The recent resumption of the prep hockey schedule throughout the region means it’s time for the return of New England Hockey Journal’s Coaches Poll. With the 2020 portion of the schedule now underway, we plan on being here each week until the champions are crowned in March.
A large dose of tournaments over the past several weeks has made for a considerably different look in this latest edition, though eight of the teams ranked were also listed in the final coaches’ ranks of the 2019 calendar year. Several teams have not seen action since before the holidays, but action resumes its normal pace over the next week.
Eleven other teams received consideration for the top-10 ranks, which are 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.)
The NEHJ Prep School Coaches Poll will be released every Tuesday during the season on hockeyjournal.com. Please send an email to jkummins@hockeyjournal.com if you are interested in participating in our polls throughout the winter.
1. Dexter Southfield (11-1)
122 points - 8 first-place votes
Last week: 1st
Dexter remains the No. 1 team in our New England coaches’ rankings despite its 5-4 loss to Lawrence in Sunday’s finale at the Edward G. Watkins Invitational. The weekend began with wins over Stanstead College, 5-3, Governor’s, 7-3, and Thayer, 5-3.
Doug Grimes (Brookline, Mass.) scored twice and Dylan Silverstein (Woburn, Mass.) made 34 saves in the title game, but their efforts were not enough in Dexter’s first loss of the season. Ben Raymond (Newton, Mass.) scored twice in Dexter’s opening game, while Grimes and Matt Fusco (Westwood, Mass.) had two goals and two assists each against Governor’s. Grimes, John Fusco and Michael Adamson (Quincy, Mass.) all posted two points en route to beating Thayer in the semifinal round.
2. Lawrence (9-1)
114 points - 4 first-place votes
Last week: 5th
The Spartans opened 2020 with a bang as they won four straight games to capture the Watkins Invitational, defeating New Hampton, 5-1, host Cushing, 3-2 in overtime, Canterbury, 4-2, and Dexter Southfield, 5-4. For coach Robbie Barker’s team, the championship game avenged a Dec. 21 loss to Dexter.
David Sacco (Middleton, Mass.) and Kyle Furey (Marblehead, Mass.) both logged a goal and two assists in the finale while Riley Duran (Woburn, Mass.) scored twice and Tomas Pientka made 32 saves for the win. Conor Lovett (Franklin, Mass.) netted the winner after opening the tournament with a two-goal performance against New Hampton. Holt Oliphant’s two goals against Cushing included the game-winner, while Brandon Milberg made 31 stops. Lovett netted a goal and an assist against Canterbury.
3. Salisbury (8-1-1)
113 points - 2 first-place votes
Last week: 2nd
The Crimson Knights have yet to debut during the 2020 calendar year. Their last action came during a pre-Christmas run to the Flood-Marr championship, concluding with a 4-1 win over Hotchkiss.
4. Kent (8-2)
80 points
Last week: 4th
Kent jumped up to fourth before the calendar turned to 2020 and has remained there since its last action during the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic. The Lions swept all four games, including a 5-4 championship decision against Gunnery.
5. Avon Old Farms (8-1)
73 points
Last week: 6th
The Winged Beavers have not seen action since Dec. 21, when they captured third place during their own Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic. They suffered their lone loss of the season against Kent to open that tournament, but three straight wins thereafter brought them back to the right track entering the new year.
6. St. Sebastian’s (9-1)
66 points
Last week: 8th
Sebs resumed its season with a pair of victories during the Nobles-St. Sebastian’s New Year’s Showcase, defeating Berkshire, 7-0, and Williston Northampton, 5-1.
The Arrows got three points each from Will Elias (Weston, Mass.), Brendan Dumas (North Attleboro, Mass.) and Liam Connors (Westborough, Mass.) during the first of those games, while Luke Garrity (Duxbury, Mass.) pitched a 16-save shutout. Elias’ night included a pair of goals. Against Williston, Connor Joyce (Dedham, Mass.) scored a goal and added three assists, and Dumas finished with a goal and two helpers.
7. Kimball Union (10-4-1)
63 points
Last week: 3rd
The Wildcats participated in the first-ever True Prep Cup this past weekend at Merrimack College, dropping a 6-0 decision to St. Andrew’s College before beating Culver Academy, 6-5 in overtime, and Shattuck-St. Mary’s, 4-3.
After allowing five first-period goals in the loss to St. Andrew’s, KUA bounced back to defeat Culver as Luca Fantilli (1-1-2), Tomas Mazura (0-2-2) and Nick Bernardo (0-2-2) all had two points and Zak Brice made 30 saves in goal. Fantilli’s helper came on Adam Fantilli’s goal in overtime. Paul Dore assisted on three of KUA’s four goals against Shattuck, including Bryce Bollman’s deciding tally. Veeti Kohvakka stopped 40 shots.
8. Loomis Chaffee (7-1-2)
38 points
Last week: 10th
Loomis played four times during its last action of 2019 at the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic. The Pelicans concluded their tournament on a strong note, Dec. 21, pitching a 5-0 shutout against St. Paul’s.
9. Brunswick (8-3-1)
24 points
Last week: Not ranked
The Bruins jumped into the rankings after capturing the Nichols-Belmont Hill Holiday Tournament title with a 1-0 win over Belmont Hill on Dec. 30. Brunswick also defeated Millbrook, 6-5 in overtime, St. Francis Prep, 3-2 in overtime, and Rivers, 4-0, during that weekend.
Jakub Teply scored the only goal of the title game after posting a goal and an assist against Rivers the day before. Brendan Holahan and Alexander Rohif pitched back-to-back shutouts to conclude the tournament. Rohif made 27 saves against Belmont Hill.
T10. St. Mark's (7-0-1)
18 points
Last week: Not ranked
Before the turn to 2020, the Lions advanced to the championship game of the Barber Memorial Tournament and fell to Hill School in a shootout following a 5-5 tie. St. Mark’s also beat Portsmouth Abbey, 9-1, and Kents Hill, 4-2, during that tournament.
Danny Ciccarello scored twice and added an assist against Hill after posting seven points over his team’s first two games of the tournament. Trevor O’Brien (Hingham, Mass.) also had two goals and two assists against Portsmouth Abbey.
T10. Gunnery (7-4-1)
18 points
Last week: 9th
Gunnery opened its three-game stint at the True Prep Cup with a 5-4 win over Culver Academy, advancing on the strength of Alex Luff’s winning goal in the third period. Alex Jefferies (Lunenburg, Mass.) and Jeff Kopek assisted twice in that game, including on the deciding tally. Gunnery concluded the weekend with a 6-1 loss to St. Andrew’s and 9-2 loss to Northwood Junior, goals coming from Dane Dowiak, Daniel Sambucco and Kopek. Carmine Andranovich made 27 saves in each of the team’s first two games.
Others receiving votes: Cushing, Hotchkiss, Berkshire, Andover, Groton, Pomfret, Tilton, Trinity-Pawling, Millbrook, Nobles, Belmont Hill.
