MARION, Mass. — Belmont Hill made quite the statement on Sunday, taking down Nobles, 7-1, in the first game of the ISL Keller Showcase.
The Sextants dominated from start to finish.
They got off to a strong start when senior forward Patrick Woods (Charlestown, Mass.) fired a power-play snipe past Nobles' goalie Tucker Monroe (Wellesley, Mass.) less than two minutes into the game. Just a few minutes later, fellow senior forward Matthew Carolan (Stow, Mass.) grabbed a puck off a face-off and wired one past Monroe, giving Belmont Hill a 2-0 lead.
Nobles' junior defenseman Kris Soja (Ludlow, Mass.) potted one past Belmont Hill goalie JJ Thibodeau in the final seconds of the first, seeming to give the Bulldogs some momentum going into the second period.
That momentum didn't last long.
Belmont Hill finished the game with five unanswered goals. Woods and Carolan scored one more each. Woods tallied his on the power play again, while Carolan received a crafty, high-level pass from sophomore forward Jackson Burns in front of the net, making it 4-1.
Evan Jones (Arlington, Mass.), a senior Dartmouth commit, wired two snipes past Monroe on third-period power plays, and sophomore Robert DeKleine (Westboro, Mass.) made it 7-1 late in the third when he sifted a shot through from the face-off dot.
Belmont Hill improved to 2-0-0 on the season after taking down Northfield Mount Hermon on Wednesday night. Nobles, however, fell to 0-1-1. The Bulldogs lost in overtime to Pomfret on Wednesday.
I know 7-1 final scores can look boring, and I don't usually have just five things to take away, but I grouped some storylines and players.
Let's dive in.
1. Belmont Hill's young forwards looked comfortable
Off the opening face-off, DeKleine laid a big hit. It set the tone for the first few minutes, as each team took turns trying to run over the puck carrier. But it also set a tone for how good the Sextants' young forwards would be.
DeKleine is a '10 who showed well with the Minuteman Flames' 15O team this fall. He was even better on Sunday, getting involved physically, especially on forechecks and behind Nobles' net. He read breakouts well, supporting as the third forward high when necessary. Most importantly, he was confident with the puck and his decisions. He was rightfully rewarded with a goal late in the game — his first in prep.
The same could be said for Sam Lee (Woburn, Mass.), another top '10 from that Flames team. His puck touches and decisions were those of players with many more prep games under their belt. His hands and deception allowed him to open new passing and shooting lanes. On one rush late in the game, he slowed down a bit and cut middle, forcing Nobles' defender back, which gave him time and space to shoot. He had two goals on Wednesday against NMH.
Landon Roe (Darien, Conn.), who, you guessed it, was also on that Flames team, played quite a bit, too. Burns, an '09, made one of the plays of the day on that pass. He got the puck all alone in the slot, which made Monroe fully commit to him. Burns acted like he had eyes in the back of his head when he kicked it over to Carolan, who had a wide-open net.
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Major props to Belmont Hill head coach Brian Phinney for leaning into the youth up front. Woods and Carolan will continue to produce, but they need players around them to contribute — and that's where the young guys come in. The Sextants play a fast, skilled game because of it.
2. Belmont Hill's young defensemen looked comfortable, too
There were many shifts in which '10s Alex Guo (Weston, Mass.) and Nick Ware (Weymouth, Mass.) were a pairing. Sticking two 15-year-olds out together against a rival (let alone any team in prep) is a risk, but the two were fantastic. Like the forwards, they played beyond their years.
Guo showed so much confidence when carrying the puck. Whether it was in his own zone, transitioning through the neutral zone, or at the offensive blue line, Guo made creative, smart decisions. His hands and shiftiness allowed him to do so.
Ware played alongside Jones on the top power play, and it wasn't hard to see why. The Neponset Valley River Rats product made intelligent plays with the puck and was able to maneuver along the blue line well to open up shooting and passing lanes. Phinney could trust him in the defensive zone, too. Ware stepped up at his own blue line and showcased a good stick to shut down rushes.
Emmett Aufiero, an '11, got significant time. Widely regarded as one of the top '11s in New England, he kept it simple and showed the same poise with the puck that he did in the fall playing with the Islanders.
3. Evan Jones played like a Player of the Year candidate
Jones finished as the leading point-getter among defensemen in New England last winter with 42. I'd expect that number to go up.
The Dartmouth commit often looked a step above on Sunday. He broke pucks out with ease, always making the right decision when eluding pressure. He always used his edgework to veer away from danger in any part of the ice. And his two goals were missiles off of quick releases from the point. On Woods' second power play goal, Jones found the perfect passing lane to sift the puck to Woods.
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I have two big thoughts on Jones. One: He will contend for Player of the Year. Two: If I were an NHL scout, I'd at least pay him some attention. Hear me out on this. Yes, I know — second-year draft eligible players aren't the rage in prep, and he's 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds. For a defenseman, that height is enough to make some teams turn away.
That said, his breakout skills and offensive abilities are elite. Like, truly elite. I'm just sayin'.
4. Nobles will need time
This won't surprise anyone when I say it wasn't Nobles' day. The Bulldogs were outmatched and visibly lacked high-end offense. Defense and goaltending were supposed to be the strengths of this team, yet head coach Dan McGoff's team gave up seven on Sunday and five to Pomfret on Wednesday.
That said, it's not a lost year. At all.
Nobles lost five of its top six scorers from last season. Outside of Brown commit Billy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.), that top six is essentially brand new. That impacts every facet of the game (offense, defense, special teams and goaltending) and needs time to grow.
Do I think Nobles is an Elite 8 team? No, I don't. But when all is said and done, it should contend for a spot in the Large School playoffs.
5. Some bright spots for Nobles
Despite losing by six, there were some positives for Nobles.
Soja played well. The junior defenseman scored the lone goal when he joined the rush and got a pass from MacAusland, which he deposited in the back of the net. Soja was also active physically, playing on the edge from start to finish and mostly providing reliable breakout passes.
Belmont Hill also wasn't the only team with young players popping. Nobles had sophomore defenseman Kasen Walsh (Warwick, R.I.) and freshman forward Zachary Mohamed (Needham, Mass.).
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Walsh showed command on the back end. He was tough in front of his own net and read plays well enough to cut off Belmont Hill forwards from reaching high-danger ice. When the puck was on his stick, he showed mobility to get to space and was able to make smart passes up ice. At 6-foot-2 and 165 pounds, he's undoubtedly a '10 to track.
Then there was Mohamed. Talk about a motor — I wrote down "high compete" next to his name multiple times. There was a penalty kill late in the game when he consistently pressured Belmont Hill's defenders with fast forechecks and staying up ice on them to force turnovers and fast plays. He was also able to navigate through defenders when he had the puck. He's a '10 who stood out with the East Coast Militia this fall.
