Parity is the most accurate word to describe the boys MIAA hockey season so far.
Some powerhouses from the last two seasons have taken a hit. There are many established talents long gone and new faces counted on to step up. It's happened in some cases but not in others. So goes life in high school hockey.
There were various high-end clashes over the last two weeks. Some took place in the days before Christmas, while most happened after in tournaments. The notable ones were the Pete Frates Winter Classic, the Arrow Sports Group High School Hockey Holiday Classic and the My Hockey Live Cup.
After the top four, I had an extremely difficult time ranking Nos. 5-10. Some teams just missed it who easily have cases for spots No. 9 and 10.
Nevertheless, these are my top 10 Division 1 boys MIAA teams entering 2025.
1. Pope Francis (5-1-0)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Brian Foley
Next game: vs. Belmont, Jan. 2, 6:40 p.m.Â
With all the uncertainty in the top 10, I actually think the top two is the clearest area. Pope Francis has done nothing but take care of business since a season-opening loss to Don Bosco (N.J.) in the Sacred Heart Tournament. The Cardinals took down then-No. 6 Catholic Memorial, 4-2, on Dec. 21 before winning the Pete Frates Winter Classic with ease. Foley's team beat Central Catholic, 3-0, and St. John's Prep, 4-1. They dominated Central Catholic and controlled the majority of their game against the Eagles.
The Cardinals are deep with three legit forwards lines that can be played in any situation. That is often hard to find in the MIAA.
2. Hingham (4-0-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Tony Messina
Next game: vs. Marshfield, Dec. 31, 1 p.m.Â
Hingham hadn't played when we did our last rankings. Since then, the Harbormen have won four straight. They opened the season by taking down then-No. 1 St. John's Prep, 3-1. They followed that up with a 5-2 win over Weymouth on Christmas Eve and then opening the Arrow Holiday Tournament with a 3-1 win over Braintree. Messina's squad won the tournament on Sunday with a 6-5 thriller over Archbishop Williams.
3. Arlington (3-1-0)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: John Messuri
Next game: at Catholic Memorial, Dec. 31, 2 p.m.Â
Arlington lost to BC High, 3-0, on Dec. 23 and hasn't played since. Normally that would lead to a bigger slide in the rankings. But the teams behind the Spy Ponders didn't do enough to jump into the top three, so Messuri's team stays. They also took down Burlington, 2-1, on Dec. 21. We'll know if Arlington is for real or not with its stretch coming up: Catholic Memorial, Pope Francis and Hingham. Good lord.
4. St. John's Prep (2-2-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Kristian Hanson
Next game: vs. Reading, Jan. 1, 3:10 p.m.Â
After falling to Hingham, St. John's Prep rebounded with a close, hard-fought, 2-1 win over BC High. The Eagles fell to Pope Francis in the Pete Frates Winter Classic championship. After having seen SJP twice now, it's clear there is work to be done. Hanson's team doesn't have a dominant top line like it did last season and there are plenty of newcomers prone to making mistakes. There will be ups and downs with this team this season (something we haven't been accustomed to with St. John's Prep over the last two years), but they should get much better with time.
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5. St. John's Shrewsbury (4-1-0)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Michael Mead
Next game: vs. Shrewsbury, Dec. 31, 4:50 p.m.Â
St. John's Shrewsbury responded to being knocked out of our top 10 on Dec. 19 by ... winning its three games since. It started with a big, 4-1 win over then-No. 10 Arlington Catholic. Mead's team ran the table in the My Hockey Live Cup, beating Franklin, 3-1, before taking down Framingham, 7-2. As much as I love my Flyers, an SJS-Marshfield matchup would've been a great gauge for the Pioneers.
6. St. Mary's Lynn (5-1-0)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Matt Smith
Next game: at Xaverian, Jan. 1, 1 p.m.Â
While St. Mary's Lynn did have one hiccup in its 3-2 loss to Shrewsbury on Thursday, Smith's team has been rolling. They opened the year with wins over Central Catholic and Westford Academy. Since our last rankings, they took down Archbishop Williams, 2-1, in overtime and snuck past then-No. 9 Winchester, 4-3. On Friday, they trounced Brookline, 8-0.
7. Catholic Memorial (4-2-0)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Larry Rooney
Next game: vs. Arlington, Dec. 31, 2 p.m.Â
The Knights slipped one spot after going 2-2-0 over their last four. It started with a 4-2 loss to then-No. 3 Pope Francis on Dec. 21. Rooney's team followed it up with a 10-1 drubbing of Falmouth and a 7-1 victory against Bishop Feehan, which kicked off the William Hanson Tournament. The Knights probably would've stayed in the No. 6 spot, but it fell to Delbarton (N.J.), 4-0, on Saturday.
They will have a big chance to rise with their gauntlet of tough matchups ahead: Arlington, Xaverian and St. John's Shrewsbury.
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8. Winchester (4-1-0)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Geno Khatchadourian
Next game: vs. Malden Catholic, Dec. 31, 12:30 p.m.Â
Winchester moved up a spot despite falling to St. Mary's Lynn, 4-3, on Dec. 23. How did that happen? For starters, Winchester responded to that loss with a 4-2 win over Reading. The teams below Winchester in this top 10 also didn't do much to differentiate themselves. Winchester also beat Melrose, 5-1, on Dec. 21.
9. BC High (3-2-0)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: John Flaherty
Next game: vs. Natick, Jan. 2, 6:30 p.m.Â
BC High had a solid showing at the Pete Frates Winter Classic, falling, 2-1, to St. John's Prep on a last-minute goal and then beating Central Catholic, 3-1. Prior to that, the Eagles went into Ed Burns Arena and took down Arlington, 3-0. It's clear BC High is an improved team from last season. Despite not having a go-to playmaker up front, Flaherty's team offense will sustain it throughout the season. Also, don't sleep on sophomore netminder Drew Karlovits.
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10. Archbishop Williams (2-3-0)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Chris Cunningham
Next game: at Central Catholic, Jan. 1, 2:30 p.m.Â
I feel for Archbishop Williams' fans and families. I'd be shocked if their blood pressures recovered from the games at the Arrow Holiday Tournament. Archies beat then-No. 5 Xaverian, 6-5, in an overtime-thriller on Friday. In the championship, Cunningham's team lost 6-5 in a wild, back-and-forth game. Thankfully, there was a day in between each game. Archies also lost its first two games of the season in overtime.
Despite being under .500, Archies still gets a spot in here. Their other win this season was a 4-2 takedown of Franklin on Dec. 23 and all of their losses have been by a goal.
DROPPED OUT:Â Xaverian (2-2-0; 5); Reading (3-1-0; 7); Marshfield (2-1-1; 8); Arlington Catholic (3-1-0; 10)
IN THE HUNT:Â Xaverian, Reading, Arlington Catholic, Marshfield, Woburn
