It's a vital time in the MIAA Division 1 boys hockey world.
The Catholic Conference Showcase was this past weekend, pitting some of the best teams in the MIAA against each other. Two of the three results were upsets and each of the games had an impact on these rankings.
That was Sunday. On Monday, the top two teams in the MIAA power rankings went head-to-head.
This coming weekend, the top public schools will do battle at the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament. That will undoubtedly impact these rankings quite a bit.
Let's dive into the latest top 10.
1. Pope Francis (11-2-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Brian Foley
Next game: vs. Archbishop Williams, Jan. 25, 2 p.m.Â
Sure, Pope Francis fell to Braintree, 2-1, on Saturday. But the Cardinals bounced back with a big, 3-0 win over then-No. 4 Reading. The Rockets were also No. 2 in the MIAA's power rankings entering the game. Last Thursday, the Cardinals also got a dominant 8-1 win against Malden Catholic. One loss — along with teams behind them not doing enough to surpass them — isn't enough to move the Cardinals out of the top spot.
THIS WEEKEND: Full schedule, results for Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament
2. Hingham (10-1-1)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Tony Messina
Next game: vs. Winchester, Jan. 26, 12 p.m.Â
The Harbormen crushed Framingham on Saturday, taking down the Flyers, 8-0. But Messina's team ran into a tough opponent in then-No. 8 St. Mary's Lynn, skating to a 2-2 tie. The wildest part: St. Mary's Lynn outshot Hingham, 35-16. There's no reason to drop Hingham out of the top two — every team is allowed an off game. But there's no reason to move the Harbormen up to No. 1 either. That could change with a strong showing at the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament this weekend.
3. Xaverian (7-4-1)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Dave Spinale
Next game: at Malden Catholic, Jan. 25, 12 p.m.Â
The Hawks catapulted themselves from out of the top 10 to inside the top three in a seven-day span. It started with a 2-1 takedown of then-No. 3 St. John's Prep in the Catholic Conference Showcase. Spinale's team followed that up with a 5-1 win over Central Catholic and a 3-0 victory at then-No. 6 Catholic Memorial. Senior goalie Michael Bulkin was one of the biggest reasons for the strong stretch. He made 43 saves to upset St. John's Prep, 25 saves to beat Central Catholic and then earned a 33-save shutout against the Knights. If we did Top Performers for the MIAA, Bulkin would almost certainly be goalie of the week for the Catholic Conference.
4. St. John's Prep (7-4-0)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Kristian Hanson
Next game: at BC High, Jan. 26, 1:15 p.m.Â
The Eagles moved down just one spot after their loss to Xaverian. Still, the Eagles played well in that one but were consistently shut down by Bulkin. Fortunately, these teams play again on Feb. 5. Hanson's team rebounded with a 4-0 win over Malden Catholic on Wednesday. Brandon Ward continued his strong junior year, scoring in both games.
5. Reading (8-2-1)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Mark Doherty
Next game: at Wakefield, Jan. 25, 6 p.m.Â
The Rockets had a relatively strong week. It featured two wins — a 3-0 victory at Winchester and a 4-0 triumph over Watertown/Wayland. They fell to Pope Francis, 3-0, on Monday but it was an endowment game, which means it technically doesn't count for the MIAA's power rankings. And Reading put up a legitimate fight against the only team ahead of them in the MIAA's power rankings entering Monday. They only fell one spot due to Xaverian's rise.
CLASH OF THE TITANS: 11 standouts, takeaways from Pope Francis' 3-0 win over Reading
6. St. Mary's Lynn (10-3-1)
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: Matthew Smith
Next game: vs. Arlington Catholic, Jan. 25, 6 p.m.Â
St. Mary's Lynn continued to roll last week, moving up two spots. It started with a 3-0 win over Milton before tying No. 2 Hingham, 2-2, and outshooting the Harbormen. On Wednesday night, the Spartans took down Bishop Fenwick, 5-0. The Spartans will have some big tests over the next three weeks in Arlington Catholic, Pope Francis, BC High and St. John's Prep.
7. Catholic Memorial (8-5-0)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Larry Rooney
Next game: at St. John's Shrewsbury, Jan. 25, 4 p.m.Â
The Knights fell one spot after their 3-0 loss to Xaverian on Wednesday night. But one spot is where it ends because Rooney's team took down BC High, 2-0, at the Catholic Conference Showcase. Freshman defenseman Colin Yandle continued to be impactful, as he scored the eventual game-winning tally against BC High on a shot from the point.
8. BC High (5-4-2)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: John Flaherty
Next game: vs. St. John's Prep, Jan. 26, 1:15 p.m.Â
BC High boosted itself back into the top 10 after a 5-1 win over then-No. 7 St. John's Shrewsbury on Wednesday night. Senior forward Mikey McClory brought his best against the Pioneers, scoring twice and adding an assist. Sophomore goalie Drew Karlovits was great in both games, making 31 saves in the 2-0 loss to CM and 28 to beat St. John's Shrewsbury.
9. Belmont (7-3-0)
Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Tim Foley
Next game: vs. Wilmington, Jan. 24, 7:50 p.m.Â
Belmont had one game since our last rankings, taking care of business against Burlington with a 4-3 win in overtime. Sophomore forward Liam Guilderson continued his dominance this season with two goals (one of which was the winner) and an assist in the win. He has 11 goals and 24 points.
CATHOLIC CONFERENCE:Â 15 standouts, takeaways from 2025 Catholic Conference Showcase
10. Arlington (7-4-1)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: John Messuri
Next game: vs. Melrose, Jan. 25, 2:25 p.m.Â
The Spy Ponders were sputtering of late, losing to Belmont on Jan. 11 and tying Reading, 2-2. That continued when they lost to Woburn, 5-1, on Saturday. What saved them from falling out of the top 10 was a 6-0 win over Stoneham on Wednesday night. Arlington will be tested heavily over the weekend when it faces Melrose and then Tewksbury, which is 9-2-1 in Division 2, in the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament.
DROPPED OUT:Â St. John's Shrewsbury (7-5-0; 7); Marshfield (8-3-1; 9)
IN THE HUNT:Â St. John's Shrewsbury, Marshfield, Archbishop Williams, Waltham, Winchester, Needham, Braintree
