Tournaments like the Flood-Marr and Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic get a lot of attention for boys prep hockey holiday tournaments.
But the Groton/Lawrence Holiday Tournament boasts an impressive array of teams — especially this year.
Cushing won the event last season and is the best team heading into Thursday. But several other teams are legitimate threats to the Penguins' crown.
Here's the breakdown by division:
Jonathan Choate division: Dexter Southfield, Groton, Proctor, Thayer
Robert Kullen division: Cushing, Holderness, Lawrence Academy, Pomfret
Here's the full schedule:
Thursday, Dec. 14Â
- Game 1: Proctor vs. Groton, 4:30 p.m., at Groton (O’Brien Rink)
- Game 2: Pomfret vs. Holderness, 5:30 p.m., at Groton (Pratt Rink)
- Game 3: Thayer vs. Dexter, 6:30 p.m., at Groton (O’Brien Rink)
- Game 4: Cushing vs. Lawrence, 8 p.m., at Lawrence (Grant Rink)
Friday, Dec. 15Â
- Game 5: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 3, 2 p.m., at Groton (O’Brien Rink)
- Game 6: Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 4, 3 p.m., at Lawrence (Grant Rink)
- Game 7: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 3, 4 p.m., at Groton (O’Brien Rink)
- Game 8: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 4, 5 p.m., at Lawrence (Grant Rink)
Saturday, Dec. 16Â
- Seventh place game: Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6, 8:30 a.m., at Lawrence (Grant Rink)
- Fifth place game: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, 9 a.m., at Groton (O’Brien Rink)
- Third place game: Loser of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8, 10:30 a.m., at Lawrence (Grant Rink)
- Championship: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, 11 a.m., at Groton (O’Brien Rink)
As mentioned above, the competition will be high in this tournament. Let's take a look at the eight teams looking to spark strong seasons once they return from the holiday break.
Cushing
The Penguins started last season 2-0-3 en route to coming oh-so-close to winning the Elite 8. With a relatively new cast, head coach Paul Pearl's team is 5-0-0 to open this winter. That's in large part due to two returning players up front: Emerson Marshall (Gloucester, Mass.) and AJ Sacco (Middleton, Mass.). Marshall leads the team in goals (6) and points (11), while Sacco has three goals and eight points. Newcomers like postgraduates Josh Iby (Munson, Mass.), Bronson Hunt and Tanner Hunt have been key cogs up front, all amassing over a point per game. Kole Hyles (Newfields, N.H.), a UNH commit, has four goals and six points.
Cushing may have the best defensive core and goalie in prep. Senior Troy Maldonado has six assists in four games, while junior Ryland Randle has scored twice and carries four points. Senior Owen Tatro also has two goals, while junior Tyler Russo, a Minnesota State commit, has been strong on the back end.
Senior Marko Bilic carries a mind-blowing 0.25 goals-against average and a .988 save percentage.
Dexter Southfield
Head coach Danny Donato's team lost many important players from last year's team, but that hasn't stopped them this season, as Dexter won four of its first five games, with the lone loss coming to Cushing.
The last-minute return of Cullen Emery (Reading, Mass.) stabilized the offense, as the senior has four goals and seven points. Fellow senior Henry Butte (Belmont, Mass.) has four goals and five points and sophomore Jake Assad (Franklin, Mass.) has been vital, scoring two goals and five points. Newcomers Tyler Hamilton and Joe Marchi have fit right in, posting four points each.
But one of the most pleasant surprises has been Noah Survilas (Winthrop, Mass.), a freshman '08, stepping in with three goals and six points in his first five games.
A mix of older players like seniors Liam O'Keeffe (Boston, Mass.) and Carson Nickulas (Barnstable, Mass.) have been impactful along with freshmen like Tayvin Frongello (Hull, Mass.) and Myles Brosnan (Winchester, Mass.). Colin Davis (Canton, Mass.), a sophomore '06, has been steady in net with a 2.71 GAA and a .903 save percentage in his first five games.
Groton
Through its first four games, Groton is 1-1-2, showing it has improved off of last season's 6-14-5 finish. A 5-1 win over Roxbury Latin and a 2-2 tie with Rivers have been the most impressive performances.
Senior Allen Fang, an '06, is still the leader up front, with one goal and five points in four games. Seniors Will Koukopoulos, Devin Fitzgerald (Woburn, Mass.) and Ryder Cavanaugh (Scituate, Mass.) have been important up front, too.
Sophomore Alejandro Hassan has been the Zebras' best defender, posting two goals and four points in four games. Sophomores Elliot Wood (Auburndale, Mass.) and Connor Wig (Holliston, Mass.), as well as senior Christian Armaly have also had large impacts on the back end.
Groton's biggest strength is senior Ethan Ramonetti in net. The '06 has a 2.40 GAA and .917 save percentage. If Groton is to make an impact in its own tournament, Ramonetti will need to be outstanding.
