The lists are not a ranking, which is why there are no numbers attached. The “A” players were noticeable nearly every shift we saw them, while the “B” players were noticeable at times, though not as consistently as the “A” players. Warren also features a heavy shot from the point, which he doesn’t use indiscriminately – only when the situation calls for it.Īs for the rest of the players, we have broken them down into two categories. He controls the game from the back end, slowing down the play on the breakout by eluding forecheckers and making solid passes to his forwards. right-shot defenseman Marshall Warren, who has superb skating ability paired with a high hockey IQ and a terrific set of hands. The other standout was the New Jersey Colonials 5’6”, 130 lb. The 8 th grader yielded only three goals while playing all but half a game in the entire tournament. He’s always in control, fills up the net, and, basically, looks unbeatable. It’s fair to say Knight is the best 13-year-old goalie we’ve seen in a couple of years – specifically, since Springfield Cathedral/Springfield Rifles goalie Keith Petruzelli, a ’99 who is now a sophomore, burst on the scene. Mid-Fairfield goaltender Spencer Knight, who had long-time observers reaching for superlatives. While there were plenty of excellent players on the Flames – and many other teams – we felt that there were two players in the tournament who rose above the rest. In a 9-1 win over a solid group from Team Comcast, they had nine different goal scorers. All players contributed in all three zones. There were no excessive goal celebrations, and no screaming coaches on the bench. Each player went about his business and played a clean, puck possession-based game. They were as good as some of the best teams we have ever seen at this age level. They featured a pair of good goalies, the strongest defensive corps in the entire tournament, and some very talented forwards. The best ’01 team here – by far – was the Minuteman Flames.
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