MARLBORO, Mass. — After observing 72 of the Bay State’s 2005-born prospects compete at the New England Sports Center over the weekend, the competitive field for the birth year is coming into focus.
The second phase of a process that began last month with a larger pool of players from the Massachusetts district was overseen by a small group of local college coaches. They will determine who will advance to the final evaluation weekend May 21-22 in Marlboro. On the line at that point is a chance to represent the district at the 2022 USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp in Amherst, N.Y. From the Select 17s, USA Hockey will put together the roster that will represent the United States at the 2022 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in Red Deer, Alberta, July 31- Aug. 6.
Multiple players impressed in full viewings of the Saturday games. It is not a list predicting all of the players expected to advance to the “Final 40” round, but a sampling of the top performances on a day dedicated to watching the ‘05s in action. Ryan Shaw and Michael Ranaldi had notable and productive efforts up front, while Matt Hanscom and Shawn Leary flashed on the back end. In net, recent USHL draft pick Sam Scopa continued to demonstrate his promise and upside.
Below is a list of those who are among the best in the ’05 class and expected to be back at it in a little under two weeks.
Forwards
Marco Beshere (Winthrop, Mass.)
Belmont Hill/NS Wings, 6/9/05, right shot, 5-11/160
Works, competes and has a sneaky offensive dimension, scoring on a redirection of a Ranaldi pass/shot. After a solid fall with the NS Wings, was on Belmont Hill’s JV team last season with a veteran roster. He will be someone to track in the coming season to see how he progresses after the summer.
Will Cannata (Milton, Mass.)
Milton Academy/Jr. Eagles, 5/17/05, left shot, 6-0/175
Two-way forward isn’t going to wow you with a flashy scoring game, but has the details down and is a smart, engaged player. He’s strong in the faceoff dot, diligent in all three zones, and showed well here. USHL prospect with Cedar Rapids.
Nolan Flynn (Natick, Mass.)
St. Sebastian’s/Cape Cod Whalers, 2/25/05, left shot, 5-11/165
Engaged and played with a high motor, forechecking effectively and disrupting breakout attempts. Has been overshadowed on both Cape Cod Whalers and St. Sebastian’s teams, but has the kind of underrated game that could see him elevate his stock going forward.
Ethan Gardula (Princeton, Mass.)
Cushing/Jr. Eagles, 2/28/05, left shot, 6-1/180
Quiet day for the rangy forward, but displayed his promising power forward game enough to do what he needed to. Still raw and growing into his big frame, he’s around the puck a lot. As he adds the right kind of mass and fills out, his skating stride will be even more powerful. When he goes to the net, he’s tough to defend.
Matthew Egan (Waltham, Mass.)
Middlesex/EC Wizards, 9/9/05, right shot, 6-0/185
Scored a nice goal off the rush when he wired an on-target Gorman pass into the back of the net. Plays a detail-oriented game that includes smart play with and without the puck and effectiveness on the forecheck. He is an asset in the possession game.
Cullen Emery (Reading, Mass.)
Dexter Southfield/Jr. Eagles, 8/2/05, right shot, 5-10/180
Talented forward had some impact shifts, where he powered through traffic and took the puck to the net. Handles the puck well in tight spaces and uses his speed and lateral agility to open up time and space for himself.
Colin Gorman (Arlington, Mass.)
St. Sebastian’s/Jr. Eagles, 5/18/05, left shot, 5-10/150
This athletic specimen moved with a purpose and created a multitude of nifty plays. He’s going to be one of the more dangerous scorers in prep as he continues to mature and earn a bigger share of ice time.
Jimmy Lyver (Grafton, Mass.)
St. Mark’s/Cape Cod Whalers, 2/12/05, right shot, 6-0/174
Scored a dirty goal and hit the post with another hard shot that came off his stick in a blur. The rising Lions senior is primed for a major breakout season as a throwback north-south center who skates hard and motors to the net with his athleticism and natural strength.
Lefty Markonidis (Hudson, Mass.)
BB&N/Boston Advantage, 4/29/05, left shot, 5-9/145
The undersized-but-skilled dynamic forward was shifty and dangerous with the puck. He can change direction rapidly in tight spaces and looked good when in possession. Had an impact year in his first prep experience.
