Tilton was one of the top breakout teams last winter, winning 19 games en route to securing the No. 4 seed in the Small School tournament.
The Rams can have it tough playing in the same division as Kimball Union and Holderness, who are typically two of the best teams in New England. But head coach Brooks McQuade has built a program that sustains itself with often older players.
McQuade's team had seven postgrads last season. Three of those were in the top five in points for Tilton. Senior Jeremy D'Souza also graduated. He ranked second on the team in points.
Replacing them will not be easy. But McQuade has assembled a team that should compete at an equally high level as last season.
"The guys that are coming back, they understand what it takes to be successful in prep hockey," McQuade said. "They know that consistency is hard. I'm excited about what we have to offer. I think this is a really good group that, even if things are slow out of the gate, their attitudes will play a huge role as long as we stay positive and do a good job of making sure we know who we're playing and how we're going to prepare."
Replacing lost scoring
The Rams are fortunate that Max Gagnon is back for his senior year. The '07 from Byfield, Mass., had 25 points last season and was a top player for the Northern Cyclones Prep Black team this fall.
"He's been really good for us the past couple of years," McQuade said. "I think he's got a ton of potential. I'm really looking forward to seeing how he plays this winter. I think he's a guy that a lot of junior teams are going to want to take a hard look at."
Gagnon isn't the only returning forward. Bryce Turmel (Alton, N.H.), Zachary Gay, Griff Halecki (Middleton, Mass.) and Tedy Hannon (Salem, N.H.) are all back. Gay, Halecki and Hannon are all '07s, while Turmel is an '08.
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Tilton will have a Division 1 commit in its top six this season with Ryan Shanahan, who's committed to Air Force. At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, the Centennial, Colo., native had 63 points in 59 games for the Rocky Mountain Roughriders' 16U squad last season.
"We're excited about him and his talent level," McQuade said.
Three postgrads will slot into the lineup up front in Connor Long, Hayden Hunter and Matt McLellan. Long and Hunter arrived from Colorado, while McLellan was with Hingham High School (MIAA) last season. All three are '07s.
McQuade also brought in some strong non-postgrads from the MIAA. Billerica's Ryan Johnson will be at Tilton this season, along with Central Catholic's Cazmir Wotkowicz.
Alex Reed, an '07, transferred to Tilton from Vermont Academy. He led the Wildcats in goals (15) and points (23) last season.
"These guys are just hungry," McQuade said. "They're good kids. They work hard, and we're excited for what they can bring."
It should be another season of being older up front. That's usually a good sign in prep.
Defense and in net
Tilton was solid defensively last season, allowing 78 goals against, which ranked in the top 20 of New England prep schools. That should continue this season.
Leading the way on the blue line is '06 Edward Hannan (Stratham, N.H.). The 6-foot-3, 210-pound defenseman had six assists last year and should be due for more.
"We're looking forward to not only his leadership, but watching him develop as he tries to make the jump to juniors," McQuade said.
Brady Guenther is another returning defenseman who McQuade looks forward to "making a jump" this winter. He's 6-foot-1 and from Naples, Fla. Evan Gardner, an '09, is another returner.
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The Rams brought in three defensemen from the MIAA. Andover High's Colin Reilly, St. Mary's of Lynn's Michael Nerich (Lynn, Mass.) and Central Catholic's Chris Marques (Middleton, Mass.) will be relied upon heavily for minutes.
All six of those defensemen can breathe easy knowing they play in front of Hunter Marshall (Seabrook, N.H.). While Marshall didn't get the most time in net last season, the '07 made the most of it, posting a 2.74 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.
"Hunter's a good goalie," McQuade said. "He works extremely hard. He puts the time in with goalie training. He's come into his own. He's more vocal. He gets along with everybody in the room and has earned their respect. He's big, he moves well. I think he's doing a really good job controlling rebounds. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do for us."
Matt Wood got the most time last season, but left before his senior year for the NAHL's Maine Nordiques. To replace him, Tilton brought in Sam Graceffa, an '09 goalie from Walpole High School (MIAA).
Recruiting
Seven of Tilton's recruits this season came from the MIAA. Selecting players from Massachusetts high school hockey has become a common trend for McQuade.
"I still think there are really good hockey players in Mass. high school hockey," he said.
Tilton is roughly an hour and a half drive from Boston, close enough to Massachusetts not to feel too far away from home.
"It's easier for them to come to watch games," McQuade said. "It's easier for them to get to campus."
The Rams also have a roster with a handful of Colorado natives this season. That, too, is another market that McQuade has had success with.
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"It's always been a really good market," he said. "There's good hockey there. But whether it's the Denver area or Los Angeles or parts of Florida, once you get to 16U, families have to make a decision on what they're going to do and where the kids are going to go. How can they package an academic experience with a hockey experience and put it all together? Because they're travelling so much in Triple A, and it's costly.
"They have a lot of good players that want to put the whole academic and athletic piece together."
Tilton has become a strong destination for that. It should show on the ice this winter.
