The ISL boasts Belmont Hill — one of the teams in the NEPSAC Elite 8 championship game last season. The Sextants lost, 4-1, to Salisbury in the final, then lost quite a bit over the offseason in forwards Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass.) and James Fisher (Burlington, Mass.), and goalie Sam Scopa (Lexington, Mass.).
How Belmont Hill replaces those three players will be a major storyline in the ISL Keller division this season.
Another top storyline in the Keller division will be how David Hymovitz (Needham, Mass.) does as the new head coach at Thayer Academy. Hymovitz most recently has been director of hockey operations for the Boston Junior Eagles and will continue to hold that position as he tries to revitalize a Thayer team that went 7-13-2 last season. He takes over for Tony Amonte (Hingham, Mass.), who left for a scouting job with the Florida Panthers.
Elsewhere in the Keller division, St. Sebastian’s looks to build off its 18-6-1 season last year, which got it into the Stuart/Corkery Elite 8 tournament. Even though the school lost quite a bit of talent, keep an eye on sophomore forward Teddy Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.), who put together an outstanding freshman campaign with 10 goals and 21 points in 25 games.
MORE NEPSAC PREVIEWS: Housatonic | Lakes Region | Independents
Junior goalie Pelle Russo (West Newton, Mass.) will be called upon after St. Sebastian’s lost both Matthew Chol and Ryan Kazmouz in net. In 89 minutes of action last season, Russo posted a .936 save percentage and a 1.82 goals-against average.
Nobles looks to overcome losing a laundry list of seniors, as well as Ben MacDonald (Weston, Mass.), who is now with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors.
“We have a solid core returning to this year’s team despite graduating so many seniors from last year’s team,” Nobles head coach Brian Day (Danvers, Mass.) said. “I have no doubt that we will be a competitive team this year, as our goaltending should be a strength to our team. I expect that our skaters will commit to playing strong defense and that we should be hard to score against.”
Thatcher Bernstein (Brookline, Mass.), now a sophomore, got most of the time in net last season and is one of the top ’06 goalie prospects in the country. Junior Tyler Bloomfield (Hudson, Mass.) will battle for minutes in the crease as well.
Milton Academy is a more experienced team than last year but will have to find a way to replace Chris Romaine (Boston, Mass.) on defense. Romaine is committed to Providence and was drafted in the sixth round by the Colorado Avalanche. Tabor also has an older team than last year. Both of these schools will look to break away from the middle. So, too, will Governor’s Academy.
Lawrence Academy had just five wins last season and there’s a hunger for a much different result this season. Last year was the first season with under 20 wins since 2015-16. In 2019-20, Lawrence went 22-3-2, and head coach Robbie Barker (Concord, N.H.) would like to get back to that.
“Every year the league has tremendous parity while showcasing the best talent from around Boston and beyond,” Barker said.
In the Eberhart division, St. Mark’s opens as the favorite.
“St. Mark’s is definitely the team to beat,” Brooks head coach Dave Ries (North Andover, Mass.) said.
St. Mark’s comes off a season in which it went 20-6-2 and was the No. 1 seed in the Piatelli/Simmons Small School tournament. The Lions fell to Pomfret, 1-0, in the semifinals. Head coach Carl Corazzini (Framingham, Mass.) wants his team to jump into the Elite 8, with a high-flying offense led by sophomore Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.), who posted 43 points in his freshman campaign. The defense is without top defenseman Michael Fisher (Westborough, Mass.), who is playing for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, committed to Northeastern and was drafted 76th overall by the San Jose Sharks.
Giving St. Mark’s a challenge at the top could be St. George’s, Rivers and Brooks — three schools north of .500 last season.
The strength of St. George’s will come in net with junior Ryder Shea (Framingham, Mass.), who’s committed to Maine. Shea posted a 2.21 goals-against average and .917 save percentage last season. St. George’s will get scoring from senior forward Ben Buckley (Warwick, R.I.) who recently committed to Dartmouth.
Freddy Meyer’s team at Rivers went 13-9-2 last season and lost to Pomfret in the Small School tournament. After losing nine seniors, this group’s mission will be about getting some of the freshmen and sophomores to become regular contributors.
