As the final month of the Division 1 boys MIAA season gets underway, there are two big storylines to watch.
The first is who is the team best prepared to hoist a trophy at TD Garden? Right now, that feels like it's St. John's Prep...but Xaverian and Catholic Memorial are also right there.
The second is which public school team is best positioned to go the furthest? Last year it was Reading. It could be the Rockets again this season, but it also could be Marshfield or Hingham or Arlington or Braintree or Franklin or...
You get my point.
Thankfully, the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament is underway, giving us a better idea of who the top public school team is.
Let's dive into our latest top 10 Division 1 boys MIAA teams.
1. St. John's Prep (12-1-1)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Kristian Hanson
Next game: at Arlington Catholic, Feb. 3, 2:25 p.m.Â
Yes, St. John's Prep fell to Catholic Memorial on Wednesday night, 2-1, in overtime. But it was SJP's first loss since the first game of the season when Hanson's team lost to Hingham. Since our last rankings on Jan. 19, Xaverian outscored BC High, Malden Catholic and Xaverian 16-4. Entering the final month of the regular season, there's no doubt SJP is best positioned for a championship.
2. Xaverian (10-4-0)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Dave Spinale
Next game: vs. Malden Catholic, Feb. 3, 5:30 p.m.Â
That doesn't mean St. John's Prep will win the championship. Even though St. John's Prep swept Xaverian this season, don't underestimate Spinale's team, who come tournament time, will be out for revenge against the team above them. The loss to SJP came after a 4-3 win against Catholic Memorial and a 4-1 victory over BC High. On Wednesday night, the Hawks took down St. John's Shrewsbury, 3-1.
With the season sweep of CM and SJS, Xaverian is firmly planted in the No. 2 spot.
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS: Follow along with the Ed Burns Coffee Pot TournamentÂ
3. Catholic Memorial (9-5-2)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Larry Rooney
Next game: vs. BC High, Feb. 3, 6 p.m.Â
Despite a rocky start to the season, the Knights rebounded over the last two weeks. After narrowly losing to Xaverian, 4-3, they beat St. John's Shrewsbury, 2-1, Malden Catholic, 4-0, and then earned a huge triumph, beating St. John's Prep, 2-1, in overtime. Sophomore Nick D'Olympio (Rockland, Mass.) scored the game-winning goal, as he continued his terrific season. Junior goalie Ryan Littlefield (Abington, Mass.) made 38 saves to take down SJP.
4. Archbishop Williams (12-2-0)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Chris Cunningham
Next game: vs. Bishop Fenwick, Feb. 3, 7:40 p.m.Â
Archbishop Williams flies up our top 10 this week. Archies fell to Pope Francis, 5-4, on Jan. 27. Other than that and a narrow loss to Xaverian on Dec. 27, Cunningham's team has taken care of business this season, deserving recognition in our top five. The big question is can senior forwards Casey Kelly (Dorchester, Mass.) and Ben Sylvester (Carver, Mass.) and junior forward Finn Kelly (Dorchester, Mass.), the team's leading point-getter, lead Archbishop Williams to live up to its No. 2 MIAA power ranking?
5. Reading (10-3-0)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Mark Doherty
Next game: at Wilmington, Feb. 1, 7:15 p.m.Â
After falling to Winchester, 2-0, on Jan. 20, the Rockets bounced back with wins over Watertown and Wakefield before edging out Canton, 2-1, at the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament. Goalie Chris Hanifan was the story for Reading in that game, making 35 saves against Canton, who is one of the top teams in Division 2. Reading will take on Franklin in the Ed Burns Coffee Pot semifinals.
FORWARDS: 14 standout forwards from first round of Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament
6. Arlington (11-3-1)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: John Messuri
Next game: vs. Framingham, Feb. 4, 3:30 p.m.Â
While Arlington narrowly fell to Marshfield, 1-0, on Sunday, the Spy Ponders made a hard push at the end and showcased strong structure and skill from their younger players. Goalie Ryan Martin, a senior, was impressive in the loss. Two sophomore forwards who showed promise in that game, too: Nolan Russell and Drew Beck. Aside from the Marshfield loss, Arlington took down Woburn, Stoneham, Melrose and Watertown in the last two weeks.
7. Pope Francis (10-5-0)
Previous ranking: 7
Interim head coach: Daniel Fenton
Next game: at Hingham, Feb. 3, 12 p.m.Â
Pope Francis has fallen in our rankings over the last month. Since our last top 10, the Cardinals took care of business, taking down St. Mary's Lynn, 6-2, Shrewsbury, 8-3, and Archbishop Williams, 5-4. An interesting stat is that through 15 games, Pope Francis' leading point-getter is senior defenseman Zach Buffone with 20.
8. Marshfield (12-2-2)
Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Dan Connolly
Next game: vs. Plymouth South, Feb. 3, 3:40 p.m.Â
Marshfield moves up two spots after going 4-0-1 over its last five games. The Rams beat Plymouth North, Whitman-Hanson, Silver Lake and Arlington, before tying Scituate on Wednesday. Connolly's team is fortunate to have a beefed-up top six with MIAA stars like seniors Tommy Carroll, Cam McGettrick, Teddy Devoe and Stephen Faria.
9. Hingham (8-5-1)
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: Tony Messina
Next game: vs. Pope Francis, Feb. 3, 12 p.m.Â
My final two teams might be the most controversial since both have valid reasons for being higher in the top 10. The Harbormen had a 10-day break and came out of it with a 6-4 loss to Franklin in the Ed Burns Tournament. They followed it up with a nice, 3-1 win over Duxbury. A win over Pope Francis on Saturday should help Hingham climb back up.
ON DEFENSE: 9 standout defenders and goalies from first round of Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament
10. St. John's Shrewsbury (9-6-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Michael Mead
Next game: vs. Hingham, Feb. 7, 4 p.m.Â
St. John's Shrewsbury has had a bumpy last couple of weeks. It started with a 3-3 tie to Malden Catholic and then losses to Catholic Memorial, BC High and Xaverian. Still, the Pioneers have a great lineup and should bounce back from this. Adversity like this usually pays its dividends come the tournament.
IN THE HUNT:Â Westford Academy (11-2-1), Franklin (9-6-0), BC High (6-8-0), St. Mary's Lynn (9-6-1), Shrewsbury (9-4-1)
