If you're a fan of chaos, you probably enjoyed the boys prep holiday tournaments this weekend.
The previous top three teams in the region suffered losses to very good teams. Kent, Holderness, Kimball Union and Brunswick — all squads lower in our previous top 10 — won the big four tournaments (the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic, Groton/Lawrence Tournament, Flood-Marr Tournament, Kevin Mutch Tournament).
If that wasn't enough, there are so many teams with legitimate cases for the final three spots in the top 10, which is why there will be other teams included in our new "In the Hunt" section.
To me, every team ranked Nos. 1-7 have cases for the top three. It's extremely debatable. Then, it's everybody else.
This took forever. But I wouldn't want it any other way entering the holiday break.
Let's dive in.
1. Kimball Union (11-1-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Tim Whitehead
Next game: vs. Mount St. Charles U18 at True Prep Cup, Jan. 5, 12:45 p.m.Â
Kimball Union took down Salisbury, 5-2, to win the Flood-Marr Tournament. The weekend also included wins over Hotchkiss, Milton Academy and Westminster. Aside from a loss to Rivers at the Exeter Invitational, Whitehead's team has been perfect. Kimball Union has a dynamite top line of Corwith Simmers, Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.) and Sam LeDrew along with offensive depth. The Wildcats are also deep on defense and newcomer Blake McMeniman (Revere, Mass.) has taken the reins in net, winning his three starts at the Flood-Marr.
With its performance this weekend, Kimball Union asserted itself as the top team in the region — at least for now.
2. Brunswick (5-1-2)
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Mike Kennedy
Next game: at Belmont Hill at Belmont Hill-Nichols Holiday Tournament, Dec. 28, 9 a.m.Â
Brunswick had a spotty start to the season with losses to Loomis Chaffee and ties against Exeter and Westminster. But those matchups prepared them to be the wrecking ball the Bruins were this weekend, disposing of Rivers, beating a talented St. Andrew's College team and then spoiling the party of St. Sebastian's — our cover boys — by beating the Arrows in their own tournament for the second straight year.
Two things about Brunswick are clear after the Kevin Mutch Tournament. The first is that its top line of Brendan Giles (Ridgefield, Conn.), Luke Drury and Sean Gibbons (Fairfield, Conn.) is up there as one of the top trios in the region. The second is that goalie Will Baker (Norwalk, Conn.) is legit.
The downside of a tough schedule is the record doesn't look as clean. The upside is being ranked No. 2. That's a trade-off Kennedy is fine with.
3. Avon Old Farms (8-0-1)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: John Gardner
Next game: at Taft, Jan. 6, 2:30 p.m.Â
The Winged Beavers only fall one spot after losing to Kent in double overtime of the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic. They had some close calls, only beating St. Paul's by a goal and needing overtime to beat Tabor. But they pulled out the wins and beat Berkshire, 5-1, in the semifinal. The question mark is in net: Do either of Anthony Palmer (Lynnfield, Mass.) or Michael Heinke (Old Saybrook, Conn.) have what it takes to push Avon Old Farms above the rest?
KEVIN MUTCH CHAMPIONSHIP: Click or tap here for a full recap of Brunswick taking down St. Sebastian's, 3-2
4. Cushing (7-1-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Paul Pearl
Next game: vs. Canterbury, Dec. 28, 1 p.m.Â
Cushing scored wins over Lawrence Academy and Thayer, but the big blemish was a 2-1 loss to Holderness in the Groton/Lawrence Tournament. Cushing falls to No. 4 because Holderness was its first test of the season. The roster is too good up front and on defense to fall any further (at least for now). The positive to take away from this weekend is star goalie Marko Bilic made 36 stops against Holderness and carries a 1.00 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage.
