BEDFORD, Mass. — Dexter Southfield defeated the Junior Eagles, 7-6, in overtime in what was a wild, up-and-down game played Saturday morning at Edge Sports Center.
The Junior Eagles were a put-together team, made up mostly of the organization’s 16-U and 18-U roster with some outside help from players on Mid Fairfield, Cape Cod Whalers and East Coast Wizards. Between the two teams, there were a lot of high-end players in this game who will go on to play Division 1 college hockey.
Will Hughes scored the game-winning tally in the extra session while Donovan O’Neill led the way with two goals for Dexter Southfield. Matt Fusco, Bobby Landry, Patrick Morrissey and Will Vote also scored for the winning team.
Matt Copponi had three assists. He was one of three players in the game who are listed as ‘C’-rated skaters, per NHL Central Scouting. The Mansfield, Mass., native and Merrimack commit had the puck a lot and made plays. As I’ve said countless times, Copponi plays with a chip on his shoulder, skates well and has skill. I wouldn’t argue with an NHL scout who doesn’t believe Copponi is a draft pick, but he’s better than many of the other locals on the list.
The other two players on NHL Central Scouting were Fusco, a Harvard commit, from Westwood, Mass., and Junior Eagles defenseman Tyler Rubin, a Princeton commit from Belmont Hill. Fusco had a goal and an assist. Rubin has great feet, can move pucks north and escape forecheckers. I wouldn’t list either as draft picks at the moment, but both are good prep school players who have earned college commits.
For the Junior Eagles, Nobles senior right wing David Jacobs had four goals while Cullen Emery and Drew Garzone also found the back of the net. Jacobs was the oldest player in the game, but he displayed the skill, skating and hockey sense that will propel him to play Division 1 hockey at Princeton.
Below are evaluations of the notable uncommitted prospects in the game:
Dexter Southfield
Will Vote
2/22/05, C, right shot, 5-8/145
As he was a couple of days before against the Whalers, Vote was the best player on the ice. The Arlington, Mass., native again showed off his hockey sense, compete and skill. He scored a beauty of a goal, played the point on the first power-play unit, and did a lot of little things to stand out. He’s a lock for USA Hockey’s NTDP and a commitment from a big-time Division 1 program.
Grayson Badger
5/9/04, RW, right shot, 6-1/180
Badger didn’t produce like he did a few days before, but I liked his compete level. He brought it physically and made an impact throughout the game. The only area of his game that I question is his hockey sense. Regardless, I think the Hyde Park, Mass., native is a Division 1 player.
Will Hughes
1/14/04, RW, right shot, 6-3/200
Hughes scored the game-winner in overtime by hanging around the doorstep and slipping the puck into the back of the net once Copponi fed it over to him. Hughes, from Andover, Mass., always has played center. He’s looked better on the right wing the last couple of games. His skating, size and stick have all stood out. His stock is trending up certainly, and he’ll earn a Division 1 commit if he keeps this up. Hughes is proving me wrong for not having him listed as one of the top uncommitted ’04s in Massachusetts in my writeup last week.
Sean Keohane
11/4/04, D, left shot, 6-3/195
Keohane continues to impress me as he gets playing time for the first time at the prep level. The sophomore from Milton, Mass., has good size, his skating is above average, and he’s smooth and efficient. Keep in mind that Keohane is a late ’04 who just turned 16. At the end of the day, Keohane is a Division 1 player.
Donovan O’Neill
6/7/02, LW, left shot, 6-0/185
O’Neill had a couple of goals on feeds from Copponi. I’m not sure how much of a goal scorer he is without playing on a line with an elite center, but the Duxbury, Mass., native plays hard. A Division 3 program would be well off trying to persuade O’Neill, a senior at Dexter Southfield, to committing. There’s the possibility that O’Neill could get to Division 1 if he ages out of junior, but he should be a no-brainer as a bottom-six, energy guy at the Division 3 level.
Junior Eagles
Ben MacDonald
Nobles, 2/24/04, C/LW, left shot, 6-0/155
MacDonald had an assist on one of Jacobs’ goals and was noticeable throughout the game for his skating, hockey sense and complete game. As I’ve stated numerous times over the past few months, the Weston, Mass., native really has taken a huge step in his development.
Chris Romaine
Milton, 2/11/04, D, right shot, 5-11/180
I didn’t really learn anything new here with Romaine. He’s an offensive-minded, puck-moving, mobile defender who made a lot of good breakout passes. The Braintree, Mass., native is a Hockey East caliber player.
Andrew Garzone
Deerfield, 5/30/04, C, right shot, 6-0/185
Garzone scored a goal blasting into the zone down the right wing, and added an assist. From Dover, Mass., Garzone has good size, plays a complete 200-foot game, and brings a physical element to the ice. Schools need to be on him, as he’ll likely become a household name before too long.
Cullen Emery
Reading, 8/2/05, LW/C, right shot, 5-8/170
Emery had a goal and stood out, despite being one of the younger players in the game. The Reading, Mass., native skates well, is smart and makes some plays. He’s only a freshman, but he plays a mature game. He skated as an eighth-grader at Austin Prep last season. It’s still a long way off, but Emery projects as a Division 1 player.
Ethan Gardula
Cushing, 2/28/05, LW, left shot, 5-11/160
Gardula had an assist early in the game and stood out for many of the things that he usually does well. He’s heavy on pucks and cycles well down low. The Princeton, Mass., native will be a first-year player at Cushing who should get ice time right away for the Penguins.
Will Cannata
Milton, 5/17/05, C, left shot, 5-9/140
Cannata, who hails from Milton, Mass., is a hard-working center who skates well. He flies around out there and looks to engage physically. Cannata is a freshman at Milton Academy, where his dad is the longtime head coach.
Jack Gorton
Trinity-Pawling, 2/13/02, RW, right shot, 6-3/190
Gorton is a big winger whose skating has gotten noticeably better over the past 12 months. The Granite Springs, N.Y., native could find his way onto a Division 1 roster as a depth player who could fit on the fourth line. Don’t be surprised if he makes a commitment to a program sometime in the near future.
Dexter Southfield lines
28 O’Neill - 11 Copponi - 9 Hughes
8 Blanchard - 10 Landry - 15 Gould
13 Sutherland - 22 Vote - 14 Badger
6 Kwan - 2 Larkin - 23 Hurton
19 Keohane - 7 Fusco
20 O’Keeffe - 12 Morrissey
24 Kamke - 27 Lanza
30 Mickanin
Injured: Wilson (collarbone), Alexander
Junior Eagles lines
17 Tacelli - 8 MacDonald - 2 Jacobs
5 Greatorex - 14 Emery - 20 Gorton
19 Gardula - 6 Cannata - 16 Garzone
13 Haxton
4 Rubin - 3 Murphy
18 Heath - 10 Romaine
15 Ramsay
1 Kiesewetter
