Sunday, September 17, 2023

UNH Freshman Marty Lavins: A Strong, High Motor Forward

Marty Lavins
2023 UNH Commit
"Martins is a strong right-shot center that plays a controlled patient style...excels in making plays in tight areas...does not shy away from physical play and has a high motor and compete." Neutral Zone, February, 2023
Marty Lavins Forward, 6'1", 176 lbs. Shoots Right
Hometown: Riga, Latvia
DOB: April 10, 2003; 20 years, 5 months
Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars
2022-23 Team: Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (United States Hockey League)
Committed to UNH on May 24, 2023 at Age 20 years, 1 month

2022-23 Highlight Reel

In our interview, Marty Lavins described his goal-scoring skills:
"Most of my goals came from “inside the house”. I love to play in the dirty areas of the game and I am very happy I got rewarded by scoring some goals last year."
This highlight reel shows several of Lavins' goals during the 2022-23 season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL):

Interview

I had an opportunity to interview Marty Lavins, via email, about his hockey career and commitment to UNH:

Mike Lowry: Congratulations on your commitment to play for the University of New Hampshire. How did you first become interested in UNH? What are the main reasons you chose UNH?

Marty Lavins: Thank you! Right after I got told that St.Cloud State University wants me to go play juniors one more year I decided to end my commitment because I felt like I was ready to go to a Division 1 school and help the team win games. Four days later I received an offer from UNH and it was a no brainer for me to take the offer.

There were three guys on the team that I knew - Kristaps Skrastiņš, who I knew since the age of 7 since we’re both from Latvia. Conor Lovett, I played with Conor my first year in Cedar Rapids and one of my best friends Brendan Fitzgerald who played a huge role in my decision to come to UNH. I talked with all three of them and they had nothing but good things to say about the program and I knew it was the right decision to come here.

Mike Lowry: In June, 2021, you committed to St. Cloud State University. What factors entered into your decision to end that commitment?

Marty Lavins: Five minutes after we got back home from our playoff loss, (Cedar Rapids) coach Carlson called me in his office and told me that St. Cloud wants me to come back for another year and two of their best players have chosen to play the 5th year, so there was literally no room on the team for me. That wasn’t something I expected, but I’m very happy that I agreed to a new deal with UNH relatively quickly.

Lowry: When you renewed the recruiting process, what college programs, other than UNH, did you consider? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?

Lavins: Really no other schools were in the picture. I talked to the University of Vermont a little bit before I even committed to St. Cloud State but no official offers were made. I heard that there was some interest from other Hockey East schools but UNH was the only one that reached out to me and luckily, here we are...

Lowry: At this stage in your hockey development, what are the strengths of your game? What areas are you trying to improve?

Lavins: I would like to say that my strengths are my physicality and willingness to do anything necessary to win games every given night. I’m trying to be the best possible teammate that I can be. There are a lot of improvement areas and I’m usually very critical about my game. If I have to highlight one aspect of the game it would definitely be play with the puck in the offensive zone. And by that I mean being more unpredictable and creating more chances for myself and my teammates.

Lowry: You grew up playing hockey in Latvia and your Dad, Rodrigo Lavins, had a 3-decade professional career playing throughout Europe and the United States. Would you describe how your interest in hockey developed? What's some of the best advice your Dad gave you about playing hockey?

Lavins: I loved watching my dad’s hockey games for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t like he tried to push me to play hockey I would say he did the opposite. I was walking around the house with skates on and a hockey stick in my hand. I’m pretty sure I never got in a car without my helmet on when I was a kid. So finally when I turned four, my parents took me to my first hockey practice and now here I am.

My dad has been my biggest mentor and my best coach. Without him I wouldn’t be half the player I am today. He has helped a lot of young Latvian hockey players fulfill their dreams and he has coached a lot of my friends that are also Division 1 hockey players now. He has always taught me to never back down from any challenge but most importantly he has taught me how to be a good person.

Lowry: In the summer of 2021, you came to the United States to play for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL. Why did you make that choice? What was the transition like, both on and off the ice?

Lavins: Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Head Coach and General Manager Mark Carlson reached out to me and offered me to play for them. Playing in the USHL has always been one of my small career goals, so when Coach Carlson reached out to me I didn’t think twice and accepted the offer. The transition on the ice was a little bit hard at first. The game is way faster, way more physical but the biggest difference is the rink size. It took some time to get used to it but I’m very thankful that I had such good teammates that made me feel like home since day one.

Off ice transition was very smooth. I was very lucky to have two amazing billet families that took really good care of me and I will be very thankful for that forever. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders is the highest level organization and I am very thankful for everything they did for me.

Lowry: Comparing your two season with Cedar Rapids, one obvious area of improvement was goal-scoring. Your total goals tripled from 5 in 2021-22 to 15 in 2022-2023. What techniques and strategies do you use to score goals? What other areas of your game improved over the two years in the USHL?

