The time has come — the Stuart/Corkery Elite 8 Tournament seedings are out and we know the matchups.
These are the eight best teams in prep hockey this year and all have worked incredibly hard to get here. All have more than earned the right to be here.
It’s a bit of a sprint, as the quarterfinals will take place Wednesday, March 1 at campus sites. On Saturday, March 4, the semifinals will occur at campus sites. Then, on Sunday, March 5, the Elite 8 championship will be held at St. Anselm College along with the Small School and Large School championships.
Click or tap here to view the full schedule for the 2023 Elite 8.
Last year, No. 5 Salisbury took down No. 3 Belmont Hill to win the championship.
We will have a separate story outlining our predictions for each matchup. Click or tap here to view the full schedule and the matchups for the Small School and Large School Tournaments.
Let’s dive into a preview of each team in the Elite 8.
No. 1 Cushing (23-2-4)
Record against teams in the Elite 8: 2-0-0
The Penguins have been the best team in prep hockey. With only two losses, Cushing powered its way to the best goal differential in the region at plus-77. The Penguins scoring attack is led by BC commit Landan Resendes (Marlborough, Mass.) and UConn commit Ethan Gardula (Princeton, Mass.). They’ve been fortunate to get lots of production from junior forward Emerson Marshall (Gloucester, Mass.), Linas Dedinas, Dan Markevych and Jack Costanzo (Gloucester, Mass.) as well.
Cushing boasts a strong defense led by UNH commit Ryan Philbrick (Concord, N.H.) and Zach Rizzo. The Penguins are fortunate to have depth on the back end as well with junior Troy Maldonado and sophomore Tyler Russo (Hamilton, Mass.). In net, senior Cooper Rautenstrauch has gotten the job done and looks primed to help Cushing go on a deep run.
This is going to be a very tough team to beat.
No. 2 Avon Old Farms (19-2-4)
Record against teams in the Elite 8: 2-0-0
While Cushing boasts star power in Resendes and Gardula, Avon Old Farms has Northeastern commit Joe Connor (Amherst, N.H.) with his 39 points in 25 games. Seniors Charlie Gollob and Joe Odyniec (Ridgefield, Conn.) have been huge contributors up front as well.
While the Winged Beavers have had no trouble scoring, they’ve been outstanding in their own end, only allowing 31 goals over 25 games. Senior defenders Jack Kennedy and Jordin Palmer and junior defensemen Blake Jones and Hudson Miller have had a lot to do with that.
So, too, has goalie Stephen Peck, who boasts a 1.25 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage. His play has been really steady this year.
No. 3 Milton (17-4-5)
Record against teams in the Elite 8: 3-0-2
Milton has been on a tear lately, going 9-0-3 in its last 12 games. Most recently, it took down Nobles, 5-1.
While the Mustangs will be without former leading scorer Mikka Kelechian due to a season-ending knee injury, they still have more than enough firepower up front with seniors Jacob Pohl, Brendan Maher and Henry Cohen (Sudbury, Mass.) to go along with juniors Ryan Shea (Norwell, Mass.) and Will Cannata (Milton, Mass.). They play fast and get on teams quickly.
Senior Mason Chen has emerged as a really strong two-way defenseman this year, ranking fifth in the region in points among defenders with 29. His play alongside standout sophomore Dylan Hunt (Marlborough, Mass.) has been impressive.
But the biggest reason Milton is here is the work of Sam Caulfield (Needham, Mass.) in net. His .955 save percentage leads all of prep hockey and his athleticism has won Milton a handful of games. He backstopped his team to a Flood-Marr Tournament win and it’s not crazy to think he could do the same in the Elite 8.
No. 4 Nobles (17-4-5)
Record against teams in the Elite 8: 3-2-1
While Milton enters the big dance hot, Nobles has stumbled of late, going 1-3-3 in its final seven games. Still, it’s a very good team.
Nobles is fortunate to have three ‘06s leading the way offensively — Ted MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.), Dennis Davidson (Newton, Mass.) and Ethan Cox (Westborough, Mass.). The trio rank as the top three point-getters for the Bulldogs. Senior forward Austin Tasca (Hope, R.I.) has also been vital, with his 23 points.
