Dexter Southfield challenged atop NEHJ Prep School Coaches Poll

Dexter Southfield is still riding high in the NEHJ Prep School Coaches Poll. (Dave Arnold/NEHJ)

Over the past week, the prep school hockey season returned in earnest throughout New England. Nine of the 10 teams ranked in New England Hockey Journal’s latest Prep School Coaches Poll have seen action at least once since the holiday break, leading to a few changes.

The top three teams remain the same as last week, minus a switch in rank order, but Loomis Chaffee has made another move up and finds itself back in the top half of the rankings for the second time this season. The latter tier includes a team that has not been ranked at any previous point during the winter.

New England’s upper echelon began to separate a bit this week as just eight other teams received consideration for the top-10 ranks 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.)