14 standout ’07s from the first weekend of Mass. Hockey boys festival

MARLBORO, Mass. — The Mass. Hockey Festival got underway this past weekend. For the '07s, it was a particularly big weekend.

The best players from Massachusetts battled for spots in the Final 40. You can check out those selections by clicking or tapping here.

From there, 2007-born players will hope to be selected for USA Hockey's Select 17 Camp.

I took in the '07s on Sunday. These 14 players stood out while I was watching. Obviously, these aren't the only players who stood out this weekend,

Let's dive in.

Tommy Anderson

Team Gray, 2/2/2007, F, left shot, 5-7/161
Hometown: Braintree, Mass. 

What stood out most with Anderson were his hands, which helped him dangle around defenders to get to open space. This was especially evident in the offensive zone when it came to getting to high-danger areas. I also liked the way he slowed the game down.

Maxwell Gagnon

Team Red, 6/14/2007, F, right shot, 6-0/174
Hometown: Byfield, Mass. 

Gagnon was a pleasant surprise this weekend. I liked his hands, especially off the rush, and his quick release. He also showed no hesitation in driving the net at full force, as was evident when he scored a rebound goal after Justin Graf, who you'll read about in a second, made a nice play. Gagnon was at Tilton this past winter.

Shayne Gould

Team Red, 4/7/2007, D, left shot, 5-9/146
Hometown: Princeton, Mass.
NCAA: UConn 

The biggest thing with Gould is his edgework and ability to elude oncoming pressure. He was able to avoid forecheckers and get to open ice before making passes coming out of his own zone. Gould played for BK Selects 15O team last season.

Justin Graf

Team Red, 7/10/2007, F, left shot, 5-11/161
Hometown: Boston, Mass. 

Graf was a force when I watched him on Sunday. There were two sequences that stood out the most. The first was early in the second half when he used his hands to go around defenders and cut to the middle at the half wall, using his speed to elude the other team. He showed great vision in finding an open teammate and then getting open for a one-timer. The other was when he made a similar play, drove the net and left a rebound for Gagnon to knock in. Graf ranked second in points for Rivers this season with 35.

Evan Handler

Team Gray, 3/19/2007, D, right shot, 5-9/155
Hometown: Walpole, Mass. 

Handler had two really nice goals on Sunday. His first came on a shot he sifted through traffic from the point to go into the top corner of the net. The second was later in the first half when he got the puck, took it to the net and showcased another nice shot for a goal. The Rivers product is undersized, but makes up for it with a good stick and compete in his own zone.

Evan Jones

Team Gray, 2/9/2007, D, left shot, 5-8/165
Hometown: Arlington, Mass. 

Here's a piece of news: Jones will be at Belmont Hill this winter. Anyone who watched the '07s this weekend would know that's very good news for the Sextants. Jones was calm and poised with the puck under pressure. On puck retrievals, I like how he used his body to fend off forecheckers so he could get to pucks first. He's an elusive skater who knows how to get to open ice. He also has no problem holding onto pucks in all three zones. In the offensive zone, he was often a fourth forward.

George Lovell

Team Royal, 7/2007, F, right shot
Hometown: Hingham 

Lovell set the tone early on Sunday. He showcased outstanding speed through the neutral zone, made a nice pass in a 2-on-1 and got the puck back by corralling the puck through his legs and scoring. His hands were outstanding and he didn't just use it to dangle opposing players. They came in handy when he was protecting pucks in the corner, too. He played with a high compete, always hustling hard to get the puck back. He played for Lovell Academy's 16U team this past winter.

Billy MacAusland

Team Royal, 8/4/2007, F, left shot, 5-10/160
Hometown: Westwood, Mass. 

MacAusland had a nice goal on Sunday, driving the net and tipping one in. Driving the net was something the Nobles product never seemed to shy away from either. I also liked his ability to protect pucks and generate speed off the rush, as he was able to take defenders wide.

Teddy Mutryn

Team Gray, 2/16/2007, F, right shot, 6-0/196
Hometown: Norwell, Mass.
NCAA: Boston College 

It's no surprise that Mutryn was a standout. He was able to stick handle around and through defenders with relative ease. I also liked his ability to lift the sticks of opposing puck-carriers to create 50/50 pucks and force turnovers. He also read plays well, especially when anticipating where opposing breakout passes were going.

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Evan Nee

Team Royal, 8/12/2007, F, left shot, 5-8/160
Hometown: Arlington, Mass. 

An important thing for every player to do at events like these is to always be around the puck. That's what Nee did on Sunday, always finding himself in that spot. Early in the game, he made a nice play by anticipating the opposing breakout, intercepting it and hitting Joe Marchi (Foxboro, Mass.) with a pass that he scored on. I also liked Nee's vision, as he made creative passes and used his feet to push the pace and open up new passing lanes. Nee was at St. Mark's this past winter.

Tyler Russo

Team White, 3/19/2007, D, left shot, 6-0/170
Hometown: Hamilton, Mass.
NCAA: Minnesota State 

It's hard for defensive defensemen to stand out at showcases like this, but Russo was able to, especially since Team Gray spent a lot of time in the Team White end. He utilized great gap control when defending the rush. He had an active stick, taking away passing lanes for opposing players and forcing them into bad areas. He also had no problem being physical in the corners and blocking shots.

Jack Taylor

Team Gray, 5/23/2007, D, left shot, 5-9/170
Hometown: Framingham, Mass. 

Taylor is a very good skater, which helped him in every situation this weekend. He had a good stick when defending off the rush and in his own zone. When he had the puck, he made smart, hard passes. He was a sophomore at St. Mark's this past season.

CJ Watroba

Team Red, 2/2/2007, LW, left shot, 6-0/172
Hometown: West Springfield, Mass.
NCAA: Merrimack 

In my viewing of the '07s, Watroba was the most dominant forward. He always wanted the puck on his stick and when he got it, he could do anything with it. He used his great hands to dangle through defenders in order to get to the slot. He also was able to use his speed to take defenders wide and then find ways to cut in. This past winter was Year No. 1 for him at Kimball Union.

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Patrick Woods

Team Gray, 7/5/2007, F, right shot, 6-1/170
Hometown: Charlestown, Mass. 

I've been thoroughly impressed with Woods since the prep season. He was even better on Sunday. He drove play so well and always wanted the puck on his stick. He showed a high compete, reloading well when leaving the offensive zone to get above breakouts and force turnovers. He's also able to make smart plays with the puck while moving at high speeds. He's turned into a legitimate Division 1 prospect.

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