October traditionally features some of the biggest and most competitive youth hockey events of the year – in the United States as split-season teams begin to close out their fall seasons in New England and Minnesota. The weekend of Oct. 18-20 certainly lived up to that reputation.

In Minnesota, the Tier 1 Girls teams closed out their seasons at the annual Minnesota NIT, and more than 100 of the top U.S. and Canada Girls programs at the 14U, 16U, 18U and U22 age levels joined.

The 14U Division of the tournament, the CCM HP Minnesota NIT, included eight of the top 10 United States Tier 1 Girls teams, according to the Week 4 MHR rankings. The 16U Division, hosted by the Upper Midwest High School Elite League, featured eight of the top 10 U.S. Tier 1 Girls teams and 14 of the top 25, while the “19U” Division boated six of America’s top 10 and 18 of its top 25. Those teams were joined by five of Canada’s top 10 and seven of its top 14 U18 programs and three of Canada’s top 22 U22 clubs.

Moving to another United States hockey hotbed, the Eastern Hockey Federation hosted one of its three EHF Selects National Showcases Oct. 19-20 in Massachusetts. Tbe EHF is one of the top youth leagues in the United States, including teams from all over New England representing some of the nation’s premier associations. It began with 10 member clubs in 2004, and in 20 years has grown to include 21 associations and more than 6,000 participating players. It started with teams competing at the “Elite” level but since has grown to include second and third tiers to better serve a larger number of players.

The EHF Selects National Showcase featured a total of 31 USA Boys teams competing at the 18U, 16U and 15O age levels. In the 18U Division, three of the top 10 U.S. teams and five of the top 22 competed. The 16U Division included six top 65 U.S. programs, and there were five of the top 32 15U teams participating.

Heading a few miles north to New Hampshire, Seacoast Performance Academy hosted that included the second, third and eighth-ranked 16U USA Boys teams. The second-ranked New Jersey Rockets joined No. 3 SPA and No. 8 Mount St. Charles for a series of games Oct. 18-20.

Finally, wrapping up a typical busy fall weekend in New England, the BEAST Tournament Series held its 150, 16U and 18U Playoffs at multiple rinks spread around suburban Boston. Featuring teams from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, the BEAST Tournament Series is finishing up its eighth season and has established itself as one of the nation’s top “showcase leagues” for 18U, 16U, 15O, 14U and 13U teams.

The top division of the BEAST 18U playoffs included three USA Boys Tier 1 top 10 teams, with six of the eight participating clubs ranked among the nation’s top 10 and all eight ranked among the top 31. There were four teams ranked among the top 17 competing in the 15O playoffs, while the 16U tournament featured five of the nation’s top 28 teams. All games were played Oct. 19 and 20.

 

Upper Midwest High School Elite League & CCM HP Minnesota NIT

The CCM High Performance Minnesota 14U NIT began the morning of Oct. 18 and ran through later afternoon Oct. 20, with each of the 26 participating teams playing at least four games in Andover, Minn. All teams were streamed at MNHockey.TV.

 

14U NIT Participants Ranked in the U.S. Top 10 – rankings as of Week 4

#1 Minnesota Lakers – 5-0-0 (17GF, 7GA)

#3 Madison Capitols – 3-0-1 (11GF, 3GA)

#5 Minnesota Green Giants – 0-1-3 (6GF, 7GA)

#6 Chicago Mission – 3-1-0 (16GF, 6GA)

#7 Team North Dakota – 2-2-0 (11GF, 11GA)

#8 Minnesota Moose – 1-3-0 (6GF, 11GA)

#9 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers – 3-1-0 15GF, 4GA)

#10 Team Illinois – 4-0-0 (24GF, 5GA)

 

CLICK HERE for links to the Minnesota NIT 14U scores, schedule, standings & stats

 

The top-ranked Lakers and No. 10 Team Illinois rolled through the weekend without losing a game. Megan Precourt of Florida Alliance led all scorers with 6 goals and 8 points, followed by Cassidy Cha of Team Illinois and Carter Harre of the Chicago Mission, who recorded 7 points each. Seven players notched 6 points. No. 17 Little Caesars turned in the top performance of the teams not ranked among the nation’s top 10, going 3-1-1 with the lone setback coming against the Lakers by a 2-0 margin. LC beat the fifth-ranked Minnesota Green Giants, 3-2, and tied the No. 18 Valley Jr. Warriors, 1-1.

The 16U Division of the Minnesota NIT, hosted by the Upper Midwest High School Elite League, began the morning of Oct. 18 and ran through late afternoon Oct. 20, with each of the participating teams playing at least four games at the Super Rink in Blaine, Minn. All games were streamed at MNHockey.TV.

