FOXBORO, Mass. — The Neponset Valley River Rats captured the title in the 14-U division of the Eastern Alliance Kickoff by downing Bishop Kearney Selects, 6-5, in the championship game at the Foxboro Sports Center.
The 14-U division was played mostly at the Canton Ice House and Foxboro Sports Center. The top three teams at the event were the aforementioned River Rats and BK Selects as well as the Boston Junior Eagles. One of the pleasant surprises of the tournament came as a result of a much improved Yale Junior Bulldogs squad.
Monday afternoon’s final was a wildly entertaining, back-and-forth contest. There were power-play goals and shorthanded goals. There were momentum swings. The game had it all and the atmosphere in the rink was great with loud and supportive cheering sections on both sides. The River Rats, coached by Dan Panciocco, and BK Selects, led by first-year head coach Ben McManama, gave it their all in a grueling seven games in four days.
There were beautiful scoring plays and a couple of remarkable saves, including one by Rats goaltender Anthony Palmer (Winthrop, Mass.) where he stacked the pads a la Dominik Hasek. Palmer, who practiced with St. Mary’s as a seventh-grader in 2020-21, will be one of the better high school and prep goaltenders over the coming years.
BK Selects had the best player in the game, but the Rats won because they dug deep, competed hard and got scoring from unsung heroes. One of the pretty scoring plays came off a highlight-reel feed from Jack Kilcoyne (Belmont, Mass.) who slid a pass out front to Michael Battista (Canton, Mass.) for a tap-in goal. Kilcoyne doesn’t get as much notoriety as some of the Rats’ skilled guys, but he works hard and plays a complete, two-way game.
Another less-heralded player who stepped up big time for the Rats was Brady Hanlon (Newton, Mass.). He just works hard each shift. Forward Carter Balducci (Franklin, Mass.) and defenseman Cam Berry (Abington, Mass.) also stepped up for the River Rats.
Centers Cooper Dennis and Jack Murtagh are solidly the top two players for BK Selects, but right wing Chase Jette and defensemen Matthew Judge and Cameron Reid were also notable for McManama’s squad. BK Selects are in their second year of existence and are doing a great job of finding top players from across the continent. Kudos to Boston College alum Chris Collins for heading the organization out of his hometown, Rochester, N.Y.
There were many good players in the game, who will undoubtedly have bright futures and be featured here in the coming months and years. However, I wanted to focus on five skaters who stood out from Monday’s game.
Cooper Dennis
BK Selects, 5/7/07, C, right shot, 5-5/130
Dennis was the best prospect in the game. The Ithaca, N.Y., native is a dynamic skater who can blow by opposing defenders and create separation as he did on his team’s fourth goal. It’s not just his speed that makes him a big-time player. He’s a smart, 200-foot forward who sees the ice well and can slow the game down so it comes to him. Dennis is a big-time player that will be able to play in all situations down the road in college hockey. Expect Dennis to be in the mix for a spot on USA Hockey’s NTDP come March of 2023.
Jack Murtagh
BK Selects, 1/1/07, C, left shot, 5-9/145
Murtagh is a super skilled forward from East Greenbush, N.Y. He has the puck on his stick a lot and could have produced even more than he did in this game. The younger brother of UConn commit Michael Murtagh (Gunnery), he looks to be an even better prospect. He has grown a lot over the last year. He skates well, has strong sense, and can finish.
Tommy Anderson
River Rats, 2/2/07, C, left shot, 5-6/145Â
Anderson is a gifted offensive player who scored a highlight-reel goal in overtime on Sunday night to help get the Rats to this game. In Monday’s finale, he had two goals and an assist. His hands are his best asset. He can stickhandle in a phone booth, elude opposing defenders, and can pick corners when he fires it. Anderson, from Braintree, Mass., is a freshman at Thayer and will likely get minutes for Tony Amonte’s Tigers this winter.
Colvin Callahan
River Rats, 2/9/07, RW, right shot, 5-9/135
Callahan, from Lexington, Mass., is a big power forward who brings a physical presence and can score goals. He finished the game with two tallies and an assist. He uses his size well and gets to the dirty areas. He’ll be a freshman on the high school team at Lexington when the MIAA season starts in December.
Evan Handler
River Rats, 3/19/07, D, right shot, 5-2/100
Handler is on the smaller side, but he’s a smart, puck-moving defenseman. His skating is above average and it should get better as he grows and adds lower body strength. He has good feet to sidestep oncoming forecheckers and he makes quick decisions to get pucks up ice. I like that he doesn’t try to overhandle it. He had an assist in Monday’s championship game. Handler is an eighth-grader at Rivers and I’d expect him to play a significant role for Freddy Meyers’ team in future years.
