WOONSOCKET, R.I. — This past weekend, Mount St. Charles hosted a Northeast Pack event for the 14U and 15O levels.
The teams that participated were Mount St. Charles, the Long Island Gulls, Bishop Kearney Selects, Mid Fairfield, New Jersey Rockets and Pittsburgh Pens Elite.
I watched the 15O action on Friday. Here are the games I saw.
- Mount St. Charles vs. Long Island Gulls
- Mid Fairfield vs. BK Selects
It's a big year for the 15O level, especially the teams in the Northeast Pack. There are a couple of players who will get U.S. National Team Development Program looks for next season.
Here are nine forwards who stood out over the two games. A separate story will follow on defensemen and goalies.
Will Bent
Mount St. Charles, 3/12/08, F, right shot, 6-0/165
Hometown: Dover, Mass.Â
Bent had a commanding presence down the middle. While killing a penalty late in the second period, he had a great rush into the offensive zone. He made a heads-up play to get a shot on net, which led to Jamie Glance depositing the rebound for the shorthanded goal. Bent handled the puck well at the point on power plays and at 5v5, his size helped him protect the puck from defenders.
Owen DeGraff
Long Island Gulls, 2008, F, right shot
Home state: New YorkÂ
DeGraff scored the eventual game-winning goal for the Gulls midway through the third period when he slapped in a rebound. He has good size and drove play well on Friday.
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Jamie Glance
Mount St. Charles, 9/23/08, F, right shot, 5-9/155
Hometown: Stratham, N.H.Â
Glance's biggest moment on Friday came when he scored a shorthanded goal. But his quick hands and high offensive creativity were on display all night. Late in the first period, he showcased a good stick and broke up a play in the neutral zone, leading to a rush the other way. He had multiple scoring chances in the third period and facilitated the puck well on the power play, too.
Kase Kamzik
BK Selects, 4/15/08, F, left shot, 6-0/175
Hometown: Johnstown, Pa.Â
Kamzik showcased offensive confidence all game, but he was at his best early in the third period when he got BK Selects on the board. He brought the puck through the neutral zone and dished it off to a teammate for a give-and-go around the offensive blue line. When he got the puck back, he took a few more steps and sniped one over the goalie's blocker. Kamzik's size helped him play with a lot of confidence.
Matthew Krayer
Mount St. Charles, 10/22/08, F, right shot, 5-9/160
Hometown: Concord, Mass.Â
Krayer's compete was just so high. His lone goal of the game came when he streaked down the right side and snuck in a shot. He was always battling for loose pucks and on an early penalty kill, blocked a nice shot at the blue line and hustled hard to get the puck out. He handled the puck well in tight spaces.
Charlie Puglisi
Long Island Gulls, April 2008, F, right shot
Hometown: Latham, N.Y.Â
The confidence with the puck Puglisi showed on Friday was impressive. Midway through the first period, Puglisi picked the puck up behind his own net. He zipped past a forechecker and began his trip through the neutral zone. That's where he dished the puck off to a teammate for a give-and-go. When he got the puck back, he took a Mount St. Charles defender wide with him and slipped the puck to an open William Leonard in front for the easy goal.
Joseph Salandra
Mid Fairfield, 2/15/08, F, right shot, 5-7/152
Hometown: Pleasantville, N.Y.Â
The first thing that stood out with Salandra was his wicked shot. The next was just how many little things Salandra did that had a positive impact. He assisted on Oskar Drabscynski's goal midway through the second period. Early in the third period, he made a high IQ play when he entered the offensive zone, drew the opposing defender to him and slipped the puck through his legs to Mason St. Louis for a scoring chance.
Mason St. Louis
Mid Fairfield, 1/16/08, F, right shot, 5-10/145
Hometown: Burlington, Vt.Â
St. Louis is the son of exactly who you think — Hockey Hall of Famer and Montreal Canadiens head coach Marty St. Louis. Mason had a strong game Friday night. He was always involved offensively and showed smart instincts. Late in the third period, he forced a turnover by a BK Selects defender, grabbed the puck, entered the offensive zone and wristed a shot past goalie Gavin Weeks (Goffstown, N.H.).
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Easton Walos
Mount St. Charles, 12/28/08, F, left shot, 5-11/160
Hometown: Hartland, Wisc.Â
Walos scored under 10 seconds into Friday's game. What stood out most with Walos was his outstanding two-way play. As a center, he supported defenders well in his own zone and always seemed to be thinking ahead in terms of taking away options for the Gulls. Walos posted 77 goals and 119 points for the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals 14U team last year and had 10 goals in four games at Select 15 Camp during the summer. He sure looks like a candidate for the NTDP next year.
