It's a big deal to be picked for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.
Heading to Plymouth, Mich., for two years can shape the rest of a career. There, players are developed both on and off the ice, as they face top competition in the USHL during their U17 season and Division 1 colleges as U18s.
The first step is getting an invitation to NTDP Evaluation Camp, which will be held March 19-23.
Seven New England natives were invited, along with another skater who plays at a local school.
Mount St. Charles' 15U team will have three representatives at the camp with forwards William Bent (Dover, Mass.) and Jamie Glance (West Newbury, Mass.), as well as defenseman Luke Scharier, who is from Milwaukee. Mount rival Mid Fairfield will have goalie Jacoby Weiner (Riverside, Conn.) in attendance.
On the prep scene, Belmont Hill's David Bosco (Winchester, Mass.), St. Sebastian's Casey Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.), Governor's Academy's Spencer Thornborough (Boxford, Mass.) and Groton's Kaiden Donia (Townsend, Mass.) earned invites.
Up front, Bent and Glance are not surprising picks. Bent was a standout with the Mount 14s last season and that's continued this fall and winter, with the '08 tallying 45 goals and 79 points in 50 games. He's assertive and stands at 6-feet and 165 pounds.
Glance, on the other hand, has been a breakout star as a 15U, scoring 50 goals and posting 100 points in his first 50 games. He has terrific hands and has high-end skill.
Bosco was a breakout freshman on the prep circuit. After a strong showing for the Boston Jr. Eagles 14Us last season, Bosco was dynamite for the Sextants this winter, potting 18 goals and tallying 37 points in 31 games. He was a fixture as the top-line right wing, although he can play center. He has terrific vision and a great stride.
On that Boston Jr. Eagles team was also Thornborough. At 6 feet and 170 pounds, he plays the game with speed and power and utilizes his size well. He had six goals and 15 points in 18 games for Governor's this winter. He missed some time due to playing for Team USA in the Youth Olympic Games in South Korea, winning a gold medal.
Mutryn has long been the premier '08 in Massachusetts, so to see him catch an invite is no surprise. He had 40 points as the top-line center for a senior-filled St. Sebastian's team. He's a good skater who plays with a high compete and has great vision. His brother, Teddy (Norwell, Mass.), scored an invite to last year's camp but didn't make the team.
Both Scharier and Donia are the picks on defense. Both have undeniable size. Scharier is 6-foot-3 and 174 pounds. He has a great stick and defends the rush — and his own zone — well. Through 44 games with the Mount 15s, he has six goals and 32 points.
Donia is a whopping 6-foot-5 and 175 pounds. As a sophomore, he had three goals and 13 points in 26 games for Groton this winter.
This isn't the first time the NTDP selected a huge defenseman for camp. Last season, Carter Amico got the call. The Westbrook, Maine, native stands at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds and is extremely raw. He was picked, and has 14 points in 40 games with the U17 NTDP team.
Weiner getting an invite is also no surprise. The NTDP was watching him closely this season with Mid Fairfield. The talent and size are a perfect match — Weiner is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds and is extremely mobile. He's a left-handed goalie, which makes him a bit unconventional.
Last season, four locals got the call: Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.), Anthony Bongo (Ridgefield, Conn.), Teddy Mutryn and Amico. Gallant and Amico made the team.
