It wasn't all that long ago that Milton went 17-5-5 en route to securing the No. 3 seed in the Elite 8. That was 2023.
In the two seasons since, Milton has failed to make the postseason, with win totals of 11 and 10.
Head coach Jim Gaudet, however, looks to have the Mustangs back on track entering this season. It's his third year, and the roster is in the best shape it's been in since he took over.
Milton was young last season with 10 sophomores. With those players now becoming upperclassmen, dividends should be showing.
"Hopefully, we're going to see this year that experience paid off," Gaudet said. "All those guys have been having good falls for various split-season teams. We've got quite a few good players returning, and then we've got some exciting new players. I've liked what I've seen so far."
Can Milton get back into the postseason? Could the Mustangs even make a push for the Elite 8?
Deep up front
Milton is fortunate. Gaudet put together a good blend of returning forwards and high-end, young talent.
That starts with Brody Sharpe, who will serve as team captain. The Wellesley, Mass., native had 14 points in 23 games last season. He will be someone Gaudet relies on quite a bit.
The same can be said for Joe Feinberg (Needham, Mass.), who took a step back as a junior. After posting 21 points as a sophomore, he put up nine in 16 games last season. He broke his wrist last season.
"I think he's going to come out flying and excited," Gaudet said.
Cooper Hosmer (Andover, Mass.) will be another impactful forward. The '07 had 15 points last season, playing all over the lineup. Max Colosimo is back, too, after having eight goals as a sophomore '08 last season.
Those are just the notable returners.
Cam Doull has arrived. The Concord, Mass., native had a strong fall with the 18U Cape Cod Whalers and stands at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds. He should be a force on the wing. Noah Keeler (Milton, Vt.) was on that Whalers team this fall, too. He will also be at Milton this winter.
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Chase Collins (Wakefield, Mass.) projects to be another impactful forward. The '08 arrives via St. Mary's of Lynn.
"I don't know where everyone's going to fit in yet," Gaudet said. "But we do have a lot of guys that do a lot of different things up front."
Two massive storylines to watch will be the two 2010-born forwards Gaudet could end up relying on quite a bit: Blake Wilichoski (Danvers, Mass.) and T.J. Petropoulos (Brockton, Mass.).
Wilichoski arrives from Hillside School after posting 44 goals and 72 points in 31 games last season. He was a standout at USA Hockey's Select 15 Camp this past summer and was one of the Minuteman Flames' top forwards this fall. A good prep season should improve his chances of getting an invite to the U.S. National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp.
"What sets Blake apart when you watch him is his competitiveness," Gaudet said. "He's an extremely competitive kid in games, in practice and he has a lot of ability. He's a smart player. He definitely has all the pieces."
Petropoulos was the Militia's top forward this fall. On Saturday, he netted a hat trick to upset the No. 1 seed Minuteman Flames in the Massachusetts State Tournament. His compete is sky high.
Locking it down on defense and in net
In Gaudet's first year at his first Flood-Marr Tournament, the new coach had an odd request for Justin Garvey, one of his sophomore forwards.
"We've got some injuries and illnesses," Gaudet told him. "We really need another defenseman. Have you ever played defense?"
Fortunately for Gaudet, the answer was yes, Garvey had spent some time on the blue line growing up. It showed, as Garvey jumped back and played a regular shift through the Flood-Marr, and for a few more games until everybody was healthy. He finished the season at forward, but went back to his coach in the spring to tell him he was considering going back to defense.
When he came back for the fall, the answer was clear: he wanted to be a defenseman.
The results were big. As the team's No. 1 defenseman, Garvey potted five goals and notched 17 points in 28 games. He ran the power play and played in all situations. The '07 is back for his senior year.
"He's really, really skilled," Gaudet said. "He's grown quite a bit, and defensively, he's getting better and better. He's a guy that I think is going to be really exciting this year to keep an eye on."
Joining Garvey on the back end will be senior Josh Levy and junior Chance Bolton. Both are '08s who will be counted on heavily this season.
"Those guys, they're going to play a lot of minutes," Gaudet said. "They're going to be important for us."
Two other returners are Brayden Robinson (Hingham, Mass.) and Michael Shaw. Both are junior '08s. Logan Smith (Hanover, N.H.), a 2010-born defenseman playing on the Militia this fall, will be the lone newcomer on the blue line.
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In net, Eli Zucker and Carter Backus (Cohasset, Mass.) both returned. They are both juniors. Zucker got the majority of time last season, posting a 3.50 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage. Zucker was picked by the Waterloo Black Hawks in the sixth round of the USHL Phase 2 Draft earlier this year. Backus notched a 3.75 GAA and a .886 save percentage.
Both need to be better. All signs point to that happening.
"I feel that you can have a guy that is seen as a starter, but I feel like you really kind of have to have two solid goaltenders to play at the prep level," Gaudet said. "We'll play 29 games this year, and to have one guy, especially when you're talking about Flood-Marr and things like that, it can be really, really tough. So we're really excited that we have two strong junior goalies."
Managing expectations
When the Mustangs made the Elite 8 in 2023, they were older. Typically, veteran teams do well and go further in prep than younger ones.
This team fits that mold.
"You never know until the season gets going," Gaudet said.
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True. But on paper, this Milton squad should be much improved. There is depth up front, depth in back and two stable netminders. The ISL Keller is also wide open. The Mustangs should, at the very least, have a path back to the postseason.
"They have the ability to accomplish many great things this season on the ice," Gaudet said. "I think we've got a really good coaching staff and a great group of kids. We're just excited for the season to get going to see what we can accomplish."
