FOXBORO, Mass. — On Monday and Tuesday, hockey players, parents and onlookers turned in their beach chairs and sunscreen for two full days at the rink, as the 14th annual Neponset Valley River Rats Jamboree kicked off the fall hockey season.
In a previous story, I reviewed the 14 standout forwards from the 16U level.
This story will focus on the four defensemen and one goalie who caught my attention in my viewings of the 16U level. The games I watched were...
- Monday: Long Island Gulls 16U vs. Mid Fairfield 16U
- Monday: Yale Jr. Bulldogs 16U vs. East Coast Militia 16U
- Tuesday: Long Island Gulls 16U vs. Boston Jr. Eagles 16U
Let's dive in.
Thomas Bleyl (23)
Mid Fairfield, 12/1/2007, D, right shot, 5-9/141
Hometown: Schenectady, N.Y.Â
Poise was the name of the game for Bleyl. He showed poise when he broke the puck out of his own zone, never seeming to panic when the forechecking pressure levels got high. Poise was there again when he was defending 1-on-1s off the rush, keeping his stick on the opponent's and knocking the puck away. Two other areas of his game I liked were his defensive zone reads and his ability to drop down low in the zone on the power play. After lighting up the scoresheet last season for Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School, a high school in New York, he will be a welcome addition for Albany Academy.
Nathan Di Chiara (7)
Yale Jr. Bulldogs, 4/12/2007, D, right shot, 6-1/165
Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.Â
Di Chiara didn't jump out to the eye with dangles, high foot speed or a wicked shot. He was just very solid at doing his job. In his own zone, he shut opponents down and made life difficult for Militia forwards. In the offensive zone, he made himself available and useful at the point and made smart plays with the puck. He enters his junior year with Kent this season.
Zachary Martsching (4)
Mid Fairfield, 8/2007, D, right shot, 6-0/165
Hometown: Alexandria, Va.Â
Martsching was steady in Monday's game. He was good at moving the puck out of his own zone and he fought well in his own corners. His best play of the game came late in the second half when he prevented a sure goal, typing up a Gulls forward and preventing him from an easy tap-in. He played for the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes 15U team last season but will attend Trinity-Pawling this season.
UP FRONT: 14 standout forwards from the 16U level at the River Rats Jamboree
Brady Smith (6)
Yale Jr. Bulldogs, 6/12/2007, D, left shot, 5-7/126
Hometown: Columbine Valley, Colo.Â
While watching Smith in Monday's game, I couldn't help but think of Kiernan Poulin (Norwell, Mass.) — the dynamic, puck-moving defenseman committed to UMass. Smith showed off his strong skating and ability to move the puck every time he swiftly exited his own zone. Yes, there were some instances of him holding onto the puck for too long. But for the most part, Smith executed strong zone exits and when rushing the puck, was able to successfully navigate the opposition. He should step into a bigger role for Taft in his sophomore season this winter.
JJ Thibodeau (1)
Boston Jr. Eagles, 2/20/2007, G, catches left, 6-0/170
Hometown: Waltham, Mass.Â
The biggest reason why the Jr. Eagles took down the Gulls on Tuesday was Thibodeau's strong play in net. The Belmont Hill netminder made some huge saves from high-danger areas. His best came in the first half when Gulls forward Jordan Sirota made a nice move from the corner, cut to right above the crease and tried to put the puck around Thibodeau. The Waltham, Mass., native sprawled out and kept the puck from crossing the line.
