14 uncommitted standout 18U forwards from Beast Columbus Day Tournament

FOXBORO, Mass. — This past weekend, the Beast tournament series held games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at rinks around Massachusetts with numerous teams taking part across the 15O, 16U and 18U levels.

I focused mainly on the uncommitted 18U prospects. It's a big fall for them as they try to catch the eyes of college hockey programs.

Here are the games I watched:

Saturday 

• Cape Cod Whalers vs. Jersey Hitmen
• Yale Jr. Bulldogs vs. Central Mass. Penguins

Sunday 

• Neponset Valley River Rats vs. Islanders Hockey Club
• Avon Regals vs. Central Mass. Penguins
• South Shore Kings Prep vs. North Shore Hockey Academy

As always, I can't see everybody. But this weekend gave me a great chance to see some 18U talent I hadn't seen so far this fall.

Here are 14 uncommitted forwards who caught my attention. There will be a separate story on defensemen and goalies.

Charles Blanchard (12)

Yale Jr. Bulldogs, 1/18/2005, F, right shot, 6-0/185
Hometown: West Hartford, Conn. 

Blanchard opened the game on Saturday by hitting the post off the rush. He followed that up by potting a hat trick over the rest of the game. He scored the game's first goal shorthanded when the Penguins misplayed the puck at the blue line and Blanchard picked it up for a breakaway that he scored on. Early in the second half, he cleaned up a rebound on the power play to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead. The Penguins came back to make the score 3-2 after that, but Blanchard tied the score, 3-3, very late in the contest when he finished off a one-timer after a great passing play by defenders Blake Jones and Drew Pitts. Blanchard was also a force around the opposing net and was easily the Jr. Bulldogs' most impactful forward.

Will Cavanagh (9)

Cape Cod Whalers, 7/16/2005, F, left shot, 6-3/180
Hometown: East Greenwich, R.I. 

The Whalers-Hitmen game was pretty sloppy, but one thing the Whalers could count on was their line of Cavanagh, Harvard commit Ben Merrill (Hingham, Mass.) and Josh Halliday. Cavanagh was able to help gain the offensive blue line and keep the puck low in the opposing zone. Midway through the second half, he was great on a penalty kill, working with Merrill to hem the Hitmen in their own zone for almost a full minute.

Joe Gaffney (7)

South Shore Kings Prep, 5/5/2006, F, left shot, 5-10/175
Hometown: Wakefield, Mass. 

Gaffney showed off a high compete when it mattered most on Sunday. Late in the second half with the score knotted, 1-1, he brought the puck over the offensive blue line and got hit as he did so. He found a way to regain possession when he shook off the hit, dangled to the middle of the ice and forced all of North Shore Hockey Academy's attention on him between the tops of the circles. That was when he found Brody Sharp (Wellesley, Mass.) down by the net to score the game-winner. After scoring 20 points in 28 games last season as a sophomore, Gaffney will look to take the next step as a junior at Pingree.

Josh Halliday (23)

Cape Cod Whalers, 2/12/2005, F, right shot, 5-9/160
Hometown: Santa Clarita, Calif. 

Halliday's biggest impact in Saturday's game was felt through chemistry with his linemates in the offensive zone. Centered by Merrill, Halliday played a huge role in the cycle game. Early in the game, he fed Merrill in front for a goal. It was Halliday's ability to find space and awareness that got him the assist.

Spencer Hirsch (11)

Neponset Valley River Rats, 1/7/2005, F, left shot, 5-10/160
Hometown: Delray Beach, Fla. 

Hirsch's playmaking in the offensive zone stood out in Sunday's game. At the end of the first half, his hard forechecking and smart passing led to him feeding a teammate in front for an open scoring chance. He was rewarded right after when he had a 2-on-1 with River Rats defender Peter Luecke (South Boston, Mass.) who slid it over to him for the one-time goal. His work around the front of the net was strong, too.

Bronson Hunt (4)

Central Mass Penguins, 3/26/2005, F, left shot, 5-9/165
Hometown: Long Beach, N.Y. 

