Red Bank, N.J. – Many of the top 2001-2003 born players in the New York and Atlantic districts converged on the Red Bank Armory Ice Complex this past weekend to showcase their talents in front of college, junior, prep and NHL coaches and scouts.

Below is a ranking of how players fared at this tournament with future potential in mind, broken down by birth year. Current college commitments are included where necessary, though many more could soon have NCAA destinations.

2001s:

Alex Laferriere
• #4 Red, 10/28/01, Forward, Right Shot, 5-8/140
• NCAA commitment: Army 

Laferriere was really good here. He’s improved a lot over the past year, simply due to physical maturation. He’s quick and he gets to pucks. The Chatham, N.J., native finished and drew several penalties because of his speed. A highlight reel goal he scored was a turnaround wrist shot that went just under the bar on Saturday night. Laferriere is a huge recruiting victory for Brian Riley’s staff.

Liam McLinskey
• #15 Sky Blue, 2/20/01, Forward, Right Shot, 6-2/170

McLinskey was arguably the top uncommitted prospect here. The Pearl River, N.J., native was a star player for Don Bosco this winter. His linemate had four goals, including a hat trick on one shift Friday. McLinskey was the major reason. He’s a good power forward who moves well north/south. His hands aren’t the best, but he makes up for it by driving the net and using his size and strength. He made a great pass from the right wing right on the tape for a two-on-one goal.

Connor Tait
• #21 White, 1/26/01, Forward, Right Shot, 6-1/190
• NCAA commitment: Quinnipiac

Tait dominated this event last season, but didn’t quite have the same level of intensity this year. The Boyds, Md., native has the size and skating ability to be a solid power forward at the collegiate level and possibly beyond. He scored a pretty goal, pulling the puck back and ripping a shot through the legs of the defender.

Gregory Japchen
• #12 Gray, 12/17/01, Defense, Left Shot, 6-0/170
• NCAA commitment: Omaha

The Doylestown, Pa., native is a skilled offensive, puck-moving defender. What comes with the reward of him getting getting pucks north is the occasional turnover or bad decision. He’s a little busy, but he can be shifty and skate or pass the puck. He has a good shot from the point and feet to match.

Gabe Dombrowski
• #14 Sky Blue, 1/22/02, Forward, Right Shot, 5-11/170

Dombrowski had his best game Friday, scoring four times. He has good size and drives to the net. All of his goals came from within 10 feet of the goalmouth. His size and ability to get to the dirty areas are going to be the reason he succeeds. He’s a North Carolina native who played for the ISS Kings this past season.

Michael Posma
• #14 Royal, 12/4/01, Forward, Left Shot, 6-0/170
• NCAA: Air Force

Posma has quick hands and can finish. On Friday night, he scored a nifty shootout goal with a quick juke before burying a forehand past the goaltender. He had two very similar moves Saturday afternoon for back-to-back goals to lead off the game. The Pomona, N.Y., native is a good get for the Falcons.

Stephen Kyrkostas
• #14 Gold, 3/23/01, Forward, Right Shot, 5-10/165

The New York, N.Y., native showed off his skating ability and speed here. He’s an explosive skater who can create time and space. He can beat defenders wide and find open teammates with his vision. He assisted on a goal where he made a terrific pass to the backdoor. He gets in trouble when he holds on to the puck too long and his finishing ability needs work, but he’s a D1 skater.

Danny Colon
• #8 Sky Blue, 2/13/01, Forward, Left Shot, 5-8/170

Colon is a good skater whose best asset is his compete level. The Mendham, N.J., native works so hard that he can get to pucks and cycle, despite his lack of size. Once he continues to bulk up so he can win more puck battles, he’ll be even more solid.

John Hallard
• #12 Gold, 1/28/01, Defense, Right Shot, 5-11/190

Hailing from Port Monmouth, N.J., Hallard is a little raw, but he’s got good size and plays with a physical toughness. He makes some good, simple first passes to transition quickly from defense to offense.

William Kormanik
• #20 Red, 3/20/01, Forward, Left Shot, 6-3/178

Kormanik’s size is his most intriguing asset. He needs to be more assertive offensively and improve his hands, but there’s something there. He’s a bottom six player who wins face-offs and does a lot of the little things to win games. After a few seasons with the LI Gulls, the Ridgewood, N.J., native is heading to North Jersey Avalanche 18U this winter.

