Wilkes-Barre/Scranton U15 Depth Drives Early Season Success

Last season’s WBS Jr. Knights 2009 team finished the year with an impressive resume. Despite a heartbreaking District Championship loss to the NJ Rockets that cost the Knights a spot at USA Hockey’s National Tournament, the team finished the season with a 43-13-3 record, and a 17th place national ranking. Looking forward to this year’s squad, the team seems to have picked up right from where they finished last season. They’ve already jumped out to a commanding 21-5-2 record that has earned them a 10th place spot in the national rankings. 

What’s most impressive about the team’s strong start is that they are finding success even after losing some of their bigger producers from last season. Forwards Brendan Matysczak and Avery Fixman, who combined for 60 points last year, moved on to the American Hockey Academy and Yale Jr. Bulldogs, respectively, while defenseman Michael Gorivodsky joined the Long Island Gulls with fellow blueliner Jason Segal slated to suit up this season for Kent.

While the Knights were able to fill in these personnel losses with some strong out-of-area and international talent, watching the team play, it's very apparent that it is their depth, more than elite skill, that is propelling them to success. Now don’t get us wrong, this team has talent, and loads of it, but what’s most impressive is how balanced their lineup is top-to-bottom. One local Jr scout that we recently spoke to put it most succinctly, “there’s no holes in this lineup. Everyone of these guys can play, and that’s not easy to find at this level”.

The depth of this team starts behind the bench, and extends through every position group on the roster. Coaches Ray Giroux and Larry Courville have nearly 30 years of professional playing experience between them, including 7 seasons in the NHL. With Coach Courville also adding 9 seasons of professional coaching experience in the ECHL, it’s safe to say this is one of the most experienced staffs that you will find in local youth hockey. 

Watching the team play, it’s easy to see that the coaching staff has the group competing at a high level. They play with pace, and a lot of it. Everyone on the roster from the goalies on out can skate and they have great quickness, agility and edge strength. They transition fast and can play wide open through the neutral zone, attacking with constant waves of pressure. Their edge control and strong skating base makes them menacing in the corners and the entire roster plays with a high compete level, pursuing pucks up-and-down the ice. They’re getting balanced scoring throughout their roster, and their depth is a nightmare for opposing coaches trying to match against lines. 

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Notable Mid-Atlantic Players 

Grayson Espenshade is a dynamic, undersized forward with elite quickness and puck-skills. He attacks defenders with explosive speed and slick hands and shows the creativity and vision to generate offense in all situations. He’s going to need to keep getting stronger, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more naturally skilled player in the region. 

Brayden Godon is a skilled forward who has split time between the WBS U15 and U16 teams after joining the organization this season from Team Maryland. He’s smooth with the puck and confident leading the rush through the neutral zone. He looks to put pucks at the net whenever he can, and shows good instincts slipping into shooting lanes around the slot. He can go quiet in tighter-checking games, but isn’t afraid to finish hits when he gets the chance. 

Matthew Bispo  is a physically strong power-forward who flashes good hands for his size. He joined the team this year after playing for the Long Island Royals last season, and he’s been finding early success by adding a heavy, physical presence up front for the Knights. He’s not as explosive as some of their other quick forwards, but he is hard to defend in tight, and can find the back of the net when he has time and space. 

Henri Giroux is a smooth skating, 2-way defenseman whose calm and steady play causes him to occasionally fly under the radar. He’s an efficient puck-mover who uses his hands and above average IQ to easily transition pucks up to his forwards. He plays an honest positional game defensively and brings a bit of grit and snarl to the Knights’ blueline. 

Mason Courville is a good-sized, athletic goalie who easily controls games for his team. He plays aggressive and shows great lateral quickness, exploding post-to-post to make saves in tight. He works hard to fight through screens and isn’t afraid to come out of his net to initiate the breakout. He shows a great balance of size, skill and ice awareness that should make him intriguing as a junior prospect. 

Out-of-Area Mentions 

Aiden Menor is a physically strong and skilled forward out of Colorado. He’s got balanced puck-skills and generates a lot of offense with his strength and grit. He currently leads the team with 31 points in 20 games. 

Jackson Nakfoor is a good-sized power-forward out of Michigan, who played last season for Victory Honda. His technical skills are still a bit raw but he has good offensive instincts and can create space and chances down low for his linemates. 

Oliver Burgess is a strong, up-and-down winger who joined the team from Ohio. He plays a heavy and effective 200 ft game, and is very hard to play against in all 3 zones. He’s got the skill to slide in anywhere within the lineup, and he brings intensity shift-to-shift. 

Jakub Simoncic is a smooth and skilled forward who joined the team this year from Slovakia. He’s confident leading the rush and can break down defenders 1-on-1, or pull up to buy time for the play to develop. He’s currently 3rd on the team with 20 points in 20 games. 

Lukas Congrady is a balanced 2-way defenseman that played the last few seasons in Slovakia. He’s got a good frame and very smooth technical skills for his size. He’s confident and controlled with the puck, can easily evade pressure and uses his 4-way mobility to open up lanes in all 3 zones.