In New England, 15U hockey sometimes takes a backseat to the 16U level. The Beast Series sought to elevate 15U hockey this fall by bringing together many of the best teams comprised of 2003-birth year players.
While some of the more well-known ‘03s continue to play up at the 16U level, there are some promising players in this age group who had previously flown under the radar. However, now that the Neponset Valley River Rats have won the Beast Series 15U Championship, the shadows are starting to lift on some.
The River Rats, like all split-season teams in the region, don’t get to practice. Still, head coach Ben McManama, an assistant coach at Nobles, got a group of hard-working players to buy in, leading to an undefeated season.
“Our success this year comes from having high-character kids," McManama said. "We have a ton of talent and no egos. For a coach, that’s rare to see at this level."
Forward Matt Copponi pointed to team chemistry as the driver of his team's success.
“For a team that doesn’t see each other every day, we got along real well," Copponi said.
Outside of games that were typically scouted by at least a few college coaches and junior scouts, McManama held a weekly, optional skills session with his players.
“I learned a lot of new things from Ben," Copponi said. "He really taught us a lot. With all the scouting the Rats bring in, there was a lot of exposure."
Copponi, a sophomore at Mansfield (Mass.) High School, was the team’s top forward. His game has continued to make great progress over the last year. While still overlooked by some, it’s increasingly evident that he has the skating, skill and compete level to be a Division 1 hockey player.
“Copponi has matured so much as a player this season," McManama said. "He has really worked hard to become a more complete player. When he started to simplify his game, he became a major offensive threat."
Before this fall, Copponi didn’t often show that offensive touch. He’s always been a player who skates hard, win draws and does the little things. But they're parts of his game, he said, he takes pride in.
Copponi has a good role model to look up to when trying to play a complete, 200-foot game from the center ice position.
“Patrice Bergeron because he’s very skilled, but he’s also very good on defense," Copponi said. "I like to play like he does."
The team’s top defenseman is Aidan Lyons, a newcomer to Nobles this winter. Formerly of the Boston Jr. Terriers, Lyons has a lot of skill, can skate and moves pucks with a good stick. His hockey sense, while still not as strong as other parts of his game, is coming together.
“Lyons is an exceptional talent and his game has really improved over the past few weeks when he focused on moving pucks quickly," McManama said. "He has worked extremely hard to create better habits that will help him at the next level."
Another pleasant surprise has been the continued development of 6-foot-4 goaltender Robert Repenning. USA Hockey’s NTDP scouts were in to watch him a few times. He had a really good game against Minnesota power house Gentry Academy over the Columbus Day Weekend.
Forwards Michael Cataldo and Tyler Ramm, plus defenseman Jake Mullahy, are the team’s other top prospects. The River Rats will play Selects Academy on Nov. 3 in a tuneup for the Massachusetts District Championships a week later.
