Many of the top 2001-born players in New England have already been scooped up by Division I colleges, but there remains a few uncommitted players worth keeping tabs on as they develop. Currently, there are 24 players in New England prep school hockey committed to a Division I program.
The following is a ranking (by position) of 2001-born prep school hockey players who are uncommitted. A few prospects on this list have Division I potential while most others will be Division III candidates down the road.
Forwards
1. Casey Severo
#19 Nobles, C, Soph., 2/1/01, Shoots Right, 5-11/175
The Pittsford, N.Y., native is the leading scorer for Brian Day’s club after a strong fall with Neponset Valley River Rats 16U. Severo doesn’t have one elite skill set, but his hockey sense affords him the ability to generate quality scoring chances. He does a good job of finding seams, creating space and burying chances with a hard shot. His skating and hands are both above average for the prep level.
2. Tyler Young
#9 Lawrence Academy, C, Jr., 5/8/01, Shoots Right, 5-11/165
From Lancaster, Mass., Young is the son of former Boston University Terrier and NHL star Scott Young. The progression in his game over the past year has been impressive. He hasn’t yet put it together to the point where he can consistently make an impact each shift, but he has the hands and offensive skill set to score some highlight reel goals. His skating is good and he plays a well-rounded game away from the puck.
3. Stephen Willey
#18 Trinity-Pawling, RW, Soph., 3/26/01, Shoots Right, 6-0/190
Willey is a prospect who should continue to get better as he fills into his big frame. The Shelton, Conn., native isn’t likely to ever be an offensive dynamo, but he is heavy on pucks and strong on the forecheck. He drives the net and can be a force down low. He could pop over the next year.
4. Alex Krause
#22 Loomis Chaffee, RW, Soph., 7/22/01, Shoots Left, 5-9/143
It’s been a down year for the Pelicans, but Krause has had a few really good games. A native of Calabasas, Calif., he has the speed and elusiveness to create offensively. Once he bulks up, he could be a more coveted prospect.
5. Aidan Connolly
#23 Dexter, LW, Soph., 5/10/01, Shoots Left, 5-10/165
Connolly is in his first year of prep hockey after playing for his dad at Marshfield High School. He’s fast and has a pretty good offensive skill set, but he still needs to learn to play more in the dirty areas and penetrate the scoring areas. Right now he’s a little too perimeter, but he has the feet and hands to potentially blossom further.
6. Reese Farrell
#97 North Yarmouth, RW, Soph., 2/21/01, Shoots Right, 5-10/175
The Auburn, Maine, native is a little bit of a diamond in the rough, playing for Tyler Walsh’s Panthers. His compete level and physicality are his best attributes, but he can make plays. He’s the type of player who can finish, but he scores a lot of dirty goals by having a good nose for the puck. His skating is getting better.
7. Jake Dunlap
#22 New Hampton, LW, Soph., 12/5/01, Shoots Left, 5-8/140
Dunlap has been buried a little bit on the depth chart at New Hampton, but he’s a small forward with quickness. His skating is good and he can make plays. He still needs to prove he can see the ice well enough offensively to be a consistent scoring threat.
8. Liam Devlin
#17 St. Sebastian’s, LW, Soph., 1/7/01, Shoots Left, 5-9/165
Devlin is a fun player to watch. His feet are always moving, he’s quick and can beat defenders wide. His hockey sense needs to improve if he’s going to take that next step in his offensive game.
9. Jack Cronin
#9 Nobles, RW, Soph., 4/1/01, Shoots Right, 5-11/175
The Hamilton, Mass., native has some potential. He has a good shot and likes to fire from anywhere in the offensive zone. He’s at his best when he’s heavy on pucks and playing a simple, strong north-south game.
10. Aiden Edwards
#16 Gunnery, C, Jr., Shoots Right, 5-11/170
The Greensburg, Pa., native is heavy and plays a solid two-way game. His offensive skill set is slightly above average after coming to prep hockey from the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16U program.
11. Tim Heinke
#13 Avon Old Farms, LW, Soph., 10/2/01, Shoots Left, 6-0/170
The late ’01 from Berlin, Conn., is a big-bodied winger who can move up and down the sheet and crash the net. He’s a bull and has been effective in 16U games. He gets a little lost in the depth chart for an older and talented AOF squad.
12. Ben Raymond
#6 Dexter, C, Soph., 8/22/01, Shoots Left, 5-10/160
The Newton, Mass., native is in his first season with Dexter after playing last year at BB&N. His speed is his best asset. He doesn’t yet have the offensive skill set or hockey sense to generate the offensive production at this level. He’s fast enough that he could eventually compare to former Northeastern forward Tanner Pond, who was a tenacious forechecker and penalty kill specialist.
12. Gavin Puskar
#17 Hotchkiss, C/LW, Soph., 6/21/01, Shoots Left, 6-1/170
The leading scorer for the Bearcats, Puskar has good size and creates his offense from dominating physically down low. His skating needs work, but there’s some potential here for the Westfield, N.J., prospect.
Defensemen
1. Ian Pierce
#21 Kent, Jr., 1/24/01, Shoots Left, 5-10/175
Pierce is in his first season of prep hockey after playing for the North Jersey Avalanche. He’s received some interest from ECAC Hockey schools. His skating and breakouts are smooth. He’s not flashy, but he just gets the job done. His first pass is smart and he has the feet necessary to side-step forecheckers at the point.