Lavins: Most of my goals came from “inside the house”. I love to play in the dirty areas of the game and I am very happy I got rewarded by scoring some goals last year. Going into a game my main goal is winning, and if I can help my team win games by scoring goals then I am more than happy if I get the chance to do that.

Lowry: You have extensive experience representing Latvia in international competition. What are some of the highpoints?

Lavins: It is always an honor to represent my country on the big stage. Our fans are very passionate and hockey is number one sport in Latvia. The support that we received during the tournament was surreal. The highpoint was definitely beating Czechia. It was the first time Latvian U20 team have made it to the quarterfinals and not only that, it was also the first ever regulation win. Unbelievable emotions and memories.

Lowry: Did you have an opportunity to observe the 2022-23 UNH team play? If so, how do you think you can help the team when you join it?

Lavins: Yes, I got the chance to watch a couple of games. The play style is very similar to what we played for our Latvian U20 team so it’s nothing new to me. Fast paced, aggressive play style which is right up my alley.

Lowry: What are your academic strengths and interests? Have you thought about what you might major in when you enroll at UNH next Fall?

Lavins: I am pretty good at communicating and learning languages. I went to a language school and learned, German, English, Spanish and Russian. And obviously I speak my native language which is Latvian. Right now I am thinking about majoring in business. I think that could be a pretty fun thing to study and definitely very useful in the future.

Neutral Zone Scouting Reports

USHL Game Report, February, 2023
"Martins is a strong right-shot center that plays a controlled patient style. He moves fairly well in straight lines and is still improving agility and lateral mobility. Needs to be stronger on his skates. He excels in making plays in tight areas and quickly identifies coverage and makes a pass to the open man. He was consistently F3 on the forecheck and was constantly helping his defenders in the transition game. He uses his body well down below the dots on the cycle and fights through pressure from defenders. He gets to the net and jumps on loose pucks and rebounds. He has a strong and active stick in the defensive end and gets in lanes. He is responsible in his zone first then looks to create offensive chances. Does not shy away from physical play and has a high motor and compete."
USHL Game Report, March, 2022
"Latvian forward who was constantly involved in offensive opportunities and had several scoring chances throughout both games. He showed all-around offensive skill along with good straight-line speed to carry the puck on the rush and get in on the forecheck. He showed good strength carrying the puck, in board battles, and finishing his checks. He finished his checks with authority. He was responsible defensively with good effort on the back check, keeping his head on a swivel to pick up a player, and used his stick to get in passing lanes. He was also effective on the penalty kill using good effort and an active stick. He scored in game 1 following up the play and cleaning up a rebound in-tight. He picked up an assist in game 2 by throwing the puck on net from the point producing a rebound for his teammate to bury."

Youth & Junior Hockey Statistics

Player Season Team League GP Goals Asst Pts PIM +/-
Marty Lavins (F) 2022-23 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders USHL 50 12 12 24 53 +1
Playoffs 5 3 1 4 4 +3
Team Latvia U20 World Juniors 6 0 3 3 2 -1
2021-22 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders USHL 50 4 11 15 64 -7
Playoffs 2 1 0 1 2 0
Team Latvia U20 World Juniors 5 1 1 2 25 0
Team Latvia U20 World Juniors D1A 5 1 3 4 6 -1
2020-21 HK Mogo Latvia 14 3 6 9 6 -
HK Ako/Baltie Vilki Latvia2 6 8 7 15 16 -
HS Riga Latvia 20 8 6 14 16 -
Team Latvia U18 World Juniors 4 1 1 2 8 -4
2019-20 HS Riga Latvia 31 9 5 14 22 -
SK Riga 17 Latvia2 5 2 2 4 2 -
SK Riga 17 Russia U17 4 3 5 8 0 -
Team Latvia U18 Internat. Jrs 4 2 1 3 0 -
2018-19 Baltu Vilki Latvia U17 39 26 41 67 30 -
Marupe/Ako Latvia2 14 7 3 10 43 -
Team Latvia U18 Internat. Jrs 1 0 0 0 4 -
2017-18 Marupe U16 Latvia U16 28 28 22 50 38 -

Thursday, June 01, 2023

UNH Commits Update: Final 2022-23 Statistics & Projected 2023-24 UNH Roster

Marty Lavins (F)
2023 UNH Commit
Zach Hahn (D)
2023 UNH Commit


Jakob Hellsten (G)
2023 UNH Transfer
Luis Lindner (D)
2023 UNH Transfer

News & Notes

Projected Changes to 2023-24 UNH Roster

The following 10 UNH players from the 2022-23 roster plan to leave the team through graduation (Gr) and/or the transfer portal (TP):
GOALIE (1)
David Fessenden (Gr,TP)
DEFENSEMEN (4)
Kalle Eriksson (Gr)
Nico DeVita (TP)
Damien Carfagna (TP)
Cade Penney (TP)
FORWARDS (5)
Ryan Black (Gr)
Joe Hankinson (Gr)
Chase Stevenson (Gr, TP)
Jake Dunlap (TP)
Will Margel (TP)

