BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Massachusetts District finished fourth among 12 teams at the 2023 USA Hockey Select 17 Camp, finishing 4-2-0 with three overtime wins.
I saw all three of those overtime wins, watching Sunday, Monday and Tuesday's games in person.
While Monday's game against the Pacific District was terrific, the Massachusetts District looked lethargic in Sunday's win over the Mid-American District and then again in Tuesday's win over the Northern Plains District. Still, that didn't stop the Massachusetts District from winning.
The Massachusetts District didn't really have a superstar in the three games I watched — that doesn't mean players didn't stand out over the course of my viewings.
Gavin Cornforth
Dubuque, 12/15/2006, RW, right shot, 5-9/154
There were times when the opposition would have the Massachusetts District pinned in its own end. If the Massachusetts natives wanted a quick zone exit, Cornforth was the reliable one to do it. He was easily the team's most dynamic forward, providing quick and shifty trips through the neutral zone and energy in the offensive zone. With 39.4 seconds left in Tuesday's game against Northern Plains, Cornforth saved the Massachusetts squad with a snipe high on the goalie's glove side to tie the game, 2-2, and force a shootout.
He finished his time in Buffalo with two goals and four points in six games.
Will Felicio
Madison, 5/19/2006, D, left shot, 5-9/161
NCAA:Â University of DenverÂ
Felicio, who just committed to Denver, impressed at both ends of the ice. I liked his ability to defend 1-on-1s off the rush, using his stick and foot speed to interrupt opposing skaters trying to gain scoring chances. That foot speed helped him evade oncoming forecheckers along with his quick hands. Sometimes, however, his creativity caught up to him when he would try to skate out from behind his own net, as he'd occasionally lose the puck (that can also be attributed to some really bad ice). He almost had a goal in Tuesday's game when he read the play at the opposing blue line, stepped up and skated the puck towards the net, firing a shot that just missed the top corner.
The Holden, Mass., native had a strong first season in the USHL, posting four goals and 28 points in 55 games. That progress was on display over the last week.
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Laz Giardina
Reading High, 6/29/2006, LW, left shot, 6-5/190
When the MIAA season ended in March, I was really curious to see how Giardina would look against the best in his age group from his home state. Turns out he was good enough to make it to national camp. That got me really curious about how the Reading High standout would match up with other top players from around the nation and once again, Giardina proved his worth.
The big left wing finished the tournament with one goal and three points in six games, but his real impact was the havoc he caused on the forecheck and in the offensive zone. In Monday's game against Pacific, which was especially chippy, Giardina laid two hits and his feistiness got an opponent to slash him in the face and take a penalty. His showing at nationals certainly turned the heads of Division 1 coaches.
Owen Keefe
Muskegon, 3/26/2006, D, left shot, 6-1/192
NCAA:Â Boston University
The Massachusetts District had a poor showing against Northern Plains on Tuesday, but one of the lone bright spots was Keefe's play on defense. He took care of business in his own zone and in the offensive zone, he stuck to making simple passes. In my viewings of Keefe, he's at his best when he keeps things simple.
Also in Tuesday's game, he sifted a shot through from the point that trickled past the goalie and into the back of the net. His biggest play came on Cornforth's goal when he found the fellow USHL player in front of Northern Plain's net, getting the pass through the sea of bodies in front of him.
James Marshall
South Kent 16U, 4/5/2006, LW, left shot, 5-11/154Â
I was impressed with Marshall's play with the puck on his stick. He was confident and secured a good number of offensive zone entries. His creativity was on display in the offensive zone when he and his linemates cycled the puck and tried to generate offense. Shootouts aren't everything, but in my viewings of him, he scored two shootouts goals, including the game-winner on Tuesday, which secured him Player of the Game honors.
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JJ Monteiro
Mount Saint Charles 16U, 1/12/2006, C, left shot, 5-11/174
NCAA: Providence
Monteiro is an intriguing 2024 NHL Draft prospect to watch over the next 12 months. He helped his case at camp, leading the Massachusetts District in points with five.
The Mount Saint Charles center doesn't have the foot speed of some of the faster players on the ice. But his high hockey IQ and compete more than made up for it at national camp. In the defensive zone, he supported teammates well, adding an extra layer for opponents to get through. He also did a good job pressuring opposing defensemen at the point. He drove play through the neutral zone, using his size and wide frame to protect the puck. That also helped him get to interior ice. His quick release on his shot led him to ding the crossbar from the top of the circle late in Monday's game.
Kiernan Poulin
Lovell Academy 16U, 1/5/2006, D, right shot, 5-9/139
NCAA: UMass
Coming into this camp, I knew what Poulin could do in transition, but I was curious how it would stack up against the other best players of his birth year from around the country. Poulin more than belonged, as he often grabbed the puck in his own zone and navigated through forechecks. The UMass commit's lone goal on the weekend came in Monday's game when he dangled through the neutral zone and had his shot blocked when he came over the blue line. But he hung around the net and eventually batted home a deflected puck.
Like Monteiro, Poulin will be an interesting 2024 NHL Draft prospect. The two things to watch will be if he gets bigger and how much more defensively responsible he becomes.
Cole Pouliot-Porter
Xaverian, 7/24/2006, G, catches left, 6-1/168
I put Pouliot-Porter in the same category as Giardina entering this event — how are the MIAA kids going to perform against the rest of the country?
Well, Pouliot-Porter didn't just prove he belonged — he thrived. The athletic Wrentham, Mass., native finished with the third-best save percentage (.922) among all goalies and ranked fifth in goals-against average (2.01). He won Player of the Game in Monday's game, carrying the Massachusetts district to a shootout against the Pacific. In Tuesday's game, he came in for the second half and saved his team from losing to Northern Plains. There were multiple breakdowns in front of him and he stood up to them all.
He's fresh off camp with the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms and will return to Xaverian next season.
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Jack Sadowski
Kimball Union, 7/29/2006, LW, left shot, 6-0/179
NCAA: New Hampshire
Sadowski netted two goals in Sunday's matchup with the Mid-American District. Both were snipes off the rush. I also really liked Sadowski's physical game, as he never shied away from the hits being thrown around (which increased in frequency with each game). In Monday's game, he laid a really nice open-ice hit on the Pacific's Trevor Connolly, who was the best player at national camp. Connolly had a ton of speed coming through the neutral zone, but Sadowski stood in his way and separated him from the puck.
