13 standout 14U defenders from Route 12 Fall Classic

Some of the top 14U players in the region went to Winchendon and Cushing this past weekend for the Route 12 Fall Classic.

It was the perfect opportunity to get first impressions on many top 2012-born players in New England.

Many of these '12s will become big-time names in the New England prep hockey world over the next few years. A few might get some reps this winter, but most won't hit the prep scene until 2027-28.

We've already looked at the standout forwards from this past weekend. Now, it's time to review the top defensemen and goalies.

Let's dive in.

Patrick Aufiero

Islanders Hockey Club, 10/26/2012, D, left shot
Hometown: Winchester, Mass. 

Aufiero showed himself as an intelligent, composed, two-way defenseman. The Islanders blueliner made simple plays with the puck, utilizing hinges on zone exits and making small-area passes for advances. When he was defending, he closed quickly on puck-carriers and used a great stick to disrupt possession.

Zachary Bivins

East Coast Militia National 2, 8/15/2012, D, right shot, 5-8/146
Hometown: Weymouth, Mass. 

Bivins was as cool as the other side of the pillow with the puck. He never panicked, calmly avoiding pressure and getting to space in order to make plays. In the first half of his game against the South Shore Kings, he went end to end on a rush, dangling through everyone and getting a scoring chance.

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Mason Conway

Islanders Hockey Club, 2012, D, left shot
Home state: Massachusetts 

Conway stood out as a mobile, puck-moving defenseman. His quick feet allowed him to get to space when he had the puck and open up passing lanes, especially from high to low in the offensive zone. He defended well, too, using a good stick and maintaining close gaps.

Stewart Curry

Boston Junior Eagles, 2012, D, left shot
Home state: Massachusetts 

Curry showed himself as a confident puck mover and a slick skater, able to elude pressure, especially off of breakouts. He also wasn't afraid to mix things up physically, laying big hits. He's an interesting left-shot defender to track.

Keegin Ezekiel

Boston Junior Terriers, 2012, D, left shot
Home state: Massachusetts 

While Ezekiel is rather small, that didn't stop him from being effective. He made smart reads in his own zone, taking smart routes to cut off opposing puck carriers and break up plays. In the offensive zone, he did a good job of sifting shots through from the point.

Justin Fraser

Masters Academy, 2/10/2012, D, left shot, 6-0/163
Hometown: Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Quebec 

Fraser has the early signs of being a very good shutdown defenseman. He showcased a great stick, especially when stepping up at his own blue line and negating zone entries. He was physical and rough on opposing forwards, too.

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Tobin Gray

Washington Little Caps, 2012, G, catches left
Home state: Virginia 

Gray shut out Top Gun, 2-0, on Saturday, which is impressive given Top Gun's firepower. Gray was under siege at times, but stood tall. He was poised and never overcommitted, even to second and third chances. Top Gun had some big chances as it pushed late, but Gray was there to make the save each time.

Hunter Howarth

Boston Junior Eagles, 2012, D, left shot, 5-5/137
Home state: Massachusetts 

Howarth has the makings of an effective puck-moving defenseman at higher levels. He tallied an assist on the Junior Eagles' only goal against the River Rats. He went end-to-end, navigating east-west to sift through defenders and got a breakaway. The shot was stopped, but Kole Duchnowski cleaned up the rebound.

Howarth's poise and elusiveness made him such a force whenever he had the puck. His confidence was clear, too. I'm very intrigued to watch him over the next couple of years.

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Andrew Keigan

South Shore Kings, 2012, D, right shot
Hometown: Weymouth, Mass. 

Keigan impressed with how dynamic he was on the back end. His edgework helped him be so elusive both on breakouts and at the opposing blue line. Keigan's feet were always moving. He was good at knowing when to pinch in the offensive zone to try and keep plays alive, too.

Connor King

Masters Academy, 12/19/2012, D, right shot, 5-5/125
Hometown: Darien, Conn. 

King showed so much poise with the puck in his own zone and the opponent's. He was never in a rush to move pucks, acknowledging that when he had more time, he was always going to use it. He did a strong job, too, of using his feet to get to space. King used that strong skating to step up on opposing puck-carriers at his own blue line.

Sebastian Lopes

East Coast Militia National 1, 9/10/2012, D, left shot, 5-8/141
Hometown: Lakeville, Mass. 

Lopes showcased a great two-way game. In his own zone, he had great technique when battling with puck-carriers in the corner. He's a great skater who moved pucks intelligently. He also had very good hands, navigating around opposing defenders when he had the puck.

Joseph Ryan

East Coast Militia National 1, 4/5/2012, G, catches left, 6-0/150
Hometown: Melrose, Mass. 

I'm no goalie expert, but Ryan was the best goalie I saw this weekend. He didn't give up many rebounds. He was positionally sound and didn't need to overcommit to shots, leaving him in good position for follow-up chances. Ryan was outstanding against Masters Academy, making multiple down-and-out stops late. His poise was terrific.

READ MORE: 16 standout 14U forwards from Route 12 Fall Classic

Ethan Welch

Top Gun, 2012, D, left shot
Hometown: Falmouth, Maine 

I don't have Welch's exact height and weight, but he looked to be one of the bigger players on the ice. Yet even with his size at his age, his skating was strong. He was elusive at the point, getting to space to unload his heavy shot. He was able to quarterback power plays. Against the Washington Little Caps, he went end-to-end on a rush, fighting to the inside for a scoring chance.

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