GROTON, Mass. – Cushing Academy won the 48th annual Groton/Lawrence Holiday Hockey Tournament over the weekend with a 5-2 win over Dexter Southfield in Saturday morning’s final.
The Penguins defeated Lawrence Academy and Holderness en route to winning the crown. By downing Dexter Southfield in the final, it enacted some form of revenge for last year’s 3-2 loss to coach Danny Donato’s team in the final.
The game was attended by close to three dozen NHL scouts and college coaches at Grant Rink on the campus of Lawrence Academy.
Senior goaltender Cooper Rautenstrauch was named the MVP after stopping 79 of 83 shots faced throughout the three games.
2023 NHL draft
Junior right wing Ethan Gardula had two goals and an assist against Dexter Southfield. He had a solo assist in each of the first two games at the tournament. From Princeton, Mass., he’s playing his off wing this season after having typically been on the left side or at center in past viewings. He scored two nifty goals around the net, including a backhander on the game-winner late in the second period. His assist came earlier in that period when he fired a wrist shot from the top of the right wing circle. It was redirected past Dexter Southfield goaltender Paul Dalessio (Burlington, Mass.) by Emerson Marshall (Gloucester, Mass.), who scored the first two Cushing goals of the game.
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It was yet another chance for Gardula to go up against Dexter Southfield senior defenseman Sean Keohane (Milton, Mass.), who entered the prep season as the top 2023 NHL draft target in prep hockey. Keohane, a late '04 lefty, has size, skating and length to get on the radar of scouts. He had a hard shot and scored a goal in the third period. His stick skill and ability to make plays with the puck on his stick are two areas that will keep him from getting drafted higher.
2024 NHL draft
The myriad NHL scouts watching Saturday’s final were primarily there to watch Gardula and Keohane. However, they also undoubtedly noticed and wrote down some notes on underager Landan Resendes. The late '05 from Marlboro, Mass., has the skating, stick skill and jam to intrigue scouts. His size is a deterrent, but he’s been one of the most dynamic prep players I’ve seen this season. Saturday wasn’t as good of a viewing as the season opener against Dexter Southfield, but Resendes still scored a goal and an assist.
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He found the back of the net in each of the three games in this tournament. A righty, he’s typically played wing in the past, but he continued to play down the middle in this tournament.
2025 NHL draft
The top 2025 NHL draft prospect in the Groton/Lawrence Holiday Hockey Tournament was Cushing sophomore defenseman Tyler Russo. The '07 lefty from Hamilton, Mass., made a couple of great outlet passes. Defensively, he does a good job of positioning and getting into shooting and passing lanes. He’s confident, gaps well, and has an active stick. He’s a little over his head physically at times, going up against a few players who are four years older. He skates well and is smooth.
Cushing lines
Marshall - Resendes - Gardula
Dedinas - Green - Quinn
Sacco - Markevych - Favreau
Bennett - Agnew - Wallace
Philbrick - Rizzo
Russo - Marcoux
Maldonado - Ross
Rautenstrauch
ELSEWHERE: Complete results from all boys prep holiday tournaments
Dexter Southfield lines
Sutherland - Emery - Morgan
Naumann - Porter - Burton
Dwan - Assad - Minchello
Condon - Butte - Leetch
Keohane - Lanza
Frechette - Nickulas
Albrecht
Dalessio
