GROTON, Mass. — St. Andrew's College finished as the 2025 Groton/Lawrence Tournament champion, taking down Holderness, 3-2, in Saturday's final.
I made the trek up to Groton and Lawrence Academy for the first night of games. Because of NHL Draft prospects like Thayer's Brian McFadden (Holbrook, Mass.) and Groton's Kaiden Donia (Townsend, Mass.), there was no shortage of NHL scouts.
Several Division 1 and 3 college coaches attended, too.
This story, however, won't be a breakdown of McFadden and Donia's weekends. Instead, I want to focus on some uncommitted standouts who caught my eye on Thursday night, as well as some overarching takeaways from how certain teams performed.
Let's dive in.
Luke Allen
Lawrence Academy, 5/20/2008, F, right shot, 5-8/150
Hometown: Billerica, Mass.Â
If you like speedy wingers, Allen could be your guy. Against Cushing, he brought the puck down the right side of the ice and quickly snapped a wrister over Cushing goalie Mason Raycroft, and into the net. Allen was able to drive play on the right side of the ice because of his quick stride. He finished the tournament on a high note with a goal and a helper in his team's 6-2 win over Groton.
READ MORE: Full results from 2025 boys prep holiday tournamentsÂ
Nathan Dono
Pomfret, 4/17/2008, F, right shot, 5-9/165
Hometown: Sturbridge, Mass.Â
Dono played with quite a bit of skill. He was able to sift through opposing neutral zone and defensive zone coverage with his stick-handling, and he had nice vision, too. He had a pure, long stride that he used to get up ice quickly. But there were times when he was able to slow the game down with the puck on his stick. Ironically, he was most impactful in the games I wasn't at, scoring two against Lawrence Academy and tallying another goal and two assists against Proctor.
Tegan Gregory
Holderness, 5/4/2008, D, left shot, 5-9/155
Hometown: Aurora, Colo.Â
I'm a big fan of Gregory's skating. The Colorado native can fly, getting up ice quickly and getting back on defense just as fast. In one shorthanded sequence against Pomfret, he used a great stick to pick off a pass in his own zone and he flew up ice, getting an odd-man rush and, eventually, an offensive zone face-off. He has five points in eight games this season, leading all Holderness defenders.
Matas Janulis
Lawrence Academy, 11/19/2008, D, left shot, 6-1/179
Hometown: Lincoln, Mass.Â
Janulis played like a legit Division 1 prospect. Offensively, he was always involved. He picked the right times to join the rush and do so with confidence. He has a wicked shot that he gets off quickly. Against Cushing, he scored on a missile of a one-timer from the point. On a power play, he skated the puck around the Cushing net, dangled to the middle and got two chances. In his own zone, he played tough in front of his own net and made smart breakouts.
READ MORE: 11 standouts, takeaways from Hotchkiss’ win over Deerfield in the Flood-Marr championship
Nate Moons
Groton, 1/26/2008, F, left shot, 6-0/160
Hometown: Ottawa
Moons was impressive against St. Andrew's College on Thursday. He used his play-driving abilities and speed to get to the middle of the ice, no matter who was in his way. He was rewarded with a goal when he knocked in a rebound in front of the net, beating a St. Andrew's College defender to the loose puck.
Elliot Wood
Groton, 8/5/2006, D, right shot, 6-3/210
Hometown: Newton, Mass.Â
I've always liked Wood's game, and I did again on Thursday. The big righty was physical, always stepping up to make a hit in the neutral zone or in his own end. Even from the stands, it was clear he was a pain to play against. He notched an assist when it was his shot that created a rebound for Moons to score on. The '06 senior would make a lot of sense as an NCDC or even an NAHL prospect.
Colin Yandle
Cushing, 10/15/2009, D, right shot, 5-9/150
Hometown: Dorchester, Mass.Â
Yandle looked much more comfortable in prep hockey than he did on opening night against Dexter Southfield earlier this month. The Catholic Memorial product played a stable, reliable game in his own zone, using his feet to get up on forwards and break up plays. He ran the power play well, too, once again moving his feet at the blue line to open up passing lanes to lower in the zone.
RANKINGS: Boys prep Top 10 goes into chaos after holiday tournaments
Takeaways...
- Cushing's offense was struggling entering the tournament. After putting up goal totals of four, four and seven, the Penguins look to be in much better shape. One of the biggest positive takeaways for head coach Dan Fontas was Maine commit Joe Covelluzzi breaking out. The Wakefield, Mass., native had a goal and two assists against Lawrence Academy, two more goals against Holderness and then another one-goal, two-assist day vs. Thayer. Ending on a 7-1 win over Thayer should be a nice springboard entering the Watkins Tournament.
- Despite the 3-2 loss to St. Andrew's College in the championship, head coach Alan Thompson's team proved they're for real. The Bulls took down a hot Pomfret team, 2-1, the first night and then beat Cushing, 5-4, to make the final. While Viktor Samal produced quite a bit of offense, Holderness doesn't have one true "star." It's a deep, older team, which usually spells trouble for opponents late in February and early in March.
- There's nothing to be mad at if you're Lawrence Academy. The Spartans had a big second period against Cushing on Friday, tying the game before the third period. They took down Pomfret in a shootout and handily beat Groton, 6-2. Senior forward Michael Battista broke out with a goal against Pomfret and two more (and an assist) against Groton.
- Thayer is better than what it showed throughout the tournament. After beating Proctor, 4-1, on Friday, the Tigers fell to St. Andrew's College, 6-3, and Cushing, 7-1. That final loss should be a wake-up call, and the Tigers should be out for revenge come the Watkins Tournament at Cushing to open January.
