One week left. That's it. That's all that's left in the New England boys prep hockey regular season.
There's still quite a bit left. Most teams have two games this week. Lakes Region teams have their tournament, which happens right before brackets come out on Sunday, March 1.
But this is the final top 10.
There are a few tiers. The first two teams are in their own tier. The third-ranked squad is in its own tier. And then to me, everyone else (4-10) is in their own tier, which should make for a complete sprint to the Elite 8 finish line.
And, at the 11th hour, a new team joined the top 10.
Let's dive in.
1. Salisbury (22-3-2)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Andrew Will
Remaining games: Hotchkiss (twice) and DeerfieldÂ
After watching Salisbury crush then-No. 5 Avon Old Farms, 6-0, I have a tough time not deeming Salisbury the No. 1 team. Along with that win, the Crimson Knights took down Brunswick, 6-0, and Trinity-Pawling, 11-3. Last year's Salisbury team struggled to score; it's safe to say this team doesn't have that problem. So many different players are stepping up. Junior forwards Landon Klein and Sebastian Ball both had two-goal games against Brunswick, while senior forward Luke Walkauskas and senior defender Zach Gill had four-point days against Trinity-Pawling. And against Avon, junior forward Greyson Espenshade had a hat trick.
Salisbury is No. 1 in both JSPR and projected JSPR.
2. Dexter Southfield (21-2-4)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Danny Donato
Remaining games: Holderness and BrunswickÂ
The margin between Salisbury and Dexter is razor-thin. They're clearly the Tier 1 teams in prep. Dexter had a solid week, taking down St. Paul's, 9-3, before tying Winchendon, 3-3. On Saturday, Dexter beat Kents Hill, 6-0. Senior forward Nick D'Olympio (Rockland, Mass.) had a great night against St. Paul's, a team in the Elite 8 race, with two goals and three helpers. Dexter mostly outplayed Winchendon in the tie before junior forward Noah Survilas (Winthrop, Mass.) had two goals and an assist to beat Kents Hill.
Dexter is No. 2 in both JSPR and projected JSPR.
3. St. Mark's (22-3-0)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Carl Corazzini
Remaining games: St. George's, BB&N and GrotonÂ
St. Mark's is safely the No. 3 team in the region. The Lions had a pair of low-scoring wins this week, taking down Rivers, 3-2, and Lawrence Academy, 2-1. Senior forward Evan Nee (Arlington, Mass.) had a goal and two helpers, and sophomore goalie Aaron Alves-Thomas (Uxbridge, Mass.) made 20 saves to beat Rivers. In the win over Lawrence, sophomore goalie Julian Herrara (Providence, R.I.) went head-to-head with goalie Aiden Emerick (42 saves on 44 shots) and made 25 stops.
St. Mark's is No. 3 in JSPR and No. 6 in projected JSPR.
READ MORE:Â Top boys prep performers from Feb. 11-17
4. Kimball Union (24-7-1)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Tim Whitehead
Remaining games: Lakes Region tournamentÂ
While Kimball Union fell to then-No. 10 Cushing, 4-0, on Saturday, the Wildcats did take down Proctor, 7-1. But with the way teams have been in the middle of the top 10, I still think KUA is the No. 4 team in the region. With forwards like Josh Phillips, Jackson Kimelman, Conal Mulkerrin (Hingham, Mass.) and Xander Boutilier, along with depth on defense with Lucas Hannay, Anthony Leech and Nasean Faria, I have a tough time ranking the Wildcats outside the top four.
Kimball Union is No. 7 in JSPR and projected JSPR.
5. St. Sebastian's (17-7-0)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Sean McCann
Remaining games: Lawrence Academy and ThayerÂ
Give St. Sebastian's all the credit. The Arrows weren't even in my Next 15 rankings to begin the winter, and here they are at No. 5 entering the final week of the regular season. St. Sebastian's took down Tabor, 3-0, and Governor's Academy, 4-2, this past week. Sophomore forward Cade Noonan (Needham, Mass.) scored twice, and junior goalie Tommy Saulnier (Medfield, Mass.) posted a 32-save shutout to beat Tabor. Sophomore forward Jack Queally registered three assists to beat Gov's.
St. Sebastian's is No. 8 in the JSPR, but an incredible No. 3 in projected JSPR.
6. Hotchkiss (14-4-4)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Mike Doyle
Remaining games: Salisbury (twice) and TaftÂ
Hotchkiss had a nice week, tying Kent, 3-3, before taking down Trinity-Pawling, 7-4. Senior forward Aidan Patton had two goals against Kent, and fellow senior forward Jake Doherty had a goal and two assists in the win over Trinity-Pawling. Hotchkiss' fate — Elite 8 or Large School — will come down to its two-game set with Salisbury this week. JSPR projects Hotchkiss to lose both (and beat Taft), so while Hotchkiss is No. 6 in JSPR, it's No. 10 in projected JSPR.
7. Tabor (18-6-0)
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Gerry Dineen
Remaining games: Belmont Hill, Lawrence AcademyÂ
While Tabor fell to then-No. 9 St. Sebastian's, 3-0, the Seawolves rebounded with a 5-2 win over St. George's and a 3-1 victory at Thayer. Junior forwards Ares Miller and Ethan Travis (Narragansett, R.I.) each had two goals against the Dragons, while junior goalie Vinnie D'Urso (Andover, Mass.) had 32 saves to take down Thayer. Belmont Hill and Lawrence Academy won't be easy this week, but Tabor is still No. 5 in JSPR and projected JSPR.
READ MORE:Â What would a boys prep Olympics look like?
8. Winchendon (17-7-6)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Mike Busconi
Remaining games: Phillips Exeter and Mount St. CharlesÂ
It's remarkable what Winchendon has done in the second half. After not beating a team that wasn't Albany Academy until Jan. 7, the Wapitis have gone 15-2-1. This week, they beat then-No. 8 Holderness, 6-4, tied then-No. 1 Dexter, 3-3, and took down Berwick, 10-0. Senior forward Jackson Smail (Milton, Vt.) had two goals and two assists against Holderness, while junior goalie Mackinley Dumais (Lunenburg, Mass.) made 43 saves to tie Dexter.
Winchendon is No. 11 in JSPR and No. 9 in projected JSPR.
9. Cushing (16-11-1)
Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Dan Fontas
Remaining games: New Hampton and Governor's AcademyÂ
Cushing continues to defy the odds. The Penguins lost to Phillips Andover, 1-0, on Wednesday, which is a game they were projected to win. They rebounded, however, by beating No. 4 Kimball Union, 4-0, on Saturday, which is a game they were not projected to win. Freshman goalie Mason Raycroft (Wellesley, Mass.) was outstanding in both games, making 23 saves against Andover before posting a 29-save shutout to take down the Wildcats.
While Cushing is currently No. 12 in JSPR, the Penguins are projected to be No. 8 in the JSPR. Yes, you read that right: Cushing, a team with 11 losses, is projected to be the final seed in the Elite 8.
READ MORE: The local ’10s with a shot at the U.S. NTDP
10. Avon Old Farms (14-7-1)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Mark Naclerio
Remaining games: Pomfret, Canterbury, Loomis Chaffee
Avon Old Farms is in the midst of a big slide. The Winged Beavers have lost six in a row, falling to Choate, 5-4, and Salisbury, 6-0, this week. But Avon's run before this losing streak — winning 14 of 16 — plus going 2-0-1 over the final three games is good enough to have them projected as the No. 4 seed in the Elite 8.
Dropped out:Â Holderness
In the hunt:Â Holderness, Canterbury, Belmont Hill
