ARLINGTON, Mass. — We've already talked about the forwards. Now it's time to highlight the best defensemen and goalies from the first round of the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament.
The public school showcase began on Sunday with eight teams playing at Ed Burns Arena in Arlington, Mass., and eight others playing at Canton Ice House.
We're going to focus on the Doherty Division, which was the eight squads in Arlington.
It was a day full of upsets. Here's a look at the results for the Doherty Division. Click or tap here to access the scoreboard from the Brinn.
- No. 8 Franklin 6, No. 1 Hingham 4
- No. 5 Reading 2, No. 4 Canton 1
- No. 6 Marshfield 1, No. 3 Arlington 0
- No. 2 Tewksbury 3, No. 7 Winchester 0
Let's dive into the standout defenders and goalies.
Cam Desmond
Arlington, senior, D, left shotÂ
Arlington is a very young team, which is why Desmond is all the more important. On Sunday, the senior played a stout game for the Spy Ponders. He defended the front of his own net especially well, using a good stick and his size to prevent Marshfield from getting Grade-A looks. He also made smart plays with the puck, making crisp passes to forwards on breakouts and in the neutral zone.
Anthony DiFranco
Tewksbury, junior, D, right shot, 6-3/195Â
DiFranco's size helped him make an impact, as he was tough for Winchester forwards to go up against. He showcased a nice stick, which helped him in all situations. The majority of Winchester's offense came off the rush, and DiFranco was able to defend it well.
UP FRONT: 14 standout forwards from the first round of the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament
Nate VitarisiÂ
Reading, 2008, D, right shot, 5-10/150
Vitarisi did an excellent job of moving the puck from the back end for Reading. He made good first passes, hitting forwards on their tape and in stride. He had some good, hard stretch passes, too. There was one rush in the second where he showed some explosive speed. He head-faked to his left before easily driving wide around the defender's right, finding Kevin Lantell for an open grade-A chance, but Lantell missed the net.
Aiden Emerick
Winchester, 10/20/2006, G, catches left, 5-11/169Â
The only reason the Tewksbury-Winchester game was close was because of Emerick who was rock solid in net. His glove was his best asset, as he proved on multiple occasions. His athleticism stood out, too, as he was able to move around the crease well, stopping second and third chances. Winchester also had some trouble with turning the puck over and Emerick was there to save them.
Evan Jones
Arlington, 2/9/2007, D, left shot, 5-8/165Â
Jones was the prospect with the highest upside in the Arlington-Marshfield game. The sophomore made breakout passes and moved the puck with ease. Late in the third period, he had the puck at his own blue line and caught Marshfield sleeping, hitting teammate Bobby Nigro up the middle for a breakaway. Jones' confidence helped him in every situation no matter where he was on the ice.
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Ryan Martin
Arlington, 4/4/2006, G, catches left, 6-1/181Â
Arlington played with solid structure against Marshfield, but when the Rams got chances, Martin was there to make the save. The one goal that did get past him was a scramble in front. Other than that, Martin was perfect. His best save came late in the second period when he robbed Marshfield forward Sammy Holte on a tip in front.
Chris Hanifan
Reading, 6/28/2006, G, catches left, 6-0/165
Hanifan proved why he's one of the best goaltenders in the state on Sunday. With 35 saves, he was lights out for Reading in a tight 2-1 win with Canton holding the edge in shots, particularly early on. He was excellent at controlling rebounds and tracking the puck through traffic, like the glove save he made look easy on Brannen Morris' shot from distance in the second. Hanifan made great saves on odd-man opportunities, like Colin Blake's power-play chance in the first after Blake deked around the defense and into the slot. In the second, he came up with a great stick save on Blake in transition before quickly reaching to corral the rebound for a whistle.
Matt Anderson
Canton, 6/28/2006, D, right shot, 6-0/165
Anderson tried to do too much in the neutral zone when he turned it over to Liam Hansen, who scored on a shorthanded breakaway for Reading. But aside from that, Anderson had a good game. He was a hard, physical defender along the boards and in 1-on-1's. Reading wasn't able to generate much in Grade-A ice with his pair out there. With the puck, save for the turnover, he did a good job of making breakout passes as well as leading the breakout with his legs when needed.
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Teddy Shuman
Canton, 2/12/2008, D, left shot, 6-0/165
Shuman is an intriguing prospect for Canton because of his frame, skating ability and passing. He logged top-pair minutes at even strength and the power play. In the first, he set up Blake with a great heads-up pass coming over the blue line, leading to a high-danger chance. In the second, Shuman did a great job stepping up and killing a Reading counter rush with a stick check at the red line. Canton scored on the ensuing offensive zone sequence.
