MARLBORO, Mass. — Aiden MacIsaac is known for his shutdown-defending abilities. He makes life difficult on opposing forwards. He has a great stick. He maintains good gaps.
But with 12:09 left in a 2-2 game, MacIsaac held the puck at the point on a power play. He was sick of a power play that was passing up shots.
So, he moved, got a shooting lane and ripped one on net. Rian Chudzinski (Needham, Mass.) got a piece of the shot, tipping it into the Cushing net, giving the Boston Junior Eagles a 3-2 lead.
The Junior Eagles held on for a 3-2 win, taking the 18U Massachusetts state championship over the Central Mass. Penguins. The national tournament will be held in Cranberry Township, Penn from April 1-6, 2025.
The Penguins opened the scoring midway through the first period when defenseman Ryland Randle had the puck in the slot and slid it backdoor to forward Cam McDonough (Milton, Mass.) who slipped it past Junior Eagles goalie JJ Thibodeau (Waltham, Mass.).
Junior Eagles defenseman Myles Brosnan (Winchester, Mass.) responded with 7.3 seconds left in the first period when his shot from the point went straight in, tying the game, 1-1.
When the second period opened, the Junior Eagles wasted no time taking a lead, as forward Brendan Keaveney (Westwood, Mass.) knocked in a rebound off a shot from Chudzinski.
MORE STANDOUTS: 150 Junior Eagles' win | 16U Militia win
The Penguins tied the score, 2-2, when the Junior Eagles rimmed a puck behind their net and it took a funky bounce, came out to forward Parker Murch (York, Maine) and he snuck one past Thibodeau.
This was a rematch of last season's 18U Massachusetts state title game where the Junior Eagles won, 6-3.
The Central Mass. Penguins are comprised of all Cushing players. Despite the one-goal loss, my biggest takeaway was how good Cushing is. To go up against essentially an all-star team of 18U players from the metro Boston area and compete is impressive.
STANDOUTS: 6 players who impressed in 150 Boston Jr. Eagles' state championship win
There will be a story later this week on standout 18U prospects from the whole tournament. For now, let's dive into seven players who showed well in Sunday's championship.
Myles Brosnan
Boston Junior Eagles, 10/19/2007, D, right shot, 6-0/185
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.Â
Brosnan showed up in the biggest game of the fall. His goal was massive for the Junior Eagles, giving them momentum heading into the first intermission. He defended the rush so well and was able to shut down Penguins forwards by getting right on them with good gaps and negating movement with his stick. He was also able to reliably move pucks out of his zone.
Brendan Keaveney
Boston Junior Eagles, 3/22/2006, F, right shot, 5-8/165
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.Â
It's hard to find a player with a better motor than Keaveney. He hunts pucks with an incredible pursuit. His goal was big, but it was the impact he made all over the ice that was so important. He had an end-to-end rush late in the second period that led to a Penguins penalty. His high compete helped him win his board battles and protect pucks along the wall. The Junior Eagles hemmed the Penguins in their own zone for much of the final six minutes and Keaveney, who will be a senior at St. Sebastian's this winter, had a lot to do with that.
JJ Thibodeau
Boston Junior Eagles, 2/20/2007, G, catches left, 6-0/170
Hometown: Waltham, Mass.Â
Thibodeau was a steady presence for the Junior Eagles. He made some really key saves early in the first period, most notably robbing Eric Lund (Bridgewater, Mass.) two times in a row and then making a big blocker stop on Max Dineen (Brentwood, N.H.). As the game went on and the Junior Eagles got more in control, Thibodeau never lost focus, making necessary saves along the way. He will be at Belmont Hill this winter.
Rian Chudzinski
Boston Junior Eagles, 12/30/2007, F, right shot, 6-0/170
Hometown: Needham, Mass.Â
Chudzinski was a force. The uncommitted standout caused fits for the Penguins in corners and cycling the puck. He was able to help his team gain long offensive zone sequences. He tipped in MacIsaac's shot for the game-winning goal, but he also had numerous other chances throughout. After scoring, he blocked a shot at his own blue line, had a breakaway and dented the post. He was a huge catalyst of offense and a big reason why his team won.
Tyler Russo
Central Mass. Penguins, 3/19/2007, D, left shot, 6-1/179
Hometown: Hamilton, Mass.
NCAA: Minnesota StateÂ
Russo is a gamer. I'm convinced if blocking a shot without any padding was the key to a victory, Russo would be the first one to volunteer. He blocked so many Junior Eagles chances in and around the slot. With the score still 2-2 in the third period, he got down and blocked a point-blank chance between the circles. He is always physical and that doesn't just mean big hits. He consistently took the body before playing the puck in his own zone. He's a reliable puck-mover, too.
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Eric Lund
Central Mass. Penguins, 9/15/2006, F, right shot, 6-1/170
Hometown: Bridgewater, Mass.Â
Lund was locked in from the beginning. If it wasn't for Thibodeau's big saves, Lund probably has a goal (or two). He used his size well to battle in corners and he protected pucks well off the rush. He played with an edge and was able to generate good speed quickly. Lund will be someone Cushing boss Ryan Bourque will rely on for offense this winter.
Maksim Corovic
Central Mass. Penguins, 5/20/2008, G, catches left, 6-2/180
Hometown: Stoney Creek, OntarioÂ
Corovic was busy on Sunday. He made numerous vital saves. He tracked shots from the point well and showcased a nice glove. The Junior Eagles put constant pressure on the Penguins and had multiple high-danger chances. Even with screens in front of him, Corovic was able to see around them and usually stop the puck. Corovic will be Cushing's go-to guy this year after playing for the Niagara North Stars last season.
