13 takeaways from 2024 boys All-NEPSAC selections

Earlier this month, the boys prep hockey season came to a close. Kimball Union took home the Elite 8 title, while Kent won the Large School Tournament and Canterbury won in the Small School bracket.

Championships mean a lot in prep. But player development means even more.

That's why it's always fascinating to see the All-NEPSAC selections, which came out on Friday. The selections were made by coaching voting on their region. Coaches couldn't vote for their players.

Let's take a look at, and react to, the All-NEPSAC selections.

East

Forwards 

• Emerson Marshall, Cushing, sr.
• Pavit Mehra, Holderness, pg
• Andrew Gibbons, St. Mark's, sr.
• Jack Sadowski, Kimball Union, sr.
• Owen Leahy, Lawrence Academy, sr.
• Matt Cataldo, St. Sebastian's, sr.

Defense 

• Caeden Herrington, Holderness, sr.
• Calvin Beard, St. Mark's, sr.
• Andrew O'Sullivan, Kimball Union, jr.
• Dylan Hunt, Milton, jr.

Goalies 

• Marko Bilic, Cushing, sr.
• Ryder Shea, St. George's, sr.

Takeaways 

1. The big snub here is Sam LeDrew. The St. Lawrence commit tallied 38 goals and 75 points to help the Wildcats win the Elite 8. He was as dynamic as any player this season. I get that you want to have diversity in teams, which is fine, but to leave off the second-leading point-getter in the region feels wrong.
2. There are a handful of interesting uncommitted prospects in here. Marshall, Mehra and Leahy all did enough to warrant legitimate college interest. Marshall proved he could stand out among a talented field at Cushing, Mehra posted 60 points and Leahy, while undersized, had the most compete on the ice at all times. On defense, Beard led all blueliners in goals with 17. He was among the best offensive defenders this winter and while there are still strides that need to be made in his defensive play, he should one day be a Division 1 player.
3. They got it right with the goalies here. For the full body of work, Bilic and Shea were the two best goalies. They're also the two netminders with the most upside, with Bilic committed to Arizona State and Shea to Maine.
4. Another goalie who deserves props from the East: Groton's Ethan Ramonetti. The '06 was lights out, boasting the fourth-best save percentage (.934) in the region and a strong 2.29 GAA. He was the biggest reason why Groton got the No. 5 seed in the Small School Tournament.
5. What a stacked group of offensive defensemen. O'Sullivan and Herrington were game-changers for their teams, doing whatever they wanted to whenever they wanted to. O'Sullivan finished with a whopping 55 points in 34 games, while Herrington posted 49 in 29. Beard ranked behind them with 44 points.
6. St. George's could've had a slew of defenders included in this. Opposing coaches are usually wowed by '07 Everett Baldwin (East Providence, R.I.), a Providence commit. His 27 points in 28 games don't do his complete, dominant game justice. Marco Senerchia (Greenville, R.I.) exploded for 33 points in 28 games. Nathan Walsh (Mendon, Mass.), a junior '06, also had a strong season.
7. Did you really think I forgot Hunt? The Yale commit proved he isn't just a great shutdown defenseman — he can do it all. As a junior, the '06 ranked fourth in the region in points with 40. What made that even more impressive was that Milton was a team in transition this season. Hunt was a leader and owned it.

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West

Forwards 

• Alex LoGuercio, Frederick Gunn, sr.
• Brendan Giles, Brunswick, sr.
• Gio DiGiulian, Kent, sr.
• Tom Molson, Deerfield, sr.
• Alex Pelletier, Avon Old Farms, pg
• Sam Ciappa, Canterbury, sr.

Defense 

• Luke Calabria, Frederick Gunn, jr.
• Cooper Cleaves, Brunswick, sr.
• Anthony Biakabutuka, Salisbury, sr.
• Blake Jones, Avon Old Farms, sr.

Goalies 

• Will Baker, Brunswick, sr.
• Connor Towle, Hotchkiss, jr.

Takeaways 

1. Brunswick has three players listed here, which is the most of any team in either region. All three are deserving. But I'm shocked Sean Gibbons (Fairfield, Conn.) didn't get the nod for forwards. The West Point commit was tied with Giles, his linemate, for third in the region in points with 68. Gibbons drove play and was always able to escape any kind of pressure and make things happen offensively. He deserved a spot on here.
2. You can't be on this list and be underrated. But...I've always found Calabria, Cleaves, Biakabutuka and Jones to be underrated, so I'm glad they made their way on to this list. Calabria was one of the most dynamic offensive defenders I saw this winter, while Cleaves and Biakabutuka were outstanding, two-way forces. It's no surprise both led their teams to Elite 8 spots. Avon Old Farms had a number of quality defensemen this season, including Yale commit Hudson Miller. But Jones posted 20 points and finished the season with a commitment to AIC — not a bad senior year at all.
3. I was really happy to see Towle get recognition here. He wasn't on the best team, but I'm guessing Housatonic coaches were annoyed having their teams try and score on him. A .930 save percentage and a 2.66 GAA are phenomenal marks.
4. Great to see Canterbury, an independent, get some recognition, too. Ciappa is deserving. But I'm surprised senior defenseman Jake Stevens didn't make it. The '05 was one of the best puck-movers this winter, posting seven goals and 37 points in 33 games, ranking seventh in the region.
5. Every player listed was vital to their team. But Molson and DiGiulian were extra important to their teams' success. Though undersized, Molson was always using his craftiness and skill to create offense for Deerfield, who was in the Elite 8 race for most of the season and finished as the No. 4 seed in the Large School Tournament. DiGiulian found another level, scoring 25 goals and posting 49 points, leading his team to become Large School champions and boosting his own NHL Draft stock. Two players who were so fun to watch.
6. Giles and LoGuercio were two of the best goal-scorers this winter. After scoring just seven as a junior, Giles exploded for 39 this winter, which was good for second in the region and a commitment to UConn earlier this month. LoGuercio, who made last year's All-NEPSAC West team, too, upped his goal output from 28 to 31 this winter. Despite Frederick Gunn's tough midseason performances, LoGuercio was one of the main reasons why the Highlanders turned it around to finish as the No. 4 seed in the Small School Tournament. Both players made scoring look way too easy.

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