One month has passed in the New England boys prep hockey season. It's been an interesting one so far.
The top 10 has consistently changed. Various new teams have risen to the top, while typical powerhouses have stumbled.
On an individual player level, many of the top producers are young, which reflects prep becoming a bit of a younger league than it used to be.
Many of the names in this story will make an impact in hockey long after their prep school days.
Let's dive into the top performers from the first month of the season.
Holt
Top skater:Â Adrian Mendoza, North Yarmouth Academy
This isn't much of a surprise. After posting 43 points as a junior, Mendoza has been even more dominant as a senior with eight goals and 17 points in 10 games for North Yarmouth Academy.
Honorable mentions: Zachary Tsatas, Kents Hill (6-10—16 in nine games); Nikolas Smagacz, Kents Hill (6-8—14 in nine games); Joe Gaffney, Pingree (6-6—12 in 10 games); Danny Patch, Pingree (4-8—12); Cam Anderson, Pingree (2-8—10 in 10 games)
HIGH-END: Top boys prep performers from the holiday tournaments
Top goalie: Ethan Addazio, Berwick
Addazio has played the majority of the minutes for Berwick this season. Even with a weaker squad in front of him than last season, he's been outstanding with a 1.57 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage.
Honorable mentions:Â Von Larson, Pingree (1.86 GAA, .910 save percentage); Max-Levine Stein, Pingree (2.45 GAA, .920 save percentage); Tristan Bourassa, Kents Hill (2.82 GAA, .914 save percentage); Easton Theberge, Portsmouth Abbey (3.09 GAA, .912 save percentage)
Housatonic
Top skater: Justin Tavares, Deerfield
Tavares posted 33 points as a sophomore and 40 points as a junior last season. He's only improved, as he's outpacing both of those marks by quite a bit. Through eight games this season, the Mississauga, Ontario native has five goals and 16 points in eight games, leading Deerfield to a strong 6-2-0 record and the No. 9 spot in our latest top 10.
Honorable mentions: Indiana Grossbard, Avon Old Farms (11-5—16 in nine games); Andrew Migliore, Trinity-Pawling (7-7—14 in seven games); Cooper Snee, Avon Old Farms (7-7—14 in nine games); Ludovik Gauvin, Trinity-Pawling (0-13—13 in seven games); Stefano Pietrantonio, Kent (10-3—13); Nathan Di Chiara, Kent (2-8—10 in 10 games); Liam Lefebvre, Trinity-Pawling (2-9—11 in seven games); Jacob Jett, Avon Old Farms (3-6—9 in nine games); Oskar Drabczynski, Avon Old Farms (3-6—9 in nine games)
CHRISTMAS CLASSIC: How Avon Old Farms won the Christmas Classic
Top goalie:Â Anthony Palmer, Avon Old Farms
Of all the conferences, this has been the most competitive for goaltenders. Palmer has the edge as he's had the majority of reps in the Avon Old Farms net and has a 2.06 GAA and a .937 save percentage behind a much younger, inexperienced team than last year. He also led the Winged Beavers to the championship in the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic. It's been a nice start for the junior.
Honorable mentions:Â Brady Morris, Taft (2.30 GAA, .934 save percentage); Jacob Saldanha, Choate (2.45 GAA, .938 save percentage); Luke Quinn, Loomis Chaffee (2.02 GAA, .942 save percentage); Steven Luciano, Salisbury (1.82 GAA, .927 save percentage); Michael Heinke, Avon Old Farms (1.71 GAA, .944 save percentage); Liam Joyce, Loomis Chaffee (2.30 GAA, .922 save percentage); Jordan Rittenberg, Salisbury (1.39 GAA, .939 save percentage); Elliot Lennon, Deerfield (2.41 GAA, .907 save percentage); Connor Towle, Hotchkiss (2.64 GAA, .928 save percentage)
ISL Eberhart
Top skater:Â Carter Meyer, Rivers
No contest. No surprise. Meyer has an incredible 10 goals and 22 points in nine games, which is good for 2.44 points per game. He's on pace for 66 points, which would be the most for a freshman in (at least) the last 23 years.
Honorable mentions: Finn Sears, Rivers (9-9—18 in nine games); Sam Pandolfo, Rivers (4-11—15 in nine games); Cam MacPherson, St. Mark's (5-9—14 in nine games); Justin Graf, Rivers (4-10—14 in nine games); Evan Nee, St. Mark's (7-7—14 in nine games); Nick Sumner, Brooks (8-5—13 in nine games); Will Manchuso, St. Mark's (6-6—12 in nine games); Marco Senerchia, St. George's (2-9—11 in seven games); Danny Buckley, St. George's (5-5—10 in seven games); Matt Egan, Middlesex (5-4—9 in seven games); Everett Baldwin, St. George's (6-2—8 in seven games)
FLOOD-MARR: 17 uncommitted standouts, takeaways from the Flood-Marr Tournament
Top goalie:Â Justin BriseBois, St. Mark's
BriseBois struggled last winter, which was his first in prep hockey. But the senior from Tampa, Fla., has been everything and more for St. Mark's this season. He has a staggering 1.28 GAA and a sparkling .950 save percentage. Given that he's been at USA Hockey's Select 16 and 17 Camp the last two summers, it looks like BriseBois is finally putting it together at the prep level, which should bode well for his future.
Honorable mention: Caio Bernardini, Middlesex (1.78 GAA, .948 save percentage)
ISL Keller
Top skater:Â Kyle O'Leary, Nobles
O'Leary was one of the biggest breakout players last season with 17 goals and 43 points in 27 games as a junior, which helped him earn a commitment to Yale. He's improved upon that as a senior with eight goals and 13 points in seven games so far. The Medfield, Mass., native was at his best in the Flood-Marr Tournament with nine points in four games.