As of today, I project these incoming freshmen (Fr) and transfers (TP) will be added for the 2023-24 season:
GOALIE (1)
Jakob Hellsten (TP)
DEFENSEMEN (3)
Brendan Fitzgerald (Fr)
Zach Hahn (Fr)
Luis Lindner (TP)
FORWARDS (6)
Ryan Conmy (Fr)
Marty Lavins (Fr)
Nick Ring (Fr)
Jason Siedem (Fr)
JP Turner (Fr)
Ronan Walsh (Fr)

Recent Additions to 2023-24 UNH Roster

Over the last two months, the following incoming freshman and transfers committed to UNH for the 2023-24 season:
Marty Lavins Forward, 6'0", 176 lbs. Shoots Right
Hometown: Riga, Latvia
DOB: April 10, 2003; 20 years, 2 months
Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars
Current Team: Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (United States Hockey League)
Committed to UNH on May 24, 2023 at Age 20 years, 1 month

Zach Hahn Defenseman, 6'2", 205 lbs. Shoots Left
Hometown: Huntington, New York
DOB: August 6, 2002; 20 years, 9 months
Neutral Zone Rating: 3.25 out of 5 Stars
Current Team: PAL Junior Islanders (National Collegiate Development Conference)
Committed to UNH on May 31, 2023 at Age 20 years, 9 months

Jakob Hellsten Goalie, 6'0", 185 lbs. Catches Left
Hometown: Ljusdal, Sweden
DOB: February 2, 2000; 23 years, 4 months
Neutral Zone Rating: Not Rated
Current Team: University of North Dakota (National Collegiate Hockey Conference)
Committed to UNH on April 18, 2023 at Age 23 years, 2 months

Luis Lindner Defense, 5'11", 172 lbs. Shoots Left
Hometown: Spittal an der Drau, Austria
DOB: May 16, 2001; 22 years.
Neutral Zone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Current Team: American International College (Atlantic Hockey)
Committed to UNH on May 12, 2023 at Age 23 years.

Final 2022-23 Statistics

This updated table shows the final scoring statistics, penalty minutes and +/- ratings (where available) from the 2022-23 season for the 23 players committed to play for the University of New Hampshire. It includes my projection on the players who will join the 2023-24 UNH roster. The first 8 are incoming freshmen and the next 2 are from the NCAA transfer portal.

