FOXBORO, Mass. — Fall hockey is officially upon us.
The River Rats Jamboree began Sunday and ran through Tuesday. Locally, the jamboree is the start of the fall hockey slate in the run-up to prep and high school seasons beginning in late November.
Games were played across 11 rinks. Countless teams took part.
I went to Foxboro Sports Center to watch some of the top 16U teams in the region begin their season. I was fortunate enough to catch at least one game from each of the following teams:
- Boston Jr. Eagles
- East Coast Militia
- Long Island Gulls
- Lovell Academy
- Mid Fairfield Rangers
- Neponset Valley River Rats
- Nor'Easter Storm
- Yale Jr. Bulldogs
Check out the top forwards from the event by clicking or tapping here. Let's dive into the top defensemen and goalies.
Joshua Bostedo
Lovell Academy 16U, 10/15/2008, D, left shot, 5-5/125
Hometown: Mars, Pa.Â
Lovell stunned Mid Fairfield on Tuesday, 3-2. Bostedo caught my eye for his abilities to move the puck on the backend. He was dynamic in his skating and able to use his mobility well, especially on the opposing blue line. He was super elusive with the puck and he quarterbacked Lovell's power play.
Kaiden Donia
East Coast Militia 16U, 1/16/2008, D, right shot, 6-5/185
Hometown: Townsend, Mass.Â
Just like any 6-foot-5 defenseman at 16 years old, Donia has a ways to go in his development. He's raw and continuing to become comfortable in his frame. But he's mobile and able to move the puck well, which are unique for a defender that big. His best play that I saw came on Tuesday against the Gulls when he went end to end, beating a defender to the outside and ripping a shot past the Gulls netminder, giving the Militia a late, 4-3, lead.
Harry Jackson
Boston Jr. Eagles 16U, 3/16/2008, D, right shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Boston, Mass.Â
It's often the dynamic, puck-moving defensemen who stand out at events like this. But Jackson caught my eye for how reliable he was in my viewing of the Jr. Eagles on Monday. He was able to put out fires when they started in his own zone. He took smart angles and used good stick positioning to cut off opposing forwards entering the zone. He had a great sequence midway through the first period when he blocked a shot by catching it with his glove (yes, he caught a point-blank shot with his glove), turned up ice with his head up and made a great outlet pass. Making smart puck plays was the norm for Jackson.
RIVER RATS JAMBOREE: 11 standout 18U players from the event
Elliot Lennon
Nor'Easter Storm 16U, 3/5/2008, G, catches left, 6-5/195
Hometown: Kirkland, QuebecÂ
Lennon posted a shutout against the Militia on Monday, making various key saves to ensure his team won. He made two massive breakaway saves at the end of the first half and beginning of the second. The Militia kept getting shots through traffic that looked to be going into the top left corner of the net, but Lennon consistently stopped them with his blocker. As time winded down, he made a vital post-to-post save. Lennon's size is his best asset. He was strong last season as a sophomore at Deerfield, posting a 3.35 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.
Michal Marsalek
Boston Hockey Academy 16U, 6/27/2008, D, right shot, 6-2/181
Hometown: Banska Bystrica, SlovakiaÂ
Marsalek has the size to attract attention. A defenseman with his frame and skating ability is typically coveted among college coaches. But he also plays a smart, honest game. He showed no reservation in blocking shots. When the puck was on his stick and a passing lane was open, which he correctly recognized, he fired crisp passes to forwards up ice. He didn't complicate things — a great trait for a defenseman in this age group.
Brian McFadden
East Coast Militia 16U, 1/2/2008, D, right shot, 6-3/180
Hometown: Holbrook, Mass.Â
The Militia stunned the Gulls on Tuesday with a 4-4 tie. That tone was set early when McFadden got aggressive and pinched at the opposing blue line, breaking up a Gulls breakout. McFadden went in, faked a shot and delivered a perfect pass to forward Tom Wilkinson (Duxbury, Mass.) for a goal. Later in the half, McFadden let a shot go from the point that was tipped by Wilkinson for a goal. McFadden was never shy about using his frame to defend, as was evident in the first half when Gulls forward and Maine commit Dylan Dean tried to go wide and the 6-foot-3 defenseman crunched him against the glass. McFadden will be a big piece on defense for Thayer this winter.
Tommy Saulnier
Boston Jr. Eagles 16U, 2/15/2008, G, catches left, 5-11/160
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.Â
Monday's matchup between the Jr. Eagles and River Rats was a goalie duel, finishing in a 1-1 tie. Usually it takes goalies a little bit to adjust to fall hockey coming off the summer, but Saulnier tracked pucks well early. He robbed River Rats forward Will Manchuso (Stow, Mass.) on multiple opportunities. The River Rats pressed midway through the first period on a power play and Saulnier stood tall, turning away chance after chance. Towards the end of the first half, River Rats forward Andrew Martin (Wakefield, Mass.) had a breakaway, which Saulnier stopped, too.
RIVER RATS JAMBOREE: 12 uncommitted 16U standout forwards from the event
Brady Sloper
Boston Jr. Eagles 16U, 5/21/2008, D, right shot, 6-2/202
Hometown: North Andover, Mass.Â
In my lone viewing of Sloper on Monday, he was physical as heck. He finished all of his hits and when he went to battle along the boards, he led with his shoulder for a bodycheck. He showed a mean streak in front of his own net, doing whatever it took to clear the slot. Consistently being physical only helps Sloper who undoubtedly has the size to do it. He also showed patience when moving the puck up ice. He rarely rushed, turning back and looking for better passing lanes out of his own zone.
