BEDFORD, Mass. — Dexter Southfield jumped out to a big early lead en route to a 7-3 win over Cape Cod Whalers 18-U on Wednesday at the Edge Sports Center.
The game was played in front of a dozen or so NHL scouts and agents, as well as parents. It is great that Dexter Southfield continues to plug along and play games, despite many other area schools just having scrimmages that are closed to the public. Obviously, it’s unusual for a prep team to play a split-season team that is made up of players from various other preps. Danny Donato’s team will be back at it Saturday against the Junior Eagles 18-U at 11 a.m. at the same venue.
Wednesday’s game featured numerous future college hockey players, some committed and some uncommitted. It was a great opportunity to view prospects playing in a somewhat meaningful game against like competitors. The NHL scouts in the building were there to check out Dexter Southfield center Matt Copponi (Merrimack) and defenseman Matt Fusco (Harvard). Both players are ‘C’-rated players by NHL Central Scouting for the 2021 draft. Another draft prospect, Culin Wilson, remains out with an upper-body injury.
Junior Will Hughes scored twice while classmates Grayson Badger and Nick Larkin added goals. Sophomores Connor Sutherland and Sean Keohane and senior Connor Blanchard also found the twine for the winners. The goal scorers for the Cape Cod Whalers were Anthony Cafarelli, Nick Donaldson and Andrew Garzone.
Below is a look at my notes from the game on the prospects who stood out.
Dexter Southfield
Will Vote
2/22/05, C, right shot, 5-8/145
Vote was the best player on the ice. Almost all of my past viewings have been at right wing as he plays with center Will Smith (St. Sebastian’s) while with the Junior Eagles. Here, he played center and moved back to the point on the first power-play unit. His brain and compete allowed him to fit right in against many older players. The Arlington, Mass., native had a couple of assists. Vote should make the NTDP U-17 team for 2021-22. Come Aug. 1, I expect him to have a ton of offers. Harvard and Michigan appear to be the front-runners.
Grayson Badger
5/9/04, RW, right shot, 6-1/180
Badger’s compete stood out numerous times Wednesday. He was tenacious on the forecheck, hunted pucks and hustled back to engage on the backcheck. There are moments where he doesn’t get in the right position, but I don’t think his hockey sense is irredeemable. The Hyde Park, Mass., native had a goal and an assist while playing the right wing on Vote’s line. Look for Badger to get a ton of college interest over the coming months. A few of the big-time programs in the region will be coveting the former Brookline High School star.
Matt Copponi
6/4/03, C, right shot, 6-0/175
NCAA commit: Merrimack
Copponi had a couple of assists on Wednesday. He had a couple of chances to score that he whistled just wide. The Mansfield, Mass., native plays the game with a chip on his shoulder, skates well and has some skill. There might be other first-year-eligible prospects in the region with more speed and skill or better size, but Copponi deserves a shot over a lot of them due to playing harder than many of them.
Will Hughes
1/14/04, RW, right shot, 6-3/200
Hughes is in his first year at Dexter Southfield after spending two seasons at Phillips Andover. With the Big Blue and in split-season Midget hockey, he’s typically played center. In this game, he was the right wing on the top line that Copponi centered. He scored two goals and played a solid north-south game from the wing position. I’ve never doubted his size, skating and stick. If he can keep producing like he did Wednesday, his stock will trend upward. Eventually, I expect him to be a middle-six center or wing for an Ivy League program.
Matt Fusco
3/7/03, D, right shot, 6-0/185
NCAA commit: Harvard
Fusco had a pair of assists. The Westwood, Mass., native is a thick, strong, offensive defenseman. He has good athleticism, can shoot the puck hard, and jumps up into the rush. He has gotten noticeably more dynamic over the past 12 months.
Bobby Landry
3/22/04, C, right shot, 6-0/170
NCAA commit: Harvard
Landry missed some time last season with an injury and didn’t get a ton of ice even when healthy, due to the loaded roster at Dexter Southfield. While he might not have gotten on the scoresheet in this game, I liked what I saw. The Hingham, Mass., native has some intriguing physical tools.
Sean Keohane
11/4/04, D, left shot, 6-0/160
Keohane is a late ’04 who was buried on the depth chart and rarely in the lineup last season as a freshman. This year, he looks to have a bigger role as he played on a pairing with Fusco. Keohane has good size, mobility and stick. I think he’ll develop into a Division 1 player.
Patrick Morrissey
1/7/03, D, right shot, 5-11/165
Morrissey, from Canton, Mass., is a veteran on the Dexter Southfield blue line. He’s smart and makes good plays to move pucks north while quarterbacking the second power-play unit. His stick and hockey sense are good enough for Division 1. His feet are a little bit of a limiting factor. NESCAC programs should be throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Morrissey to try and persuade him to come to their school.
Damon Alexander
7/12/04, D, left shot, 6-0/190
Alexander, who played two years at Boston Latin, was solid in a top-four role at the prep level. He played in all situations and looked comfortable. The Allston, Mass., native has power and raw ability. Down the line, he has the potential to be a Division 1 college player.
