In the third year of 15 Only as a sanctioned age grouping within USA Hockey, there has become more and more good players competing in the division.
That was evident at the Massachusetts Hockey District Tournament over the weekend at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro. In somewhat of an upset, Cape Cod Whalers ended up winning the 15 Only Division with a 4-3 overtime victory over Neponset Valley River Rats.
BC High forward Colin Norton came through with the heroics. The game featured many of the best players in 15 Only, but a few players stood out on other teams. Unfortunately, one of the best players in 15 Only was not able to compete due to it being a closed weekend for freshmen at his prep school.
Massachusetts Hockey 15 Only Tournament: Top prospects
Matt Copponi
#6 River Rats, Mansfield HS, 6/4/03, Forward, Right Shot
Copponi has had a big fall, but this weekend was his best viewing to date. He was a big time player for his team. He’s great down low and made numerous good passes to facilitate the offense from below the dots. He has the speed to hunt pucks down. One such instance was when he raced down the ice to recover a puck on the penalty kill and passed it to a teammate for an easy goal. His stick and compete level help him be effective on the penalty kill and backchecking in general. His speed allows him to create offense on the rush.
Aidan Lyons
#11 River Rats, Nobles, 2/26/03, Defense, Left Shot
Lyons is very skilled with the puck on his stick. He can move pucks north and has the mobility to make plays. He has Division I tools as a puck-moving, offensive defenseman. His hockey sense is one area of his game that could use improvement.
Declan Loughnane
#16 CC Whalers, BC High, 11/22/03, Defense, Right Shot
Loughnane first stood out at last May’s Massachusetts Hockey CCM High Performance Festival. He was solid again here. He has size and he can activate into the offense. He skates well and has a good base.
Joseph Borelli
#16 River Rats, Catholic Memorial, 1/24/03, Forward, Left Shot
Borelli benefited greatly from playing with Copponi, but he also made some nice plays and showed some potential. He drove the net for a couple of goals off feeds from Copponi. He’s quick, played in the greasy areas, and had a quick release. He’ll be a really good player for CM this winter.
C.J. Monturio
#6 CC Whalers, Thayer, 2/21/03, Forward, Right Shot
Monturio has speed which allows him to create on the rush. He plays hard and competes. He’s on the move from Xaverian to Thayer for this season.
Michael Cataldo
#77 River Rats, St. Sebastian’s, 5/4/03, Forward, Right Shot
Cataldo has a solid frame and skates well. He’s able to maneuver in tight areas, win puck battles below the dots and turn that into scoring chances. He’ll be a newcomer at St. Sebastian’s this winter.
Zach Glass
#4 CC Whalers, Thayer, 2/14/03, Forward, Right Shot
Glass saw minimal ice time last winter at Thayer, but he is a good skater with some skill. He’s one of his team’s most talented playmakers.
Joe Freeman
#5 CC Whalers, Middlesex, 6/19/03, Defense, Left Shot
Freeman has always been one of the better puck-moving, offensive defenseman in Massachusetts for this age group. He has a good shot and skill with the puck on his stick. His skating will need to get a little better as he continues up the ladder in prep.
Landon Greatorex
#26 Jr. Eagles, Reading HS, 7/26/03, Forward, Left Shot
Greatorex is quick and has some skill. His skating has always stood out. He’ll be one of the better underclassmen among public school teams in MIAA this winter.
Colin Norton
#8 CC Whalers, BC High, 5/23/03, Forward, Left Shot
The Pembroke, Mass., native scored two key goals, including the overtime winner against the River Rats in the final. He’s around the puck a lot and plays with a lot of energy.
Sean Conlon
#2 Springfield Rifles, Albany Academy, 1/7/03, Defense, Left Shot
Conlon has good size and strength on the backend. He’s not flashy or offensive-minded, but he’s solid in his own zone. He makes simple, but effective passes out of his own zone and can be physical.
Mick Frechette
#9 Jr. Eagles, St. Sebastian’s, 10/27/03, Forward, Left Shot
Frechette is a player with quickness and skill. A late ’03, he’s a player to watch as he continues to develop with the Arrows.
Brandon Spaulding
#18 Springfield Rifles, Pope Francis, 8/8/03, Forward, Left Shot
Spaulding goes a little under the radar due to being from west of 495, but he’s going to be a nice offensive talent for Brian Foley’s Cardinals at the MIAA level.