Honorable mentions: Jake Tavares, Belmont Hill (7-8—15 in 12 games); David Bosco, Belmont Hill (5-8—13 in 12 games); Evan Jones, Belmont Hill (5-8—13 in 12 games); Billy MacAusland, Nobles (5-7—12 in seven games); Eli Heinze, Governor's Academy (3-9—12 in five games); Robbie Daley, Governor's Academy (3-8—11 in five games); Ty Wood, Lawrence Academy (4-4—8 in seven games)
COMING UP: Full schedules for post-Christmas boys prep tournaments
Top goalie:Â Tyler Moschella, Thayer
Like the Housatonic, the ISL Keller is full of strong goalies. Moschella, however, has been outstanding behind a revamped Thayer team. He's played in every game so far, posting a 2.65 GAA and a .916 save percentage. The junior '07 had a quality sophomore season last year but is on pace to be even better this winter.
Honorable mentions:Â Tommy Saulnier, St. Sebastian's (2.84 GAA, .906 save percentage); JJ Thibodeau, Belmont Hill (0.69 GAA, .943 save percentage); Zach Ericson, Governor's Academy (2.54 GAA, .915 save percentage); Justin Lee, Nobles (1.13 GAA, .956 save percentage); Tucker Monroe, Nobles (2.42 GAA, .915 save percentage); Kolin Beliveau, Lawrence Academy (2.98 GAA, .901 save percentage)
Lakes Region
Top skater:Â CJ Watroba, Kimball Union
Last season, Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.) and Sam LeDrew traded this spot back and forth. This season, another Kimball Union forward is off to a great start. Watroba, a Merrimack commit, has five goals and 16 points in 12 games as he's ascended to the top line. He's been a reason why KUA is off to a strong, 10-1-1 start.
Honorable mentions: Matt Vohra, St. Paul's (5-9—14 in nine games); Lucas Siomos, KUA (2-11—13 in 12 games); Jeremy Poirier, Holderness (2-9—11 in eight games); Zach Phillips, KUA (7-6—13 in 11 games); Connor Pierson, New Hampton (6-6—12 in 10 games); Peter Silverman, Tilton (7-4—11 in 10 games); Tanner Petalas, Holderness (2-9—11 in eight games); Jacob Duval, Holderness (4-7—11 in eight games); Beckett Homlish, Proctor (6-4—10 in eight games); Connor Dozois, Holderness (4-6—10 in eight games); Andersen Kilbourne, St. Paul's (6-4—10 in nine games); Viktor Samal, Holderness (4-6—10 in eight games); Henry Colbert, Holderness (7-3—10 in eight games)
LATEST RANKINGS: Top 10 gets a makeover after holiday tournaments
Top goalie:Â Mark Bierwirth, Holderness
Holderness had a legitimate question mark in net opening the season. Bierwirth, the former netminder for Chelmsford (Mass.) High, has been outstanding with a 0.95 GAA and a .957 save percentage after seeing the overwhelming majority of reps for the Bulls. The '07 will be tested quite a bit through the next two months as Holderness tries to prove its superiority in the Lakes.
Honorable mentions:Â Blake McMeniman, Kimball Union (1.26 GAA, .939 save percentage); Matt Wood, Tilton (1.33 GAA, .954 save percentage); Hunter Marshall, Tilton (2.35 GAA, .931 save percentage); Cole Pouliot-Porter, New Hampton (2.72 GAA, .917 save percentage)
Independents
Top skater:Â Joe Salandra, Brunswick
Like with Meyer, there is zero contest on this. Salandra, an '08, is far and away the goals (13) and points (30) leader in the region. Sure, Brunswick has played more games (14) than almost everyone. But the Harvard commit is still producing and taking over games at such a high level consistently that it's clear he's the top skater among Independents so far.
Honorable mentions: Mason St. Louis, Brunswick (10-14—24 in 14 games); Oliver Czaja, Brunswick (11-11—22 in 14 games); Keegan Kazan, Brunswick (8-11—19 in 14 games); Cam Minella, Brunswick (5-12—17 in 14 games); Max Dineen, Cushing (7-9—16 in nine games); Blake Baksay, Northfield Mount Hermon (8-8—16 in 11 games); Duncan Thompson, Berkshire (6-9—15 in 10 games); Sam Gero, Millbrook (7-8—15 in 14 games); Matt Lacombe, Berkshire (7-7—14 in 10 games); Rui Han, Andover (9-5—14 in 10 games); Matthew Itzkovitz, Pomfret (4-10—14); Ryland Randle, Cushing (2-10—12 in nine games); Rian Chudzinski, Dexter Southfield (2-9—11 in seven games)
RECRUITING: 21 forwards who should be called | 14 defenders
Top goalie:Â Chase Anderson
Also no real surprise here. Anderson has been superb this season, owning the net for Andover with a 1.71 GAA and a .945 save percentage. He led the Big Blue to a Flood-Marr Tournament title and a 7-1-2 record so far, which has them ranked fifth in our latest rankings.
Honorable mentions:Â Colin Davis, Dexter Southfield (1.67 GAA, .942 save percentage); Brady Knode, Winchendon (2.09 GAA, .930 save percentage); Dylan Lee-Stack, Brunswick (2.17 GAA, .923 save percentage); Maksim Corovic, Cuhing (2.36 GAA, .914 save percentage); Cesar Della Santina, Pomfret (1.71 GAA, .940 save percentage); Kyle Bolduc, Berkshire (1.37 GAA, .929 save percentage); Cody Hew, Canterbury (1.73 GAA, .953 save percentage)