Player NZ Stars** Team League GP Goals Asst Pts PIM +/-
2023 Commits
Brendan Fitzgerald* 3/6/03 (D) 4.0 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders USHL 43 3 21 24 94 +7
Zach Hahn 8/6/02 (D) 3.25 PAL Jr. Islanders NCDC 49 6 14 20 26 -
Playoffs 7 0 3 3 2 -
Marty Lavins 4/10/03 (F) 3.75 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders USHL 50 12 12 24 53 +1
Playoffs 5 3 1 4 4 +3
Nick Ring* 10/26/03 (F) 3.75 Sioux Falls Stampede USHL 48 12 30 42 20 -15
Jason Siedem 10/17/02 (F) 3.75 Blackfalds Bulldogs AJHL 58 27 48 75 26 -
Playoffs 16 5 16 21 12 -
JP Turner* 1/31/03 (F) 3.5 Fargo Force USHL 61 6 14 20 53 +3
Playoffs 9 0 1 1 6 +1
Ronan Walsh 5/3/02 (F) 3.5 Amarillo Wranglers NAHL 25 9 3 12 82 +10
Playoffs 3 0 0 0 10 0
Aberdeen Wings NAHL 35 7 10 17 69 -6
Ryan Conmy* 10/23/04 (F) 4.0 Sioux City Musketeers USHL 60 33 29 62 14 +12
Playoffs 2 1 1 2 2 -2
2023 Transfers
Jakob Hellsten 2/2/00 (G) NR North Dakota NCHC 13 5 5 2 2.72 .875
Luis Lindner 5/16/01 (D) 3.5 AIC Atlantic Hockey 35 0 7 7 10 -5
2024 Commits
Connor DeTurris 10/8/04 (F) 3.75 Janesville Jets NAHL 47 19 18 37 22 +10
Madison Capitols USHL 1 0 0 0 0 -1
Lars Petter Eckholm 3/7/04 (F) NR Rögle BK J20 J20 Nationell 39 13 6 19 20 +4
Playoffs 6 0 3 3 4 +1
Connor MacPherson* 3/2/05 (F) 3.75 Leamington Flyers GOJHL 43 28 35 63 35 -
Playoffs 22 20 14 34 22 -
Ryan MacPherson* 3/2/05 (F) 3.75 Leamington Flyers GOJHL 49 25 36 61 20 -
Playoffs 24 14 24 38 4 -
Ryan Philbrick* 6/20/04 (D) 3.25 Cushing Academy NE Prep 32 2 21 23 - -
Josh Player* 5/13/05 (D) 3.5 Green Bay Gamblers USHL 35 1 5 6 19 +1
Playoffs 3 0 0 0 2 0
Bishop Kearney 18U 18U AAA 32 8 21 29 0 -
NEPACK 18U 6 1 2 3 4 -
Luca Primerano 3/17/05 (F) 3.75 Prince George Spruce Kings BCHL 40 8 18 26 4 -
2024 or '25 Commit
Sebastian Bradshaw 5/26/05 (F) 3.5 Elite Hockey Academy 18U 18U AAA 59 31 31 62 68 -
AYHL 14 5 4 9 34 -
Conner de Haro 10/17/05 (D) 3.75 Janesville Jets NAHL 8 1 2 3 0 0
Youngstown Phantoms USHL 24 0 4 4 14 +6
Jack Sadowski 7/29/06 (F) 3.75 Kimball Union Academy NE Prep 33 23 19 42 - -
Islanders Hockey Club 18U Prep EHF - - - - - -
2025 Commits
Nikita Konevych 6/3/06 (D) NR Chatham High NJHS 15 24 10 34 - -
New Jersey Rockets 16U THF 16U 7 1 1 2 22 -
NEPACK 16U 11 0 5 5 16 -
USA 16U Nationals 5 1 3 4 24 -
Price Grimes 1/28/06 (D) 3.75 Sioux Falls Power 16U 16 AAA 36 4 11 15 - -
T1EHL 15 1 6 7 29 -
Playoffs 4 1 1 2 6 -
Niko Tournas 2/17/06 (F) 3.75 New Jersey Rockets 16U THF 16U 10 11 8 19 2 -
NEPACK 16U 11 7 1 8 0 -
USA 16U Nationals 16 9 5 14 2 -
* = Signed National Letter of Intent
** = Neutral Zone 5-Star Rating
NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the above table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2023 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2023. I have based these projections on the following factors:
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.
~ Number of incoming transfer players and the position they play.
~ 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.

Friday, March 17, 2023

UNH Commits Update 3-17-2023: High Scoring, Right Shot Forwards Siedem & Conmy

Jason Siedem
2023 UNH Commit
Ryan Conmy
2023 UNH Commit

News & Notes

~ Jason Siedem (DOB: 10/17/02), the 20-year-old, 6'0", 185 lbs., right-shot forward from Madison, New Jersey, finished his final regular season of junior hockey with 27 goals and 48 assists in 58 games with the Blackfalds Bulldogs. His 75 points tied for 7th highest in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He was also among the league leaders in power play production. His 13 power play goals were 6th most in the AJHL and 20 power play assists were 7th highest. The Bulldogs currently hold a 3-1 advantage in the opening round of the AJHL Playoffs.

Three days ago, Neutral Zone provided this new assessment of Siedem's skills:
"Siedem is a creative playmaking forward that can fly around the ice without having to move his feet much. He almost hovers around the ice as his feet barely move but he wins races and is athletic in his stride. Jason doesn’t look to get too pretty with the puck as he makes a quick move and then either dishes or attacks the net. He was at his best out on the perimeter with a little time to wire pucks through trafficked areas. Jason has a soft touch on pucks but is firm on his stick in traffic to not get lifted or turn it over in battle. Siedem has smooth quick hands and makes little touch passes in tight to create space for his linemates."
Siedem has a quick, powerful and accurate shot as demonstrated in this video of his 25th goal of the regular season:



~ Ryan Conmy (DOB: 10/23/04), the 18-year-old, 5'10", 188 lbs., right-shot forward from Alexandria, Virginia, continues to excel in his first season of junior hockey with the Sioux City Musketeers. With 14 games remaining in the regular season, Conmy has already scored 29 goals (tied for 2nd most in USHL) including 8 power play goals (Tied 7th in USHL).

Conmy is just 1 goal shy of a 30-goal USHL season. UNH Trivia: The last UNH player to score 30 or more goals in a USHL season was Jacob Micflikier. In the 2002-03 regular season, he scored 31 goals, 36 assists in 59 games with the Sioux Falls Stampede. Conmy has also added 19 assists to his scoring total, including 8 power play assists.

