Kimball Union was an Elite 8 team for most of the season, which made sense after the Wildcats won the Elite 8 last season. But a rough stretch in late February moved them into the Small School Tournament field.
The Wildcats never let there be any doubt once the playoffs began.
They trounced Frederick Gunn, 8-1, before crushing St. George's, 11-0. Berkshire played them well in the final, but the Wildcats pulled away in the third period to win, 5-3.
Berkshire didn't have much of a problem getting to UConn on Sunday either. The Bears beat Groton, 3-0, in the quarterfinals and then took down Holderness, 3-1.
Let's dive into our All-tournament team and MVP.
MVP: Iain Olsen
Kimball Union outscored Small School opponents 24-4. Olsen's fingerprints were all over that, as he scored twice and posted two assists against Frederick Gunn. He followed that up with a five-point (one goal, four assists) day against St. George's, as he thrived with linemates Corwith Simmers and Merrimack commit CJ Watroba (West Springfield, Mass.). In the championship, Olsen's biggest play was his snipe of a goal in the third period to put the game away. He also had two assists.
THE FINAL: 5 takeaways from KUA's win over Berkshire
All-Small School teamÂ
Forward:Â Iain Olsen, Kimball Union
Can you believe it?
Forward:Â Corwith Simmers, Kimball Union
Simmers was vital to KUA's Elite 8 win last season, and the same can be said for their recent playoff run. He had two goals and an assist against Frederick Gunn. He followed that up with a two-goal, two-assist game in the win over St. George's. In the championship, he scored the eventual game-winning goal and registered another assist. While much of his season was hampered with injury, Simmers ended it on a high note.
Forward:Â Duncan Thompson, Berkshire
Thompson had two assists in each of his team's three games. But the power he played with was impressive. In the championship, he drove play and never took a shift off. The Sacred Heart commit was great at identifying when defenders were cheating towards him and finding the open man. He played with speed and was typically the top player every time he touched the ice.
Defenseman:Â Nick Evans, Kimball Union
I talked about Evans a lot in my uncommitted players who boosted their stock throughout the playoffs. His shutdown abilities and reliable puck-moving were key to Kimball Union shutting down Berkshire.
Defenseman:Â James Reilly, Berkshire
This is all based on his play in the championship. He was stout defensively, protecting his own blue line and making Kimball Union zone entries difficult. Midway through the third period, he broke up a Kimball Union rush and sprung senior forward Evan Regan (Acton, Mass.) the other way for a chance. I also really liked Reilly's skating.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: Cushing's Elite 8 win | Andover's Large School win
Goalie:Â Blake McMeniman, Kimball Union
McMeniman made an identity out of being a stable, consistent presence in the Kimball Union net over the last two seasons. It won the Wildcats an Elite 8 last season, and a Small School title in this one. He made 21 saves to beat Frederick Gunn and 27 to shut out St. George's. He was steady in the championship, turning away 25 shots. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound goalie ended on top, which is where he was for most of his prep career.
