MANCHESTER, N.H. — There were big-name stars that could have been skating on the Sullivan Arena ice Sunday at the NEPSAC Piatelli/Simmons Small School Tournament.
However, injuries and a first-round upset kept some of the studs on St. Mark’s at home. Lawrence Academy and Frederick Gunn had a hand in making sure others with NHL Central Scouting grades or college logos next to their names in this tournament field were left out of the final.
The NEPSAC Small School Tournament final, won in overtime by Lawrence Academy, was the only of the three games Sunday that didn’t feature at least one Division 1 college hockey commit.
However, here is a look at the uncommitted players who stood out in the game that featured a late comeback to force overtime.
Owen Leahy
Lawrence, 2/11/05, C, left shot, 5-9/152
Leahy was the best player in the game, and it wasn’t close. He’s the New England Hockey Journal Most Valuable Player of the NEPSAC Small School Tournament. The Providence, R.I., native showed off his skating and offensive instincts with his overtime game-winning goal. He saw that his team got possession and started picking up speed through the neutral zone. He received the pass, split the defense and drove the net. He protected the puck, switched to the forehand and snapped a shot off without breaking stride. His other goal came on a wild scramble in front of the net. While I didn’t track scoring chances, I’d be surprised if he didn’t have the vast majority of them between both teams.
Luke Calabria
Frederick Gunn, 12/16/05, D, right shot, 5-10/155
Calabria is one of the more underrated defensemen in prep school hockey. The Huntington, N.Y., native skates well and distributes the puck well. He’s an offensive-minded defenseman who had an assist on the first Frederick Gunn goal. He intercepted an errant breakout attempt that went up the wall and slid a perfect pass to Alex LoGuercio. A late '05, he’s the player on Frederick Gunn that could most likely find his way into a Division 1 lineup someday.
FULL RESULTS AND BRACKETS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small SchoolÂ
Alex LoGuercio
Frederick Gunn, 12/6/04, LW, left shot 5-11/175
While it wasn’t the storybook ending LoGuercio and his teammates were hoping for, Sunday was yet another impressive game for the Monroe, Conn., native. He scored two goals to increase his season total to 28. On the first goal, he did a good job of finding a soft spot in the Lawrence Academy defense and quickly slid a puck into the net just inside the far post after receiving a pass.
Josh Erickson
Lawrence, 3/23/05, RW, right shot, 6-0/170
Erickson, from Danville, Calif., only had four goals on the season heading into Sunday. His fifth of the year was an important one, as it forced overtime. With the Spartans shorthanded, coach Robbie Barker pulled his goaltender to even up the skaters. Erickson dipped down and slid a puck through the five-hole of Frederick Gunn’s goaltender with 29 seconds left. What impressed me just as much was his physical presence earlier in the game. He brought intensity and helped set the tone early.
Clarence Beltz
Lawrence, 2/22/04, RW, right shot, 6-3/180
Beltz has the physical tools to catch the attention of scouts and college coaches. He showed those off on the first Lawrence Academy goal. The Missoula, Mont., native sped up the right wing to finish off a pass from defenseman Marek Thompson on a two-on-one rush. Beltz will be an interesting player to follow as he makes the jump to junior hockey. If he can put it all together over the coming years, he’ll be a player that a Division 1 or Division 3 program will be happy to have.
Marek Thompson
Lawrence, 6/25/04, D, left shot, 6-0/165
Thompson is an athletic defenseman with potential. When he skates with his head up, takes his ice and makes fast hockey plays, he’s effective at breaking pucks out. He did just that on Lawrence’s first goal. He led the rush, blowing down the left wing before sliding the puck over to Beltz for the finish. Thompson, whose brother is Chicago Blackhawks prospect and Denver University freshman forward Aidan Thompson, will play for the Colorado expansion team in the NAHL in 2023-24.
Ty Wood
Lawrence, 11/3/05, LW, left shot, 6-0/175
Wood, from Gloucester, Mass., didn’t find the score sheet on Sunday, but he was his usual competitive self. He hangs around the net and is most effective when he’s going north-south and keeping his head up to find open teammates. Expect him to have a big junior season in 2023-24.
Shawn Leary
Lawrence, 5/12/05, D, right shot, 5-11/180
Leary is known as a high-risk, high-reward defenseman. The Dorchester, Mass., native dished out two assists on Sunday and played within himself more than usual. While he can still afford to reel it in and simplify, he made plays and is trending in the right direction.
LARGE SCHOOL: Check out the All-tournament team from the Large School final
Mark Pizzo
Frederick Gunn, 11/2/05, C, right shot, 5-6/145
Pizzo is undersized, but his tenacity on the forecheck and willingness to hunt pucks for his teammates led directly to two Frederick Gunn goals on Sunday. The Redding, Conn., native finished the season with a team-high 28 assists in 36 games.
Jacob Rothman
Frederick Gunn, 4/22/05, RW, right shot, 5-9/165
There aren’t too many players in prep hockey that can lay claim to the improvement Rothman showed this season. He went from zero points to 35. He picked up an assist in Sunday’s game. The Chappaqua, N.Y., native is a north-south power forward with a heavy stick. He’ll be a leader for Craig Badger’s team in 2023-24.
Lawrence lines
B. Hirsch - Leahy - Erickson
Wood - Beltz - S. Hirsch
Giamartino - Nigro - Leonov
McLaughlin - xx - Villani
Thompson - Pack
MacIsaac - Leary
Marchionni - Vettese
Lamberti
Frederick Gunn lines
Tollet - Thorn - Smyth
LoGuercio - Ma. Pizzo - Rothman
Donohue - Ferguson - Goich
Orr - Markowski - Unger
Calabria - Wood
Fritz - Ryan
Eberhart - Wellburn
Crowshaw
