While Seacoast Performance Academy, the Boston Little Bruins and Mount Saint Charles were the three teams representing New England at the 16U Tier 1 USA Hockey national championships, none were able to make to the quarterfinals.
The Long Island Gulls were the eventual champion, defeating Little Caesars, 2-0.
That doesn't mean there weren't New England players who had standout performances out in San Jose, Calif.
Before we dive into the standouts, here's how each team performed.
Little Bruins
- 7-3 loss vs. Chicago Mission
- 7-1 loss vs. Shattuck St. Mary's
- 4-1 win vs. Team North Dakota
Mount Saint Charles
- 4-3 loss vs. Compuware
- 3-2 win vs. Long Island Gulls
- 5-2 win vs. Nashville Jr. Predators
Seacoast Performance Academy
- 6-4 loss vs. North Jersey Avalanche
- 5-2 loss vs. Little Caesars
- 3-2 win vs. Cleveland Barons
Here are seven players who stood out on the big stage.
Ronald Hill
Seacoast Performance Academy, 10/3/2006, RW, right shot, 5-8/139
It was easy to tell Hill always wanted the puck on his stick and because of his speed and ability to find open ice, he usually got it. Hill used his quick release to score all three of his goals. The first came against Little Caesars when he rifled a shot top corner off a faceoff. His other two on the weekend came on separate power plays against the Cleveland Barons. Once again, he corralled pucks quickly and stunned the goaltender with his release.
Theo Kiss
Mount Saint Charles, 7/13/2006, LW, left shot, 5-9/150Â
NCAA: UMass
Kiss was dynamic over the three games. His skill and compete stood out. One occasion was in Mount Saint Charles’ first game of the tournament against Compuware. He fought hard to get past two Compuware players, including a nice dangle around the defenseman. He gained a zone entry and got the puck back to the point. That’s when he went right towards the net, which is where he tipped defenseman Colton Whitfield’s (Warwick, R.I.) shot in for a goal.
Teddy MacAusland
Little Bruins, 1/13/2006, RW, right shot, 5-9/170Â
MacAusland had a nice season for Nobles this winter and that continued into nationals. His speed helped put him in solid offensive positioning, beating defenders in 1v1 coverage. He also has a quick release, which he showcased on his goal against Team North Dakota on Friday night. He showcased a strong hockey IQ on Dennis Davidson’s (Newton, Mass.) goal against the Mission. He saw Davidson earn the zone entry and Joseph Mense drive the middle. Rather than fly down the right side of the zone, MacAusland backed off, giving Davidson the option to put it through his legs to his Nobles teammate.
Jack Martin
Seacoast Performance Academy, 2006, RW, right shotÂ
Martin was dynamic offensively. His quick hands and effortless stride put him in good positions. His first goal against the North Jersey Avalanche was emblematic of his overall game. He got the puck in the neutral zone, eluded one player, zipped between the two defenders and scored on a nice finish.
He also came up huge at the end of the game when he made a similar play, gaining the offensive blue line, shooting the puck between two defenders, driving the net and having the puck bounce in off of him.
Joseph Mense
Little Bruins, 7/21/2006, D, right shot, 6-1/190Â
Mense was always noticeable throughout the Little Bruins’ three games. His offensive instincts went beyond his team-leading three goals and six points. He constantly joined the rush and played a role in offensive zone entries for the Little Bruins.
A great example of this was Davidson's goal in Game 1 against the Chicago Mission. As Davidson brought the puck through the neutral zone, Mense stayed with the three forwards, entering the zone and drawing a defender away from the right side of the ice. That left Davidson wide open to score on the rebound.
His assertiveness was a big reason why he had such a productive three games.
JJ Monteiro
Mount Saint Charles, 1/12/2006, LW, left shot, 5-11/174
NCAA: Providence
What stood out most about Monteiro was his compete. Riding on the left flank next to center Callum Hughes and right wing Kolin Sisson (Lincoln, R.I.), he was able to create space for his two linemates. He made life difficult on the opposition when they had the puck in their own zone. That was never more evident than in Mount’s game against the Jr. Predators. Midway through the third period, Monteiro’s hard forecheck created a goal for himself. He finished the tournament with three goals — good for the best on his team.
His best goal came in his team’s game against the Long Island Gulls when he sent a shot past goalie Ryan Denes with 0.09 seconds left in the third period to tie the game, 2-2.
Kolin Sisson
Mount Saint Charles, 9/30/2006, RW, right shot, 5-8/141Â
I really enjoyed Sisson’s game. He played somewhat scrappy, but his speed and nice hands made him effective. On Tanner Morgan’s goal in the Gulls game, his edges and stickhandling helped him elude a defender and gain space to sauce a backhander into the slot. Against the Jr. Predators, he did a nice job getting open, such as on Monteiro’s first goal of the game (they gave the goal to Monteiro, but on camera, it looked like Sisson knocked it in). Sisson found a soft spot where he could get open for a one-timer. While his shot was stopped, the puck laid in the crease for Sissons to follow the play and smack it in.
