BRAINTREE, Mass. — With a handful of Division 1 college coaches in attendance, Tommy Wilkinson picked a good time to bring his best.
The uncommitted Thayer forward tallied a hat trick and added an assist en route to a 5-2 win for Thayer over Phillips Andover.
Wilkinson opened the scoring with 6:02 to play in the first period when he picked the puck up off an Andover turnover, went in and dangled Andover goalie Edouard Lord for the goal.
Less than three minutes later, Wilkinson chipped the puck out of his own zone, drew a defender towards him and feathered a saucer pass to junior forward Michael Federico (Hanover, Mass.) streaking middle. Federico went right in and scored, making it 2-0.
Andover got on the board a few minutes into the second period when senior forward Jason Faith wired a shot from the corner that beat Thayer goalie Tyler Moschella (Braintree, Mass.).
But the Tigers responded when the puck was flipped out of their zone and Wilkinson chased it down, coralling it in Andover's slot and roofing it over Lord, making it 3-1.
Not long after, Thayer defenseman Cooper Shea skated the puck up on a 2-on-1 and sniped a shot past Lord, making it 4-1 and forcing Andover to call a timeout.
The Big Blue made things close late. Junior forward Nate Kreppner knocked in a loose puck around the Thayer net and Andover hemmed the Tigers in their own zone for quite a bit. But the momentum was halted when Wilkinson got the puck on a breakaway with the Andover net empty. The Duxbury, Mass., native was tackled down and since the net was empty, the referees awarded him a goal.
Thayer improved to 2-1-0 with the win, while Andover fell to 1-3-0.
Let's dive into some uncommitted standouts and takeaways.
Tommy Wilkinson
Thayer, 9/9/2008, F, right shot, 6-1/172
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.Â
Wilkinson was dominant. His shot, hands and vision were all heavily on display. His shiftiness in his skating was huge, too, as it allowed him to sift through coverage in the neutral and defensive zones. He used his speed to get up on defenders at his own blue line and force turnovers and throwaways. With Wednesday's four-point showing, he's at eight points in three games. I can't imagine Wilkinson is uncommitted for too long. I'd keep my eye on a Hockey East school.
READ MORE:Â 11 takeaways from Phillips Exeter Invitational Tournament
Tyler Moschella
Thayer, 2007, G, catches left, 6-0
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.Â
Moschella probably wants the Faith goal back. Other than that, Moschella was essentially perfect. His glove was outstanding, as he found a way to see shots through traffic and off the rush, and glove them down with ease. He robbed Andover forward David O'Neill with his glove in the first period. Andover had a handful of chances in tight, and Moschella was able to get down and extend his legs to save them. One of the biggest came midway through the third period when Moschella denied Andover forward Jack Cannon (Barnstable, Mass.) at the near post.
Michael Federico
Thayer, 7/1/2008, F, left shot, 5-10/172
Hometown: Hanover, Mass.Â
Federico, Wilkinson and Nick Sumner (more on the trio later) were constantly creating chances, and Federico was at the heart of it. Federico showed good awareness on his goal to read what Wilkinson was doing and drive the net. He showed good vision off the rush, as he typically slowed up and found a trailer or a forward across the zone. But Federico's biggest play was blocking a point-blank Andover shot with under 1:30 to play. The puck bounced out and led to Wilkinson's empty-net goal.
READ MORE:Â 9 standouts from Phillips Exeter Invitational Tournament
Jack O'Dell
Andover, 7/30/2009, D, right shot, 6-0/170
Hometown: Wilmette, Ill.Â
This was my best viewing of O'Dell by far. He played like a veteran prep defenseman with his gap control and knowing when to step up. There was a shift late in the second period when he stepped up twice on Andover forwards and knocked them down. He played with snarl, too, always finishing his hits, clearing out the front of his net and getting some shots in after whistles. He picked his spots when jumping into the offense, too. He's a sophomore, so I'd expect him to field some calls from Division 1 teams on Jan. 1.
Nate Kreppner
Andover, 9/17/2008, F, right shot, 6-0/185
Hometown: TorontoÂ
Kreppner was dominant at times down the middle. His line with Alex Small and O'Neill had multiple extended offensive zone possessions. Kreppner played with power all over the offensive zone and drove play. He handled pucks well in tight, especially below the dots, and his work led to his third-period goal. After 14 points in 32 games last season as a sophomore, he's an intriguing prospect to track this winter.
Tyler Miocevich
Andover, 1/4/2007, D, left shot, 5-10/160
Hometown: TorontoÂ
Miocevich showcased a whole lot of mobility and patience with the puck. He has a nice stride that allows him to gain separation from forecheckers. At the point, he used that mobility to move along the blue line well or go deeper into the zone to open up shooting and passing lanes. He plays lacrosse, too, but he looks like a nice NCDC prospect for after graduation.
RANKINGS:Â Kent upended the top 5 in our first in-season top 10
Takeaways
1. There were NHL scouts in attendance, and most of their attention was likely on Brian McFadden, the 6-foot-5, 181-pound defenseman. The Northeastern commit was ranked No. 1 on my NHL Draft prospects to watch in New England fall hockey and was given a "W" rating (6th or 7th round candidate) in NHL Central Scouting's preliminary watch list.
So, how did he do?
Here's what I liked: He was aggressive on his step-ups in the neutral zone and maintained good gaps. There was one play midway through the first period when he stepped up at the opposing blue line to break up a pass and likely would've had a mini breakaway, but was called offside. He made smart, creative plays with the puck. You wouldn't expect a 6-foot-5 defenseman to quarterback a power play, but he showcased poise and a willingness to hold onto pucks long enough to draw defenders to him and find open players at either flank.
Here's what I'd like to see him improve: There were times he was physical in clearing out the front of his own net, but there were times he wasn't. The big sequence that sticks out was Andover's second goal. When Andover passed the puck from the corner and into the slot, McFadden was in front, and he lost the forward driving the far post because his stick wasn't covering that passing lane. Then, when there was a bit of a scramble around the Andover net, McFadden was going for the puck instead of bodies.
The bottom line: McFadden is so raw and still needs to fill out to be as physically imposing as he can be. But the signs (his stick, his puck skills) are there that he's worth drafting come June. At least as of now.
2. Alex Theodore, a Dartmouth commit, had a nice showing. He was especially effective off the rush. At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Theodore has a wide stride and is an all-around good skater. When carrying the puck along the outside, he would cut in, getting the defender to bite and then cut back out to beat the defender wide (sorry for giving this one away, Alex). He was shot-first all game and generated a handful of good scoring chances. The production will come.
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3. Thayer has been without junior forward Ty Hymovitz (injury), which is a big hole in the lineup. Fortunately for Thayer, the top line of Wilkinson, Federico and Sumner generated most of the Tigers' offense. Sumner, who arrived at Thayer this year from Brooks, was fast and got on top of Andover's defenders quickly.
4. Two younger Andover forwards who caught my attention were Nolan Roberts and Cannon. Roberts, a late '08, is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, and showcased nice hands in tight and an ability to generate offense off the rush. Cannon is a late '09 who is already 6-foot-1. He had some impactful shifts as well, getting to high-danger areas with the puck.