Jeremy Ambrose
• #5 Sky Blue, 2/13/01, Forward, Right Shot, 6-0/180

Ambrose had a good net drive and scored a nice goal in close off a pass from a defenseman on his team. The Marlton, N.J., native plays for the NJ Titans 18U.

Nikita Nesterenko
• #4 White, 9/10/01, Forward, Left Shot, 5-10/150

There’s no doubting the skill set of the Brooklyn, N.Y., native who plays for the Lawrenceville School. He’s shifty and can make plays individually with his hands. He needs to be more willing to go to the dirty areas in order to keep moving up the ladder.

John Mitchell
• #15 Gold, 5/14/01, Forward, Left Shot, 5-10/185

Mitchell works hard and scored a nice goal on Saturday afternoon. The Merrick, N.Y., native has played for the Long Island Gulls.

2002s:

Matt Coronato
• #8 Gold, 11/14/02, Forward, Right Shot, 5-8/172
• NCAA commitment: Harvard

Coronato, from New York, N.Y., is the ultimate facilitator. He makes players better and can make plays from just about anywhere on the surface. He goes to the net and has the hands to finish. He has the hockey sense and vision to make some nifty passes. Once his first step improves, he should be even more dynamic.

Nick DeSantis
• #9 Gray, 5/2/02, Forward, Right Shot, 5-9/155
• NCAA commitment: Miami

DeSantis is a fun player to watch. He’s always moving his feet, which allows him to have the puck a lot. He distributes it and makes plays, which he did here. The Collegevilla, Pa., native has always been knocked for his size, but he just scores everywhere he goes.

Michael Cameron
• #5 Red, 7/24/02, Forward, Left Shot, 5-9/174
• NCAA commitment: RPI

Cameron is a terrific get for the RPI staff. His older brother Matt is also committed to the Engineers. Cameron is fast and has a good skill set. His best game came Friday night when he was able to move pucks and play with two like-minded players in Laferriere and ’03 Jeremy Wilmer. He made a couple of highlight reel passes in that first game.

Lachlan Getz
• #11 Gold, 2/1/02, Defense, Right Shot, 6-2/175

The Northfield, Ill., native plays for the Lawrenceville School. He’s a great skater who likes to pinch and jump up into the offense. His ability to step up into the play benefits his team. He’ll need to learn to pick his spots and not over-handle the puck in order to get to the next level.

Frank Djurasevic
• #21 Royal, 3/9/02, Defense, Right Shot, 6-2/185

Djurasevic has pro size and can skate fairly well. He has a good stick and reach defensively. He closes quickly and has some toughness. The New Rochelle, N.Y., native defends well 1-on-1. His areas he needs to improve on are skating and puck-handling, but he’s a Division 1 prospect.

Jarod Crespo
• #9 Sky Blue, 4/30/02, Defense, Right Shot, 5-11/180
• NCAA commitment: Penn State

The Easthampton, N.J., native converted to defense a little over a year ago, but was back at forward on Saturday afternoon. It might be his more natural position. He can skate and he scored a beauty of a slap shot goal from the slot.

T.J. Semptimphelter
• #30 Gold, 5/9/02, Goaltender, Catches Left, 5-10/160

The Marlton, N.J., native was the best goaltending prospect here. He’s below 6-feet, but he makes saves. Just about every time you watch him, he’s holding the opposition at bay. He’s quick and fundamentally very sound.

Matt DeBoer
• #9 Royal, 9/1/02, Forward, Right Shot, 6-0/165

The Madison, N.J., native and son of San Jose Sharks coach Pete DeBoer, he’s a solid hockey player who got better as the season went along in his first year of prep hockey at Salisbury. His next task is continuing to think the game at a higher level offensively.

Bauer Morrissey
• #16 Sky Blue, 1/19/02, Defense, Left Shot, 5-9/160

The Leesburg, Va., native has very good skating ability and can move pucks. He does a good job walking the blue line and getting shots through. The Washington Little Caps product is raw, but has the athletic tools to improve into a good hockey player.

Robert Barrasso
• #6 Sky Blue, 3/1/02, Forward, Left Shot, 6-2/170

The Taft School winger from Mountain Lakes, N.J., always captivates scouts with his size. His first step and skating ability show some promise. He scored a goal Friday, but overall, his skill set and hockey sense need to continue to improve in order to become a Division 1 player.

