TALENTED 15O TEAM 'BLOCKING OUT NOISE,' PACING NE PACK EARLY

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The way Ben McManama sees it, he’s got the best of both worlds.

 

The BK Selects’ 15O head coach has worked with this age group for several years, and he feels it’s a “sweet spot” between childlike enthusiasm for hockey and the intensity that comes with adolescence. 

 

“They’re passionate and have that youthful joy for the game,” McManama said, “But they’re also really competitive.”

 

At the same time, BK’s head of recruiting also fully appreciates the difficulty of keeping 15O players focused on the task at hand, when every week brings new distractions for players who will be draft-eligible for the various junior leagues across the continent. 

 

That type of thing has always been looming over the 15O level, but it’s only amplified with the ubiquity of social media, something the 43-year-old McManama didn’t have to deal with growing up in Massachusetts in the late ‘90s.

 

“The challenge is silencing the outside noise, I would say,” McManama said. “More people are watching them play and it’s hard on a 15-year-old. It’s a lot harder now than when I was growing up.

 

“You have to make sure you’re there for your players, getting to know them and understanding what makes them tick. They should still be playing free and having fun, but it’s hard. It’s really about managing the emotions.”

 

And then there’s the natural ebb and flow of a hockey season, something McManama’s team has handled well so far, if results are any indication. 

 

Not only are the 15Os (22-10-0) ranked in the top 10 nationally, they join the 18U BK Selects as undefeated in regulation in NE Pack conference games after sweeping a three-game weekend in Pittsburgh just before Thanksgiving. 

 

“I think we all came together as a family very quick, making us have a strong start to the year,” said forward Bo Christini (Collegeville, Pa.). “We still have a long way to go but we’ve taken great steps to start off strong. … We’ve overcome adversity at different times, but still found a way in big moments to win big games.”

 

Across three NE Pack weekends, the 15Os are a perfect 7-0 in regulation, plus an overtime loss and a shootout defeat. Bobby Spang (Blackwood, N.J.) leads all BK players with 14 points (5g, 9a) in conference play, with Christini, Luca Filiaggi (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Matthew Lynn (Collegeville, Pa.) all tied with 10 points in eight NE Pack contests. Goalie Connor Dwyer (Bismarck, N.D.) sports a .900 save percentage in four NE Pack games, the top mark in the league among 15Os. 

 

For his part, Christini said his individual focus this season is consistency throughout the year. He had 71 points (21g, 50a) in 44 games last season as a 14U. 

 

“I try to bring the energy every day to practice and games,” said Christini, who noted he tries to assert himself as a leader. “Just making sure we are always ready to go and making sure we never get negative.”

 

McManama lauded Christini’s personality for keeping “positive vibes” in the dressing room and on the ice, crediting the former Philadelphia Jr. Flyer for playing bigger than his 5-foot-5 frame.

 

“He just brings it on and off the ice,” McManama said. “Even though he’s on the smaller side, he competes his butt off every single day.”

 

Other highlights for the 15Os include a win against the No. 1-ranked Little Caesars club in late October, and the selection of Czech defender Ondřej Jonák (Plzen, Czechia) to play for his nation at the recent IIHF Four Nations Tournament.

 

The 15Os struck a speed bump on the final weekend of November at the always-tough Silver Stick International, going 1-3 north of the border, but McManama is bullish about the team’s potential as they approach the season’s midpoint.

 

“The group we have right now is extremely talented,” he said. “Sometimes they try to let that talent take over instead of playing the right way, but we’re working on that and it’s getting better.

 

“It takes a long time. I know we’re going to be there at the end, competing for a national championship, but right now we’re just working on the process.”