MARLBORO, Mass. — South Kent Selects Academy, with its high-end prospects and strong depth, captured the New England District 15 Only Playoffs last weekend.
South Kent Selects Academy defeated Mount Saint Charles, 5-2, in Sunday afternoon’s championship game. The two finalists had a substantial advantage over the rest of the field in terms of top prospects.
Leading the way for South Kent Selects Academy were first-line center David Goyette and defenseman Vinny Borgesi, a Northeastern University commit.
Here’s a look at the top 15 Only prospects from the 2019 New England District Regional Championship:
Forwards
1. David Goyette
Selects Academy, 3/27/04, C, left shot, 5-10/152
Goyette proved he was a special player all weekend. But one could have been sold on that fact after watching just a few minutes of Friday afternoon’s game, when he had two goals and an assist in the opening period against Northern Cyclones Prep. He makes great passes and his gifted hands allow him to score highlight-reel goals. He competes hard and has creativity with the puck.
2. Brady Berard
Mount Saint Charles, 2/26/04, LW, left shot, 5-10.25/181
NCAA commit: Providence
Berard is a really good player who has more skill than he’s often given credit for. He skates well, hunts pucks and does a lot of the little things as well. He’s hard to play against and thinks the game at a high level.
3. Jordan Dumais
Selects Academy, 4/15/04, RW, right shot, 5-9/161
Dumais is good in small areas because of his shiftiness and overall agility. He has a quick release and is smart. On the smaller side, he’s skilled and can produce offensively, as he did all weekend.
4. Dylan Wegner
Selects Academy, 6/1/04, RW, right shot, 6-1/160
This was the best viewing yet of Wegner, who used his size and vision to make plays. He’s a potential power forward who made a couple of really nice passes off the wall on zone entries and during attacking zone sequences. He’s solid down low and is good maintaining possession.
5. Jake Rozzi
Selects Academy, 1/27/04, LW, left shot, 5-11/146
Rozzi is a skilled winger who isn’t quite as high-end as Goyette and Dumais, but he’s super-talented. He scored a really nice goal later in the weekend with a quick release and pinpoint accuracy.
6. Andrew Delladonna
Selects Academy, 5/18/04, RW, right shot, 5-8/175
NCAA commit: Ohio State
Delladonna produced on the second line. He’s skilled and goes hard, especially toward the opposition’s net. He’s starting to play a little more physically. There are areas of his game that need work, but there’s plenty to like.
7. Jackson Graber
Mount Saint Charles, 10/20/04, RW, right shot, 5-9.25/156
Graber is a skilled forward. He can play wing or center, but he’s probably better off at wing. He skates well, has good hands and offensive instincts. He’ll increase his stock by playing harder away from the puck.
8. Cameron O’Neill
Mount Saint Charles, 1/24/04, C, right shot, 5-10/160
O’Neill is a versatile forward who plays hard and has skill. His best attribute to his team is his ability to be the glue guy for his line. He hunts pucks and does a lot of little things. He’s exceeded expectations this fall.
9. Mason Kesselring
Northern Cyclones Prep, 3/15/04, LW, left shot, 6-0/160
I haven’t seen as much of Northern Cyclones Prep or Kesselring as I have other players here. He was really good on Friday. He used his size and was assertive, drawing a penalty as he went to the net, and being tough to knock off the puck. He will keep getting better.
10. Nathan Casey
Mount Saint Charles, 2/8/04, C, left shot, 5-11/165
Casey is an elite skater who can fly all over the ice. His ability to play in the greasy areas and willingness to compete without the puck need to improve for him to take that next step.
11. Luke Schelter
Mount Saint Charles, 4/6/04, LW, left shot, 6-2/180
Schelter has good size and can shoot hard. He’s a goal scorer and has potential as a power forward.
12. Frank D’Ancona
Mount Saint Charles, 6/2/04, C, left shot, 5-7/140
D’Ancona is an undersized, skilled forward.
13. Hudson Blue
Mount Saint Charles, 7/27/04, LW, right shot, 5-9/160
Blue is an energy forward. He keeps his feet moving and has offensive skill to go with it.
