In 2023-24, St. Sebastian's was on the cover of our prep preview magazine. The Arrows won 19 games that winter, finishing as the No. 8 team in the Elite 8 with mostly seniors and two (likely four if you count Casey Mutryn and Rian Chudzinski) future NHL Draft picks.
Everyone graduated or left after that season.
That left Brendan Keaveney (Westwood, Mass.) and a slew of young, inexperienced players last winter. They went 6-18-3, but made strides throughout the season. Keaveney is now with the NCDC's South Shore Kings and plans on playing at Babson.
"I'd put him up there as one of the top captains I've ever had," St. Sebastian's head coach Sean McCann said.
Still, even in a six-win season, there were bright spots.
"Our record was not a good record," McCann said. "But when I look at the end of the year, our compete at the end of the year was just as good as our compete the very first week of the season. To me, that spoke volumes."
Most of those young and inexperienced players from last season are back, making them one of prep's most interesting teams.
"Now we're getting into a situation where we have more older players," McCann said. "We've got some pretty talented players. I think it's going to be a good mix."
Put bluntly, what are they?
Up front
There will be more seniors this year than just Keaveney. Ty Curry (Carlisle, Mass.), a Notre Dame lacrosse commit, and Charlie Delay (Hingham, Mass.) will be huge.
With Curry, the focus is all about compete and setting an example.
"He's a heart and soul guy," McCann said. "His aggressiveness, his toughness, his willingness to do whatever it takes to contribute to the team is great."
Delay was more of a contributor on the scoresheet last season. The '07 junior had six goals and 15 points in 27 games.
"He's more of an elusive player," McCann said. "He's got good hockey sense, he finds the holes and he makes good plays. He's one of those guys who can slow the game down and make really good plays."
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Senior Brendan Matthews (Westwood, Mass.) will also be huge. As a junior last winter, the '07 stepped into the lineup and was tied for second on the team in points with 17.
"He really improved as the year went along," McCann said. "It'll be interesting to see what he ends up being able to do."
The upside, however, lies with younger players. While 2010-born forward Austin Wu (Dedham, Mass.) left for Dexter Southfield, the Arrows boast Jack Queally, arguably the top '10 in New England, and Cade Noonan (Needham, Mass.), an ascending '09.
Queally posted four goals and 11 points in 22 games last season as a 14-year-old, mostly centering the top line. A good season should get the Milton, Mass., native an invite to U.S. National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp.
"He can slow the game down and then speed it up," McCann said. "But then he's got that next gear where he can really turn up the speed. I think for him, I'd love to see him move in the direction of playing at that level on a more consistent basis. It's something he'll be able to do. I have no doubt about it."
Noonan notched 10 points last season. The '09 winger had a nice fall with the Boston Junior Eagles' 16U squad and always brings compete.
McCann wants the Arrows to play a fast, in-your-face brand of offense. Junior '08 Danny Porter (Hingham, Mass.) is someone he believes can step into that.
"He's a kid that you can put out there against anybody, and you know he's going to make that person's life very difficult," McCann said.
An interesting name to watch is Chris Welby. While he's only an '11, he's 6 feet and a potent scorer with high potential. He's been a standout with the Islanders Hockey Club 14U team.
In back
The Arrows don't have a legit, high-end No. 1 defenseman. They are also dealing with injuries to begin the season.
Two seniors who would've been impactful players this season are Jack Kelleher (Natick, Mass.) and Brian Burke (Westwood, Mass.). Kelleher had shoulder surgery and could miss the full season, while Burke tore his knee during lacrosse in the spring, which will impact his start date.
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Others will need to step up.
One name to watch is Sam Fishbone (Needham, Mass.). The 2010-born defender got legitimate minutes last winter as an eighth grader, posting two goals and six points.
"Geez, did he take off last year as a really young player?" McCann said. "It took him a while to get comfortable with it, but when he did, he definitely made the move into being an impact player. It'll be really exciting to see where he ends up going."
Gavin Wainwright (West Roxbury, Mass.), an '07, is another player who will have to step up. He had nine points last season in 27 games. He's committed to St. John's for baseball.
"He's a great offensive, high-IQ player," McCann said.
Ollie Manning (Franklin, Mass.) should also play a factor on the blue line. The '08 had seven assists last season.
The Arrows' biggest strength, however, is in net. Tommy Saulnier (Medfield, Mass.), an '08, stepped into the starting role and thrived last winter, posting a 2.94 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage behind one of the most inexperienced teams in prep.
"He was outstanding for us," McCann said. "There were a lot of games we weren't at our best early on, and he kept it close until we found our footing and started playing the way we wanted to. His focus, his hard work, his diligence as a goaltender and the fundamentals of working on his craft are outstanding."
Expectations
St. Sebastian's will be better than a six-win team this season. But how many more wins will that be? Will the Arrows contend for a playoff spot? Could they get in?
It's impossible to know right now.
"Personally, I don't set expectations for wins and losses," McCann said. "My expectations are to watch them come together as a group faster than we did last year. I expect a high compete level as well as a fast-paced game from our guys."
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The ceiling is high, however. If players like Queally, Noonan, Fishbone, Welby and Saulnier find new levels, the Arrows could be a sleeper team.
