The boys prep hockey season is finally upon us and it’s a fun time of year. Many teams are considered contenders, while lots will use this season to build toward becoming strong contenders in the future. That all begins when the puck is dropped on the first regular season games Wednesday.
All have this in common: they want to win.
On a personal level, I’m really excited about this season because it’s my first covering prep hockey full-time for New England Hockey Journal. In my adventures around the rinks these past few months, I thoroughly enjoyed watching some of the best players from prep hockey thrive in the fall circuit. I also loved connecting with coaches, players, parents and readers and I look forward to doing a lot more of that in the coming season.
PREP SCHOOL PREVIEWS: ISL | Housatonic | Lakes | IndependentsÂ
Still, like everyone else, I have questions. There are a lot of big storylines entering this season and while these questions won’t be answered immediately, they’re things you should keep a close eye on.
Here are the five biggest questions entering the season.
1. Can Cushing live up to the hype?
Cushing was ranked No. 1 in our preseason rankings. We plastered them all over the cover of our November/December magazine. Expectations are high for the team from Ashburnham, Mass.
And rightfully so. The Penguins have an all-star cast, headlined by Boston College commit Landan Resendes (Marlboro, Mass.) and UConn commit Ethan Gardula (Princeton, Mass.). Resendes is dynamic. Gardula is an outstanding playmaker who could reach even greater heights this season with his emphasis on shooting the puck and getting to the net.
Even though the Penguins lost Billy Norcross (Lynn, Mass.), last year’s leading point-getter, they have scoring depth they didn’t have last season.
On defense, veterans Ryan Philbrick (Concord, N.H.), a UNH commit, and Zach Rizzo lead the way. Another name who will likely be vital for Cushing’s backend this season will be Tyler Russo. The 6-foot, 170-pound defenseman is one of the best ‘07 defensemen in the region.
In net, Cooper Rautenstauch will be looked upon to shoulder the load after a successful season last year with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres.
2. How does Belmont Hill do after losing so much in the offseason?
Belmont Hill put together an outstanding season, going 21-3-3 and making it all the way to the Elite 8 championship game. By all accounts, Brian Phinney had a great first chapter as head coach.
But the Sextants lost a lot. Up front, they lost James Fisher (Burlington, Mass.) and Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass.). Fisher is with the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL and Stiga is with the U.S. National Team Development Program. Goalie Sam Scopa (Lexington, Mass.) left for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders during the summer. This doesn’t even take into account the number of seniors lost (10) from last year’s roster.
There will be new talent that steps up. Defenseman Lenny Greenberg is new from Bishop Kearney Selects and is slated to make an impact. While he’s not new to the team, forward Jake McManus (Winthrop, Mass.) will be important to the team’s scoring.
The ISL Keller division won’t be easy either, with St. Sebastian’s, Nobles, Governor’s Academy and Milton Academy as Belmont Hill’s toughest rivals.
While Belmont Hill didn’t make our preseason top 10 rankings, it did rank No. 7 in the preseason coaches poll.
3. Who is best positioned to knock off Salisbury in the Housatonic?
Sixteen players may be gone from Salisbury’s Elite 8-winning squad, but that didn’t stop prep coaches from voting for Salisbury as the best team in the region to begin the season.
Andrew Will has lots of new, young talent to influence at Salisbury this winter, and it’ll be interesting to see which players make the biggest impact.
But the biggest question is which team in the Housatonic poses the biggest challenge to Salisbury?
Look to Avon Old Farms and Kent.
Avon Old Farms has long been a prep hockey powerhouse and a thorn in Salisbury’s side (and vice versa). There’s a reason Avon is ranked No. 4 in the preseason rankings.
John Gardner’s team has a strong, veteran core up front led by Northeastern commit Joe Connor (Amherst, N.H.) and Nick Capasso (Northford, Conn.). On defense, Yale commit Hudson Miller and Holy Cross commit Ryan Flaherty (Milton, Mass.) look poised to keep Avon near the top of prep hockey.
Kent is another huge player in the Housatonic. Despite losing a fair amount of last year’s scoring, its defense and goaltending are one of the best tandems in all of prep hockey.
4. Who steps up offensively for Dexter Southfield?
Dexter Southfield is ranked No. 6 in the preseason rankings in large part due to its strength on defense. There’s a core of Harvard commit Sean Keohane (Milton, Mass.), Yale commit Jonathan Lanza (Winthrop, Mass.) and Holy Cross commit Liam O’Keeffe (Boston) that will make life miserable for opposing forwards.
In net, Paul Dalessio (Burlington, Mass.) looks to continue his great fall hockey play and be a stellar puck-stopper for Dexter.
So, how does the offense look?
Dexter lost its four highest point-getters from last season in Culin Wilson (Hingham, Mass.), Will Hughes (Andover, Mass.), Grayson Badger (Hyde Park, Mass.) and Fitz Frechette (Weston, Mass.). While head coach Dan Donato knows he doesn’t have a Ryan Donato-type player this season, he expects some younger players to take steps forward.
Nate Porter (Hingham, Mass.) is certainly one breakout candidate. So, too, is Cullen Emery (Reading, Mass.). Connor Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.) is a senior who posted nine goals and 17 points in 25 games last season. He’ll be looked at to produce at a similar, if not better, rate.
If Porter, Emery, Sutherland and others consistently fill the back of the other team’s net with pucks at a high rate, Dexter is going to have no issue climbing into the top 5.
5. Where does top prep talent commit for college?
Prep hockey is always producing high-end college players, and this year looks to be no different. It’s one of the most fun storylines to watch every winter — how are the top college hockey prospects developing and where will they pick?
COMMIT TRACKER: Our '06 commitment database
While many players will have colleges calling them on Jan. 1, here are the standouts.
Teddy Mutryn (F)
School: St. Sebastian's
Hometown: Norwell, Mass.
Birthday: Feb. 16, 2007
Nate Porter (F)Â
School: Dexter Southfield
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
Birthday: March 10, 2006
Richard Gallant (F)
School: St. Mark’s
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
Birthday: June 12, 2007
Mikey Munroe (F)
School: Avon Old Farms
Hometown: Hanover, Mass.
Birthday: July 6, 2007
Liam Kilfoil (F)
School: Salisbury
Hometown: Quispamsis, New Brunswick
Birthday: March 21, 2007
Thatcher Bernstein (G)
School: Nobles
Hometown: Brookline, Mass.
Birthday: July 17, 2006
All six of these players will have college scouts watching their every minute on the ice. Colleges can begin contacting them Jan. 1, but these players cannot commit to a school until Aug. 1.
