There's a question I get a lot when I'm out at rinks: Who is the best team in boys prep hockey?
The answer is that there isn't one team above all the rest. The top five teams all have a legitimate case to be No. 1. Since the holiday tournaments, it had been Kimball Union.
That changed in this week's edition of our power rankings.
In the No. 6-10 spots, there was more re-shuffling, as I expect there will be every week. Teams are packed so tightly down there that a loss can change everything, as it did in these rankings.
Next time you read these rankings we'll be just under a month from when the playoff seedings get announced.
But for now, let's dive into this version of the top 10.
1. Brunswick (17-1-2)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Mike Kennedy
Next game: vs. Northwood, Jan. 26, 9 a.m.
Brunswick finds itself as this week's No. 1 team in prep after Kimball Union's loss. The Bruins have earned this spot, as they haven't lost since opening night against Loomis Chaffee. On Saturday, Kennedy's team took down Hoosac, 6-0, before edging out Elite Hockey Academy, 5-4, in overtime on Monday. Junior forward Tucker Spiess (Old Greenwich, Conn.) netted the winner in Monday's matchup.
One other thing: props to Brunswick for taking these ice-side, professional videos and putting them on X. They're high quality and done with consistency.
Leading us into the Third ‼️ pic.twitter.com/H4V4rnisNm
— Brunswick Hockey (@WickPuck) January 20, 2024
2. Kimball Union (18-3-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Tim Whitehead
Next game: at Exeter, Jan. 24, 5:30 p.m.
It was hard to drop Kimball Union one spot, especially since its 3-1 loss to Stanstead College on Saturday doesn't count against its NEPSIHA record, which is the one that matters for seeding. Still, a loss is a loss and the top five are razor thin. Prior to the loss on Saturday, KUA took down Deerfield, 8-4, on Wednesday and disposed of Brewster Academy, 11-1, on Friday.
3. Avon Old Farms (14-0-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: John Gardner
Next game: at Loomis Chaffee, Jan. 24, 3 p.m.
Avon Old Farms had a very strong week, solidifying its standing as the third-best team in prep. The Winged Beavers shut out Northfield Mount Hermon and Berkshire. The goalie tandem continued, as junior Michael Heinke (Old Saybrook, Conn.) made 25 saves against NMH, while sophomore Anthony Palmer (Lynnfield, Mass.) made 24 against Berkshire. Palmer got the nod in a rivalry game with Berkshire, making 23 saves en route to a 3-2 win.
Senior defender Magnus Turcotte netted the eventual winner.
Turcs called game. #WINgedBeavers @MagnusTurcotte pic.twitter.com/l3L6mBA920
— AOF HOCKEY (@AOF_Hockey) January 23, 2024
4. Cushing (15-2-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Paul Pearl
Next game: vs. Northfield Mount Hermon, Jan. 24, 2:15 p.m.
Cushing had itself a strong week, beating Thayer, 4-0, and Winchendon, 7-0. While the Penguins got the job done defensively, junior forward Max Dineen (Brentwood, N.H.) posted a six-point week, scoring one goal and adding two assists in each of the wins, tying him with Merrimack commit Luke Goukler for third on the team in points (18).
5. Holderness (14-1-0)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Alan Thompson
Next game: at Brewster Academy, Jan. 24, 2 p.m.
After falling to New Hampton last Monday, Holderness returned to form quickly. First, the Bulls took down North Yarmouth Academy, 8-1. They followed that up by beating Governor's Academy, 6-2. While lots of attention has rightfully been given to postgrad Pavit Mehra (Hopkinton, Mass.) and senior Aaron VanWie, it was senior Caden Wells going off in these two wins. The Calgary, Alberta, native potted four goals and an assist against NYA before scoring another goal and tallying three more helpers against Governor's.
NEXT GENERATION: How four Rivers eighth graders are taking prep by storm
6. Loomis Chaffee (11-3-1)
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: John Zavisza
Next game: vs. Avon Old Farms, Jan. 24, 3 p.m.
Loomis Chaffee moves up a spot cue to the craziness in the bottom five. While the Pelicans tied Taft, 2-2, and needed overtime, Zavisza's team rebounded with a 4-3 win over Westminster in overtime followed by a 3-0 takedown of The Hill School. We knew the Housatonic was going to be tough, but a whopping four teams — Avon Old Farms, Loomis Chaffee, Salisbury and Kent — are in these rankings and Deerfield isn't far off.
7. Salisbury (11-4-0)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Andrew Will
Next game: vs. Frederick Gunn, Jan. 24, 3 p.m.
Hey speaking of the Housatonic, here's Salisbury. The Crimson Knights took down Trinity-Pawling, 4-3, with senior Ty Creech netting the game-winning goal in overtime and junior Steven Luciano (New Canaan, Conn.) making 19 stops. But Salisbury gets such a big boost because of its 5-1 win over Kent on Saturday. Junior forward Ryan Hedley netted a goal and added three assists, while senior netminder Cooper Flemming made 18 stops.
8. St. George's (13-2-1)
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: Allie Skelley
Next game: at Dexter Southfield, Jan. 24, 4:30 p.m.
St. George's continued to roll this week, winning all three of its games, making the Dragons winners in seven of their last eight. Skelley's team disposed of BB&N, 8-1, on Wednesday and took down Portsmouth Abbey, 5-0, on Monday. But in between that, St. George's notched a nice comeback win over ISL Eberhart rival St. Mark's. The Dragons seem pretty set at every position. They're an Elite 8 sleeper team as we near the final month.
9. Kent (10-5-1)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Dale Reinhardt
Next game: at Taft, Jan. 24, 2:30 p.m.
Normally, one loss wouldn't drop a team three spots. But that was a top-10 matchup and because it's so competitive, the margins are razor thin. The Lions did notch a big victory before losing to Salisbury, when they took down Hotchkiss, 5-2. The big news out of Kent is that junior defenseman Stefano Pietrantonio announced his commitment to Dartmouth on Sunday.
ISL EBERHART SHOWDOWN: 7 uncommitted standouts from St. George's win over St. Mark's
10. Nobles (10-4-2)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Brian Day
Next game: at St. Sebastian's, Jan. 24, 5:15 p.m.
Nobles re-joins the top 10 after a strong week, taking down Lawrence Academy, 5-4, and then Phillips Andover, 1-0, on back-to-back days. Junior forward Teddy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) went off against Lawrence Academy, scoring two goals and adding two assists, including a helper on Dennis Davidson's (Newton, Mass.) game-winner. Davidson did the same thing on Saturday when he scored the lone goal against Andover.
Like Kent, Nobles also has some big recruiting news as junior forward Kyle O'Leary (Medfield, Mass.) committed to Yale on Sunday.
Dropped out: Phillips Andover (11-4-1; 10)
In the hunt: Phillips Andover, Belmont Hill, St. Sebastian's, Lawrence Academy, St. Mark's, Dexter Southfield, Berkshire
