While the top remains much the same in this week’s edition of New England Hockey Journal’s MIAA Power Rankings, there was quite a bit of movement in the rest of the field of 20.
After Belmont’s 2-0 loss to Wellesley on Wednesday, there was not an undefeated team left in Division 1. That upset win propelled the Raiders into the power rankings. Towards the bottom of the power rankings, a couple of perennial powerhouse programs are falling precariously close to missing the state tournament, due to being below .500.
A couple of games I’m looking forward to this weekend are Catholic Memorial at St. John’s Prep and Stoneham at Arlington. The Knights, once the undisputed kings of high school hockey in this state, are looking to prove they belong in the discussion with SJP and Xaverian for the ultimate crown in 2021-22.
1. St. John’s Prep
Record: 8-1-0 | Conference: Catholic Conference | Previous: 1
Winning when you don’t have your ‘A’ game and beating a solid opponent in a hostile environment are both signs of a good team. St. John’s Prep did both over the last week. The Eagles defeated St. John’s Shrewsbury, 7-5, in the Catholic Conference Showcase, despite not playing well for large stretches. Thursday night, SJP went on the road and edged Reading, 2-1, at a packed house inside Burbank Ice Arena.
2. Xaverian
Record: 8-1-1 | Conference: Catholic Conference | Previous: 2
The Hawks skated to a 1-1 tie with Catholic Memorial in the Catholic Conference Showcase. A day later, the offense erupted in a 7-4 win over Central Catholic. Similar to SJP, Xaverian has the talent and depth to win games even when not playing its best. The defending Catholic Conference champion are unquestionably inside the top three of contenders for the state crown.
3. Arlington
Record: 9-1-1 | Conference: Middlesex Liberty | Previous: 3
The Spy Ponders went 3-0 over the last week with impressive wins over Reading, Burlington and Pope Francis. The 3-2 win over Pope Francis was a rematch of what should have been the Super 8 title game in 2020 before Covid halted the proceedings. A sneaky tough opponent awaits Saturday when Stoneham visits Ed Burns Arena for a 7:45 puck drop. Arlington has the high-end talent to win a lot of games. There’s not much for this team to prove until state tournament time.
4. Belmont
Record: 10-1-1 | Conference: Middlesex Liberty | Previous: 4
The Marauders suffered their first loss this week, getting upset by a good Wellesley squad. Belmont has been leaking a little lately, winning some games against inferior opponents by the slimmest of margins. The last six games of the season is a brutal stretch for Belmont as the Marauders face two teams in the top five and four more teams that have appeared in these rankings at one point or another.
5. Catholic Memorial
Record: 8-1-1 | Conference: Catholic Conference | Previous: 5
The Knights have won five straight, despite tough circumstances. Larry Rooney’s team should have its full lineup back for Saturday’s huge Catholic Conference showdown at St. John’s Prep. Sophomore Connor Fryberger stepped up in a big way while a handful of important seniors were out of the lineup. While I think CM is in the right spot, the Knights could have the best goaltender (Dom Walecka) in the top five, which could come in handy come tournament time.
6. Austin Prep
Record: 6-1-0 | Conference: Catholic Central | Previous: 6
The Cougars have won four straight after losing to now top-ranked St. John’s Prep. With Thursday’s announcement that the school was switching from the MIAA to NEPSAC, this is the last chance for AP to win a Division 1 state championship in hockey. As I’ve stated before, I like this team, but its youth in key positions is a potential roadblock when the tournament starts up in late February.
7. Hingham
Record: 8-3-0 | Conference: Independent | Previous: 8
The Harbormen are 4-1 in their last five, all games against opponents in this week’s rankings. Head coach Tony Messina won his 200th career game as head coach at his high school alma mater when his team downed Braintree on Saturday. One thing is for sure: Hingham will be well tested when the state tournament begins.
8. Pope Francis
Record: 5-3-1 | Conference: Independent | Previous: 7
Despite losing 3-2 at Arlington on Wednesday, the youth movement was on full display. Goals came from freshmen Bryce Russ and Matthew Bolduc. Another rookie, CJ Watroba, is another standout prospect for the Cardinals. All the departures have been well documented, but there’s still plenty of talent in West Springfield.
9. Braintree
Record: 6-2-1 | Conference: Bay State Herget | Previous: 8
The Wamps have solid depth as Dave Fasano’s team seems to find scoring by committee. Both losses have come from teams directly above them, Pope Francis and Hingham. While Braintree lacks the notable firepower of some of the teams ranked above, the team makes up for it with grit, energy and coming at you in waves.
