Visiting-Team-Bench Spotlight: BK Selects 2010s

Building a competitive U14 team in this crowded market is hard enough, and even more difficult when you don’t have a base of players from the previous year to build upon. For the Bishop Kearney Selects this is a familiar challenge, and one that they are getting very strong at navigating. The hockey academy based out of Rochester, NY fields teams at the U14-U18 levels and consistently assembles rosters that allow their teams to be competitive on a national stage. 

Without a direct youth-feeder system Bishop Kearney’s U14 staff is starting from scratch each year, and is tasked with recruiting top-tier talent from across the ranks of Bantam Minor hockey. While on paper their 11-7-1 record might not suggest it, Bishop Kearney has managed to build another strong U14 roster with this season’s 2010 team. The group is the top-rated U14 team in NY State, is currently ranked 7th nationally at the Bantam Major level and has played the 5th most challenging schedule in the country. 

While the team includes talent from all across the US and Canada, some of their strongest contributors come directly from programs in the Mid-Atlantic region. Included on this year’s BK roster are 4 local players from the Jr. Flyers U13 team that finished in 2nd place last year at USA Hockey’s National Tournament. All 4 of the players are key pieces of BK’s early-season success, and are the focus of this edition of the Visiting-Team-Bench Spotlight. 

Notable Players 

Bo Christini - Bo is a dynamically skilled, undersized forward who plays each

shift with pace and purpose. He has elite edge control and agility along with 

strong puck-skills that allow him to attack defenders off the rush and drive them 

back off the line. He’s slippery with the puck and can evade contact on zone 

entry and squeeze through defenders with speed and lateral quickness. He darts 

in and out of space around the slot and knows how to get lost in tight so that he 

can remain a threat as both a scorer and playmaker. Last season he tallied 36 

points in 13 games for the Jr. Flyers, and he currently has 6 goals and 12 assists 

in 13 games for BK.

Matthew Lynn - Matthew is a good-sized, skill forward who plays a consistent 

200-ft game. Last season he tallied 47 points in 19 games for the Jr. Flyers, and 

he is currently tied for the team-lead in points with 16 goals and 16 assists 

in only 19 games for BK. His skills are smooth and balanced but it is 

his vision and ice awareness that make him stand out at this level. He shows 

next-level processing and pucks constantly find his stick in the offensive zone. 

He’s got strong scoring instincts and knows how to slip into grade-A spots and 

beat goalies with a quick release. 

Bobby Spang - Bobby is a highly skilled, smaller-sized forward who drives a ton of offense for his team. He led the Jr. Flyers last season with 55 points in 20 games and is currently tied with Lynn atop Bk’s roster with 13 goals and 19 assists in 19 games. His puck-skills and playmaking ability are elite for the level, and he’s constantly generating offense when he’s on the ice. He’s dangerous with the puck on his stick on zone entry because he can break down defenders with slick hands and then find open passing lanes in tight to set up his linemates. As a smaller player he does a good job slipping into soft space between layers in 

the slot, but he will definitely benefitting from adding strength as he continues to 

physically mature. 

Caden Yale - Caden is a long and athletic 2-way defenseman who shows a lot of 

upside in his game. His technical skills aren’t overly dynamic but they are very 

balanced, and coupled with his frame, allow him to be effective at both ends of 

the ice. He’s responsible defensively, using his long reach to steer the rush to the

outside, and stepping up physically to disrupt the play. He has room to fill out his

frame, but he already plays a heavy, gritty style that forces opponents to earn 

every inch of open ice. He’s efficient initiating the breakout, will jump in to

 provide back-support off the rush and does a good job getting shots through to 

the net from up-top in the zone. He finished last season with 33 points in 19

games for the Jr. Flyers, and already has 2 goals and 14 assists in 19 games this

 season for BK.