WAYNE, N.J. – The 2022 Liberty Bell Games brought 12 teams worth of players to the Ice Vault for three days of competition from June 10-12.
The event, in its 14th year, is put on by longtime NHL scout Lew Mongelluzzo. Currently an amateur scout for the New Jersey Devils, Mongelluzzo puts on a great show for the participants. From lineups announced, the national anthem being played, and programs and prospect profiles for the scouts, the players are treated to a professionally run showcase.
The Liberty Bell Games boast numerous NHL alums, including Anaheim star Trevor Zegras, Calgary leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau and Ottawa rookie Shane Pinto. While this year’s event certainly lacked high-end talent for the most part, there were a number of solid players — some of who could be playing at New England prep schools in the future — skating at the three-sheet facility that is home to the Jersey Hitmen and Don Bosco.
The prospects division of the Liberty Bell Games featured players born between 2005 and 2007. There was a separate futures division consisting of '08s that played just two games on Saturday. The older players skated in three round robin games before playoffs on Sunday morning. Champions of the 2022 Liberty Bell Games were the players wearing sky blue jerseys on Walt Whitman. Prep school and academy team coaches and former college assistant coaches were behind the bench for all 14 teams at the showcase. Walt Whitman was coached by Dean McGlynn from Elite Hockey Academy in Cheshire, Conn.
Below are evaluations of 40 players who caught my eye over the course of the weekend. As you’ll notice with these evaluations, six goaltenders are written up. That was the position of strength at this showcase. Tidbits on prep and college interest as well as future destinations are given for players whose biographies were completed on the showcase scout book.
The best player at each position is noted with an asterisk next to his name.
Forwards
Jake Baratta
Northern Highlands/New York Saints 15O, 10/23/06, right shot, 5-11/145
A late birthday from Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J., this was my first viewing of Baratta where he caught my attention. He scored a goal and showed some skill with the puck on his stick. The 2021-22 season was his first with the New York Saints after previously lacing up the skates for the Jersey Hitmen. According to his showcase bio, his intention is to play junior hockey down the road.
Brent Beswick
Northern Highlands/New York Saints 15O, 10/15/06, left shot, 5-6/140
Beswick is another late birthday from the same two teams as Baratta. He’s a little bit more of a known player, having been a top line contributor for the Saints for a few years. From Wyckoff, N.J., he sees the ice well, keeps his feet moving, and is a strong skater. As a freshman, he was the second-leading scorer for Northern Highlands, winner of the Class B state championship in New Jersey high school hockey. Beswick would be a great pickup for a prep school and certainly has the potential to play junior and college hockey down the road.
Andrew DellaSalla *
Brunswick/Mid Fairfield 15O, 5/5/06, left shot, 6-0/150
DellaSalla was clearly the most skilled and high-end player in this field. The Rye, N.Y., native missed Friday night’s game, but made his presence felt on Saturday by making a handful of elite plays to create offensive chances for his team. After putting up over a point per game as a sophomore at Brunswick, DellaSalla was invited to USA Hockey’s NTDP Evaluation Camp and subsequently drafted in the third round of the USHL draft by Youngstown. Expect several big time Hockey East schools to be offering him a commitment on August 1.
Jack Fidacaro
New Jersey Colonials U16, 3/3/05, right shot, 6-0/160
Fidacaro was a new player to my radar. A rising senior at Delbarton, he showed good size, protected pucks, and scored a nice penalty shot goal. The Flemington, N.J., native was on the older side for players in this showcase, but I could see him being in contention to play for a USPHL or EHL team after his senior season at Delbarton and with the Colonials’ U18 team.
Hunter Haas
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers U14, 2/1/07, left shot, 6-1/168
Haas, from West Chester, Pa., has good size and showed the ability to be a goal scorer. He’s shown a propensity for finishing throughout his bantam years with the Junior Flyers. He’ll be moving up to that organization’s 15 Only team for 2022-23. His skating is the one part of his game that he can improve upon in order to get the most out of his offensive skill set.
Jack Kennedy
Mount Saint Charles U14, 6/9/07, right shot, 5-10/165
Kennedy scored a nice backhand goal on a breakaway. From Royersford, Pa., he was a third line player on Mount Saint Charles’ U14 team, but will be back with the program’s 15 Only team in 2022-23. This was one of my best viewings of him to date. He’d like to play in the USHL before playing in NCHC, Big Ten or Hockey East, per his showcase bio.
