MARLBORO, Mass. — Talent and will won out for all three Mid Fairfield Jr. Rangers teams that traveled north to participate in the Connecticut state Tier 1 playoffs Nov. 12-14 at the New England Sports Center.
With victories over the Elite Hockey Program (18-U) and South Kent Selects Academy (16-U and 15-U), Mid Fairfield ran the table in the Sunday championship round, winning the state competition for fall hockey.
The players will now disperse to their respective schools for the 2021-22 prep hockey season before coming together in March to compete for the New England district regional playoffs for the chance to punch their ticket to the Tier 1 National Championship held in Plymouth and Rochester, Mich. March 30-April 4, 2022.
Several teams had to complete the playoff schedule without the benefit of Avon Old Farms prep players, who were not made available to their respective split season clubs. No team was more affected by that and injury attrition than the Mid Fairfield 18s, who captured the division state title with just nine players but won their championship game by a 5-0 score. The 16-U and 15-U squads had closer to their complete rosters available and were able to win their respective deciding contests 3-0 and 6-1.
With the Massachusetts Tier 1 playoffs also occurring simultaneously at the NESC, here is a quick snapshot of some of the highlights from the competition New England Hockey Journal was able to directly observe, focusing on the winning teams who got it done.
Dropping in to check on the Mid Fairfield 18s in their final game with just three players on the bench required a double-take, but they weathered the challenge. They have talent and showed heart, playing a smart game to effectively transition to the attack, and were able to win out over a game, but overmatched Elite Program team who could not capitalize on their numerical advantage and fresher legs.
He stayed square and did a nice job finding pucks through screens. Big things are expected this season for the Brunswick star, and if this weekend is any indication, he'll benefit from the mental toughness gained from coming out on top with such a short bench playing in front of him.
Hank Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.) has impressed us throughout the fall schedule. The late-blooming ’03 forward has a rangy stride and can really fire pucks to the back of the net. He’s another on a deep roster at Brunswick who looks like he’s going to elevate himself this season.Â
He’s still extremely raw, but the tools are there as a future impact NCAA player and a potential stint in pro hockey after that. Needs to keep climbing the ladder, but he’s got intriguing upside going forward.
The Mid Fairfield 16 team beat Elite Hockey to face South Kent (Northwest Icehawks) for the state title match. Martin St. Louis’ team comes at you in waves and like the 18 squad, is outstanding in transition, forcing opponents to turn pucks over and making them pay for those miscues at the other end of the ice.
Whatever Sean Gibbons (Southport, Conn.) lacks in natural size and power, he makes up for with intelligence, drive and the ability to consistently score. Several times, he turned opposition scoring chances into goals at the other end with his recognition and ability to accelerate quickly and create odd-man rushes.
Gibbons is an underrated forward who went undrafted in the USHL, but has the smarts and moxie to be a very good junior player and go on to play D-1 college hockey. He’s a big game player who shows up when his team needs to make a play.
Yale recruit Eli Friedman was noticeable for his heavy-on pucks game and strong play along the walls and in front of the net. There’s not a lot of flash, but he’s going to be an effective, versatile forward at the next level.
Sloan Farmer has made a major jump this season with his strong two-way play and continued it through the weekend. The Old Greenwich, Conn., native closes rapidly on puck carriers with just a few smooth, powerful strides and when he takes the puck from behind his own net, he can evade the forecheck with his lateral quickness and make hard, accurate passes under pressure.
Another one who went undrafted last May by USHL teams, he won’t be passed up this time around in the entry draft. He's a high upside two-way defender with a bright future at the next levels.
Goaltender Will Baker shined in the championship, shutting out a skilled and dangerous South Kent team. He reads the play and anticipates well, maintaining his focus and using his athleticism to keep pucks out of the net. Sometimes when watching the 6-foot, 160-pounder from Pennsylvania gets overlooked, but he’s going to combine with Holahan to give the Bruins a nice 1-2 combo between the pipes. We’ve seen him shut down some high-powered offenses this fall, so he’s a player to watch going forward.
Great weekend for our Mid Fairfield Midget teams winning state championships at 15U, 16U and 18U ???? ???? ???? @NEHockeyJournal @NZPrepHockey #MF pic.twitter.com/7I9Vk5wgAB
— Mid Fairfield Hockey (@MFYHAHockey) November 14, 2021
The Mid Fairfield 15-only team has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde this fall in terms of what you get in any given game, but they pulled together here.
New York product Drew DellaSalla is as skilled as they come, and he did the work to generate offense. He’ll have a shot at making the U.S. National Team in spring, but has to continue to build more consistent application of his natural talent and offensive instincts to dominate games. Power forward Ben Bradley has the size and raw potential to become a capable junior player, especially when he uses his length to protect pucks on the cycle to wear down defenses or go hard to the net.
On defense, Blake Stant (Easton, Conn.) and Cooper Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.) kept things simple, got back to retrieve pucks and move them out and continued their trend lines of a strong fall showing for both. They are different players in terms of style and substance, but it will be interesting to see how they fare in the winter and when the Mid Fairfield team comes together in March for New England regionals.
