NEWPORT, R.I. — There are many reasons Avon Old Farms captain and forward Cooper Snee is committed to Providence College.
They were all on display Saturday as Snee posted a hat trick en route to a 5-2 Avon Old Farms win over St. George's.
Avon Old Farms junior forward Liam Donnelly and sophomore forward Nico Ciardiello (Guilford, Conn.) had the two other Winged Beavers goals. St. George's junior forward Ethan Goodrich (North Hampton, N.H.) and senior defenseman Everett Baldwin (East Providence, R.I.) potted both of St. George's tallies.
The scoring started with just over five minutes to play in the first period. Snee got a pass from junior forward Tucker Harris in front of the net and roofed it over St. George's goalie Tyler King (Hudson, N.H.).
With just 54.4 seconds left in the first frame, Donnelly finished a great pass from Ciardiello to make it 2-0 Winged Beavers.
Snee extended that lead to 3-0 when he scored on a breakaway and dangled King.
The Dragons, however, fought back. Goodrich scored on a sweet shot from the top of the face-off circle. With just over one minute to play in the second, Baldwin scored a highlight-reel goal to get his team to within one.
St. George's couldn't get any closer, as Ciardiello deposited a breakaway roughly halfway through the period before Snee potted an empty-netter.
This was an action-packed game between two top-10 teams. Let's dive into the takeaways.
1. A scary moment
Everyone held their breath after Avon Old Farms senior defenseman Josh Travaglino was hit behind his own net by St. George's senior forward Colin Walsh (East Greenwich, R.I.) with 2:38 remaining in the first period. Travaglino tried to stand up and then fell to the ice, where he laid for a long time without moving. Fortunately, he eventually moved his legs before being lifted onto the stretcher and escorted from the rink by ambulance. According to Avon head coach Mark Naclerio, Travaglino was doing well as of Saturday night and while he still needs to be fully cleared by a doctor, should make a full recovery.
Since there was a long delay, the officials made the decision to do fresh ice for the final 2:38 of the first period and then immediately start the second period.
2. The Cooper Snee Game
In one of Avon's biggest games of the season, Snee rose to the occasion. His first goal was a beautiful shot that he snapped from in tight. His second came from blocking a pass in his own zone, zooming past the defensemen for a breakaway and showcasing a beautiful finish. Even his empty-netter was a nice one, as he lifted up over everyone from his own zone.
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But it was also Snee's play in all situations that made him such a force, too. He made smart reads in the defensive zone to take away passing lanes. He was stout on the penalty kill. In the offensive zone, he read St. George's breakouts. There was one midway through the second period that led directly to an Indiana Grossbard (Wilton, Conn.) scoring chance. Snee's line with Grossbard and Harris was outstanding, earning a whole lot of offensive zone time.
Snee — the son of Chris Snee, who played 10 years at guard for the New York Giants, and the grandson of former Giants and Boston College coach Tom Coughlin — posted eight goals and 18 points in 27 games last season. Those numbers are nice, but there is no doubt Avon Old Farms expected more from Snee this season. On Saturday, they got it. It should continue.
3. The Everett Baldwin experience
Various NHL scouts were in attendance to watch Baldwin, who is the top NHL Draft prospect in New England prep. It was an up-and-down game for the Providence College commit.
The ultimate high was his goal. Baldwin got the puck at the point, dangled an Avon Old Farms forward (which sent him flying) and fired a low shot that snuck past Avon Old Farms goalie Anthony Palmer (Lynnfield, Mass.). It was filthy and a perfect example of just how dangerous Baldwin is.
The low was when Baldwin fanned on a shot at the point and Ciardiello snagged the puck and went in for a breakaway goal, giving Avon a two-goal lead. While it was certainly a backbreaker, anyone who has the puck as much as Baldwin does is bound to make the occasional mistake or turnover. I didn't think Baldwin did anything wrong on the play. Sometimes, the bounces don't go your way.
Per usual, Baldwin had multiple rushes, especially on the power play. He was far and away the fastest player on the ice. He had the puck more than anyone in the game. All of that adds up since he was the best overall player in the game.