Ryan Lucarelli
Canterbury/River Rats 15O, 7/10/06, right shot, 5-8/140
Lucarelli has improved dramatically over the past 12 months. He’s always had skill, but he’s gotten bigger, stronger and faster. He had the puck a lot and made quite a few plays over the course of the weekend. For the Westport, Conn., native to continue trending up, he’ll need to be heavier on pucks. Look for him to have a big sophomore season at Canterbury.
Thomas Mantellino
Christian Brothers/North Jersey Avs U15, 2/27/06, left shot, 5-10/160
Mantellino is a goal scorer who found the back of the net at least once over the weekend. The Staten Island, N.Y., native is making the jump from the Avalanche to the Philadelphia Junior Flyers for the 2022-23 season.
Tate Pecknold
Avon Old Farms/Jr. Bulldogs U16, 5/18/05, left shot, 5-11/165
Pecknold has gotten bigger and stronger over the last year. He’s skilled, skates well and has above--average vision with the puck on his stick. He still needs to be heavier on pucks and get more dynamic in high traffic areas. The Southport, Conn., native is leaving Avon Old Farms to go to St. George’s for his junior season in 2022-23. He’s the son of Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold.
Luke Sansobrino
Westchester Express 15O, 4/6/06, left shot, 5-9/165
Sansobrino is a smaller wing who buzzes around the sheet. He’s quick, hunts pucks, and keeps his feet moving. The Plainview, N.Y., native was his team’s most noticeable forward over the course of the weekend. Finishing up his sophomore season at Portledge, he’s looking to make the jump to prep school eventually. He lists Hockey East as his preferred college destination.
Michael Schmelzer
North Jersey Avs 15O, 7/8/06, right shot, 5-9/150
Schmelzer was the second-best forward, only behind DellaSalla, on his team this weekend. The Manalapan, N.J., native has a low center of gravity, is heavy on pucks, and plays with a swagger. He’d like to play in the USHL or NAHL before getting to a Hockey East or ECAC Hockey school, per his bio.
Matthew Shpungin
Don Bosco/Jersey Hitmen U14, 5/19/07, right shot, 5-11/140
Shpungin, from Wayne, N.J., had at least one goal on the weekend. One of the younger players in the showcase, he looked to have potential. A good student at Don Bosco, he should certainly be on the radar of prep school coaches in New England. He’d eventually like to play junior hockey before playing college hockey at the highest level possible, per his bio.
Ethan Skowronek
Shattuck-St. Mary’s U18, 2/15/05, left shot, 5-10/170
Skowronek is a player I had always liked with Team Maryland, but I didn’t see him live this past winter with Shattuck’s second team. He’s not the tallest player on the ice, but he plays bigger and makes a lot of hockey plays. He’s heavy on pucks and made a number of low to high passes to keep possession. The Arlington, Va., native has a strong frame and will be joining his brother, Ben, at Phillips Andover in the fall.
Matthew Smith
Seton Hall Prep/New Jersey Rockets U14, 2/4/07, left shot, 5-8/150
Smith didn’t stand out a lot here, but was one of the more promising prospects at this event. From Scotch Plains, N.J., he has the chance to blossom into a goal-scoring power forward. He’s long, drives the net and has a good shot. He lists Michigan as his dream school on the camp’s bio sheet.
Cooper Snee
Don Bosco/New York Saints 15O, 6/20/06, right shot, 5-11/165
Snee, from Franklin Lakes, N.J., is a prospect whose best hockey is ahead of him. He’s gotten bigger, protects pucks, and plays hard. He has to find that second gear and skate better, but there’s athleticism, power and hockey sense to intrigue me. His dad is retired NFL guard Chris Snee, who played all 10 pro football seasons with the New York Giants.
Dean Toskos
Don Bosco/Jersey Hitmen U16, 3/8/06, left shot, 5-10/155
Toskos had a disappointing 2021-22 season after a very good bantam major year and a solid showing at national camp last summer. Here, he was just above average, but did show good habits, including center lane drives. He’s heavy on pucks and good below the dots. Don’t write him off, as there’s still potential for the Oakland, N.J., native to play Division 1 or Division 3 college hockey.
Shane Tronoski
Valley Forge Minutemen 15O, 6/12/06, right shot, 6-0/155
Tronoski, from Blue Bell, Pa., is a goal scorer who can play a hard, north-south game up the wing. He has good size and has been a top three forward on the Valley Forge team over the past three years.
Patrick Walsh
Kent/Jr. Bulldogs U16, 9/16/05, right shot, 5-10/170
Walsh was very good here, as I’d have expected. Always a strong player coming up through the New Jersey Devils youth program, the Bernardsville, N.J., native is smart and heavy on pucks. He’s a goal scorer who will likely have a more significant role as he enters his second season of prep with Kent in 2022-23. A good student, he lists Ivy League as his aspirations for college hockey.
