An undersized forward – a right shot left wing -- Mulera keeps his feet moving and is around the puck a lot. Competes hard. Played on a line with center Patrick Giles, and RW Joey Strada. College: Providence College

Jay O’Brien, ’99 F, 5-10/165, #19 Cape Cod Whalers U16 (Dexter) – A solid two-way forward, O’Brien’s skill level matches his competitiveness. Plays a detailed game: stick in passing lanes, good body positioning, and stops and starts instead of circling. Tough to play against. College: Providence College

Kamil Sadlocha, ’99 F, 5-10/168, #11 Chicago Mission U16 – Sadlocha, a Polish/American dual citizen, skates well, has quick feet, is strong on pucks, and can make plays in tight areas. One of the Mission’s more dangerous forwards in this tournament, it seemed that the puck was just following him around, shift after shift. College: Ohio State University

Matt Stoia, ’99 D, 6-2/175, RS, #7 Compuware U16 – Big, mobile right-shot defenseman skates well and is assertive both with and without the puck. A strong player with a heavy shot, Stoia contributes offensively.  Defensively, though, he needs to work on his retrievals, as he was beat to a number of pucks dumped into his corner when he should have been the first player back.  Overall, Stoia is a pretty solid two-way defenseman with upside. College: Uncommitted.

Zach Taylor, ’99 D, 5-11/188, #66 Hill Academy U16 – Super-mobile right-shot d-man from Sault Ste. Marie. Has really great feet, and could be an excellent college player. Drafted in 15th round of the OHL Draft by the Soo Greyhounds. College: Uncommitted.

‘C’ Players:

Joey Baez, ’00 F, 5-7/150, #23 Skipjacks Hockey Club U16 – Quick, elusive forward is making the jump from the Tampa Bay Scorpions Bantam AA. Good puck skills. Played point on the powerplay. College: Uncommitted.

Christopher Garbe
, ’99 F, 5-10/170, #19 Selects Academy National U16 – Given Selects’ stacked roster, Garbe flies under the radar, but had a strong showing here. A fast skater with quick feet, he protects the puck well, and down low uses his quickness to advantage. A playmaker, he doesn’t quit on plays. Works hard. College: Uncommitted.

Andrew Hachmeister, ’99 D, 6-1/170, #4 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U16 National – Left shot d-man is an all-around solid defensive d-man with size and agility. College: Uncommitted.

Jerry Harding, ’99 F, 6-1/185, #9 Cape Cod Whalers U16 (Noble & Greenough) – A hard-working forward who plays with an edge and possesses a bit of a mean streak, Harding is difficult to play against. A strong skater, he competes hard, finishes his checks, and will out-work the opposition. Protects the puck well and takes it to the net. College: Uncommitted.

Logan Scarlotta, ’99 D, 5-10/190, RS, #15 Selects Academy National U16 – Gansevoort, NY native is a solid multi-purpose defenseman. Has good tools -- size, strength, skating ability and a hard shot -- but doesn’t yet have that one area in which to define his game. College: Uncommitted.

Mac Wiseman, ’00 D, 5-9/160, #27 Skipjacks Hockey Club U16  – Very noticeable when he has the puck on his stick, Wiseman moves well laterally at the offensive blue line, has a good stick defensively, and thinks the game well. His shot is okay, not great, but he is reliable on the back end. College: Uncommitted.


U18

 
‘A’ Players:

Mattias Samuelsson, ’00 D, 6-3/205, #23 Northwood School – One of the few ’00 birth years playing in the U18 division, Samuelsson did not look out of place one bit. He’s not a flashy defenseman but is steady on the back end and plays a very smart game. Uses good body positioning to protect the puck and uses his angles well to close on opposing forwards. College: University of Michigan.


‘B’ Players:

Alexis Binner, Late ’98 D, 6-4/210, #55 Selects Academy U18 – Moves well, particularly laterally, for a 6’4”, 210 lb. kid. Has average speed, but good overall agility. It’s hard to drive wide against him. Defends well and has a heavy shot with a quick release. Stocksund, Sweden native is the youngest player on Selects U18s. College: University of Maine.

Bobby Hampton
, Late ’97 F, 6-2/185, #10 North Jersey Avalanche – Hampton, from Middletown, NJ, had a strong showing at the Beantown, skating well, moving his feet, creating plays, and showing flashes of high-end offensive ability. College: Northeastern University

Carter Long, ’98 D, 6-4/210, #7 Selects Academy National U18 -- Right-shot d-man from Virginia appears to have gained a lot of strength over the summer. Has a good wrister and is strong defensively. Scored a buzzer-beater OT goal to give his team a 1-0 win over the NEFPHL All-Stars in the U18 championship game. College: University of Vermont

Greg Printz
, ’98 F, 6-2/200, #17 Selects Academy U18 – Left-shot, playing the off wing, showed an ability to make plays. Has good puck skills in tight. Plays a heavy game and uses his size to advantage. Needs to work on his overall agility. College: Providence College

‘C’ Players:

Joseph Abate, ’98 F, 6-2/170, #45 Chicago Mission U18 – Hard-working forward is good breaking pucks out along the wall, competes hard, finishes his checks, and has some offensive ability. That said, he’ll score most of his goals from being around the net and playing strong in the dirty areas. College: University of Wisconsin

Patrick Daly, ’96 F, 6-1/185, #12 NEFPHL All-Stars (Dexter) – An excellent skater, with real speed. Look for a big senior year. College: Uncommitted.


Brendan Hamblet
, late ’98 F, 5-11/175 #16 Cape Cod Whalers U18 (Rivers) – A good skater who moves his feet and works hard for pucks, Hamblet will battle in the corners and in the dirty areas. A junior at Rivers, he’s the leading returning scorer. College: Uncommitted.

Brendan Murphy, ’98 D, 6-5/200, #24 Northwood School – An intriguing defenseman based on size alone, Murphy is a work in progress but he skates well for someone his size. Might be something there. He’s from Astoria, NY. College: Uncommitted.


 

(Updated) Conn. State Playoff Schedule

The Connecticut State U18 playoff picture has been updated.

A previously scheduled game -- #2 Selects Academy vs. #3 Yale -- has been scratched. Both teams have clinched their respective seeds.

Also, there are now four Connecticut teams -- at each level -- going to Regionals.


U18 Seeding (All four teams advance to New England regionals)
1. Mid-Fairfield
2. Selects Academy
3. Yale
4. Either Conn. River Hawks or Conn. Wolf Pack (depends on result of Friday's Mid-Fairfield vs. Wolf Pack game)

U18s @ Northford Ice Pavilion

Sat. Nov. 7:
7:15 pm -- #1 Mid-Fairfield U18 vs. #4 TBD
7:25 pm -- #2 Selects Academy U18 vs. #3 Yale U18

Sun. Nov. 8:
10:50 am -- Sat night losers (winner advances to regionals as third Conn. team)

U16 Seeding (All four teams advance to New England regionals)
1. Yale
2. Selects Academy
3. TBD
4. TBD
(Final two seeds depend on the outcome of this weekend's Mid-Fairfield vs. Cheshire Academy Elite game.)

U16s @ Hamden

Sun. Nov. 8:
11:00 am -- Mid-Fairfield U16 vs. Cheshire Academy Elite U16


Note:


The New England Regionals will be held at the Berkshire School Friday-Sunday Nov. 13-15.

We have attached the schedule. Please note that the RI Saints listed for the U18 Tournament are no longer in. They will be replaced by Connecticut #4.

New England Regionals Schedule

The Mass. Regionals will be held at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass., Fri-Sun. Nov. 13-15.