The big dance has arrived — the Elite 8.
The biggest tournament in New England boys prep hockey gets underway on Wednesday with the quarterfinals. The semifinals are scheduled for Saturday, while a champion will be crowned at UConn on Sunday.
Dexter Southfield has been the most dominant team this winter, so it's fitting that the Shields finished with the No. 1 seed. St. Mark's has been right there, too, getting the No. 2 seed along with Salisbury, who finished at No. 3. St. Sebastian's has been a fantastic story, scoring the No. 4 seed and a home game in the quarterfinals.
But No. 5 Hotchkiss, No. 6 Kimball Union, No. 7 Belmont Hill and No. 8 Avon Old Farms all have upset potential.
As I've said in rankings throughout this season, there are some pretty clear favorites in the Elite 8. But that doesn't mean that lower seeds can't cause chaos and eventually win.
Let's dive into a team-by-team breakdown.
1. Dexter Southfield (19-1-5)
Record against Elite 8 teams: 1-0-0Â
Dexter's rough patch came early in the season at the Phillips Exeter Invitational, when it lost to Kent and tied Frederick Gunn. Since then, the Shields haven't lost in NEPSAC play, although they have three ties in their last six games.
Head coach Danny Donato's team boasts the deepest forward core in the region — and they come in waves. There are seniors like Nick D'Olympio (Rockland, Mass.), Owen McHale (Charlestown, Mass.), Jack Fitzpatrick (Canton, Mass.), Joe Marchi (Foxboro, Mass.), Jake Assad (Franklin, Mass.) and Tyler Hamilton (Framingham, Mass.). Juniors Noah Survilas (Winthrop, Mass.) and JP Messuri (Arlington, Mass.) have been huge, as has freshman phenom Max Prudovsky (Newton, Mass.).
But the team's leading point-getter is 2026 NHL Draft prospect and Harvard commit Myles Brosnan (Winchester, Mass.), with 50. Brosnan's two-way game (tough minutes at one end, producing at the other) will be huge for Dexter getting back to the final. The Shields have a mobile defensive core with Matt Hines (Hingham, Mass.), Tayvin Frongello (Hull, Mass.), Kurt Beck (Arlington, Mass.), Tommy Broderick (Norwood, Mass.) and Cam Daley (Medfield, Mass.).
Senior Kyle Ready (Pembroke, Mass.) and junior Drew Karlovits (Cohasset, Mass.) will be out with something to prove. They've split time in the crease and have strong numbers. Ready has a 1.94 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage, while Karlovits has a 2.03 GAA and a .922 save percentage.
2. St. Mark's (24-3-0)
Record against Elite 8 teams: 0-2-0Â
St. Mark's only lost three times this season, falling to Tabor, Belmont Hill and Dexter in January and early February. Other than those three games, the Lions have been perfect.
READ MORE: Our St. Mark's cover story from November 2025
The Lions were on the cover of our November/December magazine for their offensive firepower, and it hasn't disappointed. They rank first in the region in goals for (174). Junior forward Caiden Pellegrino (Uxbridge, Mass.) leads the region in points with 69, while senior Evan Nee (Arlington, Mass.) has 54. Junior Will Manchuso (Concord, Mass.), a 2026 NHL Draft prospect, is second in New England in goals with 28. Those three will be huge in the tournament. But head coach Carl Corazzini's team will also need secondary scoring from senior Teddy Drury, junior Cam MacPherson (Hopkinton, Mass.) and sophomore Keith Olympia (Sudbury, Mass.).
But if St. Mark's is to go deep, it will be on defense and goaltending. Senior Jack Taylor (Framingham, Mass.), juniors Blake Grislis (Narragansett, R.I.) and Phin Howard (Newton, Mass.), and freshman Logan Cotter (Marlboro, Mass.) will be vital on the back end. They all have an offensive touch, but shutting down opposing big guns will be paramount.
Sophomores Aaron Alves-Thomas (Uxbridge, Mass.) and Julian Herrara (Providence, R.I.) have had strong seasons. Alves-Thomas carries a 1.97 GAA and a .925 save percentage, while Herrara is at a 1.77 GAA and a .921 save percentage.
