Two local goaltenders have made college commitments in recent days with Sam Scopa and Ryder Shea pledging to Quinnipiac and Maine, respectively.
Scopa became the first American-born goaltender to commit since August 1. The Lexington, Mass., native is coming off a terrific sophomore season at Belmont Hill where he helped guide the Sextants to a long unbeaten streak and a trip to the NEPSAC Elite 8 Tournament final. In 17 appearances for Belmont Hill, Scopa posted a .934 save percentage.
The longtime member of the Boston Junior Eagles was selected by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL Phase II Draft and will head to the USHL for his junior year. Scopa has always been regarded as one of the best '05 goaltenders in the country, making this commitment a significant one for Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold and his staff.
Shea, an '06 from Framingham, Mass., is entering his second season at St. George’s in Middletown, R.I. In 16 games for the Dragons during the 2021-22 season, he registered a .917 save percentage, which is noteworthy for such a young tender in prep school hockey. It helped earn him a spot at USA Hockey’s NTDP Evaluation Camp in March. He ultimately fell short of making the program. Similarly to Scopa, Shea has long been considered one of the best in his birth year at his position even on the national stage. In addition to playing for St. George’s, Shea will play split season for the Little Bruins.
The two goaltenders weren’t alone among locals to make a Division 1 commitment within the last week. St. Mark’s alum and current Maine Nordiques forward Brendan Gibbons announced his commitment to play college hockey at Air Force. The '02 from South Kingstown, R.I., scored 20 goals and had 14 assists in 37 games for the Nordiques in the NAHL during the 2021-22 season. After graduating from St. Mark’s in 2019-20, he played the 2020-21 season in the USPHL NCDC with the P.A.L. Islanders and Junior Bruins.
Incoming Salisbury junior defenseman Hudson Gorski announced his commitment to Cornell. From Scotch Plains, N.J., the '05 comes to coach Andrew Will’s program after a breakout summer in which he excelled at the USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp and had a solid performance at the Liberty Bell Games. Gorski spent the past two seasons playing for Seton Hall Prep and was a tenured member of the New Jersey Devils youth program. In 2021-22, Gorski kicked in five goals and had 13 assists in 20 games for the Devils’ U16 team. Gorski will play for the Buffalo Regals U18 team this fall.
Merrimack picked up some more good news recently when Jack Good pledged to play for the Warriors. The '06 center from the Markham Waxers hails from Pickering, Ontario. In 25 games during the 2021-22 campaign, he scored 23 goals and had 21 assists. He’ll spend this upcoming season playing for St. Andrew’s College, a Canadian prep school with a strong track record of success in developing Division 1 players.
There aren’t a lot of high end '05s left on the board and that number continued to dwindle with the recent commitment to Notre Dame of Danny Nelson. The Maple Grove, Minn., native has dominated at both forward and defense while playing for his hometown high school. He received a call-up to the NTDP U17 team last winter and will become a permanent member of the program’s U18 squad for the upcoming season. He’s a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NHL draft.