 

16U NIT Participants Ranked in the U.S. Top 10

#1 Shattuck-St. Mary’s – 2-1-1 (13GF, 8GA)

#2 Minnesota Elite Silver – 2-2-1 (8GF, 7GA)

#3 Lovell Academy Lions – 2-2-1 (7GF, 7GA)

#4 Minnesota Elite Sky – 2-0-3 (15GF, 6GA)

#6 Minnesota Elite Blue – 4-0-1 (19GF, 8GA)

#7 Minnesota Elite Orange – 4-1-0 (17GF, 9GA)

#8 Chicago Mission – 1-1-2 (7GF, 6GA)

#9 Little Caesars – 2-2-0 (10GF, 7GA)

 

CLICK HERE for the Minnesota NIT 16U schedule

CLICK HERE for Minnesota NIT 16U scores

CLICK HERE for Minnesota NIT 16U participating teams

 

No. 6 Minnesota Elite Blue (4-0-1) and No. 4 Minnesota Elite Sky (2-0-3) were the only top 10 teams not to suffer a loss during the weekend, with top-ranked Shattuck-St. Mary’s posting a 2-1-1 record, No. 2 Minnesota Elite Silver going 2-2-1 and No. 3 Lovell Academy going 2-2-1. Shattuck fell to the Bishop Kearney Selects, who moved into the Week 5 top 10 at No. 8, 1-0. Emerson Rock of Minnesota Elite Red led all scorers with 10 points on 5 goals and 4 assists, while Shay Benson of Team North Dakota, Jane Daley of Shattuck and Natalie Woo of Culver Academy recorded 8 points apiece.

 

The 19U Division of the Minnesota NIT, hosted by the Upper Midwest High School Elite League, began the morning of Oct. 18 and ran through late afternoon Oct. 20, with each of the participating teams playing at least four games at the Super Rink in Blaine, Minn. All games were streamed at MNHockey.TV.

 

19U NIT Participants Ranked in the U.S. Top 10

#1 Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep – 2-1-1 (10GF, 4GA)

#2 Bishop Kearney Selects – 4-0-0 (12GF, 4GA)

#5 Chicago Mission – 2-1-1 (8GF, 7GA)

#7 NAHA White – 2-2-0 (10GF, 8GA)

#9 Minnesota Elite White – 3-2-0 (14GF, 11GA)

#10 Minnesota Elite Black Royalty – 1-2-2 (8GF, 9GA)

 

19U NIT Participants Ranked in the Canada U18 Top 11

#3 Saskatoon Stars – 2-0-2 (10GF, 3GA)

#6 Red Deer Chiefs – 2-1-1 (10GF, 5GA)

#8 Notre Dame Hounds – 1-1-2 (5GF, 11GA)

#10 Winnipeg Ice – 1-0-3 (10GF, 7GA)

#11 Calgary Fire – 1-1-3 (6GF, 8GA)

 

19U NIT Participants Ranked in the Canada U22 Top 22

#2 Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna – 1-3-1 (7GF, 12GA)

#4 Delta Hockey Academy Green – 1-1-2 (8GF, 5GA)

#18 Nepean Wildcats – 1-2-1 (6GF, 11GA)

#22 Balmoral Hall – 2-1-1 (12GF, 11GA)

 

CLICK HERE for the Minnesota NIT 19U schedule

CLICK HERE for Minnesota NIT 19U scores

CLICK HERE for Minnesota NIT 19U participating teams

 

The Bishop Kearney Selects were the only 19U Division team to make it through the weekend completely unscathed without a loss or a tie, going 4-0-0. One of the victories was a 4-1 decision against Shattuck-St. Mary’s as BK improved to 24-0-0 on the season. That wasn’t enough for the second-ranked Selects to pass the top-ranked Sabres in our Week 5 rankings, however. Canada’s U18 No. 3 Saskatoon Stars went 2-0-2, while the No. 10 Winnipeg Ice posted a 1-0-3 record and the No. 6 Red Deer Chiefs were 2-1-1. Another perfect team in the 19U Division was the Windy City Storm, who were 0-0-4 and are now ranked 19^th in the U.S. The Storm recorded ties against the Stars and Fire. Sofia Ripley of the Anaheim Lady Ducks led all 19U Division scorers with 8-2-10, followed by Lincoln Brown of Culver Academies with 5-4-9.

 

 

Seacoast Performance Academy 16U Boys Weekend – rankings as of Week 4

All of these games were played at the Rinks at Exeter in Exetter, N.H. and should still be available via webstream on LiveBarn.

