There were plenty of strong storylines and top individual players in MIAA’s Division 2 throughout the 2022-23 season.
Two of the heavyweights of the division, Canton and Hopkinton, met in the final at the TD Garden. Dan Shuman’s Bulldogs came away with a 4-1 win after falling short to Tewksbury the previous year.
Below are my selections for MIAA Division 2 Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
In addition, I compiled an All-MIAA first and second team and an All-Freshman Team.
Player of the Year
Pavit Mehra
Hopkinton, 7/16/04, C, right shot, 5-11/165
Mehra is the undisputed Player of the Year in Division 2. He came back to play for the Hillers as a senior after spending 2021-22 in the USPHL NCDC. His sheer talent and experience shined through on most nights. He scored 35 goals and had 28 assists for 63 points. Mehra’s skating, speed and compete all were attributes for him at this level. He was rewarded for coming back to play with his friends with a trip to TD Garden. Although it fell short of a title, his senior season was a memorable one.
Freshman of the Year
Cam MacPherson
Hopkinton, 6/19/08, LW, left shot, 5-7/130
There wasn’t a better freshman in Division 2 than MacPherson. While some might point to his linemate as a reason for his success, that wouldn’t be all true. It’s no doubt that Mehra and MacPherson combined to form a great one-two punch, but the latter deserves a lot of the credit. MacPherson torched the competition with 12 goals and 29 assists. MacPherson showed good vision, saw the ice well, and was a playmaker. He competed hard and played well beyond his years. After just one season at the MIAA level, MacPherson is heading off to St. Mark’s where he’ll play for Carl Corazzini.
Coach of the Year
Brian Shuman
Canton
The players have come and gone, but one thing is constant. Brian Shuman is a heck of a coach and has developed one of the most consistently strong programs in the state, regardless of division. The Catholic Memorial and Bowdoin alum has been at the helm of the Canton program since 2005. Of the last three MIAA Tournaments held, Canton has been declared co-champion in 2020, runner-up in 2022 and champion in 2023. That’s a great run.
First Team All-MIAA
Pavit Mehra
Hopkinton, 7/16/04, C, right shot, 5-11/165
(Mehra described above.)
Matt Cooke
Tewksbury, 4/22/06, RW, right shot, 5-10/145
Cooke was one of a few Redmen forwards with big numbers. The right wing plays a power game and brings a hard shot. He does a good job below the dots and can find the back of the net from anywhere. He scored 16 goals and 18 assists on the season.
MARCH 19: All-championship day team for MIAA boys hockey
Aiden Harrington
Duxbury, 1/1/05, C, left shot, 6-1/175
Harrington was one of the offensive leaders on a very strong Duxbury team coached by veteran bench boss Mike Flaherty. Harrington is big, strong and has a powerful stride. He has good hands and an innate offensive ability for this level. He scored 17 goals and 17 assists for the Dragons.
Dylan Mansur
Hopkinton, 1/12/05, D, left shot, 5-8/155
Mansur was the somewhat forgotten senior in Mehra’s record-book season. The lefty blue liner was a breakout machine, showing poise and confidence as he pushed pucks north. Mansur found the back of the net 10 times and added 16 assists. He quarterbacked the power play and was a key cog in all situations. If he can round out his defensive game, he could land a Division 3 college commitment after a couple of years of junior hockey.
Nick DiCioccio
Tewksbury, 8/15/05, D, right shot, 5-10/145
DiCioccio was overshadowed in 2021-22 by fellow Tewksbury blue liner Caden Connors. With the latter off to junior hockey, DiCioccio stepped up and had a monster senior season. The captain upped his offensive production without sacrificing his defensive play. He scored six goals while adding 24 assists. More of a quarterback, he makes smart, efficient breakout passes. On the defensive side of the puck, he could bring a mean streak and play with a physical edge.
Colin Davis
Canton, 9/8/06, G, catches left, 6-1/176
Davis had two phenomenal seasons at Canton, leading his team to the state championship game in both campaigns. The sophomore has the size and technical ability to be a game-changer at times. He obviously benefited from a solid team in front of him, but there was no doubt that he was the best at his position in this division. Davis is off to Dexter Southfield for the 2023-24 season.
Second Team All-MIAA
Jeremy Insogna
Tewksbury, 1/18/06, C, right shot, 5-10/140
CHAMPS: Pope Francis wins D1Â |Â Canton wins D2Â |Â Nashoba wins D3Â |Â Norwell wins D4
Colby Jewell
Gloucester, 7/9/06, LW, left shot, 5-10/165
Brendan Tourgee
Canton, 7/27/05, C, right shot, 6-0/155
Mike Hussey
Duxbury, 11/16/06, D, left shot, 5-10/160
Aiden Dunphy
Silver Lake, 9/7/04, D, left shot, 5-10/168
James Young
Canton, 4/17/05, D, left shot, 5-8/154
MIAA Division 2 All-Freshman Team
Cam MacPherson
Hopkinton, 6/19/08, LW, left shot, 5-7/130
(MacPherson described above.)
Anders Kilbourne
Duxbury, 7/27/07, C, right shot, 5-11/165
Kilbourne had eight goals and seven assists. A big power forward, he can play center or wing. His hockey sense and ability to hold onto pucks make him dangerous. He’s good down low and sees the ice as well as anyone in this division. Kilbourne will be moving on to play for St. Paul’s in 2023-24.
Ben Levering
Westwood, 11/16/07, LW, left shot, 5-10/140
Levering, a tall, long power forward, has some upside. While he’s still raw, he shows some glimpses of serious potential. He did just that for Westwood this past season, finishing second on the team in scoring. A longtime member of the Junior Eagles Tier II team, a prep school would be smart to pick him up.
Andrew Martin
Wakefield, 8/1/08, LW, left shot, 5-11/155
Martin is a good-sized left wing who skated on one of the top two lines for Mike Geary’s Warriors. He’s a goal scorer with a heavy shot. Martin will transfer to Brooks School to play for head coach Dave Ries.
Gavin Wainwright
Boston Latin, 12/13/07, D, left shot, 5-11/145
Wainwright recorded two goals and seven assists from the back end, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The late '07 played hard defensively and was one of the most reliable blue liners in the state in his own end. He’s tall, long and has a bright future. Unfortunately for the Wolfpack, it will be at St. Sebastian’s as he is transferring to play for Sean McCann’s Arrows in 2023-24.
AWARDS SZN: Division 3 All-MIAA Teams and Awards | Division 4 All-MIAA Teams and Awards
Vincent D’Urso
Lowell Catholic, 3/7/08, G, catches left, 5-9/175
Rightfully so, D’Urso garnered some positive press throughout the regular season. The young goaltender had a number of big-time performances for an overmatched Lowell Catholic squad. He amped up his play in the postseason. After leading his team to victory in the play-in game, he stood on his head and almost pulled off the monumental upset over top-ranked Tewksbury in the round-of-32. D’Urso is on the smaller side, but he’s quick and just flat-out stops pucks.
