ATTLEBORO, Mass. — The New Jersey Rockets won the championship of the Beast Series Playoffs at the 16U Division with wins over the Yale Junior Bulldogs, BK Selects and Buffalo Regals.
The Rockets earned a wildly entertaining comeback win in the semifinals against Bishop Kearney Selects before easily dispatching the Buffalo Regals in the final Sunday afternoon at the New England Sports Village. Noel Rubin’s team routed the Yale Junior Bulldogs in the quarterfinals.
Below is a look at my unofficial all-tournament team for the 16U division of the Beast Series Playoffs.
All players are uncommitted and showed well over the course of the two days.
Liam Kilfoil
Buffalo Regals, 3/21/07, C, left shot, 5-11/170
Kilfoil made a great pass on the only goal the Regals scored in regulation Saturday night against the Long Island Gulls in the semifinals. His vision is uncanny, especially for an ’07 playing up. Kilfoil is the undisputed leader of this Regals team. A special talent, the Quispamsis, New Brunswick, native is at Salisbury this winter after dominating at Mount Saint Charles in his final year of bantam hockey. A projected top-five pick in the QMJHL draft, he’ll be playing junior hockey next year, whether in that league or as a tender in the USHL.
Kuzma Voronin
NJ Rockets, 7/27/06, LW, left shot, 5-9/174
Voronin has the skill set of a potential first-round NHL draft pick. He’s electric with the puck on his stick. The Yaroslavl, Russia, native has an elite stick and a quick twitch. Voronin will get even better once he further adjusts to the play in North America. This is his first season on this side of the pond after playing previously for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
Geno Carcone
BK Selects, 11/14/06, C, left shot, 5-9/187
Carcone was involved in a lot of the scoring plays versus the River Rats in the quarterfinals and then again in the semifinal loss to the Rockets. Carcone is a smart, poised center with skill. He has good chemistry with linemate Nicholas Wellenreiter, one of Maine’s top recruits. From Woodstock, Ga., Carcone is a playmaker who will have a college logo next to his name in the future. A late birthday, he’s only a sophomore.
Donato Bracco
LI Gulls, 7/26/07, D, left shot, 5-8/140
Bracco is the top defenseman on the Gulls and has a chance to make USA Hockey’s NTDP for the 2023-24 season. Despite playing up a year, he’s smooth, mobile and athletic. He has the puck a good amount and runs the power play from the top. The Locust Valley, N.Y., native had a strong game against the Regals in the semifinals, despite the loss.
Ryan Lukko
NJ Rockets, 8/16/06, D, left shot, 5-8/165
Lukko was the unquestioned most valuable player. The Colonia, N.J., native took over games with his hockey sense. He’s a puck-moving machine who reads plays, fills lanes, and drives possession. He uses his superior vision to set up teammates and jump into the play for scoring chances of his own. He single-handedly took over the semifinals when his team was down. Even defensively, he’s so smart as far as forcing turnovers and killing plays.
Cole Pouliot-Porter
Buffalo Regals, 7/24/06, G, catches left, 5-9/141
Pouliot-Porter, from Franklin, Mass., was outstanding in his team’s 2-1 shootout victory over the Long Island Gulls on Saturday night. He stopped every shot in the shootout. Pouliot-Porter is on the smaller side, but he’s athletic and has cat-like reflexes. He continues to prove people, myself included, wrong by playing at a high level against strong competition. Pouliot-Porter is transferring within the MIAA, going from his hometown high school of Franklin to Xaverian, where he’ll play for Dave Spinale.
