Much like other states, the ever-changing hockey landscape can make it difficult for Connecticut to retain its best high school players.
The CIAC doesn’t allow players to play on both high school and club teams during the same season. The possibility of losing players to prep schools is always looming, too. And of the players that do remain at Connecticut high schools for all four years, many end up pursuing other sports, especially lacrosse.
Still, the CIAC will be loaded with talent this winter. Coaches have several different answers for the best player in the state, and there’s also plenty of newcomers and younger talent poised to make a name for themselves this year.
Here are 15 players to look out for when the Connecticut boys’ hockey season starts.
FORWARDS
Ryan Cline, East Catholic
Class: Senior
The Eagles have a chance to make some real noise in Division 2 this season, and Cline is a big reason why. He’ll be an assistant captain and will center East Catholic’s top line in his fourth year starting. He’s a great playmaker who produced double-digit points last season.
Tony DelCarmine, New Canaan
Class: Senior
A winger who can fly, the senior will play on the top line with teammate Rogan Lowe for the defending Division 1 runners-up. DelCarmine has been on the Rams’ varsity team since his freshman year, and he’s got 30 goals and 40 assists in 68 career games, including 11 and 19, respectively, as a junior.
Connor Driscoll, Fairfield Prep
Class: Senior
Driscoll is one of the more talked-about forwards in Connecticut. He finished with 10 goals and 10 assists in 20 games as a junior, including a hat trick against arch-rival Notre Dame-West Haven in the SCC title game, which was arguably the biggest game on Fairfield Prep’s calendar. A 6-foot-2 left wing, Driscoll complements an excellent shot with eye-popping straight-ahead speed.
Mark Laskin, Cheshire
Class: Junior
Laskin was the Rams’ leading scorer a season ago, finishing with 25 goals and 14 assists for the Division 2 state finalists. A 5-foot-10 left wing, Laskin has elite goal-scoring traits and is regarded as one of the best forwards in Connecticut.
Rogan Lowe, New Canaan
Class: Senior
Lowe is committed to Colgate for lacrosse, but if he were to be a full-time hockey player, he’d have huge potential. He had 18 goals and 12 assists for the Rams last year, surging down the stretch of the season, and will be the top-line center as a senior. “He’s just one of those guys that sees the game differently,” said coach Clark Jones.
PREP: Our preseason boys top 10 | Ranking the next 15 teams
Jack Marisca, Darien
Class: Senior
Coach Mac Budd says Marisca is “built like a running back and moves like a running back.” His size isn’t formidable, but he makes up for it with athleticism and strength, and after a 12-goal, 18-assist campaign earned him first-team All-State honors, he’ll return as a star for the defending Division 1 champions. Marisca is committed to Loyola Maryland for lacrosse.
Xavier Mitchell, Notre Dame-West Haven
Class: Junior
Notre Dame-West Haven coach Larry Viera believes Mitchell might be the fastest player in the state. The junior, who will play his first season with the Green Knights after a year with the Connecticut Junior Rangers, is only 5-foot-6 but has great vision and hands to complement his blazing speed.
Enzo Plano, East Haven Co-op
Class: Junior
Plano will be the headliner of East Haven’s high-flying attack this season after the graduation of Lorenzo Defilio, and the junior appears more than ready for it: he had 13 goals and 40 assists as a sophomore. While not the biggest center at 5-foot-8, Plano is an elite playmaker, possessing exceptional speed and skating.
DEFENSEMEN
Preston Cantele, East Haven Co-op
Class: Senior
A first-team All-State selection a year ago with 11 goals and 21 assists, Cantele returns for his senior season as a captain of the defending Division 2 champions. He’s committed to Endicott for baseball, but East Haven coach Lou Pane says Cantele is one of the best defenseman his program has ever had.
Nate Gaydos, Xavier
Class: Sophomore
Gaydos popped as a freshman last season, finishing as the leading goal-scorer (10) for a Xavier team that was an overtime goal away from the Division 1 state semifinal. He’s a physical defenseman who has potential to play at the Prep level, but he’s also an excellent lacrosse player. Regardless of what the future holds, he’ll be a critical piece for the Falcons this season.
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Alex Levey, Darien
Class: Junior
A smooth skater with excellent vision on the blue line, Levey is a candidate to make the jump to Prep. He had seven goals and eight assists for the state champions as a sophomore. The 5-foot-10 defenseman is a product of the Connecticut Junior Rangers and the Long Island Arrows.
Isaac Mann, Cheshire
Class: Junior
Cheshire returns a loaded defensive core, but Mann might be the most exciting prospect of them all. The junior missed most of last season, but he possesses a natural offensive skillset — Mann is poised with the puck and understands how to advance it with outlet passes and carries. Coach Anthony Giusto is bullish on his potential.
Paul Mastriano, North Haven
Class: Senior
A 5-foot-8 jitterbug on the blue line, Mastriano will be a captain as a senior for the Nighthawks, who are coming off an appearance in the Division 2 semifinal. He recorded eight goals and 26 assists last season and is a deceptive playmaker who relies on his elite skating.
GOALIES
Ryan Miller, Cheshire
Class: Senior
Now headed into his third year starting in Cheshire’s net, Miller is coming off a second-team All-State campaign in which he went 16-6 with a .922 save percentage and 2.2 goals against average. He’ll be critical for the Rams, who will look to avenge their state final loss from a season ago.
READ MORE: Our preseason Conn. boys top 10 rankings
Schafer Repsher, Darien
Class: Junior
Darien went into last season without a clear answer in goal, but Repsher, then a sophomore, took the net and ran with it, eventually earning second-team All-State honors and backstopping the Wave to a state title. A late bloomer at 6-feet tall, Repsher played his best in the biggest moments last year, allowing only two goals across the state semifinal and finals.
