ASHBURNHAM, Mass. — It was only fitting that after making 51 saves to beat Dexter and 29 to take down Governor's Academy, Thayer goalie Tyler Moschella had a shutout in the championship.
Moschella was perfect on Sunday afternoon, leading Thayer past Lawrence Academy to win the Watkins Tournament, 3-0.
The Tigers got on the board early when junior defenseman Adam Beltrami's (Norwell, Mass.) shot got tipped by sophomore forward Charlie Ness (Cohasset, Mass.) and past Lawrence Academy goalie Aiden Emerick (Winchester, Mass.). Thayer led, 1-0, less than two minutes into the game.
The 1-0 score held for most of the game until Thayer junior forward Ty Hymovitz (Needham, Mass.) scored right in front of the net, making it 2-0.
Lawrence Academy pressed hard, but Thayer junior forward Nick Sumner (Hingham, Mass.) potted an empty-netter, giving the Tigers a commanding 3-0 lead with 1:17 to play.
The win improved Thayer to 5-3-2, capping off a much-needed fantastic weekend. Lawrence Academy fell to 4-5-1.
There were a handful of standouts and takeaways.
Let's dive in.
Tyler Moschella
Thayer, 2007, G, catches left, 6-0
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.Â
Moschella rightfully got the loudest ovation when named Watkins Tournament MVP. The senior was sensational all weekend, but made some huge saves on Sunday. He robbed Spartans sophomore Owen Lundin on a point-blank chance early. The Spartans had numerous, in-tight chances in the second period, but Moschella stood tall and was square to pucks, never panicking and staying in position. Luke Allen (more on him in a bit) had several scoring chances from above and even in the crease. Moschella stopped them all.
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Ty Hymovitz
Thayer, 2/13/2008, F, right shot, 6-0/186
Hometown: Needham, Mass.Â
Hymovitz was rewarded with a goal midway through the third period when he took a smart route to the net and got a quick shot off from in tight. But it was Hymovitz's play defensively that may have impacted the game the most. Late in the first period, Lawrence Academy had Thayer hemmed in its own zone. Despite being tired, Hymovitz and his line defended the interior well. The Needham, Mass., native blocked several shots and ultimately cleared the puck. He continues to show himself as a two-way center that ECAC programs should be interested in.
Tommy Wilkinson
Thayer, 9/9/2008, F, right shot, 6-1/172
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.
NCAA: NortheasternÂ
Wilkinson was overpowering with the puck on his stick. He successfully drove play and navigated opposing coverage well. One thing I like that Thayer did was on power play breakouts, Brian McFadden would take the puck up and drop it for Wilkinson. The slingshot breakout produces mixed results across hockey, but dropping it to someone as dynamic as Wilkinson is intelligent.
Brian McFadden
Thayer, 1/2/2008, D, right shot, 6-5/181
Hometown: Holbrook, Mass.
NCAA: NortheasternÂ
There is more attention on McFadden given his status as an NHL Draft prospect. What I liked: his first passes coming out of his own zone were strong, and he was able to aid in the offense. In one sequence, he stepped up in the neutral zone and picked off a pass, entered the offensive zone and got himself with the puck in the slot. He got sandwiched by two Lawrence Academy players, yet still got the shot off. One thing I'd like to see more from McFadden is toughness and clearing out the front of his own net.
Luke Allen
Lawrence Academy, 5/20/2008, F, right shot, 5-9/154
Hometown: Billerica, Mass.Â
Allen was a force. His edgework helped him get to space when there was pressure on him, and his first step helped him reach maximum speed quickly. He was shifty in the offensive zone and took smart routes to get around defenders and to the net. He showcased great vision as well. If any Lawrence Academy player deserved a goal, it was Allen.
Karolis Janulis
Lawrence Academy, 8/2/2007, F, left shot, 6-3/194
Hometown: Newton, Mass.Â
Janulis was physically imposing throughout, using his size to overpower defenders. He was able to drive play on a few occasions, too. At the end of the first period, he won a face-off by going through the opposing center's legs. He almost scored midway through the second, but was robbed by Moschella.
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Takeaways...
- He wasn't quite a standout, but Lundin showed flashes. He showed well as a do-it-all, poised center. He was able to facilitate play both off the rush and in the cycle. The '10 is someone who should begin producing in the second half and be even more potent next season as a junior.
- Lawrence Academy senior forward Chase Field (Centerville, Mass.) showed himself as a nice facilitator on a line with Brady Ellis and Allen. But Field was most noticeable when he was laying hits. He crushed Thayer sophomore forward Sean Sweeney (Hanson, Mass.) in open ice, along with a few other big hits.
- No doubt about it — this was a big weekend for Thayer. The 4-3 shootout win over No. 1 Dexter goes in the books as a tie, but that's still a statement. Then a 2-1 win over Governor's Academy and this victory against Lawrence Academy...yeah, head coach David Hymovitz will take that after a mediocre showing at the Groton/Lawrence Tournament. I ranked Thayer No. 23 in my Next 15 last week. As I write this on Sunday night, I'm not sure if they'll be in the top 10 on Monday. That would be a pretty big jump. At the very least, they've made it a legitimately hard call.
