Neutral Zone was on site at Mount St. Charles for a U14 matchup featuring two of the top programs in the country: Mount St. Charles and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite. With one scout in attendance and the support of InStat analytics, we compiled baseline evaluations on 26 players. These reports highlight current tendencies, strengths and areas for growth as these 2011-born prospects begin their Bantam seasons.
Mount St. Charles U14 – Player Evaluations
Charlie Fox (C, L, 5’8″, 143, Mount St. Charles U14, 03/24/2011) Fox was noticeable right from the start as he played a smart and efficient 200′ game down the middle. He finished with two goals and an assist, showing strong hands and the ability to strike from the slot with a quick release. His second goal came after pulling a bouncing puck off the wall and a quick overexaggerated head fake to create shooting space. This basic play happens hundreds of times during a game and highlighted his first touch and offensive creativity. He consistently stayed on the defensive side in coverage, making smart reads and turning sound defensive reads into offensive transition opportunities. Fox is a high-end prospect with skill, poise and two-way compete who finished with 2 goals and a primary assist. Garde: A
Sam Archibald (D, R, 6’0″, 165, Mount St. Charles U14, 02/02/2011) Archibald is a long, rangy right shot defenseman who led Mount St. Charles in ice time, logging big minutes on both the power play and penalty kill. His skating is smooth and fluid, with long strides and an easy heel-to-heel pivot that allowed him to shut down line rushes in the neutral zone and control pace Mount’s pace of play from the back end. He showed poise with the puck, handling poor passes cleanly on both forehand and backhand, and he managed transitions with purpose and confidence. Having played up an age group last season, his maturity and presence were evident, as he dictated much of MSC’s rhythm and flow. Grade: A
Arjun Mangadu (LW, L, 5’7″, 141, Mount St. Charles U14, 05/14/2011) Mangadu, an average sized left winger, set the tone early with pace, energy and abrasiveness. He competed hard off the opening draw, showing a willingness to battle and play through contact. Offensively, he attacked the net with purpose, driving downhill to the low slot looking for tips or rebounds with a strong prepared stick. In his own end he worked to clear pucks in the grey area, bringing the same pace and effort defensively as he did on the attack. A high-compete forward who plays with urgency in all three zones. He finished with 2 goals. Grade: A-
Jack Cross (C, R, 5’7″, 146, Mount St. Charles U14, 11/29/2011) Cross is an average sized right shot forward who played right wing on the top unit with strong detail and competitiveness. He showed creativity with the puck on his stick and when locating his linemates in the weakside dot-lane, making smart decisions along the walls and using indirect passes to spark transition chances. His strong stick and willingness to engage physically made him effective in winning battles in tight areas, while offensively he found quiet ice and drove the net looking for rebounds. A late 2011 birthdate with a competitive edge and offensive touch, he’s a player to track closely moving forward. He finished with 1 assist. Grade: B+
Robbie McCann (RW, R, 5’8″, 141, Mount St. Charles U14, 06/28/2011) McCann is a high energy right winger who plays with pace and pressure, using his speed to force defenders into poor decisions leading to mistakes and creating turnovers. He consistently hunts open ice in transition and shows a natural scoring touch around the net. He buried a second period goal by cleanly corralling a low point shot, quickly spinning and sliding it through the goalie’s legs. The quick stick and edge work are both good examples of his quick hands and opportunistic mindset. McCann looks to create offense on every shift and brings a spark with his pace and competitive drive. Grade: B+
Beckett Forsyth (D, R, 6’0″, 146, Mount St. Charles U14, 01/24/2011) Forsyth is a right shot defenseman who primarily played the left side and showed confidence in both his puck play and overall pace. On breakouts he used his hips and backside to protect pucks when under heavy pressure and moved the puck with crisp, accurate passes off both his forehand and backhand. Offensively, he looked to join the rush at the top of the diamond and wasn’t hesitant to slide down to the tops of the circles to put himself in position for one-timers or shooting opportunities. Defensively, he stayed aggressive on the walls, pinching on passes and applying a stick on puck mentality to disrupt zone exits and line rushes. Forsyth played a two-way game with energy and purpose, setting a strong baseline for continued development. Grade: B+
Rowan Missell (D, R, 6’0″, 156, Mount St. Charles U14, 03/14/2011) Missell is a long, rangy right shot defenseman who looks bigger than his listed 6’0″ frame and looks like he is still growing. He played primarily even strength minutes and brought a presence on the back end. He showed a quick first step, leaned on his inside edges to drive opponents into the wall and boxed out with purpose while tying up sticks around the crease. Offensively, he supported the attack as a consistent second layer, picking his spots to jump into the rush without forcing plays. Missell is a defender with size and mobility who provided stability throughout the game. Grade: B
