The boys MIAA hockey season has begun, and there have already been three matchups between teams in our top five.
In those three matchups, Catholic Memorial and Pope Francis tied, St. John's Prep and Hingham tied, while Pope Francis beat St. John's Shrewsbury in overtime.
So what did that do to our rankings?
Almost every team ranked 6-10 was in action over the last week as well.
Let's dive into our first in-season rankings.
1. Catholic Memorial (1-0-1)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Larry Rooney
Next game: at Falmouth, Dec. 20, 4 p.m.Â
Even though Catholic Memorial tied No. 3 Pope Francis, 2-2, on Saturday night, the Knights were the much better team despite trailing 2-0 entering the second period. Junior forward Will Robinson and sophomore forward Dan Antonellis had the two goals, and freshman netminder Jaxson Fleming was stout after giving up those two goals. CM's first game of the year was a 6-0 rout of Belmont last Thursday. There's no reason to take CM out of the top spot.
2. St. John's Prep (0-0-1)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Kris Hanson
Next game: vs. LaSalle Academy (RI), Dec. 20, 2:50 p.m.Â
St. John's Prep has only played once, tying No. 5 Hingham, 4-4, on Wednesday night. That's nowhere near enough to get the Eagles to fall out of the No. 2 spot. Senior forward Luke Horenstein had two goals, and SJP led late in the game. The Pete Frates Winter Classic on Dec. 26 and 27 will be the biggest test for Hanson's team coming up.
READ MORE: Check out our preseason rankings for boys MIAA hockey
3. Pope Francis (2-0-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Brian Foley
Next game: vs. BC High, Dec. 20, 5 p.m. (at Sacred Heart)Â
Pope Francis has been busy. The Cardinals opened their season with a 3-2 win over Natick, tied No. 1 Catholic Memorial on Saturday and then took down No. 4 St. John's Shrewsbury, 3-2, in overtime on Wednesday night. Despite being outplayed against CM, that wasn't the case against SJS on Wednesday, as Foley's team got a hat trick from junior forward Gabe Kolodjay. Pope Francis is in the right spot at No. 3.
4. St. John's Shrewsbury (1-1-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Michael Mead
Next game: at Arlington Catholic, Dec. 23, 2 p.m.Â
Sure, St. John's Shrewsbury lost to No. 3 Pope Francis on Wednesday night. But it was in overtime, and Hingham (more on them in a second) tied its only game so far, too. So the Pioneers stayed at No. 4 this week. SJS opened its season with a 5-2 win over Duxbury. Against Duxbury, juniors Ryder Bisson, Jaydon Wrzosek and Matt Mischel, as well as sophomores Matthew McGinty and Nico Santella, had the goals.
5. Hingham (0-0-1)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Tony Messina
Next game: vs. Weymouth, Dec. 24, 12 p.m.Â
Hingham's lone game so far was that 4-4 tie with No. 2 St. John's Prep on Wednesday. At one point, the Harbormen had a two-goal lead, but had to score twice in the final minutes to tie the game. It was Brendan McCarthy who tied the game, 4-4, with 2:22 to play in regulation. Hingham doesn't play again until Christmas Eve.
6. Arlington (2-0-0)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: John Messuri
Next game: vs. Stoneham, Dec. 20, 2:25 p.m.
The Spy Ponders are off to a hot start, opening with a 9-1 win over Wilmington on Saturday and edging Burlington, 3-1, on Wednesday night. Cam Petrillo had a big night with a goal and an assist to take down Burlington, and netminder John Snider had 19 saves. Arlington's first big test won't come until New Year's Eve when it takes on CM.
READ MORE: 21 boys MIAA players to watch this season
7. Xaverian (1-0-0)
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Dave Spinale
Next game: vs. Arlington Catholic, Dec. 20, 3:15 p.m.Â
Quite the start for the Hawks, as Xaverian crushed Duxbury, 9-0, on Wednesday night. Senior forward Joe Von Handorf is starting the season on a heater after potting four goals. The Hawks have a pretty tough schedule coming up with Arlington Catholic, Winchester and Archbishop Williams.
8. Reading (2-0-0)
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: Mark Doherty
Next game: vs. Watertown/Wayland, Dec. 20, 7 p.m.Â
No complaints with Reading's start, as the Rockets took down Melrose, 5-0, on Saturday and then Stoneham, 4-1, on Wednesday. Junior forward Kamden Greatorex started strong with a hat trick against Stoneham. Senior defenseman Nate Vitarisi also had a big night against Stoneham, scoring a goal and adding two assists. While Reading has Watertown/Wayland up next, its first big matchup will be St. John's Prep on New Year's Eve.
9. BC High (0-0-0)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: John Flaherty
Next game: vs. Pope Francis, Dec. 20, 5 p.m.
BC High hasn't played yet, but Flaherty's team faces a gauntlet to start: the Sacred Heart Tournament and the Pete Frates Winter Classic right after that.
READ MORE:Â Full schedules, results for prep holiday tournaments
10. Canton (1-0-0)
Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Brian Shuman
Next game: vs. Archbishop Williams, Dec. 20, 6:40 p.m.Â
There's no reason to move the lone D2 team out of the No. 10 spot. Canton took care of Falmouth, 4-1, on Wednesday night. It was a big game for junior Cam Guerschuny, who tallied two lamplighters.
Dropped out:Â None
In the hunt:Â Winchester, Tewksbury, Archbishop Williams, St. Mary's Lynn, Arlington Catholic, Marshfield, Braintree, Billerica, Milton
