Dexter Southfield was on the cover of our preseason magazine last year. Dexter was consistently one of the best teams in New England boys prep hockey throughout the winter, earning the No. 3 seed in the Elite 8 Tournament.
They came within a goal of winning the Elite 8 title, falling to Cushing, 4-3, at UConn.
Dexter was stacked last year. And despite losing their top two scorers and starting goalie, the same can be said for this season.
For the second season in a row, head coach Danny Donato's team doesn't have any holes. The sky might be the limit. But it's up to them to make up for last season's loss.
Firepower up front
Rian Chudzinski (Needham, Mass.) broke out last winter. In his first season for Dexter Southfield, the junior put up 26 goals and 52 points, and was a monster in the Elite 8 Tournament. It wasn't a shock that the Boston University commit jumped from prep to the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats.
Dexter also lost high-end seniors like Sean Leetch (Boston, Mass.) and Nate Porter (Hingham, Mass.), who combined for 71 points last season.
Most teams would have question marks after those losses. Dexter, however, will be fine.
"The first through fourth line will be pretty hard to handle," Donato said.
That starts with the returning players. Noah Survilas certainly leads the charge. The Winthrop, Mass., native put up 40 points last season and committed to Northeastern on Aug. 1. Owen McHale (Charlestown, Mass.) is also back and committed to Northeastern on the same day. He has grown into a pest of a power forward.
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Dexter boasts a slew of impactful '07s. On the wings, right-shots Joe Marchi (Foxboro, Mass.) and Nick D'Olympio (Rockland, Mass.) can consistently create chances. Jack Fitzpatrick (Canton, Mass.) is 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds. The wing has interest from Ivies and some NESCAC schools. Jake Assad (Franklin, Mass.) will play a big role in the offense as well.
Donato's team was also fortunate to bring back Tyler Hamilton (Framingham, Mass.) as a postgrad. He had 16 points as a senior last season and recently committed to St. Lawrence for lacrosse.
"He brings a little bit of grit and sandpaper to the lineup," Donato said.
That's not where it ends. Dexter also brought in high-end forwards who will compete for spots in the top six. The first is J.P. Messuri, who starred at Arlington High (MIAA) for the last two seasons. He's 5-foot-5.
"He's like Dustin Pedroia to me," Donato said. "He's one of those kids that you watch and say, 'He's small, what can he do?' But the more you watch him, you're like 'Wow, is he really good.'"
Along with Messuri, Dexter also got Liam Guilderson from the MIAA. Guilderson was a high-end left wing with Belmont High last season. They were also fortunate to get Austin Wu from St. Sebastian's. The 2010-born player is with the Minuteman Flames this fall and was tied for the second-most points on the Arrows last season with 17.
A well-rounded D core
Dexter had one of the top defensemen in prep last winter, and he's back for another season.
Harvard commit Myles Brosnan (Winchester, Mass.) had 36 points as a sophomore '07 last winter. The 6-foot-1, 194-pound defender is a top NHL Draft prospect to watch in prep this winter, and has been playing some games with the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers.
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"If he's not the best," Donato said. "He's top three or top five."
Along with Brosnan, Dexter boasts another Division 1 commit on its back end: Kurt Beck. The Providence College commit arrived at Dexter with Messuri from Arlington High. The '09 is 6-foot-2 and 181 pounds with high-end upside.
Rounding out the core are '08s Matt Hines (Hingham, Mass.), Tayvin Frongello (Hull, Mass.) and Thomas Broderick (Norwood, Mass.). All are apt puck-movers; all will shoulder a lot of the load on defense.
In net, Colin Davis is gone. The junior '06 opted for the NAHL over playing his senior year at Dexter. Senior Kyle Ready (Pembroke, Mass.) is back after posting a 2.20 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage last season. He will get a shot at being the starter.
But so will newcomer Drew Karlovits. The '08 was outstanding for BC High last season. He won our MIAA Goalie of the Year award after posting an absurd 1.22 GAA and a .959 save percentage. He also tallied six shutouts.
Managing talent as the program grows
Max Prudovsky (Boston, Mass.) and Carter Watson (Brockton, Mass.) are two of the best 2011-born players in the United States. They are high-end forwards with high ceilings.
"They might make my team," Donato said. "They might beat someone out. Or if a couple guys don't dress every night."
Still, Dexter has so much talent all over the lineup that it can be challenging for young players to get a shot.
"You've just got to communicate hope that the kids stay," Donato said. "If they were juniors not making the team, then, wow, that's a problem. But these are freshmen."
It's no secret that players want to go to Dexter. They have the Brookline Whalers, which most of the varsity players suit up for to compete in fall hockey. They practice and work out multiple times per week at Dexter throughout the fall. The 16U team is the spot for younger players developing in the program.
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The schedule is beefed up this season, too. A two-game set with Shattuck-St. Mary's 18U team was added to the slate.
"Once people see our schedule this year and can be like, wait, they're playing Shattuck? They're playing the best team in the country," Donato said. "If I'm a good player around here, I want to do that."
