GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — It took just 13 seconds for Kent to break open a scoreless game en route to a 2-1 win over Cushing to win the NEPSAC Large School Tournament Championship.
Aidan Cobb’s power play goal at the 7:33 mark of the third period gave the Lions a 1-0 lead, and Alex Giummo added to the lead on the following shift.
Cushing center Nick Cafarelli banged home a loose puck in front of the goal mouth to pull the Penguins within a goal, but that was as close as they would get.
The win capped a nice season for Dale Reinhardt’s team. While Kent didn’t have the depth of the top teams in prep hockey, the first two lines and No. 1 defenseman were able to go toe-to-toe with anyone at this level.
It was a tough game to gauge prospects with tight checking and very few plays being made. First line center Michael Posma and right wing Alex Laferriere were held off the score sheet, something that hasn’t happened often this season. In the semifinal win over Deerfield, the pair had six and five points, respectively.
Laferriere, committed to Army, will be taking his talents to the USHL for at least a few games as he’ll be rejoining the Des Moines Buccaneers. A late ’01, his stock has grown significantly over the past year and he’ll be considered for the 2020 NHL Draft. Laferriere can fly, has a sneaky good skill set and keeps his feet moving.
Posma, an Air Force commit, doesn’t have the skating ability or the skill set of Laferriere, but he does a great job below the dots and along the walls. He made a couple of nice feeds out to the slot after winning puck battles below the goal line.
The other top player for Kent is defenseman Ian Pierce, a Dartmouth commit. He is a highly skilled, smooth-skating, puck-mover. He makes a good first pass and he’s adept at defending the rush due to his gaps. He can defend with his feet. There are still some fine points of the game that need refinement, but he should be a dynamite college player in ECAC Hockey.
The other player on Kent with a Division I commit is second-line center Dane Dowiak, slated to go to Penn State in a couple of years. He’s a smart, cerebral player who had a secondary assist on the power play goal by Aidan Cobb, the team’s top uncommitted player.
For Cushing, there were some good players who didn’t play their best. However, two young defensemen stood out at times. Cody Sealey ('02) is mobile and can make a good first pass on the breakout. He needs to shore up his own end of the ice, but he has the skill set to become a Division I player down the road. Jackson Dorrington ('04) shows poise beyond his years and has the skating and stick to go along with it.
Kent Lines
10 Aidan Cobb - 19 Michael Posma - 14 Alex Laferriere
27 Thomas Raith - 11 Dane Dowiak - 9 Jason Kleinhans
23 Alex Giummo - 7 Finn McLain - 24 Colin Cobb
21 Ian Pierce - 15 Nicholas Marciano
3 Matthew Perryman - 5 Joshua Stich
6 Michael Kwiecinski
30 Alex Contey
Cushing Lines
5 Jacob Banks - 22 Max Bogdanovich - 11 Jake Hewitt
21 Patrick Borella - 14 Nick Cafarelli - 10 Anthony Cafarelli
13 Connor Wood - 20 Shane Zarcone - 12 Max Dorrington
18 Joe Noone - 7 Billy Norcross - 17 Brendan O’Donnell
16 Jackson Dorrington - 26 Bryce Montgomery
19 Patrick Keegan - 2 Cody Sealey
8 Lukas Gustafsson - 3 Brad Zona
4 Tim Kippenberger - 6 Charles McFadden
29 Joe Sharib
