MARLBORO, Mass. — The 2021-22 National Bound Massachusetts Hockey State Championships recently wrapped up at the New England Sports Center. Fifty-three Tier I and Tier II teams from around the state competed for the right to represent the Bay State at the U.S. National Championship events being held in Michigan for the 15, 16, 18-Tier I divisions, 16- Tier II, and California for 18 Tier II in the spring.
In Tier I, the Boston Jr. Eagles defeated the upstart North Suburban Wings in the championship game played Nov. 14, by a 4-1 score. Kent Hughes, Paul Cannata and Neil Paterson’s squad has been ranked near the top of the 16-U national pecking order throughout the fall, and have impressive skill and depth in both 2005 and 2006 birth years.
Todd Langlais’ Wings team (with Dennis Nigro and Frank Vana) was profiled by New England Hockey Journal last week as a club on the rise, and they didn’t disappoint, playing hard and bringing a smart, gritty brand of hockey with contributions throughout the lineup to beat some quality competition for the right to take on the Junior Eagles.
Although the Wings came up short, the mix of prep and public high school players earned a lot of respect for the way they came together for their best shot at one of the best teams in the country.
We put together a group of underrated players representing both '05 and '06 birth years who played well over the weekend competition. The Junior Eagles will travel to Rochester, Mich. (along with their 18-U counterparts) to play for the USA Hockey Tier I National Championships March 30-April 4.
Forwards
Jim Lyver (North Grafton, Mass.)
Cape Cod Whalers/St. Mark’s, 2/12/05, right shot, 6-0/175
For our money, no player has improved more than Lyver over the entirety of the fall schedule. He brought a heavy north-south, pro-style game to the mix early on, excelling in the possession game, but as he began to generate consistent offense, his creativity and overall game really took off. He scored a nifty goal against the Islanders Hockey Club Friday that showed impressive awareness, power and skill. We think he has a good chance of being in the coming wave of ’05 commits from the area because of his upside and continued growth.
Ben Jarosz (Franklin, Mass.)
Cape Cod Whalers/Franklin HS, 4/9/05, right shot 5-11/165
So smart and able to make the advanced plays look simple. Another Mass. high school player who could be in prep hockey this season, his play with the Whalers no doubt is attracting a lot of notice from area schools. He skates with pace, protects the puck and doesn’t push the envelope. He’s like a chess master who thinks many moves ahead. He’s skilled and can skate, but that advanced IQ and effort is what makes him so unheralded.
Spencer Hirsch
Boston Hockey Academy, 1/7/05, left shot, 6-2/195
Big, rangy forward is young and still developing but is way under the radar. He can shoot it and has shown a willingness to go hard to the net and make plays in tight. (Ed. note- This profile was earlier attributed to another skater due to an annotation in the wrong spot.)
Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.)
Jr. Eagles/Arlington HS, 7/29/06, left shot, 5-10/150
If he were a more dynamic skater, the MIAA star would be a household name among the ’06 Mass. birth year around the country. As it stands, he’s underrated because even with the lack of pure explosion and separation gear, he still scores goals with his advanced hockey sense, slick hands and killer instinct around the net. He comes off like a player who is going to put in the work and just will himself to the higher levels because everything else in his toolbox is first-rate.
Isaac Mitchell (Harvard, Mass.)
Jr. Eagles/St. Sebastian’s, 2/28/05, left shot, 5-8/170
Always made it into our notebook for his speed and puck skills. Showed improvement over the course of fall play to get to the net and create quality scoring chances. Given the talent he possesses, if he continues to improve the little things, he’ll keep climbing the developmental ladder.
Troy Hayes (Windham, N.H.)
Little Bruins, 1/5/06, left shot, 6-1/165
With his size and ability to get around the ice sheet with speed and power, Hayes is about as intriguing as they come. He competes and goes hard to the net, but that separation gear is something to behold. If he takes next steps as he gets stronger, he will elevate as a pure power forward and one of the best prospects in the New England District.
Ben Buckley (Warwick, R.I.)
River Rats/St. George’s, 2/8/05, right shot, 5-11/165
Does the little things to help his team win as a strong two-way forward who sometimes gets lost among a solid group up front but knows his role. Buckley and his Rats teammates had a very good season but were upset in their first game against a Cape Cod Whalers team that played an opportunistic team game.
Marco Beshere (Winthrop, Mass.)
NS Wings/Belmont Hill, 6/9/05, right shot, 5-10/155
Took his offense to another level, using his speed to separate, get to the net and finish plays. He worked hard in the fall games we watched, but in Marlboro, the work, pace and effort came together with production that helped his team advance.
Danny Storella (Stoneham, Mass.)