On Decmeber 12th, Neutral Zone evaluated Conmy during the 20th game of this USHL season:
"Strong on his stick especially when he has the puck. Hunts the puck down in the defensive zone to regain possession and turns the other way to go play offense. Despite being stick checked bodied and pressured keeps his feet moving and maintains control of the puck. Entering the zone can beat defenders 1 on 1 make nifty passes or shoot through screens. For example early in the game took the puck wide absorbed a hit laid a beautiful slip pass to his teammate in the slot for a grade A chance. A noticeable trait about his game was his ability to backcheck into his own zone. Hunted the puck carrier down and limited any chances off the rush because his desperation and will to get the puck back."
Conmy has a sniper's wrist shot as demonstrated in this video of his 26th goal of the regular season:



Ryan Conmy was ranked #211 on the NHL Central Scouting's 2022-23 North American Skaters Midterm Rankings. This is his first year of eligibility for the NHL Draft. He plans to graduate from high school this spring. Given UNH's need for goal scorers and Conmy's high-end offensive performance in his first USHL season, I project he'll enroll as a true freshman next season.

~ Connor MacPherson (DOB: 3/2/05), the 18-year-old, 6'0", 176 lbs., right-shot forward from Tecumseh, Ontario, finished the Leamington Flyers' regular season with 28 goals and 35 assists in 43 games. His 63 points tied for 9th highest and 28 goals tied for 7th most in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. He tied for 4th in game-winnng goals (5). The Flyers currently hold a 1-0 advantage in the second round of the GOJHL Playoffs.

~ Ryan MacPherson (DOB: 3/2/05), the 18-year-old twin brother of Connor, is a 6'0", 176 lbs., left-shot center from Tecumseh, Ontario. Ryan scored 25 goals and 36 assists for the Leamington Flyers in 49 regular season games. He tied for 11th for most GOJHL points and tied for 9th in assists. His 7 game-winning goals were tied for 2nd highest in the league.

~ Ryan Philbrick (DOB: 6/20/04), the 18-year-old, 5'11", 165 lbs., left-shot defenseman from Concord, New Hampshire, scored 2 goals and 21 assists for the Cushing Academy Penguins. He had the 5th most assists among all defensemen in New England Prep Hockey. Cushing advanced to the Elite 8 championship game but lost 2-1 to Avon Old Farms.

~ Jack Sadowski (DOB: 7/29/06), the 16-year-old, 6'0", 179 lbs., left-shot forward from Arlington, Massachusetts, finished his first season of New England Prep Hockey with 23 goals, 19 assists in 33 Kimball Union Academy games. He tied for 3rd in league goals and tied 9th in points. KUA won the Lakes Region Championship but lost 6-2 to Cushing Academy in the Elite 8 opening round.

~ Niko Tournas (DOB: 2/17/06), the 17-year-old, 6'2", 185 lbs., right-shot forward from Redding, Connecticut, lead the New Jersey Rockets 16U team to the NorthEast Pack Hockey League Championship on February 12th. Tournas tied for the most goals (11) in the regular season and scored this shootout, game-winning goal in the championship game against Bishop Kearney 16U.

~ Sebastian Bradshaw (DOB: 5/26/05), the 17-year-old, 6'3", 196 lbs., left-shot forward from Newtonville, Ontario and Nikita Konevych (DOB: 6/3/06), the 16-year-old, 6'2", 176 lbs., left-shot defenseman from Kalush, Ukraine, recently committed to the University of New Hampshire. Look for feature articles on them coming in the near future.