SMALL SCHOOL: Check out the full bracket for the Piatelli/Simmons Small School Tournament
Experience matters this time of year, and Nobles has quite a bit of it on defense, which is where it will most likely win games. Seniors Will Brophy (Worcester, Mass), Brian Grant (Mansfield, Mass.) and Matt Tully (Foxborough, Mass.) will be relied on a lot by head coach Brian Day in big situations. All three make life difficult for opponents trying to get to high-danger areas.
All eyes will be on goalie Thatcher Bernstein (Brookline, Mass.), a sophomore ‘07, who is widely regarded as one of the best goalies in prep hockey. If Bernstein is on his game, Nobles will be difficult to stop.
No. 5 Brunswick (17-7-0)
Record against teams in the Elite 8: 1-2-0
Brunswick enters the Elite 8 on a tear, having won its last nine games.
The Bruins have been fortunate to have some big guns on offense this year with juniors Drew DellaSalla (a Harvard commit) and Sean Gibbons (Fairfield, Conn.) leading the charge. Senior Eli Friedman has also been a key cog up front with his 16 goals and 40 points in 26 games. Brunswick has a slew of important depth forwards like James Shannon (Greenwich, Conn.), Brendan Giles (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Luke Drury who can be counted on to produce.
Mike Kennedy’s team has good, older players on defense in Sloan Farmer (Old Greenwich, Conn.) and junior ‘06 Cooper Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.). Senior Nikolas Cadoret (Stamford, Conn.) is also vital on the back end.
A potential X-factor for Brunswick will be the play of senior goalie Brendan Holahan (New Canaan, Conn.). If he shows up like he’s capable, Brunswick will be dangerous.
No. 6 Belmont Hill (19-6-3)
Record against teams in the Elite 8: 2-4-1
When a team enters the Elite 8 hot, it can spell trouble for opponents. The Sextants enter the Elite 8 red hot, having won 14 of their last 17 games.
They boast some impactful seniors on offense in Ronan O’Donnell (Fairfield, Conn.), Brock Cummings, Daniel Markham (Winchester, Mass.) and Dane Carter (Concord, Mass.). Those four have provided the bulk of the scoring. Keep an eye on junior Jake McManus (Winthrop, Mass.) to make an impact.
Belmont Hill is fortunate to have a good mix on defense. There are seniors Matthew Biotti (Cambridge, Mass.) and Josh Doolan (Southborough, Mass.) who are reliable, shutdown players. And there’s junior Lenny Greenberg, who’s dynamic and a good puck-mover.
LARGE SCHOOL: Check out the full bracket for the Martin/Earl Large School Tournament
In net, head coach Brian Phinney doesn’t know who he’ll go with yet. Freshman JJ Thibodeau (Waltham, Mass.) held the net for most of the season, but sophomore Keagin Wilson (Hingham, Mass.) is also pushing for time. Phinney says he will pick whoever plays best in practice.
No. 7 Westminster (17-8-0)
Record against teams in the Elite 8: 2-4-0
Westminster catapulted itself into the Elite 8 with a huge, 6-4 win over Belmont Hill on Saturday. Westminster has been streaky at times this season but ended on a high note by winning eight of its last nine games.
Junior Ryan Shaw burst onto the scene this year, becoming a top offensive threat in prep hockey. The 5-foot-10, 169-pound forward has 18 goals and 45 points in 25 games and has been the straw that’s stirred the drink for the Martlets. Senior Wade Volo, junior Brian Judge and sophomore Blake Burke have provided a ton of scoring as well.
Juniors Patrick Dotson and Matt Hanscom have been critical on the back end, while junior goalie Matteo De Luca has been the team’s rock in net.
No. 8 Kimball Union (22-8-1)
Record against teams in the Elite 8: 1-4-0
Kimball Union’s Elite 8 chances looked to be crossed out when it lost a home-and-home to Cushing earlier this month. But two recent wins against Tilton and Holderness in the Lakes Region Tournament helped the Wildcats.
They have lots of firepower up front, headlined by RPI commit Jackson Kyrkostas (Windham, N.H.) who leads the region in points with 57. Kimball Union also boasts UNH commit Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.) and junior Sam LeDrew as offensive weapons. KUA also has a plethora of solid depth forwards.
On defense, head coach Tim Whitehead’s top pairing of Andrew O’Sullivan and Jack McMinn, both ‘06s, thrives at both ends of the ice.
In net, University of Vermont commit Dan Heroux has posted a nice season. If Kimball Union makes a run, he will have been a massive reason why.
