Frederick Gunn opened last season hot out of the gate, winning its first four games. Then came a 7-3 loss to Kent and a tough performance at the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic and the season looked to be in a tailspin. Over the middle of the season, the Highlanders went 3-8-2 with a roster that wasn't short on talent.
They eventually righted the ship, as head coach Craig Badger's team finished strong, earning the No. 4 seed in the Small School Tournament. They even took down Groton, 3-1, in the quarterfinals before falling to Rivers, 5-0.
A good chunk of last season's team is gone, so Badger was busy bringing in new players from far and wide to make an impact. Those players are matched with the returners from last season.
Competition will be high for minutes.
"They embrace it," Badger said. "They embrace a new challenge with a new group of guys, and they buy into that competition, into the hard work. We haven't had any guys complain at all. It is what it is in today's world. This is where prep teams are in terms of numbers. There are some really positive things about those numbers. There are some things that are challenging about those numbers.
"I think this year, we have really, really good kids. As a group, they're already buying into it. They hang out together a lot. Our returning guys have done a really good job of welcoming the new guys."
What will be vital for Frederick Gunn is how the team comes to gel on the ice. These are mostly new players playing with each other for the first time.
On paper, however, the key word with this version of Frederick Gunn is depth.
"I think we can be really, really good," Badger said. "I think we're very deep."
The interesting word there is "can." This team can be really good. And if the Highlanders hit their stride, they will be dangerous.
A new-look offense
Last season, Frederick Gunn had senior Alex LoGuercio (Monroe, Conn.), who ranked inside the top five for goals (31) in New England. That high-end scoring is gone, as LoGuercio graduated and is with the Northern Cyclones in the NCDC.
"I don't think we have any one individual who will replace that," Badger said. "I think we're deeper in terms of production this year than we were last year."
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That starts with returning seniors Will Jackson and Billy Collins. Jackson posted 14 goals and 24 points last season, while Collins put up six and 22.
"They both had great years last year," Badger said of the duo. "They should produce even more I would hope."
Along with those two, Frederick Gunn returns seniors Ian Kuisis, Corbin Carkner and Isaac Truman. The Highlanders also have junior Tucker Mears, who will be one of the captains.
Even with those six returning, Badger has eight incoming forwards. It starts with '05 Travis Rugg, who will be a postgrad. He enters Frederick Gunn after a standout career with Hingham (Mass.) High.
"He has the age and strength," Badger said. "He plays hard and we expect him to be a good F1 for us."
An array of '06s also enter the fray. Tyler Kelly is one. He spent two seasons with Thayer from 2021-23 and followed it up with a season at Bishop Kearney Selects 18U. Then there is also Matt Nacinovich who was a standout with Chatham (N.J.) High and the New Jersey Hitmen last season.
"They're both skilled guys that we expect to come in and put up some points," Badger said of those two.
Ryan Tartaglione and Billy Mascari (New Haven, Conn.) are two '07s coming in. Tartaglione played for Morristown-Beard (N.J.) School and the New Jersey Junior Titans last season, while Mascari was with South Kent's 16U team.
Frederick Gunn also has an influx of '08s. It starts with Broden Scissors. From Los Angeles, Calif., he played with the Buffalo Junior Sabres' 15O team last season. He stands at 5-foot-11 and 179 pounds. He's been playing with the Yale Junior Bulldogs' 16U team this fall.
"He's a big kid," Badger said. "He'll be able to transition the quickest [among the '08s] because of his size and strength."
Patrick Cerullo, who was a teammate of Scissors with the Junior Sabres, enters Frederick Gunn this season, too.
The final '08 is Christian Luo, who posted 24 goals and 44 points in 15 games for Berks Catholic (Penn.) High last season. He also played for the Valley Forge Minutemen.
"Instead of having guys rely on one guy to get that done, I think we've got a lot of guys who can produce," Badger said. "I think we should have four lines that can roll and all chip in production-wise."
Replacing Luke Calabria on defense
Last season, Calabria was one of the best defensemen in prep. He was dynamic, effective in all three zones and posted seven goals and 29 points, which was second-most on the team.
The '05 Colgate commit opted to forego his senior year, going to the Okotoks Oilers in the BCHL. Frederick Gunn also lost Jake Johner and his 24 points from last season due to graduation.
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Returning players will be seniors Braden O'Neill, Jake Pellicane, Talen McBride and Andrei Dubchak. All are '06s and will look for elevated roles this winter.
And, like on offense, Badger has a slew of players coming in to fight for spots on defense.
It starts with Blake McBride, an '06, who posted six points for Tilton last season. The 5-foot-10, 174-pound defender is from Broomfield, Colo.
Then come four '07s. Chris Paolone is one; he played for Mount St. Charles' 16U team last season, notching 12 points in 53 games. He has intriguing size, weighing in at 6-foot-1 and 176 pounds. Dylan Hall (Glastonbury, Conn.) also played locally last year, but with the Boston Junior Bruins. He's 6-foot-3 and 174 pounds.
Badger also brought in two players from outside the region. One is Kyle Secko. The Mississauga, Ontario native played for the Toronto Junior Canadiens' 18U team last season. The other is Tyler Clouthier (Hooksett, N.H.), who played for the Twin City Ice Mavericks' 16U squad last season and also saw some time in the USPHL with the Atlanta Mad Hatters.
"Those four new juniors should all play a good role," Badger said. "I'm excited about them only being juniors and taking the leadership on next year."
The outlook in net
Mitchell McCusker was between the pipes for almost every single minute last season. The then-senior posted a 2.94 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. He graduated in the spring.
So far, McCusker has been a success in the NAHL with the Kenai River Brown Bears. Through 10 games, he has a 2.77 GAA and a .914 save percentage. He was the NAHL's Midwest Division Star of the Week in early October.
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"We always knew that he was really good," Badger said. "He's playing really well out there to start."
To try and replace McCusker's stability, Badger has two '07s entering.
The first is Logan Heideman. The Eganville, Ontario native was a standout for Boston Hockey Academy's 16U team last year, posting a 2.40 GAA and a .927 save percentage. He stands at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds.
The other is Alfie Blakeley, who is from Nottingham Great Britain. He's been playing in the United States since 2022-23 when he joined the Islanders Hockey Club. He played 32 games last season for the Islanders' 16U team, finishing with a 2.64 GAA. He is also 6-foot-1 but is 185 pounds. Frederick Gunn also has Collin Logan (Holliston, Mass.), a senior, returning in net.
"I really like the guys that we brought in," Badger said of his netminders. "They could be really good."
