Before the start of this season, Canterbury was 61-143-25 since the beginning of the 2014-15 campaign. Opposing teams looked at the Saints as an easy win on the schedule.
But head coach Paddy McCarthy diverted the team in a different direction, and it started last season. Players like Sam Ciappa, Ryan Stratton, Patrick Heslin (New Milford, Conn.) and Jake Stevens chose to go to Canterbury. Forward Ryan Lucarelli (Westport, Conn.) joined the as a freshman the season before.
The Saints posted 12 wins last season — a respectable improvement over the previous years. But the group hit their stride this season, winning 20 games with the 20th coming on Sunday in the Small School Championship.
Lots of those players mentioned above, as well as some others, showed well in the run to the Small School title.
Canterbury outscored Tilton, 7-4, in the quarterfinals before edging out Pomfret, 3-2, in the semifinals. In the championship, the Saints held Rivers' high-flying offense at bay, earning a 3-1 win.
Let's take a look at my NEPSAC Piatelli/Simmons Small School All-tournament team and MVP.
Most Valuable Player: Sam Ciappa
This was a tough decision because of how many Canterbury forwards made an impact on the Saints' journey to the top. Ciappa was consistent in every one of the three games, scoring a goal in the second period and adding an assist on a Duncan Stewart goal in the third when Canterbury took down Tilton. In the Saints' tight contest with Pomfret, he put Canterbury ahead, 2-1, 18 seconds into the third period. He added an empty-net goal in the final, which came as Rivers spent the entire back half of the third period pushing to tie the game. Ciappa made a great hustle play to get down the ice, beat Rivers and ensure the win. Ciappa, a senior '05, finished the season leading his team in goals (23) and ranking second in points (44).
CHAMP RECAPS AND TAKEAWAYS: KUA wins Elite 8 | Kent wins Large School | Canterbury wins Small SchoolÂ
Forward:Â Sam Ciappa, Canterbury
Forward:Â Ryan Stratton, Canterbury
Stratton saved his most impactful performance for the championship game. He scored on a power play early in the second period to extend Canterbury's lead to 2-0. That goal ended up being the game-winner. In the final moments, it was Stratton who out-raced Rivers to free the puck up that led to Ciappa's goal. The senior was Canterbury's most productive player this season, finishing with a team-high 27 assists and 49 points. He's slated to play for the NAHL's Rochester Americans next season.
Forward:Â Ryan Lucarelli, Canterbury
Lucarelli is a phenomenal playmaker and that was on display throughout Canterbury's run. He scored the Saints' first goal of the game and added a power play goal in his team's win over Tilton. He also notched an assist on a Logan Martel power play goal. He tallied important assists in the next two wins, directly leading to Heslin's game-winning goal against Pomfret and assisting on Martel's goal against Rivers. Lucarelli finished the season with 12 goals, 43 points and a commitment to Sacred Heart. That's a pretty good season, right?
Defenseman:Â Jake Stevens, Canterbury
Stevens was one of the best puck-moving defenders in prep this season and in Canterbury's journey to the final, he showed why. Against Tilton, Stevens dished out two assists — one to Ciappa and one on a Martel power play goal. Stevens' best game was against Pomfret. He opened the scoring in the first period. Then, he notched two more assists in the third period, dishing one to Ciappa again and to Heslin on his eventual game-winner. While he didn't register a point in the championship, he moved pucks well for Canterbury, leading the breakout and facilitating offensive zone sequences. He finished the season with the fifth-most points (37) among defensemen in the region.
Defenseman:Â Logan Martel, Canterbury
With the game scoreless midway through the first period, Martel found himself somewhat uncovered in the slot. He got the puck and ripped it past Rivers goalie Jason Delehoy (Brockton, Mass.). Not only did it give the Saints a lead, but it set a tone that Martel's team never relinquished — they were in charge. Rivers spent the rest of the game chasing. Martel also had a power play goal in Canterbury's win over Tilton, tallying one in the final minutes of the second period. The sophomore '06 finished the season with six goals and 13 points.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: Elite 8 | Large School
Goalie:Â Jason Delehoy, Rivers
Max Pitts has a legitimate case for this given he led his team to the championship. But Delehoy was under siege for parts of Sunday's championship and stood tall, keeping Rivers in the game. The senior made 32 saves in the loss but as the Red Wings got aggressive going for chances, Delehoy faced high-danger chances in the third period and stopped them all. He made 17 saves to beat Proctor in the quarterfinals before getting a 20-save shutout against Frederick Gunn in the semis.
