Avon Old Farms 13-1-0 vs Westminster 7-4-1
1.24.22
Final Score - Avon Old Farms(5) Westminster (0)
Avon travelled to rival Westminster in a Monday afternoon showdown. Avon came out firing scoring three first period goals. Westminster did it's best to get back into the game early on but Avon's Connor Callaghan was up to the task shutting door. Avon's penalty trouble in the second hindered their ability to pull away in the game, but the Westminster offense struggled to produce. Avon added two goals in the third to secure the victory 5-0 over their rival.
Scouting Notes
Seth Robinson - ‘02 Defensemen - Avon Old Farms
Robinson was arguably the player of the game for Avon, notching two goals and playing lights out defense in his own zone. His ability to find shooting lanes is top notch as he handles the puck very well from the blue line and places accurate shots through traffic. Rarely does he shoot a rushed puck, he often waits for the screen to develop then fires the puck, if nothing is there, he dishes it off to his teammate. Defensively he shut off the edge and rode his opponents into the wall. Tough in the net front despite being undersized, crease to corner foot races he won and he did not make any soft plays with the puck on the break out.
Matt DiMarsico - ‘04 Forward - Avon Old Farms
Off the rush DiMarsico is extremely dangerous as his first three strides are explosive. He showed the ability to beat the defender to the edge on his way to the net. He protects the puck well extending it away from his body making it hard for defenders to get inside on him. He had several chances throughout the game where he found passing lanes for his linemates so they could feed him pucks, his release was impressive.
Alex Pelletier - ‘05 Forward - Avon Old Farms
A very solid performance for Pelletier who made a strong impact on the game. He was able to create several chances offensively by using his shiftiness and ability to fight through checks. When there was a puck battle, you could count on Pelletier coming away with the puck. He is a big strong kid who is not phased by any physical play, once he cleans up his stride, he is going to be a highly sought-after talent.
Joe Connor - ‘05 Forward - Avon Old Farms
Connor had a major impact in this game as he was able to add a goal and an assist. On his first goal he showed the ability to move pucks early and often on the zone entry which creates havoc for the defense, he finished the puck with ease. On the power play he was effective in the net front play taking away the goaltender's sight lines and looking for mid high tips.
Charlie Gollob - ‘04 Forward - Avon Old Farms
Gollob uses his big body and wide powerful stride to his benefit. Pucks gravitated towards Gollob and he always made himself an option for his teammates especially off the rush where he had several chances. His shot, showed a quick release however he buried a few pucks into the goaltender's chest that he wants back. His puck distribution was very high end in this game as he contributed two assists to his team including a 3 on 1 where he showed patience with the puck and set up a tap in for his teammate. On the penalty kill he was trusted in 5 on 3 situations where he helped his team have a 100 percent success rate.
Jordin Palmer - ‘04 Defensemen - Avon Old Farms
NHL CS Mid Season - #209 NA Skaters
An effective two-way defensive game from Palmer. On the offensive blue line, he showed the ability to walk and create shooting lanes for himself. When under pressure in the offensive zone he was able to move pucks quickly and effectively. On his first pass out of the zone he showed the ability to snap his pass and he made confident reads on the breakout.
Joe Odyniec - ‘04 Forward - Avon Old Farms
The power forward stood out every time he touched the ice with his size and constant compete level. He disrupted Westminster's breakout several times as the F1 forechecker which resulted in puck possession time for his line. When the puck was on his stick, he had a few chances in high percentage scoring chances where he almost scored the puck. Odyniec is a player with a high ceiling and keeps showing improvement in his overall game.
Nick Capasso - ‘04 Forward - Avon Old Farms
Very quiet game for Capasso offensively but he was effective away from the puck disrupting the play on the forecheck and supporting the play in all three zones. He is smart player who made his impact away from the puck vs Westminster.
Brennan Ali - ‘04 Forward - Avon Old Farms
NHL CS Mid Season - #63 NA Skaters
Ali is a good-looking player for Avon and was ranked 63rd in the latest NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term. If he continues to play the way he did vs Westminster he should go even higher than currently projected. Ali plays a pro-style game as everything he does is heavy and hard. His powerful stride allows him to generate north south speed, his edges allow him to create space for himself when needed to distribute the puck east and west. Around the net he is hard to move as he is strong his stick and skates, he has the awareness to find soft areas of the ice as well.
Tate Pecknold - ‘05 Forward - Avon Old Farms
One of the younger players on the Avon squad Pecknold was limited in his minutes but showed well in what minutes he did play. His stick habits were high end and he took great routes to pucks. He is a player to watch moving forward into next year for Avon.
Hudson Miller - ‘05 Defensemen - Avon Old Farms
At 6'2 there is a lot to like about Miller's game, vs Westminster he was very good. His skating ability combined with his long reach allow him to cover a lot of ground in the defensive zone. In tight areas he struggled to defend a bit as he had a hard time changing directions quickly, an area he needs to improve on but did not affect his game vs Westminster. Miller was trusted to play a ton of minutes on the Avon penalty kill and he delivered.
Connor Callaghan - ‘03 Goaltender - Avon Old Farms
The long-time starter for Avon is having a very good senior season and has proven to be one of the best goaltenders in New England. He manages the game so well and never is out of control in his crease. Callaghan made several timely saves in the first period to secure the momentum for Avon heading into the intermission. During the second he killed off a 5 on 3 and multiple 5 on 4's on his way to shutting out Westminster.
Danny Judge - ‘02 Forward - Westminster
Judge has had a great senior campaign to this point, but like most of the Westminster team he struggled to get much going. He is a 200-foot player that can be counted on in every situation. Judge was good in the faceoff circle and defensive zone but struggled to produce offense, even with several power play chances.
Daniel Lurie - ‘03 Defensemen - Westminster
Lurie was asked to handle a lot of Avon's top performers and he did a nice job. He used his long reach well and showed the ability to touch puck off his opponents sticks regularly. On low to high plays in the offensive zone he managed pucks well and was able to get his shots through the point. He still has room to fill out his frame and is a player Junior teams should be monitoring closely.
Ryan Shaw - ‘05 Forward - Westminster
There is no question that Shaw is gifted with the puck on his stick but this game vs Avon showed some holes in his game. He struggled with the lack of space that Avon presented to create offense and he made a few soft plays on the zone exit that resulted in high percentage chances against. Shaw has been better this year; he will bounce back but will need to be harder to play against.
Wade Volo - ‘04 Forward - Westminster
The shifty forward had some chances and showed the ability to make defenders miss. He likes to play in transition but demonstrated the ability to possess pucks in the offensive zone and get his shots off in tight areas.
Justin Chaput - ‘03 Defensemen - Westminster
Chaput is a physical defenseman who threw his body around effectively. In tight he is a nightmare to play against as he wins corner battles and clears the net front for his goaltender effectively. He made the right decision with the puck more times than not and he did a good job of supporting the breakout through the middle as the weakside defensemen. His game translates to the higher levels and will be a nice piece to any d-core.