Hunter Rossi
• #17 Sky Blue, 3/9/02, Forward, Right Shot, 5-10/155

Rossi has good speed and can beat defenders wide, but he doesn’t go to the scoring areas or have the hockey sense yet to impact the offense. From Long Island, he plays at Portledge and with the North Jersey Avalanche.

Frankie Petkunas
•#1 Sky Blue, 6/9/02, Goaltender, Catches Right, 6-1/162

The Philadelphia Jr. Flyers goaltender made some big saves here. He showed some good quickness and has grown over the past year. He held onto rebounds as well.

2003s:

Tyler Boucher
• #6 Gold, 1/16/03, Forward, Right Shot, 5-10/165
• NCAA commitment: BU

Boucher, the son of former NHL goaltender Brian Boucher, has a high ceiling. He’s got the size and ability to dominate down low. He’s a heavy, north-south power forward who can play with a physical toughness. He’s got a hard shot and goes to the net. He should be a big time college player and NHL Draft prospect in a few years. He’s a sure bet for the NTDP after a year at Avon Old Farms.

Jeremy Wilmer
• #2 Red, 8/16/03, Forward, Left Shot, 5-6/130
• NCAA commitment: BU

Wilmer is slippery. The New York, N.Y., native can make plays and is crafty. He’s got the shiftiness to maneuver around defenders. He is a very good player when put with the right linemates. He needs to become more dynamic, but as a left-shot, the comparison to current Terrier Patrick Harper isn’t far off.

Ryan Ufko
• #4 Gold, 5/7/03, Defense, Right Shot, 5-7/140

Ufko is a slightly undersized defenseman, but he has great gaps and an even better stick to defend. He makes quick, smart outlet passes and can walk the blue line to get shots through. He was with Mid-Fairfield last season, but is making the jump to the North Jersey Avalanche this upcoming season.

Joseph Sciabarra
• #4 Sky Blue, 10/11/03, Defense, Left Shot, 5-5/145

Sciabarra is still a work in progress as his zone work needs to improve, but his skating and stick skills are very good. He’s a puck-moving, offensive defenseman who had some nice moments in this showcase. From Plainview, N.Y., he’s a player to watch.

Jayden Sison
• #18 Sky Blue, 1/27/03, Forward, Right Shot, 5-10/155

The Paoli, Pa., native consistently stood out during his bantam season for his hockey sense and doing the little things that win hockey games. On a line with Tyler Boucher and Kenny Connors, his skill set was sometimes lost in the shadows. However, he showed here that he has the offensive touch to score goals. He sniped a couple of beauties into small areas of the net.

Michael Rubin
• #17 White, 5/5/03, Defense, Right Shot, 5-11/165

Rubin took some time to adjust here, playing against older competition, but he’s a smooth defender who can make good passes up ice. He’ll be making the move to the NJ Rockets from the NJ Colonials with his dad.

Kenny Connors
• #7 White, 3/10/03, Defense, Left Shot, 5-11/163

The Glen Mills, Pa., native was injured for parts of the second half of this season with Virtua, but he’s a rugged power forward who can beat opposition defensemen with his toughness. He’s going to be a north-south guy who will be effective if he can get to the dirty areas.

Gregory Spitznagel
• #16 Gray, 3/10/03, Forward, Right Shot, 6-1/185

Spitznagel gets overlooked a lot, but he’s a big forward with a quick release and a goal scoring touch. He had a nice snipe Saturday from the slot. He’s not the fastest nor the most skilled player, but he manages to impact the play below the dots on a consistent basis.

Logan Heroux
• #11 Gray, 5/30/03, Defense, Right Shot, 6-0/175

The son of former professional Yves Heroux, the younger Heroux is a decent skater with size. He played AA hockey this past winter and the quickness of the game sometimes catches up to him on his decisions. The Middletown, N.J., native has some potential.

Cam Bergeman
• #2 Sky Blue, 2/11/03, Forward, Left Shot, 5-5/125

Bergeman is a player who can be noticeable for a few shifts than might disappear for a few. The NJ Colonials product has quickness and hands, as evidenced by a nice goal he scored Friday. He’ll need to bulk up, go to the scoring areas and be more consistent to truly take the next step in his game.