Jaxon Mood (C, R, 5’7″, 146, Mount St. Charles U14, 06/28/2011) Mood is a right shot center who looked comfortable receiving passes and making confident plays between the dots showing confidence with the puck even with a defender stepping up from the weakside. He used a strong full stride cross under to gain speed through transition and his long, fluid strides made him an effective F1 forechecker, pressuring opposing defenders, forcing quick decisions and jumping on 50/50 loose pucks. In the defensive zone, he communicated well with his defensemen, directing traffic and providing structure by calling out switches and pointing out outlets. Offensively, he played with pace, drove the net hard and created looks as a leader on the second unit. Grade: B
Tyler Wood (D, L, 5’7″, 142, Mount St. Charles U14, 02/11/2011) Wood is a steady, top pairing left defenseman for Mount who logged heavy minutes at even strength and played a key role on the penalty kill. Wood defends with a physical edge, closing with a stick length stick on puck gap in the neutral zone and stepping up with purposeful, timely hits to disrupt entries near the red line. On breakouts he showed good awareness by working with his partner to be a back diagonal outlet option, using body positioning to set subtle picks and to work in the dot-lanes to create clean outlets. His passes were firm, flat and on time. He showed puck poise under pressure. He was a reliable, hard-nosed defender who thrived in tough areas and embraces the gritty side of the game. Grade: B
Jameson Downs (RW, R, 5’7″, 144, Mount St. Charles U14, 01/14/2011) Downs is a right shot winger who plays with pace and urgency, consistently keeping himself engaged on both sides of the puck throughout his full shift. In the offensive zone he finished checks with purpose and showed the ability to bounce off contact to create open ice. He handled faceoffs with intent, demonstrating structure in his approach whether his unit won or lost the draw. On the power play he was an active piece around the net, using quick hands to make short, subtle passes that extended possessions and generated momentum. we feel his competitive motor and net-front aggressiveness will lead to goals as the season progresses. Grade: B
Jay Vivian (LW, L, 6’3″, 218, Mount St. Charles U14, 08/25/2011) Vivian is a big bodied left shot forward who combines size with a notably soft first touch. He used his frame effectively, shielding pucks with his hips and back while showing the poise to deliver clean, accurate passes that many players his age and size can’t yet execute. He recorded a secondary assist on Robbie McCann’s second period goal, creating the play by chasing down a loose puck, then protecting the puck below the right-side goal line and moving it to the strong side point for a shot. A young power forward with puck skills and poise, Vivian showed flashes of advanced ability and will be a player to monitor as he continues to mature physically. Grade: B-
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14 – Player Evaluations
Cameron Pelle (D, R, 5’9″, 144, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 01/27/2011) Pelle is a smooth right shot defenseman with a shoulder width, knee over toe stride that gives him both balance and an effortless glide. He showed the ability to close quickly on rushes by using a clean heel to heel pivot and strong mobility through the neutral zone that made him never look hurried or out of control. With the puck, he delivered hard, flat passes that consistently found his teammate’s tape through the maze of sticks or skates and made himself available for second layer support in transition. He was a key contributor on the power play, picking up a primary assist by walking the puck off the left wall, sucking the strong side penalty killer out of position and giving a pass to the dot-lane to set up a shooter in stride. Pelle looks to make plays in all three zones but does so within the framework of the game, showing patience and discipline to stay in position. A high-end young defenseman with strong foundational tools to build on. Grade: A
D’Angelo Fluhme (LW, L, 5’10”, 139, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 10/20/2011) Fluhme is a left shot forward who plays a physical, north-south style and consistently looks to initiate contact before jumping into open the open ice. In the defensive zone he engaged physically to force turnovers and transition quickly, while in the offensive end he drove hard to the net and was ready to capitalize on rebounds or pucks along the wall. He showed strong puck anticipation and a quick, clean release, highlighted by a power play goal where he handled a pass without hesitation and snapped bullet over the goalie’s blocker. Fluhme also made an impact as a puck mover on the power play, recording a primary assist by settling a bouncing puck and getting it on net to create a scoring chance that was finished on the rebound. His blend of strength, physicality and touch around the net made him a noticeable presence in this game. He is a late 2011 to watch. Grade: A
Cullen Hall (C, L, 5’11”, 137, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 02/17/2011) Hall is a left-shot forward whose pace and acceleration were evident from his first shift. He reached top speed in a single stride or crossover, consistently creating miss matches in speed or poor gaps for his opponents. Offensively, he was highly impactful, scoring twice and adding an assist. His first goal came on a high-slot tip followed by winning a rebound battle after beating his man off the far-side wall to the mid-slot, while his second was the result of an intercepted D-to-D pass that he converted into a breakaway, finishing with strength on a forehand-backhand roof despite a defenseman being on his back. His assist showed his poise and awareness, as he corralled a bouncing puck on his backhand, drove wide and then stopped up to find a linemate in the high slot. Hall’s speed and relentless pressure made him a constant mismatch throughout the game. Grade: A
