BOSTON — Some of North America's top 15O teams were in action in Boston this weekend. Games were held at Walter Brown Arena, Steriti Rink, Warrior Ice Arena and Conte Forum.
It was the perfect setting to see how high-end 15O prospects fared against one another.
Junior hockey scouts surely would agree with that. If you threw a rock at any of the many games this weekend, you surely would've hit a USHL or QMJHL scout. These players were all born in 2010 and are eligible to be picked by those junior leagues next spring.
It was also a great place to catch some of New England prep's rising stars this winter.
I already did a story on the standout forwards. Now, let's shift focus to the standout defensemen and goalies from the event.
Brodie Anderson
Minuteman Flames, 5/7/2010, D, left shot, 5-9/154
Hometown: Wayland, Mass.Â
Anderson had a fantastic sequence against Markham Majors on Friday. The defender stepped up and stopped two plays in the same rush with his stick. He jumped in the ensuing rush for his team and assisted on Sam Lee's (Woburn, Mass.) goal with a nice pass from the slot. Anderson also had a nice goal against Little Caesars, too. He's a reliable, left-shot defender.
Griffin Carver
Little Caesars, 7/7/2010, D, right shot, 5-11/185
Hometown: Flat Rock, Mich.Â
Carver was the best two-way defender I watched this weekend. In the offensive zone, he opened the scoring on a nice shot from the point against Mount St. Charles, and against the Minuteman Flames, he backhanded a shot through that found its way to Aiden Kelly's stick for a goal. Carver reliably moved pucks up ice and took smart angles towards forwards coming down on him off the rush.
Colton Cribari
Markham Majors, 4/4/2010, D, right shot, 5-7/126
Hometown: Markham, OntarioÂ
Cribiari was extremely mobile at the point. He eluded forechecking pressure on breakouts and was able to do the same at the offensive blue line. Markham had him quarterbacking the power play for that reason, too. Against the Minuteman Flames on Friday, he scored a fantastic goal when Cribari snuck into the slot and fired a pass from Ronan Quinn into the back of the net.
READ MORE: 12 standout forwards from Beantown Fall Classic 15O Invite
Sam Fishbone
Minuteman Flames, 4/5/2010, D, right shot, 5-6/135
Hometown: Needham, Mass.Â
Against a physical, talented team in Little Caesars, Fishbone shone. He scored his team's first goal when he snuck down the right side and fired in a shot. He picked his spots to join the rush well throughout the game, too, even in a game that was so close. He defended the rush well with good gaps and was reliable at stepping up to intercept passes in the neutral zone.
Brendan Martin
Neponset Valley River Rats, 1/20/2010, D, left shot, 5-9/161
Hometown: Dedham, Mass.Â
Martin's sound defensive game is why I'm a big fan of his game. Against Mount St. Charles on Friday, he showcased confidence when he fully committed to a puck-carrier out high, got his stick on the puck and blocked it. He found himself defending Mount St. Charles star forward Zaac Charbonneau in a 1-on-1 off the rush and kept a great gap on him and used his stick to separate the puck from the carrier.
Jorden Marzi
Minuteman Flames, 3/1/2010, D, left shot, 5-8/135
Hometown: Hopkinton, Mass.Â
I loved the compete and confidence Marzi brought. The Rivers defender is a great, powerful skater who is unafraid to step up and quash rushes with his stick and physicality. Against Markham Majors on Friday night, Marzi picked up a puck shorthanded and flew down the ice, creating a 2-on-1 and selling the shot so well that when he slipped the puck to Owen Frick (Holden, Mass.), the goaltender was left motionless.
Cohen O'Neill
Markham Majors, 2/25/2010, G, catches right, 6-0/152
Hometown: Whitby, OntarioÂ
Markham looked outmatched in its two games I watched, but it was always in the game thanks to O'Neill. He was great with controlling his rebounds, and when the Majors were most under siege, O'Neill was calm at tracking pucks and shifting his angles to make saves. His glove was good, too. Against Mount St. Charles on Sunday, its top line got three straight scoring chances off O'Neill on one sequence, and he stopped them all.
Lev Smotkin
Mount St. Charles, 5/1/2010, G, catches left, 6-0/174
Hometown: Penn Valley, Penn.Â
Smotkin's athleticism and mobility were obvious on his reads. In tight, he made the necessary stops and did a great job of coralling rebounds on shots from distance. Markham forward Ryder Nobles got a breakaway in the second half, and Smotkin turned him aside with a great glove save.
READ MORE:Â Prep players leaving early for juniors, part 1Â |Â Prep players leaving early for juniors, part 2
Will Torres
Minuteman Flames, 1/1/2010, G, catches left, 5-9/140
Hometown: Framingham, Mass.Â
The Flames held a 3-0 lead on Little Caesars after Sunday's first period, and it was Torres who came up time and again. Sure, he allowed four goals in the 5-4 shootout win. But Torres was the reason it was only four. At the end of the first period, Little Caesars forward Jack Trupiano had a wide-open, all-alone look from the top of the crease, and Torres read every move, making the save. Torres' athleticism and ability to make high-danger saves should have him as a factor this winter for Rivers.
