MILTON, Mass. -- Salisbury repeated as champions at the 55th annual Flood Marr Tournament held over the weekend at Milton Academy and Noble & Greenough School.
The Crimson Knights, buoyed by their top two lines, defeated fellow perennial prep power Kimball Union in the clash of the week on Friday. Andrew Will’s team followed that up with an overtime wins against Deerfield and Milton. In Sunday’s final, Salisbury took care of business with a 4-1 triumph over Hotchkiss.
Salisbury’ top line of left wing Jake Quillan, center Lucas Mercuri and right wing Matt DeBoer was good all weekend. However, Flood Marr Tournament MVP honors went to second line center Michael Fairfax.
KUA is a team that looks like it might be missing a couple of their leaders from a year ago as there is a battle to play up to expectations currently. There’s plenty of talent on Tim Whitehead’s team so it would be shocking if the Wildcats weren’t still there in the end. No player in the entire tournament came close to matching the skill and potential of Kimball Union sophomore center Adam Fantilli.
Hotchkiss went 3-0 in pool play before the loss to Salisbury. The Bearcats aren’t in the same class as Salisbury, Kimball Union, Lawrence Academy or Dexter Southfield, but they are vastly improved. They have two solid lines and a very good goaltender in Boston College commit Henry Wilder. The Founders League is vastly superior to the ISL at the moment and that hurts teams like Hotchkiss in the battle for a good record on paper.
Nobles, one of the two hosts, went 2-1-1, including a loss to Hotchkiss and a tie against KUA. Brian Day’s top line of David Jacobs, Casey Severo and Jack Cronin is one of the best lines in prep hockey.
Deerfield has some good young players, including ‘04 goaltender Justin Katz who shut out Milton in the opening game and was very good throughout the tournament.
After watching Phillips Andover beat a very good Thayer team a couple of weeks ago, I had high expectations for the Big Blue. Unfortunately, the team went 1-4 here and have now lost five of seven.
Westminster was the only team in the tournament to go winless. The Martlets don’t have the talent they’ve been used to having in the past and have started the season 1-6.
Here’s a look at the top prospects from the weekend’s action. I broke it down between uncommitted players and committed players.
Flood Marr Tournament - Top uncommitted players
Adam Fantilli
Kimball Union, 10/12/04, C, left shot, 6-2/180
Fantilli was the best prospect on the ice throughout the weekend. He has the size, skating, stick skills, and physical presence to wow anyone watching. His ability to see the ice and play a mature game for his age are both tremendous assets. He’s willing to throw his weight around and play with jam. Fantilli can unleash a wrist shot in the blink of an eye and he has the hands and skating ability to get time and space to produce offense.
Michael Fairfax
Salisbury, 3/4/01, LW, left shot, 6-2/195
Fairfax was named MVP of the Flood Marr after scoring two goals and adding a helper in the final. He also had a goal and an assist earlier in the tournament. In the final, he drove the net used his size and strength to be a force. He had a good netfront presence. He’s a power forward who has always looked like a player. It will be interesting to see if he can use this performance as a springboard to keep it going in the right direction.
Sullivan Mack
Kimball Union, 7/5/00, RW, left shot, 6-0/180
Mack had a couple of goals during my viewings here. He drove the net for a goal after receiving a centering feed from the wing. He plays with pace and shoots it hard. He’s starting to get interest from Big Ten, Hockey East and NCHC schools.
Casey Severo
Nobles, 2/1/01, C, right shot, 5-11/175
Severo had a hat trick in the first day against Andover. A 200-foot center, Severo is dominant on draws and does a lot of little things well. He sees the ice well and is a player who will likely be committed once again. He was formerly a Merrimack recruit.
David Jacobs
Nobles, 9/26/01, LW, right shot, 5-9/155
Jacobs also had a productive first game against Andover with a goal and an assist. He quieted down later in the weekend, but he’s quick, smart, and goes to the greasy areas. He’ll certainly have his pick of quite a few programs in ECAC Hockey and Hockey East.
