Entering the New England boys prep hockey holiday tournament gauntlet, the Flood-Marr Tournament had the best teams. It was slated to be the most competitive.
And that turned out to be correct. Just not in the way that many thought.
Phillips Andover, which had never won the Flood-Marr, won the tournament. Nobles was in the final after beating then-No. 1 Kimball Union but somehow dropped a game to Westminster the next day.
Then-No. 4 Salisbury was the shocker of the tournament. The Crimson Knights only mustered one goal in three games on Friday and Saturday before taking down Hotchkiss, 3-0, in the 8 a.m. game — reserved for the two teams trying not to finish in last place.
One common theme throughout, however, was the number of uncommitted players who stood out.
Let's break those guys down, as well as discuss some overarching takeaways from a memorable tournament.
Chase Anderson
Phillips Andover, 3/30/2006, G, catches left, 6-3/200
Hometown: Marblehead, Mass.Â
I mentioned it in the latest prep rankings, but there seems to be a breakout goalie at the Flood-Marr every year. Anderson was unquestionably that guy this year. He allowed one goal to Milton Academy, Salisbury and Deerfield. Yes, four shots beat him in the final, but he was still good enough to win and won MVP of the tournament. With his size and ability to track pucks, he surely improved his stock to Division 1 coaches. So far, he's the best goalie I've seen in prep.
RESULTS: How each holiday tournament played out
Corwith Simmers
Kimball Union, 4/13/2006, F, right shot, 5-9/180
Hometown: Hailey, IdahoÂ
I'm surprised Simmers is still uncommitted. He finished the Flood-Marr with three goals and an assist in four games. On Friday, I watched Kimball Union take on Westminster. Simmers had a beautiful goal where he went bar-down on a one-timer. He had other chances as well because of his ability to get to high-danger areas. He's a 200-foot player who impacted games this weekend (and in general) in so many ways. He has heavy interest from Ivy League schools.
Rui Han
Phillips Andover, 2/23/2007, F, left shot, 6-0/175
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.Â
Han was one of my breakout forwards to watch at the beginning of the year and in his first big showcase of the prep season, he showed why Division 1 teams should be after him. Against Milton, he scored on a heads-up play in the slot when he turned and fired one in. Playing alongside Grayden Robertson-Palmer and Danny Collins (Winchester, Mass.), Han was able to drive play and use his speed and hands to zip up ice and create scoring chances in the offensive zone. He finished with a monster showing, posting five goals and two helpers in seven games.
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Billy MacAusland
Nobles, 8/4/2007, F, left shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.Â
MacAusland had about as good a showing as one could have at the Flood-Marr, posting three goals and seven points in the four games. He scored timely goals and came up with some big assists in the championship game (including one on O'Leary's late, tying tally). Nobles head coach Brian Day turned to MacAusland to center the top line, take important draws and kill penalties. Sure, he's not over 6 feet. But his 200-foot game and ablilty to produce should make him someone Division 1 schools keep their eyes on.
Rowen Sang
Kimball Union, 3/3/2008, F, left shot, 6-2/170
Hometown: Skillman, N.J.Â
Sang scored three goals and tallied five points over four games. I was there for two of those goals. Both came from getting to the net front and knocking in rebounds. Against Deerfield, Sang has a strong give-and-go at the offensive blue line right before a zone entry to kickstart a play that resulted in sophomore Matthew Ross scoring. Sang features intriguing size and really good puck skills.
Lucas Siomos
Kimball Union, 7/3/2007, D, right shot, 5-11/195
Hometown: Newtown, Penn.Â
Siomos' patience with the puck was the attribute that stood out the most. Midway through the second period against Deerfield, he got the puck in the high slot, waited out goalie Elliot Lennon and almost scored. Later in the period, Siomos held onto the puck for what felt like too long at the point, but he took it down the wall and as he got to the net, he sent it to Iain Olsen in the high slot for a goal. Siomos' work quarterbacking the power play was strong too.
THE FINAL: 11 standouts, takeaways from Andover's championship win over Nobles
Jack Fichthorn
Westminster, 5/10/2007, G, catches left, 6-1/181
Hometown: Darien, Conn.Â
Fichthorn probably won't be one of the region's leaders in goals-against average or save percentage at the end of the year, but he will be someone who faces some of the highest volume of shots. That was the case last weekend, as Kimball Union threw 42 shots at him, while Nobles sent 41 his way. While Fichthorn made 38 saves in a 4-1 loss to KUA, he made 39 saves to upset Nobles, 3-2. Fichthorn is extremely athletic and was never out on making a save.