Despite not making a tournament last year, Brooks returns an experienced group with 10 seniors. Seniors Jeremy Emch and Will Rassier will be expected to take on much of the scoring.
Middlesex will look to bounce back from its seven-win season. Bobby Jay’s (Burlington, Mass.) group will rely on its junior and sophomore classes to make up the core of a team that values puck possession.
BB&N, Roxbury Latin and Groton all bring back more experienced rosters after tough seasons last year. Those three teams expect to be much more competitive, making the Eberhart a lot more challenging.
Here's a look at each teams in both divisions:
ISL - KELLER
BELMONT HILL
Coach: Brian Phinney
2021-22 record: 21-3-3, lost to Salisbury, 4-1, in the final of the Stuart/Corkery Elite 8 tournament
Players to watch: Ronan O’Donnell, F; Danny Markham, F; Brock Cummings, F; Jake McManus, F; Matt Biotti, D; Josh Doolan, D; Lenny Greenberg, D; Lindan Verville, D; Stephen Kilcoyne, D
Outlook: Belmont Hill had an outstanding season last year but graduated a big senior class and lost some players who decided to leave early such as Stiga, Fisher and Scopa. For Phinney, it’s going to be all about guys moving up the lineup to make an impact, including senior forward Jake McManus, junior forward Brock Cummings, junior defenseman Stephen Kilcoyne and sophomore defenseman Lindan Verville. In net, Keagin Wilson joined the upper school of Belmont Hill this season and will be in the mix. “Who’s going to step up at tryouts and play? There will be somebody who steps up there,” Phinney said.
GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY
Coach: Brian McGuirk
2021-22 record: 13-12-4, lost to Frederick Gunn, 3-1, in semifinals of Piatelli/Simmons Small School tournament
Players to watch: Cam Russo, F; Mike Ranaldi, F; Mike Marchese, F; Bear Brooks, F; Alec Babineau, F; Jonathan Keefe, F; Jack Farrell, D; Mason Sturm, D; Ian Crowley, D; Max Vieira, D; Max Lacroix, G
Outlook: Governor’s should be very competitive in the ISL and NEPSAC, boasting a strong group of returners and some new players.
LAWRENCE ACADEMY
Coach: Robbie Barker
2021-22 record: 5-15-1
Players to watch: Clarence Beltz, F; Josh Erickson, F; Owen Leahy, F; Michael Nigro, F; Ty Wood, F; Marek Thompson, D; Shaun White-Leary, D; Luc Gagnon, G
Outlook: Barker wants to “get back to the level of competition Lawrence is known for.” He expects to do that with five new members added to the junior class and a team that prides itself on forward depth. On defense, Lawrence has five senior defenders in front of Gagnon, who posted a .911 save percentage and 3.27 GAA last year. Barker also expects newcomers Brendan Hirsch, Spencer Hirsch, Jake Lewis and Luke Malkoski to contribute offensively.
MILTON ACADEMY
Coach: Paul Cannata
2021-22 record: 9-10-1
Players to watch: Jacob Pohl, F; Mikka Kelechian, F; Henry Cohen, F; Will Cannata, F; Jackson Faughnan, D; Mason Chen, D; Dylan Hunt, D; Harrison Brown, G; Sam Caulfield, G
Outlook: Milton Academy had a fairly new roster last season and it showed in the record. This season, Cannata is excited to have a more experienced roster. The biggest question will be replacing Romaine, the star defenseman, who is committed to Providence and was drafted in the sixth round by the Colorado Avalanche. Cannata expects Faughnan, Chen and Hunt to fill the holes left by the loss of Romaine.
NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL
Coach: Brian Day
2021-22 record: 15-9-2, lost to Brunswick, 3-2, in semifinals of the Martin/Earl Large School Tournament
Players to watch: Austin Tasca, F; Ethan Cox, F; Dennis Davidson, F; Ben Nakata, F; Kyle O’Leary, F; Will Brophy, D; Brian Grant, D; Matty Tully, D; Tyler Bloomfield, G; Thatcher Bernstein, soph., G
Outlook: Nobles lost a lot in the offseason, including seniors Roman Tacelli, Aidan Lyons, Colin Norton and Drew Haxton, as well as MacDonald, who departed for the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL after being nabbed by the Seattle Kraken 91st overall in the 2022 NHL draft. Still, Day is optimistic and expects this group to compete. The bedrock of this team will be in net. Bernstein is one of the top ’06 goalies in the country and figures to play a vital role. An interesting storyline to watch will be the sophomores on offense. Day expects Cox, Davidson, Nakata and O’Leary to become key players.
ST. SEBASTIAN’S
Coach: Sean McCann
2021-22 record: 18-6-1, lost to Belmont Hill, 3-2, in quarterfinals of Stuart/Corkery Elite 8 Tournament
Players to watch: Isaac Mitchell, F; Teddy Mutryn, F; Matt Cataldo, F; Aidan Connors, D; Pelle Russo, G
Outlook: St. Sebastian’s looks to be a young team with a big junior class. “Good depth, but we’ll have lots to prove,” McCann said. “Great opportunity for lots of kids either returning or trying out for the first time.” St. Sebastian’s will have to fill some big roles from last year, as 2021-22 ISL MVP Brendan Gorman, Mike Callow and Nolan Joyce all departed in the offseason.
TABOR
Coach: Gerald Dineen
2021-22 record: 11-12-2
Players to watch: Jack DesRuisseaux, F; Xavier Vaillancourt, F; Josh Itri, F; Keanan Dewberry, F; Kai Roberto, F; Jason Zaccari, D; Alec O’Connor, D; Cole Estey, D; Gus Ackerman, G; Gus Ackerman, G
Outlook: Last year’s Tabor squad had four only players who previously had played in a prep school game. It was a season full of “learning, gaining experience and growth,” according to head coach Gerald Dineen. It’s a group that’s older than last year, with depth on offense and defense. Dineen expects this group to be “very competitive” and a “really tough opponent for every team.”
THAYER
Coach: David Hymovitz
2021-22 record: 7-15-0
Players to watch: Shane Taddia, F; Colin Richard, F; Tommy Anderson, F; Tyler Kelly, F; Brady Kudrick, F; Kevin Delay, F; Vinny Sica, D; Brady Erickson, D; Beau Lane, G
Outlook: Hymovitz’s first year behind the Thayer bench will be all about building a strong and winning culture. On the ice, he wants his team to play with creativity on offense: “Hockey’s not football. You can’t say this is the set play you’re going to run. It’s a game of reaction. It’s a game of mistakes and how you react to those mistakes.” He has a chance to have a big impact on the development of his junior and sophomore classes. In net, Lane will be vital to Thayer’s success.
ISL – EBERHART
BROOKS
Coach: Dave Ries
2021-22 record: 11-9-4
Players to watch: Jeremy Emch, F; Will Rassier, F; Tanner McFaul, F; Brett Niland, F; Nick Heaslip, D; Jake Lipani, D; Cam Smith, D; Owen Bedrosian, G
Outlook: Brooks has an experienced and mature group featuring 10 seniors. Still, head coach Dave Ries’ team needs to produce more offensively to compete for a playoff spot. Last year’s leading point-getters were Emch and Rassier with 17 points apiece in 24 games. Ries expects many new players to compete with rising junior varsity players to provide depth to the forward group.
BB&N
Coach: Anthony Moccia
2021-22 record: 4-18-1
Players to watch: Daniel McNeill, F; Paul McNiff, F; Will Rice, F; Alex Sandell, F; Daniel Talacci, F; Caleb Hu, D; David Mallio, G
Outlook: BB&N’s four-win season last year was its most victories in a season since 2017-18. While the program has slumped, Moccia believes this should be the strongest group in the past five years. With McNeill, McNiff, Rice, Sandell and Talacci up front, BB&N has veteran depth offensively. “This season will be a great test to see what this team is made of,” Moccia said.
