Now that the dust has settled on the 2019-20 New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) boys' hockey season, it’s time for some awards.
The 2019-20 prep school hockey season offered some pleasant surprises and some perplexing disappointments, but it was full of intrigue. A couple of the award winners were certainly long shots or complete afterthoughts heading into the season. On the contrary, some players were expected to be on the award lists who didn’t meet expectations.
Below are my selections for player of the year, coach of the year, rookie of the year, first, second and third All-Prep teams, and first and second All-Rookie teams.
New England Prep Player of the Year
Henry Wilder
Hotchkiss, 3/19/01, G, catches left, 6-1/165
NCAA commit: Boston College
Wilder’s .942 save percentage was the best in prep hockey, for goaltenders who saw a significant amount of their team’s minutes. The Needham, Mass., native was unquestionably the most valuable player for his team in prep hockey. The Bearcats had an unexpectedly terrific season, and it all centered around the ability of Wilder.
Runner-up: Ian Moore, St. Mark’s
New England Prep Coach of the Year
Mike Traggio
Hotchkiss
Although Traggio undoubtedly had the luxury of riding the aforementioned Wilder in net, he deserves credit for Hotchkiss earning the No. 5 seed in the Elite 8 tournament. It was a remarkable season for the Bearcats and he orchestrated it with a solid top line and an elite goaltender. In my opinion, he just narrowly edges out the competition for this award.
Runner-up: Dan Driscoll, Berkshire
New England Prep Rookie of the Year
Adam Fantilli
Kimball Union, 10/12/04, C, left shot, 6-2/180
Fantilli missed nine games with injury, but his superiority was abundantly clear when he was in the lineup. Almost all of his points came without the luxury of the top line or top power-play unit as he centered the second line. The Toronto, Ontario, native is a big power forward who skates well, sees the ice well and has a ton of skill. He’s likely the first-overall pick in the upcoming OHL Draft.
Runners-up: Damien Carfagna, Lawrence Academy
All-New England Prep First Team
Riley Duran
Lawrence, 1/25/02, RW, right shot, 6-2/175
NCAA commit: Providence
Alex Jefferies
Gunnery, 11/8/01, LW/RW, right shot, 5-11/195
NCAA commit: Merrimack
Marcus Joughin
New Hampton, 7/5/01, C, left shot, 5-11/175
NCAA commit: Sacred Heart
John Fusco
Dexter Southfield, 6/13/01, D, right shot, 5-11/185
NCAA commit: Harvard
Ian Moore
St. Mark’s, 1/4/02, D, right shot, 6-2/171
NCAA commit: Harvard
Henry Wilder
Hotchkiss, 3/19/01, G, catches left, 6-1/165
NCAA commit: Boston College
All-New England Prep Second Team
Tomas Mazura
Kimball Union, 9/23/00, C, left shot, 6-3/190
NCAA commit: Providence
NHL: Edmonton Oilers (2019, 6th round)
Sasha Teleguine
Thayer, 9/17/02, C, left shot, 5-9/178
NCAA commit: Northeastern
Aidan Thompson
Berkshire, 2/18/02, C, left shot, 5-11/157
NCAA commit: Denver
Damien Carfagna
Lawrence, 12/12/02, D, left shot, 5-10/155
NCAA commit: New Hampshire
Lukas Gustafsson
Cushing, 12/16/02, D, left shot, 5-10/175
NCAA commit: Boston College
Jed Baliotti
Berkshire, 2/7/02, G, catches left, 6-3/180
All-New England Prep Third Team
Tabor Heaslip
Avon Old Farms, 12/17/01, C, left shot, 5-9/160
NCAA commit: Connecticut
Sullivan Mack
Kimball Union, 7/5/00, RW, left shot, 6-0/180
NCAA commit: Cornell
Casey Severo
Nobles, 2/1/01, C, right shot, 5-11/175
Drew Tsakounis
Avon Old Farms, 7/15/03, D, left shot, 5-9/159
NCAA commit: Penn State
Carter Rose
Holderness, 8/9/02, D, left shot, 6-2/195
NCAA commit: Clarkson
Connor Hasley
Northfield Mount Hermon, 2/27/01, G, catches left, 6-2/195
NCAA commit: Bentley
New England Prep All-Rookie First Team
Adam Fantilli
Kimball Union, 10/12/04, C, left shot, 6-2/180
Karsen Dorwart
Hotchkiss, 9/17/02, C, left shot, 6-0/178
Niko Rexine
Millbrook, 6/20/02, C/RW, right shot, 6-2/165
Damien Carfagna
Lawrence, 12/12/02, D, left shot, 5-10/155
NCAA commit: New Hampshire
Declan Loughnane
Thayer, 11/22/03, D, right shot, 5-11/194
Jackson Irving
Cushing, 2/3/04, G, catches left, 5-10/155
New England Prep All-Rookie Second Team
David Chen
Milton, 4/1/03, C, right shot, 5-7/135
Trevor O’Brien
St. Mark’s, 4/29/02, C, right shot, 5-9/150
Joe Solimine
Northfield Mount Hermon, 3/3/02, C/LW, left shot, 5-7/155
Brendan Fitzgerald
Governor’s, 3/6/03, D, left shot, 5-10/147
Ethan Mistry
Milton, 2/4/03, D, left shot, 5-8/160
NCAA commit: Brown
Dylan Silverstein
Dexter Southfield, 2/7/04, G, catches left, 5-11/160