2022-23 Statistics

Player NZ Stars** Team League GP Goals Asst Pts PIM +/-
2023 Commits
Brendan Fitzgerald* 3/6/03 (D) 4.0 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders USHL 33 2 17 19 80 +9
Nick Ring* 10/26/03 (F) 3.75 Sioux Falls Stampede USHL 48 12 29 41 20 -15
Jason Siedem 10/17/02 (F) 3.75 Blackfalds Bulldogs AJHL 58 27 48 75 26 -
Playoffs 4 0 5 5 4 -
JP Turner* 1/31/03 (F) 3.5 Fargo Force USHL 48 6 13 19 18 +7
Ronan Walsh 5/3/02 (F) 3.5 Amarillo Wranglers NAHL 16 4 2 6 62 +4
Aberdeen Wings NAHL 35 7 10 17 69 -6
Ryan Conmy* 10/23/04 (F) 4.0 Sioux City Musketeers USHL 48 29 19 48 10 +5
2024 Commits
Connor DeTurris 10/8/04 (F) 3.75 Janesville Jets NAHL 40 19 17 36 20 +15
Madison Capitols USHL 1 0 0 0 0 -1
Connor MacPherson* 3/2/05 (F) 3.75 Leamington Flyers GOJHL 43 28 35 63 35 -
Playoffs 5 5 4 9 6 -
Ryan MacPherson* 3/2/05 (F) 3.75 Leamington Flyers GOJHL 49 25 36 61 20 -
Playoffs 5 3 6 9 0 -
Ryan Philbrick* 6/20/04 (D) 3.25 Cushing Academy NE Prep 32 2 21 23 - -
Josh Player* 5/13/05 (D) 3.5 Green Bay Gamblers USHL 25 1 2 3 17 0
Bishop Kearney 18U 18U AAA 32 8 21 29 0 -
NEPACK 18U 6 1 2 3 4 -
Luca Primerano 3/17/05 (F) 3.75 Prince George Spruce Kings BCHL 40 8 18 26 4 -
2024 or '25 Commit
Sebastian Bradshaw 5/26/05 (F) 3.5 Elite Hockey Academy 18U 18U AAA 59 31 31 62 68 -
AYHL 14 5 4 9 34 -
Conner de Haro 10/17/05 (D) 3.75 Janesville Jets NAHL 8 1 2 3 0 0
Youngstown Phantoms USHL 24 0 4 4 14 +6
Jack Sadowski 7/29/06 (F) 3.75 Kimball Union Academy NE Prep 33 23 19 42 - -
Islanders Hockey Club 18U Prep EHF - - - - - -
2025 Commits
Nikita Konevych 6/3/06 (D) NR Chatham High NJHS 15 24 10 34 - -
New Jersey Rockets 16U THF 16U 7 1 1 2 22 -
NEPACK 16U 11 0 5 5 16 -
Price Grimes 1/28/06 (D) 3.75 Sioux Falls Power 16U 16 AAA 36 4 11 15 - -
T1EHL 15 1 6 7 29 -
Niko Tournas 2/17/06 (F) 3.75 New Jersey Rockets 16U THF 16U 10 11 8 19 2 -
NEPACK 16U 11 7 1 8 0 -
* = Signed National Letter of Intent
** = Neutral Zone 5-Star Rating
NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the above table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2023 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2023. I have based these projections on the following factors:
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.
~ Number of incoming transfer players and the position they play.
~ 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.

Friday, February 10, 2023

UNH Freshman Stiven Sardarian: Buffalo Draft Pick Raises His Game

Stiven Sardarian
UNH Freshman Forward

UNH freshman Stiven Sardarian's remarkable journey from St. Petersburg, Russia to Durham, New Hampshire was recently chronicled by Matthew Fairburn in The Athletic. Sardarian was a rising star in the Red Army Moskow youth hockey program when he accepted an offer to further his education and pursue his hockey career at the University of New Hampshire. Shortly after his committment to UNH in May, 2021, he signed up to play for the Youngstown Phantoms in the 2021-22 USHL season. A month later, he was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 3rd Round (88th overall) of the 2021 Entry Draft.

Last season, Sardarian took on the challenge (and opportunity) of adapting to life in midwestern America, improving his command of the English language, and adjusting to the North American style of playing hockey. He showed some promise on the ice, scoring 8 goals and 17 assists in 48 games for Youngstown.

Sardarian's transition to NCAA hockey was not ideal. Because of issues with obtaining a visa to re-enter the United States, he was not able to participate in UNH's summer training program or attend the Sabres' player development camp. He didn't receive the visa until August, just in time to register for classes.

Sardarian got off to a slow start this season. Over his first 17 games, he hadn't scored. In The Athletic article in mid-November, head coach Mike Souza provided this assessment:
“I think that’s been the most eye-opening thing for him is the pace and you’re out there against kids who might be 24 or 25 years old. That’s been the biggest adjustment has been the pace and strength. When the game slows down, he’s really effective. What I’m excited about is seeing him get stronger so the pace picks up. He can see plays other guys can’t see. He sees the next play. He always sees the next play. When we can enhance his ability to do that by getting stronger, he’ll get quicker and he’ll make even more plays.”
Sardarian made his first goal-scoring play in his 18th NCAA game - a 3-1 win against 17th-ranked UMass on January 15th. As the first clip in the "Steven Sardarian Jan-Feb 2022" highlight video shows, Sardarian carried the puck wide on a 3-on-2 break, got past the UMass defender, and centered a cross-crease pass to fellow freshman Kristaps Skrastins for the game-winning one-timer.

Last weekend, in a 3-2 overtime defeat of 15th-ranked Merrimack and a 5-4 win over 16th-ranked UMass Lowell, Sardarian really broke through. The second video clip shows Sardarian's first NCAA goal. On a 3-on-3 rush, he gained a stride on a Merrimack defender and one-timed a backhand pass from senior captain Chase Stevenson.

Sardarian's ability to see the next play then use skating agility and deft passing skills to create a scoring attempt were key factors in UNH's road-game win at UMass Lowell last Saturday. In the third video highlight, Sardarian maneuvered around the net-front scrum, dug out the puck and chipped a quick pass to get it out to the point. As freshman defenseman Damien Carfagna snapped a wrister into the goal, Sardarian used his size to screen the Lowell goalie.

