EXETER, N.H. — In the GameSheet Prep Cup, Northwood took down Kimball Union, 4-3, in the championship on Sunday, capping off the three-day event.
I took in the action on Saturday, watching Dexter Southfield beat Nichols, 4-2, Mount St. Charles beat Frederick Gunn, 5-1, Northwood beat Culver, 2-0, and Kimball Union beat St. Andrew's College, 6-5, in overtime — easily the best game I've seen this winter.
This is always a good event, pitting New England teams against prep schools from outside of the region. There were some NHL scouts and Division 1 colleges on hand, too.
FULL RESULTS: Click or tap here to access the scoreboard for the event
Here are nine uncommitted prospects who stood out to me on Saturday.
Myles Brosnan
Dexter Southfield, 10/19/2007, D, right shot, 5-11/185
The freshman showed well on Saturday. He has a good stick and his assertiveness led him to strong pinches in the offensive zone and good step-ups in the neutral zone. He has poise with the puck and is a good skater, especially when it came to walking the blue line.
Ryan Castle
St. Andrew's College, 11/2/2006, D, right shot, 6-1/178
Most of St. Andrew's College's top players are committed to Division 1 schools. But Castle, who is uncommitted, had a strong game on Saturday. He moved the puck well and made smart, simple passes in the offensive zone when his team had sustained pressure. His good skating allowed him to defend well and get in passing lanes.
Colin Davis
Dexter Southfield, 9/8/2006, G, catches left, 6-1/175
On Saturday, Davis showed a lot of athleticism in the net, as he tracked pucks extremely well. His ability to square himself to shooters — even off of quick passes — was impressive. The Revere, Mass., native has continued to show improvement in his first prep season.
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Ronnie Hill
Mount St. Charles 18U, 10/3/2006, RW, right shot, 5-7/155
Hill has high upside. In the first period of Saturday's game, he entered the offensive zone and made a great, heads-up pass to Gates Omicioli (East Greenwich, R.I.) for a goal. Hill has both skill and a good shot, which made him effective at chance creation all game.
Ian Kuisis
Frederick Gunn, 3/22/2007, C, right shot, 5-6/150
Frederick Gunn had a rough weekend, but Kuisis showed well. On Saturday, his high compete helped make up for him being undersized. He showcased a high hockey IQ, anticipating plays before they happened. He supported his defensemen well by going low in his own zone.
Andrew O'Sullivan
Kimball Union, 8/15/2006, D, right shot, 5-11/180
So much of Kimball Union's offense started with O'Sullivan, who has become well known for being an offensive dynamo. He registered two assists. But I thought O'Sullivan showed well defending his own end, too. He made intelligent decisions stepping up when defending the rush. His break-up of an opposing 2-on-1 directly led to Corwith Simmers' goal just moments later. The only negative for O'Sullivan was he was thrown out of Saturday's game when he caught a St. Andrew's player with a hit to the head.
Mark Pizzo
Frederick Gunn, 11/2/2005, RW, right shot, 5-6/145
Pizzo was far from the biggest player on the ice, but his vision and anticipation made him highly effective. He scored in the second period of Saturday's game on a nice cut to the net, finding a soft spot in coverage and putting one past Mount goalie Justin Bayers on the backhand.
Corwith Simmers
Kimball Union, 4/13/2006, RW, right shot, 5-9/175
Saturday's game between KUA and St. Andrew's College was high intensity. Simmers matched that intensity, playing with a very high compete level. And oh, yeah — Simmers notched a hat trick in Saturday's 6-5 OT win. The first came on a one-timer from the slot on the power play. He gave KUA a 3-2 lead in the second period when defenseman Jack McMinn made a great play to get him the puck in the slot. To get the hat trick, Simmers followed Jack Sadowski's (Arlington, Mass.) breakaway and put in the rebound. Simmers was also instrumental on the penalty kill and had one of the best all-around games I've seen this winter.
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Jack Sullivan
Nichols, 3/24/2006, D, left shot, 6-1/174
Sullivan was the most noticeable Nichols player on the ice for good and bad reasons. He rushed the puck almost every time he touched it and his strong skating matched with his ability to sift through the neutral zone usually led to offensive zone entries. He wasn't as effective, however, without the puck, with spotty compete in the defensive zone. The bottom line is the ability is there.
