For the first time since 2001, there will be someone other than Brian Day behind the Nobles boys' hockey bench.
Day announced his retirement in February. In April, Nobles announced that former assistant Dan McGoff would take over. He inherits one of the most consistent prep teams in New England.
"My message is to go play fast and free and not worry about making mistakes," McGoff said in June.
The Bulldogs will be an intriguing team this season, built from the back out. They're coming off a year in which they snuck in as the final seed in the Elite 8, falling to Deerfield in the quarterfinals.
"I'm excited with this bunch," McGoff said recently. "I think they're eager for the opportunity that's there."
There will be lots of opportunities up for grabs.
Who will score?
Billy MacAusland. That's who.
The Brown commit ranked second in the region in goals (28) and points (61) last season. MacAusland opted to return to Nobles for his senior year, which should provide him with a unique opportunity. Last year, Yale commit Kyle O'Leary (Medford, Mass.) was on his line and was a huge driver of play with 59 points.
O'Leary graduated. It's on MacAusland to create his own offense.
"I think he's going to thrive in that position," McGoff said. "Just from his demeanor and the way that he plays. His work ethic, his drive, his competitiveness. I think it's going to be a nice little challenge for him to be able to have to drive a line and that guy."
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The questions come in after MacAusland. Five of Nobles' six top point-getters from last season graduated. That means there are a whopping five (yes, five) spots open in the top six.
One player who could be an impact forward is Zach Mohamed (Boston, Mass.). The 2010-born forward is 5-foot-11 and 198 pounds, and plays with East Coast Militia's 15O team. He was a standout last year with the South Shore Kings' 14U squad.
"He's going to open some eyes," McGoff said. "He's just a really big, strong kid for a freshman. He's definitely already got the body type. He's going to be one of the stronger kids in the league as a freshman."
Other names to watch are Sebi Soussou (Brookline, Mass.), Tommy Zine (Cohasset, Mass.), Charlie Dlugosch and Will Lavelle (North Smithfield, R.I.).
"They're going to be really solid pieces for us," McGoff said.
Strength on defense
While Nobles lost most of its impact forwards, it returns almost all of its defensemen from last year. Seniors Tuck Gilbane (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) and Jack Hartwell (Cohasset, Mass.) will be key voices on a relatively young team.
"We'll be leaning on them for voices in the locker room," McGoff said.
He will also lean on those two to play tough minutes. Junior Kris Soja (Ludlow, Mass.) is another defenseman who has two years of prep under his belt. He's a two-way dynamo who can impact the game in all three zones. He had 11 points last season, which led Nobles' defensemen, and looks poised to increase that production.
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Junior Alex Munoz (Weston, Mass.) will be another key piece on defense, and sophomores Kasen Walsh (Warwick, R.I.) and Eben Alden (Dover, Mass.) will be vital, too. Walsh is a standout for the Minuteman Flames' 15O squad and got a lot of prep action last season as a '10.
"I'm definitely going to be leaning on the D core in terms of leadership," McGoff said. "It's the group that has the most kids coming back."
McGoff is also fortunate to have stability in net. Justin Lee (Newton, Mass.) took hold of the net down the stretch last season. The '09 was drafted in the fourth round of the USHL Phase 1 Draft and the sixth round of the QMJHL Draft. Nobles also has Tucker Monroe (Boston, Mass.), an '07, who is 6-foot-3.
Both goalies should be poised to handle a large workload. Lee has the advantage, but Monroe has proven to be a solid prep goalie. He beat Kimball Union at the Flood-Marr Tournament last year.
"We're coming in with the mindset of we're going to go with the guy who's playing the best at the time," McGoff said. "I think it's a good, healthy competition. It's a blessing to have two guys in net that you can count on and trust every game."
Managing expectations
Nobles has notable moments throughout the season that are measuring sticks for where they'll play come the first week in March.
There's the Flood-Marr Tournament before Christmas. Then comes the ISL gauntlet of games down the stretch. McGoff wants to always win the ISL.
"We always feel that if we do that, we'll have a really good chance of making it into the Elite 8," he said. "Those are our goals, and those goals are going to remain the same."
The ISL Keller division, in particular, is difficult. Belmont Hill should be good again. Governor's Academy, Thayer, Tabor and Milton should be revamped. St. Sebastian's and Lawrence Academy will compete for wins.
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Nobles likely won't outscore those teams. Instead, it will be about keeping opposing goals off the board.
"Our identity this year is going to have to look a little different than it was last year," McGoff said. "But I know these kids will buy into it, and I'm just excited for them to go out and compete. I think we're going to be right in the mix."
