16U Division recap from event in Aston
November 17, 2015
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The third NAPHL event of the season at the Iceworks Skating Complex in Aston, PA finished up on Monday afternoon, which saw the completion of the 16U Division after the 18U teams finished things earlier in the morning.
A nice scouting presence of various scouts had checked in including those from NAHL Central Scouting, ISS Hockey, various NAHL teams, along with some NCAA schools.
On Saturday afternoon, Director of Player Personnel Craig Barnett held two different round table discussions with NAPHL parents that provided them important information in regards to NCAA compliance and the college and junior hockey landscape.
In regards to the action on ice, the games have been very competitive as the halfway mark of the NAPHL regular season came and went this weekend.
Here is a look at how the 16U teams have fared to date (a 18U wrap-up was posted on Monday):
Omaha AAA (1st place): Omaha picked up right where they left from the last event with another dominant run in Aston, going 5-0. Omaha outscored their opponents 32-5, which included wins over Madison, POE, Valley Forge, New York and California. Kendrick Frost and Austin Nault each had 10 points in the five games.
New Jersey Jr. Titans (2nd place): Like Omaha, the Titans also went 5-0 at the event in Aston, outscoring their opponents 25-4 with wins over California, Valley Forge, St. Louis, San Diego and HC Dallas. Forward Tommy Donnelly had seven points and goalie Anthony Del Tufo allowed just one goal in three appearances.
Rocky Mountain Roughriders (3rd place): Another 5-0 team at the event in Aston was the Rocky Mountain Roughriders, who allowed just five goals in the five games with wins over St. Louis, Philadelphia, Esmark, Washington and Madison. Four of their five wins were by one goal. Goalie Francisco Clark Silva was perfect at the event, posting two shutouts in two starts.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (4th place tie): The Knights held firm in the standings with a 3-1-1 record at the Aston event. That included wins over San Diego, Pikes Peak and Valley Forge, a shootout loss against HC Dallas and regulation loss to Esmark. Forward Sammy Steele had 10 points in the five games.
Washington Little Capitals (4th place tie): The Little Caps went 3-2 in Aston with wins over Esmark, Meijer and San Diego, but dropped their final two games of the event to Rocky Mountain and Arizona. Forward Maxwell Simpson had five points and goalie Alec Coakley stopped 110 of 116 shots that came his way in four games.
Meijer AAA (6th place): Meijer helped their cause with a 3-1-1 record in Aston with wins over Valley Forge, Pursuit of Excellence and Philadelphia. Losses were to California in a shootout and Washington in regulation. Forward Brad Postula had six points in the five games and defenseman Nick Orr scored two goals.
Arizona Bobcats (7th place tie): The Bobcats got right back in the thick of the playoff hunt with a 4-1 record in Aston, which included wins over Pursuit of Excellence, Everett, St. Louis and Washington. The lone loss came against Esmark. Forward Oliver Kaid was a standout at the event with 11 points and seven goals.
California Titans (7th place tie): The Titans suffered a small setback in Aston, posting just a 2-3 record, dropping into a tie for 7th. Wins came against Pikes Peak and Meijer, while losses were to Omaha, St. Louis and New Jersey. Forward Justin LeBouef had six points, which included five goals, in the five games and goalie Maxim Sidelnik stopped 47 of 51 shots.
Esmark Stars (9th place): The Stars got right back in the playoff race with a 3-1-1 record in Aston thanks to wins over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Everett and Arizona, a shootout loss against Rocky Mountain and a regulation loss to Washington. Both losses were by a goal. Forwards Christian Gorscak and Justin Adamski led the way with seven points each.
Madison Capitols (10th place tie): In a tie for the final playoff spot is Madison, who went 2-3 at the event in Aston. Wins came against Thunder Bay and New York, while losses were against Rocky Mountain, POE and Omaha. Forward Aaron Swanson had eight points in the five games and forward Kyle Schott had seven points, including four goals.
HC Dallas (10th place tie): Thanks to a 3-2 record in Aston, HC Dallas has worked their way into the playoff conversation. HC Dallas had wins over Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and San Diego. Losses were to Thunder Bay and New Jersey both via the shutout. Forward Brandon Speights paced HC Dallas with six points in the five games.
Thunder Bay Kings (12th place): Just two points out of a playoff spot is Thunder Bay, who had one of the better results for any 16U team, going 4-1 in Aston. Wins came against HC Dallas, Everett, Philadelphia and New York. Their lone loss was by a goal to Madison. Goalie Scott Adams went 3-0 at the event and stopped 50 of 53 shots that came his way.
St. Louis Selects (13th place): The Selects went 2-3 in Aston and still are close to the final playoff spot. Wins came against Pikes Peak and California, while losses were to Rocky Mountain, New Jersey and Arizona. Goalie Alex Weissenborn picked up both wins at the event and stopped 51 of 55 shots. Forward Josh Boyer had three goals.
Pursuit of Excellence (14th place tie): After a 2-3 record in Aston, Pursuit of Excellence is still not out of it, but has work to do. Forward Chase Sakic led the team at the event with five points and four goals with wins over San Diego and Madison, but losses to Meijer, Omaha and Arizona. Forward Moritz Miguez had four points during the event.
Pikes Peak Miners (14th place tie): The Miners should feel pretty good about their 2-2-1 record in Aston as it has kept them within shouting distance of the final playoff spot. Wins came against Everett and New York, with a shootout loss to St. Louis and regulation losses to California and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Goalie Maiszon Balboa stopped 86 of 90 shots in three starts.
Philadelphia Little Flyers (16th place): The Little Flyers struggled on home ice, going 0-4-1 and put themselves in a tough spot to make the playoffs with just 10 games to go. Their lone point game in a 3-2 shootout loss to HC Dallas. Other losses were to Meijer, Thunder Bay, Rocky Mountain and New York. Forwards Michael Moss and JD George had three points each.
New York Aviators (17th place): Not only did New York get their first points of the season, but also picked up their first win, going 1-3-1 in Aston. Their win came against Philadelphia and they also had a shootout loss to Pikes Peak. Losses were to Thunder Bay, Omaha and Madison. Forward Shane Pinto continued his good season, scoring seven points in the five games.
San Diego Jr. Gulls (18th place tie): The Jr. Gulls were the only team not to earn a point in Aston. Losses came against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, HC Dallas, New Jersey, Washington and Pursuit of Excellence. Forward Tyler Leibl led the team with two points and goalie Ethan Racz stopped 47 of 52 shots that came his way.
Everett Jr. Silvertips (18th place tie): Everett did pick up their second point of the season, but still went just 0-4-1 in Aston with the lone point coming in a shootout loss to Thunder Bay. Other losses were to Pikes Peak, Arizona, Esmark and Valley Forge. Goalie Robert Zito played well, stopping 68 of 73 shots in three appearances and forward Jed Butler had two goals.