NS Wings/Stoneham HS, 5/18/05, right shot, 6-0/195
When watching the Wings, you can’t miss Storella, who flies around the ice like a human heat-seeking missile. His motor is always revving in the red and he showed some sneaky skills and upside as an MIAA player. He’s capable of playing higher-level hockey and is fun to watch with his energy and consistent ability to get to the net.
Michael Ranaldi (Newburyport, Mass.)
Top Gun Selects/Governors, 1/1/05, left shot, 5-11/185
Overachieving winger can really fire the puck, scoring a nice goal against the EC Wizards in Top Gun’s opening-round victory. He’s quick and sees the shooting lanes, showing a willingness to get the puck to the net, always an important attribute for any forward to have.
Ryan Shaw (East Longmeadow, Mass.)
Springfield Rifles/Westminster, 1/9/05, left shot, 5-9/167
Former Pope Francis star isn’t all that underrated given that he represented Mass. at the 2021 Select 16s in July, but he does seem to be a bit of an afterthought when it comes to discussing the top ‘05s from the state. He’s a smart, engaged forward who makes plays/scores big goals. Though not all that big, there’s high-level junior/D-1 potential here, and he seems to be on an upward trajectory.
Surprise breakout player
Raymond Thurston
Top Gun Selects/KUA, 1/1/06, right shot, 5-10/130
Tim Whitehead appears to have found another hidden gem. The lean, but speedy forward from Dunsford, Ontario zipped around the ice, made plays and stood out for his skills, vision and natural nose for the net. As an ’06, he should be on junior team radars going forward.
Defensemen
Jack Harney (Needham, Mass.)
Jr. Eagles/St. Sebastian’s, 11/22/05, right shot, 6-4/175
St. Sebastian’s rearguard is raw, but there is something with his size, reach and ability to shut things down in front of his net. His feet will need to improve, but he keeps things simple and plays a throwback-style game that forces opponents to be aware of him whenever he’s on the ice.
Stephen Kilcoyne (Belmont, Mass.)
EC Wizards/Belmont Hill, 5/25/05, right shot, 6-2/200
Good size and skating package noticeable all fall for his solid all-around game to move pucks and keep opposing players to the outside. He should play a lot of minutes for Belmont Hill this winter as he continues to develop and refine his habits and the details.
Cameron Wolf (Brentwood, N.H.)
Islanders Hockey Club, 11/8/06, left shot, 5-7/145
Electric skater is noticeable with his ability to wheel back to retrieve pucks and move up the ice with speed and agility. He’s a young ’06, so the hockey sense will need to develop as he progresses and puts himself in position to climb the ladder, but he checks a lot of boxes with his feet and ability to move pucks.
Joseph Mense
Little Bruins, 7/21/06, right shot, 6-0/195
We first noticed the Port Jefferson, N.Y. native over Labor Day weekend. He’s not been a flashy type from the blue line, instead playing a smart, effective defensive game and supporting the rush at the right times. However, he scored a highlight goal Saturday when he pinched down from the point and lasered the puck into the upper corner of the net. As an ’06, he has a lot of time and room to grow and keep improving.
Curt Heath (West Bridgewater, Mass.)
River Rats/Milton, 1/12/05, left shot, 5-9/155
Not big, but plays a bigger game with his speed, physicality and ability to get pucks north. Milton Academy has a group of hard workers who look to be more than the sum of their parts, and Heath embodies that with his dogged approach.
Parker Fleury (Dover, N.H.)
NS Wing/Dover HS, 8/30/05, right shot, 6-1/180
Granit Stater plays a steady, efficient game from the back end, and brings some bite with some good physical contact in open ice and along the walls. He’s got the ability to play at a higher level and might have attracted enough attention to take a step up next season.
Luke Clarner (East Burke, Vt.)
Top Gun Selects/KUA, 1/10/05, right shot, 6-1/160
With good size and mobility, the KUA defender stood out for his smart activation and solid two-way play. Rangy skater has a good stick and moves pucks efficiently, attributes that will appeal to coaches at the higher levels.
Goaltenders
Nick Hubbard (Lynnfield, Mass.)
NS Wings/Malden Catholic, 12/30/05, catches left, 6-1/185
Just two days from being an ’06, he was dialed-in all weekend and played well in the championship game against a loaded Eagles team. He played with heart and skill every time we saw him previously in fall games and rose to the occasion against some quality competition. He’s hit a growth spurt and has real prep and junior potential, impressive considering how young on the ’05 scale he is.
Jake Henry (Boxborough, Mass.)
Springfield Rifles/Williston Northampton, 12/14/05, catches right, 6-1/142
We didn’t see the overtime game Friday night, but the second late ’05 in net stood on his head in the second-round matchup against the Wings, making a lot of athletic saves and keeping his team in it by turning away quality scoring chances. Henry opened eyes with his compete and physical tools. Put him on the watch list as a raw but intriguing player.