Bryan Wiggins
Bishop O’Connell/Team Maryland, 3/19/05, left shot, 6-3/190
Wiggins isn’t a blazer nor does he have high-end skill, but he played hard and made a positive impression on me this weekend. The Haymarket, Va., native is a good student who would like to pursue a postgraduate opportunity at the right prep school in 2023-24.
Aidan Wilson
New Jersey Rockets, 2/18/07, left shot, 6-1/170
Wilson didn’t make a lot of plays or jump off the page at me this weekend while playing up against older kids. However, his length, smooth stride, and hockey sense showed me some signs that he could be a good player down the road. The Westfield, N.J., native lists Notre Dame and UMass Lowell as schools where he’d like to play college hockey.
Thomas Zocco
Long Island Gulls U16, 6/15/06, right shot, 5-10/185
Zocco, from Staten Island, N.Y., is a goal scorer who is heavy on pucks. He’ll have to improve his skating to make the most of his ability as a hockey player. The longtime Avs forward jumped to the Gulls with the coaching staff making the same transition prior to the 2021-22 season.
Defensemen
Brenden Bedorf
South Kent U16, 6/8/05, right shot, 5-7/150
Bedorf, from Harrisburg, Pa., skates well. As an undersized defenseman, he’ll have to become more dynamic with the puck in terms of moving it up ice or quarterbacking a power play. A good student, he hopes to play Division 1 hockey down the road, per his bio.
Matt Christman
Palmyra Black Knights U16, 2/5/05, right shot, 6-3/180
Christman, from Wyomissing, Pa., is a late bloomer who has been with the Palmyra Black Knights organization for the past two seasons. He also played high school in his native state. He has good size and jumped into the offense. He made a couple of nice plays to keep possession and transition pucks up ice. A prep school in need of an older defenseman would be wise to give him a look for the 2022-23 season.
Daniel D’Alessandro
Delbarton/Long Island Gulls U16, 1/28/06, right shot, 5-10/180
D’Alessandro has been a well thought of defenseman in the '06 birth year for a number of seasons, dating back to his days with the New Jersey Colonials. He made the jump to the Long Island Gulls for the 2021-22 season. The puck snaps off his stick and he can make some plays. His offensive numbers could get better over the coming years. I liked how he played this weekend. The Essex Falls, N.J., native and Delbarton sophomore lists Ivy League as his preferred college choice.
Matt Desiderio
New Jersey Rockets U16, 8/16/05, left shot, 6-4/210
Desiderio was the best puck possession defenseman at this showcase. He has good size and vision. The North Caldwell, N.J., native is a good student who already has two college offers from one Atlantic Hockey and one ECAC Hockey school. If he can improve his skating, his college interest will expand.
Logan Goodman
Westchester Express 15O, 9/21/06, left shot, 5-8/151
Goodman is on the smaller side and hasn’t been a player I’ve noticed in the past, but I liked what I saw this weekend. He’s mobile and jumps into the offense. He scored a nice goal on Friday night and showed good vision. The Oyster Bay, N.Y., native is a late birthday who would be a solid pickup for certain prep schools in 2023-24.
Hudson Gorski
Seton Hall Prep/New Jersey Devils U16, 9/5/05, right shot, 6-3/168
This was my best viewing to date of Gorski, a longtime New Jersey Devils youth program defender. From Scotch Plains, N.J., he has good size, length and can moves puck up ice with efficient breakouts. He had a more productive offensive season in 2021-22 than he has had previously. The junior at Seton Hall Prep could be a solid prep school pickup for certain programs in the NEPSAC.
Erik Kald
North Jersey Avs U16, 3/6/06, right shot, 6-2/185
Kald is an intriguing defensive prospect with his size, strength and proneness to jumping into the offense this weekend. From Oyster Bay, N.Y., he had a solid season with the North Jersey Avalanche and would be a nice pickup for prep school teams in 2023-24. He’ll need to simplify and improve his hockey sense and skating, but the tools are there.
Mason Montagna
Boston Advantage 15O, 5/19/06, left shot, 6-2/165
Montagna has always been an offensive minded defenseman. From Fulton, N.Y., he played for the Boston Advantage this past season while attending Norwell (Mass.) High School. He’s gotten bigger and has some tools, but needs to reel it in and see the ice better to make the most of his athletic ability.
