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. We'll also get into standout defensemen and goalies from the overall tournament
For now, let's dive into some forward standouts from the tournament.
Cam MacPherson
Neponset Valley River Rats/St. Mark's, 6/19/08, F, left shot, 5-8/155
Hometown: Hopkinton, Mass.
MacPherson was a monster for the River Rats this weekend. He had an excellent connection with linemate and St. Mark's teammate Will Manchuso (Stowe, Mass.). MacPherson constantly drove play and consistently generated scoring chances. It felt like he was everywhere. MacPherson finished a great rush with Manchuso against the Kings on Saturday. Against the Militia Sunday, he and Ethan Travis (Narragansett, R.I.) helped set up Manchuso's equalizer in the first after some fantastic work on the forecheck down low. MacPherson also made an excellent pass to Travis for a one-timer in the slot after a high-to-low play by Manchuso. MacPherson also helped set up a pair of Grade-A chances by winning back-to-back offensive zone face-offs. He scored over three points a game with seven (two goals) in two games.
David Bosco
Boston Junior Eagles/Belmont Hill, 2/8/08, F, right shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Bosco was excellent in the Eagles' quarterfinal win over the NS Wings and their semifinal win over the Whalers. He flashed a quick release, strength carrying the puck and solid hockey IQ. He scored a great power-play goal against the Wings off a give-and-go to the corner. Bosco drove to the middle and stuck with it after his initial chance got broken up, burying the loose puck to finish a nice sequence. He later rang the post on a breakaway, recognizing a soft spot in the neutral zone and flying up the weak side for a stretch pass.
The Belmont Hill sophomore made a great play to score in the slot against the Whalers. He handled physicality from the defense in transition before making a sweet setup to Ty Hymovitz in the slot. Bosco again stuck with the play and buried the loose puck amid the chaos in front. He finished with three points (two goals) in three games.
PREP PREVIEWS: Avon Old Farms | Belmont Hill | Berkshire | Brunswick | Frederick Gunn | Holderness | Phillips Andover Â
Kingsley Solomon
Lovell Academy, 8/11/08, F, left shot, 5-3/150
Hometown: Montreal, QC
Solomon was one of the best players on the ice in Lovell's overtime loss to the Militia on Saturday. His speed and playmaking gave the Militia fits, putting the defense on its heels. He opened the scoring just 23 seconds into the game off a good rush down the left wing, faking a pass and slipping a shot five-hole for an easy goal. He scored again 47 seconds into the second after posting up at the side of the net in a perfect spot to bury a great cross-ice feed from Josh Bostedo. Solomon also made a great play in the first to lay a bank pass into space and set up a 2-on-1 for his linemates. He finished the weekend with three goals in three games.
Chase Field
Boston Junior Eagles/Lawrence Academy, 3/1/08, F, left shot, 5-9/150
Hometown: Topsfield, Mass.
Field had an impressive weekend for the Eagles, especially in the championship, but he was also strong against the Wings with a pair of goals. He had an excellent shot on the power play against the Wings, curling around the left circle after a back-and-forth with Brady Sloper out high. Field closed and ripped one low, off the post and in. He scored shorthanded in the third, getting to the slot and burying one in tight. Field was again a shorthanded threat against the Militia, but couldn't break through. He also had a phenomenal cross-ice look for Drew Giguere (Georgetown, Mass.). Field finished with four points (three goals) in three games.
Alex Theodore
Neponset Valley River Rats/St. Mark's, 5/21/08, F, left shot, 6-0/163
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Theodore didn't end up on the scoresheet, but he was effective around the net and in transition. He was critical to JT Rothstein's goal against the Kings, battling in front and pulling the defense out of position to leave Rothstein wide open for Michael Frederico's (Hanover, Mass.) pass. Theodore played with swagger and did a good job of getting under the Kings' skin, too. He later made a good cut at the offensive blue line to drive past a defender and get a good shot on net, drawing a hook in the process.
Theodore had a good connection with Frederico against the Militia, too. He was a threat shorthanded with a heavy release and good straight-line speed. He set up Frederico off a rush after baiting the defender to overcommit, opening a passing lane. Theodore later got lost in coverage in the slot, giving himself a wide-open look that wouldn't go.
CHAMPS: Junior Eagles win the 15O title | Militia win the 16U title | Junior Eagles win the 18U title
Max Colosimo
East Coast Militia/Milton Academy, 2/11/08, F, left shot, 5-8/150
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Colosimo showed out with a hat trick against the River Rats in Sunday morning's semifinal. He had great instincts and made a habit of getting to the net. His first goal came on a rebound in front on the power play. His second was a beauty, getting the puck down low before closing in on the net, deking and scoring. It was a great job to take advantage of a flat-footed defense. He capped off the hat trick with another goal around the net to tie it in the third. In the championship, Colosimo used his skating and speed to drive transition for the Militia. He ended the weekend with three goals in three contests.
JT Rothstein
Neponset Valley River Rats/Taft, 1/19/08, F, left shot, 5-9/155
Hometown: New York, NY
NCAA: Harvard
Rothstein excelled as a puck carrier this weekend. He constantly had his head up and scanned the ice, and he hardly got knocked off the puck. He was a massive difference-maker on the River Rats' entries. Rothstein also did a good job of maintaining his speed with the puck and hunting pucks on the back check as well. He found wide open space in the slot for a power-play goal against the Kings before his line cashed in again later on. He made a great play at the blue line to break up an exit and keep the offensive zone sequence alive, eventually getting a redirect chance in front. Rothstein had a goal and an assist in two games.
Kieran McIntosh
East Coast Militia/Phillips Andover, 2/23/08, F, right shot, 6-0/174
Hometown: Val-des-Monts, QC
McIntosh was the hero for the Militia in their semifinal win over the River Rats. He scored with 56 seconds left to give them a 4-3 lead. He had a great connection with Andover teammate Nate Kreppner, and it was on full display. McIntosh got into a perfect spot at the net-front for a feed from Kreppner in the high slot before burying it in tight. The two again generated chances in the championship, but couldn't solve Tommy Saulnier (Medfield, Mass.). McIntosh had two goals in three games.
IN BACK: 7 standout defenders and goalies 16U Mass. state tournament
Avin Rodovsky
NS Wings/Marblehead High, 1/10/08, F, right shot, 5-10/160
Hometown: Marblehead, Mass.
Rodovsky was critical to the Wings keeping it close for as long as they did against the Eagles on Saturday. He nearly tied it in the second period on a rush with Pingree's Sean Foster (Andover, Mass.), making a hard drive to the net and getting into a passing lane for the cross-ice look. Rodovsky later cut it to 2-1 late in the period with a quick release off the face-off. He got the puck on his backhand but made a nice, subtle touch to get into a shooting position before putting a quick snap shot inside the right post.
