On the first day that rising high school juniors could commit to play Division 1 college hockey, four players from New England jumped on offers.
Three '05s and one '06 committed to programs in ECAC Hockey and Hockey East.
In the most significant local commitment of the day, Malden Catholic and Boston Junior Eagles defenseman Owen Keefe chose Boston University. While it might have seemed like a surprise to some, given his dad is head coach at Northeastern, it really wasn’t.
The younger Keefe, hailing from Saugus, Mass., had been considering a couple of schools besides the Huskies. A defensive defenseman who has gotten bigger and improved his skating over the past 18 months, Keefe scored six goals and had 22 assists in 21 games for Malden Catholic during the 2021-22 season. He logged a ton of minutes for the Lancers, a team that made great strides under third-year head coach Chris Kuchar.
The '06 was invited to USA Hockey’s NTDP Evaluation Camp in March, but fell short of making the team. Subsequently, he signed a USHL tender agreement with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Prior to heading to Muskegon for training camp, Keefe will play for the U.S. Under-17 Men’s Select Team at the Five Nations Tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Governor’s and River Rats right wing Cam Russo committed to Brown. From Middleton, Mass., Russo has the height, skill and goal-scoring ability to play at a number of top schools in the region. In 57 combined games this past season, the '05 scored 27 goals and added 12 helpers.
A gifted offensive player, Russo has put up lofty numbers in various showcases over the years, including last summer’s USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp. His USHL rights are owned by the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Russo’s commitment is a coup for the Brown staff with assistant coach Jason Smith well regarded for his efforts on the recruiting trail.
Dexter Southfield and Boston Junior Eagles defenseman Jonathan Lanza pledged to Yale on Monday. The Winthrop, Mass., native is a longtime member of the Junior Eagles’ '05 group. In 25 prep games for Danny Donato’s team, he scored four goals and had five assists. Lanza is a strong, rugged blueliner who likes to jump into the rush and activate into the offense. The Waterloo Black Hawks own his USHL rights.
In the most surprising of the four commits, Westminster and Yale Junior Bulldogs center Ryan Shaw committed to RPI. The '05 from East Longmeadow, Mass., scored eight goals and had 10 assists in 26 games during his first prep season after coming over from Pope Francis. He was a longtime teammate of Boston College commit and NTDP right wing Ryan Leonard of Amherst, Mass. He’s more than deserving of college attention, due to his high motor and knack for hunting pucks. It raised some eyebrows in that RPI isn’t always in the young recruiting market.
Boston University and Providence College tied for the most commitments of the day when it came to local colleges. In addition to Keefe pledging to the Terriers, the new BU staff received commitments from a pair of NTDP-bound players in center Kamil Bednarik and defenseman Cole Hutson. The two Illinois natives played for the New Jersey Rockets and North Jersey Avalanche, respectively, during the 2021-22 season.
The Friars got on the board with an expected commitment from Kent School and Yale Junior Bulldogs defenseman Alex Bales. The '06 from East Amherst, N.Y. is coming off a stellar season at the prep and split-season midget levels. Bales had a goal and 10 assists for Kent, helping the Lions win the NEPSAC Martin/Earl Large School Tournament. Bales was a fourth-round pick of the Tri-City Storm in the USHL Phase I Draft.
Providence also received commitments from a pair of Canadians, Notre Dame Hounds U18 defenseman Owen Thomas, a late '05, and Vaughan Kings forward Logan Sawyer, an '06. Thomas is expected to spend the 2021-22 season with the Corpus Christi IceRays in the NAHL. Sawyer is a second-round pick of the Erie Otters in the OHL, but the Friars are banking on him going the college route.
Boston College and UMass received commitments from a pair of South Kent Selects Academy teammates. Center Matthew Frost, an '06 who was selected first overall by the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL Phase I Draft, will head to the Eagles. The Minutemen picked up '06 defenseman Tory Pitner, a first-round pick of the Youngstown Phantoms in the same draft. Pitner will skate for the U.S. Under-17 Select Team later this month at the Five Nations Tournament.
Harvard and Maine also picked up new recruits on Monday. Séminaire St-François Blizzard '06 defenseman Xavier Veilleux chose the Crimson while '05 forward Kason Muscott of the Dallas Stars Elite made public his intentions to play for the Black Bears.
There will be more rising juniors announcing their commitments in the days ahead. U.S. NTDP U17 right wing Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) and Avon Old Farms and Yale Junior Bulldogs center Joe Connor (Amherst, Mass.) are among the big names eligible and expected to make commitments shortly.
