NEEDHAM, Mass. — The Kevin Mutch Tournament had become all about Brunswick in recent years. This winter, the Bruins still had a good showing, but they fell to Rivers in their first game.
That led to a St. Sebastian's-Rivers championship, with the Arrows coming out on top, 5-3.
St. Sebastian's may have re-routed its season with the win. Rivers, a super young team, left the tournament with a lot to build on. Williston Northampton proved it could hang, while teams like Winchendon and Northfield Mount Hermon know they have a lot of work left to do.
There were also some high-end player performances.
I spent time at the tournament on Friday and Saturday, catching the big matchups.
Here are some standouts and takeaways.
Carter Felt
Rivers, 8/17/2010, F, left shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Natick, Mass.Â
This tournament will be remembered as Felt's coming-out party. The feisty left winger was a goal-scoring machine, scoring once against Brunswick and St. Sebastian's, and notching a hat trick against Northwood. I watched him against Brunswick, and his ability to play lockdown, team defense, especially high in the zone, was impressive for someone of his age and offensive ability. He was rewarded with a goal when he one-timed a shot past Brunswick goalie Evan Akerman early in the second. Later in the game, Felt was lying out to block shots.
If it wasn't clear before this tournament, it's clear now: Felt, at the very least, is a U.S. National Team Development Program prospect.
READ MORE:Â 11 standouts, takeaways from Groton/Lawrence Tournament
Zai Ferraro
Brunswick, 3/4/2008, G, catches right, 6-2/195
Hometown: New Canaan, Conn.Â
Williston senior Hayden Hutner looked to have a wide-open goal. Hutner got the pass on a 2-on-1 at the far post and did everything right, tapping it into what should've been an open cage. But Ferraro got his right foot across and somehow kept the puck out. Ferraro wasn't overly busy against Williston, but he was locked in when he needed to be, which is just as hard as having to make a high volume of saves. Ferraro had also robbed Hutner earlier in the game, too, on a one-timer. Ferraro's size and mobility are what made him so effective.
Sam Fishbone
St. Sebastian's, 4/5/2010, D, right shot, 5-8/155
Hometown: Needham, Mass.Â
Fishbone has taken a step. Say what you want about his size (he's still only 15), but his vision is elite. When he has the puck at the point, he's so good at using his feet to get to space and open up passing lanes. On Oliver Manning's (Franklin, Mass.) game-opening goal against Rivers, Fishbone receives the puck at the top of the key, cuts to his left side, causing the defender on his right to turn, and delivers a perfect, subtle, no-look pass on his backhand to Manning, who sniped the goal. When Fishbone wants to shoot at the point, he does a great job of curling the puck away from defenders to get different shooting lanes. He was also physical in his own zone and was unafraid of taking on bigger players.
Kamden Jackson
Williston Northampton, 3/4/2009, G, catches left, 6-1/185
Hometown: Manchester, N.H.Â
Jackson has elevated himself into one of the top five goalies in prep. I got to see him against Brunswick, and he was always in position. The Bruins pressed and pressed, especially in tight, and Jackson made save after save. Even when he was down and out, he found ways to make stops. His rebound control was good, too. He's a sophomore, so colleges should be contacting him on January 1.
READ MORE:Â The rankings underwent a makeover after the holiday tournaments
Jack Queally
St. Sebastian's, 7/27/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/181
Hometown: Milton, Mass.Â
In my viewing of Queally at the tournament, he was his usual, two-way self. There was one sequence against Winchendon when he followed a play perfectly in his own zone, broke it up and got play going the other way. He's advanced as a two-way player among forwards his age. But what's really encouraging is that the points are coming. There's a reason he was the Top Skater in our Top Performers from last week.
Alex Zinman
Brunswick, 3/11/2008, D, right shot, 5-8/170
Hometown: Irvington, N.Y.Â
Zinman has broken out on Brunswick's blue line. He's a fantastic skater who is unafraid to rush the puck and play east-west through the neutral zone. Against Williston Northampton, he dangled a forechecker (causing that forechecker to fall, which got quite the rise from the bench), entered the offensive zone and got a long sequence started. He was constantly driving offense and at one point, broke up a rush with a nice step-up, took it the other way and started another long sequence. His skating alone is worth watching.
READ MORE: Top boys prep performers from the holiday tournaments
Takeaways...
- I didn't put St. Sebastian's in the top 10 this week. Less than two weeks ago, the Arrows dropped back-to-back games against Portsmouth Abbey and Phillips Exeter. But they're getting close. They're on a four-game winning streak, and everyone is contributing. The younger, high-end players are playing like it. Sophomore Cade Noonan (Needham, Mass.) leads the team with 12 points. Veterans up front and in back are playing steady, reliable games. They looked like a playoff team this weekend. The big question will be how they hold up with the gauntlet that's coming to open the new year: Williston Northampton, Berkshire, Nobles, Belmont Hill and Andover. Another thing: St. Sebastian's will likely go as far as goalie Tommy Saulnier (Medfield, Mass.) takes them. He had a great showing at the Kevin Mutch Tournament.
- There's no question that Winchendon has had a rough start to the season. Its only two wins have come against Albany Academy, which is who the Wapitis opened this tournament against. I watched Winchendon play St. Sebastian's, and it looked disjointed. Head coach Mike Busconi's team has the horses — that's why they opened this season at No. 11. I expect this team to turn it around before it's too late.
- While Will Torres (Framingham, Mass.) was pulled in the championship against St. Sebastian's, he was outstanding when I watched him against Brunswick. The '10 made 40 saves, staying square to shots and never getting out of position. Torres was also fortunate that Rivers played outstanding defense in front of him, keeping Brunswick away from high-danger areas, but still, Torres is legit.
- Brunswick's offense was struggling through the first two games, but popped for six goals against Albany Academy on the final day. Head coach Mike Kennedy moved sophomore Colton Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.) up with Dartmouth commit Mason St. Louis (Old Greenwich, Conn.) because senior Ben Taylor (Greenwich, Conn.) was out sick. Cleaves scored twice and added an assist.
- Hampus Vandenberg is playing like one of the best defensemen in prep. The Princeton commit generated Brunswick's lone goal against Williston Northampton when his shot from the point was tipped by Taylor. Vandenberg has shown a greater penchant for contributing offensively, as evidenced by his team-leading nine points.
