When the coronavirus rolled in last March just days after the completion of the 2020 NEPSAC playoffs, no one was sure how the following prep hockey season was going to unfold.
Come winter at St. Mark’s, head coach Carl Corazzini and the Lions were no different.
The Southborough, Mass., prep school ended up going remote from November to January, so they didn't get to play games against their traditional prep opponents. Instead, they set them up as they went, playing local Midget clubs whenever they could.
When they got back to campus from winter break, the school was on lockdown. Unable to play outside competition, the team shifted its focus to intra-squad play.
“It wasn’t ideal, but we had a lot of fun and the school was really supportive,” said Corazzini, entering his eighth season at St. Mark’s.
Now, after the partial prep season in 2020-21, the Lions are more than ready to return to normal in 2021-22. “It’s been too long and it will be a lot of fun,” Corazzini said, "so we’re definitely looking forward to it.”
(Previously in New England Hockey Journal's prep school preview series: Brunswick, Gunnery, New Hampton)
Making up for lost time
The last time St. Mark’s played an official game, it was the top seed in the 2020 Piatelli/Simmons (Small) Tournament. The team that got them there was built around a group of top prep players who have since moved on.
Most notably Ian Moore (Concord, Mass.), who was plucked by the Anaheim Ducks in the third round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and is a freshman at Harvard after playing a season with the Chicago Steel. RPI commit Danny Ciccarello (Salmon Arm), Brendan Gibbons (South Kingstown, R.I./Maine Nordiques) and Yale commit Tucker Hartmann (Southborough, Mass./Salmon Arm) are a few of the other big names who are no longer with the program.
With those four cornerstones gone and 18 months since their last true game, the Lions, like most prep teams in the region, will look much different this coming season. They will be built around a big senior class, as well as a group of skilled 05's, most of whom were with the team last year but have yet to experience an official prep campaign.
“I think the challenge is, specifically for us at St. Mark’s and the kids that didn’t play, is they had a lot of development in practice — now how does that translate to the games?" Corazzini said.
"Every game is so important at the prep level, and we've been really fortunate to have some game-breakers in the past, but we missed a year of development game-wise and kids understanding how to elevate their games. What will that look like when they’re counted on to produce? I think, for everyone, that’s going to be a difficult (adjustment)."
Pillars of leadership
As someone who has played multiple full seasons in the prep hockey realm, senior forward and first-line center Dominic Murphy will be one of the key leaders at St. Mark's in 2021-22. The Worcester, Mass., native is a late ’03 who is committed to Holy Cross.
In 29 games as a sophomore, Murphy recorded 16 goals for 29 points. In addition to the scoring he will provide, he will be a heavy contributor from a veteran leadership standpoint, as well.
While Murphy will hold it down for the forward group, senior defenseman Michael Fisher will be the undisputed leader in the back end.
The ‘04 Westborough, Mass., native committed to Princeton earlier this year from his body of work in the intra-squad scrimmages and has been picking it up ever since. He attended national camp over the summer and is expected to be one of the top blueliners in the Independent School League (Eberhart) this season.
A 6-foot-3, 194-pound defense-first defenseman, Fisher is currently playing split season with the East Coast Wizards 18-U. His USHL rights are owned by Youngstown, which drafted him in Round 4 (54th overall) of the 2021 USHL Entry Draft. He is also one of the region’s top prospects eligible for the NHL draft in 2022.
Talented ‘05s
While Fisher and Murphy will be the veterans on the team, they will get help from a talented group of players from the 2005 birth year.
Up front, returning forwards Jim Lyver (Grafton, Mass./Cape Cod Whalers 16-U), Andrew Gibbons (Wakefield, R.I./River Rats 16-U) and Jonathan Balzarini (Milford, Mass./River Rats 16-U) will play key roles alongside Murphy. Lyver was the only ‘05 on the 2019-20 team, while Gibbons and Balzarini both joined St. Mark's last season. Gibbons, the younger brother of ‘02 Brendan, has stuck out on several occasions through the early going of the fall campaign.
Incoming ‘05 forwards Damon Myers (Worcester, Mass./River Rats 16-U) and Austin Borggaard (Worcester, Mass.) will also look to make quick impacts out of the gate. Myers arrives from St. John’s High, while Borggaard is a product of the Eaglebrook School.
Joining Fisher in the back end will be returning ‘05 defenseman Calvin Beard (River Rats 16-U). The Southborough, Mass., native joined St. Mark’s last season and is poised to play big minutes in year two. A 6-foot-2, 180-pound D-man, Beard was a standout at the Beantown Summer Classic.
Newcomers
Defenseman Drew Carr and forward Richard Gallant are a few of the newcomers who are expected to play key roles as younger players on the team.
Carr, an ’06 from Medway, Mass., has been on NEHJ’s radar several times this summer. His performance stood out at multiple showcases, including the Junior Chowder Cup and Beantown Summer Classic.
Gallant, a highly regarded ‘07 from Concord, Mass., plays for the Middlesex Islanders 14-U. “He might be one of the best ‘07s in the country,” Corazzini said.
Rink
Awaiting the Lions in their return to a normal prep hockey season are the $1 million renovations going on at Gardner Rink. It used to be seasonal, Corazzini said, but now the idea is that the rink will be playable from late September through the spring.
“We're really lucky," he concluded. "It’s a long time coming and the renovations will be really helpful for both the class that is here now and future kids that come to St. Mark’s.”
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