As I walked toward Fiore Rink at Holderness on Friday night, I thought about how drastically a matchup between the Bulls and Kimball Union could shift my boys prep rankings.
The No. 1 team in the region against No. 5. Oh the possibilities.
Instead, the Wildcats took down Holderness, 7-4, squashing any comeback attempt by the Bulls.
So, as I walked back to my car after the game, I knew Kimball Union would stay No. 1. Head coach Tim Whitehead's team more than proved it. But Holderness. What would I do with Holderness?
Let's dive into that, as well as the rest of the top 10.
1. Kimball Union (23-3-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Tim Whitehead
Next game: vs. Phillips Andover, Feb. 7, 5 p.m.Â
No surprise here that Kimball Union stays at No. 1. With the 7-4 win over Holderness, Kimball Union is officially the best team in the region. The next few weeks, however, will provide some challenges that could unseat the Wildcats. Andover is basically my No. 11 team and that's KUA's next game. But there's a rematch against Holderness on Feb. 10 and then back-to-backs with Cushing on Feb. 16-17.
2. Avon Old Farms (17-0-1)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: John Gardner
Next game: vs. Frederick Gunn, Feb. 7, 3 p.m.Â
Avon Old Farms only played one game over the last week, taking down Westminster, 6-2, on Wednesday. Sophomore goalie Anthony Palmer (Lynnfield, Mass.) made 26 saves on 28 shots, boosting his goals-against average to 1.13 and save percentage to .955 — both are top marks in the region. The tandem of Palmer and junior Michael Heinke (Old Saybrook, Conn.) has been strong for Gardner's team.
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3. Brunswick (20-4-2)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Mike Kennedy
Next game: vs. Cushing (at UConn), Feb. 7, 3:30 p.m.Â
The Bruins returned home for two wins this past week, beating Lawrenceville, 3-1, and South Kent, 4-2. Senior forwards Brendan Giles (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Sean Gibbons (Fairfield, Conn.) both had multi-point games, while Princeton commit Ryan Wachtel posted one goal and two assists over the two wins. A date with Cushing this Wednesday should have big implications on these rankings.
4. Cushing (19-2-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Paul Pearl
Next game: vs. Brunswick (at UConn), Feb. 7, 3:30 p.m.Â
Cushing got two wins over the last week, first taking down Tilton, 6-2, and then shutting out Vermont Academy, 4-0. Senior forward Emerson Marshall (Gloucester, Mass.) was a force, potting three goals and adding two assists in the two wins. He leads Cushing in points with 36. The Penguins have a huge opportunity against Brunswick on Wednesday.
5. Holderness (18-2-0)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Alan Thompson
Next game: at Tilton, Feb. 7, 3 p.m.Â
The surprise is...Holderness stays at No. 5. The Bulls lost to KUA, but they came oh-so-close to mounting a comeback in the third period. That fight keeps them in the No. 5 spot. With veteran depth all over the lineup and goalie Ryan Nolan (Hampton, N.H.), Holderness is a top-five team in New England. Kimball Union again on Feb. 10 and Dexter Southfield on Feb. 21 will be big tests before the Lakes Region Tournament.
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6. Salisbury (13-4-1)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Andrew Will
Next game: vs. Taft, Feb. 7, 4:30 p.m.Â
Salisbury played once last week, taking down Trinity-Pawling, 4-3. Senior forward Seamus Latta continued his strong season, scoring two goals, including the eventual game-winner and assisting on senior defenseman Ty Creech's goal. Junior goalie Steven Luciano made 30 stops in the win. The Crimson Knights have a difficult five-game stretch coming up with matchups against Taft, Loomis Chaffee, Brunswick, Avon Old Farms and Berkshire.
7. St. George's (16-3-1)
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Allie Skelley
Next game: vs. Rivers, Feb. 7, 5 p.m.Â
St. George's stays at No. 7 after narrowly edging out Middlesex, 3-2, and Berwick, 2-1. Senior goalie and Maine commit Ryder Shea (Framingham, Mass.) made 29 saves to beat Middlesex and 25 against Berwick. Shea will be the Dragons' biggest X-factor down the stretch.
8. Nobles (12-6-2)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Brian Day
Next game: at Governor's Academy, Feb. 7, 4:45 p.m.Â
It took until the No. 8 spot for there to be any movement in these rankings and it's Nobles re-entering the top 10. The Bulldogs got two big ISL wins over the last week, taking down Thayer, 6-2, and Tabor, 4-3, in overtime. Junior Dennis Davidson (Newton, Mass.) was vital in both matchups, scoring two goals and adding an assist against Thayer before being the hero against Tabor when he netted the overtime winner.
9. Loomis Chaffee (12-5-1)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: John Zavisza
Next game: at Deerfield, Feb. 7, 4:15 p.m.Â
Loomis Chaffee stays put at No. 9 after only playing once over the last week. The Pelicans earned a 5-1 win over Williston Northampton. Senior Ben Carfora (West Haven, Conn.), junior Gennaro Pompano (East Haven, Conn.) and sophomores Owen Schwarz (Fairfield, Conn.) and Will Watson all contributed two-point games. Matchups with Salisbury and Avon Old Farms down the stretch will go the longest way in determining Loomis Chaffee's postseason fate.
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10. Lawrence Academy (12-6-1)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Robbie Barker
Next game: vs. Thayer, Feb. 7, 6 p.m.Â
Welcome to the top 10, Lawrence Academy. The Spartans earned a pair of strong victories this past week. First, they went into Belmont Hill and earned a resilient, 4-3 win with star senior forward Owen Leahy (Providence, R.I.) factoring into each goal and dynamic senior defenseman Shawn Leary (Dorchester, Mass.) scoring two in the third period. Next was a 7-3 win over Winchendon in which Leahy posted five points and senior Spencer Hirsch notched two goals and an assist. Junior Ty Wood (Gloucester, Mass.) also had two goals in the win.
Dropped out:Â Phillips Andover (13-6-1; 8)
In the hunt:Â Phillips Andover, Dexter Southfield, Rivers, Berkshire, Belmont Hill, Canterbury
