HAVERHILL, Mass. -- The FM Hockey Columbus Day Shootout brought several top bantam teams from across the northeast to the Merrimack Valley over the long holiday weekend.
The tournament was split into four divisions with each age group having a red and blue division. The Red Division was the top division for both age groups. Neponset Valley River Rats won the 2005 Red Division while Boston Hockey Club captured the 2006 Red Division. Rochester Selects and Boston Advantage were victorious in the 2005 Blue Division and 2006 Blue Division, respectively.
Neponset Valley River Rats, coached by longtime BC High coach John Flaherty, won three close games in Monday’s playoff action. In the quarterfinals, the team downed Mount Saint Charles, 3-2, in overtime. Following that was a 2-1 victory over Boston Jr. Rangers in the semifinals and a 4-2 triumph over North Jersey Avalanche in the final. Right wing Joe Hurton had the game-winning goal in the championship game.
Boston Hockey Club captured the championship at the 2006 Red Division with a 4-0 win over Boston Advantage in the final. The team beat Middlesex Icemen and Rochester Selects in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
Left-shot forward Laz Giardina had a goal and two assists in the final. Right-shot forwards Mick Keogan and David Strong also lit the lamp. Evan Zheng pitched a shutout.
The tournament was well run and most of the red division games took place at Haverhill Valley Forum, making it easy for players, parents, prep school coaches and agents who wanted to take in the action.
Here’s a look at the standouts from the 2005 Red Division and 2006 Red Division from Monday’s playoff action:
2005 Red Division: Top prospects
Joe Hurton
#7 River Rats, 3/23/05, RW, right shot
Hurton is a big right power who plays the game like a power forward should. He has size, length and drives the net. He does a good job protecting pucks and using his size and strength as leverage. He scored a nice breakaway goal in the semifinals and had the game-winner in the final. His score in the final was a thing of beauty as he barreled his way to the slot and sniped one just under the bar. He’ll be a freshman at BC High this winter.
Adam Zidlicky
#13 North Jersey Avalanche, 1/28/05, LW, left shot
Zidlicky looks to be a very good prospect. He has a hard shot and is strong on his skates. He made several power moves to the net front, including one for a goal in the final. He made a couple of nice looks, as well, including one on a two-on-one against the River Rats.
Cam Russo
#8 River Rats, 1/3/05, C, right shot
Russo is a very skilled player who can stickhandle and skate his way around opposing defenders. He scored a goal in the semifinal and had an empty net tally and an assist in the final. He’ll be at St. John’s Prep this winter.
Thomas Zocco
#88 North Jersey Avalanche, 6/25/06, C/RW, right shot
Zocco missed his team’s semifinal game, but came back to play in the final, despite having been diagnosed with a broken finger. The way he played against the Rats didn’t show any signs of being less than 100 percent. He scored a nice backhand goal and had a couple of other solid plays. He skates well and looked right at home, despite playing up as an ‘06.
Joey Zheng
#87 River Rats, 9/8/05, RW, right shot
Zheng was one of the fastest players on the ice Monday in Haverhill. He’s a great skater who was able to use his speed to track down loose pucks and generate separation.
Ryan Leonard
#14 Springfield Rifles, 1/21/05, RW, right shot
Leonard is heavy on pucks and has a hard shot. He has skill and will become an even better player, once his feet catch up some more.
Pat Murphy
#19 Mount Saint Charles, 12/18/05, RW, right shot
Murphy is a great skater with skill. As he learns to slow it down some and see plays develop, he’ll be even more effective.
Cam Henderson
#17 Mount Saint Charles, 8/14/05, LW, left shot
Henderson is a gifted offensive player who can put the puck in the back of the net with a good shot.
Tyler Kelly
#86 EC Militia, 2/21/06, LW, left shot
Kelly’s speed and compete level stick out right away. His hockey sense could use some improvement, but his skating and nack for hunting pucks will carry him a long way.
Quinn Moses
#13 Boston Jr. Rangers, 6/23/05, RW, right shot
Moses made numerous great passes in the playoff games. He made a couple of really good low to high passes. He also made a good read to pick off an errant breakout pass against the River Rats.
Michael Nigro
#44 Boston Jr. Rangers, 3/22/05, C, left shot
Nigro is quick and skates well. He gets shots off quickly and with zip.
Jake Gutwirth
#16 Mount Saint Charles, 5/29/05, C, left shot
Gutwirth is small, but he keeps his feet moving and sees the ice well. He made the most plays of anyone on Mount.
Ryan Flaherty
#14 River Rats, 4/25/05, C, right shot
Flaherty plays the game with an edge. He mixed it up a little and was good on the penalty kill late in the game against the Rangers. He scored his team’s second goal from a bad angle in the final. He'll be a freshman at BC High.
Wyatt Glass
#6 River Rats, 2/10/05, LW, left shot
Glass is a solid athlete who did a lot of the little things for the River Rats. He made a play on the backcheck in the semifinals to break up a great scoring opportunity by the Rangers.
