FOXBORO, Mass. — The 14th annual Neponset Valley River Rats Jamboree took place Monday and Tuesday, marking the official start to the 2023-24 fall hockey slate.
Gone are days at the beach, as this jamboree, and this coming weekend's Eastern Alliance Kickoff Labor Day Tournament, have players trading in swim shorts for hockey pants — and it'll be that way for quite a long time.
We've already written stories on the 16U standouts from the two-day event, so now it's time to take a look at the 15O level. I got to see six teams and they were...
- Monday: Cape Cod Whalers 15O vs. P.A.L. Islanders 15O
- Tuesday: South Shore Kings 15O vs. Boston Hockey Academy 15O
- Tuesday: Neponset Valley River Rats 15O vs. Boston Jr. Eagles 15O
Here are 12 players who stood out to me across the three games. Let's dive in.
Chase Field (16)
Neponset Valley River Rats, 3/1/2008, F, left shot, 5-8/130
Hometown: Centerville, Mass.Â
What stood out most with Field was his confidence with the puck and his ability to make plays happen with the puck on his stick. He also has a nice stride and played well off of teammate Cam MacPherson. He notched a goal in Tuesday's game, bringing his total for the event to four in three games. He also added an assist over the tournament and will play for Barnstable High School this winter.
Matt Hines (17)
Cape Cod Whalers, 6/10/2008, D, left shot, 5-9/150
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.Â
In my first viewing of the Whalers, Hines looks to be their best defenseman. He moved the puck with a lot of confidence in Monday's game. When there was pressure on him, he showed poise and made controlled plays rather than just throw the puck away or throw it off the glass. He gained the offensive blue line a handful of times and showed that poise again, making smart plays. He's an intriguing '08 prospect to watch at Dexter Southfield this winter.
Gavin Holland (16)
Boston Jr. Eagles, 3/20/2008, D, right shot, 6-1/175
Hometown: Topsfield, Mass.Â
Holland was dynamic in Tuesday's game, especially in the offensive zone. It's fall hockey and defensemen typically enjoy playing freer than in a prep or high school game, but Holland did so intelligently, picking his spots to get active below the dots in the offensive zone well. That led to two scoring chances by him in the first half. He got an assist on the Eagles' first goal when his shot got deflected wide of the net, bounced out in front to Luke Allen (Billerica, Mass.) and Allen poked it in to give his team a 1-0 lead.
SUMMER HOCKEY: 10 forwards who elevated their stock | 5 defenders and goalies who elevated their stock
Cam MacPherson (18)
Neponset Valley River Rats, 6/19/2008, F, left shot, 5-7/135
Hometown: Hopkinton, Mass.
MacPherson was always around the puck in Tuesday's game and he was always physical. He wasn't the biggest guy on the ice, but he always finished checks and worked hard battling for loose pucks in the corner. He was rewarded in the first half when he stole the puck from an Eagles defender and got a 3-on-0. Sometimes players get a bit too passive in overwhelming odd-man rushes like that, but MacPherson held it the whole way and rifled one into the net. He added an assist later in the game. MacPherson finished the jamboree with two goals and five points in three games.
Bexultan Makysh (8)
Boston Hockey Academy, 5/24/2008, F, left shot, 5-10/150
Hometown: Astana, KazakhstanÂ
In Tuesday's game, it was only a matter of time until Makysh netted a goal. That time came towards the end of the first half when he ripped a laser from the slot over the netminder's glove. Makysh was the best player on the ice in Tuesday's game, using his poise with the puck and slick hands to evade defenders and prolong offensive zone shifts. He also has a very hard shot, as was on display when he scored his goal. Makysh, from Kazakhstan, is an intriguing prospect to follow this season.
Nick McManus (68)
Boston Jr. Eagles, 5/15/2008, F, right shot, 5-9/175
Hometown: Shrewsbury, Mass.Â
McManus was good in Tuesday night's game at being difficult to play against. His work with fellow forward Drew Giguere (Georgetown, Mass.) on the penalty kill in the first half was great, as the duo put tons of pressure on the River Rats as they tried to break the puck out, giving McManus and Giguere the opportunity to get offensive zone time and kill seconds off the penalty. McManus also scored the Eagles' second goal in the 3-3 tie, driving the net hard and having a pass from Brady Sloper (North Andover, Mass.) go off of him and in.
JP Messuri (3)
Cape Cod Whalers, 6/19/2008, F, left shot, 5-4/135
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.Â
Messuri is proof that you can make an impact on the ice no matter your size. He plays like he's 6-foot-4 and that continued Monday, as he was hard on the forecheck and displayed a never-back-down attitude. He played with an edge but crossed that line when he got a misconduct for a hit from behind in the second half. Still, his style is one that suits him well and he always finds a way to make an impact on every shift. Messuri's father, John, is one of the coaches of this Whalers team and is the bench boss at Arlington High School.
Chris Morrison (91)
South Shore Kings, 1/31/2008, F, right shot, 5-8/145
Hometown: East Greenwich, R.I.Â
The South Shore Kings looked outmatched for most of Tuesday's game, but then Morrison scored off the rush late in the second half and things changed. He also assisted on Jamie Valarelli's game-tying goal moments later on a nice pass across the slot. Morrison was noticeable throughout the game, using his good skating and high skill to get around defenders.
THE U16 LEVEL: 14 standout forwards at River Rats Jamboree | 5 standout defenders and goalies at River Rats Jamboree
Conal Mulkerrin (7)
Cape Cod Whalers, 5/15/2008, F, left shot, 5-11/170
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.Â
It was hard not to notice Mulkerrin in Monday's game. The Hingham High School product potted two goals. The first came in the first half from in front of the opposing net, as he battled hard and got a shot off that beat the goalie. His second came late in the second half with the score tied, 1-1. His team was breaking the puck out and he flew the zone, positioning himself on the other side of the red line. When the puck landed on the stick of an opposing defenseman, he stole it, fended off two opposing players and rifled one past the goalie's glove. He was also impactful with Reading High School forward Ryan MacCurtain, who had a goal in Monday's game, covering the top of the zone on the penalty kill.
George Patsos (28)
PAL Jr. Islanders, 8/28/2008, F, right shot, 5-7/115
Hometown: West Islip, N.Y.Â
George Patsos showed a lot of skill in Monday's game. Midway through the first half, he took it into the offensive zone himself, dangled around a defender, held onto the puck for an extra second and sauced one to the middle of the slot that was intended for a teammate driving the far post. Instead, it bounced off a defender and in. As the game wore on, he drove play well.
Svit Ravnik (14)
Boston Hockey Academy, 12/31/2008, F, left shot, 6-3/170
Hometown: Ljubljana, SloveniaÂ
Ravnik was Boston Hockey Academy's other best forward in Tuesday's game. He had poise with the puck and was very active offensively, especially in the cycle game. He's a solid skater with a great shot. In the second half of Tuesday's matchup, he was in a good spot to score on a rebound.
Jamie Valarelli (12)
South Shore Kings, 11/4/2008, F, left shot, 5-8/150
Hometown: Taunton, Mass.Â
Like Morrison, Valarelli was also vital in the Kings tying their game with Boston Hockey Academy late in the second half. He sifted a nice pass to Morrison for the goal that cut the 2-1 lead in half. Then, just seconds later, Valarelli put himself in smart positioning around the opposing net and scored on a pass from Morrison.
