SALEM, N.H. — On Sunday, I traveled to the Icenter to catch a slew of New England Fall Prep Hockey League games. Various prep players and teams play in the league, which takes place on Saturdays and Sundays.
Schools like Kimball Union, New Hampton, St. Paul's, Phillips Exeter, Proctor and Governor's Academy have teams in the league.
Unfortunately, I couldn't see everyone. But on Sunday afternoon, I did get to see a variety of skill levels. Here are the teams I watched.
- North
- Central
- Boston Knights 18U
- East
- Fall Prep Wildcats
- Seacoast Performance Academy 18U
- Fall Prep Hornets
- 95 Giants
It was an interesting batch of players. In some games, it was high-level prep guys, while in others it was MIAA players hoping to make an impact during their senior year. I got to see some players I'd never seen before, which is always an exciting thing.
Here are six uncommitted standout defensemen. Click or tap here to read about 10 uncommitted standout forwards.
Edouard Belval-Turmel
Hornets/Proctor, 11/23/2006, D, left shot, 6-0/190
Hometown: Levis, QuebecÂ
Belval-Turmel showed a legitimate ability to jump into the rush and aid the offense on Sunday. He was able to get some end-to-end rushes. He got his shots through from the point. He prevented a goal early in the game when he correctly tied up a player who would've had a clean shot at a goal. He was always able to reliably execute breakouts. Belval-Turmel arrives at Proctor from College de Levis.
Matt Bencivengo
North/Brooks, 8/22/2005, D, left shot, 5-8/165
Hometown: New Haven, Conn.Â
Bencivengo opened Sunday's matchup with Central by scoring an end-to-end goal. It started when he used his speed to separate from a forechecker behind his own net. He skated the puck up to his own blue line and chipped it forward. But rather than retreat, he kept going, followed the play and regained possession at the opposing blue line. He went in and scored on a nice shot. Bencivengo was able to drive play from the back end and showed himself to be a breakout specialist. He's going to be an older senior this year for Brooks, so I'm curious to see how he improves on his two point-season last winter.
PREP PREVIEWS: Avon Old Farms | Belmont Hill | Berkshire | Phillips Andover Â
PD Dimas
Boston Knights/Belmont High, 2007, D, left shot
Hometown: Belmont, Mass.Â
Dimas had a goal in the first half against the East. He took a low shot from the point that the goalie never saw and it went straight in. Dimas was able to rush the puck nicely and knew when to dish the puck off to a teammate. He held the opposing blue line well to elongate offensive zone sequences as well. He was with Belmont High last season.
Nick Evans
Wildcats/Kimball Union, 3/13/2007, D, right shot, 6-1/165
Hometown: Malden, Mass.Â
Evans showed himself to be a stout, legitimate No. 1 defenseman in prep on Sunday. He was a force at both ends of the ice. When he had the puck behind his own net or deep in his own zone, he was calm and poised, eluding pressure with his head up and finding a safe passing lane for a breakout. He had a great stick when defending in his own zone and in breaking up neutral zone passes. He successfully got shots through from the point and made smart passing plays deeper in the offensive zone.
Brayden Slack
95 Giants, 10/13/2007, D, left shot, 6-4/220
Hometown: Attleboro, Mass.Â
Slack is an intriguing prospect given his size and abilities. Midway through the first half, he grabbed the puck in the offensive zone, used his speed to zip past the Proctor defenders and scored. He was a lockdown force in his own zone, utilizing good gaps to shut down rushes and close on opposing forwards quickly. He was physical and held down the front of his net well. On breakouts, he made smooth, smart passes. He was with Mount St. Charles' high school team last season.
Nico Sobky
Central/Brewster Academy, 7/16/2006, D, right shot, 6-1/170
Hometown: Berkeley, Calif.Â
Sobky scored in the second half of his game against North when he snuck into the high slot and Jake Costa (Haverhill, Mass.) hit him with a pass. Sobky was constantly trying to jumpstart offensive sequences for his team. Whether it was through a smart first pass or being active in the offensive zone, Sobky was hard to miss. He also has intriguing size. He had one point for Brewster last season, so it will be interesting to see how he progresses as a senior at Brewster.
