Willie Raskob – McKeen's Hockey

NCAA Championship Frozen Four recap – Lukosevicius hat trick stands up as Jaillet shuts the door

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 16:03:16 +0000

NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey includes 60 different programs, from Alaska-Fairbanks to Alabama-Huntsville, from Maine to Arizona State. From fall to spring, the teams each played around 40 games, after which, using conference tournaments and a formula I will not try to explain (I would first need someone to explain it to me), 16 teams are selected to battle to a national championship.

Those 16 contenders were split into four groups, each set ranked one through four. The tournament is conducted in a one-and-done format, so teams must be on their best behavior to extend their seasons for one more game.

In the first group, located in Cincinnati, top seeded Denver defeated Michigan Tech, while third seed Penn State destroyed Union 10-3. Denver advanced out of the group with a 6-3 decision over Penn State the next day.

In Manchester, New Hampshire, top seed Minnesota was upset by fourth seed Notre Dame in a tight 3-2 affair, while second seed UMass-Lowell put down third seed Cornell, 5-0. The group final required overtime for Notre Dame to continue their Cinderella run, as they beat U-Mass-Lowell 3-2 with an Andrew Oglevie goal 2:44 into the extra frame.

In Providence, Rhode Island, the hometown Providence Friars, NCAA champions as recently as 2015 were only the fourth seed in their own home arena, and were shut out, 3-0, by first seed Harvard. IN the other matchup up, third seeded Air Force upset second seed Western Michigan 5-4. Harvard advanced out of the group with a 3-2 victory over Air Force in the second round.

In the final group, located in Fargo, North Dakota, the defending champion University of North Dakota, although not technically in their home rink, were ostensibly the home favorites as the third seed, but feel in the first round, in double overtime, to second seed Boston University, 4-3. Meanwhile, top seed Minnesota-Duluth defeated Ohio State 3-2 in boring old single overtime. In the interest of symmetry, Minnesota-Duluth and Boston University went to overtime for the second round game, eventually won by the higher seed, 3-2, on a power play goal by Adam Johnson less than two minutes into the fourth period.

That frantic weekend set the stage for the Frozen Four, whose combatants were previewed in greater depth last week.

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 06: Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs wing Kyle Osterberg (8) in action in the third period of an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal game with the Harvard Crimson and the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs on April 6, 2017, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. Bulldogs won 2-1 to move on to the championship game. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)

Game 1: Harvard vs Minnesota-Duluth

As the games were in Chicago, it just so happened that Notre Dame was the closest NCAA hockey campus to the United Center, normally the home rink of the Chicago Blackhawks. As such, most tickets were scooped up by fans of the Fighting Irish and many were not too concerned with arriving in time to see the first matchup. That is too bad, as that first game was tightly fought and remained close for all 60 minutes of action.

Although the combined penalties called in the game (six in total between the two teams) would not betray it, this was a fairly chippy game, a tone set early on when Duluth blueliner Willie Raskob crushed Harvard’s Luke Esposito just inside his own blueline. Esposito took Raskob’s number on his way to the ice and retaliated a few seconds later, behind the Duluth net, a hit which forced him to the penalty box for boarding. Harvard was given a power play opportunity shortly after killing that first penalty.

The two sides traded chances for much of the first period, with Harvard getting on the board first, with a goal on their third power play of the period. Stud freshman blueliner Adam Fox got the puck down low on the right wing to senior Alexander Kerfoot. The latter whipped a pass across the crease to senior Tyler Moy, who three days later signed an entry level contract with the Nashville Predators. Despite the puck deflecting off a UMD defender, Moy got his stick on the puck and beat netminder Hunter Miska with the wide shot.

Less than three and a half minutes later, the Bulldogs had equalized. On a faceoff in the Harvard end, senior Dominic Toninato won the draw and pushed the puck back a few inches into no-man’s land. Freshman Joseph Anderson was first to the biscuit and, from directly in the slot, but with a sea of bodies between him and Harvard goalie Merrick Madsen in the crease, his quick snap shot handcuffed the Crimson goalie, with the puck squirting between the latter’s legs, knotting the game at one a piece.

The two teams continued to trade the run of play over much of the remaining 40+ minutes. That said, Minnesota-Duluth were creating higher quality chances than their counterparts were able. The overall shot counter showed that Harvard had a slight possession lead, as they outshot Minnesota-Duluth 40-38. That said, the Harvard goalie had to work a lot more for his saves than did Hunter Miska for the Bulldogs. In a vacuum, that may not say much, but Merrick Madsen is a fine goaltending prospect. The Bulldogs were simply able to move the puck around in the offensive zone more than Harvard was able. With a worse goalie, UMD may have run up the score.

