Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic: NY/NJ/CT Prospects and Game Reports

Avon Old Farms' Tyler Boucher (Haddonfield, N.J.) was one of the top prospects in the AOF Christmas Classic. (Cam Andrews/AOF)

Gunnery won the 2018 Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic by going 3-0-1 over the weekend at the newly-renovated Jennings Fairchild Rink on the campus in Avon, Conn.

Gunnery had the most depth of any of the eight teams in the tournament. Craig Badger’s team downed St. Paul’s School, 2-0, in Saturday afternoon’s championship game after beating Trinity-Pawling and Loomis-Chaffee and tying Kent in round robin play.

The hosts also went 3-0-1, but lost in a shootout, which prevented them from playing in Saturday’s championship game against Gunnery. The Winged Beavers had been dinged a couple of times heading into the tournament, but this could be John Gardner’s most complete team in a few years. There’s some depth and the team has a solid, veteran goaltender in Providence commit and 2019 NHL Draft hopeful Alex Aslanidis.

With the tournament starting Thursday, it provided a good opportunity for college coaches and NHL scouts to take in the action before the three major tournaments in the Boston area started a day later.

College coaches were in the rink to watch a few of the top uncommitted players as well as check in on their previously committed players. Several uncommitted players stood out as Division I players on Thursday.

The following reports, including scoring recaps, notable prospect performances, and lines, are from the four games played Thursday. Games were two 25-minute halves instead of the traditional three 18-minute periods in prep.

Gunnery holds off Trinity-Pawling

Gunnery’s top line of left wing Riley Brennan, center Robert Cronin, and right wing Alex Jefferies led the team to victory with three of the team’s four goals in a 4-3 win over Trinity-Pawling.

Gunnery held a 2-0 lead after 25 minutes on goals from Jefferies, a Merrimack commit, and defenseman Jimmy Rayhill, committed to Cornell. Jefferies sniped a shot high glove from the top of the left wing circle after receiving a drop pass on zone entry. From the left circle, Cronin hit a pinching Rayhill at the backdoor for the 2-0 advantage.

Ryan Trom gave Gunnery a 3-0 lead just a few minutes into the second half when he jammed home a loose puck at the right post. David Andreychuk picked up the primary assist.

Trinity-Pawling cut the lead to two less than a minute later when Jake Aloi redirected a shot from Shane Murphy.

Gunnery regained its three-goal lead with 11:43 left in the game. Playing four-aside, Cronin won a face-off, walked the opposing center, and fed Brennan for an easy tap-in.

Despite going down three goals, T-P showed no quit. On a rare two-on-one rush with two defensemen leading the charge, Stephen Perez finished off a pass from Gabe Blanchard (East Aurora, N.Y.) for the score.

Another defenseman got into the act with the goaltender pulled late in the game. Phip Waugh, a Vermont commit, fired a shot into the net after a passing sequence from Taylor Ewing and John Gelatt.

Gunnery Lines

13 R. Brennan – 19 R. Cronin – 12 A. Jefferies
23 J. Kopek – 21 M. Beecher – 6 C. Kantgias
8 M. D’Agostino – 18 A. Hotchkiss – 9 D. Fishman
11 J. DiGirolamo – 16 D. Andreychuk – 14 R. Trom

20 J. Rayhill – 2 A. Coady
17 N. Ioannou – 5 H. Sansbury
22 A. Lizotte – 3 E. Widenborg

1 J. Mella

Trinity-Pawling Lines

8 Joey Musa – 13 Jack Musa – 18 S. Willey
19 C. Zezima – 10 J. Gelatt – 17 T. Ewing
21 J. Aloi – 11 S. Murphy 7 J. Breton
16 K. Stober – 24 Z. Ouguedir – 33 C. McKay

4 P. Waugh – 2 C. Grillo
5 G. Blanchard – 3 J. Garvey
23 S. Perez – 22 M. Eldridge

1 E. Ruschil

Standout Prospects: Gunnery vs. T-P

Robert Cronin
#19 Gunnery, 8/15/00, Sr., C, Right Shot, 5-10/185

There was a lot of conversation revolving around the Plymouth, Mass., native following the game. He was receiving some attention from Hockey East and ECAC Hockey schools. He’s not flashy, but his skating and hockey sense allow him to make plays. Cronin played previously for the Boston Bandits organization.

