The NEPSAC boys Small School quarterfinals are finished and it's time for the semifinals.
That means it's time for some predictions.
For those keeping score, Jeff Cox went a perfect 4-0 on his Elite 8 quarterfinals predictions and 9-3 across the quarterfinals of the three boys tournaments. Evan Marinofsky went 3-1 in the Elite 8 quarterfinals and 8-4 across the three tournaments.
Both of us are just on another level right now when it comes to predicting the future. Want your palms read? We're your guys.
QUARTERFINALS PREDICTIONS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small SchoolÂ
Here are our predictions for the Small School semifinals.
No. 8 New Hampton at No. 4 Lawrence Academy
Cox: This certainly wasn’t the matchup anyone expected here, but kudos to Connor Gorman’s New Hampton squad for shocking the prep school landscape with a big win over St. Mark’s. Coming out of the home dressing room in this game is a Lawrence Academy team that soundly blasted Governor’s Academy out of the tournament.
For New Hampton, the Huskies don’t have the depth that Lawrence does, but they have some key figures up front. Freshman Cam Caron (Dracut, Mass.) and seniors Matt Babineau (Malden, Mass.), Christian Day (Barre, Vt.) and Scotty Lagos (Braintree, Mass.) provide the scoring punch. Freshman Marco Senerchia (Greenville, R.I.) is a smooth, slick, puck-moving defenseman with offensive capabilities.
FULL SCHEDULES AND BRACKETS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small SchoolÂ
Lawrence has some veterans and well-known stars up front, led by Owen Leahy (Providence, R.I.), Clarence Beltz, Spencer Hirsch and Jake Lewis. The biggest reason for the Spartans’ late-season push has come from an unexpected hero in senior goaltender Vincent Lamberti. He only got one start prior to February but hasn’t given up more than two goals in any of his seven appearances since the second month of 2023. His shutout against Governor’s helped lift his save percentage to .958.
Prediction: This game could go either way, but this is a passionate group at Lawrence that has battled some adversity. Spartans keep it going with a 4-2 win.
Marinofsky: I like New Hampton's best players over Lawrence Academy's best players. But, as Cox said, Lawrence is great at battling through adversity and Lamberti has been on another level of late. He took down Governor's Academy with a 28-save shutout and he has the makeup of a feel-good story in the postseason — one that doesn't end in the semifinals.
Prediction:Â Lawrence wins, 3-1.
No. 3 Frederick Gunn at No. 2 Holderness
Cox: With St. Mark’s knocked out, Holderness takes over the role of the favorite, but it must first get past a veteran and deep team in Frederick Gunn. The Bulls boast the best prospect in the game in Vermont commit Caeden Herrington (Manchester, Vt.), a skilled, big blue liner. Another first-year player, junior Caden Wells, has led the team in scoring. Veteran Evan Plunkett gives Alan Thompson’s team a reliable goaltender.
For Frederick Gunn, depth and scoring by committee has been the theme this season. Craig Badger’s team has rolled four lines and three defensive pairs for much of the year. Juniors Alex LoGuercio (Monroe, Conn.) and Jacob Rothman are two of the biggest breakout stars in prep hockey. Led by Christian Wood (Shelton, Conn.) and towering Will Welburn, Frederick Gunn has one of the biggest blue lines in the circuit.
SEMIFINAL PREDICTIONS: Elite 8 | Large School
Prediction: This is a tough game to pick, as these are the two best teams remaining in the field. Home ice and a little more firepower give Holderness the edge. The Bulls win a wild one by a score of 5-4.
Marinofsky: This has the potential to be the best game across all three tournament semifinals. These teams are extremely close. Holderness plays hard and with speed. Frederick Gunn has a very skilled top line with LoGuercio, who's been one of the best pure goal scorers in all of prep hockey. I give the slight edge to Holderness in net with Plunkett.
Prediction:Â Holderness wins, 4-3, in overtime.
