On Monday, I unveiled my preseason top 10 teams in boys prep hockey. That top 10 will change quite a bit throughout the season.
While those 10 teams enter as the favorites, the next 15 teams have nearly as good a case to be in there.
Looking back at last season's Next 15, Brunswick and Rivers were ranked No. 11 and 12 entering the season. Both finished in the Elite 8. St. Mark's was No. 15 and Deerfield was No. 18 — those schools finished as the top two in the Elite 8 come the tournament.
Things change — a lot.
Every one of these teams this year had a case for the Top 10. I expect many of the schools on this list to end up in my top 10 at some point.
Here are the next 15 teams after the top 10. I made sure to rank them, ensuring that I will receive endless praise at the end of the season when these all turn out to be right.
Let's dive in.
11. Winchendon
Head coach: Mike Busconi
2024-25 record: 15-15-1Â
Winchendon is deep up front with players like Merrimack commit Ben Short (Lunenburg, Mass.), Cornell commit Charlie Puglisi and Vermont commit Jackson Smail (Milton, Vt.). The Wapiti are old and deep on defense, and senior Brady Knode is one of the better goalies in prep. This is Bucsoni's third season, and it appears he has finally put them in a position to not only compete for a playoff spot but also to make a legitimate push for the Elite 8.
12. Belmont Hill
Head coach: Brian Phinney
2024-25 record: 22-7-3; lost to Westminster in semifinals of Large School tournamentÂ
Had David Bosco (Winchester, Mass.), Jake Tavares (Belmont, Mass.) and Brady Sloper (North Andover, Mass.) stuck around, Belmont Hill would be a top-five team. But all three opted for the USHL, leaving Belmont Hill to be young and unproven — at least to start. The Sextants, however, are fortunate to have a legit No. 1 center in Patrick Woods (Charlestown, Mass.), arguably the top defenseman in prep with Evan Jones (Arlington, Mass.) and senior goalie JJ Thibodeau (Waltham, Mass.), who has plenty of experience. Along with a young cupboard of exciting prospects, the sky is the limit for Belmont Hill.
READ MORE:Â 9 uncommitted 16U standouts from the Mass. State Tournament
13. Holderness
Head coach: Alan Thompson
2024-25 record: 22-7-1; lost to Berkshire in semifinals of Small School tournamentÂ
The Bulls lost much of their production from last season, but there's more than enough in place to still vie for the Elite 8. Henry Colbert, Viktor Samal and Jack Welby (Windham, N.H.) are a nice core up front, while Henry Prowse is a strong, No. 1 defenseman to build around. Having Mark Bierwirth (Chelmsford, Mass.) back as a senior gives the Bulls an advantage in net almost every game.
14. Thayer
Head coach: David Hymovitz
2024-25 record: 15-13-1; lost to Avon Old Farms in semifinals of Large School tournamentÂ
The Tigers have experience and talent on their side. Forwards like Michael Federico (Hanover, Mass.), Ty Hymovitz (Needham, Mass.) and Tommy Wilkinson (Duxbury, Mass.) should be counted on for primary offense, while Brooks transfer Nick Sumner (Hanover, N.H.) and Sean Sweeney (Hanson, Mass.) likely step up for high production, too. On defense, David O'Brien (Weymouth, Mass.) is a nice puck-moving add, while all eyes will be on NHL Draft prospect Brian McFadden (Holbrook, Mass.), who is due for a monster year. Tyler Moschella (Braintree, Mass.) and Quinn Devin (Norwell, Mass.) are both experienced enough to backstop Thayer on a deep run.
15. Milton Academy
Head coach: Jim Gaudet
2024-25 record: 10-17-1Â
I keep going back to this — when Milton was the No. 3 team in the Elite 8 in 2022-23, they were deep and old. This winter's Milton team is deep and old. The Mustangs don't have a bona fide star, but they have various players who can pitch in like forwards Brody Sharp (Wellesley, Mass.), Joe Feinberg (Needham, Mass.), Cooper Hosmer (Andover, Mass.), Cam Doull (Concord, Mass.) and Max Colosimo. Justin Garvey is entering only his second full season on defense, and Eli Zucker should be one of the better goalies in prep. The Mustangs also have exciting, high-end '10s in Blake Wilichoski (Danvers, Mass.) and TJ Petropoulos (Bridgewater, Mass.). I'm just sayin'...
READ MORE:Â 15 standout 14U prospects from the Mass. State Tournament
16. Williston Northampton
Head coach: Brandon Borges
2024-25 record: 10-16-1Â
The pieces are there for Williston to take the next big step in Borges' first year. With forwards like Brayden White (Wakefield, R.I.), Hayden Hunter, Cam Tabb (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Declan Grenache (Sutton, Mass.), scoring shouldn't be an issue. UMass commit Easton Anello (Windsor, Mass.) will lead the defense and is poised for a huge jump in points and impact. Kamden Jackson (Manchester, N.H.), at 6-foot-1, is a great get for Williston and should be a breakout goaltender in prep this winter.