Alex Jefferies
#12 Gunnery, 11/8/01, Jr., RW, Right Shot, 6-0/190
NCAA Commit: Merrimack

There has been some talk Jefferies could be a pick in the 2020 NHL Draft as a late ’01. The Lunenburg, Mass., native has a terrific shot as evidenced by his goal. He has a powerful release and he probably had about four or five shots on goal Thursday. He’s hard to knock off his skates and heavy on pucks. Obviously he’s not as elite, but his game is somewhat comparable to Oliver Wahlstrom.

Gabe Blanchard
#5 Trinity-Pawling, 9/15/00, Sr., D, Left Shot, 5-10.5/180

Blanchard has had a rough start to the prep school season, including a game in which he took five penalties. Turnovers can be an issue for the East Aurora, N.Y., native, but on Thursday afternoon, he was very effective. He has above average skill and made some good first touches. He plays with an edge and hits hard. Blanchard certainly has the capability to play Division I, but he needs to put it all together and refine his game.

Jack Musa
#13 Trinity-Pawling, 7/23/03, Fr., C, Left Shot, 5-5/135

Jack is the younger brother of Joey Musa, his senior linemate and a Dartmouth commit. Jack, from Orange Park, Fla., is a very small ’03 forward, but he’s a bulldog. He’ll go right into the corners to try to win races to loose pucks and he isn’t afraid to go to the net either. He has a good, quick stick and got a breakaway bid in this game. He’s getting some interest from Hockey East, NCHC, Big Ten and ECAC Hockey schools.

Winged Beavers too much for Bears

Avon Old Farms scored once in the first and four more times in the second to power past Berkshire by a score of 5-0 in Thursday’s second game.

’03 sophomore John Turner scored twice and Tabor Heaslip, Stefan Miklakos, and Patrick Neal also added goals for AOF. Aslanidis wasn’t tested much, but picked up the shutout.

Heaslip gave Avon a 1-0 lead with 7:18 left in the first period when he received a great pass from right wing Tyler Boucher (Haddonfield, N.J.) on a rush into the zone.

Turner’s first goal of the afternoon was a snipe from jus inside the blue line while on the man advantage. Chase Ramsay and Timothy Heinke picked up the assists.

Miklakos gave the Winged Beavers a three-goal cushion with 8:48 left in the game. He fired home a shot from the left wing wall after Heaslip and Cullen Young had worked the puck around the zone.

John Louder’s first two shots off a breakaway attempt were saved, but he persisted to find the puck in back of the goal line and get it out front for a score by Neal with 8:06 left in the game.

Turner finished off the scoring with a shorthanded goal from Nick Cyprian.

Berkshire defenseman Cade Alami, a 2019 NHL Draft prospect and Providence commit, was out of the lineup. The Bedford, N.Y., native would have been the main attraction for NHL scouts had he been playing. The Bears were decimated with injuries. Also out was Yale commit Briggs Gammill.

Standout Prospects: AOF vs. Berkshire

Drew Tsakounis
#9 Avon Old Farms, 7/15/03, So., D, Left Shot, 5-10/160
NCAA Commit: Penn State

The Arlington, Va., native was the best player on the ice in all four games. An undersized defenseman, Tsakounis was terrific with the puck on his stick — and he had it on his stick a lot. He’s got great feet and skating ability which allows him to escape trouble and make plays. He drew a penalty on a rush up ice. He made one move from the point where he toe-dragged a few opposing players before getting off a backhand chance.

Tyler Boucher
#16 Avon Old Farms, 1/16/03, So., RW, Right Shot, 6-0/180
NCAA Commit: Boston University

Boucher was really good here, playing his game. He’s a hard, north-south, power forward. The Haddonfield, N.J., native was heavy on pucks and finishes plays. He’s always taking the body and he plays in all situations, which is impressive for an ’03. He skates well and projects to get even better.

