Lawrence Groton Tournament Day 2
Neutral Zone was again in attendance for day 2 of the Lawrence Groton Holiday Tournament. The Scores from the day are posted below. Because the games were simultaneously played at 2 rinks, we were only able to focus on two of the games. Detailed writeups of those games are included below.
Groton 7 vs. Proctor 3
Dexter 5 vs. Culver 4
Lawrence 4 vs. Pomfret 0
Cushing 8 vs. Holderness 1
Groton 7 vs. Proctor 3
The hosts held a 5-1 lead entering the third period and used goals from Bryan McLachlan (San Pedro, CA) and Colin Rosato (Concord, NH) to take a 7-1 lead. Before the end of the game, Proctor scored twice getting tallies from Grant Porter (Burlington, MA) and Ronan Walsh (Andover, NH – University of Vermont).
For the victors, Marc Borghi (Rye Beach, NH) had a strong game. He is used in all situations and has a big body and long reach. He did a good job driving the puck wide and beating defenders with his speed. He has some touch on his passes and made a few nice reads to find teammates through seams in the neutral zone. Luke Beckstein (Tyngsborough, MA) was good in all three zones. He works hard and never stops his feet from moving. He takes good angles pressuring the puck and uses an active stick to cut down passing lanes. On defense, Thomas Dempsey (Chatham, NJ) plays a ton of big minutes for the Zebras. He is a big, strong defender that snaps tape-to-tape passes. He kept good gaps through the neutral zone and forced forwards to the perimeter of the rink. He has a big shot from the point and uses his feet to change angles so he can get the puck through to the net.
Proctor had a difficult night, but saw good performances from a few players. James Tepper (Shrewsbury, MA) was around the puck and made plays happen. He made a nice read and dish on the last goal. He is athletic and gets up and down the ice well. He has a slick set of hands and breaks down defenders one-on-one. Kevin Urquhart (Burlington, MA) is a strong, power forward that plays a direct style. He drives the puck wide and uses his size and reach to fend off defenders. He has a good set of hands and can make defenders miss in space.
Three Stars
- Marc Borghi – Groton
- Luke Beckstein – Groton
- Thomas Dempsey – Groton
Dexter 5 vs. Culver 4
Dexter started quickly and held a 5-2 lead going into the third period. Culver played a strong third and scored twice to cut the lead to one. Culver had some sustained pressure with the goalie pulled, but couldn’t find the equalizer and dropped a 5-4 decision.
For Dexter, Jack Dempsey (Natick, MA) was a force all night. He is a big body that plays a strong, heavy game. He has a good set of hands and made several nice plays in transition. He plays under control and doesn’t rush or force passes. He used his reach and body well to buy time and space along the walls in the offensive zone and made several nice reads to find teammates open back-door. Doug Grimes (Brookline, MA – Boston University) also had a nice night. He has a long stride and gets up to speed quickly. He made several nice plays in transition through the neutral zone. He attacks with speed and has the skill to make plays at top speed. On defense, John Fusco (Westwood, MA – Harvard University) lead the charge from the back-end. He escapes pressure well and is confident with the puck on his stick. He is slick on the Power Play and constantly looks to jump backdoor.
For Culver, Timofey Spitserov (Istra, Moscow, Russia) scored two goals and was around the net all night. The second of his goals was one of the nicer plays that we will see this prep season. He picked-off a pass, walked down the slot and faked to his forehand before using one-hand to push the puck on his backhand past the Dexter goalie. He has a quick first step and gets up to speed quickly. He can break down defenders with a slick set of hands and is good off-the-cycle. On defense, Cole Stoffet (Mccordsville, IN – Air Force Academy) and Spencer Cox (Powell, Ohio) play big minutes for the Cadets. Stoffet is a smart defender that makes simple plays easily. He snaps passes and tries to stretch the ice. He is positionally balanced and doesn’t run around in his own end. He keeps good gaps and uses a quick stick to cut down space. Cox is a big, mean defender. He is athletic and confident. He is physical and punishes forwards through the middle of the ice and along the walls. He has a big shot from the point and shoots through screens. He activates offensively and tries to sneak back door.
Three Stars
1 – Jack Dempsey – Dexter
2 – Doug Grimes – Dexter
3 – Timofey Spitserov – Culver