Our seventh Prep School Coaches Poll of the season is out and winning streaks seem to be the theme.
Though the coaches have voted Dexter Southfield as the region’s No. 1 team for six straight weeks and Dan Donato’s club continues its winning ways, several other teams are streaking into the final weeks of January.Â
Salisbury and Lawrence both received votes for the top spot this week and have combined for 14 consecutive wins, while a seven-game winning streak has Avon Old Farms another spot closer to the top. Multiple teams dropped decisions over the past week, but all that has changed within this week’s rankings is positioning -- no new teams.
Five other teams received consideration for the top-10 rankings as voted upon by a panel of the region’s coaches. (Teams receive 10 points for a first-place vote, nine for a second-place vote, eight for a third-place vote, etc.)
The NEHJ Prep School Coaches Poll will be released every Tuesday during the season on hockeyjournal.com. Please send an email to jkummins@hockeyjournal.com if you are interested in participating in our polls throughout the winter.
1. Dexter Southfield (15-1)
114 points - 7 first-place votes
Last week: 1st
Dexter Southfield extended its winning streak to four games after shutting out New Hampton, 4-0, and Hill School, 7-0, over the past week. John McElaney (Walpole, Mass.) and Matt Coppini (Mansfield, Mass.) led the offense with three points in each game. McElaney scored a hat trick against New Hampton. Against Hill School, both had two goals and an assist while John Fusco (Westwood, Mass.; 1-2-3) and Michael Adamson (Quincy, Mass.; 0-3-3) also registered three points each. In the former game, Copponi and Culin Wilson (Hingham, Mass.) had three assists each. Ryan Kazmouz (Nashua, N.H.) pitched two shutouts, with 33 and 27 saves.
2. Salisbury (13-1-1)
107 points - 3 first-place votes
Last week: 2nd
The Crimson Knights went 3-0 this week to run their winning streak to eight games, defeating Cushing, 8-1, Westminster, 5-4, and Choate, 7-1. Dean Bauchiero (1-2-3) and Matthew DeBoer (0-3-3) both opened the week with three-point efforts against Cushing. Lucas Mercuri scored the winning goal and Michael Fairfax and Calum Chau both had two points against Westminster, helping to lift Max Donoso to a 21-save victory. Bauchiero was one of three Salisbury skaters with three points against Choate as he posted two goals and an assist, and Samuel Deckhut and Jake Quillan both posted a goal and two helpers. In addition, George Vamvakaris scored twice.
T3. Lawrence (11-1)
85 points - 2 first-place votes
Last week: 3rd
The Spartans edged past Nobles, 5-4, and Thayer, 6-4, in a pair of high-scoring games against local foes this week. David Sacco (Middleton, Mass.) capped Lawrence’s three-goal third period and his personal two-goal night with the winning tally against Nobles, while Anthony Cafarelli (Middleton, Mass.), Blake Humphrey and Conor Lovett (Franklin, Mass.) all had two points each. Against Thayer, Holt Oliphant scored two goals and added an assist, Sacco and Riley Duran (Woburn, Mass.) also had three points, and Lovett scored twice. Tomas Pientka made 22 and 23 saves, respectively, in the victories.
T3. Avon Old Farms (12-1)
85 points
Last week: 4th
Avon matched its Housatonic League rivals from Salisbury with a three-win week of its own. The Winged Beavers bested Hotchkiss, 4-1, Pomfret, 4-2, and Kent, 6-0, on home ice. Liam Verdoni and Tabor Heaslip opened the week with matching one-goal, two-assist performances. Both players also found the scoresheet against Pomfret as Heaslip scored in each of the first two periods before Verdoni and Nick Cyprian helped to put the game away with third-period goals. Connor Callaghan won the final two games of Avon’s week, including Monday’s 17-save shutout against Kent. In that game, Cyprian, John Turner (East Falmouth, Mass.), Timur Alishlalov and Brendan Williams all had two points.
5. Kimball Union (13-3-1)
66 points
Last week: 6th
The Wildcats defeated in-state rival St. Paul’s, 2-0, in their lone on-ice action of the week. Griffin Hatley and Zach Whitehead (Meriden, N.H.) scored goals against the Pelicans, and Tomas Mazura assisted on both. Goaltender Zak Brice pitched a 42-save shutout. KUA was awarded a forfeit win over Vermont Academy because injuries and illnesses had left the Wildcats too shorthanded to ice a full team.
6. Loomis Chaffee (8-2-2)
54 points
Last week: 5th
The Pelicans lost 5-1 to Deerfield in their only action of the past week. Mathieu Schneider scored the lone goal with an assist from Ben Ritter, while Kyle Chauvette (New Boston, N.H.) made 27 saves in the setback.
7. St. Sebastian’s (10-3)
38 points
Last week: 8th
The Arrows bounced back from two straight losses to earn a 5-3 victory against ISL foe Tabor. Liam Connors (Westborough, Mass.) scored a goal and added two assists to pace the Sebs offense, while Timmy Delay (Hingham, Mass.) found the net twice to lead four more players with two-point games. Luke Garrity (Duxbury, Mass.) made 27 saves in the net.
8. Brunswick (10-4-2)
33 points
Last week: 9th
Brunswick went 1-0-1 over the past week as it followed up a 1-1 tie with Kents Hill by defeating Millbrook, 3-1. Henry Foster scored the lone goal and Brendan Holahan made 21 saves in goal against Kents Hill. Andon Cerbone (1-1-2) and Matthew McGroarty (0-2-2) had multiple-point games in the victory over Millbrook. Jakub Teply and Michael Salandra also scored goals, and Alexander Rohif picked up the win with 22 stops.
T9. Kent (9-5)
24 points
Last week: 7th
Kent dropped both of its games over over the past week, falling to Trinity-Pawling in overtime, 5-4, before taking a 6-0 shutout from Avon Old Farms. Ryan Remick had a goal and an assist against Trinity-Pawling to lead four different scorers for the Lions. Jeremy Siegel made 29 saves despite the loss and made the last four without allowing a goal during the Monday shutout loss to Avon.
T9. Nobles (9-4-1)
24 points
Last week: 10th
The Bulldogs split their two-game week against local opponents, falling to Lawrence, 5-4, before bouncing back to defeat Middlesex, 4-1. Four players scored goals in each game for Nobles, but Owen O’Connor (Wellesley, Mass.), Colby Bailey (Southborough, Mass.) and Aidan Lyons (Brookline, Mass.) all had multiple assists against Lawrence. Marc Smith (Hanover, Mass.) made 37 saves before sharing a 20-save victory with Ben Clarke (Wellesley, Mass.). Against Middlesex, Casey Severo scored a goal and added two assists and David Jacobs (Needham, Mass.) had one goal and one helper.
Others receiving votes: Gunnery, Cushing, St. Mark’s, Millbrook, Hotchkiss