With the game tied 3-3 late in the 3rd period, Sardarian created two goal-scoring plays in quick succession to earn the UNH victory. With 7 minutes left in regulation, Sardarian lead a rush into the Lowell zone and skated wide around a defenseman (see video highlights). Just as he began carrying the puck behind the net, he slipped a pass back to Chase Stevenson parked on the doorstep and he converted it into a 4-3 lead.

On the very next play after the faceoff at center ice, UNH dumped the puck behind the Lowell defensemen, Sardarian hustled behind the net, stole the puck from a defender and feathered it to the open Stevenson. He buried it for what turned out to be the game-winning goal.



At the UNH midweek press conference on Wednesday, Coach Souza offered these observations on Stiven Sardarian's progress:
"One of the areas where he needs to improve, and he knows it, is getting stronger. And now, I know it's in-season, but he's had an opportunity to work with Will Morey, our strength coach. He does an extra lift each week with Will, beyond what is required of our guys, because he wants to be a player."
"I think his competitiveness has elevated and I think that's why he's having more success. What I mean by that is his competitiveness at practice, it's carried over to games. You know, he faced some adversity like a lot of guys do early on, where you're out of the lineup, your fighting to get back into the lineup."
"His natural ability to see the next play may be the best on the team. He's sees the next play as well as anyone we have."
Sardarian, and the UNH Wildcats, begin a 2-game, at home series against UConn tonight at the Whittemore Center. UNH's record over the last 6 Hockey East games is 4-2, including 1 overtime win and 1 overtime loss. All 6 games were against Hockey East teams ranked in the top 20 nationally. The Huskies are currently ranked 13th in NCAA Division I hockey and 4th in Hockey East.

Wednesday, February 01, 2023

UNH Commits Update 2-1-2023: NHL Draft Prospects

Connor MacPherson
Ranked #134
Ryan Conmy
Ranked #211
Ryan MacPherson
Ranked #223

News & Notes

NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings

On January 13th the NHL Central Scouting Service (NHL CSS) published their 2023 Draft Prospect Midterm Rankings. 3 players committed to the University of New Hampshire - Connor MacPherson (3/2/05), Ryan Conmy (10/23/04) and Ryan MacPherson (3/2/05) - were added to Central Scouting's pool of 2023 NHL prospects. Connor MacPherson's midterm rank is #134, his twin brother Ryan MacPherson is #223, and Ryan Conmy is #211.

It's noteworthy that these players were not included on Central Scouting's 2023 NHL Draft Preliminary Players To Watch List released on October 22nd. Their outstanding performance since the 2022-23 season began has impressed the NHL scouting staff.

~ Connor MacPherson (DOB: 3/2/05), the 17-year-old, 6'0", 176 lbs., right-shot forward from Tecumseh, Ontario, has scored 20 goals, including 5 power play and 4 game-winning goals, and distributed 28 assists in 33 games with the Leamington Flyers. He's currently tied for 12th in Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League scoring. Here are a couple highlights from his last 2 seasons with Leamington:



Connor MacPherson sits at #134 on the 2022-23 North American Skaters Midterm Rankings. This Central Scouting list is divided into 7 rounds with 32 North American skater prospects per round. Connor MacPherson is near the top of the 5th Round (129-160).

Historically, the majority of prospects on the 5th-round list of North American skaters do not get drafted. For example, only 6 of 32 North American skaters ranked in the 5th Round on the 2021-22 North American Skaters Midterm Rankings were drafted by an NHL team in June, 2022. 1 in the 4th Round (100th overall), 2 in Round 5 (137th, 146th), 2 in Round 6 (177th, 193rd), and 1 in Round 7 (223rd). 26 North American skaters ranked in the 5th Round weren't selected in the 2022 NHL Draft.

One of the better scenarios for Connor MacPherson, and the UNH men's hockey program, would be to approximate former UNH star Angus Crookshank's career path. Coincidently, Crookshank ranked #139 on Central Scouting's 2017-18 Midterm Rankings for North American skaters and was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 5th Round (134th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. Across three seasons at UNH, Crookshank scored 35 goals, 28 assists in 90 games. He now plays for the Belleville Senators in the AHL. In 61 games, he's scored 18 goals and 21 assists.

~ Ryan Conmy (DOB: 10/23/04), the 18-year-old, 5'10", 188 lbs., right-shot forward from Alexandria, Virginia, has burst on the scene in his first season of junior hockey. He's scored 19 goals, including 6 power play and a game-winning goal, and 12 assists in 35 games with the Sioux City Musketeers. He's currently tied for 5th in United States Hockey League goal-scoring. Here are 3 of the goals Conmy scored in November, 2022:



Ryan Conmy is ranked #211 on the 2022-23 North American Skaters Midterm Rankings. Conmy is near the middle of the 7th Round (193-224) of the rankings.

