Seven independent prep schools qualified for NEPSAC tournaments the last time they were held.
Dexter Southfield and Berkshire appeared in the Stuart/Corkery Elite 8 Tournament -- with Dexter losing to Salisbury in the title game -- while Cushing Academy and Brunswick appeared in the Martin/Earl bracket.
Pomfret, Millbrook and the Frederick Gunn School battled it out in the Piatelli/Simmons Tournament, with the FGS Highlanders taking home the 2020 Small School crown.
With the prep school season on pause for 2020-21, a new and full NEPSAC season is here at last for 2021-22.
To go along with our season previews of the Independent School League, Lakes Region and Housatonic/Founders, New England Hockey Journal previews each of the independent teams in the region, highlighting a handful of players to watch for, outlooks on the season and more.
Albany Academy
Coach: Matt Alvey
2019-20 record: 8-20-2
Players to watch: Theo Angelopoulos, F; Connor Meigher, D; Mikey Magyar, D; Ryan Taulin, D; Will Mizenko, G; Jack Dalto, F; Adam Casper, G; Leo Letta, D; Matt Zak, D; Corbin Melie, D
Outlook: Albany Academy will look to an older, experienced group at all three positions to fuel its successes this season. Eight players will return in the junior classes and above, but Angelopoulos is the only one with experience during a full prep season for the Cadets. There are three forwards and three defensemen expected to lead the way as returning seniors, while Mizenko is a veteran of the program in goal.
Berkshire SchoolÂ
Coach:Â Dan Driscoll
2019-20 record:Â 19-8-2
Players to watch: Ben Boren, F (Middlebury); Pratt Stetson, F; Cal Osterberger, F; Stanley Bright, F; Nick Donaldson, D; Davis Kinne, D; Liam Bard, D; Will Sinclair, D; Nico Pasquale, D; Danick Leroux, G; Cole O’Donnell, G
Outlook: The Bears have lost several notable players from the team that made it to the final four of the Elite 8 two seasons ago. Based on a strong defensive core and a tandem of incoming juniors in net, the team will look to its seniors, Stetson and Boren, and returning forward, Osterberger, to point the team in the right direction early on after it played just two games in 2020-21.
Brunswick School
Coach:Â Mike Kennedy
2019-20 record:Â 21-8-2
Players to watch:Â Eli Friedman, F (Yale); Hank Cleaves, F; James Shannon, F; Lucas St. Louis, D (Harvard); John Burdett, D; Max Suave, D; Sloan Farmer, D; Brendan Holahan, G
Outlook: After making it to the final four of the Large School Tournament two seasons ago, the Bruins are eager to once again be in the mix come playoff time. They have a strong group of returners and a number of standouts coming in from the Mid Fairfield program. If the younger players can rise to the occasion and help bolster the efforts of rising players such as Holahan, Shannon and Cleaves, Brunswick will be a tough team to beat.Â
Canterbury
Coach: Paddy McCarthy
2019-20 record: 3-22-2
Players to watch: Joey DeAngelis, F; Cole Heintz, F; Jake Kloss, F; Cam Glonek, D; Dan Gertz, G; Kyle Hughes, D; Gavin Long, F; Patty O'Shaughnessy, F
Outlook: Canterbury was one of the few prep schools that stayed open and competed in games last season, so McCarthy expects the experience to benefit the Saints in the new year. The majority of the roster including the top handful of scorers returns, creating a mature, veteran group with high expectations. Glonek has played varsity minutes since his freshman year and returns to anchor the defense, while Gertz will carry the load in goal after getting a taste last season.
Cushing Academy
Coach:Â Paul Pearl
2019-20 record:Â 23-8-3
Players to watch:Â Billy Norcross, F (Boston College); Mason Kesselring, F; Landan Resendes, F; Ethan Gardula, F; Owen Paskowski, D; Jackson Irving, G; Colin Ronan, G
Outlook:Â The Penguins are poised for a strong year under first-year head coach Paul Pearl, with Steve Jacobs now serving as Director of Boys Hockey. The team will look to build on its appearance in the Large School finals two seasons ago. With Norcross returning for his fifth year at forward and a strong tandem of Irving and Ronan sharing the load in net -- in front of some key additions like Resendes and Gardula -- Cushing looks to be one of the top independent teams in the region.
Dexter Southfield
Coach:Â Dan Donato
2019-20 record:Â 25-5-0
Players to watch:Â Bobby Landry, F (Harvard); Grayson Badger, F (Northeastern); Will Hughes, F (Harvard); Culin Wilson, F; Connor Sutherland, F; Cullen Emery, F; Matt Fusco, D (Harvard); Sean Keohane, D; Jonathan Lanza, D; Mick Frechette, D; Alex Mickanin, G
Outlook:Â A talented Dexter squad looks to be the same threat it always is under head coach Dan Donato. In front of a deep defensive core, Mickanin is returning for another year in net, while Badger, Landry and Hughes will lead the group up front. A handful of newcomers will look to bolster play at both ends of the ice. After advancing to the final four of the Stuart/Corkery tournament each of the past four years it was held, DXSF is eager to get back to the playoffs and finish the job in 2022.
