Of the three NEPSAC boys hockey postseason brackets, the Large School Tournament might be the most unpredictable field.
Almost all eight teams had paths to the Elite 8 in the final month of the season.
Nobles finished as the No. 1 seed, while Lawrence Academy, Dexter Southfield and Deerfield rounded out the top four seeds.
Let's break down each of the eight teams.
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1. Nobles (15-7-4)
Record against Large School field:Â 5-3-1
Nobles had the No. 8 seed in the Elite 8 until it fell to Belmont Hill on Feb. 16.
Ultimately, Nobles is a team run by the juniors, especially up front. Kyle O'Leary (Medfield, Mass.), who recently committed to Yale, leads the team in points with 41, while Teddy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) and Dennis Davidson (Newton, Mass.) rank right behind him. Those three are head coach Brian Day's go-to guys. Sophomore Billy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) also falls in that category after putting up 25 points in 26 games. Juniors Ethan Cox (Westboro, Mass.) and Ben Nakata (West Barnstable, Mass.) have provided good depth scoring.
On defense, Nobles' primary puck mover is freshman Kris Soja (Ludlow, Mass.), an '08. Sophomores Jack Hartwell (Cohasset, Mass.) and Tuck Gilbane (Chestnut Hill, Mass.), along with senior Andrew Higgins (Weston, Mass.) and junior Lou Munger (Dedham, Mass.) have been key on defense.
The X-factor for the Bulldogs is senior goalie Tyler Bloomfield (Hudson, Mass.), who put together a strong campaign with a 2.74 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
2. Lawrence Academy (16-9-2)
Record against Large School field: 2-3-0
Lawrence Academy won the Small School Tournament with a similar roster last season, making them a prime contender to go deep this year.
Owen Leahy (Providence, R.I.) is the straw that stirs the drink for Lawrence Academy. The center has 17 goals and a team-high 50 points. This will be a big week for the senior who is still uncommitted. Fellow senior forwards Brendan Hirsch (Arlington, Mass.), who leads the team in goals with 25, and Spencer Hirsch have provided a lot of scoring. Junior Laz Giardina (Reading, Mass.) and Ty Wood (Gloucester, Mass.), as well as freshman Luke Allen have been key secondary scorers.
BRACKET BREAKDOWNS: Elite 8 Tournament | Small School Tournament
On defense, Shawn Leary is relied on to provide a fair amount of offense. The Dorchester, Mass., native has 12 goals and 29 points in 27 games. Junior Aiden MacIsaac (Andover, Mass.) has been a stable puck-mover for head coach Robbie Barker.
Kolin Belliveau (Andover, Mass.) has pieced together a strong season with a 2.74 GAA and a .900 save percentage.
3. Dexter Southfield (17-9-2)
Record against Large School field:Â 3-1-0
In terms of teams with intriguing college prospects, Dexter has a bunch. And after a rough showing at the Lawrence/Groton Tournament, head coach Danny Donato's team has gone 13-6-0 since Dec. 29.
The return of senior Cullen Emery (Reading, Mass.) was vital, as the center leads Dexter in goals (16) and points (37). Junior Sean Leetch (Boston, Mass.) ranks right behind him with 33 points. Junior Tyler Hamilton (Framingham, Mass.) and Nate Porter (Hingham, Mass.), who returned midseason, have been strong depth options. Sophomore Joe Marchi (Foxboro, Mass.) showcased promise in his first year of prep, while freshman Noah Survilas (Winthrop, Mass.), an '08, posted 10 goals and 26 points in 28 games, considerably raising his stock.
On defense, freshman Myles Brosnan (Winchester, Mass.) has been a breakout prospect. Senior Cam Smith (Lincoln, R.I.) has been a reliable force for Donato on the back end. So, too, have seniors Carson Nickulas (Barnstable, Mass.) and Liam O'Keeffe (Boston, Mass.), junior Collin Rowe (Andover, Mass.) and sophomores Tommy Broderick (Norwood, Mass.) and Matt Hines (Hingham, Mass.).
Sophomore Colin Davis (Canton, Mass.) has posted a solid first year in prep with a 2.86 GAA and a .888 save percentage.
4. Deerfield (14-8-3)
Record against Large School field: 1-1-1
Deerfield had an up-and-down middle of the season, but stabilized come February, going 6-1-1 in its final eight games.
The two forces up front have been senior Tom Molson and junior Justin Tavares. Molson, who committed to Yale midseason, leads the team in points with 43, while Tavares ranks just behind him with 39. Senior Jakub Kohn leads the team in goals with 16. Junior forward Lance Roberts (Weare, N.H.) has also contributed a fair amount with nine goals and 24 points in 25 games.
PREP PLAYOFFS: Elite 8 bracket | Small School bracket
On defense, junior Zachary Chehade and sophomore Nate Watson have produced quite a bit of offense. Seniors Ben Cook (Concord, Mass.) and Marc Miron, as well as junior Ryan Diffley (Old Saybrook, Conn.) have been key pieces for heads coach Tim McVaugh.
