BOSTON — It was only fitting that Kimball Union and Cushing — the two best teams in boys prep hockey — met in the championship.
We now know Kimball Union was the No. 1 team in 2023-24.
Kimball Union's road to glory was far from easy. The Wildcats faced St. George's in the quarterfinals, needing overtime to beat the Dragons, 5-4. St. George's outplayed and heavily outshot the Wildcats, but head coach Tim Whitehead's team held strong, getting a goal from Andrew O'Sullivan (Boston, Mass.) in overtime.
In the semifinals, KUA drew a tough Salisbury team. Despite the Wildcats leading 2-0 midway through the third period, Salisbury struck three times in under two minutes to take a late lead. But senior Malcolm Baar tied the game late and senior Jack Sadowski forced a turnover in overtime, leading to his winner.
The Wildcats got outshot in the championship. There were times Cushing had them on the ropes. But just like in the previous two games, they never broke, holding firm. Ultimately, that's why they're the champs.
But there were a handful of players, both from KUA and other teams, who showed well in the Elite 8.
Let's take a look at my NEPSAC Stuart/Corkery Elite 8 All-Tournament Team and MVP.
