WELLESLEY, Mass. — The Mount St. Charles' 15O team has been rolling to start the season.
After taking down Masters Academy in two straight games, Mount took down the Boston Junior Eagles, 5-1, on Saturday afternoon. The two teams will meet again on Sunday at Adelard Arena in Woonsocket, R.I.
There was a little caveat to Saturday's game: the Junior Eagles were missing forwards Max Prudovsky (Newton, Mass.) and Carter Watson (Brockton, Mass.) and defenseman Alex Bobrov (Milton, Mass.). Those are three of their best players.
Still, Mount was dominant.
After Junior Eagles forward Nolan Boyle (Weymouth, Mass.) deposited a shorthanded goal midway through the first half, Mount responded quickly when forward Arjun Mangadu fired a one-timer past goalie Luke Seariac (Framingham, Mass.).
Mount forward Jaxon Mood put his team in front at the end of the first half, knocking in a rebound.
In the second half, Mount's goals came from forward Gavin Thomas, a snipe from Robbie McCann and forward Jasper Goulet.
This game drew plenty of QMJHL scouts, as well as Division 1 college coaches.
I can speak for everyone when I say we all want to see these teams clash at full strength. With Prudovsky, Watson and Bobrov back, several U.S. National Team Development Program candidates would be going head-to-head.
READ MORE: What is Masters Academy going to do? What's different?
Let's dive into some standouts.
Sam Archibald
Mount St. Charles, 2/2/2011, D, right shot, 6-0/165
Hometown: Canton, Mass.Â
Archibald pretty much did whatever he wanted when he had possession. On Mangadu's goal, he made a smart play jumping into the rush and, instead of just shooting the puck immediately, he slid it across for Mangadu to one-time. Archibald was elusive at the point, slipping around forwards covering him at the point with ease. On Thomas' goal, Archibald made a great play to dangle a defender, create a 2-on-1 and slip a pass across for Thomas to deposit.
Charlie Fox
Mount St. Charles, 3/24/2011, F, left shot, 6-2/179
Hometown: Austin, TexasÂ
Fox was a force. He was able to use his size to bulldoze his way to the net. He was stationed at the point on power plays and showcased great vision, using his feet to get to space and open up new passing lanes. Fox was able to drive play, too, cruising through the neutral zone with smart routes and keeping his head up for intelligent passes before and after the offensive blue line.
Jack Irwin
Boston Junior Eagles, 1/21/2011, D, right shot, 5-11/163
Hometown: Nashua, N.H.Â
It wasn't the Junior Eagles' day by any means. But Irwin actually showed well. On Boyle's shorthanded goal, it was Irwin who stepped up and intercepted the pass in neutral ice, leading to him taking it the other way, getting a shot off and creating the rebound. But the main reason why Irwin was noticeable was his meanness and physicality. He laid some massive hits, including a nice open-ice one in a 1-on-1 and a hip check along the wall. He made life difficult for Mount forwards camping out around the net.
Shawn Lowery Jr
Mount St. Charles, 9/1/2011, D, left shot, 5-11/161
Hometown: Vienna, Va.Â
Lowery Jr. was highly effective when defending his own blue lines. With his good skating, he made smartly timed, aggressive step-ups to negate zone entries. His stick was especially good, separating the opposing player from the puck. He also stepped up well in the neutral zone to intercept passes. Lowery Jr. arrived at Mount St. Charles this season from the Philadelphia Junior Flyers.
Arjun Mangadu
Mount St. Charles, 5/14/2011, F, left shot, 6-0/161
Hometown: Livermore, Calif.Â
The more I watch Mangadu, the more I think definite U.S. National Team Development Program player next season. His details were fantastic; he did a great job supporting plays and anticipating plays to break them up and intercept passes. He scored on a sleek give-and-go with Archibald, making a nice drop pass and then loading up for a blistering one-timer. His poise, ability to slow the game down and deception made him such a threat every time he had the puck.
EASTERN ALLIANCE KICKOFF: 15 standout 15O forwards | 9 standout 15O defenders
Gavin Thomas
Mount St. Charles, 5/3/2011, F, left shot, 5-1/101
Hometown: Stockton, Calif.Â
Yeah, Thomas is small. But just like at USA Hockey Select 15 Camp, he's a blast to watch. He was shifty all game when he had the puck, sliding around opposing defenders to maintain possession. He showcased great hands, too, navigating through pressure. His strong play was rewarded when he scored after Archibald fed him the puck at the far post in transition.