Finally, as most in attendance, including the late arriving Notre Dame supporters were feeling resigned to the first game going to overtime and pushing back the starting time on the late game indeterminably, the Bulldogs shocked and delighted the audience and themselves with a goal in the final minute of regulation. Earlier goal scorer Joey Anderson ended up with the puck along the half-wall after a scrum near the point in Harvard’s zone. He fired a cross-ice pass to the left wing, where blueliner Willie Raskob was streaking into an open spot. As the Harvard defense began to collapse, Alex Iafallo was in the clear in front of the net first and Raskob sent the puck towards his teammate after faking a shot. Iafallo had to only deflect the puck on net where it slipped through Madsen’s five hole.

Harvard played the final 25 seconds with that type of uncertainty you only see from a trailing team when its season is on the line but not out of reach. With the extra attacker, the established the Minnesota-Duluth zone and the output of their pressure was two pucks off the post in the dying seconds. Alas, they could not beat Miska again. UMD, which had been ranked first in the nation for large portions of the season, had booked its ticket to the championship match with a 2-1 victory over Harvard.

Game 2: Denver vs Notre Dame

As mentioned above, many locally based Notre Dame supporters began to file into the arena towards the tail end of the first game. The gaps that had previously dotted the United Center were all filled in by the time the Denver school band played the national anthem. While the Star Spangled Banner went smoothly for the first game, in this one, the emcee left his microphone on and was audibly humming for a few bars, before he heard himself – along with 19,000 or so other attendees – and rectified the matter.

If the anthem faux pas had a few people squirming in their seats early, the Notre Dame boosters were downright uncomfortable by the first intermission. Not only had Denver gone to the break carrying a 2-0 lead, but Notre Dame simply could not hang on to the puck. More telling than the early score line was the shot counter, showing Denver with a 13-3 edge at the break. Both Denver goals came as the result of wrap around plays. For the first, Pioneer fourth liner Emil Romig skated around the net from left to right and, instead of trying to stuff the puck through Cal Petersen, he faded away from the crease at the other end, flipping the puck over Petersen’s left shoulder with the hockey equivalent of a fadeaway jumpshot. Shortly thereafter, Denver star blueliner Will Butcher, who would be awarded with the Hobey Baker Award the next day, raced in to the crease area from the right, came out back again on the left and fired a cross-crease pass that was tapped in by Henrik Borgstrom.

The Pioneers were in full control of the puck again in the second period, outshooting Notre Dame 16-8 in those 20 minutes. Their dominance paid off with three late period goals, as Tariq Hammond, Dylan Gambrell, and Evan Ritt all scored in the span of 4:07. The Gambrell goal was another wraparound success while Hammond and Ritt were both able to capitalize on inexplicable giveaways in the Notre Dame end by otherwise reliable players. By the time the horn sounded to mark the end of the period, the majority of Notre Dame fans had left the building.

There was less to report from the third period. Denver controlled possession again, outshooting ND 13-6, and the Fighting Irish earned their consolation goal, Cam Morrison tipping a power play point shot from Jordan Gross into the net. Dylan Gambrell later scored again for Denver. While going in as if to wrap the puck around the net, he spotted Petersen moving clumsily to guard the posts. Before curling around the net, Gambrell instead flicked the puck off Petersen’s left inseam, and into the net.

Few Notre Dame fans were left to witness the indignity. As impressive as Denver had been in the first two rounds against Michigan Tech and Penn State, their dismantling of Notre Dame in the semifinals left no doubt that they were the favorites heading into the last collegiate game of the year.

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 08: Denver Pioneers forward Jarid Lukosevicius (14) scores a goal in the second period during the NCAA men's national championship game between the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs and the Denver Pioneers on April 8, 2017, at United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)

NCAA Final: Minnesota-Duluth vs Denver

Two days’ notice were enough for the United Center to fill up with a healthy contingent of supporters from Duluth and environs. Much like Notre Dame fans from two nights before, the Bulldogs fans came to witness what looked like a potential drubbing at the hands of Denver. The Pioneers played another 20 minutes of high end hockey, giving UMD little room to breathe. Denver only led 13-10 in shots, and there were no goals in the first 20 minutes of play, but they were consistently the more dangerous team. Furthermore, Denver were very close to the early lead, with Duluth only holding on for the grace of the post, which denied Denver winger Logan O’Connor twice in a single shift.

