USA Hockey: Little Caps and the Wicker Man

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Hopson looks at the next generation of U.S.A. Hockey hopefuls with notes on several budding stars from the Washington Little Caps U14 team, as well as regional standouts from the Richmond Royals Bantam AA squad.

Washington Little Caps U14

Jay Williams, Michael Warner and Alex Guerrere, members of the Washington Little Caps U14 team, all participated in the USA Hockey Select 14 Player Development Camp last summer in Rochester, NY. McKeen's correspondent Kevin Hopson looks at these three players, as well as regional standout Dylan Talbot.

Alex Guerere (2011), LD, Washington Little Caps U14

Offensive defenseman who plays a finesse game .. relies on his pokechecking skills to break-up plays, since he is not a physical player who will push opponents off the puck .. needs to work on his mobility and lateral movement when skating backwards, as this leaves him vulnerable in 1-on-1 situations .. maneuvers better going forward and even has an extra gear when necessary .. solid puckhandler who can rush the ice and make a quality pass in transition .. does not possess a strong slapshot but is fairly accurate .. can also contribute on the PK but needs to keep his emotions in check

Dylan Talbot (2011), C, Washington Little Caps U14

Captain of the team and for good reason .. works hard in all three zones .. clever with the puck, as he has the ability to make defenders miss and then go hard to the net .. particularly strong in traffic, where he excels at maintaining possession of the puck .. boasts a quick and formidable wristshot .. plays bigger than his size and will grind it out in the corners, as well as in front of the net .. a master in the faceoff circle, where he wins an obscene percentage of draws .. strong skater with swift feet, nice lateral movement and breakaway ability .. his toughness, success in the circle and puckhandling talent make him a regular contributor on the PP and PK .. he can do it all and delivers in critical situations, which is why he is one of the team's leaders

Michael Warner (2011), LW, Washington Little Caps U14

Formidable skater who can cut on a dime .. dangerous playmaker because he sees the ice well and can make precision passes .. smooth on the puck but needs to be more consistent under duress .. boasts a heavy and accurate slapshot but has a full repertoire at his disposal .. flexible player who can also log icetime as a defender .. this allows him to contribute on the PK however, his offensive game is the more superior of the two right now, which is why he is a regular on the PP .. not the type to venture into the corners so his physical play and work along the boards could improve

Jay Williams (2011), G, Washington Little Caps U14

Effective post-to-post skater .. fails to take unnecessary risks when handling the puck and does a quality job of positioning the puck for teammates and making an outlet pass when necessary .. sees the puck well and usually stays square to the shooter .. successful at smothering medium-to-long range shots and sending rebounds off to the side (out of danger) .. however, he has trouble controlling the puck in close .. because he has limited reach with regard to leg movement, he is susceptible to being beat at the posts .. he can also hug the post too much when the puck is behind or beside the net, causing him to over commit in certain situations .. could be stronger mentally, as he sometimes expresses frustration and gets down on himself when things take a turn for the worse

Richmond Royals Bantam AA

Richmond Royals Bantam player Trey Muncie, who McKeen's recently covered, has been invited to attend the 6th Annual Elite Prospects Showcase in Detroit, Michigan next April. Muncie has had a great supporting cast to help him get to this level, including team captain and former Capitol Select Team member Will Wickersham. McKeen's looks at Wickersham, as well as other teammates standing out at the regional level.

Aaron Messner (2011), D, Richmond Royals Bantam AA

A member of the Capitol Select Team earlier this year, Messner is a sturdy defenseman (5-10, 170) with playmaking abilities .. speedy skater who can bring the puck up ice and lead the offensive rush .. controls the puck well and utilizes his swift lateral movement to zigzag and outmaneuver opponents .. boasts a strong and accurate slapshot, as well as an effective wrister .. very physical on defense .. does an excellent job of separating the player and the puck .. his size, skating ability and reach make him hard to beat 1-on-1 .. however, he can be overly physical at times, causing him to commit penalties or get out of position trying to make the big hit .. composure is another problem, as he needs to learn to keep his emotions in check .. probably the most talented of the bunch so he has a lot of potential.

Tucker Murphy (2012), G, Richmond Royals Bantam AA

A member of the Capitol Select Team earlier this year, Murphy is a quality goaltender whose quick reflexes help compensate for his small size (5-4, 114) .. effective pokechecker down low and in close .. strong on both the glove and stick sides .. follows the puck well and does an excellent job of covering up .. shows the ability to come out and play the puck when necessary .. positions rebounds well, as he keeps them out of harm's way most of the time .. needs to work on his skating and mobility, as his post-to-post and up/down movement could improve .. however, it should be noted that strength is a major factor in a goaltender's ability to recover from his knees .. given his size and age, Murphy will likely develop this part of his game as he continues to grow.

Billy Anders (2011), C, Richmond Royals Bantam AA

A participant of "Hockey Night in Boston" earlier this year, Anders is a solid two-way skater who plays smart in both ends .. has a high success rate in the circle, as he wins the majority of his draws .. strong on the puck and displays the ability to deke defenders and go hard to the net .. however, his exceptional passing skills are what stand out the most .. edgy player who is diligent around the puck and will deliver big hits on occasion .. shows composure and leadership on the ice, which is probably the reason why he is an "alternate" captain for the team.

Nick Varner (2012), F, Richmond Royals Bantam AA

A member of the Capitol Select Team earlier this year, Varner is an average skater who gains an advantage over opposing defenders via his nifty puck and stickhandling abilities .. can create time and space with the puck or go 1-on-1 with defenders, undressing them in the process .. it is these skills that allow him to get quality shots on goal and create opportunities for teammates .. overall, a deceivingly elusive playmaker who could become an even bigger offensive threat by improving his skating.

Will Wickersham (2011), D, Richmond Royals Bantam AA

A member of the Capitol Select Team earlier this year, Wickersham is not a flashy defenseman but he has proven to be an effective one .. uses a combination of finesse and physical play to shut down opponents .. proper positioning allows him to break-up plays during odd-man rushes .. "Captain" of the team and communicates well in his own zone .. possesses a high hockey IQ and knows where to be on the ice .. exhibits the ability to make a quality first pass out of the defensive zone, which makes him effective in transition .. however, he is not the most mobile skater .. this can hinder him defensively if he is caught out of position, as it limits his ability to recover .. overall, an intelligent player, a strong leader and a defender who will rarely hurt you