Holderness had a rough showing in the Small School championship game back in March, falling 5-2 to red-hot Winchendon.
The truth, however, is that it's not a crippling loss for Holderness. The Bulls have become a perennial power. At worst, they can go deep in the Small School tournament; at best, they reach the Elite 8.
That's an impressive feat for a school with roughly 300 students in Plymouth, N.H.
So, how has this happened? And what's in store for the Bulls this winter?
Zoomed-out view
In head coach Alan Thompson's first few years, the process to bring Holderness to prominence took time. The Bulls went 8-17-4 in his first season. From 2015 to 2020, Holderness went 63-76-11.
Thompson understood, though, that once he started getting good players, more would follow. Getting someone like then-Vermont commit and future NHL fourth-round draft pick Caeden Herrington (Manchester, Vt.) in the door does wonders for prospective players looking at Holderness.
"Recruiting is obviously the huge piece," Thompson said. "Once you start to have some preliminary success, you tend to have more good players at your school."
A big part of that is Thompson's work recruiting. Thompson is also quick to credit his assistant coaches.
"The addition of [assistant] Joe Gaudet a few years ago was big with regards to developing our defensemen," Thompson said. "He was an excellent coach with me, and that was a big part of our success for five years. We have a great new assistant coach in Owen Carpino, who's taken over Joe's role running the defensemen."
But a small change at Holderness has made a big difference in bringing in juniors, seniors and postgrads: a tweak to the school's three-sport rule.
Upperclassmen can pick strength training as one of their three sports.
"That led to more guys getting ice time in the fall and prioritizing their hockey training versus trying to do a little bit of fall hockey along with a fall sport," Thompson said. "That's something that has led to success, too."
The last few years
Holderness has been one of the more successful prep schools in recent years. The Bulls went 20-7-3 en route to the No. 1 seed in the Small School tournament, falling to powerhouse Winchendon in the championship game.
The year before, they went 22-7-1, earning a spot in the Small School tournament after finishing 25-4-0 as the No. 5 seed in the Elite 8 tournament in 2023-24. Since 2021, Holderness has two Elite 8 berths (2024 and 2022).
BOYS PREP PREVIEWS: Brunswick | Winchendon | Cushing | Salisbury | Kimball Union | Hotchkiss | Williston | Taft
The coach
Thompson has been the Holderness boss since 2015, going 169-105-21. He played at UNH from 2005-09. As he's built the program, the Bulls have gotten noticeably better, especially since COVID-19.
Who will the stars be?
Michael Delaney was a standout for Okanagan's 16U team in 2024-25. He moved to Holderness last season and that success translated immediately, as he put up 10 goals and a team-high 42 points as a junior.
Despite dealing with a wrist issue throughout the fall, he is unquestionably Holderness' star up front.
"He should be ready to go for the start of the regular season," Thompson said. "He's a big one."
Fellow senior AJ Jones should make a big impact after notching 29 points last season. The same should be true for Sean Foster (Andover, Mass.) and Drew Gallucci — two Pingree transfers. Foster had 31 points last season, while Gallucci, a '10, had 27.
A big addition is also Garrit Turcotte (South Berwick, Maine). After starring at Seacoast Performance Academy, Turcotte bounced around the NAHL last season with the New Hampshire Mountain Kings and Maine Nordiques. An '08, he opted to go the prep route for a senior year.
"He should be a staple for us up front," Thompson said. "I would say between those five guys, they'll pace the offense."
Thompson is also fortunate to have two experienced horses on defense in Tegan Gregory and Tucker O'Neil (Duxbury, Mass.). Both '08s were productive last season, with Gregory putting up 22 points in 30 games, while O'Neil posted 16 points.
READ MORE: 15 standout forwards from Prep Alliance | 13 standout defenders from Prep Alliance
Newcomers
Newcomers will have plenty of opportunity on defense.
Colin Freeman (Danvers, Mass.) arrived via Seacoast Performance Academy, where he's been over the last three seasons. He's 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, and an '09. Lucas McMillan, a 6-foot-2, 201-pound defender, is from Auckland, New Zealand, but has been playing in Canada over the last few years.
Newcomers will also have plenty of opportunity in net.
With Mark Bierwirth (Chelmsford, Mass.) graduated, Thompson brought in '09 goalie Ike Cole and '10 Ty Schmitz.
Cole stood out with the Washington Little Caps U16s last season, leading to the 6-foot-1, 209-pound goalie getting an invite to USA Hockey's Select 17 Camp this past summer. Schmitz arrives via Notre Dame Academy in Wisconsin, where he had a 2.74 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage last season.
Cole appears to have the slight edge, but still — they're both unproven in prep.
Breakout prospects
Forwards like Jones, Foster, Gallucci and Turcotte are definite breakout candidates. The same is true for Freeman and McMillan on defense.
But in terms of depth forwards from last year, two '09s stick out the most: forwards Kane Mori and Antonin Riedl. Mori, from Japan, posted 10 goals and 23 points as a sophomore last season, while Riedl, from Czechia, had 17 points.
"Those are two guys to look out for as potential breakouts," Thompson said.
The ceiling
Holderness plays together in the fall as Islanders Hockey Club West. At their worst, they played some of the best fall teams close. At their best, they've beaten them.
"I'd be surprised if we weren't at least a top seed in the Small School," Thompson said. "Hopefully we make a run at the Elite 8. That'll be the goal."
READ MORE: 13 takeaways from NHL Central Scouting's preliminary watch list
The Bulls have become a team that relies on depth to take them far. This year should be no different.
"I think we have a good mix of new and old guys," Thompson said. "I think this team will have pretty good depth too, which is important to making it far."
