The boys prep hockey season is roughly one month old and many teams are still on holiday break, making it the perfect time to take stock.
Our latest power rankings looked a lot different than our preseason edition. Kimball Union and Brunswick sit atop the fray, as former top-three schools like St. Sebastian's, Avon Old Farms and Cushing slid further down. Holderness has moved into top-five territory.
Other squads such as Deerfield, Frederick Gunn, Rivers and Loomis Chaffee have established themselves as strong teams.
With players, the usual suspects are producing. Kimball Union's Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.) and Sam LeDrew are both averaging over two points per game. St. Mark's has a plethora of strong point-getters. So, too, do Cushing and Avon Old Farms.
Those are expected. What hasn't been as expected are some of the breakout stars throughout prep.
Here are 15 uncommitted skaters and goalies making strong names for themselves through one month.
Will Baker
Brunswick, 3/2/2005, G, catches left, 6-0/160Â
Brunswick is No. 2 in our latest rankings. That's in large part due to Baker's strong play. Last year, Baker sat behind starter Brendan Holahan (New Canaan, Conn.). Now with Baker in the driver's seat, the Norwalk, Conn., native has a 2.94 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. What those numbers don't show, however, is how good he was in wins over Rivers, St. Andrew's College and St. Sebastian's to win the Kevin Mutch Tournament.
POST-CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENTS: Check out all the results from the post-Christmas tournaments
Anthony Biakabutuka
Salisbury, 6/20/2006, D, left shot, 6-3/195Â
Speaking of players who showed well at holiday tournaments, Biakabutuka put on a show at the Flood-Marr, helping Salisbury get into the championship against Kimball Union. The two-way force leads Salisbury in points with 11. His play at both ends of the ice is impressive and he's made large strides from where his game was last season. He's not just a good prep school defenseman — he's one of the best.
Antoine Gauthier
Berkshire, 2/8/2006, F, right shot, 6-0/176Â
Under new head coach Kevin Czepiel, Berkshire got off to a strong start. Even after losing its last two games, Berkshire won six of its first nine matchups. A large reason why has been Gauthier, who has seven goals and a team-leading 14 points. The Ottawa native came to Berkshire from the Ottawa Jr. Senators in the CCHL.
Indiana Grossbard
Loomis Chaffee, 12/21/2007, F, right shot, 5-9/145Â
Along with having a fantastic name, Grossbard has been a force for Loomis Chaffee, which sits at 7-2-0. The Wilton, Conn., native leads Loomis Chaffee in goals (7) and points (14). What Grossbard lacks in size, he more than makes up for in compete and ability to produce. His high offensive IQ is a big reason why he's found success as a sophomore.
Noah Jimbo
Portsmouth Abbey, 8/3/2006, F, left shot, 5-9/170Â
Jimbo posted eight goals and 17 points in 20 games for Hoosac last season. The Torrance, Calif., native made the move to Portsmouth Abbey this season and has taken over, already at five goals and 16 points through 10 games.
Blake Jones
Avon Old Farms, 2/22/2005, D, left shot, 5-9/160Â
Entering the season, Avon Old Farms had a whole new defensive group. So far, senior Blake Jones has stepped up a bunch, contributing two goals and eight points in nine games. The 5-foot-9 lefty moves the puck well, and it's showed. Along with Jones, seniors Drew Pitts, Magnus Turcotte (North Haven, Conn.) and Hudson Miller have been vital to Avon's undefeated record.
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Brady Kudrick
Thayer, 10/28/2005, F, left shot, 6-0/170Â
Kudrick, a junior, had a strong fall with the Cape Cod Whalers and that's continued with Thayer. He's known for his powerful, accurate shot, as is evident by his team-leading seven goals. He leads the team in points, too, with 15 in 11 games. Last season, Kudrick was a secondary scoring option for head coach David Hymovitz. Now, he's the guy.
Blake McMeniman
Kimball Union, 2/28/2007, G, catches left, 5-8/150Â
Kimball Union had some questions surrounding it after Vermont commit Dan Heroux graduated. In came McMeniman, a short goalie out of Revere, Mass. He started to get the majority of reps in net around the Flood-Marr and then at the holiday tournament, he was the best goalie in attendance, guiding the Wildcats to a championship. The '07 carries a 1.40 GAA and a .943 save percentage.
Carter Meyer
Rivers, 4/10/2009, F, left shot, 5-11/153Â
We knew Rivers was going to be young and we knew Meyer was good. But tied for the team-lead in points with 11 through 10 games? Oh boy. Meyer, an eighth-grader, has fit in seamlessly for head coach (and his father) Freddy Meyer's team. He doesn't just fit in amongst much older players — he's been dominating.
Kyle O'Leary
Nobles, 6/25/2006, F, right shot, 6-0/165Â
O'Leary has burst onto the scene after playing most of the first month with Nobles forwards Dennis Davidson and Teddy MacAusland. O'Leary is second on the team in points with 14 and has established himself as a go-to player for head coach Brian Day. O'Leary uses his size well and has a high offensive IQ. He should fly past the 17 points he notched last season.
Brady Quackenbush
Phillips Exeter, 11/5/2004, G, catches left, 5-11/165Â
It's hard to put a postgrad '04 on the list, but Quackenbush has meant everything to Exeter, helping his new team tie Brunswick and beat St. Sebastian's in the first month. With his 2.17 GAA and .927 save percentage, he's guided head coach Tim Mitropoulos' team to a 6-3-1 start.
Finn Sears
Rivers, 5/4/2009, F, left shot, 6-0/155Â
If we're going to talk about Meyer, it's only fitting Sears be brought up too. Sears ranks right behind Meyer with 10 points and is tied with sophomore Justin Graf (Lincoln, Mass.) for the team lead in goals with six. Sears is heavily relied upon by Freddy Meyer and his speed and skill have translated well to prep.
Noah Survilas
Dexter Southfield, 12/27/2008, F, right shot, 5-9/160Â
Survilas was one of many strong recruits brought in by head coach Danny Donato. So far, Survilas, who's only a freshman, has fit in perfectly for Dexter, notching three goals and 11 points in 11 games. The right-shot has a lot of offensive creativity and a high IQ, which has served him well to begin his prep career.
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Jake Tavares
Belmont Hill, 1/27/2007, F, right shot, 6-0/174Â
After a seven-point season in his freshman year, Tavares has been a go-to scorer for head coach Brian Phinney's team to start his sophomore year. His 10 goals lead a Belmont Hill team that was in desperate need of younger players to step up. So far, Tavares has been that guy.
Nathan Walsh
St. George's, 7/6/2006, D, left shot, 5-9/175Â
Since arriving at St. George's from the Boston Jr. Bruins, Walsh has been a star, leading St. George's in goals (7) and ranking second on the team in points (13) — and that's as a defenseman. The Mendon, Mass., native moves the puck with ease and is a good skater. Yes, St. George's has had some soft opponents so far. But there's no denying how good Walsh has been.