Denver’s efforts began to pay off early in the second. The play began in their own zone. Joey Anderson of the Bulldogs had a great scoring chance on a deflected puck, but Denver netminder Tanner Jaillet got across in time to push the puck away. Blake Hillman got the puck out of the zone and up to fellow blueliner Michael Davies. Davies fired a slapshot in from the point which was tipped in the slot by Jarid Lukosevicius.

6 seconds later, Lukosevicius struck again. Again, he was the beneficiary of the hard work of his teammates. This time, WJC hero Troy Terry danced the puck through the zone to the goalie’s right before losing control near the slot. The puck slid to the left and lucky Luko was there to bang it home. Two goals in 16 seconds and it was almost time to start watching the clock.

Of course, Minnesota-Duluth was not ready to give up, and just over two minutes later, they were back in the game. Alex Iafallo was the author of their first goal. After drawing a penalty out of Denver with his dogged work around the slot, he also scored the power play marker. A Joey Anderson wrist shot was sailing wide until Iafallo got a stick on it, redirecting the puck past Jaillet.

Although UMD were putting more and more pressure, Denver was not yet truly sitting back. The Pioneers had some extended time in the UMD zone around the 12 minute mark. Once again, it was Lukosevicius getting on the score sheet. This time he pounced on another loose puck in the slot, slamming it home. It took a few seconds for fans to realize that it was the same player scoring again, but I counted at least three hats hitting the ice in homage to the hat trick marker.

Heading into the third period with a two goal lead and twenty separating them from the title of champions and Denver began to sit back. Their intention was to parry UMD until the final buzzer sounded. The shell game nearly failed. With under six minutes remaining, Dallas Stars first rounder Riley Tufte used his size advantage (he’s a big boy) to gain the puck in the Denver end. He passed it off to Avery Peterson in the corner, who fired a sharp angle shot off the netminder and back into the slot where Tufte had advanced and got in front of his defender. Tufte swatted the bouncing puck into the net setting up a thrilling last five minutes.

Jaillet was kept busy throughout the period, facing 17 shots over the 20 minute span, some of which could have been avoided were it not for some of his own unnecessarily risky attempts to play the puck forcing him out of position. UMD defender Neal Pionk was especially dangerous, spinning and juking his way out of the harm of Denver’s backcheck. After the Bulldogs pulled their goalie with around 95 seconds remaining, Denver struggled mightily to get the puck out of their own end.

Even though they controlled play in the Denver end for much of the last period, Minnesota-Duluth could not add to the Tufte goal. Denver netminder Jaillet, who was named recipient of the Mike Richter Award for top NCAA goaltender on the same night as his teammate Butcher won the Hobey, had stopped 38 of 40 shots to make sure that Lukosevicius’ hat trick stood up. For the eighth time in their history, and the first time since 2005, the Denver Pioneers were NCAA men’s hockey champions.

Frozen Four Preview: High end offense highlights championship series

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 12:28:54 +0000

This coming Thursday (April 6, 2017) marks the beginning of the annual Frozen Four NCAA championship series. In the early game, the third seed (nationally) Harvard takes on #2 ranked University of Minnesota-Duluth. Shortly after the completion of that game, the first seed, Denver, will play the Frozen Four underdog, Notre Dame. The respective winners of the two games will meet on Saturday, with the winner crowned as NCAA champions for 2017.

March 27, 2015: University of Minnesota-Duluth Forward Alex Iafallo (14) shoots on the power play. The University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs defeated the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers 4-1 in the semi-final of the NCAA Division 1 Men's Northeast Regional at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH.

Harvard vs Minnesota-Duluth

It is no secret that these two teams were among the best in the nation this year. Harvard had NCAA’s most potent offense, scoring 4.14 goals per game, while ranking fourth in goals allowed, surrendering 2.14 per match. The Bulldogs of UMD were not far behind in either category, ranking eighth in goals for at 3.40/game, and ninth in goals allowed, surrendering 2.27/game. Although both teams have been very strong on the man advantage (Harvard – 25.9%, UMD – 20%), they were also both suspect in killing penalties (Harvard – 82.6%, UMD – 81%), neither finishing in the top 30 nationwide. Neither team has a marked size advantage over the other.

