Just a note about the two Vaughan Vipers going to the OUA (Sollows, WLU; Fullerton, Queen's)
Matt Sollows is a 5'11", 185 pound defenceman going to Laurier whose best attribute is the cannon of a shot he possesses. Some argued that he had the best one-timer in the OJHL. He started the year in Plattsburg, New York at SUNY Plattsburgh with the D3 Cardinals. He did not get the ice he wanted so he returned to Vaughan for his third and final year in junior hockey. Along with his shot he is an able puck mover, and is unafraid to carry the puck forward and join the rush. He is a slightly above average skater, and his hands are also slightly above average. He also is in very good shape, which is good considering the olympic ice at WLU.
Defensively he isn't really anything to write home about, and his presence on the Viper penalty kill is not really indicative of much considering Coach Fortier was willing to put any of his options out there (even midget call-ups). He is strong physically, but he has to work on positioning and understanding when to pinch/join the rush and when to back off. He's an incomplete player over all, but at least he'll provide Greg Puhalski with another power play option.
Andrew Fullerton is going to be a Queen's Golden Gael next season, and is a 5'11 160 pound forward. When asked what player he played like, he said Matt Lombardi (when he's healthy), and I thought that was a very accurate depiction. He had 37 points in 40 games last year, and 6 points in 7 playoff games, but I would be surprised if his offensive ability translates well into the university ranks. Like Lombardi this kid can fly, and uses that speed to be an effective and intelligent player despite a lack of obvious offensive talent. He does a lot of the little things well, and killed penalties with the best in the OJHL last year.
He has a tendency to get really down on himself when things don't go his way, but he burns with an intensity that the three Queen's hockey fans will like
Obviously his 160 pound frame needs an upgrade if he hopes to go past university hockey, but he has what it takes intelligence-wise. He's a nice add for the Gaels overall.