Luca Fantilli
Kimball Union, 12/30/02, D, left shot, 6-0/175
Fantilli had a solid performance here. He’s a puck-moving defenseman who keeps things simple and smart. He’s a quarterback and not a running back in the sense that he’d rather move it quickly than rush it up ice.
Ethan Mistry
Milton, 2/4/03, D, left shot, 5-8/158
Mistry is a smart, skilled, puck-moving defenseman. He can put sauce on his passes and he’s able to push the pace in transition. He’s more than proven his worth as a puck transporter. The one area of his game that I’d say could use a little work is being heavier on pucks and harder to knock off pucks. He seems to be a great target for an Ivy League school or other top academic schools.
William Hughes
Andover, 1/4/04, C, right shot, 6-2/200
It wasn’t a good week for Andover, but Hughes was the lone bright spot for the team. The big ‘04 center had a goal and an assist over four games. While his physical tools should produce more than two points in four games, it is important to remember that he's playing against a lot of kids who are two to three years older than him. His skating and size are certainly intriguing.
Karsen Dorwart
Hotchkiss, 9/17/02, C, left shot, 6-0.25/178
Dorwart had a great weekend and earned a lot of respect from college coaches in attendance. He has size, speed and shoots it hard. He was around the puck a lot and had a couple of nice moves where he was able to stickhandle and juke defenders.
Eamon Doheny
Deerfield, 1/6/01, D, left shot, 6-1/190
Doheny had a great game against Salisbury in the second of the day on Friday. He’s a two-way defenseman who can play hard, but he’s slowly becoming a more efficient puck-mover. Doheny can contribute offensively and his instincts are better than he’s sometimes given credit for.
Connor Chalmers
Kimball Union, 8/30/03, D, right shot, 5-11/170
Chalmers is starting to take a huge step in his game. He’s better defensively, gapping better, and using his stick to defend. Chalmers is playing with more jam and his feet are certainly a huge asset.
Aidan Lyons
Nobles, 2/26/03, D, left shot, 5-9/163
Lyons didn’t really produce like he sometimes does, but his skill and skating still stand out. His hockey sense and reeling it in are areas of his game that need improvement, but he’s a player college coaches should continue watching.
Justin Katz
Deerfield, 10/28/04, G, catches right, 5-11/140
Katz blanked Milton in the opening game and showed he’s ready for primetime, despite being a young goalie in prep. He’s not overly big, but he’s solid and made some key saves. Katz is a goaltender who should be watched closely over the coming years.
Andrew Garzone
Deerfield, 5/30/04, RW, right shot, 5-10/155
Garzone is an athlete who has solid offensive instincts. He sees the ice well and had three assists throughout the tournament. Garzone skates well and is an impressive offensive player, especially given his birth year.
Roman Tacelli
Nobles, 8/20/02, LW, left shot, 5-9/140
Tacelli had two goals and two assists in the tournament while not playing on the top line or first power play unit. What I like about Tacelli is he plays hard and goes all out every shift. He’s heavy on pucks, forechecks with a purpose, and plays with an edge. I really liked his play here as I did a couple of times earlier in the season.
Ben MacDonald
Nobles, 2/24/04, C, left shot, 5-9.25/146
MacDonald has been a little snakebit on the score sheet, but he’s a good skater, has some skill, and is smart. It’s only a matter of time before he gets the ball rolling.
Gavin PuskarÂ
Hotchkiss, 6/21/01, RW, left shot, 6-1/175
I’ve always been intrigued by Puskar. He has speed, delivered a couple of hits, and made several nice plays on the rush. He’ll need to get better about playing between the dots and making plays off the cycle. Puskar is likely headed to the BCHL for the 2020-21 season.
Max Donoso
Salisbury, 6/11/03, G, catches left, 6-0/165
Donoso is looking like he’ll overtake the veteran in the Salisbury net. He’s athletic, technically strong, and made saves look easy against KUA.
