Several impressive starts have changed the look of New England Hockey Journal’s Prep School Coaches Poll. The third edition of the 2019-20 season was released is below.
Although three of the top four teams remain the same as a week ago, two newcomers this season in the Pelicans of Loomis Chaffee and Bears of Berkshire have broken into the top 10. The Bears have jumped into the top 10 for the first time in 16 all-time editions of our New England coaches’ rankings after their four straight wins to open the winter.
Ten teams outside of the rankings also received consideration on at least one coach’s ballot. Overall, seven teams have maintained a place in the top 10 since our preseason edition two weeks ago. (Teams receive 10 points for a first-place vote, nine for a second-place vote, eight for a third-place vote, etc.)
The NEHJ Prep School Coaches Poll will be released every Tuesday during the season on hockeyjournal.com.
Please send an email to jkummins@hockeyjournal.com if you are interested in participating in our polls throughout the winter.
1. Dexter Southfield (5-0)
116 points - 10 first-place votes
Last week: 1st
Dexter Southfield continued its perfect start with back-to-back road wins over Exeter and Nobles by identical 5-1 scores. Coach Dan Donato’s team maintains the No. 1 spot in our coaches’ rankings for the second straight week.
Jack Dempsey (Natick, Mass.) was the star against Nobles, logging two goals and an assist as one of the team’s five multipoint scorers. Doug Grimes (Brookline, Mass.) and Aidan Connolly (Marshfield, Mass.) had a goal and an assist in the former game. Freshman Dylan Silverstein (Woburn, Mass.) improved to 4-0 after stopping 43 of 45 shots he faced in two games.
2. Avon Old Farms (5-0)
99 points - 1 first-place vote
Last week: 5th
The Winged Beavers made it a whole handful of wins to start the season as they toppled Taft, 7-4, Trinity-Pawling, 3-1, and Deerfield, 4-0.
Liam Verdoni opened the week with a hat trick against Taft and Tabor Heaslip’s two goals led the way against Trinity-Pawling. Avon newcomer Brendan Williams had a great week, posting two assists in each of the three games in addition to scoring against the Rhinos. John Turner (East Falmouth, Mass.) scored twice in the middle period against Deerfield, allowing Connor Callaghan (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) to coast to a 25-save shutout.
3. Kimball Union (6-2)
95 points
Last week: 2nd
The Wildcats bounced back from their loss to Kent in the Exeter Invitational with a three-game winning streak. KUA broke out offensively, beating Proctor, 5-0, Brewster, 7-2, and Tilton, 9-3.
Senior assistant captain Sullivan Mack was a force up front all week as his hat trick and two assists against Tilton highlighted a three-game stretch with 13 points. Adam Fantilli also had three goals in the Tilton game. Against Brewster, Paul Dore was KUA’s lone multigoal scorer. Mack and Tomas Mazura each scored twice while helping Veeti Kokvakka to a 24-save shutout against Proctor.
4. Salisbury (4-1)
76 points
Last week: 4th
The Crimson Knights have doubled their win total since last Tuesday. Max Donoso opened the week with 20 saves in a 2-0 shutout win over Hotchkiss before Jarod Crespo’s (Easthampton, N.J.) winning goal in the third period and total three-point night led the way in a 4-3 triumph over Kent.
Matthew DeBoer (Madison, N.J.) and Tommy Rooney (Milton, Mass.) scored goals in the first two periods against Hotchkiss. Lucas Mercuri (1-2-3) and Jake Quillan (0-3-3) joined Crespo with three points in the narrow victory over Kent.
5. Loomis Chaffee (6-0)
64 points
Last week: Unranked
The Pelicans remained undefeated on the season after Monday’s 2-1 win over Choate, their sixth of the season against New England competition. This past week was filled exclusively with one-goal victories for Loomis as it also defeated Pomfret, 2-1, and Canterbury in overtime, 3-2.