GROTON
Coach: William Riley
2021-22 record: 1-15-2
Players to watch: Allan Fang, F; Cort Pomoroy, F; CJ Armaly, D; Mike Pelletier, G; Ethan Ramonetti, G
Outlook: While last year’s record isn’t flashy, Groton competed hard in every game, according to Riley. It was a young team, Riley said, but it will be a more “hard-working and talented crew this year.” Groton did lose goalie Tommy Giroux to graduation, and he’s in the crease for Middlebury College this year.
MIDDLESEX
Coach: Bobby Jay
2021-22 record: 7-13-3
Players to watch: Andrew Almeida, F; Bryan Tang, F; Matt Egan, F; Zach Miles, D; Brody Scott, D; Nolan Marsters, D; Austin Sheu, D; Caio Bernardini, G; James Webb, G
Outlook: Middlesex boasts a young team that’s heavily reliant on strong junior and sophomore classes. Jay said the team is still rebuilding, but he believes the team can have a clear identity — playing fast. “We want guys that move the puck and play like a team,” Jay said. He expects his group to take another step and be a competitive team that values puck possession. In net, Bernardini will be given the first crack at the starting job while Webb recovers from an injury. Jay hopes to have Webb back by Christmas.
RIVERS
Coach: Freddy Meyer
2021-22 record: 13-9-2, lost to Pomfret, 4-3, in overtime of quarterfinals of Piatelli/Simmons Small School Tournament
Players to watch: Jacob Kulas, F; Will Hatten, F; Alex Fookson, D; Chris Sullivan, D; Luke Swaim, D
Outlook: Rivers graduated nine seniors since the end of last season and lost defenseman Ollie Chessler to the USHL. But according to Meyer, “We have a great group of ninth- and 10th-graders at Rivers and it will be fun to help them develop and play in the competitive ISL.”
ROXBURY LATIN
Coach: David Cataruzolo
2021-22 record: 3-12-3
Players to watch: Patrick Schultz, F; Jake Novak, F; Vincent Jaeger, F; Tait Oberg, D; Will Matthews, D; Evan Zhang, G
Outlook: Roxbury Latin managed just three wins last season but “grew up a great deal,” according to Cataruzolo. It’s a more experienced squad that expects to be more consistent and a tougher matchup. Lots of the success will hinge on Zhang, who occupied the net for almost all minutes last season, posting a 3.80 GAA and .892 save percentage. Roxbury Latin has a veteran defense led by seniors Matthews and Oberg plus junior Vincent Jaeger. Cataruzolo will need Schultz and Novak to take on the scoring charge.
ST. MARK’S
Coach: Carl Corazzini
2021-22 record: 20-6-2, lost to Pomfret, 1-0, in Piatelli/Simmons Small School semifinals
Players to watch: Richard Gallant, F; Andrew Gibbons, F; Jimmy Lyver, F; Austin Boorgaard, F; Calvin Beard, D
Outlook: The Lions are looking to secure a spot in the Elite 8 this season. According to Corazzini, St. Mark’s is looking to get better as the year progresses, and that will largely hinge on the play of the back end, which will be without Fisher, who’s now with the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL and was drafted 76th overall in the 2022 NHL draft. This team’s strength will be its offense, which is led by Gallant. As a freshman, he ranked third on the team in points with 43.
ST. GEORGE’S
Coach: Jeff Dwyer
2021-22 record: 13-7-4, lost to Frederick Gunn, 3-1, in quarterfinals of Piatelli/Simmons Small School Tournament
Players to watch: Ben Buckley, F; Tate Pecknold, F; Jake MacIntosh, D; Everett Baldwin, D; Ryder Shea, G; Matt Dellarusso, G
Outlook: St. George’s goal is to make the Small School tournament, which it did last year. Dwyer is looking to build off last year’s success as the No. 7 seed in the tournament. St. George’s will be younger this year, but the veteran leadership of Buckley and Pecknold should help offset that on offense. The real strength of this team is in net with Shea, who’s committed to Maine. As a sophomore, the Framingham, Mass., native posted a .917 save percentage and 2.21 GAA.
