The dawn of the 2019-20 New England Prep School Athletic Counsel (NEPSAC) hockey season means it’s time for New England Hockey Journal’s preseason awards and All-Star teams.
Unlike the official NEPSAC year-end All-Star teams, I don’t break it down into east and west. Below will be my Preseason Player of the Year, Preseason Rookie of the Year, Preseason All-Prep first and second teams and a Preseason Prep All-Rookie Team.
Please note in formulating these preseason accolades, I have taken this season into the utmost consideration.
I’ve tried to narrow this down to what players I believe will perform best this season, as opposed to many of my lists that look to project future potential.
Player of the Year
Alex Jefferies, Gunnery, Sr., RW (Merrimack)
Jefferies is prep hockey’s leading returning scorer. The Lunenburg, Mass., native scored 27 goals and added 30 assists in 31 games last winter for Craig Badger’s team. He’ll once again be the go-to guy for a Gunnery program that is consistently in the running for a spot in Elite 8 Tournament.
Runners-up: Ian Moore, St. Mark’s, Jr., D (Harvard); Tomas Mazura, Sr., Kimball Union, C (Providence)
Rookie of the Year
Adam Fantilli, Kimball Union, So., LW
Fantilli is considered the top ’04 in all of Ontario and he is bringing his talents to Meriden, N.H. Although some youngsters take time to adjust to prep hockey, Fantilli’s transition to playing against older competition should go smoothy. He’s big, powerful and skilled.
Runner-up: Massimo Rizzo, Governor’s, Jr., C
All-Prep First Team
Alex Jefferies, Gunnery, Sr., RW (Merrimack)
Tomas Mazura, Kimball Union, Sr., C (Providence)
Lucas Mercuri, Salisbury, Sr., C (Vermont)
Ian Moore, St. Mark’s, Jr., D (Harvard)
Eamon Doheny, Deerfield, Sr., D
Henry Wilder, Hotchkiss, Sr., G (Boston College)
Jefferies, Mazura, Mercuri, Moore and Wilder don’t need a lot of explaining. They have built up impressive resumes and there is nothing to suggest they won’t be just as good or better in 2019-20. On Doheny, he’s a big, strong defender whose offensive game is starting to come to fruition. He has serious interest from a handful of ECAC Hockey and Atlantic Hockey teams with a few Hockey East teams sniffing around.
All-Prep Second Team
Philip Tresca, Rivers, Sr., C (Yale)
Sasha Teleguine, Thayer, Jr., C (Northeastern)
Casey Severo, Nobles, Sr., C
Jagger Benson, Tilton, Sr., D (Vermont)
Lukas Gustafsson, Cushing, Jr., D (Boston College)
Kyle Chauvette, Loomis Chaffee, Sr., G (Holy Cross)
Severo is the lone uncommitted player on the second team after decommitting from Merrimack during the off-season. A 200-foot player, the Pittsford, N.Y., native is good away from the puck and thinks the game at a high level. Benson will be a key figure on a Tilton team that I expect to make a run to the Elite 8.
Prep All-Rookie Team
Adam Fantilli, Kimball Union, So., LW
Massimo Gentile, Governor’s, Jr., C
Ryan Remick, Kent, So., C (Maine)
Luca Fantilli, Kimball Union, Jr., D
Jason Marsella, Avon Old Farms, Jr., D (Yale)
Dylan Silverstein, Dexter, Fr., G
Gentile played in the NEFPHL this fall and his speed stood out in every viewing. He’s going to be a fun player to watch on a Governor’s team that is ready to turn the corner under head coach Brian McGuirk. The older Fantilli, a defenseman, is being recruited by a few top college hockey programs, including Harvard.