Michael Sciabarra
Westchester 15O, 2/14/06, left shot, 5-11/170
Sciabarra is a physically mature, strong defenseman who can contribute offensively. He’s heavy and can protect pucks and make a crisp, tape-to-tape pass. From Plainview, N.Y., he was the third leading scorer on the Westchester Express, only behind Joseph Delaurentis and Sansobrino. His older brother, '03 Joey Sciabarra, played the past couple of seasons at Kent. A sophomore at Portledge, his bio says he’s looking at Millbrook, Kent, Canterbury and Salisbury for prep school options.
Evan Seow
Connecticut Jr. Rangers U14, 10/25/07, left shot, 5-6/145
Seow is on the smaller side, but he was fun to watch this weekend. He’s a smart, mobile, puck-moving defenseman. He skates with his head up and has smoothness to his game. A good student from Brooklyn, N.Y., he’s interested in attending Choate, Phillips Andover, Phillips Exeter or Taft.
Zach Skowronek
Team Maryland U16, 5/4/06, left shot, 6-3/190
Skowronek is a player I had seen just a few weeks ago at the World Selects Trophy. As good as he was there against his own age, he might have been better here. He was the best defensive defenseman at this showcase. His gaps were tight and he used his length to break up rushes and force plays to the outside. He’s big, strong and will be a nice player for Team Maryland’s U18 team in 2022-23.
Dom Somma *
Mount Saint Charles U14, 7/16/07, right shot, 6-1/180
Somma was the best prospect among the showcase’s blue liners. The Rye, N.Y., native is a big, two-way defenseman who showed a willingness to jump into the rush and contribute offensively. He’s strong and can bring a physical element on the defensive side of the puck, although that didn’t really show itself in this environment.
Robert Thornton
Westchester Express 15O, 1/18/06, left shot, 6-1/170
Thornton is a strong, rugged defensive defenseman from Port Washington, N.Y. He was simple, yet solid at both ends of the ice this weekend. A coach’s kid, his midget bench boss is his dad, player agent Bob Thornton. A good student, he lists his Ivy or NESCAC as preferred college destinations.
Goaltenders
Ryan Cameron *
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers U14, 8/21/07, catches left, 5-9/120
Cameron was up to his usual tricks, stopping pucks and looking good in the crease. The Berwyn, Pa., native moves well, keeps it quiet, and does a good job eliminating second chances. Certainly a Division 1 prospect, he has aspirations to play collegiately at that level after junior hockey. His older brothers Matthew (Niagara) and Michael (UMass) will both be competing in Division 1 this upcoming season. As for Ryan’s 2022-23 season plans, he’s moving from the Junior Flyers to the Long Island Gulls.
Dylan Krick
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers U16, 6/19/05, catches left, 6-1/140
Krick was one of the better goaltenders here, which comes as no surprise to those who have seen him over the last year with the Junior Flyers, Henderson High and at district tryouts. The West Chester, Pa., native has good size, moves well, and simply put, makes saves. According to his bio, Krick would like to play college hockey at Arizona State after his junior career. He’s a goaltender to track over the coming year.
AJ Levy
Mid Fairfield U14, 3/31/07, catches left, 6-2/155
Levy had his ups and downs this weekend, but that could be expected as one of the younger goalies here. A longtime Mid Fairfield Junior Ranger, he’s technical and quiet in the crease. Per his showcase bio, his dream school is Boston College, where his bantam coach, Ryan Haggerty, played.
Matthew Minchak
New Jersey Rockets U14, 5/23/07, catches left, 6-3/165
Minchak is big and takes up a ton of the net. From Cranford, N.J., he’s seemingly gotten better with each viewing. A traditional modern era butterfly goaltender, he looked good this weekend and projects well. With his size, he’ll certainly get plenty of chances to shine in front of scouts. According to his showcase, he’d like to play college hockey at Cornell, Michigan or Notre Dame.
Ben Skowronek
Team Maryland U16, 2/15/05, catches left, 6-0/165
Skowronek has been on my radar for a while, having always been a solid goaltender with Team Maryland. The Arlington, Va., native looked good this weekend, making saves, eating pucks and preventing rebounds. His team ended up winning Sunday’s championship game. Heading to Phillips Andover in September, he’d like to play in the USHL or NAHL before playing Division 1 or 3 after that.
Connor Towle
Westchester Express 15O, 3/27/06, catches left, 5-10/135
Towle is a good goaltender coming off a strong season with Bob Thornton’s Westchester Express team. He has average size, but is technically sound combined with athleticism and quick reflexes. An elite student, he’s heading to Hotchkiss and has aspirations of playing for an Ivy or NESCAC program in college.
