Providence, Boston University and Harvard have been busy securing top `06s over the course of the last week.
The Friars received new commitments from Tri-City Storm center Trevor Connelly and from Mount Saint Charles 16U center JJ Monteiro. The Terriers landed a commitment from Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep forward Will Zellers while the Crimson picked up Long Island Gulls 16U center Grant Young. All four players were tenders or high USHL Phase I draft picks who are considered to be strong players in their birth year.
Connelly is one of the most talented `06s in the country and was certainly considered to be a lock talent-wise for the NTDP before tendering with Tri-City. Connelly, from Tustin, Calif., signed with Tri-City after a stellar 16U season with the Long Island Gulls. Despite being one of the youngest players in the USHL, he is off to a hot start. In two games at the USHL Fall Classic, Connelly scored a goal and added two assists.
Monteiro, hailing from Hudson, Mass., is in his third year with the Woonsocket, R.I., school. In 2021-22, he scored 38 goals and 44 assists for 82 points in 66 games with the 15 Only team. Monteiro is one of those players that gets the most out of his ability. He’s heavy on pucks, shoots it hard, and uses his strength to win battles for positioning and drive the net with authority. Monteiro was a fifth-round pick of the Waterloo Black Hawks in the 2022 USHL Phase I Draft.
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Connelly and Monteiro are the fifth and sixth `06s to commit to the Friars. They join USA Hockey NTDP goaltender Jack Parsons, Kent and Yale Junior Bulldogs 16U defenseman Alex Bales and Stanstead College left wing Logan Sawyer. It could be argued that the Friars now have the best goaltender, a top five forward, and a top 12 defenseman in the birth year.
Zellers, hailing from Maple Grove, Minn., is in his second season at Shattuck-St. Mary’s. In 2021-22 he played for the school’s 15 Only team scoring 37 goals and 42 assists in 61 games. The team advanced to the final of the USA Hockey 15 Only National Championship, losing out to the Chicago Mission. This year, Zellers made the school’s top team. He’s recorded two assists through the first two games.
Zellers scored a goal and four assists at the USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp this July, earning a spot on the American squad that competed at the Five Nations Tournament in Colorado Springs. Zellers was picked in the second round of the Phase I draft by the Green Bay Gamblers.
BU has quite the list of `06s with Zellers joining NTDP players Kamil Bednarik and Cole Hutson and USHL rookies Owen Keefe (Saugus, Mass.) and Mack Celebrini. Also slated to play for the Terriers in this birth year is Callum Hughes of Mount Saint Charles.
Young is one of the best two-way centers in the age group, having skated for the Windy City Storm last season before making the trek east to play for the Long Island Gulls. Young has a great motor, backchecks well, and has hockey sense at both ends of the ice. In 81 games last season, he scored 43 goals and 68 assists for 111 points. He visited Harvard and a top Hockey East program before deciding on the Crimson. He joins Brunswick and Mid Fairfield center Drew DellaSalla and Shattuck-St. Mary’s defenseman Drake Murray as American `06s committed to Ted Donato’s (Boston, Mass.) program.
Holy Cross got in on the recruiting action by committing Avon Old Farms repeat junior Ryan Flaherty, an `05 who spent three seasons playing for his dad, John, at BC High. He’s also in his fourth season with the River Rats organization. The Milton, Mass., native is leading the River Rats 18U in scoring with six goals and seven assists in 13 games. With Flaherty, Holy Cross is adding a tall, smooth-skating center who plays with an edge. Flaherty is the fourth `05 to commit to Bill Riga’s (Westboro, Mass.) program, joining St. Mark’s center Jimmy Lyver (Grafton, Mass.), Salisbury defenseman Quinn McCall and Milton Menace center Dylan McFadden.
Northeastern continues its trend of success on the recruiting trail by picking up a commitment from Sioux Falls Stampede Adam Zlnka. All three Northeastern coaches were on hand at the USHL Fall Classic to witness the `04 from Slovakia pick up three assists in two games. He had a goal and three assists in an abbreviated stint with Sioux Falls in 2021-22. He had an impressive showing for Slovakia at the U18 World Championship this past March, scoring four goals and two assists in seven games.
Vermont has had success recruiting in Minnesota of late. Todd Woodcroft and his staff kept that connection alive with the commitment of Chaska High School star Sam Scheetz. A late `05, his speed is a dynamic element to his game. In 28 games at the high school level in 2021-22, he scored 22 goals and 18 assists. Scheetz joins Omaha Lancers left wing Alex Bump, a finalist for the prestigious Mr. Hockey Award in Minnesota in 2022, as Catamount recruits. His USHL rights are owned by the Youngstown Phantoms.
Quinnipiac recently added `06 Jack Genovese of the Long Island Gulls 16U to the school’s stable of future talent. From New York City, Genovese has previously played for the New Jersey Colonials and Delbarton. He had seven goals and eight assists at the New Jersey high school level in 2021-22.
