What a season it was in New England boys and girls prep hockey.
Roughly three months ago, Cushing edged Dexter Southfield for the boys Elite 8 title, while Phillips Andover and Kimball Union took home the Large and Small School championships, respectively.
On the girls side, Loomis Chaffee went on an incredible run to win the Elite 8. Deerfield earned the Large School trophy, while New Hampton finished on top of the Small School field yet again.
The one constant between the boys and girls: outstanding performances from star players.
This will likely not be the last time you hear from the prospects listed below. All of these players have real shots at success in higher levels.
Here are our 2024-25 boys and girls prep awards.
Boys Prep Player of the Year: Carter Meyer, Rivers
We haven’t seen a player of Meyer’s caliber in quite a while. The freshmen (yes, a freshman is winning Player of the Year) led the region in goals (41) and ranked second in points (70). He led a young Rivers team to the Elite 8 semifinals, all while consistently taking over games. Making the U.S. National Team Development Program was the proper end to one of the most memorable prep seasons in recent memory.
Boys Prep Defenseman of the Year: Evan Jones, Belmont Hill
A year ago, Jones arguably was the top defenseman in the MIAA. The Dartmouth commit made the move to Belmont Hill and got even better, leading the region in goals (12) by a defenseman and points (42). He was a puck-moving wizard, generating heaps of offense for a very good Belmont Hill team. Even bigger: His offensive success never came at the expense of his defense.
Boys Prep Goalie of the Year: Justin BriseBois, St. Mark's
BriseBois struggled as a junior at St. Mark’s, which was his first season of prep. His senior year couldn’t have gone any better. He led the region in goals-against average (1.83) and save percentage (.935) for goalies who played more than 1,000 minutes. His outstanding play was the biggest reason the Lions didn’t just get their first Elite 8 berth — they reached as high as the No. 2 seed in the tournament.
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Boys Prep Rookie of the Year: Cam Minella, Brunswick
As just a freshman, Minella was tied for fifth among all defensemen in scoring with 37 points. Through the years, Minella proved to be one of the top puck-moving defenders among the ’09s. But the Mid Fairfield product showed himself as one of the best puck-moving defenders in New England with his breakouts and power-play quarterbacking abilities this season. His invite to NTDP Evaluation Camp was well-earned.
Boys Prep Coach of the Year: Tim McVaugh, Deerfield
Since the COVID-19 year in 2020-21, Deerfield had been in a slump. Eight wins in 2021-22, nine in 2022-23 and an improvement to 14-9-3 last season. But the Big Green did more than continue to improve this season — they were the best team in prep’s regular season from start to finish. Twenty-two wins and they ended the regular season on a 13-game winning streak, beating everyone in their way en route to the No. 1 seed in the Elite 8.
Girls Prep Player of the Year: Morgan McGathey, Thayer
McGathey (Braintree, Mass.) enjoyed one of the most productive seasons in recent NEPSAC history. The Harvard commit led prep with 58 points, 13 clear of the next-closest skater. The senior’s 39 goals also were well-ahead of the field and the most in a single season since former Colgate forward Kristýna Kaltounková scored 45 at Vermont Academy in 2019-20. McGathey had 13 multigoal games and six hat tricks, helping Thayer win the Dexter Southfield Holiday Tournament and earn the No. 1 seed in the Large School tournament. She finishes her prep career as Thayer’s all-time leader in goals with 116 and 169 total points in 101 games.
Girls Prep Defender of the Year: Megan Hosman, Loomis Chaffee
Hosman enjoyed a career year, leading a stacked defense at Loomis Chaffee with eight goals and 20 assists for 28 points in 28 games. The Penn State commit shattered her previous career-best 10 assists and 12 points as a sophomore as well as four goals as a freshman. She finished with the sixth-most points among prep defenders and was a dominant three-zone force for the Pelicans. Hosman found another level in the Elite 8 to take home the honors, posting two assists in the quarterfinals and championship as she helped Loomis Chaffee to a title. She saved her best for last in the final against Phillips Andover, logging heavy defensive minutes in the third period in high-pressure situations both on the penalty kill and at 5-on-5.
Girls Prep Goalie of the Year: Evelyn Lacey, Tilton
Lacey (Braintree, Mass.) set Tilton’s single-season saves record with 1,114 stops this season, the most in NEPSAC. No one saw more shots than the 1,165 Lacey faced. She finished with a .958 save percentage and posted 16 games with 40 or more saves, including four appearances with at least 60 stops. Lacey, who is uncommitted, will play at Tabor next season after reclassifying to the Class of 2027.
Girls Prep Rookie of the Year: Bella Freitas, Cushing
After lighting up the MIAA en route to a state title with St. Mary’s in 2024, Freitas (Everett, Mass.) continued to produce in the NEPSAC. She tied for the second-most goals in prep with 25 and her 43 points were good enough for third in the region as she helped Cushing lead New England in total offense and reach the Elite 8. Freitas had seven multigoal outings this season.
FULL MAGAZINE: Check out the latest edition of the New England Hockey Journal magazine
Girls Prep Coach of the Year: Valerie Bono-Bunker, Cushing
Bono-Bunker helped the Penguins complete a fantastic single-season turnaround. After going 14-14-1 in 2023-24 and missing the Small School tournament by the slimmest of margins, Cushing was one of the top teams in prep this season. It went 24-7-1 and led NEPSAC with 133 goals-for. The Penguins won the E.G. Watkins Holiday Tournament over Groton and reached the Elite 8 as the No. 7 seed, bowing out to eventual champion Loomis Chaffee.
