Mick Frechette spent the first two years of his prep hockey career at St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H. In addition to his time with the Pelicans in the NEPSAC Lakes Region, he and his older brother, Fitz, who spent three years at SPS, played split season with the Northern Cyclones.
This summer, ahead of their respective junior and senior years, the brothers from Weston, Mass., transferred to Dexter Southfield, the independent prep school in Brookline, Mass.
Before setting out on their new adventure, however, the duo is playing fall hockey with local split season teams. Mick, a late 2003 birth-year defenseman, is playing for the Boston Junior Eagles U-18, while Fitz, an ‘02 forward, has continued to play for the Cyclones on the U-19 team.
A 5-foot-11, 180-pound puck-moving defenseman, the younger Frechette’s aggressive, physical play stood out in NEHJ’s viewings at the recently concluded River Rats Jamboree and Easter Alliance Kickoff. The elder Frechette is off to a hot start with his fall team, too, potting seven goals for 17 points in his first seven games.
While the first official game of the winter season doesn't happen until November, the school year is underway at DXSF and head coach Dan Donato already likes what he sees out of the two-sport Frechette duo.
“They fit in really well at our school,” said Donato, entering his 13th year at the helm. “They just blend right in and they’re really good kids. You walk by them in the hallway and they've got a big smile and a ‘hello coach’ for you, so they’re really good kids. We’re really excited.”
Mick, who turns 18 at the end of October, said he and his brothers’ decision to transfer was influenced by a variety of factors, including the impact that COVID-19 had on St. Paul’s 2020-21 campaign. SPS, a boarding school, was on lockdown for most of the winter term and didn’t play many games. Dexter, on the other hand, a day-only school, was open year-round and played far more games than most.
With even the slightest possibility that St. Paul's would shut down again, the risk of missing out on another season was too high. So, the duo applied to Dexter in hopes of getting a full slate. Plus, with its reputation as one of the top programs in New England, the increased exposure was an added bonus.
Another factor in the brothers choosing Dexter was their father, Tim, who played at Williams College alongside Donato’s brother, Chris, from 1985-89. So, the connection was already there.
“Their dad was a very good player and a super competitive guy,” Donato said. “I think both Frechette boys that are here are very competitive kids and that really adds to our lineup. Losing a kid like Matt Copponi (Mansfield, Mass./Merrimack College) who competed as hard as he did, picking up the Frechette kids really, I think, fills a void that we needed to fill. They’ll add to that compete level of Grayson Badger (Hyde Park, Mass./U-18 South Shore Kings Prep/Northeastern) and kids like that.”
While it was difficult to leave their home for the past few years, it was in both of their best interests, the younger Frechette said.
“I grew really close with a lot of the guys up there,” Mick, 17, said. “A lot of them are still my closest friends to this day and I love Coach (Daniel) Murphy. He was great to me, he helped me a lot in a lot of ways, but those risks were tough to look past. We’re really excited about Dexter but I’ll always be grateful to Coach Murphy and St. Paul’s. I came in as a freshman not a lot of people had heard of and since then I’ve grown a lot. I owe a lot to him and the chance he took on me.”
Before arriving at SPS, the younger Frechette primarily played forward. He switched to defense prior to the start of his freshman year. In the two years since he’s worked hard to improve his play at a position that he's still relatively new to. “My biggest thing is learning to just make the simple play,” he said. “At times I like to branch out and go cross-ice and things like that but I'm still learning. There’s definitely a huge learning curve but I’ve enjoyed it.”
Switching positions is never easy, but it’s going well for him, he said, and he’s made considerable strides in the past two years. So much so, in fact, that he’s begun to garner Division 1 college interest.
With Dexter's captains’ practices now underway and fall hockey in full swing, the winter season is not far off. When it arrives, the Frechette brothers — Mick, in particular — will look to make their presence felt right out of the gate.
“The strengths of my game are my physicality and offensive instincts,” Frechette said. “Playing forward kind of gave me that so it's been helpful. I play really physical, I'm hard to play against and I move pucks up quick and follow them up the ice. I'm really looking forward to getting started at Dexter and all the opportunities and exposure it will bring. I'm excited for the future.”
In addition to the Frechette brothers, the other key newcomer at Dexter is right wing Cullen Emery (Reading, Mass.), who joins the prep ranks after a season apiece at Austin Prep and Reading High. He currently plays for the Eagles U-16.
“He’s super competitive, too,” Donato said of Emery. “So, we felt like we got good players but we also gained in the 'you better show up for practice and games' department. (In addition to what they bring on the ice) those guys are going to make our team better that way, too.”
