Written by Well, the results are in, and the Nationals are over with. New Hampshire high school hockey was pretty well represented in Michigan and also in Texas. The New Hampshire Avalanche 18U and the Manchester Flames 16U teams both made the trip to their respective Tier II National Championship tournaments. I purchased a subscription to HockeyTV so that I could watch both teams play. I have created video clips of the NH goals scored. If you have a subscription, you can check them out by following me at https://www.hockeytv.com//#/profiles/1inawesomewonder.
You can see my previous posts on the 2017 Nationals here, and the coverage of the Avalanche 18U here. Feel free to check them out.
(Goals and assists that I have posted are a result of what I saw on video, and may be different from how the tournament scored the play.)
NH Avalanche 18U – 2017 Results
Thu Apr 6 @ 03:00 PM Palm Beach Breakers
W 4-2 Suburban Ice – East Lansing Rink 1
Fri Apr 7 @ 09:15 AM@ Fort Wayne AWP Elite
W 5-2 Suburban Ice – East Lansing Rink 2
Sat Apr 8 @ 05:15 PM Hershey Jr. Bears
L 4-5 SO Suburban Ice – East Lansing Rink 2
Sun Apr 9 @ 03:15 PM DYHA Junior Sun Devils (Semi-Final)
W 7-1 Suburban Ice – East Lansing Rink 2
Mon Apr 10 @ 10:00 AM Maine Moose (Finals)
L 2-3 Suburban Ice – East Lansing Rink 2
The Avalanche battled in the Championship game, but they could not overcome the special teams (1 PPG, 1 SHG) play of the Maine Moose, and fell 3-2. The game was literally inches and seconds away from being tied by the Avs in the final moments of the game, but the hockey gods saw it fit that the Maine Moose hold on and win the final game.
Perhaps the biggest reason that Maine took the title was the play of their goaltender, Derek Fournier. Fournier made some immense saves, especially in the 3rd period. He plans to play Junior Hockey in the U.S. after high school despite being drafted by the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last summer.
©2017 HockeyTech USA LLC
The Avalanche fell behind 1-0 but scored to tie the game midway through the second period. The goal was really a nice hockey play that spanned the length of the ice, with one pass after another. Ultimately, Jack McDonough made a long lead pass to Tyler Chipman racing up the left-wing. Chipman gained the blue line with some speed and waited for the right time to send a pass to the middle, to Jay Roberto who was in the right place. Roberto took the pass and beat Fournier on a splendid play from end to end. Game tied, 1-1.
In the third period the Avs came from behind again when Tyler Chipman scored on a rebound of a Jack McDonough shot. To set the play up, both Chipman and Colin Tracy threw some big hits to separate Moose players from the puck in the Avs offensive end. Then Tracy got the puck low to Chipman who walked in from the right circle. Chipman made a nice quick pass to the slot and the waiting stick of McDonough, who missed wide. The rebound came to Chipman who buried the shot in to the net. Game tied, 2-2.
©2017 HockeyTech USA LLC
Maine answered the Avs second goal as they had the first goal. Just 27 seconds later the Moose had the lead again. There was still more than 8 minutes left to play, but New Hampshire could not get another goal over the goal line against Fournier and company.
The run at Nationals was pretty awesome, and the effort fell just short in the finals. This New Hampshire Avalanche 18U team has nothing to feel badly about. They played very well against very good competition and were battling for a National Championship right to the final whistle. Well done.
(To see more in depth coverage of New Hampshire’s run to the finals, click here.)
NH Avalanche 18U – 2017 Roster
| #1 | Padraig Capsalis | G – Salem |
| #3 | Jack McDonough | F – Bedford |
| #4 | Matthew Chorlian | D – Concord |
| #6 | Eric Langley | D – Man. Memorial |
| #7 | Jack Flanagan | D – Bedford |
| #8 | Tyler Chipman | F – Trinity |
| #10 | Colin Tracy | D – Bow |
| #13 | Jay Roberto | F – Bedford |
| #15 | Daniel LeBell | D – Concord |
| #16 | Griffin Gagne | F – Bedford |
| #17 | Eric Keilty | F – St. Thomas |
| #18 | Noah Charron | F – Goffstown |
| #24 | Jacob Rioux | F – Bedford |
| #31 | Curtis Wirbal | G – Berwick |
| #37 | Jared Zeichick | D – Bishop Guertin |
| #66 | Nickolas Nault | D – Goffstown |
Manchester Flames 16U – 2017 RESULTS
| Date & Time | Opponent | Result | Venue |
| Thu Apr 6 @ 04:30PM | Team Michiana | W 7-4 | Dr Pepper StarCenter – Plano World |
| Fri Apr 7 @ 12:00 PM | @ Nashville Jr Predators | L 3-4 | Dr Pepper StarCenter – Plano World |
| Sat Apr 8 @ 01:15 PM | @ Hockey Club Dallas | L 0-5 | Dr Pepper StarCenter – Frisco Stars |
The Manchester Flames 16U team traveled to Texas for their National Championship tournament. Several of these kids were making their third consecutive trip to Nationals. That is outstanding!
The Flames 16U team came out strong in their opening game on Thursday. They handled Team Michiana by a score of 7-4. I have listed the video clips of each goal below.