17. Phillips Andover
Head coach: Paul Tortorella
2024-25 record: 20-9-3; won Large School championshipÂ
Andover lost many of its top players from last season's Large School champion, but the Big Blue are still to be circled on the schedule. Dartmouth commit Alex Theodore will be counted on quite a bit despite missing much of the fall with an injury. Other forwards like David O'Neill, Alex Small and Kieran McIntosh will be counted on to carry the load offensively, too. Andover returns a deep group of older defensemen to play in front of '07 Eddie Lord and Senji Kimura, a high-end '10, who will battle for the net.
18. St. George's
Head coach: Allie Skelley
2024-25 record: 16-12-2; lost to Kimball Union in semifinals of Small School tournamentÂ
Despite losing three high-end prep defensemen and its top scorer, St. George's actually might be better this year than last. The Dragons return forwards like Max Donatelli (Barrington, R.I.), Aiden Ferreira (Warwick, R.I.), Ryan Magaletta (Southboro, Mass.) and Ethan Goodrich (North Hampton, N.H.), who should provide most of the scoring. On defense, Payton Tracy has developed into a No. 1 in front of newcomer Alex Wang (Concord, Mass.), a high-end '09 in net. St. George's should be more structured, which should lead to more wins.
19. Tabor
Head coach: Gerald Dineen
2024-25 record: 13-13-1
Tabor should be a whole lot better this winter. The Seawolves boast Sacred Heart commit Ethan Travis (Narragansett, R.I.), who is in the upper echelon of forwards in prep. He had 39 points in his first prep season and should be due for another jump. Along with a solid core of forwards around him, Tabor's top four defensemen are all seniors. They will play in front of Vinnie D'Urso (Andover, Mass.), who had a 2.63 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage as a sophomore last season.
PREP PREVIEWS: Belmont Hill |  Milton | Tilton | Berkshire | Deerfield | St. George’s | Brunswick | Winchendon | Salisbury | Choate | Nobles | Kent | Holderness | Dexter Southfield
20. Taft
Head coach: Ryan Shannon
2024-25 record: 11-10-3Â
Taft looks poised for a big winter. A forward core that begins with Harvard commit JT Rothstein is a nice place to start. Forwards like Domenico Clarizio, Dylan Chery and Joe Gannon were fantastic for the Rhinos in C.E.M. fall league play. On defense, senior Brady Smith looks poised to lead a deep group, and Hunter Dryden (Fairfield, Conn.) and Charlie Rodrigue (Shelton, Conn.) should battle for the net. There's too much talent on this team not to at least make the playoffs.
21. Nobles
Head coach: Dan McGoff
2024-25 record: 18-8-1; lost to Deerfield in the quarterfinals of the Elite 8 tournamentÂ
The Bulldogs lost five of their top six scorers from last season. Fortunately for McGoff, who enters his first season as head coach, he gets Brown commit Billy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) back, who had 61 points last winter and should be a top player in prep. While there are questions up front, it's a deep, older group on defense in front of '09 Justin Lee (Wellesley, Mass.) in net, who is one of the top young netminders in prep.
22. Tilton
Head coach: Brooks McQuade
2024-25 record: 19-9-2; lost to St. George's in quarterfinals of Small School tournamentÂ
Tilton is always an older team, which is the case again this season. The Rams did lose quite a bit, but forwards Max Gagnon (Byfield, Mass.) and Air Force commit Ryan Shanahan will likely be the leaders up front. On defense, a core of Edward Hannan (Stratham, N.H.), Brady Guenther, Evan Gardner, Colin Reilly (Andover, Mass.), Michael Nerich (Lynn, Mass.) and Chris Marques (Lawrence, Mass.), plus Hunter Marshall (Seabrook, N.H.) in net, should be enough to keep opposing goals at a minimum.
23. Frederick Gunn
Head coach: Craig Badger
2024-25 record: 12-14-7; lost to Kimball Union in quarterfinals of Small School tournamentÂ
Frederick Gunn has a nice mix of older, experienced forwards like Ryan Tartaglione and Tucker Mears, as well as high-end younger players. Two '09 forwards that I expect a lot from are Troy Hamelin (Southwick, Mass.) and Alex Taylor. Both are highly skilled and should produce quite a bit this winter. A defensive core of Dylan Hall (Glastonbury, Conn.), Tyler Clouthier, Chris Paolone, Ryan Collins, Jack Giamou and Michael Block should do a good job defending in front of Alex Schnarr and Alex Saga — two goalies new to prep.
24. Phillips Exeter
Head coach: Sean O'Brien
2024-25 record: 13-16-1Â
O'Brien took over a team that should compete for the postseason. Noah Poinsett-Yoshida, an '07, is the highest returning scorer from last season and looks poised to take another big step this winter. This team is old, with 17 seniors, many of whom are on the back end. One of those seniors is also goalie Brendan Petraco, who had a strong 2.60 GAA and a .931 save percentage last winter. This team will go as far as Petraco takes it.
READ MORE: Check out who ranks No. 1 in our first rankings of the season
25. Lawrence Academy
Head coach: Robbie Barker
2024-25 record: 11-13-1
The Spartans' path to the postseason will lie on defense and in net. A core of Gavin Holland (Topsfield, Mass.), John Mara (Bedford, Mass.), Colby Mara (Bedford, Mass.) and Matas Janulis (Lincoln, Mass.)is a fantastic top four to put in front of '06 goalie Aiden Emerick (Winchester, Mass.). The ISL Keller division is wide open. The way to win might just be by limiting opposing offenses and keeping games low-scoring.