Kennedy O’Connor (Springfield, Mass.) and Cody Hoban (Guilford, Conn.) scored to defeat Pomfret while Ethan Roberts made 31 saves. Cam Partridge (Wethersfield, Conn.) scored the overtime winner against Canterbury after Jake Sigal had registered a goal and an assist. Chris Hibson (New Haven, Conn.) and Alex Krause rounded out the week with goals against Choate.
6. Berkshire (4-0)
58 points
Last week: Unranked
Berkshire becomes the second straight unbeaten team to enter our New England coaches’ rankings for the first time this season. The Bears continued their winning ways against Gunnery, 5-1, and Canterbury, 4-1.
Briggs Gammill (New Canaan, Conn.) and Aidan Thompson opened the week with two-goal, two-assist performances. Gammill and Gunnar Granito (New Canaan, Conn.) scored and added an assist to help defeat Canterbury. Two different goaltenders were victorious during the last week of play as Jed Baliotti (New Canaan, Conn.) made 18 saves against Gunnery and Sam Woessner then stopped 22 of the 23 shots he faced.
7. Lawrence (3-0)
47 points
Last week: 10th
After their season opener, the Spartans opened the regional slate with back-to-back wins over Milton and Belmont Hill.
David Sacco (Middleton, Mass.) and Kyle Furey (Marblehead, Mass.) helped set up the offense in a 6-0 win over Milton, handing out three assists each. Damien Carfagna (Woodridge, N.J.) was the top finisher during that game as he scored twice, while new Sacred Heart commit Brandon Milberg stopped all 17 shots. Sacco was one of three multigoal scorers and had three points overall against Bel Hill, while John Riggins (Bethpage, N.Y.) and James Broderick (Wellesley, Mass.) had identical 2-2-4 lines.
8. St. Sebastian’s (4-0)
44 points
Last week: 8th
The Arrows held their ground in these New England ranks after posting a pair of very different shutouts. Sebs continued its solid start with a 9-0 shutout against local rival BB&N before needing just one goal to edge Exeter over the weekend.
Fourteen players found the scoresheet at BB&N, with Timmy Delay’s (Hingham, Mass.) one goal and three assists leading the way. Joe Harney (Needham, Mass.) lit the lamp twice in that game as goaltenders Chris Cataldo (Norfolk, Mass.) and Luke Garrity (Duxbury, Mass.) split the shutout. Liam Connors (Westborough, Mass.) was the lone scorer against Exeter, lifting Garrity to the 16-save clean sheet.
T9. Kent (4-2)
26 points - 1 first-place vote
Last week: 9th
Kent has gone 1-2 since its Dec. 8 upset of Kimball Union, but an 8-1 win over Gunnery highlighted this past week for the Lions. Aidan Cobb (Ridgefield, Conn.) scored a goal and added three assists and Cole Watson scored a hat trick in the team’s most lopsided victory this season.
The lone victory came between a 6-0 loss to Brunswick and 4-3 setback against another ranked foe in Salisbury. Despite the latter loss, Tommy Raith scored twice while Cobb and Jason Kleinhans assisted twice each.
T9. Cushing (4-1-1)
26 points
Last week: Unranked
The Penguins return to the NEHJ ranks after a one-week hiatus, thanks to a 4-3 win over Williston Northampton and an 8-1 triumph against Hill School.
Max Dorrington (North Reading, Mass.) scored twice against Williston before Cam Lund added the winner in the third period. Shane Zarcone (Huntington, N.Y.), Connor Wood (St. Albans, Vt.) and Nick Rheaume all had two assists. Freshman Jackson Irving (Newbury, Mass.) made 39 saves in goal. Against Hill School, Wood led the offense with a goal and two assists while Jackson Dorrington (North Reading, Mass.) scored twice.
Others receiving votes: Gunnery, Thayer, Northfield Mount Hermon, Pomfret, Westminster, Taft, St. Mark’s, Belmont Hill, Holderness, Tilton
