When Dexter Southfield and Junior Eagles product Will Vote committed to Boston College last month, it signified the top three New England '05 forwards were off the board.
Vote and Pope Francis right wing Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) are both aligned with Boston College while Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) is committed to Northeastern. All three will spend the next two seasons playing for USA Hockey’s NTDP.
While Smith, Leonard and Vote are the top three prospects right now, there are plenty of other players in the age group who have upside. It will be interesting to watch this group develop over the next few years. A lot of college coaches will have close eyes on the '05 birth year as fall hockey continues and with prep school on the horizon across New England.
Below is my look at an all-uncommitted team for New England players born in 2005. I took the editorial license to add a defenseman. There are plenty of other deserving players, but these are the seven who stand out right now at their respective positions.
Forwards
Cullen Emery
Dexter Southfield/Junior Eagles 16-U, 8/2/05, C, right shot, 5-10/185
Emery will be on his third team in three years when the prep school season begins. After an eighth grade season at Austin Prep and a freshman campaign at Reading, he’s on to play for Danny Donato at Dexter Southfield. Emery is a good skater with a quick twitch. He’s a smart, playmaking center. There have been a few viewings this fall where he’s been very productive, including at the River Rats Jamboree and Eastern Alliance Kickoff. A little more consistency will help college coaches be convinced that Emery is worth a scholarship offer right now.
Ethan Gardula
Cushing/Junior Eagles 16-U, 2/28/05, LW, left shot, 5-11/165
Gardula has always been a noticeable player at this age group. His boots were a little heavy in the past and his skating still isn’t the strength of his game. However, it’s improved and he’s able to get to where he needs to be. He drives the net while playing a hard, north-south power game. He has a hard shot and is heavy on pucks. From Princeton, Mass., Gardula should have a monster year for Paul Pearl’s Penguins.
Patrick Murphy
Mount Saint Charles 16-U, 12/18/05, RW, right shot, 5-10/171
Murphy, a late '05 from North Kingstown, R.I., is an athlete. He also excels on the lacrosse field. Murphy skates well, has a good stick, and has a nose for the puck and net. He goes to the dirty areas, wins a lot of 50/50 races to pucks, and plays a physical brand of hockey. Even when he’s not scoring, he’s impacting the game. He had a productive showing at USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp.
Defensemen
Sloan Farmer
Brunswick/Mid Fairfield 16-U, 6/2/05, left shot, 5-11/159
Farmer is the most improved '05 in New England, if not the country. The Old Greenwich, Conn., native has taken huge steps over the past year. He had a breakout performance at the USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp in July. He’s become more explosive in his skating and has gained the strength to impact the sheet at both ends of the ice. He makes smart, efficient decisions on breakouts and he’s been able to step in offensively in the attacking zone with a few key cogs missing from the blue line. He defends well with his range and size.
Jake Freelove
Winchendon/River Rats 16-U, 1/4/05, right shot, 6-1/165
Freelove was snubbed by the evaluators when it came time to pick players to advance to Buffalo out of the Mass. CCM High Performance Festival. The Tyngsboro, Mass., native has good size, vision and a stick. He’s able to jump into the rush and contribute offensively. His length and stick allow him to break up plays on the rush. He’s certainly one of the best uncommitted prospects in this region at the age group. If he can become even harder to play against, have more jam defensively, and get the puck off his stick quicker, his stock will continue to soar.
Tommy Rose
Junior Bruins 16-U, 8/31/05, right shot, 5-9/140
Rose was the best defenseman from Massachusetts at national camp in July. The Westford, Mass., native is a smooth-skating, puck-moving defender. He’s able to get pucks going north and positively impact the puck possession game. For him to take the next step in his game, he’ll have to be more consistent and play with more conviction in his defensive zone.
Goaltender
Sam Scopa
Belmont Hill/Junior Eagles 16-U, 1/10/05, G, catches left, 5-11/173
Scopa has been one of the best goaltenders in the country at the '05 birth year for at least a few years now. He had a great summer, performing well at several local showcases, including the Junior Chowder Cup. Scopa eats pucks and is dynamite when he’s on top of his game. The Lexington, Mass., native played in all the top games for the Junior Eagles last season. He’ll get a majority of the workload at Belmont Hill this winter as he continues to show off his ability to college coaches.