Goalies

Both teams have strong NCAA netminders, with Harvard’s Merrick Madsen also qualifying as a legit pro prospect, having been drafted in 2013 by Philadelphia. His counterpart, Hunter Miska, was overlooked in his draft eligible year in the USNTDP, where he was third stringer behind Vancouver prospect Thatcher Demko and Michigan State’s Edwin Minney. While Madsen gets the edge here as a prospect, the difference between he and Miska is marginal. Both have been workhorses for their respective teams, and should be expected to provide impressive work between the pipes on Thursday.

Defense

Looking at the blueliners set to face off in this game, Harvard’s edge gets a boost. UMD’s most prominent defenseman, Carson Soucy, has been out for close to one month and his availability for the Frozen Four is still in question as of this writing. If he gets the green light, and is truly back at close to 100%, he would go a great way for the Bulldogs as his combination of size, hockey IQ and two-way is rare at this level. Without Soucy, the UMD blueline will be led by senior Willie Raskob and sophomore Neal Pionk, the latter of whom has been under watch by scouts all season due to his plus puck movement capabilities. He was one of the leading scorers among defensemen in college hockey this year. That said, the number one blueline contributor to offense in the nation is lining up on the other side of the ice in this game.

Harvard freshman Adam Fox finished his year with 39 points in 34 games, despite taking some time off to help the American U20 squad win the gold medal at the WJC. Fox is a fantastic puck player and the Calgary draft pick is a top prospect by any measure. The Harvard backline is pretty deep with NHL-caliber prospects. Fellow freshman John Marino is an Edmonton draft pick and big Wiley Sherman was drafted by Boston. Both teams receive plenty of contributions from their defensemen, but if Soucy is hurt or too much below his full capability, Harvard will have a decided advantage.

Forwards

Both teams have two good collegiate scoring lines, with a pretty sizeable dropoff in the bottom six. For UMD, the offensive leader is Alex Iafallo, a senior who has nearly doubled his previous season high this year. Scouts will be looking at him as well as Neal Pionk for potential ELCs. The other big names among their forwards are Adam Johnson (onetime scoring leader in the USHL), Joseph Anderson (WJC gold medal winner and New Jersey draft pick), Dominic Toninato (power forward whose rights are controlled by the Toronto Maple Leafs), Kyle Osterberg, Karson Kuhlman, and Riley Tufte (drafted in the first round last year by Dallas). Tufte is not technically in the top six, but is worth mention, not just as a former first rounder, but as his play has picked up a lot in the second half of the year after a very slow start. They are a hard working crew, getting results without the dazzle of some other squads, but goals count the same whether they were produced through individual displays of finesse, or solid team structure and boring efficiency.

The top six for Harvard includes Tyler Moy (Nashville sixth rounder), Alexander Kerfoot (New Jersey fifth rounder), Sean Malone (Buffalo sixth rounder), Ryan Donato (Boston second rounder), Luke Esposito and Lewis Zerter-Gossage. Moy, Kerfoot, and Donato are all especially notable as plus skaters with puck handling chops. Moy, Kerfoot, Malone, and Esposito are all seniors.

Prediction

Fantastic hockey. This game should feature a lot of back and forth and many high end scoring chances for both teams, but Harvard’s advantage in speed and puck skills should allow them to win, 5-3, booking a spot in their first NCAA championship game since they won the title in 1988-89, a team which included current head coach Ted Donato (Ryan Donato’s father).

MANCHESTER, NH - MARCH 26: Notre Dame Fighting Irish right wing Anders Bjork (10) breaks away from UMass Lowell River Hawks right wing John Edwardh (29) during the NCAA Northeast Regional final between the UMass Lowell River Hawks and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on March 26, 2017, at SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Fighting Irish defeated the River Hawks 3-2 (OT). (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Notre Dame vs Denver

Although the Fighting Irish entered the tournament as a fourth seed, upsetting first Minnesota and then Mass-Lowell to reach the Frozen Four, do not mistake them for a pushover here. Even before last weekend, this was a high end NCAA hockey team. They could score - finishing 13^th nationwide with 3.26 goals for per game – and defend – finishing eighth in goals against, allowing only 2.23 against per content. In truth, neither of figures reaches the heights that were managed by the Denver Pioneers, but neither falls too far short.

The top ranked Pioneers scored an additional goal every sixth game approximately, compared to Notre Dame, and allowed 0.4 goals per game less than the Irish, giving Denver the best defense in the country. Both teams were practically equal at killing penalties, but Denver has a decided advantage when playing with an extra man. UD converted on 21.74% of their power plays, a top ten figure, while Notre Dame was only 34^th, scoring on 18.02% of their power plays.

