The boys MIAA regular season is finished. It was an exciting season filled with unexpected results.
It wasn't one of those years where there was a huge battle for the top spot — Catholic Memorial has had a grasp on that all season. The No. 2 spot changed a bit, but St. John's Prep ultimately got back to it in the second half and hasn't let go.
Spots No. 3-10? Always changing.
Before the brackets release on Saturday, it's worth looking at the top 10 teams in Massachusetts. It's an impressive feat that two teams in Division 2 were so good that I had to include them in my top 10.
Let's dive in for the final time.
1. Catholic Memorial (17-2-1)
Previous ranking: 1
Division 1
Head coach: Larry RooneyÂ
The Knights have been the No. 1 team from start to finish, so there's no doubt that they enter as D1 tournament favorites. They scored two big wins in their final two games, taking down No. 5 Pope Francis, 3-1, and Winchester, 3-0. Juniors Mike Melvin (Marshfield, Mass.) and Jack McCourt (Milton, Mass.), as well as sophomore AJ Ankstitus (North Dighton, Mass.), scored against the Cardinals, while senior James Baker (Dorchester, Mass.), sophomore Trevor Hamilton (Framingham, Mass.) and freshman Kellan Murphy (Belmont, Mass.). CM enters the tournament on a five-game win streak.
2. St. John's Prep (15-3-2)
Previous ranking: 1
Division 1
Head coach: Kris HansonÂ
St. John's Prep scored three convincing wins over the last seven days, taking down Newburyport (6-1), Franklin (7-2) and Andover (4-0). Sophomore forward Gavin Anderson (Andover, Mass.) was the hero against Newburyport with two goals and a helper. Senior forward Andrew McCauley (Andover, Mass.) and senior defenseman JR Goldstein (Lynnfield, Mass.) each scored twice to beat Franklin, while the Eagles got goals from seniors Logan Daigle (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Brennan Waters (Lynnfield, Mass.) and juniors Chase Brown (Gloucester, Mass.) and Ryan Finkle (Marblehead, Mass.) in the regular season finale.
SJP enters the tournament on an 11-game win streak.
READ MORE:Â The latest boys prep top 10
3. Xaverian (15-4-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Division 1
Head coach: Dave SpinaleÂ
While Xaverian tied Natick, 1-1, the Hawks rebounded with a 5-1 win over Marshfield. Senior forward Ryan Bello (Braintree, Mass.) scored twice to get past the Rams. The tie with Natick isn't enough to move Xaverian down a spot. The Hawks are clearly the No. 3 team in the MIAA. They're fortunate to have junior goalie Connor Kotwicki (Franklin, Mass.) playing really well.
4. Canton (19-1-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Division 2
Head coach: Brian ShumanÂ
Canton finished its incredible season with a 2-1 win at Boston Latin and a 4-1 win against Franklin. Senior forward Andrew Gillis and sophomore forward Gavin O'Toole continued their fantastic campaigns with goals to take down Boston Latin. Canton's lone loss came to Bishop Feehan (2-1) on Jan. 17, so the Bulldogs enter the Division 2 tournament on a 10-game win streak. They are undoubtedly the favorites in D2.
5. Pope Francis (14-5-3)
Previous ranking: 5
Division 1
Head coach: Brian FoleyÂ
While Pope Francis dropped its matchup, 3-1, with No. 1 CM on Saturday, the Cardinals popped back up with an 8-1 win over Belmont and a 2-1 win against St. Mary's Lynn, which avenged their 7-3 loss to them on Jan. 10. The victories against Belmont and St. Mary's Lynn led to a Cardinal Classic title, with junior forward Gabe Kolodjay winning tournament MVP. Despite an up-and-down first half, the Cardinals went 9-1-1 in their final 11 games. They're a threat.
6. Reading (16-3-2)
Previous ranking: 6
Division 1
Head coach: Mark DohertyÂ
The Rockets have come on strong in recent weeks. The only reason they didn't move up was because of a 1-0 loss to BC High in the Buddy Ferreira Classic title game. That said, the Rockets took down Archbishop Williams, 1-0, and No. 10 Hingham, 2-1, to get to the championship. Doherty's team has been dominant throughout the season, but it's such a threat in the tournament because of how good they are in low-scoring games. Goaltending, physicality and defense should take them far.
READ MORE:Â What would a boys prep Olympics look like?
7. Arlington (17-5-0)
Previous ranking: 7
Division 1
Head coach: John MessuriÂ
The Spy Ponders rolled through the final stretch, taking down Woburn (5-0), Wakefield (8-2) and Braintree (7-1). Freshman forward Dylan Courtney scored once and registered an assist in the win over Woburn. And in the victory against the Wamps, forward Drew Beck scored twice on his senior night. Arlington's strength is winning in multiple ways: The Spy Ponders can fill the net, but they can also shut opposing teams down. They're hungry after bowing out one game before the championship last March.
8. Tewksbury (18-1-1)
Previous ranking: 9
Division 2
Head coach: Derek DohertyÂ
Tewksbury played once over the last seven days, taking down Waltham, 3-2, on Saturday, getting goals from senior Jake Batts, junior Aaron Sosa and sophomore Jack Ryan. The margins between teams 3-10 in this top 10 are razor-thin, so despite Tewksbury's 5-0 loss to Canton on Feb. 8, the Redmen are right there with Canton. Tewksbury will likely be the No. 2 seed in Division 2, but it is absolutely right behind Canton for being a favorite to win the whole thing.
9. St. John's Shrewsbury (11-8-1)
Previous ranking: 8
Division 1
Head coach: Michael MeadÂ
St. John's Shrewsbury's only game of the last seven days came against Lincoln-Sudbury, and the Pioneers lost, 3-0. Despite going 3-6-1 after its torrid first trip through the Catholic Conference, I still think the Pioneers shouldn't be slept on. They're too good on defense (Connor Secrist, Ryder Bisson, Kevin Bisson) and in net with Colin McCarthy.
READ MORE:Â Top boys prep performers from Feb. 11-17
10. Hingham (14-6-2)
Previous ranking: 10
Division 1
Head coach: Tony MessinaÂ
Hingham went 2-1 at the Buddy Ferreira Classic, taking down Bishop Feehan (4-3), losing to Reading (2-1 in overtime) and beating Duxbury (4-1). The Harbormen showed resilience in the win over Bishop Feehan after going down 3-0. Midway through the second period, juniors Walter Dzavik, Will Polenz and Brendan McCarthy brought the Harbormen back with three straight goals before senior Brian Murray potted the winner in the third. Hingham is one of the more fascinating teams entering the Division 1 tournament.
Dropped out:Â None
In the hunt:Â BC High, Weymouth, Arlington Catholic, St. Mary's Lynn
