MARLBORO, Mass. — If you wanted extra hockey, you were in luck.
It took four full periods of hockey and a shootout before the East Coast Militia U16s took down the Boston Junior Eagles, 3-2, to win the Massachusetts 16U Tier 1 state final. The Militia will automatically move on to USA Hockey Nationals, which will take place in Madison, Wis., from April 1-6, 2025.
Tom Wilkinson (Duxbury, Mass.) scored the shootout-deciding goal, beating Eagles' goalie Tommy Saulnier (Medfield, Mass.) in tight. Brian McFadden (Holbrook, Mass.) also scored for Militia in the shootout, while Eli Zucker denied both Junior Eagles shooters.
Noah Survilas (Winthrop, Mass.) opened the scoring for the Eagles just 1:30 into the third period on a delayed penalty, blasting a feed from Nick Sumner (Hanover, NH) in the slot.
Nate Moons answered for the Militia shortly after, jamming in a rebound after parking himself in front of the net.
MORE STANDOUTS: 150 Junior Eagles' win | 18u Junior Eagles' win
The Juniors Eagles thought they were in the clear when Ty Hymovitz (Needham, Mass.) made it 2-1 with 2:30 left in regulation. After Spencer Thornborough (Boxford, Mass.) and the Eagles had several whacks at a rebound, Hymovitz was right there to bury it.
But the Militia stormed back as Chance Bolton tied it, 2-2, with 59 seconds remaining in regulation. After several chances around the net, the puck worked back to Bolton at the point, and his seeing-eye wrister beat Saulnier from the top of the left circle.
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After each side had its share of chances in overtime, Wilkinson, McFadden and Zucker went down as the heroes in the shootout.
With their win, the Militia also denied the Junior Eagles a sweep of the 15O, 16U and 18U Tier 1 state championships.
Let's dive into seven standouts from the game.
Brian McFadden
East Coast Militia/Thayer, 1/8/08, D, right shot, 6-3/180
Hometown: Holbrook, Mass.
In his best game of the weekend, McFadden was arguably the best player on the ice from start to finish. He had a high compete and was physical, decisive and effective in all three zones, maintaining good stick positioning and gaps. One of his best plays came in the second period when he tracked down Chase Field (Centerville, Mass.) and broke up the rush before springing Wilkinson the other way. He made a similar play in overtime, diving to break up a shorthanded break. McFadden's shootout goal was slick, showcasing good hands and changing his pace to back Saulnier up before potting a backhander.
Eli Zucker
East Coast Militia/Milton, 9/19/08, G, catches left, 6-2/188
Hometown: Parkland, Fla.
Zucker helped drive what was a goalie duel for the first two periods. He was sensational early on as the Eagles pushed to get on the board early. He denied Thornborough in tight after he got a step behind the defense before robbing Field, Hymovitz and Luke Allen (Billerica, Mass.) in short order. Zucker bailed the Militia out of breakdowns throughout the game, including a pair of sprawling saves on odd-man rushes in the third. He made the save of the night in the shootout when David Bosco (Winchester, Mass.) had him beat, but he reached back with his left arm and swiped the puck off the line.
Nate Moons
East Coast Militia/Groton, 1/26/08, F, left shot, 5-11/145
Hometown: Ottawa, ON
Moons was excellent for the Militia, especially early, and it was good to see him rewarded with a goal in the third. He did well at the face-off dot and drove play, creating chances for himself and his linemates. He made a slick play to set up Owen Cronan on a 2-on-1, toe-dragging around a sliding defenseman before slipping a backdoor feed. Moons got another Grade-A look on another 2-on-1 moments later. He also made a terrific play to get back and thwart a 2-on-1 with a stick lift before getting numbers the other way. He showed good instincts on his goal, getting into a great spot around the net to bury it.
Spencer Thornborough
Boston Jr. Eagles/Governor's, 6/22/08, F, left shot, 6-0/175
Hometown: Boxford, Mass.
Thornborough took over down the stretch for the Eagles and should have had at least a goal, if not multiple, but Zucker had his number. His speed was a major issue for the Militia, and it led to plenty of chances for him and his linemates in transition. He got a step behind the defense early on, flying in alone, but couldn't beat Zucker five-hole. In the second, he set up Bosco for a great chance in the slot on a 2-on-1 that wouldn't go. Thornborough had a one-time look of his own on a 2-on-1 in the third, but Zucker came through with a sprawling save. Before he helped set up Hymovitz's goal, Thornborough got behind the defense again for another break, turning on the jets to gain separation. Zucker robbed him again.
Tom Wilkinson
East Coast Militia/Thayer, 9/9/08/ F, right, 6-0/165
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.
Wilkinson was also the overtime hero in Militia's comeback win over Lovell in Saturday's quarterfinals, so it was no surprise to see him rise to the moment with the shootout winner, especially after his play in regulation and overtime. He generated offense and drew a key penalty late in the second period as both teams searched for the first goal. Wilkinson had an excellent scoring chance in the second, slipping behind the defense for a bank pass off the glass before walking in and ringing the crossbar. It was a quick, heavy release, and he had Saulnier beat but barely missed.
Brady Sloper
Boston Jr. Eagles/Belmont Hill, 5/21/08, D, right shot, 6-2/202
Hometown: North Andover, Mass.
Sloper stood out in shorthanded situations for the Eagles. He effectively used his size and reach to clog passing lanes and take away the middle of the ice. He was especially strong on a huge 5-on-3 in the third period with the game tied at one apiece in the third. The Militia had nothing going in the slot or around the net with Sloper on the ice. He was also strong with his stick on an earlier kill, beating the Militia to loose pucks and breaking up second-chance opportunities.
MASS. STATE TITLES: 6 standouts from Jr. Eagles' 15O win | 7 standouts from Jr. Eagles' 18U win
Tommy Saulnier
Boston Jr. Eagles/St. Sebastian's
Like Zucker, Saulnier was locked in from the start. At one point, it seemed like the first goal for either team would be the winner because of how strong both goalies were. Saulnier made a phenomenal left-to-right push to rob Cronan with the pad on an early 2-on-1. In the second, he made an excellent blocker save on Patrick Benson (Dover, Mass.), coming out to challenge him at the right circle. He made a pair of strong stops on Ryan Kelley (Shrewsbury, Mass.) in the second, including one bang-bang play in front off a breakdown. Saulnier again did a good job of coming out and cutting off the angle when he came through with the glove on Nathan Dono's (Sturbridge, Mass.) laser from the top of the left circle in the third.
