To say the 2022-23 New England prep school hockey season hasn’t gone according to script would be an understatement.
Yes, Cushing and Avon Old Farms are at the top, as expected. The Penguins and Winged Beavers are hovering right below Nobles in the all-important JSPR, which determines the seeds for the NEPSAC Stuart/Corkery Elite 8 Tournament.
On the other hand, Kimball Union is ranked seventh and Salisbury is perilously hanging on to a spot in the Martin/Earl Large School Tournament. I keep waiting for the Crimson Knights to turn things around, but the recent results don’t bode well for that happening. With Tim Whitehead at the helm, as long as the Wildcats stay in position to make the Elite 8, they will be a dangerous out.
Almost as surprising as the struggles of Kimball Union and Salisbury is the rise of Taft, Tabor and Milton, three teams certainly not destined for the Elite 8 before the season began.
There is still a little over a month to go in the season, which allows for plenty of time for teams to move up or down.
1. Cushing (12-0-3)
The Penguins have yet to lose a game and have the most talented and deepest team in prep school hockey. Boston College commit Landan Resendes (Marlboro, Mass.) has scored two or more points in seven of the last nine contests and UConn recruit Ethan Gardula (Princeton, Mass.) has a 10-game point streak. Seven Penguins, including Resendes and Gardula, have notched 10 or more points. Senior Cooper Rautenstrauch has continued to play well enough in net.
Previous ranking: 2Â
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2. Nobles (12-1-1)
After a loss in the opening game of the Flood-Marr Tournament, Nobles has won nine straight games. While senior Austin Tasca (Hope, R.I.) and Teddy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) deserve attention, as well, it’s important to note the drastic progression from freshman to sophomore year for Dennis Davidson (Newton, Mass.). In just over half the games, Davidson has more than doubled his production from his freshman year. Classmate Ethan Cox has gone from three to 14 points, so he’s also taken a step. Three '04 defensemen, including Will Brophy (Worcester, Mass.), have helped protect star goaltender Thatcher Bernstein (Brookline, Mass.).
Previous ranking: 5Â
3. Avon Old Farms (10-2-0)
After starting 9-0, the Winged Beavers lost two in a row, but bounced back for a win on the road at Kent on Saturday. The first line of left wing Joe Connor (Amherst, N.H.), center Charlie Gollob and right wing Joe Odyniec (Ridgefield, Conn.) has kept its mojo going as one of the top units in prep hockey. Senior goaltender Stephen Peck certainly has the ability to help this team win in the playoffs.
Previous ranking: 1Â
4. Taft (9-3-0)
Outside of a rough start in the team’s 6-2 loss to Westminster, junior goaltender Rudy Guimond has been one of the biggest stars of the prep school hockey season. The Yale commit has stopped more than 40 shots on six occasions this season. How he goes is how the Rhinos will go down the stretch. A pair of seniors, JJ Lemieux and Jackson Holl (Avon, Conn.), have been the offensive catalysts.
Previous ranking: NRÂ
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5. Kimball Union (11-4-0)
The Wildcats are 4-0-1 in their last five and could be peaking at the right time. As I’ve stated a few times, this is one of the youngest teams Whitehead has had in Meriden. If they continue coming together, watch out. Junior Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.) has steadily improved as he adjusts to the pace of prep hockey. The New Hampshire commit has eight goals in his last eight games. Everyone knows about Vermont commit Dan Heroux, but junior goaltender Colby Boyce (Hartford, Vt.) has posted three shutouts.
Previous ranking: 6
6. Tabor (9-2-3)
I keep wanting to write off the Seawolves, but they keep proving me wrong. Coach Gerry Dineen’s team is just 2-2-1 in its last five, but the two wins during that stretch have come against a good Milton team. Senior right wing Jack DesRuisseaux is a major reason Tabor is having success, but the Seawolves are receiving offensive contributions from four defensemen, including Jason Zaccari, Brad Guden (Norfolk, Mass.), Cole Estey (Barnstable, Mass.) and Alec O’Connor (Winchester, Mass.). Senior goaltender Gus Ackerman (Marion, Mass.) has elevated his game in a major way from when I first watched him three years ago.
Previous ranking: NRÂ
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7. Milton (9-4-2)
The Mustangs are doing everything they can to fall out of the Elite 8, going 2-3-1 over their last six. Luckily for Milton, the teams around and below them haven’t taken advantage. A bright spot in recent weeks has been the play of senior defenseman Mason Chen, who has one goal and nine assists for 10 points in as many games. Senior center Mikka Kelechian continues to pace the forward group and Sam Caulfield (Needham, Mass.) still leads the prep circuit in save percentage.
Previous ranking: 4Â
8. St. Mark’s (10-2-0)
St. Mark’s is riding a four-game winning streak, including a big 5-2 victory over Tabor. The Lions don’t typically have as strong of a schedule as many of the other teams in contention for an Elite 8 bid, so every game is particularly important. After missing the first three games, sophomore center Richard Gallant has returned with a vengeance. The Concord, Mass., native has taken the team lead in scoring with four goals and 13 assists in just nine games. Junior Jonathan Balzarini (Milford, Mass.) has taken a step in his second season. He scored just 10 points last year, but already has 17 in 2022-23 in half the games.
Previous ranking: NRÂ
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9. Frederick Gunn (11-3-2)
This is a fascinating team, as Craig Badger’s group doesn’t really have a superstar or even a definitive Division 1 prospect. Frederick Gunn has good depth, especially up front. Alex LoGuercio (Monroe, Conn.) and Jacob Rothman are leading the offense, which couldn’t have been further from what anyone would have predicted heading into the season. Rothman had zero as a sophomore in 2021-22 and LoGuercio, a transfer from Phillips Andover, has already doubled his mark from last year with the Big Blue.
Previous ranking: 8
10. St. Sebastian’s (9-3-1)
The Arrows have taken care of business against the teams they should beat, but haven’t had any success against teams currently in the Elite 8 field. When discussing improved prep players, no one fits that bill more than St. Sebastian’s junior center Matty Cataldo (Norfolk, Mass.). He scored three goals and six assists in 24 games last season as a sophomore. This season, centering the top line, he’s scored 14 goals and nine assists for 23 points in just 13 games. Sophomore Ben Merrill (Hingham, Mass.) is another player who has heated up this season.
Previous ranking: NRÂ