Kyle Greene
Milton Academy, 11/29/2006, F, right shot, 5-10/155
Hometown: Paradise, NewfoundlandÂ
Greene didn't have the production of some of the others in this story, but he stood out when I was watching Milton. Greene showcased great hands in his trips through the neutral zone, avoiding defenders and driving play. In the offensive zone, he moved pucks creatively, which helped his line cycle and have longer sequences. Greene, a senior, has four assists through eight games.
Zachary Chehade
Deerfield, 3/30/2006, D, left shot, 6-0/180
Hometown: Beaconsfield, QuebecÂ
Chehade stood out for his elusiveness. When he was breaking and skating pucks out of his own zone, he was able to use his good skating to get out of (and away from) trouble. There was also a great sequence against Kimball Union when he got down on a knee and blocked a shot from the slot by Kimball Union defenseman Nick Evans (Malden, Mass.).
LATEST RANKINGS: The top 10 gets a makeover after holiday tournaments
Takeaways...
- One of the biggest stories revolved around Salisbury's struggles. The Crimson Knights mustered only one goal in three games before taking down Hotchkiss, 3-0, in Sunday's last-place matchup. Head coach Andrew Will's teams often start slow. But to go 1-2-1 at the Flood-Marr, have a record of 4-3-2 and fall out of our top 10 after being the preseason No. 1 team is a bit of a surprise. Still, the offense is too good to struggle. My guess is the Crimson Knights rebound hard in the second half and work their way back into the Elite 8 mix.
- A definite downside to Salisbury's performance was the impact it might have on Connor Davis' NHL Draft stock. There were a lot of NHL scouts in attendance to watch the handful of draft prospects. Davis, a 6-foot-1, 174-pound right wing, is on NHL Central Scouting's radar and someone scouts are intrigued by. It's already hard enough for players to get picked right out of prep. No points in three games doesn't help. However, the Northeastern commit has a lot to like about his game and scouts will track him the rest of the season, so he will have ample opportunity to build his stock back up.
- Someone who boosted their NHL Draft stock quite a bit: Robertson-Palmer. When I was watching Andover, there wasn't a single shift where I didn't notice him. The first thing scouts look at is skating and Robertson-Palmer is a great, fast skater who consistently impacted games with his speed. His hockey IQ is high and he has outstanding two-way abilities. Will he get drafted? That's up in the air. But he certainly helped himself this past weekend.
- Let's play word association game. First word: monster. My answer: Kyle O'Leary. The Yale commit scored six goals and tallied three assists for Nobles. He brought his best in the championship with two goals, including a late, tying tally. The Medfield, Mass., native has such a high IQ and dominated in the offensive zone with his size and strength, especially around the front of the net.
- Deerfield will beat teams due to its physicality. Head coach Tim McVaugh has that team really tough to play against. The Big Green are also a much older team. Those two traits, along with '08 junior Elliot Lennon in net, should make them an Elite 8 contender.
- Milton Academy needed a strong showing after starting 0-4-0 and it got it. The Mustangs got their first win of the season against Salisbury and scored another against Westminster on the final day. Sure, they did lose twice. But coming away from the Flood-Marr 2-2-0 is something head coach Jim Gaudet should be pleased with. I still think this team is good enough to make some noise in the ISL Keller.
- Westminster senior forward Blake Burke (Trumbull, Conn.) had a great sophomore year two seasons ago with 30 points in 26 games. He missed some time last season as a junior, but still had 21 points in 17 games. He's vital to this season's squad and it showed in the Flood-Marr. Burke tallied three goals and six points in the four games.
- One of the coolest parts of Andover's win is that the Big Blue did it in medical trainer Mike Kuta's final season. After 45 years at the school, he is set to retire the spring. Kuta was the athletic director at the school from 2007-2014. Kuta's son, Joe, played for Andover. When head coach Paul Tortorella was a postgrad on the team, Kuta was a student trainer. One heck of a career for Kuta and it was fitting the Big Blue won their first Flood-Marr in his final season.
BEST OF THE BEST: Top boys prep hockey performers from holiday tournaments
