AMHERST, N.Y. — We've looked at the standout forwards from USA Hockey's Select 15 Camp. Now, it's time to look at the defenders.
Select 15 Camp is unique. All of the best 2010-born players were under one roof. Come Select 16 and 17 Camp, players who are with the U.S. National Team Development Program don't attend.
I was at Select 15 Camp on Thursday and Friday, taking in 3v3 action the first day and every team in 5v5 game action the next.
This is a mix of New England natives and players from around the United States.
Let's dive in.
Logan Cotter
St. Mark's, 8/17/2010, D, left shot, 5-8/150
Hometown: Marlboro, Mass.Â
Cotter was consistently driving play from the back. He took smart routes on his rushes and always had his head up looking for passes. His vision was great, too, as he was able to find teammates all over the ice. Against Gray, he sifted a pass through the middle of the ice to Patrick Taylor at the far blue line. Time and again, Cotter was creative with his passes and was fine with taking chances.
Drew Daley
Shattuck-St. Mary's, 2/16/2010, D, right shot, 5-11/152
Hometown: Lake View, N.Y.Â
Multiple people told me Daley was the best '10 entering the camp, so my expectations were high watching him on Friday. Daley was far from flashy, but he was extremely reliable and seemed to always make the right play at a rate not normally seen from his age group. He was consistently stepping up to break up opposing rushes. The biggest play I saw him make was breaking a late tie against Columbia, when he scored the game-winning goal off a mad scramble in front.
SELECT 17 CAMP: 17 uncommitted standout forwards | 12 uncommitted standout defenders
Kellen DePola
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, 6/6/2010, D, right shot, 5-8/158
Hometown: Fulton, Md.Â
DePola showed himself as a strong skater who was able to navigate breakouts successfully. He made intelligent, reliable decisions with the puck, keeping his head up and finding routes around oncoming forecheckers. Pressure wasn't a huge problem for DePola.
Jake Donatelli
St. George's, 1/4/2010, D, left shot, 5-7/156
Hometown: Barrington, R.I.Â
Donatelli's puck-handling, especially at the blue line, stood out the most. His edgework helped him navigate to find optimal shooting lanes. Early in the game against Kelly, he joined the rush, got the puck in the high slot and missed the net high. He hustled back after the missed opportunity and broke up a rush going the other way. While defending a different rush, Donatelli stepped up and laid a nice shoulder check on Bobby Spang.
Easton Dozark
Minnesota Blue Ox, 1/15/2010, D, right shot, 5-11/181
Hometown: Moorhead, Minn.Â
Confidence certainly wasn't lacking in Dozark's game. He showed assertiveness on his rushes. Against Gold, his shiftiness got him away from the defender at the point and created a shooting lane, which he used to score with. He was the leading point-getter among defensemen at camp with seven.
Noah Drouin
Indiana Elite, 1/13/2010, D, right shot, 5-11/169
Hometown: McCordsville, Ind.
Drouin showed himself to be a very stable, reliable defender. He had a good stick when defending the rush and in corner battles, he took smart routes to either get to pucks first and wheel out or pin the opposing forward.
COACHES SURVEY: Looking back at this year | Predicting next season | The CHL’s impact on prep
A.J. Foyt
Mount St. Charles, 9/18/2010, D, left shot, 5-8/116
Hometown: Carmel, Ind.Â
In the first few minutes of watching Foyt, I thought he was a forward. His skating, hands and vision were elite. Then I realized he was a defenseman, and watched him use smart positioning to break up plays in front of his own net. His offensive instincts and puck-moving abilities make him an interesting defender to track.
Gavin Godbout
Minnesota Moose, 6/15/2010, D, right shot, 5-10/139
Hometown: Woodbury, Minn.Â
Godbout showcased high offensive potential. His skating was strong, and his hands were outstanding. That skating helped him make quick step-ups in the neutral zone to thwart opposing teams from entering his zone. He joined offensive rushes with ease and was able to show off a hard shot from the point. He finished with three points in four games.
Dylan Knox
Minnesota Green Giants, 2/21/2010, D, left shot, 5-5/124
Hometown: Andover, Minn.Â
What stood out most with Knox was his skating. The Minnesota native could fly, and, obviously, it helped him in any situation. He was mobile with the puck at the point and was able to elude opposing forwards pressuring him when he had the puck in neutral ice.
Michael Miniscalco
Chicago Mission, 5/30/2010, D, left shot, 5-8/142
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
I really liked Miniscalco's skating and speed. The lefty was able to get up ice quickly and he made smart decisions with the puck, especially on breakouts. Against Columbia, he broke up a 3-on-2, stole the puck and started a rush the other way.
Mason Stonacek
Minuteman Flames, 12/26/2010, D, left shot, 5-7/145
Hometown: New Ipswich, N.H.Â
Stonacek scored the best goal I saw at camp. The future Mount St. Charles defenseman entered the offensive zone, dangled two defenders and slipped it five-hole for a sweet finish. He finished the camp with two points in four games.
