NORTHFORD, Conn. – After winning two divisions of the Northeast Pack in the inaugural season, Mount Saint Charles was only able to skate off the ice with one banner this year.
The Woonsocket, R.I., based program won the championship at the 14U division with a 7-2 win over Bishop Kearney Selects in the final. Mount Saint Charles went 4-0 on the weekend, including two 1-0 victories. The win was yet another testament to the recruiting prowess of Mount Saint Charles 14U coaches Frank O’Connor and John O’Connor. In addition to this year’s talented team, they’re responsible for players such as James Hagens, Sascha Boisvert and Conrad Fondrk coming through Adelard Arena.
The six teams of the Northeast Pack played for a championship at the 14U division in front of a number of NHLPA agents and a few prep school coaches looking to scoop players up for future seasons.
Below is a look at players who stood out at the Northeast Pack Playoffs in the 14U division with a specific focus on Mount Saint Charles and Mid Fairfield:
Forwards
Will Bent
Mount Saint Charles, 3/12/08, C, right shot, 5-10/150
Bent is a big-time player with a power forward profile. He’s big, rugged, protects pucks and drives the net. One of the highlight reel plays of the weekend came when he drove into the attacking zone, protecting the puck before dishing it to the middle with a beautiful slip pass. That play gave Mount a 3-1 lead in the final. From Dover, Mass., he has a strong IQ and compete level.
Matthew Krayer
Mount Saint Charles, 10/22/08, C, left shot, 5-7/135
Krayer is a pure goal scorer, as he showed by finding the back of the net twice in Sunday’s final. Similar to his older brother, '07 Dylan, he plays a cerebral game. He’s a complete, well-rounded player with an elite hockey sense and goal-scoring ability. From Concord, Mass., he’s a 200-foot center who looks destined to play at a Beanpot school.
Jamie Glance
Mount Saint Charles, 9/23/08, C, right shot, 5-6/130
Glance scored goals Friday night and Sunday that caught my attention. The West Newbury, Mass., native continues to go up in my book. A late birthday, he can catch passes and either release shots or a pass back to a teammate. His stick is his best attribute as he can handle pucks in tight areas and make plays.
Dylan Dean
Mount Saint Charles, 5/14/08, left shot, 5-9/155
Dean, from Maple Grove, Minn., is one of those players who can be sleepy at times, but then jumps right off the page at you. He did that in Sunday’s final with a snipe from the top of the circle to give his team a 2-0 lead.
Jason Rothstein
Mid Fairfield, 1/19/08, C, left shot, 5-5/115
Rothstein is quick, skilled and makes a ton of plays. One that stood out was Friday night against BK Selects when he dished and drove the net before linemate Joseph Salandra finished it for a goal. From Suffern, N.Y., he’s a slick, crafty forward who played well again this weekend, as he typically does.
Owen Burke
Mid Fairfield, 4/22/08, left shot, 5-7/135
Burke is a power forward who can open his hips and protect pucks by using his length and skating ability. The Trumbull, Conn., native is certainly a top-three forward on this team and he has the potential to get to the prep and Division 1 level.
Rudolfs Berzkalns
BK Selects, 3/3/08, left shot, 6-0/165
Berzkalns is an intriguing prospect with size. He’s a north-south power forward who can drive the net and finish. In his first season in North America, the Latvian is a name NHLPA agents are bringing up in discussions.
Dain Gordon
BK Selects, 2/25/08, RW, right shot, 6-0/145
Gordon is another big forward with upside for this Bishop Kearney team. From Denver, Colo., he jumped out at me this weekend. He’s tall, lanky and moves well. He had the puck a lot and was able to protect pucks and get to scoring areas.
Nico Ciardiello
Mount Saint Charles, 11/10/08, RW, right shot, 5-8/145
Cardiello didn’t find the scoresheet much during my viewings, but he intrigued me with his size and physical tools. A late birthday, he’s a player to watch as a potential late bloomer. For a big power forward, he moved well and showed a willingness to hunt pucks, especially when he keeps it north-south.
Caleb Romph
Mount Saint Charles, 2/19/08, LW, right shot, 5-9/160
I didn’t notice Romph much in the past or even earlier in the weekend, but he had a big day on Sunday in the finals. He picked up a goal and two assists. The North Kingston, R.I., native has good size and was opportunistic during his team’s championship win over BK Selects.
Defensemen
Oskar Drabczynski
Mid Fairfield, 2/13/08, left shot, 5-10/160
Drabczynski has good size and plays a mature, steady game. He’s not overly flashy, but he quietly goes about making simple and efficient hockey plays. After this viewing, he remains as one of my top-ranked '08 defensemen in New England.
Kent Greer
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 2/7/08, right shot, 5-9/144
I didn’t watch Pittsburgh as much as I wanted with all the other age groups going on at the same rink. In minimal viewings, he continued to show me he’s a promising prospect with his skating and breakout ability. The Renfrew, Ontario, native was impressive in Friday night’s game on the Blue Rink.
Kate Hall
Mid Fairfield, 1/1/08, left shot
Hall was consistently good in my viewings of Mid Fairfield this weekend. Playing with the boys, she skated well, made a couple of nice passes on breakouts, and competed. I’m not an expert on the women’s game, but based on what I see, she's a player that prep schools and colleges will want to keep close tabs on over the coming years.
Goaltenders
Carson Mertz
Mount Saint Charles, 2/19/08, catches left, 5-10/160
Mertz shares the net with Dallon McKinster, but he gets the majority of minutes and better games. From Coventry, R.I., Mertz has good size for his age, composure in net, and above-average athleticism. En route to the championship, Mount Saint Charles allowed just three goals in four games. Mertz was a big reason for that defensive success.
Gavin Weeks
Bishop Kearney Selects, 8/3/08, catches left, 5-10/155
He gave up three goals in his team’s shootout victory over Mid Fairfield on Friday night, but he made some huge saves that kept the damage to a minimum. It’s sometimes tough to evaluate goaltenders at this age, but he looks to be a prospect at the position. The Goffstown, N.H., native is in his first season at BK Selects after spending 2021-22 with Top Gun.
