SALEM, N.H. — The new Cutting Edge Management (CEM) fall league went to the Salem Icenter on Sunday to play several New England Fall Prep Hockey League (NEFPHL) teams.
CEM began this fall with five prep schools: Salisbury, Deerfield, Taft, Westminster and Frederick Gunn. Salisbury and Frederick Gunn both have two teams. The NEFPHL has been around for a while, with many prep teams playing together through the fall.
The best part of Sunday was seeing a whole lot of prep teams from all over the region in action. It's only October, but Sunday gave me a bit of a sense of each team.
There were also several uncommitted prospects who stood out.
Before we get into the standout defensemen and goalies, here are all of Sunday's matchups.
- Team Yellow (Deerfield) vs. Top Gun 18U
- Team Orange (Westminster) vs. Fall Prep Huskies (New Hampton)
- Team Green (Frederick Gunn) vs. Fall Prep Bishops (Brooks)
- Team Blue (Frederick Gunn) vs. American Hockey Academy
- Team White (Salisbury) vs. Millville Millers (St. Paul's)
- Team Black (Salisbury) vs. Fall Prep Governor's (Governor's Academy)
- Team Red (Taft) vs. Fall Prep Wildcats (Kimball Union)
Here are 13 uncommitted standout defenders from Sunday. A separate story was completed on forwards.
Let's dive in.
Nathan Caples
Team Yellow/Deerfield, 12/27/2007, D, left shot, 5-9/157
Hometown: Wilmington, Mass.Â
Caples made life hard on opposing forwards on Sunday. He showed himself to be a mobile defender with a great stick. When defending the rush, he maintained great gaps and kept stick on puck. He stepped up for a solid hit, separating the opposing player from the puck on one rush sequence. He was on top of opposing forwards in front of his own net, too, intercepting passes and taking away lanes.
Christian Capone
Team White/Salisbury, 9/18/2009, G, catches left, 6-0/179
Hometown: East Haven, Conn.Â
Capone was in a goaltender's duel on Sunday and looked terrific. He was good at controlling his rebounds and even when they did bounce off his pads, pucks didn't go very far. Late in the game with the score tied, he made a big save on Millville forward Jack Bentley from in tight.
Ryan Collins
Team Blue/Frederick Gunn, 2008, D, right shot, 5-9/168
Hometown: East Northport, N.Y.Â
Collins scored early on a blistering one-timer. He showed himself as mobile and used that mobility to be aggressive at both blue lines. He shut down opposing rushes at one end, while making smart pinches and decisions at the other. One play that showed his intelligence was when he had possession in the neutral zone, rather than dump the puck in or try to skate through several defenders, he dished the puck to the weak side to a forward streaking towards the zone, which led to a clean zone entry.
Carson Craig
Team Orange/Westminster, 11/26/2007, D, left shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.Â
Craig showed poise in his passing and the routes he took to shut off defenders in his own zone. In the first half, he unleashed a terrific pass from deep in his own zone to Erich Brueckmann for a breakaway goal. Craig was active in stepping up to quell the rush and was physical in his board battles.
Hunter Dryden
Team Red/Taft, 7/5/2007, G, catches left, 6-3/170
Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.Â
Dryden was outstanding before coming out for Charlie Rodrigue (Shelton, Conn.) in the second half. Dryden was under fire for much of the game, but his size and composure helped him turn shots away with ease. I liked his rebound control, and he made massive pad stops in tight. He also tracked pucks well from the point. And yes, you're correct — his grandfather was the late Ken Dryden. Go read "The Game" when you're done with this story.
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Jack Giamou
Team Green/Frederick Gunn, 4/20/2009, D, left shot, 5-11/179
Hometown: Toronto, OntarioÂ
Giamou showcased a nice stick, especially when defending the rush. He also was consistently able to make smart first passes on the breakout. There were even times when he'd force a turnover or steal the puck and immediately deliver a quick pass up ice.
Zachary Gill
Team White/Salisbury, 5/6/2008, D, right shot, 6-0/192
Hometown: Moncton, New BrunswickÂ
Gill was just so damn solid. He's not flashy, but he locked things down around his net. On one play, he lifted the stick of the forward he was covering, preventing him from getting a clean shot at a rebound that likely would've gone in. His stick and positioning negatively impacted several rushes for the Millville Millers. With the puck on his stick, he made simple, subtle passes to jump-start his team leaving the defensive zone.
Lucas Hannay
Fall Prep Wildcats, Kimball Union, 10/22/2008, D, left shot, 5-9/170
Hometown: New Maryland, New BrunswickÂ
The Wildcats dominated most of the game, but particularly the second half. Hannay was a big part of it, as he was very active at the point. He rushed the puck several times throughout the game, using his speed to put defenders on their heels and get deep in Team Red's zone.
Thomas Ojard
Fall Prep Wildcats/Kimball Union, 3/6/2008, D, left shot, 5-10/185
Hometown: Duluth, Minn.Â
Ojard was extremely mobile at the offensive blue line for the Wildcats. As I mentioned earlier, the Wildcats dominated the second half and spent most of it in Team Red's end. Ojard was a big reason why Team Red had a tough time getting pucks out. He got down low in the offensive zone and often acted like a fourth forward. He also rarely gave up the offensive blue line to retreat.
Chris Paolone
Team Green/Frederick Gunn, 11/8/2007, D, right shot, 6-1/176
Hometown: Scarborough, OntarioÂ
Paolone scored one of the prettier goals on Sunday when he went end-to-end on a rush and finished with a goal. He chipped the puck around a forechecker before dangling a defender and firing a shot over the goalie's blocker. He showed himself as a shifty defender, especially with the puck at the offensive zone blue line.
Blake Truchon
Millville Millers/St. Paul's, 11/30/2006, G, catches right, 6-2/176
Hometown: South Burlington, Vt.Â
Truchon was under siege, but helped his team earn a 1-1 tie against Team White (Salisbury). His athleticism allowed him to come out and cut down angles, while still never getting out of position. His biggest save came with three minutes left when he shut down forward Dakota Downs on a breakaway. The '06 should be one of the better goalies in prep this winter.
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Elliott Watson
Team Black/Salisbury, 4/5/2009, D, right shot, 5-9/170
Hometown: Mascouche, QuebecÂ
Watson was able to generate speed quickly. When he was defending the rush, he used that speed to get up on forwards entering the zone and force dump-ins. He was with the Neponset Valley River Rats' 15O team last season, as well as Cardigan Mountain. His older brother is Nate Watson. And speaking of Nate Watson...
Nate Watson
Team Yellow/Deerfield, 3/16/2007, D, right shot, 5-8/179
Hometown: Mascouche, QuebecÂ
Watson was a problem for Top Gun in the offensive zone. In the second half, he crushed a defender in the corner, which forced a turnover up the wall. He went untouched to the net and put in a rebound for a goal. He has a quick, hard release on his shots in transition and was consistently physical.