Senior John Tolve (Duxbury, Mass.), an '04, has seen the most time in net with a 2.83 GAA and a .908 save percentage.
5. Kent (15-8-2)
Record against Large School field:Â 0-2-0
Ironically, one of those two losses to Large School opponents came on Feb. 21 against Deerfield, when the Lions fell, 5-3. The two teams play again Wednesday in the quarterfinals.
Kent isn't short on offensive talent. The attack is led by senior Cornell commit Gio DiGiulian (South Burlington, Vt.). The 2024 NHL Draft prospect leads the team in goals (20) and points (42). Fellow seniors Owen Mahar, Jack Roberts, Patrick Walsh and Sam Pfefferle. Juniors Stefano Pietrantonio and Michael Fiedorczuk pitched in quite a bit, too.
The Lions actually boast a pretty strong defensive core with seniors Braden Pohlman, Teddy Mallgrave and Denver Damphousse, junior Nathan DiChiara (Fairfield, Conn.) and sophomore Ryan Poirier (Salem, N.H.).
The big question facing head coach Dale Reinhardt will be which goalie he goes with: senior Aidan Hopewell or junior Keegan Waldo? Both have been inconsistent at times this season.
6. Belmont Hill (18-10-2)
Record against Large School field:Â 3-3-0
Even though the Sextants are extremely young, they were in the Elite 8 race until the last week of the season.
The top line of senior Jake McManus (Winthrop, Mass.), sophomore Jake Tavares (Belmont, Mass.) and freshman David Bosco (Winchester, Mass.) carried the offense. McManus leads the team with 39 points, while Bosco and Tavares are tied for the team lead in goals with 18. The two underclassmen have been two of the premier breakout prospects in the region, with Bosco looking like a legitimate U.S. National Team Development Program candidate and Tavares getting attention from Division 1 colleges. Sophomore Patrick Woods (Charlestown, Mass.) and junior Andrew Waugh (Norwell, Mass.) have also been key depth scorers.
GIRLS PREVIEWS: Elite 8 Tournament | Large School Tournament | Small School Tournament
On defense, junior Grayson Cohen (Weston, Mass.) has led the way with 17 points in 30 games. Juniors Stephen Fabiano (Charlestown, Mass.), Lindan Verville (Needham, Mass.), Jack Duffy (Walpole, Mass.) and Evan Dresser (Everett, Mass.), sophomore Louis Marobella (Sudbury, Mass.) and freshman Brady Sloper (North Andover, Mass.) have been impactful as well.
In net, head coach Brian Phinney has the tandem of junior Keagin Wilson (Hingham, Mass.) and sophomore JJ Thibodeau (Waltham, Mass.).
7. Phillips Andover (16-10-2)
Record against Large School field:Â 2-4-0
Between Jan. 20 and Feb. 17, Andover fell on hard times, going 2-7-1, but rebounded to win its final three games.
There are various impactful veterans on offense, with seniors Ethan Skowronek (the team's leading goal scorer and point getter), Sam Myles and Jake LeDoux. Juniors Grayden Robertson-Palmer, Peyton Militello and Rui Han have produced a lot of offense as well. Sophomore David O'Neill and freshman '08 Alex Theodore both have 16 points.
Junior Zachary Skowronek has been the offensive leader from the back end with seven goals and 17 points in 28 games. Senior Drew Smith (Cotuit, Mass.), junior Luke DeAngelis and sophomore Louis-Felix Beaulieu have also played vital minutes for head coach Paul Tortorella.
While senior Ben Skowronek and junior Chase Anderson (Marblehead, Mass.) have split time in net this season, Skowronek has played the last four games and gone 3-0-1.
8. Berkshire (19-11-0)
Record against Large School field:Â 1-1-0
Berkshire fell a bit in the standings due to a 3-4-0 stretch to end the season, but the Bears were contenders all along.
Senior Antoine Gauthier was a massive addition, as he leads Berkshire in points with 46 through 27 games. Juniors Duncan Thompson and Evan Regan (Acton, Mass.) finished right behind him, both averaging over one point per game. The depth scoring has come from postgrad Stephen Campbell, senior Camden Raifstanger (Alford, Mass.), junior Deven Hikspoors and freshman Jonah Rainisch.
GIRLS BRACKETS: Elite 8 Tournament | Large School Tournament | Small School Tournament
Senior Jack Turowsky (East Longmeadow, Mass.) has been the leader on defense, posting three goals and 29 points in 30 games. Postgrad Will Matthews (Westwood, Mass.), senior Nico Pasquale, juniors Josh Williams (Boxford, Mass.) and Conrado Calderini (Greenwich, Conn.) and sophomore Gus Chong make up the rest of the back end.
Senior Tommy Adams (Fairfield, Conn.) and junior Kyle Bolduc (Bolton, Conn.) have split the net. Bolduc has a 2.17 GAA and a .922 save percentage, while Adams has a 2.60 GAA and a .904 save percentage.
