FOXBORO, Mass. — We've covered the forwards. Now it's time to look at the defensemen and goalies.
The Neponset Valley River Rats Jamboree was held Sunday through Tuesday across many rinks in Massachusetts. I spent Monday and Tuesday watching the 18U and 16U levels.
I always find that defensemen and goalies actually shine at the 18U level. Games tend to be a bit more low-scoring and physical, which caters to them.
As I mentioned in my forwards story, props to Scott McDougall, Jeff Cox and the rest of the River Rats for running a well-oiled jamboree to kick things off.
Here are all the teams I saw on Monday and Tuesday.
- Yale Jr. Bulldogs
- Hartford Wolfpack
- Brookline Whalers
- Northern CT Nor'Easters
- Islanders Hockey Club East
- Woodbridge Wolfpack
- East Coast Militia
- Neponset Valley River Rats
- Mid Fairfield
- Holy Name
Let's dive into the uncommitted 18U defensemen and goalie standouts from the jamboree.
Chance Bolton
EC Militia, 7/9/2008, D, right shot, 5-9/160
Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.Â
Bolton did a nice job on Tuesday of breaking up opposing rushes with good gaps and a smart stick. He also showed no hesitation in skating the puck, trying to produce offense. The '08 will be back at Milton for his second season at the prep school.
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Kaiden Donia
East Coast Militia, 1/16/2008, D, right shot, 6-6/195
Hometown: Townsend, Mass.Â
Donia will have a lot of eyes on him this fall and winter. He already had Division 1 schools hot on him, but now he has NHL scouts watching, too. Against IHC East on Tuesday, Donia was solid. He kick-started the rush a few times and picked the right times to join. Early in the game, he jumped into the play and almost notched a goal on a 2-on-1. He made smart outlet passes to leave his own zone. Thinking out loud here: I wonder if NHL scouts want to see him rush the puck even more.
Vincenzo D'Urso
Neponset Valley River Rats, 3/7/2008, G, catches left, 6-0/190
Hometown: Andover, Mass.Â
Against the Jr. Bulldogs, D'Urso was incredibly stout. The Tabor netminder didn't allow rebounds and found ways to snatch pucks through traffic. He robbed Domenico Clarizio of a potential goal when the Taft forward cut across the slot and D'Urso got his pad out to make a save. D'Urso also made a vital stop with his blocker late in the first half against Yale.
Jack Fichthorn
Mid Fairfield, 5/10/2007, G, catches left, 6-1/181
Hometown: Darien, Conn.Â
I caught Fichthorn against Holy Name, and he was outstanding. The Westminster netminder never wavered, calmly catching and turning aside shots his way. Holy Name forward Dylan Chernoff had a breakaway late and Fichthorn gloved down the chance. With Holy Name pressing late, Fichthorn withstood the pressure and showcased his athleticism on low shots, getting down and steering rebounds away from danger.
Tayvin Frongello
Brookline Whalers, 6/6/2008, D, left shot, 5-11/175
Hometown: Hull, Mass.Â
Frongello scored against Northern CT Nor'Easter on a great rush, taking it to the outside, protecting the puck well and banking one in off the netminder. He showed himself to be a great skater who made smart, reliable decisions with the puck. When defending the rush, he maintained good gaps and used his stick to disrupt opposing zone entries.
Charlie Golden
Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack, 6/1/2008, D, right shot, 6-1/180
Hometown: Cheshire, Conn.Â
The Jr. Wolf Pack had a rough game against the Yale Jr. Bulldogs, but Golden was able to land multiple open-ice hits that widened the eyes, especially for Day 1 of fall hockey. He also brought that physicality low in his own zone and along the walls. Golden arrives at Trinity-Pawling after playing for Cheshire (Conn.) High School.
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Basil Hemberger
Brookline Whalers, 1/24/2007, G, catches left, 6-2/195
Hometown: Chester Springs, Penn.Â
Hemberger helped guide the Whalers to a win over Northern CT Nor'Easter on Monday. The Lawrenceville netminder was very square to shots, using his good size to cut down angles. He showcased good rebound control, too. One of his best saves came on a lateral, post-to-post stop late in the first half with the Nor'Easter pressing.
Alex Kim
Holy Name, 1/2/2008, G, catches left, 5-10/160
Hometown: Leonia, N.J.Â
Mid Fairfield had a slew of chances against Kim on Tuesday, and only one went in. Midway through the first half, Kim robbed a one-timer. He got out to the top of his crease and consistently made the save. Early in the second half, he stretched across post to post to rob a chance. The only goal that went in was a third-chance rebound that should've been cleared away.
Brady Knode
Islanders Hockey Club East, 9/18/2007, G, catches left, 6-2/181
Hometown: Ashburn, Va.Â
Sure, Knode lost against the Woodbridge Wolfpack, but it was one goal. Other than that? The Winchendon product was outstanding. He faced heaps of pressure from a Woodbridge forward core with no issue generating chances and getting as close to Knode as possible. He had poise and corralled rebounds with opposing players almost on top of it.
Daniel Maglathlin
Islanders Hockey Club East, 3/7/2008, D, left shot, 5-7/163
Hometown: Newton, Penn.Â
From watching Maglathlin on Monday and Tuesday, I came away impressed with his skating and willingness to sink into the offensive zone and make plays. He showcased a quick, hard shot from the point, too. When defending his own zone, he had good gaps and took smart angles towards forwards entering his end of the ice. He will be at Winchendon this year.
Leyton Reinhart
Woodbridge Wolfpack, 6/29/2008, G, catches left, 6-1/180
Hometown: Stillwater, Minn.Â
When I watched Reinhart on Monday against the Islanders Hockey Club East, he moved extremely well in net. He tracked pucks through traffic well and controlled rebounds. He never seemed to get out of position and remained poised with IHC East pushing late. The craziest moment came when he came within inches of scoring an empty-net goal.
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Max Yakub
Northern CT Nor'Easter, 7/16/2009, D, left shot, 5-10/180
Hometown: Manalapan, N.J.Â
Yakub, who will be at Avon Old Farms this winter, is playing up at the 18U level. On Monday against the Brookline Whalers, he didn't just prove he belonged — he was one of the better players. He was stout defending the front of his own net, getting out and blocking shots before they reached the netminder. At the offensive blue line, the former Mount St. Charles standout was mobile and got off quick, hard shots to the net.
