The race to the NEPSAC Elite 8 tournament is going to be a wild ride, especially at the bottom of the field.
As it stands now, a couple of good teams with a history of being in the top postseason tournament in prep school hockey could be left on the outside looking in when the end of the month rolls around.
Last weekend’s marquee matchup went the way of Salisbury as the Knights topped Cushing on the road in Ashburnham. The must-watch game this week is Wednesday’s clash between ISL rivals Belmont Hill and St. Sebastian’s. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Lane Rink in Needham. An intriguing game to look forward to this weekend is a Lakes Region battle between Kimball Union and Holderness. It will be the first time all season that Holderness faces a team inside the top 10 of the prep school hockey rankings.
NEHJ Prep Hockey Power Rankings: February 9, 2022
1. Avon Old Farms
League: Founders | Record: 16-1-0 (6-0-0) | Previous: 1
Next game: Feb. 9 vs. Frederick Gunn (2:30 p.m.)
The Winged Beavers didn’t hit the ice since last week’s rankings. I’ve talked a lot about the skaters on John Gardner’s team. But, it’s important to emphasize the importance of postgraduate goaltender Conor Callaghan, who came back to AOF for an extra season, due to Covid disrupting his senior year. He has a .951 save percentage and has only given up more than two goals once this season. Callaghan has five shutouts and blanked two other opponents through two periods before being pulled for a backup.
2. Kimball Union
League: Lakes Region | Record: 20-1-1 (8-0-0) | Previous: 2
Next game: Feb. 9 vs. Andover (4:30 p.m.)
I’ve talked a lot about KUA’s top players, but one point that shouldn’t be lost is the team’s depth. In a 5-2 win over New Hampton this Saturday, 13 different players registered at least a point. The Wildcats have only lost one NEPSIHA game and now boast a 10-game winning streak.
3. Belmont Hill
League: ISL Keller | Record: 13-0-2 (7-0-2) | Previous: 3
Next game: Feb. 9 vs. St. Sebastian's (4:30 p.m.)
The Sextants remain the only undefeated team in prep hockey. Obviously, the most important test is on paper and results speak for themselves. However, the eye test tells me that Avon, Kimball Union and Salisbury could provide trouble for Belmont Hill in the postseason. Northeastern commit James Fisher (Wilmington, Mass.) had two goals in Saturday’s win over Rivers. It was his fourth multi-goal game of the season.
4. Salisbury
League: Housatonic | Record: 14-5-0 (5-2-0) | Previous: 4
Next game: Feb. 9 vs. Taft (4:30 p.m.)
The Crimson Knights saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end Monday when they lost 4-3 on the road at Kent. One Salisbury player who has been on fire lately is Northeastern commit Dylan Hryckowian. He has seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in his last seven games. Due to being swept by Kent and losing to Nobles, Kimball Union and Berkshire earlier in the season, Salisbury doesn’t have much room for error when it comes to the remaining schedule and making the Elite 8.
5. Brunswick
League: Independent | Record: 13-4-0 (4-1-0) | Previous: 5
Next game: Feb. 11 vs. Frederick Gunn (6 p.m.)
Due to being an independent on the outskirts of the region, the Bruins are forced to play a few games outside of the NEPSIHA. Drew DellaSalla kept up his impressive sophomore season, running his point streak to 10 games. Senior captain James Shannon had two goals and two assists in the team’s win over Trinity-Pawling. Brunswick is a top-eight team in my book, but Mike Kennedy’s squad has some work to do in order to get into the Elite 8. With five games left, starting with a home game against Frederick Gunn Friday, there’s little room for anything but wins.
6. Nobles
League: ISL Keller | Record: 11-5-1 (4-3-1) | Previous: 7
Next game: Feb. 9 vs. Governor's (4:45 p.m.)
The Bulldogs haven’t played since the last release of these power rankings. Nobles has a fascinating roster with a handful of important upperclassmen and a handful of young freshmen who are finding their way onto the prep school scene. Look for forwards Ben Nakata (West Barnstable, Mass.), Dennis Davidson (Newton, Mass.) and Kyle O’Leary (Medfield, Mass.), defenseman Joe Mense, and goaltender Thatcher Bernstein (Brookline, Mass.) to be familiar names over the next few seasons.
7. St. Sebastian’s
League: ISL Keller | Record: 13-3-1 (6-1-1) | Previous: 8
Next game: Feb. 9 vs. Belmont Hill (4:30 p.m.)
The Arrows have won three in a row after a loss to Nobles. I mentioned him in last week’s rankings, but he’s earned further recognition. '07 freshman right wing Teddy Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.) scored twice in the team’s 6-5 win over St. Mark’s. He now has a six-game point streak in which he’s scored nine points. Princeton commit Brendan Gorman (Arlington, Mass.) has three goals and five assists during the team’s current three-game winning streak. Can home-cooking help the Arrows takedown Belmont Hill Wednesday? There won’t be any shortage of eyes watching this huge ISL matchup.
8. Kent
League: Founders | Record: 12-6-0 (2-3-0) | Previous: Unranked
Next game: Feb. 9 vs. Berkshire (3 p.m.)
I wish I could rank Kent higher because they probably deserve to be there. It was certainly a mistake to not have them in the top 10 over the last few weeks. The Lions are better than their record indicates, but unexplainable losses to Hebron and Trinity-Pawling still dot the resume. As I mentioned earlier in the season, Kent is young on the blue line and in goal, but a cadre of '03 seniors occupy the top seven in the team’s scoring race. Dante Palombo and Geno McEnery lead the way in that regard and both had big games against Salisbury. Recent Tufts commit Max Resnick picked up the overtime game-winner versus the Crimson Knights.
9. Cushing
League: Independent | Record: 11-3-3 (4-2-1) | Previous: 6
Next game: Feb. 9 vs. Winchendon (1:30 p.m.)
The Penguins have hit a little bump in the road, going 1-2-1 over the last five NEPSIHA games. It’s hard to blame any team for losing to a good Salisbury squad, but Cushing needs to rebound quickly to have a chance at squeaking into the Elite 8. Defenseman Cam Ferraz had the team’s only goal in the loss to Salisbury. He has a point in five of the last six games. The Penguins play three games in four days starting Wednesday against Winchendon. It all sets the scene for next weekend’s home-and-home against Kimball Union.
10. Holderness
League: Lakes Region | Record: 15-1-1 (6-1-1) | Previous: 10
Next game: Feb. 9 vs. Tilton (2 p.m.)
I struggle to rank Holderness higher than 10th, despite the Bulls’ impressive record and higher rankings in the all-important JSPR that will decide the Elite 8. After watching their win over Exeter last week, they’re certainly an older team with some talent. As mentioned above, Alan Thompson’s team has a huge chance to prove it belongs in the upper echelon when the team travels to Meriden to play KUA this Saturday.
In the hunt: St. George’s, St. Mark’s, Dexter Southfield, Westminster, Exeter, Northfield Mount Hermon, Phillips Andover, Frederick Gunn, Loomis Chaffee