2. Michael Brown
#3 Belmont Hill, Soph., 4/3/01, Shoots Left, 6-2/185
The Belmont, Mass., native has the size and athleticism to intrigue anyone who watches him play. His skating has gotten better, but it still needs work if he’s going to make the move to the next level. He’s at his best when he’s keeping it simple and not over-handling the puck. Brown might have more physical tools than anyone else on this list.
3. Cooper Moore
#4 Brunswick, 2/16/01, Shoots Left, 6-2/165
The Cos Cob, Conn., native is another defender with upside. He’s big and has pretty good mobility. He likes to jump into the offense and closes quickly with a good stick and reach. He gets into trouble when he runs around, putting him on the wrong side of the puck.
4. Pat Lawn
#20 Rivers, Soph., 3/26/01, Shoots Right, 5-10/160
The Waltham, Mass., native has seemingly come out of nowhere to become a coveted prospect. He’s not flashy at all, but he’s strong and reliable. He has a good, active stick, makes plays and skates well. He’s well-coached and smart. Lawn is another player who has benefited tremendously from playing for Shawn McEachern at Rivers.
5. Kevin McKay
#21 Dexter, Jr., 4/25/01, Shoots Right, 6-0/180
The Franklin, Mass., native is a good skater with good size. He can make plays and recover because of his strong skating. His game needs some refinement, but he’s a player to keep an eye on over the next year.
6. Jake Flynn
#4 Thayer, Jr., 2/8/02, Shoots Right, 5-10/170
An undersized defenseman, Flynn is a good skater with above average stick skills. He has the ability to make plays and quarterback a power play. He’s taken somewhat of a backseat to older players on Thayer, but he’s a prospect who could develop later as his game and stature matures.
7. John Fusco
#3 Dexter, Soph., 6/13/01, Shoots Left, 5-10/170
His skating, agility and vision are all above average. He’s the son of and uncle of former Harvard stars Mark and Scott Fusco. There’s potential, but he still needs to put it all together.
8. Brett Bliss
#22 Belmont Hill, Soph., 12/27/01, Shoots Left, 6-0/185
Bliss is a steady player who keeps pucks going north, skates well and has a decent stick. He’s the younger brother of Cornell defensemen Ryan Bliss and Bowdoin forward Jack Bliss.
9. Eamon Doheny
#20 Deerfield, Soph., 1/6/01, Shoots Left, 6-1/180
He’s the top prospect for the Big Green. The Lunenburg, Mass., native is a defenseman with good size who defends well in his own zone. He can step into the offense when given the chance. If he can improve his first step and mobility just a little, he’s a prospect who should garner some interest because of his size.
10. Matt Connor
#11 Lawrence Academy, Soph., 5/5/01, Shoots Right, 6-1/220
The Cardigan Mountain product from Amherst, N.H., hasn’t had as good of a season as this observer thought he could. He’s got the size and physical maturity to intrigue college coaches, but his skating and hockey sense still need work.
11. Ryan Pineault
#7 Westminster, Soph., 2/10/01, Shoots Right, 5-9/150
The Glastonbury, Conn., native is small and his skill set isn’t dynamic, but he’s mobile, can move pucks north and jump into the offense. He might not be a Division I prospect because of his size, but he could be a really nice addition for a NESCAC program in a couple of seasons.
12. Colby Bailey
#27 Nobles, Soph., 3/19/01, Shoots Right, 5-11/180
Bailey transferred to Nobles after playing at St. Mark’s. He’s athletic, keeps plays to the outside and has feet to defend. His stick and offensive capabilities are a work in progress and probably need improvement if he’s going to make it to the next level as an undersized defender.
Goaltenders
1. Henry Wilder
#31 Hotchkiss, Soph., 3/19/01, Catches Left, 6-0/160
The Needham, Mass., native is a wildly underrated goaltender. He has average size for a modern goaltender and has strong fundamentals. He needs to add a little explosiveness in terms of going post-to-post and his overall skating in the crease. He’s athletic and just makes saves. He’s a Division I goaltender.
2. Kyle Myer
#30 Tabor, Jr., 1/30/01, Catches Left, 6-2/185
The Tampa, Fla., native has good size and has had a fairly solid first season of prep school hockey. He’s athletic and skates well. There’s something there to like, but there needs to be more body of work.
Prep Hockey’s committed ‘01s
Moe Acee (Avon Old Farms/St. Lawrence), Cade Alami (Berkshire/Providence), Malik Alishlalov (Westminster/UConn), Alex Aslanidis (Avon Old Farms/Providence), Ignat Belov (Westminster/UConn), Lynden Breen (New Hampton/Maine), Nick Capone (Salisbury/Maine), Sam Colangelo (Lawrence/Northeastern), Liam Connors (St. Sebastian’s/BU), Mark D’Agostino (Gunnery/UConn), Braden Doyle (Lawrence Academy/BU), John Farinacci (Dexter/Harvard), Briggs Gammill (Berkshire/Yale), Cody Hoban (Loomis/Dartmouth), Chase McInnis (Dexter/Northeastern), Ben Meehan (Dexter/UMass Lowell), Arlo Merritt (Kimball Union/Ohio State), Derek Mullahy (Dexter/Harvard), Jimmy Rayhill (Gunnery/Cornell), Joe Sharib (Cushing/Union), Arseni Smekhnov (Salisbury/UConn), Jayden Struble (St. Sebastian’s/Northeastern), Ilya Usau (Salisbury/UConn), Cade Webber (Rivers/BU)
