NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. -- Many of the top prospects in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) took to Merrimack’s Volpe Complex on Monday in three all-star games at the NCDC, 18-U and 16-U divisions.
The USPHL NCDC, the league’s top junior division, was the first to play.
That game was followed by contests showcasing the top players in the 18-U and 16-U divisions. The most high-end talent was in the 16-U division, even though a couple of top players were missing.
Below are players who stood out in the three USPHL all-star games that took place Monday at Merrimack College:
USPHL NCDC All-Stars
Ian Carpentier
#24 National, Junior Bruins, 6/22/00, C, left shot, 6-1/175
NCAA commit: Yale
Carpentier played a solid 200-foot game here. He made a couple of great passes on odd man rushes. Carpentier, from Worcester, Mass., backchecks and started a scoring play from deep in his own zone. He has above average size, length, skating ability and skill. He’s a great example of a player showing perseverance. Originally committed to Endicott, Carpentier came up through the Junior Bruins system, playing 16-U, 18-U, Premier and NCDC.
Thomas Gale
#30 National, Junior Bruins, 6/10/00, G, catches left, 6-0/170
NCAA commit: Holy Cross
Gale didn’t allow any goals during his 30 minutes or so of action. He moves well and makes saves look easy. He’s a little undersized, but he’s a very good goalie.
Ryan Lovett
#10 National, Junior Bruins, 7/6/99, C, right shot, 6-2/196
NCAA commit: Dartmouth
Lovett is a hard-nosed player with some skill. He drives the net, competes hard and hunts pucks. Lovett had a goal, but I liked his unselfish play, which was especially notable in an all-star game setting.
Liam Mclinskey
#21 American, Jersey Hitmen, 2/20/01, RW, right shot, 6-3/166
NCAA commit: Quinnipiac
Mclinskey is a player I've liked for a while. I think he would have been better off challenging himself at a higher level this season, but he's a good player. He plays a hard, north-south power forward game from the wing. He's heavy on pucks, can cycle and drive the net. Mclinskey is one of those players that benefits from a structured system and isn't a player who necessarily excels in an all-star game format.
Tyler Borsch
#6 American, Jersey Hitmen, 3/21/00, D, left shot, 6-0/186
NCAA commit: Dartmouth
Borsch is a smart, two-way defenseman who plays a mature game. He's not a player who jumps right off the page at you, but he can go long stretches without being noticed. And I say that as a compliment. He plays mistake free and brings substance to the game.
Nicky Niemo
#7 National, Islanders HC, 3/28/01, LW, right shot, 5-9/175
Niemo had a hat trick and added an assist. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s quick and crafty enough to evade opposing defenders. On one of his goals, he showed his good hands by one-timing a pass that was hard to handle. He’s moved up the ladder with the Islanders from 16-U to 18-U and now the NCDC.
Connor Gatto
#15 National, Islanders HC, 6/10/01, LW, right shot, 5-7/150
Gatto, like Niemo, has come up through the system with the Islanders. He hunts pucks and sees the ice well. The Floridian had three assists in the game.
Christian Blomquist
#24 American, Twin City Thunder, 4/27/01, RW, right shot, 6-1/195
Jin Lee
#17 National, CT Jr. Rangers, 5/9/00, RW, left shot, 6-1/190
Lee had a goal and is a strong skater. He has good size and is probably a fringe player, being a high end Division III player or a walk-on at an Atlantic Hockey school.
Harrison Bazianos
#5 National, NJ Rockets, 9/7/01, LW, left shot, 5-10/192
Bazianos forced a turnover and assisted on one of Niemo’s goals in the first period. He’s a forward who competes and keeps his feet moving.
Reid Miller
#16 National, CT Jr. Rangers, 6/19/00, D, left shot, 5-10/180
Miller, from Gilbert, Ariz., moves pucks north and had some good breakouts.
Luis Lindner
#3 National, Junior Bruins, 5/16/01, D, left shot, 5-11/154
Lindner had good mobility and got a shot through to the net for an assist on the third goal. His hockey sense and puck touches in his own zone need to be more consistent and smarter.
Tommaso Alvera
#8 American, South Shore Kings, 7/29/99, LW, left shot, 5-11/170
Alvera is effective creating offense on the rush. He was noticeable a few times. The ‘99 is reportedly close to committing to Norwich.
USPHL 18-U All-Stars
Nicky Larkin
#20 National, South Shore Kings, 5/28/03, RW, right shot, 5-11/160
I didn’t see a lot of the 18-U game as it was on the other rink, but from what I saw, Larkin stood out. He’s an ‘03 playing up and has great speed.
Johnny Wescoe
#15 American, Skipjacks, 6/6/01, RW, left shot, 5-8/140
Wescoe is on the smaller side, but he skates well and has a good offensive skill set. He should be on the radar of NAHL and NCDC teams for 2020-21.
USPHL 16-U All-Stars
Matus Hadusovsky
#10 National, Springfield Pics, 4/24/03, LW, right shot, 6-0/159
Hadusovsky showed off his skill set. He recovered a puck on the left wing wall, exploded towards the middle and ripped a big time shot right inside the far post for a goal. He has slick hands and a quick stick. Hadusovsky projects as a power forward who can score a lot of goals.
Nicholas VanTassell
#21 National, NJ Rockets, 1/17/04, C, right shot, 6-2/165
VanTassell had a goal and this was a great viewing. He’s a power forward with length and skill. He doesn’t always put it all together, but he did on Monday. VanTassell made a lot of positive plays and was around the puck a lot.