5. Holderness (8-0-0)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Alan Thompson
Next game: at Rivers, Jan. 6, 2:30 p.m.Â
Holderness moves up one spot after taking down Cushing in the Groton/Lawrence Tournament and then beating Groton, 7-4, for the championship. This weekend, the Bulls proved they can win high-scoring affairs (a 7-6 OT win over Pomfret) and low-scoring defensive matchups (the Cushing victory). Holderness' older players like postgrad Pavit Mehra (Hopkinton, Mass.) and seniors Aaron VanWie, Jake Boulanger (Barre, Vt.) and Caden Wells are taking care of business. Senior defenseman Caeden Herrington (Manchester, Vt.) is looking more like the top NHL Draft prospect from prep for June.
GROTON/LAWRENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 3 stars from Holderness' win over Groton
6. St. Sebastian's (6-2-0)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Sean McCann
Next game: vs. Williston Northampton at New Years Showcase at St. Sebastian's/Nobles, Dec. 29, 11 a.m.Â
This was tough because roster-wise, St. Sebastian's is a top-three team. Things are so tight at the top that a loss to Brunswick, coupled with falling to Exeter on Dec. 9, have the Arrows at No. 6. St. Sebastian's did take care of business against Northwood, Winchendon and Brooks over the past week. How do the Arrows get back up into the top three? They need to beat better teams and prove they're good enough on defense and in net.
7. Kent (7-2-1)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Dale Reinhardt
Next game: vs. Loomis Chaffee, Jan. 6, 7 p.m.Â
Kent moves up two spots after taking down Avon Old Farms in its own tournament championship. The Lions also took down Frederick Gunn, Loomis Chaffee and Trinity-Pawling. Kent has the offensive and defensive depth to continue climbing. Cornell commit Gio DiGiulian (South Burlington, Vt.) had four goals and two assists in four games at the Avon Christmas Classic, as he continues to be one of the best in prep. What prohibits Kent from moving any higher right now are losses to Kimball Union and Brunswick at the beginning of December.
8. Salisbury (6-3-0)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Andrew Will
Next game: vs. Deerfield, Jan. 6, 4:30 p.m.Â
For a team that made it to the Flood-Marr final, it's hard to feel great about Salisbury's performance. Maybe it's because of how dominant Will's teams have been in the past and how good we know they can be. Salisbury narrowly edged out Phillips Andover, 2-1, and beat Nobles, 4-3, in overtime after being down 3-0. In the 6-4 loss to Deerfield on Friday, Salisbury trailed 5-0 in the first period. Still, it's a good enough roster to be in the top 10 and senior defenseman Anthony Biakabutuka is a monster.
9. St. George's (6-1-0)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Allie Skelley
Next game: vs. Proctor at Joshua Weeks New Years' Tournament, Jan. 1, 9 a.m.Â
This pick might be the one that causes the most controversy. As all the teams in the region beat the hell out of each other this weekend, there was St. George's taking care of business against *checks notes* BB&N, Brewster Academy and Wyoming Seminary. Yeah...not exactly a gauntlet. But the Dragons have won six straight games since losing to Thayer in the first matchup of the season and falling out of the top 10. With so much uncertainty, the roster is good enough to warrant a spot in the top 10.
FLOOD-MARR FINAL: 7 takeaways from Kimball Union's win over Salisbury
10. Deerfield (5-2-1)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Tim McVaugh
Next game: at Salisbury, Jan. 6, 4:30 p.m.Â
Deerfield is one of the many teams with legitimate cases for a spot in the top 10. The Big Green had a better performance at the Flood-Marr than their fifth-place finish gives them credit for. They started by taking down Salisbury, tied Nobles and narrowly lost to Phillips Andover. In the final game, they beat Milton Academy in overtime. If it wasn't clear already, senior forward Tom Molson is a force and Deerfield is a legitimate opponent.
With the way things are going this season, tons of teams will rotate in here. For now, however, Deerfield holds this spot.
IN THE HUNT:Â Nobles, Frederick Gunn, Rivers, Loomis Chaffee, Berkshire, St. Mark's