Austin Jessup (D, L, 5’11”, 146, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 04/01/2011) Jessup is a left shot defenseman with an upright, knee-over-toe skating base that gives him a smooth, effortless glide and quick feet to close space. He defended with his stick on the ice and used an active strong single hand poke check to disrupt plays and force turnovers, showing confidence in his reads during neutral zone transitions where he surfed effectively from the weak side. Offensively, he moved pucks with the appropriate pace, delivering hard, flat passes his teammates could handle easily and he showed the ability to get his point shots through traffic to create rebound opportunities. Trusted on the penalty kill, Jessup showed a willingness to block shots and provided steady, detail oriented play on the back end. Grade: A –
Brayden Pearsall (C, L, 5’6″, 137, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 01/11/2011) Pearsall is an average sized left shot top unit center who stood out for his strength and intelligence, particularly in the faceoff circle where he won 67% of his draws. He skated with a deep knee bend and long, fluid stride, showing balance and power that made him difficult to knock off pucks. His strength was evident when he drew a penalty in the neutral zone simply by moving his feet and overpowering his opponent. On the power play he worked the right side flank effectively, demonstrating vision and creativity by finding seams through the royal road, including a secondary assist on a second period goal. Pearsall’s combination of strength, poise and playmaking ability made him a key player against Mount St. Charles. Grade: A-
Aiden Wamboldt (D, L, 5’11”, 151, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 01/20/2011) Aiden Wamboldt is a left shot defenseman who played the right side and brought a steady, defense first approach. He scanned over both shoulders on retrievals, moved pucks quickly into offensive transition and showed confidence using the walls for purposeful, well placed indirect passes to his forwards. His game stayed within structure, providing a consistent second layer of support offensively without forcing plays. On the penalty kill he used an active stick to read passing lanes and made smart decisions about when to pressure and when to contain. His strength and competitiveness stood out among his peers, giving him a solid foundation to build on as he continues to develop. Grade: B+
David Chappell (D, L, 6’1″, 178, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 03/21/2011) Chappell is a strong, left-shot defenseman who brings a defensive first mentality and consistently makes smart, high-percentage plays on both sides of the puck. He uses the net effectively on retrievals, treating it as a shield to evade forecheckers and transition pucks cleanly. He maintained a tight gap in the neutral zone and was assertive at the defensive blue line, stepping up to force plays and deny clean zone entries. In his own end, he defended from the middle out, kept his stick active in both shooting or passing lanes and leaned on his strong lower body to pin opponents along the wall and drive them out of shooting areas. His physical strength and sturdy defensive presence were clear differentiators in this matchup. Grade: B+
Cameron Cline (C, R, 6’1″, 155, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 05/02/2011) Cline is a big, strong centerman who combined power with detail in his game. He won his faceoffs by preparing well, showing a heavy stick and using his feet to direct pucks toward teammates. He played with an edge, highlighted by a penalty taken after clearing an opponent from the crease post-whistle. The play had the type of aggressive, protective play that projects very well at higher levels. Offensively, he scored on a quick release from the slot, burying a bounce off the end boards under the bar from just inside the hash marks. Skating from a deep knee bend with his chest high, he kept a prepared stick and maintained net side positioning through contact. A prototypical young power center with size, strength and finishing touch who will be closely tracked. Grade: B
Rowan Broze (D, R, 6’1″, 156, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 08/30/2011) Broze is a long, lanky right-shot defenseman who looks well over six feet tall and played with noticeable snarl and edge. From his first shift he established a physical presence, finishing hits with authority and adding an extra shove to make opponents feel uncomfortable. He used his body positioning effectively, pinning opponents along the wall to end cycles and complemented that with an active stick to disrupt plays from below the goal line and on line rushes. On retrievals he kept his feet moving and delivered hard, flat, accurate passes to initiate transition. Offensively, he supported as a second wave, playing high-percentage hockey and rarely drifting below the tops of the circles. Skating from an upright posture with a slight heel kick that should flatten with added core strength, Broze combines length, stick detail and nastiness, making him a defenseman to watch as he continues to mature. Grade: B
Lucas Jones (C, L, 6’1″, 161, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 01/18/2011) Jones is a tall left shot forward who primarily played the left wing but also took a few faceoffs. He skates with a knee-over-toe athletic shoulder width base and a high chest posture, generating long strides and good straight-line speed, though his cross-unders and first three steps are still developing explosiveness and power. He played strong through contact, initiated hits and consistently kept a prepared stick. His goal in this game was a product of detail and effort: starting with winning a race to a loose puck, an on the tape breakout pass, then moving his feet to join the rush and finishing by winning a net-front battle to bury a quick stick rebound off the far pad. Jones projects as a potential power winger with size, strength and a willingness to go to hard areas, making him a player to track as he matures. Grade: B
