Gerry DiCunzolo was the leading force for Shattuck St. Mary’s and was wholly dominant with the puck as he moved up the ice and around the offensive zone. In only a few strides he could hit a top speed and maintain a “float” that opponents struggled to match, combined with lethal puck skills and some dynamic 1-on-1 skill, he was very tough to stop. He continually made excellent moves to the middle of the ice, stringing together impressive toe-pulls and other dekes, walking right into the slot and getting tremendous looks at the net while also setting teammates up for quality looks around the crease. His deceptive ability to be in these prime scoring areas and slip off a pass to a teammate no one is paying attention to really helped elevate the offense for his team. From below the goal line he endured plenty of contact and came out on top numerous times, setting up some great plays after winning battles behind the net, he centered a puck through 3 defenders where there next-to-no space to set up a goal, a testament to just how accurate his playmaking touch was. Under pressure he did an excellent job at moving the puck when he had to, rarely turning it over, and always making a good read, his decision making was elite, opting for the simple play when necessary, and never getting too crafty with it. When the time was right, he’d flash his elite skill as he’d dance around a defender with speed and make his way in tight to the goaltender, but nothing was ever forced. He showed off some good scoring tools when he wasn’t making plays, getting some good looks at the net from around the faceoff dots, he has a lightning quick release on his snapshot, with deadly power and accuracy. The skating has also improved immensely in the last few months, making him one of the top puck carrying threats in all situations. Composed, balanced, powerful and evasive, he’s tough to keep pace with and stay square to for defenders, especially when factoring in the puck skills and playmaking game. One of the top, if not the best, player at the NEPACK Showcase.

The cunning playmaking style of DiCunzolo made him one of the most efficient passers on his team as it seemed he was able to constantly find open teammates with unsuspecting slip passes to the slot or a bullet pass through a seam. His most notable plays of the camp came as a puck carrier below the hashmarks where he showed good anticipation to put himself in the right positions of the offensive zone to support cycle plays and convert loose pucks into quick scoring opportunities from the most dangerous areas of the ice. Another reason for his success was his constant hustle, always keeping his legs in motion when he handled the puck in transition and in the offensive zone but also as a forechecker where he was a noticeable burden on opposing defenders. All camp long, DiCunzolo was able to facilitate plays for his linemates and funnel pucks to the net or drive it to the front himself, helping him come out of this event as the leader in points for Team Black with 7 assists and 9 points in the four games.

One of our top Shattuck St. Mary’s forwards at the event, Gerry DiCunzolo was a dynamic force with dazzling ability to execute slippery moves. The pace and quickness he played with allowed him to get the step on opponents, and combining some quick puck handles, along with changes in direction and speed while attacking off the rush or navigating the perimeter allowed him to open brief stints to the middle lane, quickly jumping at the opportunity, he was successful in penetrating high danger areas of the ice. The pace he plays with bodes well with his vision and playmaking game, quick to shoot off passes in motion, he strung together a few give-and-go sequences throughout the games, creating brief advantages whether it be working off the half-wall, or on the rush. Off-puck he was able to consistently find soft ice, slip into scoring chances, and catch-and-release passes with a quick snapshot that garnered some good power to it. Despite not being the largest of players, DiCunzolo played well from hard-checked and competitive areas of the ice by keeping his feet moving and utilizing some great skill.

There were a few high-end passing plays from DiCunzolo that led to quality scoring chances for his teammates around the slot. He did a lot of his work from below the hashmarks, using his motor to win foot races to pucks, create turnovers on the forecheck and most importantly funnel pucks towards the net which included an impressive no look backhand pass to Horton in the low slot. I liked his aggressiveness towards the end of the game, looking to get opportunities off the rush by delaying on entries and then quickly cutting towards the middle into open space to release his shot. He did manage to find the back of the net with just over a minute remaining in this game after he floated a puck from the point that did have much velocity to it but was placed perfectly over the shoulder of the netminder and into the top of the net.

While he didn’t necessarily dominate the scoresheet, I did come away very impressed with DiCunzolo’s detailed and tactical attacking style. His vision in transition was a huge asset for his team, as there were multiple times where he was able to spot a cross-ice passing option through traffic, thread a pass through and help facilitate controlled offensive zone entries. He was very efficient on-puck as well, demonstrating impressive route-taking abilities off the rush that saw him consistently work his way out of pressure and into space before driving the middle of the ice, drawing pressure towards him then kicking it to the outside. He showed good timing on his off-puck routes as well, most notably on his goal in the first period where he jumped on a loose puck in the slot just as it popped out before putting it by the goaltender.

Gerry DiCunzolo showed glimpses of that elite skill that has made him so effecitve all season long for this Shattuck squad. He set up the second Shattuck goal with good awareness and vision to quickly cente a puck to Bradley Whang. His ability to read his options and make a quick play are one of his greatest strengths, both when generating offense along with when making a rudimentary pass to a teammate. He was shifty and evasive with the puck, quick on his feet and to change his angle of attack, he was able to twist and turn his way out of trouble if needed. Later in the third period he zipped around back the net and set up Braeden Horton for another great chance to round out his performance.

