EXETER, N.H. — Mount Saint Charles outscored its opponents 44-8 en route to winning the 16-U division at the New England District Tournament at The Rinks at Exeter.
Mount Saint Charles defeated Mid Fairfield, 6-4, in the semifinal and South Kent Selects Academy, 6-2, in the final. Devin Rask’s team had the best prospects in the tournament, headlined by forwards Thomas Trunda and Cam O’Neill and defensemen Ben Robertson and Seth Constance.
Maine Nordiques, Seacoast Performance Academy, Northern Cyclones and New Hampshire Avalanche were the other teams in the New England District 16-U Tournament. While Mount, Selects Academy and Mid Fairfield had the most well-known prospects, the other teams had some players to watch. Notably missing from the weekend was Seacoast center Alex Weiermair, an NTDP candidate who was out due to a COVID-19 related issue.
Below is a look at the top uncommitted players from the weekend, broken down by position:
Forwards
Thomas Trunda
Mount Saint Charles, 10/15/04, LW, right shot, 5-9/150
Trunda was electric in every game I watched him and his team play over the weekend. He scored two goals and assisted on three more in the final. He’s not the biggest guy on the ice, but his hockey sense, stick and compete are elite. He has great vision and creativity with the puck on his stick. He hunts pucks and skates as hard going back defensively as he does going forward. He has such a quick stick that he can force a turnover and minimize his size disadvantage. The late ’04 from the Czech Republic makes his linemates better and is one of the most dynamic players skating within the region this winter. Every college hockey team in the country should be on Trunda.
Cam O’Neill
Mount Saint Charles, 1/24/04, RW, right shot, 5-11/170
O’Neill had at least two multi-goal games over the weekend, including the final. Playing the right wing on the top line with Trunda and Jason Stefanek, he scored a few beauties. He’s strong on his skates, plays a hard, north-south game, and shoots it with zip. I’ve always liked the way O’Neill plays, but this was his best viewing to date. The Odenton, Md., native displayed the skill and goal-scoring ability to be coveted by Hockey East schools.
Jason Stefanek
Mount Saint Charles, 8/20/04, C, right shot, 5-11/160
Stefanek, from Yorba Linda, Calif., centered Trunda and O’Neill. While I didn’t come away as impressed with him as his two wingers, he had a good weekend for himself. He’s a true center who skates well, plays a 200-foot game, and can make plays.
Dan Harkimo
Selects Academy, 11/9/04, RW, right shot, 6-0/154
I came away from the weekend very impressed with Harkimo, a native of Sipoo, Finland. I had seen him earlier in the year and noticed him, but he’s made huge strides in his game. He has a good shot and he sees the ice well. What struck me most is the improvement he’s made away from the puck and in terms of how hard he plays. He had a good stick and was heavy on pucks. While I don’t have an official tally, I wouldn’t be surprised if Harkimo was close to double digits in terms of points on the weekend.
Zion Green
Maine Nordiques, 4/12/04, RW, right shot, 5-11/175
Green has a high-end skill-set and is a good skater. He has good hands to finish, but he can also make plays. The Birmingham, Mich., native needs to find more consistency, if he’s going to take his game to the next level.
Laurent Trepanier
Seacoast, 4/1/04, LW, left shot, 5-8/160
Trepanier, from St. Basile Grand, Quebec, is quick and uses his speed to accelerate past defenders. He is especially adept at creating offense and scoring on the rush as he did for a goal in Saturday’s game. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s one of the more fun players to watch on his team. If he can bulk up and be more of a force outside of just the rush, his skating will take him places.
Kim Hilmersson
Seacoast, 6/24/04, C, left shot, 6-1/190
Hilmersson, from Uppsala, Sweden, centers his team’s top line. When he’s on his game, he brings a heavy, physical presence along with his hard shot. There’s Division 1 upside if he can put it all together in the coming years.
Hudson Blue
Mount Saint Charles, 7/27/04, RW, right shot, 5-10/175
Blue didn’t impact the shoresheet as much as some of his teammates, but I always like how hard he plays. This weekend was no exception. He hunts pucks, doesn’t shy away from physical contact, and is tough to play against.
Frankie D’Ancona
Mount Saint Charles, 6/2/04, C, left shot, 5-9/165
D’Ancona is on the smaller side, but he seems to produce in most games I watch. He sees the ice well and doesn’t back down in traffic and small-area situations. The St. James, N.Y., native had at least a couple of assists in the game against the Northern Cyclones.
John Small
Selects Academy, 1/17/04, LW, left shot, 5-10/168
Small has always been an above-average player, but he had himself a really good weekend. I’ve seen him play some center in the past, but he was on the wing here. The Orland Park, Ill., native scored a bar-down goal from the left-wing wall on the power play in Sunday’s final. He’s gotten a little bigger, has good length, and made some plays. He previously was a competitive center, but he’s a player who I’ll now keep an eye on going forward.
James Shannon
Mid Fairfield, 8/12/04, RW, right shot, 5-10/170
Shannon played right wing on Mid Fairfield’s top line with Boston College commit Connor Welsh at center. Shannon, from New York City, is a hard-nosed winger who hunts pucks, drives the net, and shoots it with authority. He plays with an edge and could certainly find himself on an Ivy League roster down the road.