I'm a fan of Hunt's game, which all seems to be centered around a high compete level. That was evident in both Saturday and Sunday's games. He hunts pucks well, forechecks extremely hard and is a dogged penalty killer. His strong play in the offensive zone at 5v5 led to chances for both him and his teammates. In Saturday's game, Tanner Hunt, his brother, connected with him for a goal. On Sunday, despite a 0-0 tie, Bronson was involved in creating chances. Both Bronson and Tanner will attend Cushing as postgraduates this year; both rank near the top in points for the Central Mass Penguins.

Emerson Marshall (12)

Central Mass Penguins, 10/8/2005, F, left shot, 5-10/181
Hometown: Gloucester, Mass. 

I noticed Marshall a bunch on Sunday. Even though the final was 0-0, Marshall was heavily involved in the game's biggest chances. He tipped in a shot early in the first half for a goal...but his stick was above the crossbar (although he did try to plead to the referees that it went off his head. That's a veteran move.) His compete was extremely high and he went after loose pucks hard. Early in the second half, he hit the post on a wide-open chance from the slot.

Tom Molson (4)

Avon Regals, 1/5/2005, F, left shot, 5-9/155
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec 

Molson continues to impress me this fall. He's not the biggest player on the ice, but his elusiveness makes him such an effective passer in the offensive zone. In the first half of Sunday's game, he had the puck low in the offensive zone and was about to go behind the Penguins' net. When a defender came to hit Molson, the Regals forward made him miss and Molson proceeded to sift a pass to the slot where a teammate had a scoring chance. Molson had a superb year at Deerfield last winter. It's easy to predict that will happen again.

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Jake Novak (19)

South Shore Kings Prep, 4/29/2006, F, right shot, 5-9/155
Hometown: Needham, Mass. 

Novak was the best player on the ice in Sunday's game, which might not be saying much considering North Shore Hockey Academy seemed to be fighting it all day. Novak showcased a high IQ in the offensive zone, constantly gaining zone entries, using his skill to get around the defense and keeping his head up. He also did a good job of creating space and scoring opportunities for his team. He got his team on the board early in the second half when he received a pass from Sharp in front of the net for a goal. He was also effective on the penalty kill, getting a breakaway and generating a 2-on-1 while shorthanded. Novak, now a senior, will look to lead Roxbury Latin offensively like he did last winter.

Nicholas Petrut (92)

Avon Regals, 12/14/2006, F, right shot, 5-8/150
Hometown: Kingston, Ont. 

Even in a 0-0 tie, Petrut was active in the offense. His assertiveness helped him drive play and earn scoring chances. When his team had sustained attacking zone time, he often found soft spots around the slot to receive passes. After 11 points in 23 games as a junior at Salisbury last season, Petrut will look to take a big step in his second year under head coach Andrew Will. Those offensive skills should help that.

Brody Sharp (15)

South Shore Kings Prep, 10/23/2006, F, right shot, 5-9/140
Hometown: Wellesley, Mass. 

It was nice to see an MIAA player stand out this weekend, as Sharp plays for Wellesley High. He was very active in the offense on Sunday. Midway through the second half, he had a great rush that showcased his skill as he dangled a defender and almost backhanded a shot over the netminder. His hard work paid off late in the matchup when he finally did convert on a backhanded shot and notched the game-winning tally.

Duncan Stewart (16)

Neponset Valley River Rats, 3/12/2005, F, left shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Short Hills, N.J. 

What I liked about Stewart's game on Sunday was his ability to create space for himself. He had the puck a lot low in the offensive zone, but never seemed to panic — his patience and puck-protection skills allowed him to get away from defenders. Often, that resulted in finding open teammates. He got the secondary assist on Duncan Thompson's goal late in the third period. After spending the last two seasons at the Delbarton School, he joins Canterbury this year.

Duncan Thompson (13)

Neponset Valley River Rats, 9/21/2006, F, right shot, 5-11/152
Hometown: London, Ont. 

In Sunday's game, Thompson kept finding ways to bring the puck into the offensive zone. Midway through the second half, his offensive zone entry kick-started the sequence that ended in defenseman Teddy Mallgrave scoring from the point. Thompson was rewarded a few minutes later when he scored a goal of his own. After playing at Ridley College last season, Thompson enters his first year at Berkshire.

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Aaron Van Wie (89)

Islanders HC Prep, 5/25/2006, F, left shot, 5-8/145
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo. 

The Islanders didn't do much offensively on Sunday, but Van Wie's speed was noticeable. He played a very north-south game. His speed allowed him offensive zone entries.