WOONSOCKET, R.I. — This past weekend, five different programs across the 16U and 18U levels descended on Adelard Arena at Mount St. Charles for Northeast Pack hockey.
The five programs were Mount St. Charles, Long Island Gulls, New Jersey Rockets, Pittsburgh Pens Elite and BK Selects.
Mount St. Charles and the Gulls battled Friday afternoon, with the 16Us taking the ice first and the 18Us following. The Gulls swept the series, starting with a 6-1 win at the 16U level.
But the 18U game came down to the wire, with the Gulls narrowly escaping with a 3-1 win. Thomas Zocco tipped in the game-winning goal with 2:29 left in the third period.
Ben Jarosz (Franklin, Mass.) had the lone goal for Mount St. Charles when he rifled a shot over Gulls goalie William Braun's glove early in the third period.
Here are five uncommitted players who stood out during the game.
Andrew Cowgill
LI Gulls, March 2006, D, right shot, 5-10/165
Hometown: Collegeville, Pa.Â
When Cowgill got the puck on his stick in his own zone, he was always a threat for a quick defensive zone exit and offensive zone entry. He did that a number of times, using his shiftiness to sift through defenders in the neutral zone and keeping his head up all the way. But he was also responsible in his own zone. Late in the second period, he made a nice read on a Mount St. Charles pass going from high in the zone to low, stepping in front of the intended receiver and intercepting it. He was also strong at defending the rush. Cowgill spent last season with Lovell Academy's 16U team.
Ronnie Hill
Mount St. Charles, 10/3/2006, F, right shot, 5-8/155
Hometown: Saco, MaineÂ
Hill was effective for Mount St. Charles Friday night. The former Seacoast Performance Academy standout played with a high compete. He made a really smart play towards the end of the first period, reading the Gulls breakout perfectly by intercepting the pass high in the zone. Seconds later, the Gulls took a penalty as they scrambled to regain possession. He played with a lot of skill, which helped him create chances, especially later in the game as the pressure mounted.
Tanner Morgan
Mount St. Charles, 7/18/2006, F, left shot, 5-10/174
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pa.Â
My biggest takeaway from watching Morgan was he just that worked really hard. He was extremely hard on the forecheck and always finished his hits. He hustled for every loose puck and when it came to getting the puck back, he was dogged in his pursuit of the puck carrier. He had a great play early in the second period when he outmuscled two Gulls defenders for the puck in the high slot and he backhanded a shot on net, which surprised Braun and produced a rebound. Along with working hard, he was patient with the puck on his stick.
Gates Omicioli
Mount St. Charles, 12/5/2005, F, left shot, 6-1/188
Hometown: East Greenwich, R.I.Â
Omicioli is one of the captains for Mount St. Charles this season and entered Friday night as the top-line left wing. His mix of size and being able to protect the puck helped him be effective off the rush and he showcased a good shot. He worked hard to win puck battles in the corners and never shied away from the physicality. If he lost the puck, he was relentless in getting it back. My only knock on Omicioli was he seemed to be around the perimeter too much.
Ryan Wachtel
LI Gulls, 4/25/2006, F, right shot, 5-8/150
Hometown: Rumson, N.J.Â
Wachtel and teammate Joey Macrina played similarly and were on a line together. The duo seemed annoying to play against with their aggressiveness on the forecheck and physicality. But Wachtel had a bit larger of an impact in the offensive zone. Early in the first period, Wachtel intercepted a breakout by Mount St. Charles and got a scoring chance out of it. Wachtel finally capitalized on a chance early in the second period when he one-timed a shot from high in the slot to give the Gulls a 1-0 lead. He hit the post on another one-timer later in the period and notched an empty-net goal with 44.6 seconds left in the game. Wachtel spent the last two seasons at Brunswick School.
