We're a couple of weeks into the boys MIAA season, which is the perfect time for our first rankings.
Hingham has been the team most battle-tested thus far, facing St. John's Prep and Catholic Memorial in its first three games.
There are a handful of holiday tournaments coming up. That will strengthen these rankings, as many top teams will battle.
Let's dive into our latest top 10.
1. Pope Francis
Previous ranking: 1
Interim head coach: Daniel Fenton
Record: 2-1-0
Next game: vs. Franklin, Dec. 23, 12:10 p.m.Â
The big news with Pope Francis since our last rankings was head coach Brian Foley's one-year suspension. Under Fenton, the Cardinals split games at the Sacred Heart Tournament, taking down Notre Dame (Conn.), 3-0, but falling to Don Bosco (N.J.), 4-2. Locally, Pope Francis' first big test came Thursday and it passed, beating St. John's Shrewsbury, 4-2.
The next big test will be the Pete Frates Tournament, which begins on Dec. 27.
2. Xaverian
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Dave Spinale
Record: 1-0-0
Next game: vs. Arlington Catholic, Dec. 23, 1 p.m.Â
Xaverian has only played one game this season, taking down Duxbury, 5-1, on Thursday. The Hawks are worthy of a No. 2 ranking because their roster is deep, which they showed in their first game of the season. Senior forward Jack O'Neil registered a multi-point game in the win and star goalie Cole Pouliot-Porter stopped 23 shots.
3. Catholic Memorial
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Larry Rooney
Record: 3-0-0
Next game: vs. Delbarton (N.J.), Dec. 27, TBD
The Knights were somewhat of a mystery entering this season after losing a lot of last year's talent. They seem to be doing just fine, however, winning their first three games. First, they took down Belmont, 4-1, and then Franklin, 4-2. Rooney's team's biggest win came on Wednesday against Hingham, when they edged out the Harbormen, 2-1.
4. St. John's Prep
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach:Â Kristian HansonÂ
Record: 1-1-0
Next game: vs. Bishop Feehan, Dec. 23, 5:30 p.m.Â
St. John's Prep falls two spots in these rankings after losing to Hingham, 3-2, in its opening game. Hanson's team followed that up with a 3-1 win over LaSalle Academy on Wednesday. Even in the loss, senior forward Jake Vana started his season off strong, scoring two goals. St. John's Prep will have the opportunity to improve its ranking at the Pete Frates Classic next week and then a date with Reading on Jan. 1.
HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS: Top prep performers from the holiday tournaments
5. Hingham
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Tony Messina
Record: 1-2-0
Next game: vs. Weymouth, Dec. 24, 12 p.m.Â
Hingham has had a wild start to its season. The Harbormen opened with a 3-2 loss to Andover, which isn't great. But they followed that up by taking down St. John's Prep. Then, they lost to Catholic Memorial on Wednesday. A bad loss, a good win and losing to a better team all leads to staying at No. 5.
The biggest bright spots so far have been senior forward Paul Dzavik and sophomore goalie Mike Karo. Dzavik has three goals in his first two games, while Karo shook off a rough game against Andover to beat SJP with 38 saves and make a number of big-time stops in the loss to CM.
6. Reading
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Mark Doherty
Record: 3-0-0
Next game: vs. Winchester, Dec. 29, 5 p.m.Â
Reading has had a blazing start to the season. It started by taking down Burlington, 5-3. Then came a 6-0 win over Melrose and a 3-1 win over Stoneham. Production hasn't been hard to come by for the Rockets. Cam Fahey, their offensive leader, is off to a great start with five goals and two assists in three games. Fellow senior captain Matt Fichera, who plays on a line with Fahey, has been outstanding, too, logging two goals and four assists.
7. Marshfield
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Dan Connolly
Record: 3-0-0
Next game: vs. Framingham, Dec. 27, 5:10 p.m.Â
Marshfield took care of business with a close, 2-1 win over Plymouth North, a 2-0 victory over Whitman-Hanson and a 7-0 drubbing of Silver Lake. Senior forward Ryland McGlame is an offensive weapon with over 50 points in his career. He has two goals and an assist to start the season. Framingham and the My Hockey Live Cup will be Marshfield's first test of the season.
8. Arlington
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: John Messuri
Record: 3-0-0
Next game: vs. BC High, Dec. 23, 12 p.m.Â
Through three games, Arlington hasn't allowed a goal. The Spy Ponders opened with a 5-0 win over Wakefield and followed that up with a 7-0 victory over Wilmington. Against Burlington, Messuri's team won, 2-0. So far, senior goalie Ryan Martin has backstopped the Spy Ponders to two shutouts while sophomore John Snider has one. Arlington will be tested on Saturday when it takes on BC High. That's sure to change up these rankings.
9. BC High
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: John Flaherty
Record: 0-2-0
Next game: vs. Arlington, Dec. 23, 12 p.m.Â
BC High has yet to score, falling to Don Bosco (N.J.) and Notre Dame (Conn.) by a combined score of 5-0. So Flaherty's team falls one spot in the rankings. Those are two strong out-of-state teams, which is why the Eagles don't fall any further. Things don't get any easier, as BC High battles Arlington on Saturday and has the Pete Frates Classic next week.
TOP MATCHUP: 9 standouts from CM's 2-1 win over Hingham
10. St. John's Shrewsbury
Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Michael Mead
Record: 2-1-0
Next game: vs. Andover, Dec. 23, 4 p.m.Â
St. John's Shrewsbury took care of business in its first two games, beating Dubxury, 5-2, and Mount St. Charles, 8-0. Mead's team fell to Pope Francis, 4-2, on Thursday. But losing to the No. 1 team in the state won't knock SJS out of these rankings, especially since it entered the third period with a 2-1 lead.