3. Salisbury (23-4-2)
Record against Elite 8 teams: 2-1-0
In years past, the Crimson Knights usually started a bit slow and then turned it on after the Flood-Marr tournament. That wasn't the case this season, as Salisbury has just been dominant throughout. Its losses have been pretty scattered, falling to Phillips Andover at the Flood-Marr, Culver and Berkshire in January, and Hotchkiss in the final week.
Offense was a problem for Salisbury last season. That hasn't been the case this winter.
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Salisbury ranks sixth in the region in goals for with 132. The lines are balanced and physical. Senior Luke Walkauskas leads the scoring charge with 46 points, while juniors Greyson Espenshade and Elliott Bibeau-Rivard aren't far behind. Juniors Luca Desjardins, Landon Klein and Angus Proctor have all been vital scorers as well.
The defensive core is big and physical. Senior Zach Gill leads the way with 27 points and is one of the top two-way threats in New England. Seniors Tyler Roccas (Fairfield, Conn.) and Avery Tymus impact the game at both ends, too. Junior Michael Halvorsen can shut down opposing players and Jack Mazzella can transport pucks. Sophomore Elliott Watson is an explosive dynamo.
In net, Jordan Rittenberg is the go-to with a 2.29 GAA and a .919 save percentage, but Christian Capone (East Haven, Conn.) has proven to handle valuable minutes, too.
4. St. Sebastian's (19-7-0)
Record against Elite 8 teams: 2-0-0Â
The Arrows lost three of their first four games. They lost to Nobles and Middlesex in January. They lost two in a row to Milton and Cushing in early February. But the Arrows have proven to be the most resilient team in the region, always punching back harder. It's a remarkable feat that this Seb's squad placed higher in the Elite 8 than the 2023-24 squad featured on our November/December 2023 cover.
Sophomore forward Jack Queally (Milton, Mass.) has been everything and more as a No. 1 center, establishing himself as someone who very well could make the U.S. National Team Development Program's team next season. His linemates, senior Brendan Matthews (Westwood, Mass.) and sophomore Cade Noonan (Needham, Mass.), have been huge parts of the Arrows' offense, too. Freshman forward Jameson Needham (Woburn, Mass.) looks like a Division 1 prospect with the way he's played this season, and seniors Charlie Delay (Hingham, Mass.), Jared Hughes (Needham, Mass.) and Ty Curry (Carlilse, Mass.), along with junior Danny Porter (Hingham, Mass.) and eighth grader Chris Welby (Westwood, Mass.), have been vital secondary scorers.
READ MORE: The local ’10s with a shot at the U.S. NTDP
On defense, freshman Sam Fishbone (Needham, Mass.) leads the way. The crafty, elusive puck mover has 29 points. Senior Oliver Manning (Franklin, Mass.), juniors Gavin Wainwright (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Noah Meyers (Wellesley, Mass.), and freshman Brendan Martin (Dedham, Mass.) have been massive.
But the story of Seb's has been junior goalie Tommy Saulnier (Medfield, Mass.). He ranks third in the region in save percentage (.944) and sixth in GAA (1.78). He's been that good.
5. Hotchkiss (16-5-4)
Record against Elite 8 teams: 2-2-0Â
Hotchkiss stunned the prep hockey universe by winning the Flood-Marr tournament, beating teams like Kimball Union and Deerfield en route to the championship. To their credit, the Bearcats never let that momentum die, beating St. Paul's, Deerfield, Choate and Berkshire down the stretch. Their biggest win, however, may have been a 4-2 triumph over Salisbury last week, pushing them into the Elite 8.
The story with Hotchkiss is senior goalie Neilan Johnson. The junior goalie recently committed to Northeastern, and it's easy to see why. He's been dominant with a 1.72 GAA and a .942 save percentage. At 6-foot-3 and 174 pounds, he can face any amount of shots and be fine. It's not crazy to think Johnson could lead Hotchkiss to an Elite 8 title. Hotchkiss also ranks second in the region in goals against (48). If head coach Mike Doyle can keep games low-scoring, they'll have a good chance.
Hotchkiss also has some good scorers in senior forwards Aidan Patton (Wallingford, Conn.) and Jake Doherty (Bolton, Mass.), as well as juniors Jake Harrison, Austin Groves and Ryan Murray. And on defense, senior Evan Seow is a reliable puck-mover and junior Evan Williams can be counted on in all situations.
