MARLBORO, Mass. — This past weekend, the New England Sports Center held the 18U Massachusetts state tournament. The Boston Jr. Eagles emerged victorious, taking down the Central Mass. Penguins, 6-3, in the state championship.
When the national tournament takes place in Las Vegas in the spring, the Jr. Eagles will be there. It remains to be seen if any other Massachusetts teams get at-large bids.
It was a good weekend of action with games Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. There were a handful of colleges represented on Sunday especially. There weren't as many NHL scouts. While there were a few, I saw more at last year's state tournament.
Here are 12 standout forwards from the 18U state tournament. A separate story will be done on standout defensemen and goalies.
Let's dive in.
Austin Borggaard
Little Bruins, 1/15/2005, F, left shot, 6-0/185
Hometown: Charlton, Mass.Â
It's become the norm for Borggaard to snipe a handful of goals, which he did. But his strength and play-driving abilities were on display this weekend, too. It's hard to knock him off the puck and it's clear he's full of confidence. A strong fall season has Borggaard in position for a great prep season at St. Mark's and, most likely, a Division 1 commitment.
Dennis Davidson
Little Bruins, 5/15/2006, F, right shot, 5-9/175
Hometown: Newton, Mass.Â
This weekend, Davidson showed he can thrive in any offensive situation. He had a nice snipe for a goal in Saturday's win over the Neponset Valley River Rats. He was consistently able to set up teammates with creative puck plays. He can also generate quick bursts of speed to get past defensemen.
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Duke Gentzler
Springfield Thunderbirds, 9/20/2005, F, left shot, 6-1/185
Hometown: Manhattan Beach, Calif.Â
Gentzler registered a goal on Friday night when he scored off the rush and knocked in the game's first tally. He showed good vision at times with nice passing and his size helped him play a really physical brand of hockey and protect pucks. Gentzler will be back at Salisbury this season.
Tyler Hamilton
Boston Jr. Eagles, 12/7/2006, F, right shot, 5-11/160
Hometown: Framingham, Mass.Â
Hamilton has always been known as a great 200-foot center. He was that and more this weekend, scoring a handful of goals. He potted two in Sunday's semifinal, including the eventual game-winner. He scored the first and last goals in the championship game. He thrived at getting open in high-danger areas and using a quick release to get most of his lamplighters.
Bronson Hunt
Central Mass. Penguins, 3/26/2005, F, left shot, 5-9/165
Hometown: Long Beach, N.Y.Â
Hunt plays the game so hard and also has a lot of skill. On a sequence in Saturday's game against American Hockey Academy, he got a pass from his brother off the rush and shot the puck between his legs (it went over the net, but still — pretty cool). His hands and shiftiness in the corners allow him to evade defenders and get to interior ice.
Tanner Hunt
Central Mass. Penguins, 3/26/2005, F, right shot, 5-9/165
Hometown: Long Beach, N.Y.Â
The other Hunt brother had a nice goal in Saturday's game, getting to the net and jamming in a loose puck. He scored the eventual game-winning goal late in Sunday's semifinal, too. The chemistry he has with his brother is strong, which should bleed into the prep season for Cushing.
Brady Kudrick
Cape Cod Whalers, 10/28/2005, F, left shot, 6-0/170
Hometown: Norwell, Mass.
One of my biggest takeaways from Friday night's game was that Kudrick can freakin' rip it. The Thayer product notched a hat trick and all three goals showcased his wicked shot. His first two came midway through the second period as the Whalers took control of the contest. One shot was over Thunderbirds goalie Cooper Flemming's glove; the other was over the blocker. His final tally came via a one-timer with 44.2 seconds left to get the Whalers back to within a goal. Kudrick led Thayer in goals last season with 11.
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Sean Leetch
Boston Jr. Eagles, 9/20/2005, F, right shot, 6-0/174
Hometown: Boston, Mass.Â
Leetch had a goal in Sunday's semifinal, but what stood out most was his — and get ready for everyone's favorite word— grit. The Little Bruins pressed hard in the final minutes as they battled to tie the game. Leetch, the son of longtime NHL player Brian Leetch, blocked multiple shots, sometimes laying out to get in front of them. It was an all-around great effort out of Leetch.
Teddy MacAusland
Little Bruins, 1/13/2006, F, right shot, 5-9/185
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.Â
MacAusland's vision is outstanding. He makes his linemates so much better. But he was also able to find the back of the net, most notably in the semifinal loss to the Jr. Eagles where he scored two goals.
Ryan O'Leary
Springfield Thunderbirds, 2005, F, right shot, 6-0/160
Hometown: Easthampton, Mass.Â
O'Leary was involved in the offense all night on Friday. He competed hard. That was evident on how much pressure he put on Whalers defenders through his forechecks. It's hard to highlight any defense in a 7-6 game, but O'Leary did a good job at hustling on the backcheck too, breaking up potential Whalers scoring chances off the rush. He will be vital for Phillips Exeter this winter.
STATE CHAMPS: River Rats win at 15O | Jr. Eagles win at 16U | Jr. Eagles win at 18UÂ
AJ Sacco
Central Mass. Penguins, 11/28/2005, F, left shot, 5-8/155
Hometown: Middleton, Mass.Â
Sacco was dynamic in my viewings of the Penguins this weekend. In Saturday's win over American Hockey Academy, he made a great pass off the rush to Ryland Randle for a goal. He followed that up with a goal of his own in the second period. His chemistry with Emerson Marshall (Gloucester, Mass.) was strong, which allowed for the duo to consistently play in the offensive zone.
Aaron Van Wie
Islanders Hockey Club, 5/25/2006, F, left shot, 5-8/150
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.Â
When I watched the Islanders in Sunday morning's semifinal game, they had a very short bench. The Penguins controlled play for most of the matchup, but when the Islanders were in the offensive zone, Van Wie was able to find soft spots in the Penguins defense. I was also impressed with Van Wie's IQ in his own zone.
