With the 2018-19 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association high school hockey season over, it’s time to look at the top 100 players in the Bay State circuit.
New England Hockey Journal will unveil the top 100 players who played high school hockey this winter. Yesterday, we released the top 13 freshmen. Today, we move onto the top 32 sophomores.
Over the course of the three-month season, there were many sophomores stood out as being a cut above the rest. An interesting trend in this year’s top sophomores is the fact that there were three sets of twins on our list.
Each winter, young players across the state of Massachusetts showcase their skill on the ice. This season was no different as many sophomores played key roles for some top teams.
Sophomores
1. Joseph Kramer
BC High, 8/8/02, RW, Right Shot, 5-10/145
Kramer skates well, plays the game with an edge, and has good vision. He scored 15 goals and 15 assists for John Flaherty’s Eagles as the team won their second straight Super 8 championship.
2. Peter Kramer
BC High, 8/8/02, LW, Left Shot, 5-11/155
Like his twin brother, Peter skates well, hunts pucks, and plays with an edge. He put up 13 goals and 19 assists on the season while skating alongside Joseph and older brother Thomas, a senior.
3. Matt Copponi
Mansfield, 6/4/03, C, Right Shot, 5-10/140
Copponi really burst onto the scene this fall while playing for the Neponset Valley River Rats 15 Pure team. He continued his solid play throughout the winter, putting up huge numbers for the Hornets. He’s able to hunt pucks and find open teammates.
4. Brandon Spaulding
Pope Francis, 8/8/03, C/LW, Left Shot, 5-10/155
Spaulding played second line center or left wing, which kept his numbers down. However, he was good for the Cardinals in a secondary scoring role. He has a good shot. He scored a beauty of a snipe coming down the left wing in a Super 8 game. He was the best player for the Springfield Rifles 15 Pure team during the fall.
5. Cam Sullivan
Westboro, 2/22/03, C, Left Shot, 5-11/135
Sullivan first caught the attention of several observers at last summer’s Mass. Final 40 before shining at the Mass HS Hockey Showcase. He skates well, sees the ice and has some good puck skills. He’s a player that will make the jump to prep hockey and could contribute as a top six forward down the road.
6. Luke Sullivan
Westboro, 2/22/03, D, Left Shot, 6-1/155
Luke is Cam’s twin brother and patrols the blue line for the Rangers. He has good vision and puck skills. In a game against Grafton, he was lights out while moving pucks north and quarterbacking a power play. He’ll make the transition to prep hockey with ease.
7. Robbie Barletta
Xaverian, 11/16/02, C, Left Shot, 5-8/150
Barletta centered the second line for the Hawks as the team enjoyed its best season in a long time, perhaps ever. He can score, but he’s also a good 200-foot player at this level. Due to his time with the River Rats and at other big events, he knows how to play the game away from the puck.
8. Shane Lachance
Andover, 8/30/03, LW, Left Shot, 6-0/140
Lachance is a big winger who still has an awkward stride, but he has a good shot, knows where to go to find pucks, and has a solid base. He’s the son of former first round pick and current New Jersey Devils amateur scout Scott Lachance, who played at BU. His grandfather is legendary BU player and head coach Jack Parker.
9. Joe Solimine
Austin Prep, 3/3/02, C, Left Shot, 5-8/155
Solimine is a fast, gritty, and skilled center at the Mass. high school level. He put up solid numbers for the Cougars. He wasn’t always paired with power forward, senior right wing Max Pineo, so his numbers are legit.
10. John Logan
BC High, 5/3/03, D, Right Shot, 5-9/155
Logan sometimes was lost in the shuffle on the blue line as much of the attention was centered around freshmen Declan Loughnane and Chris Romaine. However, Logan skates well, sees the ice well, and put up decent numbers offensively.
11. Trevor O’Brien
Hingham, 4/29/02, C, Right Shot, 5-7/148
O’Brien had a couple of solid games in the Super 8 to follow up another great season with the Harbormen. He is more of a setup guy than a finisher, but he scores goals by going to the right areas like he did in the game against Pope Francis. He’s the younger brother of Providence freshman and Philadelphia Flyers first round pick Jay O’Brien.
12. Josh Milso
BC High, 4/23/02, D, Right Shot, 6-1/150
Milso provided some size and length on the blue line while playing alongside junior Michael Dragon for much of the year. He’s a solid player who would have been more of a centerpiece on most teams that weren’t as good and deep as BC High.
13. Jonathan Surrette
Woburn, 8/6/03, LW, Left Shot, 5-9/150
It was a second straight down year for the Tanners, but Surrette found the score sheet quite a bit for Jim Duran’s team that has to go up against the gauntlet of the Middlesex League night in and night out.