Michael Ranaldi (Newburyport, Mass.)
Governor’s/Top Gun, 8/2/05, left shot, 5-11/183
Along with Shaw, was the most effective forward on Saturday, scoring on a short side laser and adding three primary assists with accurate passing displays. He was constantly around the puck and a consistent threat as the game’s No. 1 star.
Landan Resendes (Marlboro, Mass.)
Cushing/River Rats, 12/10/05, right shot, 5-7/135
Cedar Rapids USHL prospect is fast and has top-end puckhandling/finishing ability. Small but speedy winger scored a goal on a quick shot, where he wasted no time taking the pass and ripping the puck to the back of the net before the goalie could get set. He had a productive first prep year with the Penguins.
Cam Russo (Middleton, Mass.)
Governor’s/River Rats, 1/3/05, right shot, 6-1/175
Looks the part with his size, skating and deft touch with the puck. This kind of environment plays to his strengths, as he’s able to create offense and make plays in the offensive zone. He scored on a breakaway, taking a pass from Emery and displaying his separation gear and quick hands.
Ryan Shaw (East Longmeadow, Mass.)
Westminster/Springfield Rifles, 1/29/05, left shot, 5-10/170
Skating on arguably the strongest team didn’t prevent the Westy and Springfield Rifles star from standing out. He can beat you in a variety of ways, bursting through the defense to separate and score on a breakaway or finishing his hits and playing with effort/pace. He had a fine season, and looks to be getting better.
Joey Zheng (Andover, Mass.)
Andover/River Rats, 9/8/05, right shot, 5-11/170
Skated with pace, scored a nice rebound goal and was generally noticeable. Originally from Illinois, Zheng had a solid campaign with the Big Blue. While talented, the next step in his development is a willingness to go to the dirty areas more consistently, but he played well here.
Defensemen
Brad Guden (Wrentham, Mass.)
King Philip HS/RI Hitmen, 8/29/05, left shot, 5-11/172
Showed promise with his fluid skating, direction change and assertiveness. Got to loose pucks quickly and moved them up and out with decisive passes and heads-up plays, showing some vision and creativity. Wasn’t all that familiar with him before the weekend, but he was an effective two-way presence here.
Matt Hanscom (Hadley, Mass.)
Westminster/Springfield Rifles, 1/25/05, left shot, 6-1/188
He has an intriguing blend of size, mobility and a solid puck game. He had a solid first season of prep and should develop into one of the conference’s better two-way defenders in time.
Shawn Leary (Dorchester, Mass.)
Lawrence Academy/Jr. Eagles, 5/12/05, right shot, 6-0/180
Athletic and explosive, he was able to stand out here with his speed and take advantage of the lack of structure. He can exploit broken plays with his agile quickness and is able to boost the transition game with his wheels and passing.
Charlie Leverone (Sudbury, Mass.)
St. Sebastian’s/River Rats, 2/18/05, left shot, 6-2/200
Strong, physical defender kept it simple and made some good plays with the puck to start breakouts. He held tight gaps and played more to his identity as an effective presence in his own end. That doesn’t always win you style points in a free-flowing game like this one, but he did his job.
Goaltenders
Sam Scopa (Lexington, Mass.)
Belmont Hill/Jr. Eagles, 1/10/05, catches left, 6-0/172
One of prep hockey's most impactful newcomers, Scopa also earned a call up to the U.S. National Team Development Program's under-17 team near the end of the 2021-22 season. He didn't have to be great here, but made several athletic, fluid stops when the defense broke down in front of him. Drafted to the USHL's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, he will play at least another year at Belmont Hill.
Nick Hubbard (Lynnfield, Mass.)
Malden Catholic/NS Wings, 12/30/05, catches left, 6-0/170
Almost an '06, Hubbard impressed last fall with the Wings going head-to-head against Scopa in the Tier 1 championship game before falling to the Eagles. He is fluid in his crease, tracks pucks and is competitive. There wasn't much he could do about the goals he gave up. Has long-term potential.
