Hooksett, N.H. – The Prep Cup was held this past weekend, offering up-and-coming players a chance to exhibit their skills before college and prep school coaches at a high-level tournament.
With games at the 2004 and 2005 age groups, plus the U-16 division, Division 1 commits and hopefuls continued their swing of summertime showcases throughout New England.
New England Hockey Journal was on hand observe the teams, taking stock of who impressed scouts. Some are already well-known throughout the region’s hockey circles – Quinnipiac commit and forward Victor Czerneckianair (Southington, Conn.) continues to shine – but plenty are just entering the radar screen. Their upside is tangible.
The analysis below contains standouts from the ‘04 age group, as well as the U-16 division.
2004 Forwards
Shane Taddia – East Coast Kings: Taddia is a two-way forward with lots of energy and offensive ability. He gets up and down the ice and uses his speed to beat defenders and get to the net for scoring chances. He’ll play for the Neponset Valley River Rats in the fall.
Noah Melanson – Boston Jr. Blues: A big, left-shot power forward. Skates really well and competes hard for pucks. Creates offense with his size and strength. Has a heavy shot and is impactful on every shift. He’ll play for Neponset Valley River Rats in the fall.
Kiefer Lyons – V-Red Prospects: Lengthy, left-shot forward with good feet and stick skills. He has high-level skill and potential. One of the top players in the entire event.
Chris Delaney – Boston Jr. Blues: Undersized forward with high IQ and playmaking ability. Sees the ice really well and controls the game when he’s out there. Lots of poise with the puck. He’s playing for the U-16 Junior Bruins in the fall.
JoJo Dable – East Coast Kings: Scored a couple nice goals this weekend. He’s an electric skater and plays at a high pace every shift. High work ethic and lots of upside. He’ll play for the Neponset Valley River Rats in the fall.
Grayson Badger – East Coast Kings: Badger has a big frame and plays heavy. Scored the game-winning goal Saturday afternoon to get his team into the playoff round. Competes every shift. He’s part of the South Shore Kings’ U-14 team.
Genaro Fronduto – Boston Jr. Blues: Solid, two-way forward who protects the puck well and is good below the dots. Good shot and motor; plays in all three zones.
Ray Mueller – Boston Jr. Blues: Right-shot forward who can really fire the puck on net. He’s effective when he has time and space, and makes plays with his creativity. He’ll play for the Seacoast Spartans U-14s in the fall.
2004 Defensemen
Jake Tracey – V-Red Prospects: Left-shot blueliner who likes to get up in the play and contribute to the offense. Handles the puck well and is good in transition.
Ethan Dellemont – V-Red Prospects: Smooth-skating right shot D-man who plays in control and is poised with the puck. Controls the play from the back end. Makes good decisions.
CJ Beals – East Coast Kings: Small, right-shot defenseman who is really good with the puck on his stick. Makes smart plays and has good feet to escape from pressure. Consistently makes a good first pass and plays with his head up. He’ll play for Neponset Valley River Rats in the fall.
Brian Grant – East Coast Kings: Puck-moving, right-shot defenseman who uses his feet to transition the puck up the ice and create offense. He’ll play for the South Shore Kings U-14s in the fall.
Shaun McEwen – Boston Jr. Blues: Big and strong left-shot defenseman. Gets pucks through from the point for scoring chances with his heavy shot. Competes hard and finishes all his checks. Solid, two-way player. He’ll play for the Seacoast Spartans’ U-14 team in the fall.
Ollie Chessler – Boston Jr. Blues: Left-shot blueliner who has some of the best feet in his age group. Offensive-minded player with good stick skills. Likes to join the rush and take chances. He’ll play for the East Coast Wizards U-14s in the fall.
2004 Goalies
Michael Hayes – Boston Jr. Blues: Hayes was very good all weekend long. He moves well side to side and challenges shooters. He made some outstanding saves to get his team to the finals. One of the top ‘04 goalies in the area. He’ll play for the Neponset Valley River Rats in the fall.
Dylan Silverstein – V-Red Prospects: Big and athletic goalie who moves well. Made some solid saves and keeps his rebounds under control.
Honorable Mention
William Hughes – Boston Jr. Blues: We only saw Hughes on Sunday, but he was very effective in his team’s final game. The forward has a big frame and moves well. He’ll attend Phillips Andover in the fall.
Michael Callow – East Coast Kings: Two-way forward with skill. He scored a nice goal on Friday afternoon, beating the goalie top right corner just inside the blue line.
Isaac Menard – East Coast Kings: Solid, two-way defender with a heavy shot from the point.
Jack Hutchins – New Hampshire Knights: Big, right-shot defenseman who moves the puck up the ice.
Mason Kesselring – New Hampshire Knights: Left shot forward with some skill and speed.
Trey Scott – Boston Jr. Blues: Undersized, right-shot shot defenseman. Does a good job at supporting the play. Simple, no-nonsense player.
U-16 Forwards
Colin Graf – East Coast Canadiens: Undersized, right-shot forward who makes plays. Good vision and hockey IQ. He’s part of the Junior Bruins system.
Dominic Murphy – Evolve Hockey: An extremely crafty forward who possesses a high hockey IQ. Makes plays every shift and is constantly around the puck. Attending St. Marks in the fall and is part of the U-15 Neponset Valley River Rats. An under-the-radar player, Murphy could could start to get some Division 1 attention.
Jack Williams – East Coast Canadiens: The Northeastern commit is skilled and fleet-footed. He’s very strong and plays a complete game in all three zones. It’s easy to see why the Huskies came calling.
Mike Cataldo – Evolve Hockey: A two-way forward with skill and speed. Cataldo is a national camp selection of out of the Massachusetts 2003 age group.
Ben Steeves – East Coast Canadiens: Shifty, left-shot forward. He plays with an edge, has a good sense for the game and is always around the puck creating offense.
Victor Czerneckianair – East Coast Canadiens: Czerneckianair is a left-shot forward who creates offense and impacts the game on every shift. The Quinnipiac commit is crafty and simply knows how to make plays.
Nate Glencross – New Hampshire Knights: Glencross is a lengthy, left-shot forward who can create offense by getting up and down the ice. With quick feet, he attacks opposing defenders and can catch them off guard.
Cooper Flinton – New Hampshire Knights: Flinton has a ton of upside, good hands and an impressive shot. He’ll attend St. Paul’s School this fall.
U-16 Defensemen
Zach Bookman – Evolve Hockey: Bookman is a mobile, right-shot D-man who moves well and has a heavy shot from the point. Very talented offensively and good on the power play.
Christian Jimenez – East Coast Canadiens: The Harvard commit was one of the top D-men this weekend. He’s a very powerful skater and plays with confidence. He’s sound in transition and takes care of his own end.
Jack Hepp – East Coast Canadiens: This towering, right-shot D-man has a ton of upside. Hepp, who played at St. Paul’s last winter, uses his size to his advantage. He’ll be interesting to follow as he continues to grow into his body.
Frank Djurasevic – East Coast Canadiens: Steady, right-shot blueliner who makes a good first pass out of the zone. He plays hard and competes every shift.
