The Huskies landed their second verbal commitment in a week on Saturday, securing a verbal from their first 2003-born defenseman in Michael Bevilacqua, a left-shot defenseman from Buffalo, New York. He currently plays for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres U16 team after previously playing for the organization’s U14 Bantam team.
4⭐️ Michael Bevilacqua to Northeastern. Highly athletic and physical D. Long stride and closes quickly to defend. Can carry and has real offensive upside. Projects as a two-way force with pro upside. A- at World Selects and U14 Nationals
Profile ➡️ https://t.co/H5PXEO5arV pic.twitter.com/5IOmFW3QWT
— Neutral Zone (@_Neutral_Zone) September 8, 2018
Bevilacqua stands 6-foot-1-inch tall, and already weighs in at 170 pounds, impressive for a 15 year old. He is not the only Division 1 prospect in his family- his cousin, also named Michael Bevilacqua, is an incoming freshman defenseman at Mercyhurst. Being as young as he is, there is not too much information about Bevilacqua out there to analyze. From what we have been able to gather, however, this is a big commitment for Jim Madigan’s program, as every evaluation and review discusses Bevilacqua as a top-tier defensive talent, both in terms of defensive ability to prevent offense, and ability to provide some offense himself. Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal says that Bevilacqua is a “big, strong, complete D with pro upside” and is a “huge get for the Huskies.” Cox included Bevilacqua in a 2017 report from the USHL U14 Fall Classic, describing him as having “good size and can move well enough for his age and frame….hard shot, mobility to be effective.”
Other comments about Bevilacqua that we found in our research:
Northeastern gets verbal commit from Michael Bevilacqua ‘03 (Buffalo Jr Sabs U16). Big body, LHD, plays with physical side, mobility above average, hard shot, solid puck mover. Attended #Select15 in summer.
— Russ Bitely (@russbites) September 8, 2018
Congrats 03 D man Michael Bevilacqua on committing to Northeastern. Great get for @Coach_JKeefe who saw him at our college showcase in 2016 #wnycollegeshowcase #exposure
— GameBreakers36 Elite (@GB36Elite) September 8, 2018
The Scouting News on Twitter also called him a “High IQ” defenseman and a candidate for the US National Team Development Program.
Bevilacqua projects to be a highly sought-after player next year in the 2019 USHL Futures Draft, as well as a player to watch for the 2021 NHL Draft when he is eligible. We also project him to enroll in 2021 as a true freshman. We will monitor any developments in his commitment and development as they arise.
Congratulations to Michael on his commitment to the Huskies!