The Boston Junior Eagles, Maine Nordiques and Mount Saint Charles will represent the New England region at the 2021 USA Hockey 18-U National Championship. The weeklong tournament begins Wednesday, with a champion being crowned next Monday at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Mo.
Mount Saint Charles received an automatic bid for winning the New England District Tournament, while the Junior Eagles and Maine Nordiques were awarded at-large invitations. All three teams should be considered in the upper echelon of teams competing just outside of St. Louis this week. The Junior Eagles and Mount Saint Charles have players listed on NHL Central Scouting, who scouts will be checking in on at the tournament, while the Nordiques are an older group with solid depth and goaltending. While not technically from the region, Rochester Coalition has a host of players who attend New England prep schools on its roster.
South Kent Selects Academy won the past two championships contested at this level, winning in 2018 and 2019. Mid Fairfield Rangers (2017), Connecticut Wolf Pack (2015) and Neponset Valley River Rats (2013) are a few other recent winners from the region. More than any other age division at USA Hockey Nationals, 18-U is one that New England has historically fared well in, due to players sticking around this area for prep school.
Shattuck-St. Mary’s enters the tournament as the favorites. The Faribault, Minn., prep school has a host of very good players, including defenseman Scott Morrow of Darien, Conn. A North Dakota commit, the late ’02 will be one of the more watched prospects at this event, as he’s in his first year of eligibility for the NHL draft. Other top players include ’03 forward Charlie Lurie, a Nebraska-Omaha commit, and ’05 forward William Whitelaw.
Rochester Coalition, coached by Brown alum Kyle Quick, won the New York District Tournament. The team’s roster is dominated by players from Salisbury, Gunnery and Millbrook. Up front, two Salisbury forwards, Brown commit Dean Bauchiero and St. Lawrence recruit Sam Deckhut, are key contributors. Salisbury’s Liam Lesakowski and Gunnery’s Eric Charpentier are the top defensemen. Max Donoso of Salisbury is likely the team’s go-to option in net.
Mount Saint Charles has a good group, led by North Dakota commit Nate Benoit, a defenseman from Bow, N.H. Center Owen McLaughlin, a Penn State commit, is the offensive catalyst. Sixten Jenersjo, Jayden Sison, Sterling Cooke and Zach Aben are other top producers. Goaltender Tommy Heaney could be the team’s most important player in Missouri. He has the ability to carry the team on his back and be a difference maker. Matt Plante’s team will play hard and be well-coached. A lack of depth on the blue line is Mount’s only concern heading into the tournament.
Maine Nordiques, coached by Nick Skerlick, is a veteran group that could make it difficult for any number of opponents here. Army commit Ansel Holt is a big goaltender who could steal a couple of games. On defense, Easton Zueger, Kaden Johnson and Owen Grainger are players to watch. Vermont commit Jack Kurrle, Justin Mexico, Chris Repman, Anthony Galante and Cameron Bauer are forwards who will be relied upon to score.
Boston Junior Eagles didn’t play many games this past fall and won’t have the same level of cohesion as Mount and Maine, who played throughout the winter. Forwards Nick Roukounakis, a BU commit, and Tim Delay, committed to BC, are players on NHL Central Scouting who will be watched here. Princeton commit Brendan Gorman, Cully Wilson, Ziv Deener-Chodirker and Michael Cataldo are players to watch. Another Princeton recruit, Tyler Rubin, will be able to push the pace and contribute offensive from the back end. Will Elias and Thomas Messineo are the other top defenders. In goal, look for Ryan Kazmous to get the nod.
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite is a heavy team that relies on a physical, hard-nosed brand of hockey. The top forwards are Shawn O’Donnell, Niklas Miller and Dartmouth commit Jackson Morehouse. On defense, Mac Gadowsky, Austin Oravetz, Luke Amell and Justin Gibson lead the way. Justin Cataldo is the team’s top goaltender.
North Jersey Avalanche has a trio of Brown commits who are top players for Mark Lotito’s squad. Center Tyler Kopff, right wing Matt Brille and defenseman Harry Meirowitz are key contributors. The team’s top prospect is UMass commit Michael Emerson, a late ’03 who will be on the radar of NHL scouts approaching the 2022 draft. Greyson Pane of Boxford, Mass., is one of the team’s goaltenders.
Culver Military Academy isn’t always a team familiar to hockey fans in New England, but UMass commit Tomofei Spitserov is a top prospect. The ’02 right wing and 2020 seventh-round pick of the San Jose Sharks is a goal scorer. UNH forward Jackson Pierson is a recent Culver alum who has found success in Hockey East. Bruins 2020 draft pick Mason Lohrei, now with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers, is another Culver product of note to New England hockey fans.
Mount Saint Charles, Shattuck-St. Mary’s, North Jersey Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite are the four teams I’d expect to go deep. Any of those four teams have legitimate chances to emerge with the ultimate trophy early next week.
