MARLBORO, Mass. — The 2021-22 National Bound Massachusetts Hockey State Championships featured competitive games at the 15-only level, with the underrated Minuteman Flames squad capturing the state title by beating some very good teams.
The Minuteman Flames under Peter Masters, Jerry Buckley and Scott McDonald, defeated three higher-seeded teams in Boston Hockey Academy, Cape Cod Whalers and Neponset Valley River Rats to take the division crown on Sunday.
They entered the competition as the No. 5 seed, beating No. 4 Boston Hockey Academy, then pulling off a big upset in the semifinal game with a victory over the No. 1 Whalers, a top-10 team in the MyHockey national rankings.
The Flames completed their run by defeating the No. 3 River Rats by a 4-2 score in the championship game. It was a superb matchup featuring two teams that made impressive runs to get there, the Rats knocking out the upstart Assabet Patriots in a shootout, then needing to come from behind and win in another shootout against an underrated Valley Jr. Warriors team in the semifinal.
This is a list of some of the more impressive 15-only/2006 birth year players from the region that we have not previously given a lot of attention to, but earned it with their superb play over the weekend. The Minuteman Flames will test their mettle against the other top ‘06s around the country as they travel to Plymouth, Mich. to represent the Bay State in the 15-only Tier I National Championship March 30-April 4, 2022.
Forwards
Dennis Davidson (Newton, Mass.)
Minuteman Flames/Nobles, 5/15/06, right shot, 5-8/150
Small but smart, explosive forward was formerly with the Boston Jr. Eagles, but the Flames got a lot of mileage out of him. He had a strong summer showing at the Beantown Classic event and carried that over at crunch time. He hunts pucks, has a lot of touches and is constantly around the net. Engaged, creative and industrious to boot- a tough combination to beat.
Drew Carr (Medway, Mass.)
Minuteman Flames/St. Mark’s, 3/29/06, right shot, 5-11/140
Another summer hockey standout with Davidson, Carr saved his best for the championship game when he rifled a top shelf shot off a 2-on-1 rush to set the tone for the contest. While not overly flashy, he can skate, handle the puck at speed and makes plays. He’s a prime candidate to break out in the next couple of years in this area as an all-around, versatile forward with upside.
Ryan Staples (Middletown, R.I.)
River Rats/Bishop Hendricken,
Big-bodied winger has come a long, impressive way from what was a solid summer of hockey. To put an exclamation point on it, he scored a highlight-reel goal against Assabet with a tremendous display of hand-eye coordination to grab a pass, go backhand to forehand and bury a bullet. He’s strong, skates well and protects pucks at an advanced level for one so young- has the makings of a top power forward at the next levels and did his thing with some top D-1 programs watching him.
Josh Itri (Sandwich, Mass.)
River Rats/Tabor, 1/4/06, right shot, 5-8/155
Good hockey player who is playing prep after leaving Sandwich HS, and keeps getting better with each viewing. Smart, creative and makes sound decisions with and without the puck. Earlier in the year, there were times he could have been more assertive, but by the time the playoffs rolled around, he was taking pucks to the net with more authority. Sneaky-good offensive skills and on the right path for success.
Will Dumais (Lunenberg, Mass.)
Cape Cod Whalers/Winchendon, 7/22/06, left shot, 6-2/190
Big, strong forward can skate and score. He’s got a big shot and plays a hard-nosed north-south game, while creating space for himself with strong wall play and when he goes into the corners. On an upward trajectory.
Kevin Delay (Hingham, Mass.)
Cape Cod Whalers/Thayer, 4/4/06, left shot, 5-9/145
All fall, we noted the impressive tools, but he has started to put it together. Although the team was upset in the semifinal game, Delay had things going in a come-from-behind win over Springfield earlier in the day.
Cole Foley
Boston Hockey Academy, 2/9/06, left shot, 5-11/180
Import from Ontario, Canada made some plays on offense and along with Cameron Stehle, has been the BHA 15’s most consistent and productive forward all season. Skates well, drives the net and has a quick release he uses to good effect. Adjusts well to pucks around the net and rebounds.
Defensemen
Nate Walsh (Mendon, Mass.)
Minuteman Flames/Nipmuc HS, 7/9/06, 5-8/150
Played with pace, confidence and a simplicity that belies the impact he made on the Flames’ back end. Got pucks up and out of the zone quickly while defending well. He’s not as flashy as some of the other ’06 defenders in the state, but he’s the kind of trustworthy defender coaches can depend on to play a lot of minutes in key situations.
Aiden Colleary (Hopkinton, Mass.)
Minuteman Flames/Hopkinton HS, 5/5/06, right shot, 5-7/135
Not all that big, but fast and smart- gets up the ice with quickness/agility and supports the play well. He’s got a good stick, gaps up well, and not afraid to stick his nose in. All in all, he was noticeable on most of his shifts and played a smart two-way game that helped his club go all the way.
William Patey (Hopkinton, Mass.)
Boston Hockey Academy, 8/18/06, right shot, 5-10/150
Newfoundland import is impressive with a less-is-more approach to his play. He doesn’t panic under pressure and moves pucks to the right spots without a lot of fanfare. With his quickness and closing speed, he does a good job of keeping opponents to the outside and has enough size/reach to be effective at this level and likely the next.
Goaltenders
Mason Decaire (Grafton, Mass.)
Minuteman Flames/Grafton HS, catches left, 5-11/165
In our estimation- he was the surprise performer of the event. Stood tall in net and faced down some very good forwards in the weekend action. Stayed cool and calm under pressure, not letting the traffic around his net rattle him, while making big saves throughout. With goaltending, it’s not how many you give up, but the timing that’s so important Decaire allowed his team to play with confidence in front of him because he kept pucks out of the net at key times.
Sam Caulfield
Cape Cod Whalers/Belmont Hill, 8/29/06, catches left, 5-11/150
Came into action against Springfield and helped his team battle from an 0-2 deficit to advance. Found himself in the same situation against the Flames in the semifinal, and wasn’t able to overcome it. All fall, he’s showed some real quickness and a high compete level to keep pucks out of his net.