Noah Jones
#5 National, NJ Rockets, 10/8/04, D, right shot, 6-1/180
All-Star games aren’t always times where shutdown defenders stand out. However, Jones looked good. He’s a rangy defender with length to close time and space on opposing forwards. Jones is still a little raw, but there’s considerable upside as a late ‘04.
Tyler Muszelik
#30 National, NJ Rockets, 7/1/04, G, catches left, 6-1/170
Muszelik was solid in his period of play. He’s not huge, but he has good size, moves well, and has strong fundamentals. Most importantly, he makes saves, has good focus, and doesn’t let in soft goals.
Chris Delaney
#8 American, Junior Bruins, 9/25/04, LW, left shot, 5-4/130
Delaney is on the small side, but he’s quick and crafty. He scored a goal, but he also makes some plays. He’s good in small areas and should be an effective prep player next fall.
Brendan Kimball
#9 American, Islanders HC, 8/24/03, D, left shot, 5-11/154
Kimball is a mobile, puck-moving defenseman. His hockey sense is above average and he showed some flashes here. Kimball had an assist. He’ll need to be heavier on pucks and harder to play against in order to take the next step in his game.
Chase Leclerc
#21 American, Islanders HC, 11/11/03, LW, left shot, 5-11/193
Leclerc needs to work on his skating, but he was one of the more productive players here because of his hands and hockey sense. He knows where to go to find pucks and put himself in position to be in scoring areas. He’s heavy on pucks as he was on the goal he scored. It was a great individual effort where he didn’t give up on the play.
Shane Baker
#19 American, Junior Bruins, 4/21/04, C, right shot, 6-0/160
Baker is a strong skater who I really like, but it wasn’t one of his better viewings. He has good size and is a north-south type player who probably does better in a more structured environment.
Jesper Seeberg
#12 American, Islanders HC, 4/16/03, C, left shot, 6-0/140
Seeberg snapped off a shot driving the net down the middle for a goal. His hands and hand-eye coordination were both evident on a couple of sequences.
Jason Player
#11 National, Philadelphia HC, 3/25/03, C, left shot, 5-5/140
Player is quick and recovers pucks. He made several plays and was able to create offense on the rush as he did twice for assists.
Gregory Spitznagel
#6 National, NJ Rockets, 3/10/03, RW, right shot, 6-3/220
Spitznagel has size and could become a power forward, but I want to see him be more assertive and bring it physically on a more consistent basis. He scored a goal from driving the net for a rebound. He had his moments where he was good battling for pucks along the wall, playing physical, and controlling puck possession down low.
Nicholas Del Gaizo
#7 National, NJ Rockets, 1/17/04, C, right shot, 5-9/155
Del Gaizo is a smart, smaller center who sees the ice well. He’s not flashy with his skating or puck skills, but he seems to be one step ahead of the play and knows where to go with the puck. He had an assist.
Michael Salvatore
#1 American, Junior Bruins, 8/9/03, G, catches left, 5-8/154
Salvatore is on the smaller side, but he’s athletic and has quick reflexes. He always seems to make the key saves.
Josh Schonland
#16 American, Junior Bruins, 3/21/03, RW, right shot, 5-8/150
Schonland quietly always seems to make some plays with the puck on his stick as he did Monday. His vision was a solid attribute.
Ranon Joseph
#2 American, NH Jr. Monarchs, 5/25/03, D, left shot, 6-4/187
Joseph has good size. He’s a big defender who is heavy on pucks. If he can improve his first few steps, there’s some upside in this player.
Dustin Patterson
#15 National, Philadelphia HC, 1/20/03, RW, right shot, 5-11/160
Patterson goes to the net and got some good chances, including one he capitalized on. He’s a goal scorer who needs to find that second gear. However, there’s potential for him to become a better player as he develops.
Matt Frett
#14 National, Philadelphia HC, 1/29/03, LW, right shot, 5-11/160
Frett was around the puck a lot and banged home a one timer from the left wing circle for a goal.
Billy Dougherty
#9 National, Northern Cyclones, 1/3/03, LW, right shot, 5-11/150
Doughrty ripped a shot inside the far post after driving down the right wing. It was a quick snap shot. He’s on the smaller side, but he showed some offensive instincts and skill.
Nicholas Von Kaufmann
#1 National, NJ Rockets, 4/30/03, G, catches left, 6-6/205
Von Kaufmann is a big goaltender who covers a lot of the net and moves well. I’d like to see him be a little quieter in the net.
Jake Geraci
#2 National, NJ Rockets, 4/9/03, D, right shot, 5-11/180
Geraci is a mobile, offensive-minded defenseman who jumped up into the attack often. He had an assist and moves pucks north.
Makai Tarjamo
#17 National, NJ Rockets, 10/22/04, LW, right shot, 5-10/165
Tarjamo, a late '04, has a great motor. He competes hard, keeps his feet moving and goes to the greasy areas.
Kareem Alazem
#20 National, NJ Rockets, 1/2/04, D, right shot, 6-2/178
Alazem is raw and gets caught up ice sometimes, but there’s potential here with his size and physical tools.
Evan Orloff
#19 National, NJ Rockets, 3/9/03, D, left shot, 6-3/175
Orloff has some potential with his size, but he needs to keep things simpler and smarter.