Chris Romaine
Milton, 2/21/04, D, right shot, 5-10/150
Romaine is a solid partner for Mistry on Milton’s top puck-moving pair. He has a great feet. While his hockey sense is a work in progress, his skill and feet for an ‘04 are up at the top of his age group.
Robert Lapsley
Nobles, 1/31/01, RW, right shot, 6-3/195
Lapsley had a couple of goals here. He’s a big winger who can drive the net. While his skating and skill set don’t appear to be Division I, he’s a player that should be watched closely by NESCAC schools. If he plays a year of junior in the NCDC or BCHL, he’d be a good fit at many such schools.
Alex Robert
Deerfield, 9/12/00, C, left shot, 5-11/175
Robert had five points on the weekend and seemed to be around the puck a lot. He’s an older player in prep, but he’s a prospect who should be watched closely by Division III coaches looking for an offensive catalyst.
Colby Bailey
Nobles, 3/19/01, D, right shot, 5-11.5/177
Bailey is a sturdy, puck-moving defenseman who is smart and hard to knock off pucks. He should be a player that NESCAC schools covet for an offensive role from the blue line.
David Chen
Milton, 4/1/03, C, right shot, 5-9/140
Chen was on the top line for Milton and made some plays. He has good touch around the net and is a player who should keep getting better.
Jack Kane
Hotchkiss, 12/4/01, D, left shot, 6-0/175
Kane caught my eye a little and is a player who Division III coaches should have an interest in. He got a couple shots from the point, had decent hockey sense, and delivered a notably big hip check in the final.
Flood Marr Tournament - Top committed players
Lucas Mercuri
Salisbury, 3/7/02, C, right shot, 6-3/191
NCAA commit: Vermont
Mercuri had a goal and an assist in each of my two viewings here. I’ve always liked his ability to control play below the dots and make plays by protecting pucks and getting time and space for his linemates. He played with more of an edge here, even crossing the line a time or two in the final. He made a really nice pass out to Fairfax from below the goal line on a goal in Sunday’s final which showed off the type of player he is. His skating looked a little better, but it’s still an area that will need to get better if he’s going to make the most of his ability.
Jake Quillan
Salisbury, 2/2/02, LW, left shot, 5-6.5/150
NCAA commit: Quinnipiac
Quillan was awesome here. While he lacks the size and dynamic offensive skill that will get him drafted, he’s a cerebral, high-energy player who should be a great college player. He hunts pucks and makes plays. His speed is a huge asset.
Henry Wilder
Hotchkiss, 3/19/01, G, catches left, 6-0/165
NCAA commit: Boston College
Wilder is the best goaltender in prep hockey, hands down. He’s the engine that keeps the Hotchkiss train going. The Needham, Mass., native blanked Westy in the first game kept it going throughout the tournament.
Zakari Brice
Kimball Union, 1/25/03, G, catches left, 5-11/165
NCAA commit: Arizona State
Brice gave up three goals in his two starters here and was really impressive. While he’s the younger of the two KUA goaltenders, he’ll take over as full-time starter, if this weekend was any indication. Brice is a little on the smaller side, but he’s quick and has great reflexes. He’s quiet and doesn’t flop around like some undersized goalies.
Bayard Hall
Salisbury, 8/16/02, D, right shot, 6-1/176
NCAA commit: Yale
Hall is one of those defensemen who you don’t always truly appreciate because he isn’t the flashiest player on the ice. He does everything well, but is lacking that true elite skill set that will get him noticed by NHL scouts. He should be a really good defenseman in ECAC Hockey.
Jack Cronin
Nobles, 1/4/01, RW, right shot, 5-11/175
NCAA commit: Princeton
Cronin had a goal and two assists in the team’s big win over Andover on the opening day of the tournament. He has quickness, especially straight line speed, and a good shot.
Ryan Pineault
Westminster, 2/10/01, D, right shot, 5-9/160
NCAA commit: Holy Cross
Pineault was the only player on Westy that stood out during this tournament. He’s a mobile, puck-moving defenseman who has added a step this fall. He’ll be heading to Holy Cross to play college hockey.