Holderness
Holderness opened the season as a top-10 team and won its first five games. That included wins over Hebron, Pingree, Brewster Academy, Tilton and Vermont Academy. Holderness outscored its opponents 43-7. Head coach Alan Thompson's team's first big test will come in this tournament.
The numbers on offense are as gaudy as you think they'd be. Senior Aaron VanWie, an '06, has eight goals and 14 points, leading the region. Postgrad Pavit Mehra (Hopkinton, Mass.) posted five goals and 13 points in his first five games. Ten players are averaging over a point per game. Six — yes, six — are averaging two or more.
Defensively, Caeden Herrington (Manchester, Vt.) is top dog with one goal and 12 points. He's a Vermont commit and a legitimate NHL Draft prospect. A good showing at this tournament will elevate his draft stock.
Senior Ryan Nolan (Hampton, N.H.) has been the go-to in net with a 1.40 GAA and a .936 save percentage.
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Lawrence Academy
Lawrence Academy is one of the few teams that could have what it takes to knock off Cushing. Head coach Robbie Barker's team won three straight games to open the season, taking down Choate, Tabor and Milton Academy, before falling to Belmont Hill, 5-1, on Saturday.
The Spartans have a strong forward core of seniors Owen Leahy (Providence, R.I.), Brendan Hirsch (Arlington, Mass.) and Spencer Hirsch, and juniors Laz Giardina (Reading, Mass.) and Ty Wood (Gloucester, Mass.). Since coming over from Reading High, Giardina has been impressive, scoring three goals and totaling five points in his first four prep school games.
On the back end, junior Aiden MacIsaac (Andover, Mass.) has one goal and three points, while senior Shawn Leary (Dorchester, Mass.) has two assists. Goalie Kolin Belliveau (Andover, Mass.), a junior, has a 0.71 GAA and a .974 save percentage.
Pomfret
It's been an up-and-down start for Pomfret this season. Head coach Matt Goethals' team opened with losses to Nobles and Andover, but rebounded with a win over Albany Academy. Then came a 4-3 loss to Loomis Chaffee and a 5-3 victory over Pingree.
Junior forwards Luke Corrigan (Hudson, Mass.) and Matthew Itzkovitz have been the leaders up front. Corrigan has a team-best seven points, while Itzkovitz leads the squad in goals with six. Postgrad Drew Fecteau (Arlington, Mass.), seniors Jessie Heinberg and Louie Marcellino, and junior Ethan Chiweshe (Stamford, Conn.) have been impactful forwards as well.
On defense, senior Isaac Rice, junior Cole Leblanc (Burrillville, R.I.) and sophomores Sean Farrell (Burrillville, R.I.) and Ian Sherman (Brooklyn, Conn.) all have points to their names. Seniors Zach Bloxam and Beau Johnson (New Canaan, Conn.) have seen the majority of time in net.
Proctor
Proctor is off to a 1-4-0 start, losing its first four games to Governor's Academy, Albany Academy, Phillips Andover and Kimball Union. On the bright side, head coach Mike Walsh's team is fresh off an 8-2 win over St. Paul's. Proctor faces Vermont Academy on Monday before gearing up for the Groton/Lawrence Holiday Tournament.
Offensively, seniors Finn Connor (Hampton, N.H.) and Tyler Gwatkin (Lyndonville, Vt.), and juniors Ryan McInnis (Bridgwater, Mass.) and Beckett Homlish have found ways to produce. Junior defenseman Kevin Delaney, an '06, has been a bright spot, scoring two goals and totaling four points in five games. Senior Max O'Connell (Norwell, N.H.) and sophomore Charlie O'Connell (Norwell, Mass.) have both been impactful on the back end.
Senior Caden Pasqualone is the go-to option in net, posting a 3.36 GAA and a .910 save percentage.
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Thayer
Head coach David Hymovitz's team is one of the more interesting in prep. The Tigers opened with a win over St. George's, but then fell to Governor's Academy and Phillips Andover. They followed that up with a win against Winchendon and a loss to Rivers.
It's not a surprise that juniors Brady Kudrick (Braintree, Mass.) and Tommy Anderson (Braintree, Mass.) are the leading point-getters. Kudrick, who has an outstanding shot, leads the team in goals with five, while Anderson's six helpers are first on his squad. Senior Josh Halliday and junior Mason Shea have also been key on the offense.
Michael Federico (Hanover, Mass.), a longtime standout '08, is having a strong freshman season with two goals and four points in five games.
Seniors Brady Erickson (Marshfield, Mass.) and Vinny Sica (Canton, Mass.), along with juniors Blake Stuzynski (Bedford, Mass.) and Peter Luecke (South Boston, Mass.) form a strong back end. Sophomores Tyler Moschella (Braintree, Mass.) and Quinn Devin have both seen time in net.