14. Tyler Stern
Selects Academy, 8/12/04, C/RW, right shot, 5-9/170
Stern is a good skater who can make plays and produce on a secondary scoring line. He scored a nice goal in Sunday’s playoff action.
15. Ben Muthersbaugh
Northern Cyclones Prep, 2/15/04, LW, left shot, 5-11/171
Muthersbaugh was another forward who stood out for this team. He has good size and could potentially make a jump in his game and become a power forward down the road.
Defensemen
1. Vinny Borgesi
Selects Academy, 3/2/04, D, right shot, 5-6/131
NCAA commit: Northeastern
Borgesi has an immense amount of skill and smarts, which allows him to move pucks north and jumpstart the offense. He’s on the smaller side, but he doesn’t let that affect him. He’s positionally sound defensively and plays with jam. He’s the best ’04 defenseman in the Northeast.
2. Jake Furlong
Mount Saint Charles, 3/4/04, D, left shot, 5-8/130
Furlong is a smart, two-way defenseman. He positions himself well and uses his stick on pokechecks to shut down the rush. He sees the ice well with the puck and facilitates offense on the rush. Furlong can quarterback a power play as well.
3. Shaun McEwen
Selects Academy, 1/21/04, D, left shot, 5-10/150
McEwen is tough on retrievals and is hard to knock off the puck. He’s a rugged defender who can deliver big, physical hits. He has a hard shot from the point and has potential as a strong, two-way defenseman.
4. Pavel Bocharov
Mount Saint Charles, 2/21/04, D, right shot, 5-11/167
Bocharov goes a little under the radar, but he shouldn’t. He might not have the elite offensive skill that other defenders do, but he can chip in from time to time. More importantly, he’s solid in his own zone and skates well.
5. Ryan Philbrick
Northern Cyclones Prep, 6/20/04, D, left shot, 5-10/165
Philbrick is an offensive defenseman with good mobility. He’s able to zip pucks up ice or escape trouble. His ability to know where the forechecker is coming from and spin away to avoid it helps transition from defense to offense.
6. Jordin Palmer
Seacoast Academy, 1/6/04, D, left shot, 6-0/176
Palmer is a strong defenseman, and he keeps getting better. He projects as more of a stay-at-home type. His physicality and toughness are top assets, but he can shoot hard as well.
7. Ben Robertson
Mount Saint Charles, 9/18/04, D, left shot, 5-9/175
Robertson is a mobile defenseman who is solid with the puck. He’s a player who might take a little longer to develop, but he should get to Division I as an older freshman.
8. Liam Chapman
Seacoast Academy, 3/11/04, D, left shot, 6-0/200
Chapman is a physically mature defenseman who can jump into the rush, shoot hard and bring a mean streak in his own zone.
9. Harrison Bylin
Selects Academy, 3/18/04, D, left shot, 5-10/145
Bylin has size and projects as a defensive defenseman. He’s a good player, but if he can be more assertive, he’ll become more of an impact player.
10. Christian Wood
Selects Academy, 2/10/04, D, right shot, 6-1/185
Wood is another big, sturdy defender. He’s tough to play against and brings jam.
11. Liam Bard
Yale Jr. Bulldogs, 1/4/04, D, right shot, 5-9/152
Bard is a smaller, mobile defenseman who likes to carry the puck up the ice. He has above-average skill and is a threat to jumpstart the attack. His hockey sense is an area that needs improvement as he makes the jump into prep school.
12. Aidan Kwok
Yale Jr. Bulldogs, 3/15/04, D, right shot, 5-9/160
Kwok is another player who has impressed in limited viewing of the Yale Jr. Bulldogs this fall. He has above-average mobility and is a player who needs to be watched closer.
Goaltenders
1. Arthur Smith
Selects Academy, 4/30/04, G, catches left, 6-2.5/188
Smith is a good-sized goaltender who rotates with Colin Winn, another good goaltender. Smith has the size and athleticism to intrigue college coaches. He’s in the running for an NTDP Evaluation Camp invite.
2. Jack Spicer
Mount Saint Charles, 4/28/04, G, catches left, 5-10/161
Spicer doesn’t always face a lot of rubber, but he was a standout against Selects Academy in the final, despite the loss. He combines athleticism and technique to be a solid goaltender.
