This is the first year I've included Division 2 teams in my boys MIAA hockey rankings.
It's partially due to wanting to give Division 2 (or any teams not in Division 1) some representation. There are some very good teams there.
But it's also because before the season, there was quite a bit of hype around Tewksbury and Canton. The rosters were loaded, and both had cases to be as good — or better — than some top Division 1 teams.
We got confirmation this past week of how good those two squads actually are. They upended our top 10 this week.
Let's dive in.
1. Catholic Memorial (14-2-1)
Previous ranking: 1
Division 1
Head coach: Larry Rooney
Next game: at Archbishop Williams, Feb. 11, 7:10 p.m.Â
There's still no doubt: CM is the top team in the state. With the 3-1 win over Xaverian on Wednesday night, the Knights won the Catholic Conference. They also beat BC High, 4-0, on Saturday. CM is the fastest, best-skating and most skilled team I've seen in Massachusetts this winter. Does that automatically mean Rooney's team will repeat? No. But they have a real good chance of doing so.
2. St. John’s Prep (10-3-2)
Previous ranking: 3
Division 1
Head coach: Kris Hanson
Next game: at Bishop Feehan, Feb. 7, 3 p.m.Â
The Eagles are scorching hot. They took down Xaverian, 2-1, on Saturday and then crushed Malden Catholic, 10-3, on Wednesday night. Senior forwards Logan Daigle and Andrew McCauley tallied in the win over Xaverian. SJP actually went down by two goals against Malden Catholic but stormed back. Daigle, along with senior forward Christian Coleman and junior forward Joey LeBrun, had two goals.
3. Xaverian (13-4-0)
Previous ranking: 2
Division 1
Head coach: Dave Spinale
Next game: at Chelmsford, Feb. 11, 5:10 p.m.Â
Xaverian fell one spot this week, falling to St. John's Prep and Catholic Memorial. Senior forward Ryan Bello had the Hawks' only two goals over the last seven days and was his team's best player on Wednesday night against CM. Xaverian has a chance to get back on track with games against Chelmsford, Natick and Marshfield before the tournament.
READ MORE: 10 standouts, takeaways from CM's win over Xaverian
4. Canton (14-1-0)
Previous ranking: 8
Division 2
Head coach: Brian Shuman
Next game: at Mansfield, Feb. 6, 4:15 p.m. Â
Some may think this is too big a jump, but I don't think it is. Canton went into then-No. 4 Hingham and stunned the Harbormen, 5-0, on Monday night, advancing to the Ed Burns tournament championship against Tewksbury. Junior star forward Ryan Elrick potted a pair, along with sophomores Brayden Dickie and Kellen Labanara, and senior Joey Ryan. Canton has a massive chance to prove itself on Sunday against fellow D2 power Tewksbury.
5. Tewksbury (15-0-1)
Previous ranking: 7
Division 2
Head coach: Derek Doherty
Next game: vs. North Andover, Feb. 5, 3:45 p.m.Â
Like Canton, Tewksbury shot up the rankings after a big, 2-1 win over then-No. 5 Arlington on Sunday. The Redmen also took care of business against Concord-Carlisle with a 5-2 win on Wednesday. A second-period outburst of scoring from junior forward Kevin Andriolo and sophomore forward Jack Ryan catapulted Tewksbury past Arlington. Senior defenseman Michael Macauda notched two against Concord-Carlisle.
Previous ranking: 5
Division 1
Head coach: John Messuri
Next game: at Reading, Feb. 6, 7:25 p.m.Â
While the Spy Ponders lost to Tewksbury and dropped one spot, they still had a strong week. In that loss to Tewksbury, Arlington put up a real fight and had just beaten Winchester, 5-1, the day before. On Wednesday night, Messuri's team took down Belmont, 8-1. In the big win over Winchester, senior forward Cam Petrillo notched a hat trick, while senior forward Nolan Russell found the back of the net once and assisted on two goals. Junior forward Seamus Sullivan scored twice against Belmont.
Previous ranking: 4
Division 1
Head coach: Tony Messina
Next game: vs. Walpole, Feb. 8, 11:15 a.m.Â
Hingham fell three spots after an up-and-down week in which they beat Duxbury (3-1) and Central Catholic (9-2) but lost to Pope Francis (2-1) and Canton (5-0). The most positive takeaway from the week: In senior Cam McKenna's return from injury, he notched a hat trick against Central Catholic. McKenna's return should elevate Hingham to a different level. Even in the loss to Pope Francis, the Harbormen were right there and had a few chances to tie the game late. Things are so tight in the middle of the top 10 that Hingham could just as easily be a bit higher.
READ MORE:Â Full schedule, results for Ed Burns Coffee Pot tournament
Previous ranking: 9
Division 1
Head coach: Brian Foley
Next game: vs. ND West Haven (Conn.), Feb. 6, 7:50 p.m.Â
Pope Francis had a strong week, taking down Shrewsbury, 7-0, before going into Pilgrim Arena and taking down then-No. 4 Hingham, 2-1. The Cardinals' best players showed out in the win over Hingham, with seniors Matt Regan and Liam Dolan scoring, along with junior goalie George Ramsey making some huge saves. The Cardinals hae the Pope Francis Invitational this weekend.
Previous ranking: 6
Division 1
Head coach: Michael Mead
Next game: vs. Archbishop Williams, Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m.Â
St. John's Shrewsbury fell three spots for two reasons: a 5-3 loss to BC High on Wednesday, and Canton and Tewksbury boosting their own cases for moving up. SJS also beat Malden Catholic, 10-2, on Saturday. In the win over MC, sophomores Nico Santella and Brayden Reidy each had two goals. SJS will get a chance to move back up the rankings when it takes on Archbishop Williams, Hinghm and Andover over the next seven days.
READ MORE:Â How will going back to the Super 8 impact the MIAA tournaments?Â
Previous ranking: 10
Division 1
Head coach: Mark Doherty
Next game: vs. Arlington, Feb. 6, 7:25 p.m.Â
There was no reason to move Reading out of the No. 10 spot, as it took care of business with a 5-0 win over Belmont and a 5-2 win against Milton. It was another huge week for junior forward Kamden Greatorex, who scored twice in both games. Senior forward Jack Melly also scored two times against Belmont, while star defenseman Nate Vitarisi scored once and tallied a helper in the Milton victory.
Dropped out:Â None
In the hunt:Â Arlington Catholic, BC High, St. Mary's Lynn, Weymouth
