ATTLEBORO, Mass. — The Neponset Valley River Rats, the top-ranked team in Massachusetts, captured the championship at the 15 Only division of the Beast Series Playoffs.
The River Rats beat the Long Island Gulls, 2-1, in Sunday afternoon’s final. Dan Panciocco’s team advanced to the final with wins over Boston Hockey Academy and East Coast Militia.
Below is a look at 13 players who stood out over the weekend.
This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list of all the best players. Rather, it’s an evaluation of 13 players who had good showings in the Beast Series Playoffs.
Tommy Anderson
River Rats/Thayer, 2/2/07, LW, left shot, 5-8/160
Anderson made a couple of big-time plays to set up linemates for goals, including the game-winner in Sunday’s final. The Braintree, Mass., native has a good stick and can protect pucks. This was his best weekend of the fall. As a sophomore at Thayer, he’ll take on a larger role with the departure of quite a few key players.
Joe Argentina
Long Island Gulls, 9/4/07, C/RW, right shot, 5-5/115
Argentina is a small forward who plays bigger and makes a huge impact on his team. He’s quick, shifty and can snipe. He scored the only goal for the Gulls in the final on a bad-angle shot from below the left wing circle. The Philadelphia, Pa., native is the younger brother of Boston College forward Matt Argentina.
Joe Feinberg
River Rats/BC High, 1/10/07, RW, right shot, 5-7/160
Feinberg had his best weekend of the fall, scoring the game-winning goal in both the semifinals and final. He used his speed, scoring a shorthanded breakaway goal and driving the middle lane for a centering feed. He had three goals and an assist in Sunday’s two games. From Needham, Mass., he’ll be back for a second season at BC High in 2022-23.
Indiana Grossbard
Junior Bulldogs/Loomis Chaffee, 12/21/07, C/RW, right shot, 5-7/132
Grossbard, from Wilton, Conn., has been the best player on the Junior Bulldogs this fall. He’s consistently an impact player. He skates well, has good edges, and competes. His stick is underrated. He’ll likely play his way into a top-six role at Loomis Chaffee this winter after coming from Cardigan Mountain.
Anders Kilbourne
River Rats/Duxbury, 7/27/07, C, right shot, 5-11/180
Kilbourne scored two goals and had three assists on the weekend. The Duxbury, Mass., native has leaned out and improved his skating. He plays in straight lines and knows his identity. Kilbourne will be one of the smarter players in the MIAA this winter while skating for Duxbury.
Tucker Mears
Junior Bulldogs, 4/3/07, RW, right shot, 6-0/185
Mears is a big, strong forward who uses his size to his advantage. He’s able to bull his way to scoring areas, drive the net, and win battles along the wall and down low. He brings a physical presence and plays the game with swagger. From Shaker Heights, Ohio, he’s a freshman at Frederick Gunn.
Mikey Munroe
River Rats/Avon Old Farms, 7/6/07, LW, left shot, 5-8/154
Munroe scored the game-winning goal in the quarterfinal and added two others over the course of the first two games. He’s quick, shifty and has a great shot. There isn’t an ’07 forward in New England with a better one-timer, as he showed on a power play strike Saturday. From Hanover, Mass., he’ll be one of the best newcomers in prep hockey after dominating the MIAA level in 2021-22.
Jesse Orlowsky
Long Island Gulls, 3/27/07, C, right shot, 6-2/180
Orlowsky is a big power forward who can possess pucks, cycle down low, and come off the wall with authority. He didn’t score in the final, but he was a threat and was good in the earlier portion of the playoffs. From Brooklyn, N.Y., he’s one of the best power forwards in the northeast region.
Anthony Palmer
River Rats/St. Mary’s, 10/28/07, G, catches left, 5-10/147
Palmer, from Winthrop, Mass., was the difference in Sunday’s final. He held off a furious charge from the Gulls. There were a few big saves he made while his team was killing off penalties in the second half. As he proved at national camp, he’s the best goaltender in this birth year in Massachusetts.
Collin Rowe
River Rats/Pingree, 4/1/07, D, right shot, 5-10/155
Rowe had three assists on Sunday, but his greatest strength comes in his own zone. He’s a good skater who defends well, particularly in the net front. He’s able to get pucks north and is at his best when keeping things simple. From Andover, Mass., he’s transferring from his hometown high school to play for Dan Gordon at Pingree.
Marco Senerchia
River Rats, 7/4/07, D, left shot, 5-6/135
Senerchia, from Greenville, R.I., is a small, mobile, offensive defenseman. He does a good job of walking the blue line and getting shots through from the point. He runs the top on the first power play unit. After playing his bantam year at Mount Saint Charles, he’s now at New Hampton.
Nate Watson
Junior Bulldogs/Cardigan Mountain, 3/16/07, D, right shot, 5-8/150
Watson is an athletic, puck-moving defenseman who can control games from the backend. The Mascouche, Quebec, native plays with his head up and aggressively pushes the pace and gets pucks north. Prep schools should be on the Cardigan blue liner, as he could help significantly in the future.
Ethan Wyttenbach
Long Island Gulls, 2/10/07, RW, right shot, 5-8/170
Wyttenbach is probably the best pure playmaker on the Gulls. From Roslyn, N.Y., he is crafty and has good vision. He was a key offensive piece for the Gulls throughout the weekend.