Pelle Russo
#33 River Rats, 3/9/05, G, catches left
Russo stood tall late in the game in all three playoff wins. He has good size, composure and played with a competitive edge.
Matteo Mancheno
#11 North Jersey Avalanche, 4/29/05, C, right shot
Mancheno did a lot of the little things well. He was a center who competed hard in all three zones and saw the ice well. He made a couple of nice passes and he also did a good job in his own zone. One particular backcheck broke up a good scoring opportunity.Â
Calvin Beard
#25 River Rats, 10/4/05, D, right shot
Beard made a huge block late in the game to preserve a one-goal lead against the North Jersey Avalanche. He has good size and he kept things smart and simple.
Ace Seaman
#16 Valley Forge Minutemen, 4/28/05, D, right shot
I caught the Valley Forge Minutemen on an off game, but he was the most notable player. He skated well and made some good passes as a puck-moving defenseman.
Brian Lonergran
#8 North Jersey Avalanche, 12/28/05, D, right shot
Lonergran has a good stick and did a good job of closing on opposing forwards.
Cole Hutson
#22 North Jersey Avalanche, 6/26/06, D, left shot
Playing up a year, Hutson appears to be similar to his older brother, Lane, an ‘04 committed to BU. He’s on the smaller side, but he skates well, has good feet to sidestep forecheckers, and can make plays. His size and youth hurt him a little in his own zone, but that is to be expected playing up against good and older teams.
Thomas Klochkov
#71 North Jersey Avalanche, 3/20/05, RW, left shot
Klochkov saw a lot of ice time and played his off wing. He has good size and was a player who could continue to grow into a solid prospect.
Ryan O’Leary
#16 Springfield Rifles, 1/12/05, C, right shot
O’Leary appeared to be the top center for the Rifles. He made a couple of power moves to the net and had good hands.
Luke Caster
#2 Springfield Rifles, 1/24/05, D, left shot
Caster is a mobile defenseman with some jam. His gaps were strong and he made a couple of plays in transition.
Christian Rosa
#37 Boston Jr. Rangers, 12/1/05, RW, right shot
Rosa skates well and is a player to keep an eye on over the coming years.
Ronan Locke
#4 Boston Jr. Rangers, 4/23/05, C, left shot
Locke didn’t produce much in the games I saw, but he looked to be a player who could become a solid prospect. He skates well and had above average hockey sense.
Jake Vana
#12 Boston Jr. Rangers, 1/1/05, RW, right shot
Vana had a nice chance late in the game against the River Rats. He slipped past the defense and got off a good backhander that was stopped. He’s small, but quick and should be watched by prep coaches.
Aidan Rybacki
#42 North Jersey Avalanche, 8/20/05, G, catches left
Rybacki had a shutout in his team’s 3-0 semifinal win over Springfield Rifles.
Cameron Caponigro
#3 Top Gun, 1/1/05, D, right shot
Caponigro was a standout for the Top Gun blue line. He'll be a freshman at Newburyport High this winter.
Allen Fang
#17 North Jersey Avalanche, 1/17/06, RW, right shot
Fang is a big winger who is heavy on pucks and can shoot it. He’s physically more mature than a lot of his peers, which gives him an edge down low and in the slot.
2006 Red Division: Standouts
Ben Nakata
#86 Boston Advantage, F, left shot
Nakata had a couple of strong shifts. He’s an explosive skater who can make plays and generate offense.
Kiernan Poulin
#7 Boston Advantage, D, right shot
Poulin is a mobile, offensive defenseman. His skating is very good and he can transition pucks up ice with ease.
Troy Hayes
#80 Boston Hockey Club, F, left shot
Hayes is a big power forward who was held off the score sheet in the final, but he’s a player to keep an eye on over the coming years. He had a huge block on a penalty kill.
Laz Giardina
#8 Boston Hockey Club, F, left shot
Giardina had a goal and two assists in the final. He has good size, is heavy on pucks, and showed a willingness to go to the net and other tough areas to win battles.
Logan Poulin
#88 Boston Advantage, F, left shot
Poulin was noticeable a few times in the attacking zone, including for having a hard one-timer.
Colby Jewell
#4 Boston Hockey Club, F, left shot
Jewell is a big forward who won a lot of battles and made an impact in his own zone.
Deke Davidson
#13 Boston Hockey Club, D, left shot
Davidson is a good sized defender who moves well and was reliable in both zones. He had an assist in the final.
Colton Whitfield
#12 Boston Hockey Club, D, left shot
Whitfield has size and logged a ton of minutes, including down the stretch.
Evan Zheng
#35 Boston Hockey Club, G, catches left
Zheng had a shutout against a very good Boston Advantage team in the final.
Kevin Delay
#16 Boston Advantage, F, left shot
Delay is a very good skater who was shifty and could be elusive.
