It was a weird week in New England boys prep hockey.
All of the top five teams from last week had some sort of stumble. A loss or two inside the top five happens from time to time. But all in the same week is a bit of an anomaly.
The calendar has flipped to February, which means the Elite 8 is not too far away. The rankings become more and more important by the week.
Let's dive in.
1. Dexter Southfield (15-2-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Danny Donato
Next game: at Pomfret, Feb. 5, 3:15 p.m.Â
It was a busy week for Dexter, although only one game counted toward its record: a 9-1 thumping of St. George's. Dexter dominated the Dragons, who entered the game as a borderline top-10 team, from start to finish. Seniors Sean Leetch (Boston, Mass.) and Rian Chudzinski (Needham, Mass.) continued to produce, as well as sophomore '08 Noah Survilas (Winthrop, Mass.) with three assists. Over the weekend, Dexter split a back-t0-back with Mount St. Charles' 18U team, falling 5-4 the first night, but rebounding for a 5-0 win on Saturday.
2. Avon Old Farms (12-3-0)
Previous ranking: 2
Interim head coach: Mark Naclerio
Next game: vs. Berkshire, Feb. 3, 5:15 p.m.Â
Avon had a wild week. It started with a 6-2 takedown of Westminster in the famous, "Westy Monday" game. But the Winged Beavers followed it up by losing, 4-3, to Loomis Chaffee. On Saturday, however, Naclerio's team bounced back for a 4-0 win. Senior defenseman James Odyniec continues to be the team's anchor in back. He was a force against Westminster with three helpers (all in the second period) and he added another against Choate.
3. St. Mark's (13-2-2)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Carl Corazzini
Next game: at Roxbury Latin, Feb. 5, 5 p.m.Â
The Lions followed up a standout week with a 4-1 win over Middlesex on Wednesday. On Saturday, they lost for the first time since Dec. 7, as they fell to Governor's Academy, 3-0. Normally that loss would move St. Mark's down, but the pack behind it also suffered some setbacks. One positive development: sophomore Caiden Pellegrino (Uxbridge, Mass.) is continuing to develop into a high-end, playmaking center. He tallied three assists against Middlesex and has 20 points in 17 games.
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4. Deerfield (13-4-0)
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: Tim McVaugh
Next game: vs. Andover, Feb. 5, 4:30 p.m.Â
Deerfield had a flawless three-game performance this week. It started with a 5-2 win against Westminster before a 3-1 takedown of Pomfret and a 6-1 victory over Hotchkiss. Junior defenseman Nate Watson posted a nice stretch, scoring two goals and adding an assist against Westminster. He tallied an assist against Pomfret and a goal in the win over Hotchkiss. Also, don't sleep on Elliott Lennon, who was strong again this week and carries a 2.25 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
5. Brunswick (17-6-2)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Mike Kennedy
Next game: at Lawrenceville, Feb. 5, 3:45 p.m.Â
Brunswick traveled north of the border this weekend to St. Andrew's College for the always-hard MacPherson Tournament. The Bruins opened play with a 4-1 win over the GOJHL All-Stars, before a 4-1 loss to Bishop Kearney, a 2-1 OT loss against Northwood and a 5-3 loss to the Long Island Gulls 18U team. While three losses aren't great, it's a gauntlet of good teams and the Bruins were tied at the two-minute mark of the final three games. None of these games will impact their standing for the NEPSAC playoffs since these are non-conference games.
6. Salisbury (12-5-3)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Andrew Will
Next game: vs. Trinity-Pawling, Feb. 5, 4:15 p.m.Â
The Crimson Knights got a 4-2 win over Frederick Gunn on Wednesday, but fell in a tight contest to then-No. 9 Berkshire, 1-0, on Saturday. The loss to Berkshire was their first loss since Jan. 3 and ended an 8-0-1 streak. According to USHR, Salisbury is a borderline Elite 8 team. Games against Brunswick and Avon Old Farms later this month will be vital to getting the Crimson Knights into the big dance.
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7. Kimball Union (18-5-2)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Tim Whitehead
Next game: at Northfield Mount Hermon, Feb. 5, 2:30 p.m.Â
Kimball Union dropped one spot through no fault of its own. The Wildcats took down Phillips Exeter, 5-0, and then Tilton, 6-0. Junior forward Jackson Davies (Meriden, N.H.) was vital in both wins, scoring a goal and tallying two assists against Exeter and notching two more goals in the win over Tilton. Senior goalie Blake McMeniman (Revere, Mass.) posted 15-save and 21-save shutouts.
8. Belmont Hill (14-3-3)
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Brian Phinney
Next game: at Lawrence Academy, Feb. 5, 5 p.m.Â
The same thing applies to Belmont Hill: it fell one spot through no fault of its own. The Sextants picked up a 4-2 win over Brooks and trounced St. Paul's, 8-0. Sophomore forward David Bosco (Winchester, Mass.), who projects to be one of the most coveted local college hockey prospects this summer, had a big week. He notched a goal and two assists in the win over Brooks before another goal and four more assists against St. Paul's. Junior forward and Dartmouth commit Jake Tavares (Belmont, Mass.) had two points against Brooks and a hat trick in the win over St. Paul's.
9. Berkshire (16-4-0)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Kevin Czepiel
Next game: at Avon Old Farms, Feb. 3, 5:15 p.m.Â
Had Berkshire taken down Hotchkiss and not lost 2-1, the Bears would've soared up the rankings given they then beat Albany Academy, 5-0, and then-No. 5 Salisbury, 1-0. Obviously, the loss to Hotchkiss isn't a red flag — Berkshire outshot the Bearcats, 53-16. Senior forward Luke Matthews had a nice week with the lone goal against Hotchkiss and the game-winner in the win over Salisbury. Props to senior goalie Kyle Bolduc for earning the 32-save shutout against Salisbury.
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10. Holderness (14-3-1)
Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Alan Thompson
Next game: vs. Phillips Exeter, Feb. 5, 4:15 p.m.Â
No reason to move the Bulls out of this spot. After stumbling the week before, they responded with an 8-1 win over Brewster Academy, a 5-2 triumph at New Hampton and a 4-3 victory against Brooks. Thompson's lineup has a plethora of players who chipped in this past week (and in general), but senior Jacob Duval (Andover, Mass.) came up big against pesky New Hampton with two goals and two helpers.
DROPPED OUT:Â None
IN THE HUNT:Â Phillips Andover, Rivers, Cushing, Nobles, Pomfret, Thayer
