BROOKLINE, Mass. — It's no secret Dexter Southfield has a beautiful campus. Everything appears high quality, the buildings are all well crafted and the grounds are kept perfectly.
The game Wednesday night between Dexter and Culver Academy was anything but — it was sloppy and full of stingy defense.
The two squads finished in a 1-1 tie.
Culver scored its lone goal when Luke Hogan tipped a shot from Cole Barrett in the first period, while Brayden Naumann (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) tipped a Sean Keohane (Milton, Mass.) shot past Culver goalie Vaughn Makar with 3:28 to play in the third. The five-minute overtime turned up nothing on the scoresheet.
Dexter had five power plays, including three in the second period. Culver did a good job of negating scoring chances on those power plays and keeping Dexter around the perimeter. Dexter's top power play trio of Nate Porter (Hingham, Mass.), Cullen Emery (Reading, Mass.) and Conor Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.) is very good, and Culver did well at staying tight in and around the slot.
One play that stood out was when Dexter forward Ben Morgan (Chelmsford, Mass.) hustled back and broke up a 2-on-1 and blocked a shot early in the third period with the score 1-0 Culver. Again, this was far from an offensive, flashy game, so it was those kinds of plays that really made the difference.
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A good number of NHL scouts were on hand to take in Wednesday's action, as well as some college coaches.
Here were the standouts.
Larry Keenan
Culver, 3/15/05, D, left shot, 6-3/185
NCAA: UMassÂ
Keenan was terrific on Wednesday. His poise was evident in his own zone. Whether it be shutting down an opposing player, wheeling the puck around the net on a breakout or making that first pass, he was incredibly calm. He also showed his ability to impact the game offensively, rushing the puck and making things happen from the point. NHL scouts in attendance undoubtedly had their eyes on Keenan.
Sean Keohane
Dexter, 11/4/04, D, left shot, 6-4/195
NCAA: Harvard
It's been a weird year for Keohane. His stock hasn't gone up, which is partially due to the high expectations surrounding the two-way defender who opted to stay at Dexter instead of going to the USHL. On Wednesday, there were some turnovers, but overall he settled in as the game went along. He generated the lone Dexter goal on his shot from the point. On the power play, he sets up at the top as the quarterback. But late in the game when Dexter was down 1-0, Mick Frechette ran the point and Keohane tried to sneak down and sneak one in the back door. He almost had one. Overall, he's at his best when he keeps things simple.
Paul Dalessio
Dexter, 4/4/04, G, catches left, 5-8/170Â
Dalessio was a big reason why Dexter escaped with a 1-1 tie. In the third period, he had two terrific saves with his glove on Culver forward Phil Lalonde. He's small, but in the times I've seen him, he makes up for it with his athleticism and ability to track pucks. The long Culver goal was a tip in front on the power play. It's hard to blame him for that.
Mick Frechette
Dexter, 10/27/03, D, left shot, 6-1/205Â
It was impossible not to notice Frechette Wednesday night. He always seemed to either have the puck on his stick or he was taking the body, which he loves to do. In every one of my viewings of Dexter, he never fails to finish a hit or lay into anyone around the net after a whistle in his own zone. He generated a lot of chances in the offensive zone, hitting the post early in the second period and always keeping his head up with the puck at the point. He moved the puck very well.
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Phil Lalonde
Culver, 10/6/05, FWD, left shot, 6-3/185
It wasn't a very offensive game, but Lalonde had a good number of chances. He worked hard to get himself space for shots on Dalessio. If Dalessio wasn't as stellar as he was, Lalonde hops on the team bus with at least one goal. He was constantly involved in the offense and putting pressure on Dexter's defense.
