PLYMOUTH, Mich. — There were two games on Saturday at the U.S. National Team Development Program's Evaluation Camp.
They were big, as the lines and teams changed for the first time since the start of camp. Only one game remains, which is on Sunday at 11 am. Then, it's up to the NTDP to pick next season's U17 team from this crop of '09s.
Saturday provided six periods for players to make strong cases to be picked.
On Thursday, I focused only on New Englanders. I widened my lens to the entire group on Friday and the same was true in both Saturday games.
An interesting New England note from Saturday: Sam Pandolfo (Winchester, Mass.), Carter Meyer (Winchester, Mass.) and Finn Sears (Medford, Mass.) were back on the same team listed on a line. While each team had a 13th forward who cycled through, the trio started the 8 am game and played together here and there throughout both games.
Here are some players who stood out on the second-to-last day. Just because someone isn't mentioned doesn't mean they weren't good. These players just did a good amount to help their case.
Alexander Milojevic
Chicago Mission, 9/5/2009, F, left shot, 6-0/180
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.Â
Milojevic may have sealed the deal for his spot on this team given how well he played on Saturday. Late in the first period of Game 1, he used his speed to fly down the right side and feed Shattuck-St. Mary's forward Nolan Fitzhenry for a goal. But it was Milojevic's play in the second game that was so impressive. He notched a hat trick, consistently using his speed to leave defenders in the dust.
THURSDAY: Who showed well at NTDP Evaluation Camp on Thursday?Â
Diego Gutierrez
Shattuck-St. Mary's, 5/13/2009, D, right shot, 6-1/176
Hometown: McAllen, TexasÂ
Gutierrez has gotten better in each game this camp, and he looked like a stout, two-way force on Saturday. He showed off his hands more, especially on his trips around the offensive zone with the puck. He used his frame well to protect pucks, too. I like how he used deception with the puck at the blue line, not allowing the opposing forward on him to know what he was going to do. Not that final scores matter too much in this, but Gutierrez hit the post with one second left down 7-6 in Game 2.
Sam Pandolfo
Rivers, 7/2/2009, F, left shot, 6-3/185
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.Â
Pandolfo was extremely physical in both games, finishing hits and taking smart routes to cut off defenders. He was able to win puck battles and set up linemates for chances. He scored in Game 2, getting to the front of the net and getting a second chance on a rebound. Pandolfo also used his frame well, especially behind the net, to protect pucks and aid in the cycle.
Gavin Burcar
Chicago Mission, 1/8/2009, F, right shot, 6-2/165
Hometown: Villa Park, Calif.Â
Burcar was driving play down the middle in Game 1, but I thought he was superb in the second matchup. He finished the first period with two goals. The first was off a heads-up play, as he drove the net and received a pass from Pittsburgh Pens Elite forward Mark Pape. Burcar finished with a nice backhand over the netminder. The second was when he caught a pass from Florida Alliance forward Trevor Daley Jr., off a 2-on-1 and finished the chance. Towards the end of the period, Burcar made a sweet pass off the rush to Pape who scored.
Frederick Schneider
Edina High School, 2/16/2009, 5-9/140
Hometown: Edina, Minn.Â
What stood out most with Schneider was his ability to get to high-danger scoring areas. He used his hands and his smooth skating to cut from the outside through defenders and into interior ice for shots. He had a nice pass in the third period from along the boards to Toronto Marlboros forward Cannon Thibodeau driving to the far post.
FRIDAY: Who moved into being favorites at NTDP Evaluation Camp?Â
Finn Spehar
Sioux Falls Power, 4/10/2009, F, right shot, 5-6/128
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minn.Â
Spehar consistently used his speed and skill to drive play and navigate around defenders. He was able to get several chances around the net because of that speed and his shiftiness. In the first period of Game 2, he made a nice play where he entered the offensive zone with the puck through the middle. But rather than force a route to the net, he passed it off to Pandolfo and tied up the defender, giving the Rivers forward plenty of room to get a shot off.
