MARLBORO, Mass. — The Massachusetts boys hockey state championships took place at the New England Sports Center this past weekend.
Teams across the 15O, 16U and 18U levels battled for a chance to represent the Bay State at the USA Hockey national championships next spring.
I spent Saturday and Sunday focused on the 16U Tier I teams. Here are the teams I saw:
- American Hockey Academy
- Boston Junior Eagles
- Cape Cod Whalers
- East Coast Militia
- Lovell Academy
- Neponset Valley River Rats
- NS Wings
- South Shore Kings
We got into standouts from the East Coast Militia's championship win over the Boston Junior Eagles earlier this week as well as some standout forwards from the overall tournament.
Now, let's dive into some standout defensemen and goaltenders from the tournament.
Kaiden Donia
East Coast Militia/Groton, 1/16/08, D, right shot, 6-5/183
Hometown: Townsend, Mass.
Donia's smooth skating and puck-moving ability separated him from the pack. Against Lovell, he did a great job of surveying the ice and identifying either passing lanes for quick ups or skating lanes to move it himself. Against the River Rats, he flashed some physicality with his bigger frame, stepping up on Stevie Rousell (Norwood, Mass.) to kill the rush at the blue line. He later made a terrific keep-in at the offensive blue line before feeding Max Colosimo down low for a slick goal. Donia finished with one assist on the weekend.
Josh Levy
East Coast Militia/Milton Academy, 3/14/08, D, right shot, 5-11/161
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Levy's mobility helped him stand out all weekend. He was everywhere. The Milton Academy blue-liner consistently activated in the rush, and for as often as he jumped into the play, he got back and broke up plays the other way. Against Lovell, he led a great regroup, finding an outlet before busting up the middle for a give-and-go at the offensive blue line and a hard drive to the net. He got back and disrupted a rush inside his own blue line. Later, he crashed the net and won the puck with a good stick lift to get a high-danger chance in tight.
Against the River Rats, Levy drew a key trip late as he led the rush. He later made a terrific diving play in front of his net to deny Cam MacPherson's (Hopkinton, Mass.) shorthanded bid. In the championship against the Junior Eagles, he made a phenomenal read to break up a pass on a 2-on-1 late before he was the catalyst of the Militia's offensive push ahead of Chance Bolton's equalizer.
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Cooper Campbell
Lovell Academy, 9/20/08, D, right shot, 6-3/185
Hometown: Cohasset, Mass.
Cooper did a good job on the point of the power play and using his reach to defend in transition against the Militia on Saturday. He made good, quick decisions and moved the puck well out high. His big frame and wingspan were also key to keeping several clears in to keep the pressure up on the advantage. He later had a good gap and stick position to easily break up Owen Cronan's (Ashland, Mass.). On the same shift, Campbell made a great play to step up and cut off a stretch pass with the Militia trying to fly the zone. He had one assist on the weekend.
Matt Hines
Cape Cod Whalers/Dexter Southfield, 6/10/08, D, left shot, 5-9/164
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
Hines did a solid job quarterbacking the Whalers' power play as they pushed for a late goal against the Jr. Eagles on Sunday. He was decisive and worked the puck around quickly. He had a terrific scoring chance, closing in on the top of the left circle for a heavy one-timer that wouldn't go. Hines also scored in the Whalers' win over American Hockey Academy on Saturday.
Nathan Michaud
NS Wings/St. John's Prep, 1/5/08, G, catches left, 6-0/165
Hometown: Peabody, Mass.
Michaud was perhaps the biggest reason why the Wings kept it close for as long as they did against the Junior Eagles. He tracked pucks well and was quick in the crease, whether when getting in position or scrambling to cover pucks. He made a pair of critical breakaway saves, first breaking up Owen McHale (Charlestown, Mass.) to deny him a clean look before stoning Spencer Thornborough (Boxford, Mass.) shortly after. Michaud also made a pair of strong saves late, even after the game was out of reach. He first denied Chase Field (Centerville, Mass.) on a 3-on-2 before making an excellent save on Gavin Holland (Topsfield, Mass.) in the high slot.
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Eli Zucker
East Coast Militia/Milton Academy, 9/19/08, G, catches left, 6-2/188
Hometown: Parkland, Fla.Â
Zucker was sensational in the championship against the Junior Eagles, but what was most impressive was how he got better in each of the Militia's games I saw. He was much improved from the start of the weekend. His rebound control improved game-to-game as well as his positioning in the crease. He looked more and more confident and settled in each game.
Harry Jackson
Boston Junior Eagles/Brooks, 3/16/08, D, right shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Charlestown, Mass.
Jackson made a handful of big-time plays in key spots for the Jr. Eagles in both the quarterfinals and the championship. Against the Wings, he made a terrific play to track back and break up an odd-man rush before the Eagles could build on their 2-1 lead. In the finals, with the game still scoreless, he did an excellent job against Colosimo in transition. It looked like Colosimo might have had a step on him, but Jackson maintained great pace and stick positioning as he drove wide to easily break it up.