Tabor Heaslip
#7 Avon Old Farms, 12/17/01, Jr., C, Left Shot, 5-9/160

From Fort Worth, Texas, Heaslip is in his first year of prep hockey after playing previously for the Dallas Stars youth organization. Heaslip is undersized and he has a funky stride, but he works his butt off every shift. He flies all over the ice and throws his weight around. He hunts pucks and he goes to the greasy areas. He’s already received a couple offers from schools and more will be coming.

John Turner
#24 Avon Old Farms, 1/31/01, So., RW, Right Shot, 5-11/190

Turner lit up the MIAA with Falmouth High School and he’s showing why early in the season. He has a really good shot and his hockey sense affords him the opportunity to be in the right spot at the right time more often than not. He plays a power forward game. He’s already receiving a lot of Hockey East interest, but it will heat up further if his feet continue to improve.

Stefan Miklakos
#20 Avon Old Farms, 1/20/00, Sr., LW, Right Shot, 5-9/170

Miklakos has a lot of speed and made a good amount of plays in this game. He’s able to beat defensemen wide. He’s a fringe Division I prospect, but could be an Atlantic Hockey player or a good Division III recruit.

Avon Old Farm Lines

20 S. Miklakos – 7 T. Heaslip – 16 T. Boucher
21 T. Heinke – 25 G. Shamburger – 24 J. Turner
11 J. Louder – 15 P. Neal – 14 T. Alishlalov
18 T. Gordon – 23 A. Pratt – 2 N. Cyprian/3 C. Aube

9 D. Tsakounis – 12 C. Young
5 M. Acee – 27 R. Shafer
22 C. Ramsay – 8 N. Young

35 A. Aslanidis
31 C. Callaghan

Berkshire Lines

8 B. Gammill – 22 H. Riva – 15 L. Greene
11 J. Bavis – 9 P. Stetson – 17 T. Horak
14 M. Grise – 18 J. Whitney – 19 J. Marottolo

20 J. Pratt – 5 A. Metcalfe
3 M. O’Brien – 7 J. Lachance
6 N. Donaldson – 4 E. Cohen

1 K. Burgess
31 E. Baliotti

Lions roar back for comeback win

Loomis Chaffee rushed out to a 3-0 lead, but Kent rallied for a 4-3 win in overtime thanks to the brilliance of Army commit Alex Laferriere (Chatham, N.J.) and Air Force commit Michael Posma.

Vermont commit Anthony Cipollone (Purchase, N.Y.) and Adam Martin gave Loomis a 2-0 lead at the half. Another early goal in the second half gave the Pelicans a 3-0 edge.

Aidan Cobb started the comeback bid for the Lions with a goal at the 9:51 mark. He raced into the zone down the left wing and fired a shot past Loomis goaltender and Holy Cross commit Kyle Chauvette.

Alex Giummo scored the first of his two goals with 5:51 left in regulation. From below the goal line, Laferriere made a great pass out to Giummo who was waiting in the high slot.

The same pair connected again with 1:28 left in regulation. This time it was a one-timer for Giummo who received a rush from Laferriere who had broken into the zone down the left wing.

29 seconds into overtime, Posma made a great rush down the right wing and cut in towards the net. From a tough angle, he flung a backhander on net that banked in off a defender or the goaltender and into the back of the net.

Standout Prospects: Kent vs. LC

Alex Laferriere
#14 Kent, 10/28/01, Jr., RW, Right Shot, 5-10/150
NCAA Commit: Army

The Chatham, N.J., native plays a bigger game than his size would indicate. He flies all over the ice and makes plays. He hits hard and has good vision in the offensive zone. He’s going to be a really good college player for Brian Riley’s Knights.

Michael Posma
#19 Kent, 12/4/01, Jr., C, Left Shot, 5-11/150
NCAA Commit: Air Force

Posma is a solid, 200-foot center who plays a physical, cerebral game. He also has the skating ability and drive to the greasy areas which gives him chances like he had on the game-winning goal in overtime.

