A trio of Lakes Region teams qualified for the NEPSAC playoffs the last time they were held in March 2020.
Kimball Union appeared in the Elite 8 for the sixth straight campaign, while New Hampton and Tilton qualified for the Piatelli/Simmons. For KUA, it marked the first time since 2016 that the school fell short of reaching the title game.
While none of those teams walked away with a championship, all three of them, and the five others that failed to qualify, once again enter a new season with the goal of bringing home a piece of hardware.
Unlike the other prep leagues in the region, the Lakes Region actually played some semblance of a 'normal' season last year, with as many as 13 games for some schools and as few as six for others. Under new leadership after the departure of previous head coach Daniel Allen, Vermont Academy was the only school that did not play any games.
With things on track to return to normal for 2021-22, KUA has emerged as the early frontrunner again.
Due to the school's rural New Hampshire location, the Wildcats were in the classroom, in the gym, and on the ice for the entirety of the 2020-21 school year, in addition to the partial league slate.
"The development throughout the course of the year was quite significant so we feel very fortunate," KUA head coach Tim Whitehead said. "But, we missed the games so we're excited to get back after it with our normal slate and keep developing at the same time."
New Hampton, which saw the most action (13 games) during the Covid-impacted season, is one of the teams that will look to keep KUA at bay.
“I’m really interested to see how we do this year,” Huskies head coach Connor Gorman said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who want to move on to the next level and I tell them all the time: 'Talk is cheap. We have got to put that work in and it starts in the fall.'"
Tilton, the reigning conference champion from two seasons ago, is another program that hopes to be vying for the league's No. 1 spot.
“The Lakes Region is always tough with good playoff-bound teams,” Rams head coach Brooks McQuade said. “We will come to play every night. Consistency, discipline and buy-in will be critical.”
In addition to those top three, at the start of the season, Holderness and St. Paul's are the other teams that look to jockey for position atop of the standings.
"Each team has 10 really strong players,” Holderness head coach Alan Thompson said. “Every night the top-ranked team could lose to the bottom-ranked team so it’s a fun conference to be a part of.”
At the start, Proctor, Brewster and Vermont Academy look to play the role of spoiler and get better as the year wears on.
"We have a great group with a lot of players ready to prove something," first-year VA Wildcats head coach Brian Allen said. "A large number of our returners are students who came last year and did not have the opportunity to compete in Lakes Region play. I think we will be competitive and will surprise some teams."
Here’s how each team from the Lakes Region is shaping up for the 2021-22 campaign.
Brewster
Coach: Mike Doyle
2019-20 record: 4-24-2
Players to watch: Christian Palm, F; Jackson Matthews, F; Tyler Diburro, D; Patrick Green, G
Outlook: Although only two players remain from the Bobcats of 2019-20, expectations are high for the Lakes Region school that won four games two seasons ago. With 24 players on the roster, it will be their largest group in a long time. With more depth than the previous seasons, the team aims to climb the ladder as the year progresses and secure a bid to the Small School tournament in March.
Holderness
Coach: Alan Thompson
2019-20 record: 13-14-1
Players to watch: Cooper Boulanger, F; Nick Messina, F; Sean Senier, F; David Brandes, D; Jack Hutchins, D; Jared Shimelman, D
Outlook: The Bulls hope to get some good scoring up front from the trio of Boulanger, Messina and Senier. Built from the net out, two returning goalies and a good mix of new and veteran blueliners look to add stout defensive play. After a .500 record two seasons ago, Thompson’s club hopes to finish in the top-four of the league and ultimately secure a spot in the Piatelli/Simmons bracket by the season's end/
Kimball Union
Coach: Tim Whitehead
2019-20 record: 25-8-2
Players to watch: Matthew Maltais, F (Omaha); Tyler Wishart, F (Cornell); Jaiden Moriello, F; Jackson Kyrkostas, F; Duncan Ramsey, D (UVM); Kareem Alazem, D (RPI); Conner Chalmers, D; Bobby May, D; Daniel Heroux, G (UVM); Charlie Schenkel, G
Outlook: After winning three-straight Elite 8 championships from 2017-19, the Wildcats qualified for the tournament once again in 2020 but fell short of the ultimate prize. They stayed productive during last year's Covid campaign and are once again reloaded with talent heading into a new campaign. A strong defensive group will be headlined by Ramsay, while a number of forwards, led by senior captain Jaiden Moriello and Nebraska-Omaha commit Matthew Maltais, will lead the scoring. Having a tandem of capable goalies only furthers the status of Tim Whitehead's team as a preseason favorite in not only the Lakes Region, but NEPSAC hockey as a whole.
New Hampton
Coach: Connor Gorman
2019-20 record: 21-10-4
Players to watch: Trevor Castino, F; Alex Lobdell, F; Matthew Babineau, F; Nate Novitsky, D; Josh Sacco, D; Colin Androlewicz, G
Outlook: The Huskies made the most of the Covid-shortened season by playing 13 games, the most of any team in the league. With all players returning, minus the graduates, the team that qualified for the Small School tournament two seasons ago looks to build on its productive 2020-21 campaign under Gorman. Led by a heavy senior class, Castino and Lobdell will look to spearhead the scoring charge, while Novitsky and Androlewicz will lead the unit in the defensive end.
Proctor
Coach: Michael Walsh
2019-20 record: 15-11-2
Players to watch: Jack Robinson, F; Nolan Davis, F; Nick Marroco, F; Jack Fickenshire, F; Max O'Connell, D; Caden Pasqualone, G
Outlook: With only four seniors, the Hornets will be a very young team. As a result, they will look to those who are returning to take a step forward and aid the newcomers who are entering the fold. After losing their top-6 forwards to graduation, however, contributions from those newcomers will be important as well, as Proctor looks to be an uptempo offensive team that scores goals.
St. Paul’s
Coach: Daniel Murphy
2019-20 record: 12-15-0
Players to watch: Sam Sibold, F (Babson); Josh Halliday, F; JT Halliday, F; Jake Sullivan, D (Bowdoin); Caid Cox, D; Callum Welch, G
Outlook: After going a perfect 6-0 in the Covid-shortened season, the Pelicans lost 10 players, including six seniors, from last year’s squad. The most notable of which was ‘03 Dartmouth commit and 2021 NHL draft pick, Cooper Flinton, who would have been a senior. With a sizable cast of newcomers, SPS will look to its returners to lead the way and set the foundation for a team that expects to thrive on grit, hard work and discipline to find success.
Tilton
Coach: Brooks McQuade
2019-20 record: 16-6-5
Players to watch: Matt Beraldi, F; Leo Piandes, F; Noah Leithman, D; Liam Scanlon, D; Ryan Melia, G
Outlook: The reigning league champion from two seasons ago, Tilton played 12 games in 2020-21. Along with KUA and the NHS, the Rams, bolstered by a strong senior class at both ends of the ice, look to jockey for position atop the league standings. Consistency, discipline, and buy-in will be critical to their success, McQuade said, as the team looks to secure a 2022 Small School tournament bid.
Vermont Academy
Coach: Brian Allen
2019-20 record: 3-19-0
Players to watch: Liam Lucas, F; Josh Swan, F; Jake Burgess, D; Jordan Bernstein, D
Outlook: With two post-graduates, nine seniors and nine juniors, the Wildcats are the oldest team in the league. Under the direction of new coach Brian Allen, they look to surprise some teams and improve as the season wears on. Behind the key returners, post-graduate goaltenders Aidan Healey and Tommy Martin will compete for minutes in net, following the graduation of (now USHL) goalie Mason Kucenski.
This article appears in the November/December print edition of New England Hockey Journal.
