This version of the NEPSAC boys Large School Tournament has some heavy-hitters.
Belmont Hill is the No. 1 seed after being in the Elite 8 race for quite a while, while Avon Old Farms, which won the Elite 8 in 2023, is the No. 2 seed. Phillips Andover and Thayer spent time in Elite 8 contention throughout the year and Governor's Academy was good from start to finish.
Kent, Westminster and Trinity-Pawling all have strengths that could lead them to upsetting top teams.
But what is the key to all eight teams winning? Let's dive in.
No. 1 Belmont Hill (19-6-2)
Record against Large School teams: 3-2-1
Why they could win: Having two No. 1 goalies is a big strength. Head coach Brian Phinney has senior Keagin Wilson (Hingham, Mass.) or junior JJ Thibodeau (Waltham, Mass.) to turn to. He's mostly gone back and forth between them, so it will come down to picking the right one. Fortunately for Wilson and Thibodeau, they will have one of the best defensive pairings in prep in front of them in junior Evan Jones (Arlington, Mass.) and senior Grayson Cohen (Weston, Mass.). Jones, a Dartmouth commit, is tied for third in prep for points (36) among all defensemen, while Cohen isn't far behind with 24.
2. Avon Old Farms (17-7-1)
Record against Large School teams: 4-1-0
Why they could win: The Winged Beavers have quite a bit of high-end skaters. But junior goalie Anthony Palmer (Lynnfield, Mass.) is the Winged Beavers' best bet to win the Large School. He has a sparkling 1.95 goals-against average and .933 save percentage. Talented goalies on a hot streak make all the difference come the sprint towards the championship and Palmer has that. A nice second-best strength of this team is Providence commit Cooper Snee and Dartmouth commit Indiana Grossbard (Wilton, Conn.) — two powerful, difference-making forwards.
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3. Phillips Andover (17-9-3)
Record against Large School teams: 2-1-0
Why they could win: Having to gameplan against Andover means having to neutralize Grayden Robertson-Palmer and Rui Han. It goes without saying, but that's not an easy thing to do. Robertson-Palmer, a Dartmouth commit, is a two-way force who plays with power. Sure, he can produce offense. But he can also make life miserable on the opposition. He's also a legitimate NHL Draft prospect. Han plays with high-end skill and produces offense so well alongside Robertson-Palmer. He committed to Yale earlier this season.
4. Governor's Academy (16-11-2)
Record against Large School teams: 2-3-0
Why they could win: Senior goalie Zach Ericson (Yarmouth, Maine) is having the kind of senior year players hope they have. Among goalies who've played over 1,000 minutes, he ranks sixth in save percentage (.918) and tied for ninth in GAA (2.58). Another scary element of head coach Brian McGuirk's team is its offensive depth with senior Eli Heinze, junior Brodie Donovan and a slew of sophomores in Robbie Daley (North Reading, Mass.), Jack Torr and Spencer Thornborough (Boxford, Mass.). Toss in senior defenseman Ian Crowley (Holyoke, Mass.) who has over a point per game and Governor's Academy could go deep.
5. Westminster (13-10-2)
Record against Large School teams: 3-2-0
Why they could win: Far and away it's junior goalie Jack Fichthorn. The Darien, Conn., native has been outstanding with a 2.47 GAA and a .927 save percentage. The Martlets struggled through the beginning and middle of the season. But Fichthorn reached a different level in February, going 9-2-1 with huge wins over Kent, Avon Old Farms, Pomfret, Salisbury, Frederick Gunn and Belmont Hill. The 6-foot-1 netminder could guide Westminster to a Large School title.
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6. Trinity-Pawling (13-9-3)
Record against Large School teams: 1-3-1
Why they could win: The Pride are dangerous because of their top-end scoring. Just look at what they did to Brunswick on Friday night. Senior defenseman Ludovik Gauvin posted a hat trick, senior forward Liam Lefebvre and junior Andrew Migliore had a goal and two assists each, and senior forward Nick Peragine had three assists in the 6-4 win. Lefebvre, a Vermont commit, is one of the top point-getters in the region with 57. Migliore is right behind him with 51 and Peragine with 42. They also ended the year 10-2-2.
7. Thayer (15-12-1)
Record against Large School teams:Â 1-3-1
Why they could win: This might be out of left field, but I like Thayer's defensive core. Led by seniors Peter Luecke, Blake Stuzynski (Bedford, Mass.) and Declan Devin (Norwell, Mass.) and juniors Matthew MacDonald (Weymouth, Mass.) and Cooper Shea, the Tigers have a crew who can make life difficult on opponents and produce when needed. Getting sophomore Brian McFadden (Holbrook, Mass.) back for the stretch run was big, as he posted nine points in 13 games. My one worry with this team is they went 5-8-0 down the stretch.
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8. Kent (13-10-2)
Record against Large School teams:Â 1-2-1
Why they could win: The Lions are defending Large School champs. While they lost a lot of talent from last year's team, their offensive depth is solid. Seniors Luke Dow (Orange, Conn.) and Stefano Pietrantonio, a Dartmouth commit, are both at over a point per game pace. Junior Lucas Husted-Edwards (Trumbull, Conn.) was hot down the stretch and has nine goals and 26 points in 25 games. Cornell commit Jack Broderick and Colgate commit Maddox Boyle are high-end players. Junior Aiden Grinshpun and sophomore Will Schlechtweg have posted strong seasons, too.