Goalies

Although Denver allowed fewer goals per game than did Notre Dame, we must take that with a grain of salt when it comes to evaluating the netminders. The reason for that is that Denver gave a lot of time in the crease to Florida prospect Evan Cowley, whose numbers dwarfed those of nominal starter Tanner Jaillet, raising the team’s overall save percentage. Cal Petersen, Notre Dame’s starter, and in this observer’s opinion, the top netminder in NCAA, played all but one period for the Irish this year, the very definition of a workhorse. Jaillet is a decent netminder, but I feel that his numbers are propped up by playing behind a dominant team with quality players at every position. While Notre Dame is not without NHL-caliber talent, Petersen has to do more on his own. And he has. His six shutouts this year are tied for the NCAA lead, while Jaillet, on the other hand, has not kept a clean sheet all year. The edge is not huge, but I give it here to Notre Dame.

Defense

Led by captain Will Butcher, Denver has one of the best blueliners in collegiate hockey playing for them. The Colorado draft, a senior who was recently nominated for the Hobey Baker award, is a dynamic puck moving defender. He is quick, with soft hands and a very nice shot from the point. Michael Davies, Adam Plant and Chicago draft pick Blake Hillman round out the top four. With the exception of Hillman, they are an undersized crew (only two of their regular six man rotation stands higher than 5-10”), but make up for that deficiency with excellent mobility.

Each of Notre Dame’s top five can contribute to the offense, including Chicago draft pick Dennis Gilbert, and Blue Jacket’s prospect Andrew Peeke. Jordan Gross will also likely attract NHL attention when he decides to end his collegiate career. They are also a much bigger unit than the crew Denver is bringing to the Frozen Four, with four of the six standing at least 6-0” tall. There is not a dynamic player like Will Butcher in the bunch, but this unit is deeper in that Denver will have to respect them all in every shift.

Forwards

Here is where I get excited. The two combatants respective top lines are both in the running for the best NCAA line. Notre Dame lines up with Hobey Baker nominee Anders Bjork, a Boston draft pick, generally skating with Montreal pick Jake Evans and Andrew Oglevie. With Denver, their top trio includes Florida first rounder Henrik Borgstrom, Team USA WJC shootout hero Troy Terry and Sharks pick Dylan Gambrell. Between Borgstrom and Bjork, it is almost a push, but the other two-thirds of Denver’s top line has more all-around dynamicism. All three of them are marvelous, NHL-level puck players. Jake Evans has impressed me with his offensive vision, but Oglevie is more along the lines of a skilled grinder.

The Irish have more talent in their depth lines, but that intrinsic advantage has not led to extrinsic results. Denver’s middle six, including players like Evan Janssen, Matt Marcinew, and Jarid Lukosevicius are all capable of dominating shifts through hard work and hockey IQ. Notre Dame’s Cam Morrison has shown occasional flashes of the skill that convinced the Colorado Avalanche to use a second round pick on him last year, but is also prone to quiet stretches. If Buffalo prospect Connor Hurley were active, that would likely tilt the scales in Notre Dame’s favor, but he has not played in months and is not expected to play this weekend.

Prediction

More fantastic hockey! Seriously, I am excited. This game will come down to which team’s second line does more. Matchups will play huge factor here. So while it may be counter-intuitive, I suspect that Notre Dame will either shut out the Pioneers 2-0, or Denver will win 3-2. Based on what I know, I will go with Denver in the latter scenario.

Championship Prediction

If the above predictions come to fruition, we will see a final of Harvard vs Denver on Saturday. In this case, I would pick the Crimson to emerge as champions, with their ability to dominate through two lines backed up by a talented blueline and high end netminder doing enough to keep Denver’s amazing top line at bay. Let’s call it 4-3 Harvard over Denver for the title.

Willie Raskob propels Shattuck to NIT title

Michael Sonday — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 11:09:34 +0000

Defenseman Willie Raskob and his Shattuck St. Mary’s Sabres used three overtime wins to capture the Bauer National Invitational Tournament this past weekend in New Hope, Minnesota.

Though backstopped by Marty Brodeur's son, Anthony Brodeur, this Shattuck squad lacks the top-end talent of past year's, although there are a few players that deserve attention and could warrant a late-round pick next June.

Hypothetically speaking, this draft class for Shattuck could have included the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Taylor Cammarata, and Connor Hurley had they stayed at the prep school.