 

Friday, Oct. 18

5:00 p.m. EST – #3 Seacoast Performance Academy (3), #8 Mount St. Charles (4)

 

Saturday, Oct. 19

10:00 a.m. EST – #2 NJ Rockets (6), #8 Mount St. Charles (4)

3:00 p.m. EST – #3 Seacoast Performance Academy (5), #2 NJ Rockets (1)

 

Sunday, Oct. 20

9:30 a.m. EST – #3 Seacoast Performance Academy (1), #2 NJ Rockets (3)

 

 

Eastern Hockey Federation Selects National Showcase

Games in this 15O, 16U and 18U Boys Tier 1 event began on the morning of Oct. 19 at New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass., and continue through the evening of Oct. 20. All games are being played on Rinks 1, 2 or 3, each of which should be serviced by LiveBarn.

 

Notable 15O Competing Teams – rankings as of Week 4

#9 Boston Jr. Eagles (2-0-0)

#37 South Shore Kings (2-0-0)

#38 Providence Capitals (0-1-1)

#42 Islanders Hockey Club East (0-2-0)

#43 Cape Cod Whalers (1-1-0)

 

Notable 16U Competing Teams – rankings as of Week 4

#12 Boston Jr. Eagles (2-0-0)

#35 South Shore Kings (0-2-0)

#44 Cape Cod Whalers (1-1-0)

#49 American Hockey Academy (1-1-0)

#58 North Suburban Wings (0-1-1)

 

Notable 18U Competing Teams – rankings as of Week 4

#3 Boston Jr. Eagles (2-0-0)

#9 Cape Cod Whalers (1-1-0)

#10 Boston Little Bruins (1-1-0)

#21 Islanders Hockey Club West (2-0-0)

#22 American Hockey Academy (0-2-0)

 

CLICK HERE for the complete EHF National Showcase Schedule

 

 

BEAST Tournament Series Playoffs

Quarterfinals and semifinals for the 15O, 16U and 18U BEAST were played Saturday, Oct. 19, at various Boston-area rinks, with championship games scheduled for Oct. 20 Canton Ice House. All host rinks should have LiveBarn feeds.

 

BEAST Tournament Series 15O Quarterfinals – Saturday, October 19

#74 Springfield Thunderbirds (1) vs #11 Seacoast Performance Academy (8)

#50 Boston Hockey Academy Prep (2), #13 Long Island Gulls (9)

#45 East Coast Militia (2), #17 Neponset River Rats (4)

N/A Boston Hockey Academy (3) vs #15 Yale Jr. Bulldogs (4) - OT

 

15O Semifinals – Saturday, Oct. 19

Long Island Gulls (5), Neponset Valley River Rats (4)

Seacoast Performance Academy (3), Yale Jr. Bulldogs (0)

 

15O Championship – Sunday, Oct. 20

Seacoast Performance Academy (2), Long Island Gulls (1)

Declan Wotton scored the game-winner without an assist with 56 seconds remaining after Davin DiFlorio had tied it for the Gulls with 4:14 left in the second half. Wotton also assisted on Sean Sweeney’s first-half goal. Tomas Kubis earned the win in goal for the champs.

 

BEAST Tournament Series 16U Quarterfinals – Saturday, Oct. 19

#79 NH Mountain Kings (1), #6 Long Island Gulls (8)

#41 Yale Jr. Bulldogs (0), #28 (ALL) Boston Hockey Academy (5)

#33 Nor’Easter Storm (3), #16 Mid-Fairfield (4)

#23 East Coast Militia (5), #18 Neponset River Rats (1)

 

16U Semifinals – Saturday, Oct. 19

East Coast Militia (2), Long Island Gulls (1)

Boston Hockey Academy (9), Mid-Fairfield (2)

 

16U Championship – Sunday, Oct. 20

Boston Hockey Academy (6), East Coast Militia (1)

Bexultan Makysh had a pair of goals and an assist, with Cole Schindler, Taran Bower, Michal Marsalek and Ryan Walsh each adding single markers as BHA exploded in the second half to break a scoreless tie. Sascha Pitaev earned the win in goal.

 

BEAST Tournament Series 18U Quarterfinals – Saturday, Oct. 19

#31 Mid-Fairfield (2), #5 Long Island Gulls (1)

#28 Springfield Thunderbirds (6), NJ Rockets (4)

#12 Central Mass Penguins (1), #8 Nor'Easter Storm (4)

#19 Yale Jr. Bulldogs (5), #15 Neponset River Rats (4)

 

18U Semifinals – Saturday, Oct. 19

Mid-Fairfield (5), Yale Jr. Bulldogs (3)

Nor’Easter Storm (5), Springfield Thunderbirds (1)

 

18U Championship – Sunday, Oct. 20

Mid-Fairfield 2, Nor’Easter Storm (0)

Ryan Hedley and Easton Kinsler broke what had been a scoreless tie with goals in the final 21 minutes of play to lead Mid-Fairfield to the 18U title. Noah Jettelson and Braden O’Neil picked up assists on the deciding goals.

CLICK HERE for the links to all the BEAST Series Playoff results