Ian Pierce
#21 Kent, 1/24/01, Sr., D, Left Shot, 5-10/174
NCAA Commit: Dartmouth

Pierce is a skilled, athletic, offensive-defenseman who made good first touches and initiated the transition. He pushed the pace and has a good stick and gaps while defending the rush.

Anthony Cipollone
#12 Loomis Chaffee, 5/14/02, Jr., C, Left Shot, 5-8.5/172
NCAA Commit: Vermont

Cipollone, from Purchase, N.Y., is really strong on his skates and has a good, low center of gravity. He has a hard shot, accelerates to draw penalties, and is heavy on pucks for a smaller forward.

Kennedy O’Connor
#4 Loomis Chaffee, 5/10/01, Jr., D, Left Shot, 6-1/184
NCAA Commit: UMass

The West Springfield, Mass., native is a good, solid two-way defenseman. He’ll jump into the rush and has a good first step. He made a couple of big hits and was strong in his own zone. He has limited offensive upside.

Kent Lines

24 C. Cobb – 19 M. Posma – 14 A. Lafferiere
10 A. Cobb – 11 D. Dowiak – 23 A. Giummo
9 J. Kleinhans – 7 F. McLain – 22 J. Passante

21 I. Pierce – 5 J. Stich
15 N. Marciano – 3 M. Perryman

30 A. Contey

Loomis Chaffee Lines

11 C. Hoban – 12 A. Cipollone – 15 R. Connors
22 A. Krause – 16 A. Martin – 19 J. Sigal
20 C. Hibson – 23 M. Schneider – 15 R. Connors

7 B. Ritter – 4 K. O’Connnor
9 T. Martin – 3 R. Armstrong
24 C. Partridge – 2 C. Avallone

29 K. Chauvette

St. Paul’s outlasts Tabor in overtime

Julien Menes had a goal and assisted on Eric Sinson’s tally in the extra session to give St. Paul’s a 2-1 overtime win over Tabor in the nightcap. Connor Tobin scored the lone goal for the Seawolves who were stymied by the terrific goaltending of Colby commit Andy Beran.

Tabor Lines

18 C. Tobin – 19 M. Winters – 3 J. Cady
7 B. Bartell – 12 A. Bower – 23 O. Rudicus
16 C. Stewart – 13 M. Cosentino – 11 M. Leone

5 T. Harvey – 6 C. Picard
9 B. Wiles – 4 I. Gindhart

XD 2 N. Dallaire
30 K. Myer

St. Paul’s Lines

10 J. Menes – 9 O. Stadheim – 2 E. Sinson
24 J. Orne – 17 J. Schubert – 27 J. Saklad
7 C. Culver – 4 T. Green – 19 J. Halliday

6 T. McElaney – 28 R.H. Sweet
14 B. Russell – 8 M. Dumas
18 J. Sullivan – 5 R. Drew

29 A. Beran

Standout Prospects: SPS vs. TA

Andy Beran
#29 St. Paul’s, 5/5/00, Sr., G, Catches Left, 5-7/140
NCAA Commit: Colby

The St. Paul, Minn., native is an undersized goaltender who just makes saves. Due to his lack of size, he’ll occasionally give up some rebounds and has to flop around some. However, he’s a great prep school goaltender who can steal games for his team like he did later in the weekend against Avon Old Farms.

Julien Menes
#10 St. Paul’s, 1/25/00, Sr., LW, Left Shot, 6-1/200

Menes, from Finland, is a solid, two-way forward who has played defense some in the past. He’s cerebral and has good vision. He should be one of the more coveted players when it comes to NESCAC programs.

Kyle Myer
#30 Tabor, 1/30/01, Sr., G, Catches Left, 6-2/185

Myer was on the losing end in this one, but he has good size and has some upside. From Florida, he’s technically sound and athletic.

Morgan Winters
#19 Tabor, 12/8/01, Jr., C, Left Shot, 5-9/150

Another Floridian, Winters is a good skater who makes plays and is the pivot for his line.