Liam O’Keeffe
1/31/06, D, left shot, 5-11/165
O’Keeffe didn’t get a ton of ice time but saw some shifts as the game moved along with the score lopsided. He’s a youngster at the prep level, but he checks boxes for size, hockey sense and stick. The Boston, Mass., native plays on the Junior Eagles 14-U.
Connor Blanchard
11/19/01, LW, right shot, 5-9/175
NCAA commit: Colby
Blanchard looked a little rusty at the start of the game, but he scored a goal later in the contest. The Waltham, Mass., native is skilled, can make plays and finish. His size and skating is what’s keeping him from Division 1, but his willingness to hunt pucks and his skill should make him a solid player at Colby.
Connor Sutherland
1/19/04, LW, left shot, 5-10/155
Sutherland, from West Roxbury, Mass., scored a goal on the doorstep while playing on a line with Vote and Badger. He’s heavy on pucks, strong and willing to play in the dirty areas.
Vincent Gould
2/11/03, RW, right shot, 6-2/200
Gould is a power forward who had a couple of chances with the puck on his stick. His skating is still a limiting factor, but it’s gotten better. Coaches at Holy Cross and Bentley should be keeping tabs on him, or he’d be a superb get for a NESCAC program, if he chose not to play junior hockey.
Nick Larkin
5/28/03, C, right shot, 6-1/175
Larkin scored a goal in my first viewing of him at the prep level. He spent last season with South Shore Kings 18-U while going to school at BC High. The Canton, Mass., native is an above-average skater who centered the fourth line.
Cape Cod Whalers
Chris Romaine
Milton, 2/11/04, D, right shot, 5-11/180
Romaine had his ups and downs, as most of the Whalers did on Wednesday. He had flashes with his skill-set and skating. The Braintree, Mass., native also had a couple of turnovers. Still, he showed signs with the puck on his stick of why I think he’s a player capable of committing to an upper-echelon Division 1 program in the region.
Andrew Garzone
Deerfield, 5/30/04, C, right shot, 6-0/185
Garzone stood out for me a couple of weekends ago with the 16-U team in Walpole. He was once again good on Wednesday. He scored a goal and was noticeable a couple of other times throughout the game. Garzone is showing the potential to be an ECAC Hockey-caliber player at the collegiate level.
Brian Grant
Nobles, 3/18/04, D, right shot, 6-0/170
Grant is a good-sized defender with upside as a two-way blueliner. He’s not flashy, but he keeps things simple and can defend with his length. Down the road, I think he’s an ECAC Hockey player at a place like Colgate, St. Lawrence, Union, Brown, Yale, Dartmouth or Princeton.
James Tepper
Proctor, 2/20/02, LW, right shot, 6-0/180
Tepper didn’t find the scoresheet, but he was around the puck as much as any player on the Whalers. He has above-average hands and threw his weight around. He delivered a huge hit in the corner while forechecking. He has his limitations, but his ability to play the game on the edge and provide some offensive spark will be a welcome addition for a NESCAC team in the immediate future or for a Division 1 program if he plays a couple of years of junior hockey.
Aidan Lyons
Nobles, 2/26/03, D, left shot, 5-10/170
Lyons, from Brookline, Mass., has the skating and skill to jump up into the rush and create offense in transition. He drew a penalty in the second period by doing just that. His hockey sense might preclude him from playing in Hockey East or ECAC Hockey, but his offensive and puck-moving capabilities will make an Atlantic Hockey or NESCAC program very happy.
Anthony Cafarelli
Lawrence, 4/16/03, RW, right shot, 5-10/175
Cafarelli scored a goal and was around the puck a lot for the Whalers. The Middleton, Mass., native has above-average offensive instincts and skill. His older brother, Nick, is a freshman at New Hampshire.
Nick Donaldson
Berkshire, 1/3/03, D, right shot, 6-0/194
Donaldson had a goal from the right point. He blasted a shot past the Dexter Southfield goaltender. The Wilton, Conn., native is a strong defensive defenseman who showed he can also handle the puck. Donaldson will be a prized recruit for a NESCAC school when he graduates from Berkshire in 2022.
Drew Haxton
Nobles, 1/12/03, C, right shot, 5-9/165
Haxton is a player that you notice several times a game for his blazing speed. The Wakefield, R.I., native is on the smaller side and needs to shore up his hockey sense and become more of a complete player. Still, Haxton should be on the radar of Division 3 college coaches for 2022-23.
Dexter Southfield lines
O’Neill - Copponi - Hughes
Sutherland - Vote - Badger
Blanchard - Landry - Gould
Dwan - Larkin - Hurton
Alexander - Morrissey
Keohane - Fusco
Kamke - Lanza
O’Keeffe
Mickanin
Cape Cod Whalers lines
Luca - O’Brien - Cafarelli
Tepper - Walsh - Worthley
Norton - Haxton - Coutu
Cohen - Garzone
Tripp - Donaldson
Lyons - Murphy
Grant - Romaine
Carroll
