Boys MIAA power rankings: St. John’s Shrewsbury flies up top 10

While many boys prep teams were largely away after Christmas, the MIAA teams kicked into high gear.

Several top-ranked teams were vying for wins in singular games, along with championships in tournaments right after Christmas.

The season is roughly a month old. What's taking shape is two tiers inside the top 10 in Division 1.

There seem to be six teams vying for spots inside the top five, while the rest of the top 10 will battle for spots throughout the season.

Let's dive in.

1. Xaverian (6-1-0)

Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Dave Spinale
Next game: vs. St. John's Prep, Jan. 10, 7 p.m. 

Despite losing its last game against BC High, 3-2, Xaverian moves into No. 1. Spinale's team was cruising, winning five straight games since our last rankings over Arlington Catholic, Archbishop Williams, Hingham, St. Mary's Lynn and Catholic Memorial. Up front, seniors Jack O'Neil and Jesse Peck have been vital scorers, while juniors Colvin Callahan and Devin Gosciak, and sophomore Jack Fitzpatrick have been some of the top breakout prospects in the MIAA.

2. St. John's Prep (5-1-0)

Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Kristian Hanson
Next game: vs. Xaverian, Jan. 10, 7 p.m. 

St. John's Prep fell to No. 4 in our last rankings, which is low for Hanson's team. SJP responded by winning five straight games over Bishop Feehan, BC High, Pope Francis, Reading and Malden Catholic. The victory over Pope Francis, a 1-0 OT win, secured St. John's Prep the legendary Pete Frates Classic championship.

SJP will have a chance to move into the No. 1 spot with a win against Xaverian on Wednesday.

3. St. John's Shrewsbury (8-1-0)

Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Michael Mead
Next game: vs. BC High, Jan. 10, 5:15 p.m. 

How about those Pioneers? St. John's Shrewsbury sat at No. 10 in our latest rankings, and shoots all the way up to No. 3 after winning six games in a row. First came an overtime win over Andover. Then, SJS took down Franklin and Marshfield to win the My Hockey Live Cup. After taking down Shrewsbury, Mead's team made statements in taking down Malden Catholic, 6-5, and Catholic Memorial, 7-4.

In the win over CM, senior captain Luke Gerardi exploded for four goals, which was a microcosm of the Pioneers' biggest strength: scoring. Gerardi leads his team in goals (12) and points (23). Junior forward Daniel Menyalkin has been impactful, too, with seven goals and 20 points. Freshman Chase Warsofsky, an '09 from the Boston Jr. Eagles, has acclimated well to the MIAA, scoring five goals and notching 10 assists through nine games.

4. Arlington (6-1-1)

Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: John Messuri
Next game: vs. Belmont, Jan. 11, 8 p.m. 

Arlington entered this season young...but that never meant it wouldn't make an impact. Since being ranked No. 8 on Dec. 22, the Spy Ponders beat BC High and Winchester, lost to Pope Francis, 1-0, and tied Catholic Memorial. On Monday night, Messuri's team won the public school battle, taking down Hingham, 2-1. You know what that means? Arlington is in the top five.

5. Catholic Memorial (4-3-2)

Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Larry Rooney
Next game: vs. Malden Catholic, Jan. 10, 7:10 p.m. 

Prior to Monday night's game with Pope Francis, the Knights hadn't won a game since Dec. 20 against Hingham. Rooney's team lost both games against Delbarton and Notre Dame (shootout) at the William Hanson tournament. Then, the Knights tied Arlington and lost to Xaverian and St. John's Shrewsbury. But on Monday, CM got a much-needed victory, trouncing Pope Francis, 8-3. That victory prevents CM from falling outside of the top five.

6. Pope Francis (5-4-0)

Previous ranking: 1
Interim head coach: Daniel Fenton
Next game: vs. Braintree, Jan. 13, 12:10 p.m. 

Pope Francis falls five spots after going 3-3-0 over its last six games. The Cardinals land at No. 6 due to losses to Franklin, St. John's Prep and Catholic Memorial. They also fall because every team inside the top seven is so close. Still, there's a lot of promise for the future — the Cardinals' roster is deep up front and in back. Junior goalie Nick Ritchie should bounce back from a rough third period on Monday night.

7. Hingham (4-4-1)

Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Tony Messina
Next game: vs. Winchester, Jan. 13, 4 p.m. 

Hingham also falls out of the top five. Messina had Hingham play a tough schedule in the early going, which is why the record isn't as aesthetically pleasing as some other teams. Prior to Monday night's 2-1 loss to Arlington, Hingham's only loss since our last rankings was a 2-1 loss to Xaverian. Outside of that, Hingham took down Weymouth, Braintree, Marshfield and Framingham.

Senior Travis Rugg is back centering the top line. In his first game back — an 8-1 thumping of Framingham — the senior put on a show, scoring two goals and notching two assists.

8. Reading (5-2-0)

Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Mark Doherty
Next game: vs. Arlington, Jan. 13, 12:40 p.m. 

Reading has stumbled a bit of late, which is why it falls two spots. After taking down Winchester, 6-1, the Rockets fell to St. John's Prep, 3-0, and Woburn, 4-0. A 1-0 win over Belmont salvaged a rough stretch. Still, one goal in three games is out of character for a very good Rockets group. I'll say it time and again this season: Reading will go as far as senior goalie Chris Hanifan takes it. That could very well be very far.

9. BC High (3-4-0)

Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: John Flaherty
Next game: vs. St. John's Shrewsbury, Jan. 10, 5:15 p.m. 

BC High almost fell out of my top 10 after losses to Arlington and St. John's Prep. But the Eagles have rebounded, beating Central Catholic, Natick and, most notably, Xaverian. Junior forward Mikey McClory played the hero against the Hawks, scoring with just over one minute to play in the game to give BC High a 3-2 win.

Senior defenseman Colin Murphy leads the team in points with five through seven games.

10. Marshfield (6-2-0)

Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Dan Connolly
Next game: vs. Hanover, Jan. 13, 7:40 p.m. 

Marshfield took down Framingham, 6-3, but then narrowly lost to St. John's Shrewsbury, 2-1, at the MHL Cup. A 3-1 loss to Hingham, another ranked opponent, slides the Rams down a bit more than usual. However, outscoring Quincy and Duxbury 15-0 is a not-so-friendly reminder to teams that Marshfield can be dominant offensively.

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