The power play ran through him. He lined up in the one-timer post to the left of senior defenseman Marco Senerchia (Greenville, R.I.)Â but directed his teammates to go other places if Avon cracked down on him.
So long as Baldwin continues to make a similar impact with his skating, shot and skill, I don't know how he doesn't get drafted in June.
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4. Avon may be young, but it has so much promise
One of the biggest storylines entering this prep season was just how many new names would be in prominent positions in Avon Old Farms' lineup. The Winged Beavers will certainly have some growing pains, but they showed what they can be against a top-10 team on Saturday.
Ciardiello, an '08 sophomore, was the one to steal the puck from Baldwin and score on a breakaway, giving Avon full control of the game again. Earlier, Ciardiello also made a great play low in St. George's end to feed Donnelly for a goal. Donnelly, an '08 junior, made such intelligent puck plays in small areas. Whether it was a touch pass in neutral ice to spring a teammate or one with deception in the offensive zone, Donnelly showed just how good he can be.
Jacob Jett, an '08 junior, was high up in Naclerio's lineup and played important minutes on the wing. Brooks Armstrong, an '07 junior, won a footrace for a puck with Senerchia and generated a scoring chance. Armstrong also logged valuable minutes on the penalty kill.
On defense, Matthew Koch, a sophomore '09, and Oskar Drabcynski, a junior '08, played prominent roles. Both were staples on the power play and were often quarterbacking the man-advantage. Even with St. George's high levels of physicality, they weren't afraid to play their games, which revolve around smart and creative puck plays. Both have high Hockey IQs and will be forces for Avon throughout this season and in future years.
5. What to make of St. George's
It's no secret that the Dragons' strength is on defense with Baldwin, Senerchia and senior Nathan Walsh (Mendon, Mass.). All three were on the top power play unit together. It's rare to see three defensemen on a top power play, but it shouldn't be a huge surprise with head coach Allie Skelley's team.
Senerchia missed most of the first half after taking a big open-ice hit, but returned for the second half. He consistently found ways to get his shots through from the blue line. He facilitates so well that it's not a shock that through four games, he leads St. George's in points with seven.
Walsh also had a strong game. He hit the post with a shot early. He also made a key block on an Avon Old Farms power play late in the first period to keep the game scoreless. He picked his spots well to rush the puck and when he did, he was able to navigate through opposing players and gain the offensive blue line.
Walsh may not be the biggest defenseman on the ice at 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds. But I do think he's an intriguing Division 1 prospect.
Still, the Dragons can't expect three defensemen to provide all of the offense in big games. They will need forwards like seniors Danny Buckley (Warwick, R.I.) and Walsh and juniors Max Donatelli (Barrington, R.I.) and Aiden Ferreira (Warwick, R.I.) to consistently step up. So far, all are at, or above, a point-per-game pace. Outside of Ferreira's assist, St. George's forwards had a tough time generating consistent offensive zone time.
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Other thoughts...
- Avon Old Farms senior James Odyniec was a rock. He was physical and never shied away from taking the body. In his own zone, he used smart positioning and that physicality to keep St. George's forwards away from high-danger areas. He made smart, simple plays with the puck, too, and was on a power play unit. If Odyniec keeps that play up, he will be one of the best two-way defenders in prep. And, he's also someone college and junior coaches should be watching.
- St. George's is still the same physical team that made it to the Elite 8 last season. The Dragons finish every hit and they forecheck like crazy. They're going to score a lot playing like that.
- Palmer wasn't overly busy, but he made some key stops in his first start of the season. His biggest came on a seeing-eye shot from Baldwin early in the third period. Had he not found a way to see it and hug it to his chest, it would've tied the game.
- King, a sophomore '08, has the difficult task of filling the shoes of former St. George's goalie and Maine commit Ryder Shea (Framingham, Mass.). Going up against Avon Old Farms in his third start of the season isn't desirable either. Even in defeat, he kept St. George's in the game. He robbed Avon senior forward Jake Schultz of a chance in tight midway through the first period. He made a handful of key, glove saves in the third period, too. He will get better as he earns more starts.
- Both of these teams should be in the Elite 8 come March. St. George's is older, physical and full of high-end defensemen. Avon Old Farms is Avon Old Farms.
