On Saturday, the boys Division 1 MIAA hockey bracket will be released, marking the start of the chaos that is the playoffs.
To illustrate how unpredictable the tournament can be, take last season as an example.
The final four teams were No. 1 St. John's Prep, No. 4 Pope Francis, No. 7 Xaverian and No. 14 Reading. Yes, a No. 14 seed made the semifinals.
A single goal decided both matchups, sending the No. 4 and No. 7 seed to TD Garden. Pope Francis emerged the champion on Josh Iby's (Springfield, Mass.) last-minute goal in the final game.
In this story, the focus is on teams built to make a deep run. That doesn't necessarily mean they will be a high seed. It just means that the pieces are there. It shouldn't be a surprise if any of these listed teams go on a memorable run.
Let's dive in.
St. John's Prep
This is the obvious one. SJP has been my No. 1 team in the MIAA since it swept both of its games, convincingly, with Xaverian.
Head coach Kris Hanson's team is headlined by star forwards Jake Vana (Boxford, Mass.) and Christian Rosa (Lynnfield, Mass.). Both players are battled-tested and will be vital pieces getting SJP through the tournament. But depth is the real key for St. John's Prep, with seniors Johnny Tighe (Reading, Mass.), Camden Umlah (Rye, N.H.) and Mason Luciano (Salem, Mass.), as well as sophomores Ethan Goodrich (North Hampton, N.H.) and Cooper Hosmer (Andover, Mass.) providing secondary scoring.
SJP also has strong puck-movers and two-way defenders on the back end in Brady Plaza (Danvers, Mass.) and Jack Doherty (Marblehead, Mass.). And there is no more important position in the MIAA than goaltender. SJP has junior AJ Farese (Middleton, Mass.). Is he the best goalie among these teams? No, but he's proven he can hold his own.
Most of this core failed to make TD Garden last season, so don't discount the sheer motivation this group will have to get back there this spring.
Xaverian
The Hawks might be the most complete team in Division 1 and that's for one reason: Cole Pouliot-Porter (Wrentham, Mass.). The star goalie famously put Xaverian on his back last season, carrying his team to within a goal of winning a state title.
This season, Pouliot-Porter has been outstanding again and looks poised to deliver another deep run. But the big hurdle will be getting past St. John's Prep whenever the two match up. That will be when Xaverian will need Pouliot-Porter even better than his very best.
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Up front, Xaverian has a strong top six with seniors Jesse Peck and Jack O'Neil (Mansfield, Mass.), juniors Devin Gosciak (Easton, Mass.), Jackson Morse (Raynham, Mass.) and Colvin Callahan (Lexington, Mass.), and sophomore Jack Fitzpatrick (Canton, Mass.). Callahan, an '07, has been one of the biggest breakout prospects in the state.
Head coach Dave Spinale's team has made it to TD Garden in the last two years and lost both times. Could Pouliot-Porter's final act get Xaverian over the hump?
Pope Francis
The reigning champs have had some ups and downs this season. Losing Iby and Merrimack commit CJ Watroba (West Springfield, Mass.) off of last season's team hasn't helped them. But the Cardinals still have strong players at all key positions, making them a good candidate to go deep.
Up front, Mossy Kearney (Wilbraham, Mass.) has been an offensive leader. The small, shifty forward seems to always be able to make plays. Senior Jake Petrin (Greenfield, Mass.) and junior Nick Petkovich (Suffield, Conn.) have been primary scorers as well.
On defense, the two-headed monster of Jake Jarrell (Westfield, Mass.) and Zachary Buffone (Belchertown, Mass.) is legit. Both prospects are able to make key plays at both ends of the ice. As the competition ramps up in the postseason, those two will be tasked with shutting down some of the best players in the state.
Junior goalie Nick Ritchie brought the Cardinals all the way to TD Garden last season. Who's to say he can't do it again?
Catholic Memorial
The Knights have had some difficult stretches of the season and don't have quite as much firepower as last season, but head coach Larry Rooney's team has recently proven it can win close games. That will certainly come in handy when the tournament begins.
Up front, CM gets a lot of scoring from sophomore Nick D'Olympio (Rockland, Mass.) — one of the best, young prospects in the MIAA. Senior Connor Fryberger (Needham, Mass.), at 6-foot-3 and 181 pounds, drives play well at center and should be a difference-maker come the tournament.
On defense, senior Michael Corbett (Belmont, Mass.) has been the leader, providing great two-way play. Juniors goalie John Quinn (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Ryan Littlefield (Boston, Mass.) have played well sharing the net.
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Again, CM isn't as flashy as it has been in past seasons. But it's still a threat to go deep.
Reading
The main reason Reading makes this list is goalie Chris Hanifan. The senior led the Rockets all the way to the semifinals last season and came oh-so-close to bringing them to TD Garden.
Hanifan has brought the same outstanding play he displayed last season. The same can be said for senior star Cam Fahey, who has been even better and more productive this season. Sophomore Ryan MacCurtain has been a breakout prospect for Reading, playing on the left side of center Nate Mulvey and Fahey. The second line, headlined by Matt Fichera, has proven its worth, too. Senior TJ Michel is on the smaller side, but is a great puck-mover on the back end.
The Rockets will be a threat to go deep once again.