The Frederick Gunn School
Coach: Craig Badger
2019-20 record:Â 19-13-3
Players to watch:Â Michael Murtagh, F (UConn); Julian Facchinelli, F; Ryan Novo, F; Nate Stachowiak, F; Kiernan Gately, D (St. Lawrence); Jason Fritz, D; Christian Wood, D; Luke Calabria, D; Joey Lovullo, G; Ryan Crowshaw, G
Outlook: The Highlanders, the 2020 Small School Tournament champions, didn’t play a single game last season. Twenty months since they captured the title, a strong group is forming for the new season, even after losing a number of their stars. A deep group, headlined by Murtagh and Gately, will lead the charge while a host of prep newcomers will aid the returners as the team sets out on its delayed title defense.Â
Kingswood Oxford
Coach: John Hissick
2019-20 record: 8-9-1
Players to watch: Season Gilland, F; Will Berkemeyer, F; Seve Concepcion, D; Aidan Aube, F; Teddy Crowther, D; Cody Brew, D; Nico Bromley, F
Outlook: Led by a group of five seniors, the Wyverns will look to compete in the Fairchester League and make the playoffs as Hissick continues to help build the program. Several talented players were lost following the COVID-shortened year, but Bromley is a promising freshman who will look to add offense. Brew will look to provide stability on the blue line as a junior and the team’s most notable newcomer.
Millbrook School
Coach:Â Vincent Sorriento
2019-20 record:Â 21-10-1
Players to watch:Â DJ Walsh, F; Cristo Walker, F; Cullen Hennessy, F; Connor Koropatnicki, F; Danny Urban, F; Fab Mazzarelli, D; Cam Lowe, D; Jake Hugessen, G
Outlook:Â After qualifying for the Small School Tournament two seasons ago, Millbrook will be a deep group this season, one that looks to play with speed and tenacity. They lost some firepower from last season, but the Mustangs look to return to the playoffs and will be anchored by strong play in net. The younger players and newcomers will look to help fill the void left by a pair of Division 1-bound departures.Â
Northfield Mount Hermon
Coach: Kevin Czepiel
2019-20 record: 15-10-2
Players to watch: Nick Leclaire, F; Brock James, F; Frankie Hipp, F; Alex Ondos, F; Joshua Furman, D
Outlook: Czepiel notes that the prep ranks seem to have an influx of talented players all throughout, but he expects depth to be the strength of his team this year. Leclaire, who was the team’s second-leading scorer with 14 goals in 2019-20, will be the leader of the offense after Division 1 commits Joe Solimine (Holy Cross) and Reese Farrell (Army West Point) graduated to the junior ranks.
Phillips AndoverÂ
Coach:Â Paul Tortorella
2019-20 record:Â 10-15-1
Players to watch:Â Conner Fitzpatrick, F; Jonathan Surrette, F; Nick Royster, F; Bobby Corkery, D; Dan Reloske, D; Shane Shelest, G
Outlook: The Big Blue spent most of last season in practice, working on development ahead of this season’s return-to-normal campaign. A strong senior class on both ends of the ice will look to carry the load in the early going, as the newcomers adjust to the prep level. Fitzpatrick and Surrette are expected to lead the offense while returners Corkery and Reloske will lead the defensive group. Shelest will do the heavy lifting in net, replacing Charlie Archer, who is now at Hamilton College.
Phillips Exeter
Coach:Â Tim Mitropoulos
2019-20 record:Â 16-13-2
Players to watch:Â Kurt Gurkan, F (Yale); Michael Dinges, F; Kodi Dotterer, F; Ryan Sordillo, F; Christian Maro, F; Manan Mendiratta, D; Sam Byrd-Leitner, D; Michael Salvatore, G
Outlook: After not playing any games last year, there's a lot of excitement surrounding Exeter heading into 2021-22. With all three captains from last season no longer on the team, Gurkan looks to be the leader of the group both on and off the ice. Mendiratta and Salvatore hope to bolster the group in the defensive end, as the Big Red aims to compete hard and be in the mix come playoff time.
Pomfret
Coach: Matt Goethals
2019-20 record: 17-12-3
Players to watch: Nils Forselius, F; Declan Chapman, F; Matt Spears, F; Aidan D'Urso, F; Josh Testerman, F; Tate Fitzmaurice, F; Phil Lamarre, D; Carter Rugg, D; Noah Webster, D; Kellen Beauton, G
Outlook: The Griffins have an older team with good depth and expect to be competitive within the region as they boast a senior goalie, six senior defensemen and a number of dynamic, playmaking forwards. Forselius and Chapman were both regular offensive players for the 2019-20 club that lost the NEPSAC Small title to The Frederick Gunn School after entering the game with six consecutive victories. Lamarre was the team’s second-leading scorer among defensemen.
Williston Northampton
Coach: Derek Cunha
2019-20 record: 7-17-3
Players to watch: Connor Hagness, F; Daniel McKiernan, F; Gavin Havens, F; Ryan Hennigan, G; James O’Toole, F; Perry Gaudreau, F; Emmanuel Damianakis, F; Jayson Alegria, F; Jake Henry, G
Outlook: Williston’s roster is almost entirely new from the pre-pandemic 2019-20 season, so there is plenty of room for newcomers to jump in and make an immediate impact to a team that Cunha expects to be hard to play against in every game. Twelve players graduated from last year, leaving the defense most impacted. A deep forward group will allow the Wildcats to push the pace, led by a nine-goal scorer from the last full season in Hagness.
Winchendon School
Coach:Â Brian Troy
2019-20 record:Â 13-13-1
Players to watch:Â Turner Richards, F; Willem Dumais, F; Brock Bergeron, F; Brendan Coughlin, F; Benito Calvanese, F; Cole Roenick, F; Sam Logan, D; Jake Freelove, D; Nolan Duffy, D; Ben Andersen, D
Outlook:Â Winchendon looks to rebound after a tough Covid year. With a combined 14 seniors and post-graduates no longer with the team, the Wapiti will rely on a lot of new faces and players who have yet to prove themselves at the prep level to win games. A veteran presence on the back end and a young group of forwards look to make them a tough team to play against in the middle of the season barring any major injuries.
This article appears in the November/December print edition of New England Hockey Journal.
