The entire past year has been a whirlwind for Belmont Hill goaltender Sam Scopa. It began with him playing varsity as a freshman during the pandemic-affected 2020-21 campaign, as well as playing up a year with the Boston Jr. Eagles 16-U in the split season realm.
Since then, the 2005-born netminder from Lexington, Mass., has rarely left the crease.
He attended NTDP Evaluation Camp in May, USA Hockey Select 16 Development Camp in July and also played in the Foxboro Summer Prep League, getting reps against some of the top prep schoolers the region has to offer.
“This past year is probably the most I've ever worked for my development,” Scopa, 16, said. “I really haven't had a break from hockey these past 12 months, so I feel like I've improved a lot.”
“Sam is really putting the work in,” Belmont Hill coach Brian Phinney said. “I think the other part that makes him special is that he's such a good kid. He does everything the right way and he’s such a good citizen on campus, so there’s a lot to be excited about with him in a lot of different ways.”
Making the most of it
Scopa began playing with the Junior Eagles organization nine years ago. The faces have changed over the years, he said, but the majority of the current 16-U group has been together for the past three seasons. Without a true prep season in 2020-21 (Belmont Hill played 14 games, about half of its typical prep schedule), the Eagles found a way to make the most of it and put together a highly competitive split campaign.
The group of all 15-year-olds decided to bypass the 15 Only division and play up at the 16-U level. Although going up against older competition, the Eagles finished the season ranked 17th nationally, according to MyHockeyRankings, and posted a 24-5-5 record.
They looked poised to compete for a national championship, but never got the chance, as Massachusetts failed to host a 2021 state tournament due to COVID-19.
While Scopa and the rest of his underaged Eagles teammates were unable to finish the season, it was an important year of growth for everyone involved.
“It was definitely a bummer but I think playing up a year was great for all of us,” he said. “It really exposed us to the high-end level of hockey that we’re getting ourselves into.”
Summer hockey fever
Fueled by his standout play with the Eagles, Scopa was one of 49 Americans, and six goaltenders, invited to NTDP Evaluation Camp in Plymouth, Mich.
While he didn’t make the final roster for the 2021-22 U.S. National Under-17 Team, the experience was invaluable, further opening his eyes to the highest level of competition in his age group. “I was bummed, but not too bummed,” he said. “Just having the opportunity to go out there and attempt to make it was a great experience. The talent and chemistry (on display) was crazy.”
Building on his performance at the national camp, Scopa attended Select 16 Development Camp. He then began playing in the Foxboro Summer League. Once again matched up against older competition, his play stood out regularly during the eight-week summer season.
“That was a great experience for me,” said Scopa, who is listed at 6-foot, 165 pounds. “There were a bunch of high-end prep players in that league and I feel like I matched their compete level."
One of his goals entering the summer was exactly that: ensuring his compete level is where it needs to be ahead of the upcoming prep season.
“I try not to worry about the distractions when I play,” Scopa said. “If I let up a goal I try not to worry about it and only think about the next shot. I'm not as big as some goalies but I try to play as big as I can. I've been getting a lot more flexible and stronger so I’m just trying to up my battle and compete during the games.”
Phinney, who’s entering his first full season as Belmont Hill’s head coach, has liked the progress he’s seen from Scopa, who began attending the Belmont, Mass., prep school as a seventh-grader.
“I think (playing in the summer league) was a good boost for him, just to know that amongst his peers he can play at that high level,” Phinney said. “Playing against some older kids has given him a little bit of a window into the types of players he’s going to be facing this winter, too, so overall I think it’s been a really nice summer for him.”
Running it back in 2022
After last year’s disappointing finish, the Junior Eagles are back in the 16-U division this season, motivated to finish what they started. The team looks almost identical, minus the loss of Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and Will Vote (Arlington, Mass.), who are now playing with the NTDP, and the addition of three ‘06s.
Scopa, at the center of the Eagles’ early split season success, has been using his experiences from the past year to control the game and slow things down in the net.
“It's going great,” he said. “I'm looking forward to the rest of it. The team’s looking great coming off of that Eastern Alliance Kickoff win and we're practicing regularly which is nice. I'm just looking forward to hopefully getting a chance to play at nationals this year.”
While things are picking up in the split season realm, so, too, are things in the prep hockey world. Captains' practices are underway at Belmont Hill as the team begins to prepare for the winter slate.
Headlined by Northeastern commit James Fisher (Wilmington, Mass.), the team is shaping up to be a solid one in the ISL’s Keller Division. Scopa will be the backbone in net, along with returning '04 goalie Aaron Matthews (Newton, Mass.).
“I think he does well positionally,” Phinney said of Scopa. “He’s one of those goalies where pucks just seem to hit him. It doesn't seem like he's having to make too many acrobatic saves, I think he just reads the play well. He’s also super competitive. And I know it’s a bit cliche, but he is always the first one on, last one off. Any time guys want to shoot he’s hopping out there, so I think there’s a lot that goes into it in terms of his competitiveness.”
It’s been a busy 12 months for the '05 netminder, but a lot of good things came out of the past year that saw Scopa get tested in all sorts of situations.
Now, he's eager to set out on a full prep hockey campaign and, in the meantime, attempt to make up for last season's unwritten ending with the Eagles.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Scopa said. “We've had a couple of captains' practices already and the team is looking really good. I feel like we'll be in the running to have a really good season. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Liam Flaherty can be reached at liam.flaherty@hockeyjournal.com and on Twitter @_LiamFlaherty.