10. Winchester
Record: 5-2-0 | Conference: Middlesex Liberty | Previous: 14
After back-to-back 6-0 losses at the hands of Arlington and Belmont, the Sachems have bounced back with three straight wins. Thursday night’s 2-1 overtime victory over BC High was thrilling. While regulation was sleepy at best, Max Tong gained the offensive zone and found defenseman Liam Doherty, who was trailing the play. He took a stride or two before sending a wrist shot past the BC High goaltender to set off a wild celebration. Tong led the way offensively as he had a goal earlier in the game.
11. Tewksbury
Record: 7-0-0 | Conference: Dual County/Merrimack Valley 2 | Previous: 13
Thanks to Covid protocols, the Redmen didn’t play last week. With no games played, there’s not much to add. Tewksbury might be in Division 2, but don’t let that fool you. The trio of stars, defenseman Caden Connors and forwards Jason and Matthew Cooke, are as good as many in Division 1. Combined, the three players have scored 22 of the team’s 39 goals.
12. Waltham
Record: 5-2-1 | Conference: MVC/Dual County 1 | Previous: 16
After another shutout Wednesday, the Hawks have allowed just two goals in their last four games. Senior goaltender Jack Perry and his teammates will have to wait for the Ed Burns Tournament to prove the naysayers wrong. A little more offensive punch by then will also help in quieting the doubters.
13. Wellesley
Record: 4-1-2 | Conference: Bay State Carey | Previous: UR
The Raiders have a widely noted pause, due to Covid. Since returning from that delay in the schedule, Paul Donato’s team has defeated Belmont and Framingham and tied Braintree. That’s quite the resume builder to ensure a lofty debut in the power rankings. We’ll try to get eyes on the Raiders in the near future.
14. Franklin
Record: 8-5-0 | Conference: Hockomock Kelley-Rex | Previous: 18
The Panthers are holding onto a three-game winning streak heading into Saturday night’s game against King Phillip. The conference schedule isn’t that daunting, but Franklin has certainly challenged themselves outside of the league play. There’s some talent on this roster, including goaltender Cole Pouliot-Porter, one of the more athletic goalies in the state.
15. Marshfield
Record: 6-3-1 | Conference: Independent | Previous: 19
The Rams have won four in a row after a two-game losing streak around the New Year’s holiday. In those four games, the team has allowed just two goals while posting two shutouts. Dan Connolly has split up star sophomores Cam McGettrick and Will Doherty. It appears to be working so far.
16. Malden Catholic
Record: 4-4-0 | Conference: Catholic Conference | Previous: 10
Sophomore Joe Gaffney had two goals in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss at Catholic Memorial. While the stardom of sophomore Owen Keefe is well documented in these pages, the team’s lack of depth is coming back to haunt them so far this season. If the Lancers were in almost any other conference, their record would be better. Going through the Catholic Conference gauntlet is never easy.
17. St. Mary’s
Record: 4-5-2 | Conference: Catholic Central | Previous: 11
The Spartans are 1-5-1 after starting out 3-0-1. As long as Mark Lee’s team can get into the tournament with a record of .500 or above, St. Mary’s could be a tough out. The team plays hard, but it can’t roll as many lines as usual.
18. BC High
Record: 3-5-1 | Conference: Catholic Conference | Previous: 12
The Eagles have struggled to come together this season. The roster certainly lacks the depth of talent fans of BC High have been accustomed to for many years. Head coach John Flaherty has split up his top two players to try and balance out the scoring. The defense and goaltending have been better, but goals have been tough to come by for BC High. Like I said with MC, this team is better than their record, but it plays a tough schedule.
19. Marlboro
Record: 9-0-1 | Conference: Quinn Conference | Previous: 20
Forwards Marcus Chrisafidies and Jeremy Lacroix lead the way for the Panthers, a top program in Division 3. While it’s tough to imagine the team would be undefeated playing a tougher schedule, give credit where it’s due. Marlboro has taken care of business to date.
20. Masconomet
Record: 8-2-0 | Conference: Northeastern North | Previous: 17
After five straight wins, the Chieftains lost to Lincoln-Sudbury on Wednesday. This team could make a run in Division 2, especially with slick, skilled winger A.J. Sacco leading the way. One of the key dates remaining on Masconomet’s schedule is a February 5 clash against Gloucester. The Chieftains won the first match of Division 2 heavyweights.
