FOXBORO, Mass. — It may be summer hockey, but Thursday night's finale to the Foxboro Prep League had that midseason feel.
Team Omicioli took down Team Buckley, 2-1, in a goaltenders' duel to win the 2023 Foxboro Prep League championship.
It was fast-paced. There was a fair amount of contact and by the second half, both teams were trading chances. Was it up to the intensity of the NEPSAC championships held in March? Not quite. But for a Thursday night game in mid-August, it was everything and more.
The one parallel to this year's NEPSAC championships was Lawrence Academy's Owen Leahy (Providence, R.I.) scoring two goals in a title game.
He potted two in the 2023 Small School championship, including the overtime-winning lamplighter, to beat Frederick Gunn. On Thursday, he scored twice in regulation.
Here are six standouts from the final Foxboro Prep League matchup.
Austin Borggaard
Team Buckley/St. Mark's, 1/15/2005, F, left shot, 6-0/183
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
It's been a great summer for Borggaard and that continued Thursday night. He drove play a lot, using his frame, speed and puck-protection skills to evade defenders off the rush. His most vital strength, however, is his shot — it's hard and he has a quick release. In all the Foxboro Prep League games I watched this summer, I thought his shot was the hardest. He had a few quality scoring chances around the net, too. The only blemish Thursday night was he sometimes held onto the puck an extra second too long off the rush. Borggaard is an early candidate to have a massive season, both in the fall with the Little Bruins and the winter with St. Mark's.
Dennis Davidson
Team Buckley/Nobles, 5/15/2006, F, right shot, 5-9/154
Hometown: Newton, Mass.
Davidson didn't lead Nobles in points (31) last season by accident. He has a high hockey IQ and that was on display in this championship game. He had a really nice defensive play in the first half, positioning himself well in his own zone to break up a pass and get play going the other way. In the offensive zone, he was constantly supporting the cycle. He had a nice 1-on-1 rush in the first half where he streaked down the right side, protected the puck from a bigger defender and earned a high-danger chance.
Owen Leahy
Team Omicioli/Lawrence Academy, 2/11/2005, F, left shot, 5-9/152
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
Clearly, Leahy just loves big games. Both of his goals came from nice shots off the rush in which he put himself in smart spots to score. His compete was on display throughout the game as well. He battled hard for loose pucks and consistently gained offensive zone entries for his team. Leahy led Lawrence Academy in goals (16) and points (30) last season and looks poised for an even better senior campaign.
Carson Mertz
Team Omicioli/Mount St. Charles 15U, 2/19/2008, G, catches left
Hometown: Coventry, R.I.
Summer hockey isn't always conducive to great goaltending, but Mertz was sensational in the championship. He made some really nice glove stops throughout the contest. He had a terrific one on Colin Walsh (East Greenwich, R.I.) in the first half. He also had strong rebound control. Mertz is one of the most intriguing '08 goalie prospects to watch after posting a 1.90 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage with the Mount St. Charles 14U team this past winter. He will be one of the headliners on a stacked 15U team in 2023-24.
COLLEGE HOCKEY RECRUITMENT: 7 takeaways from the first two weeks
Noah Mertz
Team Omicioli/Mount St. Charles 18U, 8/19/2005, D, right shot, 5-11/161
Hometown: Coventry, R.I.
It was a strong night for the Mertz family. Noah did a lot to help his younger brother. His most notable play came in the second half with his team clinging to a 2-1 lead. After a great read by Team Buckley and St. George's defenseman Marco Senerchia (Greenville, R.I.), he sprung Walsh for a breakaway. That was when Noah blazed back to break up the play and negate any shot from happening. He also moved the puck well throughout the game and was active at the opposing blue line when his team had sustained possession.
Ryder Shea
Team Buckley/St. George's, 5/4/2006, G, catches left, 6-2/179
Hometown: Framingham, Mass.
NCAA: Maine
Shea was terrific in this one. He showed off his poise in the net, never over-committing to anything. He stayed square to shooters but didn't venture far from the middle of his net. He had a strong glove stop on Mount St. Charles 18U defenseman Colton Whitfield (Warwick, R.I.) in the second half and then followed it up with a breakaway stop on Tabor forward Thomas Sheehan (Warwick, R.I.). This is a big season for Shea, who opted to stay another year at St. George's — a team with high expectations.