Nick Rooney
Mount Saint Charles, 1/22/04, LW, left shot, 5-8/147
Rooney scored four goals in his team’s win against the Northern Cyclones. The undersized winger from Tampa, Fla., has skill and quickness. To become a more consistent threat and take his game to the next level, he has to play more between the dots.
Mitchell Spranklin
Selects Academy, 1/31/04, C, right shot, 5-9/155
Spranklin stood out numerous times over the weekend for having good edges and being able to make plays. The Weston, Fla., native is a good stickhandler and was able to be elusive in small areas.
Gabriel Fillion
Maine Nordiques, 9/29/04, C, left shot, 5-11/170
Fillion is a good skater with some skill. He produced while centering the top line with Green on the right wing. The Montreal native scored a goal in a viewing vs. Mid Fairfield on Saturday morning.
Cole Lopilato
Maine Nordiques, 2/28/04, C, left shot, 5-11/175
Lopilato centers the other top-six line for the Nordiques. The North Reading, Mass., native plays hard, competes and is heavy on pucks. Lopilato previously played for St. John’s Prep and the Northern Cyclones.
Roman Vitolo
Maine Nordiques, 6/30/04, LW, right shot, 5-11/175
Vitolo, from New York City, is a rugged winger who goes to the net and has a knack for scoring goals. He’s hard to defend and he can win puck battles down low. He came to the Nordiques from the North Jersey Avalanche.
Nicholas Bennett
Selects Academy, 5/18/04, C, right shot, 5-8/140
Bennett is a player who hasn’t really stood out much in previous viewings. Like a few other Selects Academy players, he saved his best hockey for a key weekend. Bennett is quick
Tom McDonough
Seacoast, 2/26/04, RW, left shot, 5-7/145
McDonough is another player who has taken a step in his game this season. He’s on the smaller side, but he made a lot of plays over the weekend. He’s one of those players who just sneakily finds his way onto the scoresheet almost every game.
Defensemen
Seth Constance
Mount Saint Charles, 10/26/04, D, right shot, 6-1/170
Constance was really good on the weekend. The big righty from Northville, Mich., has always been a solid player, but he surpassed my expectations during the weekend’s viewings. A late ’04, Constance skates well, pushes the pace in transition, has a good shot from the point, and can add a physical element. He plays with a mean streak and can jump into the offense. They aren’t paired together during even-strength situations, but Constance and Cornell commit Ben Robertson provide Mount with a couple of bona fide studs on the blue line at the Midget minor level. It won’t be long before Constance joins Robertson in having a college logo next to his name on the line chart.
Saxen Robertson
Selects Academy, 5/27/04, D, left shot, 6-1/175
Robertson has taken a nice step in his game this season after coming to South Kent from the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite. The St. Louis, Mo., native never showed much offensive upside during the previous two seasons. Here, he stepped up into the offense and contributed in all facets of the game.
Anthony Khaimov
Selects Academy, 6/19/04, D, left shot, 6-0/165
Khaimov, from Merrick, N.Y., is a steady Eddy. He has good size, skates well, and can be counted on to be a reliable defenseman. He’s not going to jump into the rush or be out of position, but he’ll make a simple, smart outlet pass. He’s played on three different teams over the past three seasons. If he can gain some consistency and familiarity with South Kent, his game could take off next season.
Camden Charron
Maine Nordiques, 6/15/05, D, left shot, 5-7/150
Charron is the only ’05 playing on the 16-U Nordiques. He’s been solid for the Nordiques. The Falmouth, Maine, native is an above-average skater with some puck-moving capabilities. He’s a player to watch in the coming years.
Goaltenders
Brendan Holahan
Mid Fairfield, 6/15/04, G, catches left, 6-2/180
I’ve always thought Holahan has been underrated. He has good size, skates well and has solid technique. The New Canaan, Conn., native had a few solid outings here, despite his team being short-handed with prep school lockdowns and players in the USHL.
Connor McDonough
Seacoast, 8/4/04, G, catches left, 6-4/200
McDonough had a shutout in his team’s first game but was on the losing end of a tough one against Mount Saint Charles. The Mendham, N.J., has good size and is a goalie to watch for the future.
Arthur Smith
Selects Academy, 4/30/04, G, catches left, 6-3/200
Smith, from Farmington, Conn., has good size and looks the part. He’s fundamentally sound and has above-average athleticism. I think he needs to develop that killer instinct to compete, but there is always going to be potential with his physical tools.
Peter Sterling
Mount Saint Charles, 11/16/04, G, catches left, 6-5/175
Sterling, a late ’04 from Montclair, N.J., has the size that will always intrigue goaltending gurus. The former Team Maryland standout wasn’t tested much on the weekend, but he’s someone college coaches will have on their radar over the coming years.
Jack Spicer
Mount Saint Charles, 4/28/04, G, catches left, 6-0/180
Spicer got the nod in the championship game. While he gave up four goals, he also made some key saves. Spicer doesn’t have great size, but he’s a solid goaltender. He’s not overly robotic, but he keeps it quiet and moves well.