Ashton Wamboldt (LW, L, 5’9″, 121, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 01/20/2011) Ashton Wamboldt is a left-shot forward who played the right wing and stood out to Neutral Zone for his intelligence and versatility. He showed a soft backhand touch, handling bouncing passes cleanly and quickly transitioning to his forehand to find cross-ice outlets, often hitting the weak-side defenseman in stride as he activated. He logged top unit minutes at even strength, was a net-front or goal line presence on the power play where his quick stick and puck anticipation allowed him to pounce on loose pucks and played an active role on the penalty kill by pressuring Mount St. Charles’ defense into hurried passes. On line rushes, he shot with purpose often looking for downhill tips, rebounds off the far pad or seams for trailing options in the wide dot-lane. Wamboldt’s constant motion, situational awareness and ability to read the game made him one of Pittsburgh’s most noticeable forwards in this matchup. Grade: B
Jack Carlson (C, R, 5’7″, 138, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 10/16/2011) Carlson is currently an undersized right shot center who compensates with a fearless, competitive style. He engaged in battles across all three zones, consistently keeping net-side positioning and showing the awareness to limit opponents’ options by consistently playing within their hips. In the offensive zone, he spun off contact to attack the crease, driving hard with his stick on the ice looking for tips, rebounds or loose pucks below the goal line, and had most importantly he showed the strength and balance to hold his ground in front. Defensively, he pinned opponents along the wall and denied them clean paths to the net. With the puck, Carlson displayed quickness, agility and a wide dribble in his stickhandling that added deception to his offensive game. His pace and willingness to compete made him a noticeable presence shift after shift. Grade: B
James Halliday (LW, L, 5’7″, 143, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 06/03/2011) Halliday is a left-shot forward with strong speed, quickness and agility, skating from a shoulder-width, knee-over-toe base that allows him to generate cross-under acceleration through a full outside edge thrust. His pace and balance stood out on a play where he won a race to a loose puck, shielded it with his frame and delivered a backhand pass to an activating defenseman into the high slot for a secondary assist. This sequence highlighted his strength, poise and ability to keep his eyes up while under duress. He contributed on both special teams, using his speed and stick detail to win puck battles and extend momentum on the power play while forcing turnovers and killing time on the penalty kill. Halliday’s speed and 200′ compete level made him a factor in all three zones and a consistent presence throughout the game. Grade: B
Owen Gulnac (RW, R, 5’6″, 138, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 12/30/2011) Gulnac is an undersized right shot forward who impressed with his nonstop motor and smart details. He kept his feet moving throughout shifts, winning battles along the wall and transitioning pucks or his body into open ice his body contact created. In both offensive and defensive transition, he consistently faced the puck, showing smooth pivots and an easy glide that allowed him to maintain pace. Despite his size, he played with fearlessness, finishing checks against larger opponents and bouncing off contact into the soft ice he created. His awareness on line rushes stood out, as he filled lanes with purpose, understanding width and depth that created structure and offensive opportunities for his line. A December 2011 birthdate, Gulnac is still developing physically, but his intelligence and compete level make him as a player to track. Grade: B-
Ryan Schweitzer (C, R, 5’9″, 143, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14, 07/01/2011) Schweitzer is an average sized right shot winger who plays with quick feet and his feet continually moving. In the offensive zone he was in constant motion. He forced defenders to track him from the low slot to the high slot and back as he moved laterally through the royal road and creating problems with his activity. He scored a power play goal by winning a puck battle and finishing in tight. While cycling he showed poise protecting pucks by using his hips to shield defenders and the edge control to spin off of heavy contact into open ice. Defensively, he played with his stick on the ice, disrupting passing lanes looking to create turnovers and transition. His skating, agility and nonstop style made him an effective presence and a player who stood out in this game. Grade: B-
Final Thoughts
This high level matchup provided valuable baseline reads on both Mount St. Charles and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U14 players. Neutral Zone was able to see which players were driving possession and producing offense, while also noticing reliable defensive contributors and transition starters. These evaluations will serve as baseline evaluations as Neutral Zone scouts continue to track the 2011 class throughout the 2025–26 season and beyond.
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images