Typically, only a few North American skaters ranked in the 7th Round of the midterm rankings get drafted. Last season, 4 of 32 North American skaters ranked in the 7th Round on the 2021-22 North American Skaters Midterm Rankings were drafted by an NHL team in June, 2022. 28 North American skaters ranked in the 7th Round were not chosen in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Interestingly, 3 of the 4, Round 7 North American prospects selected in the 2022 Draft have followed the NCAA Division I route. Cade Littler (Ranked #198; Drafted 7th Round, 219th overall) is a freshman at Minnesota State. Luke Devlin (Ranked #202; Drafted 6th Round, 182nd overall) plays for the West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL) and is committed to Cornell. Matthew Morden (Ranked #223; Drafted 5th Round, 131st overall) is a Harvard commit who plays for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL). Landon Sim (Ranked #213; Drafted 6th Round, 184th overall) plays for the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League.

~ Ryan MacPherson (3/2/05), the 17-year-old twin brother of Connor, is a 6'0", 176 lbs., left-shot center from Tecumseh, Ontario. Ryan has scored 19 goals, including 3 power play and 4 game-winning goals, and added 29 assists in 38 Leamington Flyers' games. He's tied with Connor as the 12th leading scorer in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Here are a couple highlights from his last 2 seasons with Leamington:



Occasionally, a North American prospect in Round 7 of Central Scouting's Midterm Rankings gets drafted by an NHL team and becomes a top player in Hockey East. A case in point is Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (9/16/00), a 5'8", 174 lbs., left-shot forward from East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Fontaine was ranked #212 on Central Scouting's 2019-20 North American Skaters Midterm Rankings. He was selected by the Nashville Predators in the 7th Round (202th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. Over the last 3 seasons, Fontaine has scored 21 goals, 41 assists in 84 games with Northeastern University.

To be included in the NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings is certainly an honor for a 17 or 18-year-old hockey player. Of course there is no way of knowing what the future holds for Ryan MacPherson, his brother Connor, or Ryan Conmy. But inclusion on NHL Central Scouting's Midterm Rankings is the first step in a potentially bright college hockey career.

2022-23 Statistics

Player NZ Stars** Team League GP Goals Asst Pts PIM +/-
2023 Commits
Brendan Fitzgerald* 3/6/03 (D) 4.0 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders USHL 20 2 15 17 55 +7
Nick Ring* 10/26/03 (F) 3.75 Sioux Falls Stampede USHL 36 9 22 31 12 -7
Jason Siedem 10/17/02 (F) 3.75 Blackfalds Bulldogs AJHL 46 16 36 52 18 -
JP Turner* 1/31/03 (F) 3.5 Fargo Force USHL 35 5 10 15 16 +6
Ronan Walsh 5/3/02 (F) 3.5 Aberdeen Wings NAHL 37 8 11 19 69 -6
2023 or '24 Commit
Ryan Conmy* 10/23/04 (F) 4.0 Sioux City Musketeers USHL 35 19 12 31 4 +8
2024 Commits
Connor DeTurris 10/8/04 (F) 3.75 Janesville Jets NAHL 31 13 13 26 14 +14
Madison Capitols USHL 1 0 0 0 0 -1
Connor MacPherson* 3/2/05 (F) 3.75 Leamington Flyers GOJHL 33 20 28 48 27 -
Ryan MacPherson* 3/2/05 (F) 3.75 Leamington Flyers GOJHL 38 19 29 48 16 -
Ryan Philbrick* 6/20/04 (D) 3.25 Cushing Academy NE Prep 19 1 15 16 - -
Josh Player* 5/13/05 (D) 3.5 Green Bay Gamblers USHL 12 1 2 3 2 0
Bishop Kearney 18U 18U AAA 32 8 21 29 0 -
NEPACK 18U 6 1 2 3 4 -
Luca Primerano 3/17/05 (F) 3.75 Prince George Spruce Kings BCHL 33 6 18 24 4 -
2024 or '25 Commit
Conner de Haro 10/17/05 (D) 3.75 Janesville Jets NAHL 0 0 0 0 0 0
Youngstown Phantoms USHL 24 0 4 4 14 +6
Jack Sadowski 7/29/06 (F) 3.75 Kimball Union Academy NE Prep 20 14 11 25 - -
Islanders Hockey Club 18U Prep EHF - - - - - -
2025 Commits
Price Grimes 1/28/06 (D) 3.75 Sioux Falls Power 16U 16 AAA 27 3 9 12 - -
T1EHL 15 1 6 7 29 -
Niko Tournas 2/17/06 (F) 3.75 New Jersey Rockets 16U THF 16U 10 11 8 19 2 -
NEPACK 16U 11 7 1 8 0 -
* = Signed National Letter of Intent
** = Neutral Zone 5-Star Rating
NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the above table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2023 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2023. I have based these projections on the following factors:
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.
~ Number of incoming transfer players and the position they play.
~ 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.


Web Site Hit Counter

Firefox 2