Prospects: Which goalies might sway result of Northeast Pack playoffs?

Peter Sterling is one of two goaltenders to watch on the Mount St. Charles 18-U team. (Photo by Dave Arnold/NYHJ)

New York Hockey Journal continues previewing the Northeast Pack playoffs, which are taking place Feb. 11-13 at the Northford Ice Pavilion in Northford, Conn. The competing programs include Bishop Kearney Selects, Long Island Gulls, Mount St. Charles, New Jersey Rockets and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.

Yesterday, we looked at the 10 best defensemen ahead of the event. On Tuesday, we previewed the forward group. While players at both of those positions will have a hand in the results of the weekend, no players will be more important than the ones tending the nets for each club.

Goaltenders are the core piece to most championship runs, and in a competitive league like this one, good goaltending will make a difference. The goalie performances will be especially critical in the single-elimination portions of the event, where one goal means everything.

Here, we dissect the goalie tandems for each club in the event and project how each team might operate this weekend.

14-U

Bishop Kearney

Quinn Debruyn (Ho Ho Kus, N.J.) and Ethan Phillips (Greece, N.Y.) split time for their team at each league event. Based on their game logs, it appears that Debruyn mostly played against Pittsburgh and Mount St. Charles, whereas Phillips was relied on to take care of the Rockets and Gulls. We expect to see them both play at least once in the round-robin, but Debruyn might take the reins for the semi-final and championship rounds.

Long Island

The Gulls called on Finn Laffey (East Williston, N.Y.) five times and Chase Phillips (Merrick, N.Y.) twice in previous events. Laffey will probably play most of the event for his team, given the history. However, both of Phillips’ appearances were against Bishop Kearney. He won both contests, so do not be surprised if he’s in the crease for the tournament opener on Friday when Long Island meets their rival from Rochester.

Mount St. Charles

California product Ryan Denes and New Caanan, Conn., native Steven Luciano played six games and five games, respectively. Both netminders had success in league play, but we’d expect them to turn to Denes during the elimination games. Despite playing the juggernaut Bishop Kearney and Penguins teams in most of his outings, his numbers ranked third in the league and are yet to lose.

New Jersey

The Rockets are the underdogs, so consistent goaltending will be critical. Christian Esposito (Bayport, N.Y.) played eight games while Matthew Minchak (Cranford, N.J.) played six. There aren’t any trends in their use of either goalie, so we expect to see them flip flop until someone takes the reigns for elimination games.

Pittsburgh

The Penguins netminders ranked first and second in goals-against average, and they flip-flopped each game. Giulio Torrerio played six of the contests, while Jake Shingles played five. Pittsburgh will likely follow a similar balance entering the weekend, but we expect to see Torrerio in the finals if his team makes it.

15-O

Bishop Kearney

Massachusetts native Patrick Curtatone saw a majority of the league games, while California product Jackson Silverberg served as the number two and mainly played against the Rockets. During the round-robin, Silverberg might get his game against New Jersey, but Curtatone will see most of the minutes in playoffs and his club battles for the title.

Mount St. Charles

Jack Parsons (Cortland, N.Y.) is the ace for Mount. While he split the eight games evenly with Justin Bayers, his counterpart played all of the games against the last-place Rockets, and Parsons played Pittsburgh and Bishop Kearney. Parsons is in the running for the NTDP ’06 team, making this weekend important for him on various levels.

New Jersey

Andrew Knox (Newfield, N.J.) and Pennsylvania product Ryan Murphy played six games apiece for the bottom seeded Rockets. Knox became popular after his shocking win over Bishop Kearney in October, but the Rockets never swayed to one goalie over the other. Regardless of who is in the net, they’ll need competitive performances if they have any chance at winning.

Pittsburgh

Tanner McKiven (Syracuse, N.Y.) is a competitor to make the NTDP this summer. He will lead the Penguins into battle this weekend and assume the duties of No. 1. He’s athletic and competitive and built for high-intensity playoff action. Pittsburgh is fortunate to have a grade-A back-up in Graydon Sarnowski if anything were to change.

16-U

Bishop Kearney

This team is highly competitive and battles for every win. Paul Dalessio might have pulled ahead as the No. 1 over his counterpart Florian Wade following two brilliant performances at the previous league event, defeating Long Island and New Jersey in back-to-back games. We expect Dalessio, a native of Burlington, Mass., to receive the brunt of the action this weekend.

Long Island

Unless the Gulls signed a new goalie, they have only one option to play in the net: Basking Ridge, N.J., product, Jason Cai. With Zackery Ferris still injured, Cai is the lone netminder on Long Island. He’s an athletic netminder who is very reliable. If he can pull it off for the Gulls, he might earn MVP honors in the U-16 division.

Mount St. Charles

Owen Crudale played six games, and Michael Calabret played four during league play. Crudale had more success in his outings, likely resulting in the two extra opportunities. We would expect to see him play most of the games this weekend, but Calabret might get a game in the round-robin portion.

New Jersey

Ethan Marich (Pearl River, N.Y.) is the guy for the Rockets. He has the best numbers of any goalie in the league, and he’s performed consistently well for his club. He’s a big goalie who relies on positioning to make his stops. He’s calm and competitive and might be the difference-maker. Cody Butikis (Sewell, N.J.) is a good second option if he’s needed.

Pittsburgh

Elliot Pratt of Toronto has seen most of the action for the Penguins this year, but neither he nor ’06 born Ryan harris have separated themselves as the true No. 1. Pittsburgh is a competitive, hard-nosed team that relies on gritty play wear down opponents. Unfortunately, they don’t score a lot, so one of their goalies will need to step up to win the title.

18-U

Bishop Kearney

At the 18-U level, the goalie situations are much more defined. For Bishop Kearney, Jack Fialkoff (New York, N.Y.) is the go-to guy. He owns the best statistics in the division, and his team will rely on him to lead them to a championship. The ’04 born goalie tendered with South Shore in the NCDC, and this weekend could earn him interest from USHL teams and colleges.

Long Island

Matthew Macarthur is the starter for Long Island. He hasn’t been very consistent this season, but he has a history of stepping up in big moments and won USA Hockey’s National Championship at the 16-U level last year with the North Jersey Avalanche. If Long Island wants to win the league, he will need to outcompete his rival goalies.

Mount St. Charles

Maryland product Jack Spicer and Montclair, N.J., native Pete Sterling, played four and three games, respectively. Spicer is an averaged-size goalie who relies on athleticism, while Sterling is a bigger-bodied netminder who plays sound positionally. We expect to see them rotate into the elimination round, where one of the two will steal the No. 1 job.

New Jersey

Joe Cartigiano (Staten Island, N.Y.) played most of the Rockets’ games and will likely be leaned on the same way during the post-season. He’s undersized but quick and competitive. In the past, he’s played in some important games in both youth and high school hockey, so he’s experienced the pressures that playoffs create.

Pittsburgh

Jeffery Kreidler appeared in 11 games for the Penguins, so it is safe to say that he will serve as the ace during the playoffs. He has solid numbers and is a competitor in the nets. However, the Penguins are the underdogs in the division, meaning Kreidler and his partner Justin Ennis will need to be good if they have a chance at winning.