Such a confident operator and facilitator of the puck, DiCunzolo acted as the engine of the Shattuck offence with his impressive play-driving abilities. There were many occassions in this game where he was able to effectively gain the offensive blue line as the puck carrier, draw-in defenders and successfully dish it off to a teammate with pace. He set up his team’s second goal of the game on an odd-man rush where he made a nice move dragging the puck around a defender and sliding it over perfectly for Charbonneau crashing the left post and capitalized later in the second period again after a sweet give-and-go on a zone entry that resulted in DiCunzolo redirecting his teammate’s pass into the back of the net. I thought he showed an impressive skating ability and composure while possessing the puck around the offensive zone, waiting for lanes to open up and then connecting on hard and accurate passes through seams to set up another handful of scoring chances for his team.

Dicunzolo had himself a great showing in this game as his elite skating and shooting ability made for some really fun plays in the offensive zone. Dicunzolo had an outstanding play on one of Shattucks’s goals. Dicunzolo took the puck behind the net, then acted like he was going to go back around but instead did a no-look pass to the slot where his teammate shot it in the open net. This goal showed off his great speed but also his great vision in the offensive zone. Another highlight of Dicunzolo’s game was a game tying goal where he flew down the left side of the ice and ripped the puck top right.

Picking up 1 goal, and 2 assists for 3 points in the doubling up of Team Orange, Gerry DiCunzolo was one of the most prominent players in this game, playing with excellent speed and pace, making quick decisions, and seemingly always being in the right space in time to finish off a play, or take the puck to the net. Early in the game he set up a nice play off the rush on a 3-on-2 chance, popping out wide, opening his hips and changing the direction of his blade, he fed a nice pass cross-ice to the man in the slot for a strong shot on net. He’s incredibly deceptive, through his footwork and power he’s able to quickly change course and what decision he wants to make. His ability to slow down the game, only to quickly speed up and send a puck through a lane after a series of crafty stickhandles makes him tough to gauge, along with contain. Away from the puck he kept his feet moving, pressured opponents and was integral on the forecheck for Team Black. He had a few decent chances in tight, battling for positioning and coming in with speed, he got his stick on a few centering attempts for dangerous chances. He primarily acted as a playmaker in this one, playing with the puck on his stick plenty in the offensive zone, piecing together plays, creating space in tight pockets, and overall being a strong contributor to lengthy offensive zone possessions for his team.

Quick and crafty once again, the pace and energy Gerry DiCunzolo offers is a strong spark to the lineup for Shattuck even when not scoring. He carries the puck with great speed, dynamism, and lateral mobility, making him a great driver of transition, and enables him to create some space in tightly checked games as of such. His puck handling skill coupled with his footspeed and agility allowed him to handle the puck tight to his body, in the hip pocket, along with extended out wide. The element of deception this offers allowed him to make a few nice plays through traffic, sliding pucks to teammates in open ice through lanes.

DiCunzolo was very involved in the offensive zone and I thought his vision with the puck was exceptional as he consistently made tape-to-tape passes through crowds with minimal space and looked to drive the play to the middle of the ice. On his team’s second goal, he received a pass through the neutral zone and as soon as the defenseman stepped up to make a play, he slid it behind him to find Zaporzan driving to the net. He contributed in all three zones of the ice, controlled the puck well and was decisive and poised even when pressure by defenders. His second assist of the night came off a broken play at the red line where he showcased his speed by scooping up the loose puck, bursting past multiple opponents and passing it off for Horton’s second goal of the game.

Our top performer of the game, Gerry DiCunzolo had some absolutely dynamic sequences in this lopsided victory, in which he could’ve ended the game with a handful of goals and assists if things went a little differently. He opened the scoring deflecting a point shot from Thomas Charbonneau, changing his body position and swatting at the puck. Immediately I noticed his quick feet and acceleration, there were a couple plays in this game where a loose puck would pop free, and in a few quick crossovers DiCunzolo jumped on the puck, got the step on his man, and created brief advantages off the rush. He tallied an assist on Camden Zaporzan’s goal, gaining the line with speed, he hit Zaporzan as a trailer, darting to the net, pulling the defenders with him, opening up ice for the incoming shot that eventually beat the goaltender. He had two more Grade-A chances for himself in the third period, one of which came off a beautiful 1-on-1 move, slipping the puck through the feet of a defender as he attacked on an angle, walking in alone he flicked a backhand high on the goalie. The other coming off receiving a pass by the left hashmarks, whipping a wrister on net that caught the post. The consistent scoring threat put on display for DiCunzolo, along with chance creation thanks to his speed and pace really made him one of the most impactful players in this game.