UNH Commits Update: December-22-2016

2019 Commit Marek Wazny 4 Goals in 3 Games

2020 Commit Drew Commesso .986 Save%

Player Spotlight - Marek Wazny

Since Marek Wazny committed to UNH on December 1st, he has played in 9 games for the North Jersey Avalanche 16U team and scored 10 goals. The Avalanche compete in one of the premiere midget minor leagues in the United States - the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. T1EHL features 24 top 16U teams from California to Massachusetts and Michigan to Alabama.

Last weekend, Wazny and the North Jersey Avalanche travelled to Troy, Michigan for the Troy Showcase. The Avalanche entered the 4-game tournament as the only undefeated 16U team in T1EHL and they were ranked #6 in the nation. In the opening round, the Dallas Stars Elite (#8 Ranked) handed North Jersey their first loss of the T1EHL season and Marek was kept off the scoresheet.

In Game 2 of the weekend showcase, the Avalanche bounced back with a 4-2 win over the Iowa Wild and Wazny scored the game-winning goal. Marek tallied 2 more goals in the 6-0 victory over the Colorado Rampage and buried his 4th goal of the weekend as the Avalanche beat the Colorado Thunderbirds 4-2. Marek Wazny has compiled 18 goals in 24 T1EHL games and is tied for the lead in goal-scoring. As this highlight video of Marek's 4 goals shows, he can score off end-to-end rushes and in-zone passing plays:



The North Jersey Avalanche 16U team also competes in the Atlantic Youth Hockey League located along the I-95 Northeast corridor. They are 13-0-0 in that league and Marek Wazny has scored 6 goals and 7 assists in those games. The Avalanche return to Tier 1 EHL action on January 14th at the Boston Advantage Showcase in Hingham, Massachusetts.

Player Spotlight - Drew Commesso

2020 UNH Commit Drew Commesso is the youngest active goalie in New England Prep School hockey. The 14-year-old freshman at St. Sebastian's School in Needham, Massachusetts has started one game for the Arrows, replaced senior Alex Zafonte in two other games and split one game with junior Tim Kiley. In Commesso's first game, he entered the game against Milton at the beginning of the second period with St. Sebastian's trailing 3-0. He turned aside all 20 shots on goal and earned the come-from-behind 5-3 win.

Last Wednesday, Commesso got the first start of his prep school career. Drew faced 26 shots on goal and saved all of them as St. Seb's downed the Brooks School 6-0. He could savor a true rarity for a goalie - a perfect record of 2 shutout wins, a Goals Against Average of 0.00 and a Save Percentage of 1.000.

Next up was the annual St. Sebastian's Holiday Hockey Tournament. Commesso played in one of St. Seb's three games. With one minute remaining in the first period against Albany Academy, Drew replaced senior goalie Zafonte with the Arrows trailing 2-0. Over the remainder of the game, Commesso faced 17 shots on goal and allowed the first goal of his season. Albany Academy won 4-1 and Commesso did not figure in the decision.

Finally, Drew Commesso got a chance to play in the 22nd Annual Mutch Memorial Hockey Game last night. The contest against Catholic Memorial honors former St. Sebastian's player and coach Kevin Mutch. Junior goalie Tim Kiley played the first half of the game and left with St. Seb's leading 2-1. Drew Commesso tended goal in the second half and made 9 of 9 saves. St. Sebastian's defeated Catholic Memorial 5-1 and Kiley was credited with the win.

It is still early in the New England Prep School season and freshman Drew Commesso has only started in one game for St. Sebastian's. However, his .986 Save Percentage is the best in the league and he has surrendered just one goal in 147 minutes of action. It will be interesting to see if he earns more playing time as the season progresses. St. Sebastian's current record in NE Prep School play is 5-3-0 and Commesso is credited with 2 of their wins. The Arrows return to action on December 30th at the New Year's Showcase played at St. Sebastian's and Noble & Greenough School.

2016-17 Statistics

NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the following table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2017 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2017. I have based these projections on a number of factors including:
~ If a National Letter of Intent has been signed.
~ The year the commit and UNH coaches originally targeted for enrollment in UNH. ~ How old the commit would be upon admission.
~ Number of years in junior hockey prior to admission.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2017 Commits
Joseph Cipollone  (F)	Tri-City Storm	USHL	16	2	0	2	4
	Junior Bruins	USPHL	6	2	3	5	0
Liam Darcy  (D)	Islanders Hockey Club	USPHL	28	2	9	11	10
Charlie Kelleher*  (F)	Tri-City Storm	USHL	25	7	13	20	6
Eric MacAdams*  (F)	Sioux Falls Stampede	USHL	24	9	8	17	62
James Miller*  (D)	Penticton Vees	BCHL	23	3	9	12	26
Mike Robinson*  (G)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	1	1W	0L	4.20	.854
	Springfield Jr Blues	NAHL	7	4W	3L	3.11	.917
2017 or '18 Commits
Eric Esposito*  (F)	Youngstown Phantoms	USHL	21	3	1	4	80
2018 Commits
Angus Crookshank*  (F)	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	8	2	6	8	2
Corson Green  (D)	Chicago Steel	USHL	21	4	4	8	12
2018 or '19 Commits
Lucas Bahn  (D)	Skipjacks 18U	USPHL	14	6	10	16	2
Ryan Verrier  (D)	Salisbury School	NE Prep	10	3	5	8	-
2019 Commits
Marek Wazny  (F)	NJ Avalanche 16U	Tier 1 Elite	25	18	7	25	8
		AYHL	13	6	7	13	2
2020 Commits
Drew Commesso  (G)	St. Sebastian's	NE Prep	3	2W	0L	0.37	.986
* = Signed National Letter of Intent

News & Notes

United States Hockey League:

~ 2017 UNH Commits Charlie Kelleher and Eric MacAdams continue to be among the top scorers in the USHL. Kelleher has 7 goals and 13 assists in 25 games, is tied for 7th in USHL scoring, and tied for 6th in assists. MacAdams has 9 goals and 8 assists in 24 games and is tied for 7th in USHL goal-scoring.

~ 2018 UNH Commit Corson Green has scored in 6 of his last 8 games with the Chicago Steel. Green is the second leading scorer (8 points) among USHL rookie defensemen and is tied for 8th in scoring among all rookies.

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ 2018 UNH commit Angus Crookshank broke his collar bone in the first period of the first game of the Langley Rivermen's season and missed 28 games. Since his return to the lineup on December 2nd, Crookshank has scored in 6 of his last 7 games. He has tallied 2 goals and 5 assists in that time.

~ 2017 UNH commit James Miller was all set to travel to the Canada West tryout camp for the World Junior A Challenge. Unfortunately, the Penticton Vees defensemen sustained an upper body injury the night before in a game against the Powell River Kings. Miller will reportedly be out of the lineup for 4-6 weeks.

United States Premiere Hockey League:

~ On November 30th, Joseph Cipollone was transferred from the Tri-City Storm of the USHL to the Junior Bruins of the USPHL. So far, Cipollone has scored 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 Junior Bruins games.

New England Prep Hockey League:

~ 2018 or '19 commit Ryan Verrier has tallied 3 goals and 5 assists in 10 games with the Salisbury School. The senior is tied for 9th is scoring among all New England Prep defensemen.