Chaos was the theme of the first week of New England boys prep hockey, and it was even prevalent in the handful of games played before Thanksgiving.
There were multiple top-10 clashes and upsets. Various teams have already made statements.
A great example of the chaos came from Phillips Exeter, a non-top-10 team. Exeter lost to BB&N, 3-2, on Wednesday. Just four days later, the Big Red tied Frederick Gunn, 2-2, on the final day of the Exeter Invitational.
It's a wide-open field.
Let's dive into our first in-season top 10.
1. Kimball Union (5-0-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Tim Whitehead
Next game: vs. Proctor, Dec. 11, 6 p.m.Â
The reigning Elite 8 champs jumped three spots after wins over The Hill School, Stanstead College, Vermont Academy, Rivers and Kent. Those first three wins were nice, but expected. Rivers, however, is a team full of high-end talent and Kent was ranked No. 10. I was at the 4-0 win over Kent and Kimball Union dominated the first two periods. While KUA may not have the high-end talent it had last season, Whitehead's team is much deeper, which is scary for opponents.
2. Avon Old Farms (2-0-0)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Mark Naclerio
Next game: at Taft, Dec. 11, 4:45 p.m.
Avon moved up one spot primarily off its 5-2 win at St. George's on Saturday. The Winged Beavers took it to St. George's on Saturday, earning a 5-2 win. Despite getting outshot, Avon controlled the majority of the game. The Winged Beavers weren't perfect. But since they're a young, relatively new team and still won 5-2 over a top-10 team, the potential with this team is high.Â
3. Salisbury (0-0-1)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Andrew Will
Next game: at Millbrook, Dec. 9, 5:30 p.m.Â
It's not really Salisbury's fault that it fell two spots to No. 3. It's mainly due to Avon Old Farms and Kimball Union taking on high-end teams and winning. The Crimson Knights only played one game, tying Taft, 2-2. Salisbury outshot Taft, 44-16, and got goals from seniors Oliver Morris and Connor Davis.
TOP 10 MATCHUP: 7 takeaways from Dexter's 5-2 win over Cushing
4. Dexter Southfield (2-1-0)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Danny Donato
Next game: vs. Phillips Exeter, Dec. 11, 4:30 p.m.Â
Dexter had an interesting week. It started things off with a dominant, 5-2 win over then-No. 5 Cushing where its top line of Rian Chudzinski (Needham, Mass.), Nate Porter (Hingham, Mass.) and Sean Leetch (Boston, Mass.) dominated. But on Friday, Dexter fell to St. Mark's, 5-1, which is why it didn't hold at No. 3. Dexter rebounded with a nice, 3-1 win over Stanstead College on Sunday.
Donato's team doesn't fall further than four because none of the teams below did anything to pass them.
5. Cushing (2-2-0)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Ryan Bourque
Next game: vs. Williston Northampton, Dec. 11, 3:30 p.m.Â
Keeping the Penguins at No. 5 is somewhat controversial after a 4-1 loss to Phillips Andover on Nov. 20 and a 5-2 loss to Dexter on Wednesday. But none of the teams below did enough to pass them. Bourque's team also rebounded nicely after those games with a 6-1 win over Winchendon and a 6-2 victory over Stanstead College. If Cushing can continue to get that kind of offense, it will safely be a top-five team.
BREAKOUTS: 32 breakout forward candidates | 18 breakout defender candidates | 10 breakout goalie candidates
6. Nobles (1-0-1)
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: Brian Day
Next game: at Tabor, Dec. 11, 5:30 p.m.Â
A 2-2 tie with Pomfret on Wednesday raised some eyebrows, but a 4-0 win over rival Belmont Hill put all questions to rest. That's why Nobles jumped two spots. Sophomore goalie Tucker Monroe (Wellesley, Mass.) was outstanding against Belmont Hill, making 28 saves for the shutout. Monroe also made 20 saves against Pomfret. If Monroe continues to be stout between the pipes, Nobles will compete for the top five.
7. Holderness (2-0-0)
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Alan Thompson
Next game: at Brewster, Dec. 11, 2:30 p.m.Â
Holderness took care of business against Hebron and Pingree. The Bulls crushed Hebron, 13-0, and then beat Pingree, 3-0. The downside for these rankings is there isn't a ton to take from those results. The upside is Holderness' offense, which is largely new, is gaining a lot of confidence. That's unfortunate for opponents.
8. Brunswick (3-0-1)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Mike Kennedy
Next game: vs. Kent, Dec. 11, 3:30 p.m.Â
Congrats to Brunswick — our first newcomers to the top 10 of the season (but certainly not the last). The Bruins are a young squad, but have shown promise early. After a 3-3 tie against St. George's on Nov. 23, Brunswick has won three straight against Loomis Chaffee, Phillips Exeter and New Hampton. The big story has been the '08s: Harvard commit Joseph Salandra and Mason St. Louis. While Salandra has eight points, St. Louis leads the team in goals (5) and points (9).
9. Belmont Hill (1-1-0)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Brian Phinney
Next game: at Governor's Academy, Dec. 11, 3 p.m.Â
The Sextants opened with a bang, taking down Northfield Mount Hermon, 7-3. The reason Belmont Hill fell three spots is because of its 4-0 loss to Nobles on Sunday and the razor-thin margins in the top 10. Still, Phinney's team is too good to fall out of the top 10 this early. It's not surprising that even through two games, Dartmouth commit Jake Tavares (Belmont, Mass.) and David Bosco (Winchester, Mass.) lead the team in points with three each.
TOP 10 MATCHUP: 10 takeaways from Avon Old Farms' 5-2 win over St. George's
10. St. Mark's (2-1-0)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Carl Corazzini
Next game: vs. Worcester Academy, Dec. 11, 5:15 p.m.
St. Mark's joined the top 10 after taking down Milton Academy, 5-2, on Wednesday and then stunning Dexter, 5-1, on the road. While the Lions fell to Winchendon, 4-1, on Saturday, the win over Dexter is big enough to put them in the top 10. Senior goalie Justin BriseBois made 40 saves to take down one of the top offenses in prep, and sophomore Cam MacPherson (Hopkinton, Mass.) had a hat trick.
DROPPED OUT:Â St. George's (2-1-1; 9), Kent (2-1-0; 10)
In the hunt:Â St. George's, Phillips Andover, Rivers, Kent, Berkshire
