Boys MIAA rankings: Arlington, Belmont gain ground in top 10

The last week provided some clarity in MIAA Division 1 boys hockey. There's a clear No. 1 team in the state.

Another area that we've gotten clarity on is that we seem to have a defined top 10 teams. It was the theme of last week's rankings, as no team dropped out. That was the case again this week as the gap between teams 1-10 and teams 11-14 widened even more.

Could it change? Maybe. But there isn't much time left for that to happen.

But from teams 3-10, things are far from clear.

Let's dive into the latest rankings.

1. Pope Francis (15-2-0)

Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Brian Foley
Next game: vs. Fairfield Prep, Feb. 7, 7:40 p.m. 

After taking down then-No. 2 Hingham, 6-2, on Saturday, Pope Francis looks like it will cruise to being the No. 1 seed in the Division 1 tournament. Senior forward Michael McGrath notched a hat trick in the win over Hingham and the Cardinals followed it up with a 3-1 victory at Shrewsbury.

2. St. John's Prep (11-4-0)

Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Kristian Hanson
Next game: vs. Catholic Memorial (at West Point), Feb. 9, 12 p.m. 

St. John's Prep has moved back into being a top-two team in the MIAA with a 6-2 win over Arlington Catholic this week, as well as a 4-0 victory against Xaverian, which clinched its second straight Catholic Conference title. Senior Ryan DeLucia posted a hat trick in the win over the Hawks, as the Eagles have won five straight games since losing to Xaverian on Jan. 19.

3. Arlington (11-4-2)

Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: John Messuri
Next game: at Belmont, Feb. 7, 7:50 p.m. 

Arlington shot up the rankings after a great week in which it took down Reading, 2-1, in double overtime, and then crushed rival Winchester, 6-1. Sophomore forward Nolan Russell has missed time this season, but he looked to be in midseason form on Sunday when he scored the overtime-winner to beat Reading. With that win, Arlington advanced to the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament final and will face Belmont. Funny enough, Arlington was slated to play Belmont anyway on Friday. That two-game set should heavily impact these rankings.

ED BURNS FIRST ROUND: 16 standout forwards | 8 standout defenders, goalies

4. Hingham (12-3-1)

Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Tony Messina
Next game: vs. Catholic Memorial, Feb. 7, 6 p.m. 

For the first time this season, the Harbormen had a rough week, falling to No. 1 Pope Francis, 6-2, and then-No. 9 Belmont, 2-1. It's far from the end of the world for Hingham, however, as it has proven to be one of the top teams in the MIAA. One week shouldn't change the Harbormen being a top seed come the tournament. They will get to boost their stock up again with games against Catholic Memorial and Reading this weekend.

5. Belmont (11-4-1)

Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Tim Foley
Next game: vs. Arlington, Feb. 7, 7:50 p.m. 

While Belmont most recently tied then-No. 5 Reading, 2-2, it upset then-No. 2 Hingham, 2-1, in the Ed Burns Coffee Pot semifinals. The top line of Adam Bauer, Leo Packard and Liam Guilderson continued to be the top line in the MIAA, while goalie Ethan Bauer has the makings of a netminder who can carry a team. This upcoming two-game set with Arlington will give us a better understanding of Belmont.

6. Reading (11-3-3)

Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Mark Doherty
Next game: vs. Hingham, Feb. 9, 2 p.m. 

Reading had a tough week, losing to Woburn, 2-0, falling to Arlington, 2-1, in double overtime and tying then-No. 9 Belmont, 2-2. Is that the end of the world for the Rockets? Absolutely not. But their next two games against Hingham and Arlington have become drastically more important.

FULL RESULTS: Click or tap here to access the full schedule for the entire Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament

7. St. Mary's Lynn (12-4-1)

Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Matthew Smith Sr.
Next game: vs. BC High, Feb. 8, 4 p.m. 

St. Mary's Lynn fell one spot through no fault of its own. The Spartans took care of business by beating Bishop Feehan, 2-0. Goalie Matthew Smith Jr. continued his outstanding season with a shutout. The star netminder will need to continue to be at his best over the next two games as his squad faces BC High and St. John's Prep.

8. Catholic Memorial (10-5-1)

Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Larry Rooney
Next game: at Hingham, Feb. 7, 6 p.m. 

A 0-0 tie with BC High was the only game Catholic Memorial played over the last week. The Knights are a definite top-10 team, but they have a gauntlet coming up with Hingham, St. John's Prep, Archbishop Williams, Pope Francis and Winchester to close out the regular season.

A DAY OF ACTION: 10 takeaways from second round of Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament

9. BC High (7-5-3)

Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: John Flaherty
Next game: at St. Mary's Lynn, Feb. 8, 4 p.m. 

BC High moved up one spot after upsetting then-No. 4 Xaverian, 2-0. Flaherty's team's scoring woes went away in their 5-2 win over Malden Catholic, but returned in a 0-0 tie with then-No. 7 Catholic Memorial. Junior forward Nolan O'Sullivan (Dorchester, Mass.) has been hot of late with the eventual game-winner against Xaverian and two more tallies to beat Malden Catholic.

10. Xaverian (9-6-1)

Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Dave Spinale
Next game: vs. Chelmsford, Feb. 12, 5 p.m. 

Typically, the No. 10 ranking is for a team just barely holding on to being in the top 10. That isn't Xaverian. Barring something drastic, the top 10 teams are almost set in stone with the way things have shaken out. While the Hawks went down six spots after a 2-0 loss to BC High and a 4-0 loss to St. John's Prep, Spinale's squad is still a top-10 caliber team. On the bright side, they did beat St. John's Shrewsbury, 3-1.

DROPPED OUT: None

IN THE HUNT: St. John's Shrewsbury (8-8-0); Archbishop Williams (9-7-0); Marshfield (12-5-1); Braintree (7-7-2); Winchester (9-9-0); Natick (9-3-4)

RinkWise podcast: Which teams might step up in the MIAA tournament?