14. Brady Carpenter
St. Mary’s, 11/11/02, LW, Left Shot, 5-11/172
Carpenter found his way into more playing time as the season went along as he gained the trust of coach Mark Lee. He put up double digit goal scoring totals and was a key top six forward for the Spartans.
15. Colby Magliozzi
St. Mary’s, 9/16/02, C, Right Shot, 5-7/130
Magliozzi had six goals and ten assists for the Spartans as the team earned a play-in game invite for the Super 8 before moving onto the Division 1 North Tournament.
16. Nick Ramm
Westboro, 4/27/03, RW, Right Shot, 5-10/160
Ramm is a goal scorer at the Division 3 level. He can use his size to find seams and go to the dirty areas to unleash his heavy shot.
17. Tyler Ramm
Westboro, 4/27/03, LW, Left Shot, 6-0/190
Tyler is the twin brother of Nick Ramm and plays a more physical, heavy game. He’s the one banging bodies in the corners and below the goal line to get pucks out front.
18. William O’Keefe
Tewksbury, 2/22/03, LW, Left Shot, 5-9/145
O’Keefe was a player who stuck out a few times during Tewksbury’s post-season run to the TD Garden. He was the undisputed scoring catalyst for the Redmen, notching 23 goals and adding 11 helpers.
19. Zach McKenelley
St. John’s Prep, 1/1/03, RW, Right Shot, 6-1/185
McKennelley is a smart, two-way forward who plays top six minutes for Kristian Hanson’s Eagles. He’s definitely a player to watch over the coming years.
20. Jackson Stazinski
Bedford, 1/1/03, D, Right Shot
Stazinski was one of the best puck-moving defensemen in Division 3 this winter. A little on the smaller side, he sees the ice well and can make plays. He’s a player to keep an eye on as he moves onto prep school.
21. Charlie Miele
Reading, 12/13/02, D, Left Shot, 5-10/165
Miele is a throwback. He’s not afraid to play the body in the defensive zone and he’s a rugged defender for Mark Doherty’s Rockets.
22. Hunter Balducci
Framingham, 9/12/02, LW, Left Shot, 5-9/150
Balducci was tied for third in goal scoring on the Flyers as the team advanced to the Super 8 under the leadership of head coach Will Ortiz, a former collegiate player at UMass.
23. Charlie Haggerty
Melrose, 1/1/03, C, Left Shot, 5-10/145
Haggerty is still a little raw, but he’s a smart, two-way player who sees the ice well. He can make plays and he should get better as he fills out physically. He’s the grandson of legendary UNH player and coach Dick Umile.
24. Stone Devlin
Falmouth, 1/1/03, C, Left Shot, 5-10/140
Devlin put up 17 goals and 12 assists for the Clippers as the team advanced to the Division 1 South Tournament before being knocked out by Franklin.
25. Tommy Rooney
Catholic Memorial, 5/22/02, LW, Left Shot, 5-9/145
Rooney, the son of coach Larry Rooney, had seven goals and ten assists. CM advanced to the to the Division 1 South Semifinals before bowing out to Franklin. It was a nice turnaround season for a program that has suffered through some down years.
26. Will MacNeil
Catholic Memorial, 1/10/02, RW, Right Shot, 5-10/175
MacNeil was the second leading scorer on the Knights with eight goals and ten assists.
27. Logan Campbell
Masconomet, 9/30/02, F, Right Shot, 5-10/130
Campbell finished second on the Chieftans in scoring, only in back of Cape Ann League MVP Andrew Gotts. Campbell racked up 16 goals and 14 assists for a Masco team that defeated some Division 1 teams during the regular season. The year came to an unexpected end when they were upset by Triton in Division 2 North Quarterfinals.
28. Brendan Fennell
Melrose, 1/1/02, LW, Left Shot, 5-11/185
Fennell’s skating needs to improve, but he can really rip it and he’s heavy on pucks. He was a key contributor for Vin Mirasaolo’s Raiders.
29. Paul Terry
BC High, 8/20/02, D, Left Shot, 5-8/140
Terry was paired with Loughnane for a lot of the stretch run which helped his numbers, but he’s a solid player in his own right, especially for the MIAA level. He had two goals and five assists.
30. Joe Leblanc
Franklin, 2/4/03, D, Right Shot, 6-0/175
Leblanc logged solid minutes for the Panthers as they made another deep run into the Division 1 South Tournament. He played for the Neponset Valley River Rats’ second team during the fall.
31. Ben Sarantopoulos
Catholic Memorial, 6/10/03, RW, Right Shot
Sarantopoulos had five goals and four assists for the Knights while playing third line minutes in most games this observer saw.
32. Conor Kelly
Archbishop Williams, F
Kelly was a double digit goal scorer for the Bishops, who made the MIAA Tournament before losing in the first round to Catholic Memorial.