Bayer from McNichols and Legro. ©2017 HockeyTech USA LLC
Roberto from Musgrave and Huppe. ©2017 HockeyTech USA LLC
McNichols unassisted. ©2017 HockeyTech USA LLC
Legro from Anderson. ©2017 HockeyTech USA LLC
Bayer unassisted. ©2017 HockeyTech USA LLC
Musgrave from Sylvain and Paradise. ©2017 HockeyTech USA LLC
McNichols from Bayer and Flynn. ©2017 HockeyTech USA LLC
In game two it looked like the Flames were on their way to a possible #1 seed in Pool play, and at the least, would advance. The Flames would get their first goal from Matthew Tremblay who was set up by Lucas Debonville and Griffin Cook. Cook wrestled the puck from a Predator and slid it over to Debonville who made a beautiful pass/shot to the side of the crease where Tremblay tapped it home. The first period goal tied the game at 1-1.
Then it was John McNichols scoring on his own rebound to give the Flames a 2-1 lead in the first. Ryan Huppe had created a Predator turnover and left the puck for McNichols who was given plenty of room to fire not once, but twice, and get the goal.
The Flames would jump to a 3-1 lead in the second period when Griffin Cook committed highway robbery, and in one motion, fed a pass to the front of the crease to Lucas Debonville who made no mistake, scoring the Flames third goal. It was a beautiful play by Cook and Debonville, a goal created from absolutely nothing. The Flames would take a 3-1 lead to the final period.
In the third period, the Predators turned up the pressure. Within five minutes they had cut the lead to 3-2, when the Flames let a Predator forward be the first player to get to a rebound from a shot out high. Predator, Caden Gersky got to the rebound and put another shot right on Nathaniel Pushee. Pushee made the save, sliding all the way to his right to do so. Despite making the save, the puck was left all by itself at the top of the crease. Also by himself was #9, and Brandon MacDonald Surman slid the puck into the vacated net. Just a few seconds later the game would be tied at 3-3. Zachary Householder of the Predators, picked off a clearing attempt by Caiden Paradise, spun and fired a shot wide of the net. The puck bounced off of the end boards, and Brennen Williams beat Paradise to the rebound, sliding the puck through the five-hole for the tying goal.
Then, a few minutes later the Predators would take the lead for good. Zachary Householder let a 50-foot wrist shot go that Pushee made the save on. The rebound dropped harmlessly to the side, and was picked up by Tim Spencer. As Spencer went behind the net with the puck, Householder muscled him off of the puck and threw a desperate pass out front. The puck went all the way back to the blue line to teammate, Maxwell Mila who let a low shot go. The puck appeared to just slightly change directions, hitting the stick of Flames defender, Parker Joyce, before finding its way past Nathaniel Pushee in net.
The go ahead goal was scored with more than 8 minutes left in the game, but the wind was all but gone from the Flames sails. The Flames got a pretty good chance on a rebound with 150 seconds left, but not much else. Individual rushes were turned away by the layers of Predators defense. The final score, read 4-3.
If there was any wind left in the sails of the Manchester Flames, it never made it to game three. Well, that had a lot to do with the slick skating of Hockey Club Dallas. The club from Dallas just didn’t allow the Flames to get anything going, holding the Flames to just 12 shots for the game. The final score was 5-0, in favor of the eventual silver medalists.
It has been quite a run for many of these kids, especially playing in 3 straight Nationals. The Flames gave their best, and sometimes that just isn’t enough against stiff competition. Still, a job well done.
Manchester Flames 16U – 2017 ROSTER
| #4 | Griffin Cook | F | Goffstown |
| #5 | Rickie Beauparlant | F | Man. Memorial |
| #9 | John McNichols | F | Trinity |
| #10 | Patrick Goren | D | Man. Memorial |
| #12 | Eric Flynn | F | Bedford |
| #15 | Zachary Bayer | F | Bedford |
| #17 | Tim Spencer | D | Bedford |
| #21 | Ryan Huppe | F | Exeter |
| #26 | Nathan Musgrave | F | Bedford |
| #37 | Lucas Debonville | F | Bedford |
| #39 | Parker Roberto | F | Bedford |
| #66 | Caiden Paradise | D | N/A |
| #68 | Jack Sylvain | F | Bedford |
| #91 | Matthew Tremblay | F | Pembroke-Campbell |
| #2/3 | Parker Joyce | D | Bedford |
| #1/30 | Mattieux Tremblay | G | Pembroke-Campbell |
| #77/2 | Jackson Legro | D | Lawrence Academy |
| #31/36 | Nathaniel Pushee | G | Bishop Brady |
| #83/13 | Kevin Anderson | D | Bishop Brady |
As you may, or may not, know, I do have a passion for covering hockey here. Especially, Goffstown High School hockey, but also much about hockey in New Hampshire. It just so happens that these National Championships are full of high school players from around the country, including NH. Goffstown High School is represented by Nick Nault and Noah Charron on the NH Avalanche 18U team, and Griffin Cook on the Manchester Flames 16U team. As I covered Goffstown Hockey over the last two seasons, I got to see a lot of other players around the state as well, and I wanted to see that these kids get some recognition for competing, advancing, and measuring themselves on a national level. I think it’s fantastic! I hope you enjoy the coverage, and just remember, I write these because with me, it’s always about the kids. As it should be.
Disclaimer: Okay, HockeyTV has not yet embraced the idea of offering/sharing clips and highlights for free, as a selling point to get more subscriptions to watch live games. So, it would cost some money to watch games, highlights, clips, etc.
Believe it or not, you can watch these games online. Register with HockeyTV, subscribe (it does cost something), and you will have access to any games you want, in any of the sites. My profile on HockeyTV is 1inawesomewonder. You can follow me on the site if you subscribe, and I have compiled video clips, or highlights, of the goals scored by both NH teams during game play on Thursday through Monday, April 6-10. If you have a subscription with HockeyTV, then you can follow me, and see the clips to all of the goals.
I had the game streaming on HockeyTv, through my Roku, on to my TV. I could not duplicate this. (C) 1inawesomewonder 2017.