Shattuck does have younger players loaded with skill, such as Nathan Noel and Ryan Norman, however they are not eligible until the 2015 NHL Draft.

Here’s a look at Shattuck’s noteworthy prospects that could be selected in 2013:

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Willie Raskob (D, 2013) - Raskob was the best player for Shattuck all weekend long as he logged a ton of ice time and was their special teams go-to player .. demonstrated a great ability to track opposing forwards and keep them to the outside .. the Hastings, Minnesota native displayed good offensive instincts, his talent accumulating from a mixture of hockey smarts and pure skill .. possesses tremendous foot speed when rushing the puck, weaving in and out of traffic with relative ease .. totalled a goal and four assists in three games during the tournament, highlighting his distribution skills by consistently making tape-to-tape passes .. also boasts a good shot even if it is a bit inconsistent .. seemingly had a tough time with accuracy when attempting to shoot harder or release with alternative looks .. uses quick maneuvers to get out of harm’s way and transitions the puck up ice efficiently by skating or passing .. at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, Raskob does not have the prototypical hockey body, however his overall talent could make him a viable selection in the 2013 NHL Draft.

Anthony Brodeur (G, 2013) - Naturally, expectations will be high when you’re the son of, arguably, the greatest goalie in NHL history .. although the younger Brodeur is blessed with the hockey bloodlines, the same cannot be said about his stature .. at 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, he doesn't have the luxury of making the cheap save simply due to size, and therefore must earn each and every save .. stopped 47 shots in the championship game, a 5-4 win over Minnesota Red, even though he saw few quality scoring chances and allowed a weak goal that fluttered through his five-hole .. did show mental toughness by being able to bounce back from the bad goal and stay focused .. possesses great lateral movement - goes post-to-post very quickly .. a butterfly-style goalie with extremely quick legs and fast recovery on low shots .. the book on Brodeur is to shoot high, as his small build and butterfly style can leave the upper corners open for the picking .. however, he does an adequate job coming out of his net and challenging the shooter, but could bargain to come out even further in order to better cut the angles .. demonstrated poor control at times and a tendency to over-commit on lateral movements .. did display solid rebound control, an area he has continued to develop .. his skills while playing the puck are good, albeit not extraordinary like his father .. should draw interest to play Division One hockey, however is likely a long shot to get drafted by the NHL at this point.

Max Becker (RW, 2013) - Played the pest role effectively all weekend as he frustrated opposing defenders with his persistence around the net and willingness to not back down from confrontation .. Becker tends to get his share of garbage goals thanks to his feisty play and good strength .. possesses good hands in traffic - able to corral the puck in the slot and release a shot quickly .. contributed a goal and three assists in the tournament demonstrating good puck control and nice patience, allowing extra time for teammates to find an opening .. deceptively fast - propelled by a short, compact stride that he uses to beat defenders to the outside .. boasts an unquestionable work ethic as he plays a complete 200-foot game, even showing extra aggressiveness on the defensive end .. despite having high-end skills, his size - 5-foot-9, 170 pounds - could become a deterrent come draft day.

Matt McArdle (D, 2013) - The Annapolis, Maryland native played reliable defense throughout the tournament, and was an instrumental part in Shattuck’s success .. did a good job seizing the attack of oncoming forwards by impeding their progress with an active stick while exploiting his 6-foot-1 frame to rub them out of the play .. helps his goaltender see outside shots by clearing opposing forwards from in front of the net .. all his movements are fluid and smooth, making his transitions seamless .. classified as a stay-at-home defenseman, as he rarely joins the rush up ice and keeps the game simple by gaining zones .. must continue to refine his puckhandling skills as he requires too much time to make a decision and execute while under pressure .. his suitors may be limited due to being a one-dimensional player competing at a lower level of play.

Tyler Vesel (C, 2013) - After not being selected last June, Vesel is an overager taking advantage of the added reasonability and extra ice time this season as he leads Shattuck in scoring with 25 points in 18 games .. performed very well in the National Invitational Tournament, and was a constant threat in the offensive zone .. displays very sharp hockey savvy as he is seemingly always in the right place at the right time .. packs a very accurate shot that he can bury from the top of the slot area .. puts himself in scoring opportunities and gains position on opposing defenders by exploiting great anticipation of the play .. his skating is only average even though he does possesses a good first step .. overall, his skating technique could use some refinement but is not a major weakness .. while passed over by all 30 teams last year, Vesel’s scoring ability is becoming hard to ignore and could warrant a late-round NHL pick.