College coaches and NHL scouts regularly watch the Housatonic Division in boys prep hockey.
Many Housatonic teams boast Division 1 prospects. There are also even more players who will fight for Division 1 eyes this season. One player in this story is being watched closely by NHL teams, too.
One or two schools don't dominate these teams. An array of Housatonic squads got some love in here.
Let's dive into our First and Second All-Housatonic teams.
First team
F: Cooper Snee, Avon Old Farms
Snee didn’t have eye-popping numbers last year, notching eight goals and 18 points in 27 games. But head coach John Gardner heavily leans on his seniors and Snee is a senior captain. The Providence commit plays a hard, two-way game. He will be surrounded by high-end new guys who should help his production jump.
F: Connor Davis, Salisbury
Davis is one of the NHL Draft prospects to watch in prep this winter and for good reason. The Northeastern commit plays an up-tempo game. He’s a good skater, gets to high-danger areas and is vital in long, offensive zone sequences. He posted 30 points in 27 games for Salisbury last season. I’d expect that number to skyrocket this winter.
F: Indiana Grossbard, Avon Old Farms
Grossbard comes to Avon Old Farms by way of Loomis Chaffee. He committed to Dartmouth over the summer after a nice performance at Select 17 Camp. He was a standout with Loomis Chaffee last winter, posting a team-high 15 goals and 36 points. He should fit in nicely with a stacked Avon Old Farms team.
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D: Ryan Poirier, Kent
They don’t just commit anybody to Harvard and Poirier certainly isn’t just anybody. Poirier is one of the most mobile defensemen in the NEPSAC. He’s a great skater who was an impact defenseman down the stretch last season, helping Kent to a Large School championship. He should be counted on for a jump from his 13 points last season.
D: Nathan Di Chiara, Kent
DiChiara made NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary list in October. Whether or not he gets picked, the 6-foot-2, 181-pound defenseman will surely be a standout this winter. He will be counted on to be a shutdown guy for head coach Dale Reinhardt’s team, tasked with shutting down the plethora of top forwards in the Housatonic. Kent lost a high-end shutdown guy in Teddy Mallgrave. Di Chiara will be filling those shoes.
G: Connor Towle, Hotchkiss
Towle has a very good situation for a good, developing goalie. Hotchkiss isn’t the strongest team in the Housatonic, so Towle will consistently be facing a high volume of shots. That was the case last season and he put up great numbers with a 2.66 GAA and a .930 save percentage. He’s a Holy Cross commit and if Hotchkiss is to make a run this year, it will be because of Towle.
Second team
F: Tommy Coccaro, Westminster
Coccaro had a nice sophomore season with Westminster last season, putting up seven goals and 20 points in 25 games. But the Colgate commit has grown his game even more since then, putting on a great performance at Select 17 Camp with five points in six games for the New England District. His shiftiness and high-end skill will be at the heart of Westminster’s offense.
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F: Justin Tavares, Deerfield
Last season was the Tavares and Tom Molson show for Deerfield with both putting up at least 40 points. Molson graduated, so a lot of the scoring now falls to Tavares. The senior ‘06 has been nothing but productive since arriving at Deerfield, putting up 33 points his sophomore year, too.
F: JT Rothstein, Taft
Rothstein was a force at Select 16 Camp this past summer, posting four goals and nine points in six games. He followed that up by committing to Harvard in August. Last season wasn’t the flashiest points-wise (seven goals and 18 points in 25 games), but Rothstein has the experience necessary to take over the Taft offense. His skillset of speed and great hands should make that possible.
D: Noah Jettelson, Taft
Jettelson committed to Holy Cross in September and for good reason. The 6-foot-1, 174-pound defenseman was a consistent, reliable defender for Taft last season with four goals and 11 points in 25 games. The big reason Jettelson is on this, however, is due to how much he’s improved in the fall with Mid Fairfield.
D: Matthew Koch, Avon Old Farms
This might be a stretch. Koch is an ‘09 who played for the Long Island Gulls 14U team last year. This fall, however, he’s been thriving playing up with the Northern Connecticut Nor’Easter Storm’s 16U squad. He’s a poised puck-mover with boatloads of confidence. Gardner is very high on him and he has the tools to be a go-to guy for the Winged Beavers.
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G: Anthony Palmer, Avon Old Farms
Palmer had an outstanding first year of prep hockey, leading the region in save percentage (.939) and ranking third in goals-against average (1.60). He still might split time with senior Michael Heinke, but Palmer’s athleticism has him poised to be a vital piece for Avon Old Farms.
