NORTHFORD, Conn. – The Yale Junior Bulldogs earned the region’s automatic bid to USA Hockey Nationals by winning the New England District 18-U Championship over the weekend at the Northford Ice Pavilion.
The Junior Bulldogs defeated Maine Nordiques in the final after downing Mount Saint Charles in the semifinal. The Nordiques got to Sunday evening’s final by winning a wild affair against Elite Hockey Academy.
There were a handful of NHL scouts that came through the rinks to watch Mount Saint Charles right wing Cam O’Neill, a UMass commit from Odenton, Md, and Mid Fairfield left wing and Dartmouth commit Hank Cleaves of Brunswick and Greenwich, Conn., A few more college coaches were in the three-sheet facility checking in on some current commits and possible future recruits.
The Junior Bulldogs and Mount Saint Charles will both be in Rochester, Mich., later this month to take part in nationals. While Shattuck-St. Mary’s enters the event as the favorite, there are reasons for optimism for both squads from the New England district.
The Junior Bulldogs, coached by Shawn Conner and Kyle Wallack, have a solid group of older forwards who have skill and play hard. From Kent School, Jacob Kraft, Providence commit Geno McEnery, Dante Palombo, Max Resnick, Michael Hurst and Cole Watson provide punch as `03s. UConn commit Oliver Flynn of Loomis Chaffee had a strong game against Mount Saint Charles in the semifinal. From Salisbury, Connor Driscoll and Cole Eichler can both score. The blue line and goaltending are reasons for skepticism when it comes to competing against the upper echelon of midget major teams in the U.S. However, there’s a lot of firepower up front and the team showed this weekend that beating full season teams isn’t a problem.
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Matt Plante’s team has the dominant first line that everyone knows about with O’Neill on the right, Miami commit Micah Berger on the left and Dartmouth recruit Jason Stefanek down the middle. The second line has been a big part of the team’s success and third line center Matt Lewis provides grit and energy. A lack of depth and real go-to guy on the blue line is a concern. Both goaltenders, Jack Spicer and Peter Sterling, possess the ability to win games when playing well.
With most of the high-end talent in Northford in the 15 Only and 16-U divisions, I spent most of my time over the two days watching that. However, I was able to watch some 18-U each day and took note of some uncommitted prospects. This list is based on my viewings solely from this weekend and not indicative of past performances.
Zach Aben
Mount Saint Charles, 12/12/03, C, left shot, 5-10/180
Aben was the most productive player on the second line this weekend, at least during my viewings. He scored a couple of goals and was his usual self in terms of getting the most of his physical tools. From Shavertown, Pa., Aben is tendered to play in the NAHL for the 2022-23 season.
Owen Benoit
Maine Nordiques, 6/17/04, D, left shot, 6-4/170
Benoit is the team’s top defenseman. The big lefty from St. Alban’s, Vt., skates well and has upside as a defensive defenseman. He is rangy and seems to have an ability to take away time and space from opposing forwards.
Oliver Genest
Seacoast, 3/19/04, RW, right shot, 6-1/185
From Sanford, Maine, Genest has the speed and ability to create offense on the rush and drive the net. A pure goal scorer, he has good size and potential to pop over the next few years. If he makes the jump to the NAHL for 2022-23 as expected, he’s a player college coaches should be continuing to track.
Jacob Kraft
Junior Bulldogs, 4/26/03, C, left shot, 5-8/165
Kraft is skilled, quick and plays with grit. He can slide up and down the lineup in college, but is most likely a middle six forward once he gets to that level. The Rochester, N.Y., native has a good stick, can score goals, and make plays. He’s turned down a few offers in Atlantic Hockey and ECAC Hockey.
Dante Palombo
Junior Bulldogs, 12/23/03, C/LW, left shot, 5-9/175
Palombo gets the most out of his ability as he has a nose for the puck. In my viewings of the Junior Bulldogs, he was around the puck a lot. He’s good below the dots, can make plays, and has a willingness to fight for position and get to the scoring areas. The White Plains, N.Y., native has a low center of gravity and produces consistently.
Michael Roby
Elite Hockey Academy, 5/18/03, C/LW, left shot, 5-10/170
Roby impressed me in his team’s game against the Nordiques. He scored a goal and was around the puck a lot. From Churchville, Pa., he hunted pucks and was consistently noticeable. Some might remember him from his days playing on Virtua with Tyler Boucher, Kenny Connors and Jayden Sison.
