The top 10 list is out and set. Those 10 teams have the highest expectations in boys prep hockey entering the new season.
But what about the teams that just missed the top 10?
When I made the top 10 list, these nine teams were the hardest to leave off. There's a high chance all nine of these teams find their way into top 10 rankings throughout the season.
Let's dive in.
Belmont Hill
Head coach: Brian Phinney
Last season: 20-7-3, lost to Avon Old Farms in semifinals of Elite 8 TournamentÂ
The main reason why Belmont Hill isn't in the preseason top 10 is because of how young and unproven the Sextants are. Phinney's team lost their top six point-getters and top three defensemen from last season. However, Belmont Hill has a couple of things going for it. The first is even though it's young in net, junior Keagin Wilson (Hingham, Mass.) and sophomore JJ Thibodeau (Waltham, Mass.) are proven commodities in goal. The second is Belmont Hill has a strong captain in Jake McManus (Winthrop, Mass.) and has a plethora of good, young players all over the lineup looking to take steps forward. My guess would be the Sextants start slow, but find their groove after the holidays.
Dexter Southfield
Head coach: Dan Donato
Last season: 17-7-8, lost to Salisbury in semifinals of Large School TournamentÂ
There are lots of question marks that surround Dexter. Donato's team lost its top three defensemen and high-scoring forwards, including Nate Porter (Hingham, Mass.) who opted for junior hockey over junior season at Dexter. Cullen Emery initially left for juniors, but recently opted to come back and will be vital for Dexter. That's not the only piece of good news for this season's Dexter squad. There are a number of seniors who should have strong seasons: forwards Sean Leetch (Boston, Mass.), Ben Morgan (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Henry Butte (Belmont, Mass.), as well as defenseman Liam O'Keeffe (Beacon Hill, Mass.). Donato also brought in a strong recruiting class with two Catholic Memorial standouts in Tyler Hamilton (Framingham, Mass.) and Joe Marchi (Foxboro, Mass.).
Frederick Gunn
Head coach: Craig Badger
Last season: 21-10-5, lost to Lawrence Academy in championship of Small School TournamentÂ
Frederick Gunn should have no problem scoring this season, with Alex LoGuercio (Monroe, Conn.), Jacob Rothman and Mark Pizzo (Monroe, Conn.) all returning. LoGuercio burst onto the scene last season with 28 goals, which was good for second in the region. Badger's team is also fortunate to have Mitchell McCusker in net who played in a good share of games last season, sporting a 2.15 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. The biggest question will be depth, as Frederick Gunn lost a whole bunch of seniors who played valuable roles.
Kent
Head coach: Dale Reinhardt
Last season: 12-12-2Â
Last season was underwhelming for a Kent team with high expectations. Fortunately, the Lions didn't lose much off of last year's roster. Gio DiGiulian (South Burlington, Vt.), a Cornell commit, will lead the way offensively after posting a team-high 17 goals and 29 points last winter. He has all the tools to be one of the best players in the region. He will also have good forwards around him with Owen Mahar, Jack Roberts and Sam Pfefferle all returning. Reinhardt's team has a solid defensive core, too, with seniors Teddy Mallgrave, Denver Damphousse and Braden Pohlman, and juniors Jacob Ingstrup and Nathan DiChiara (Fairfield, Conn.).
Lawrence Academy
Head coach: Robbie Barker
Last season: 13-11-4, beat Frederick Gunn to win Small School Tournament championshipÂ
The Spartans are fresh off a thrilling, Small School Tournament championship. They're fortunate to return senior forwards Owen Leahy (Providence, R.I.) and Brendan Hirsch (Arlington, Mass.), as well as juniors Spencer Hirsch and Jake Lewis. Shawn Leary (Dorchester, Mass.) has the offensive abilities to lead the Spartans on defense and has the opportunity to be one of the most productive defensemen in the ISL. The ISL Keller division is stacked, meaning every win will be hard-fought for Barker's team.
Milton Academy
Head coach: Jim Gaudet
Last season: 17-5-5, lost to Belmont Hill in quarterfinals of Elite 8 TournamentÂ
It's hard to leave the No. 3 team in last year's Elite 8 off of this season's top 10, but things look different for the Mustangs. It's year No. 1 of the Gaudet era and the Mustangs lost a lot of vital seniors from last year's team. Gaudet is fortunate to have some strong returners — Will Cannata (Milton, Mass.), Ryan Shea (Norwell, Mass.) and Dylan Hunt (Marlboro, Mass.) to name a few — and a good, first recruiting class. But the biggest thing going for Milton is Sam Caulfield (Needham, Mass.) in net. Milton falls under the same category as Belmont Hill — young and needs to prove themselves before being in the top 10 .
Rivers
Head coach: Freddy Meyer
Last season: 10-13-3Â
Rivers was very young last year, and opens this winter a bit older, but still young. The big difference is the amount of breakout candidates Meyer's squad has. Senior forwards Brett Stone (Woburn, Mass.), Cayden Miceli (Natick, Mass.) and Jacob Kulas (Stow, Mass.) will all be leaders. Sophomores Justin Graf (Lincoln, Mass.) and Stephen Rousell (Roslindale, Mass.) are strong prospects. So, too, is freshman Freddy Meyer (Winchester, Mass.). The X-factor of this group will be the '09 forwards who made the team: Carter Meyer (Winchester, Mass.), Finn Sears (Medford, Mass.) and Sam Pandolfo (Winchester, Mass.). All come from the 14U Jr. Eagles with extremely high upsides. Senior Brendan Nee (Arlington, Mass.) is a strong No. 1 goalie who will keep Rivers in contention even when some of the younger players make mistakes.
Dare I say Rivers might be the most interesting team in prep...?
Taft
Head coach: Ryan Shannon
Last season: 20-8-0, beat Salisbury to win Large School Tournament championshipÂ
Last season was a program-shifting moment for Taft, as Shannon looks to elevate the team into one of the premier squads in prep. There are many pieces from last season's team still there — forwards Derek Tremblay and Archer Brown, and defenseman Alexander Kenerson (Watertown, Conn.) — but Taft still lost a lot. Rudy Guimond, the best goalie in prep last season, left for the USHL. Top point-getters Jackson Holl (Avon, Conn.) and J.J. Lemieux graduated. While Shannon had a strong offseason recruiting and has Brady Morris, a junior, ready to go between the pipes, Taft isn't in top 10 territory...yet.
Westminster
Head coach: Tim Joncas
Last season: 17-9-0, lost to Avon Old Farms in quarterfinals of Elite 8 TournamentÂ
If I were to rank these nine teams Nos. 11-19 after the top 10, Westminster would battle with Kent for the No. 11 spot. The Martlets lost their No. 1 scorer from last season in Ryan Shaw (East Longmeadow, Mass.), as well as depth scoring. But, they return Brian Judge and Blake Burke (Trumbull, Conn.), who will highlight the offense. Joncas' team is old on defense, which won't bode well for opposing forwards. Senior Matteo De Luca is back in net and looks poised to get Westminster back into the top 10.