This team has surprised opponents throughout the season. Don't be shocked if that trend continues this week.
6. Kimball Union (24-6-2)
Record against Elite 8 teams: 0-1-0Â
KUA went 1-2-1 at the Flood-Marr and had losses to Tilton, Deerfield, Holderness, and Cushing. Outside of those, the Wildcats have taken care of business.
Senior forward Josh Phillips is the big threat on this team. He ranks third in the region in points with 61. The 6-foot-3 center has been everything for KUA this season and is still uncommitted. Senior Jackson Kimelman and junior Conal Mulkerrin (Hingham, Mass.) have been huge as well, and getting senior Xander Boutilier back midseason has produced big returns. Boutilier is averaging nearly two points per game. Head coach Tim Whitehead's team also has good depth scoring from postgrad Jack Ross, seniors Jackson Davies (Meriden, N.H.) and Carter Cowan, juniors Alexis Gagne and Charlie MacLeod, and sophomore Dawson Wood (Barrington, R.I.).
READ MORE: Why each Large School team could win | Why each Small School team could win
Some of KUA's top scorers are defensemen. Senior Lucas Hannay leads the group with 34 points, while senior Anthony Leech is right behind with 31. Juniors Nasean Faria, Thomas Ojard, Aaron Sheck and Christian Toma give KUA depth.
In net, senior Cam Ingram has stepped up nicely after Luca Campo went down with an injury early in the season.
Depth is the name of the game for KUA.
7. Belmont Hill (18-7-4)
Record against Elite 8 teams: 1-2-1Â
Belmont Hill has been up and down throughout the stretch. The Sextants have gone 9-6-2 since Jan. 10. But they've put up some big wins throughout the season and took down Tabor on Feb. 25, which catapulted them back into the Elite 8.
Head coach Brian Phinney's team has two anchors at center in seniors Patrick Woods (Charlestown, Mass.) and Matthew Carolan (Stowe, Mass.). That should help against Elite 8 competition. Sam Lee (Woburn, Mass.), a '10, has broken out as an offensive force on the wing who should challenge to make next year's NTDP team. Sophomores Jackson Burns (Wellesley, Mass.) and Robert DeKleine have also broken out and provided scoring.
Belmont Hill boasts great puck-movers on defense, clearly led by senior Evan Jones (Arlington, Mass.), who ranks second on the team in points with 36. Sophomore Nick Ware (West Roxbury, Mass.) broke out with 23 points, while sophomore Alex Guo (Weston, Mass.) had a nice year. Senior Louie Marobella (Sudbury, Mass.) and junior Lance Toland (Burlington, Mass.) provide the punch. Freshman Emmett Aufiero (Winchester, Mass.), an '11, played well in his minutes, too.
Senior JJ Thibodeau (Waltham, Mass.) and junior Ethan Bauer (Belmont, Mass.), one of the top breakout goalies in New England, have split time in net. Both can handle the rigors of the Elite 8.
8. Avon Old Farms (15-7-3)
Record against Elite 8 teams: 1-1-0Â
Avon was a top-three team through December and January, going 14-1-1 until Jan. 30. But from Jan. 31 through the end of the season, the Winged Beavers had a six-game losing streak and went 1-6-2 down the stretch. No team is colder in this field.
That doesn't mean the Winged Beavers aren't good. The potential to win the Elite 8 is very much there.
While scoring isn't Avon's strong suit, seniors Liam Donnelly and Tucker Harris (Ferrisburgh, Vt.) have broken out, and junior Nico Ciardiello (Guilford, Conn.) has been effective with a team-leading 26 points. Junior Grover Henderson is an effective, physical power forward, while seniors Jacob Jett and Maxx Corradi (Woodstock, Conn.) have given depth scoring.
BOYS BRACKETS: Elite 8 field | Large School field | Small School field
The way Avon wins the Elite 8 is through defense, goaltending and low-scoring games.
Junior Max Yakub has been a huge addition on defense, ranking third on the team in points (18). Senior Ryan Hecker, juniors Brody Latkin, Matthew Koch and Jake Power, and sophomore Marshall Paul make up the rest of the core.
Senior goalie Anthony Palmer (Lynnfield, Mass.) has been solid for the Winged Beavers. The Tufts commit has all the qualities of a goalie who could carry his team to an Elite 8 title.
