Goaltending is important at any level of hockey, but it can be even more crucial in prep school hockey.
A good goaltender can bolster a team’s chances at having a successful season while a subpar goaltender can derail a team’s hopes of post-season glory.
With the 2018-19 New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association (NEPSIHA) season just a few days away, there are some established prospects in the crease and some more unknowns. Six prep school goaltenders are already committed to NCAA colleges. A few more aren’t far behind in the quest of that coveted offer.
When discussing top prep school goaltenders for the 2018-19 season, Dexter senior Derek Mullahy has to be the first name mentioned. The Harvard commit from Scituate, Mass., played for the U.S. at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament this past summer. He’s fundamentally sound and moves well in the crease. If he were an inch or two taller, the NHL Draft talk would pick up.
2018-19 Preseason Prep School Hockey: Top Goaltenders
1. Derek Mullahy
Dexter, Sr., 3/20/01, Scituate, Mass., 6-1/176
NCAA Commit: Harvard
Not much else needs to be said here. Mullahy, who played out at Shattuck St. Mary’s before heading back to his home state, has always been one of the elite goaltenders in the ’01 class. He was the starting goaltender for the Boston Jr. Eagles 18-U team that won the Massachusetts Hockey District Tournament two weekends ago. He’ll be a terrific backbone for Danny Donato’s solid defense.
2. Henry Wilder
Hotchkiss, Jr., 3/19/01, Needham, Mass., 6-2/170
In this observer’s opinion, Wilder has always been underrated. He has the ability to steal some games for the Bearcats this winter. He’s taken some college visits, including to Michigan. He’s a little bigger than he was last season and he had a terrific fall for New England District Champion, Yale Midget Hockey.
3. Alex Contey
Kent, Sr., 7/27/00, Nutley, N.J., 6-2/205
Contey is another goaltender who has gone somewhat under the radar, but that might change this winter. The Lions are poised to have a good season and Contey could be a major reason why. When he’s on his game, he’s tough to beat, but he fights consistency issues at times. He played the fall season for the Springfield Rifles.
4. Joe Sharib
Cushing, Jr., 8/16/01, Natick, Mass., 6-1/175
NCAA Commit: Union
Sharib is yet another talented ’01 goaltender from Massachusetts. The Penguins brought in a huge and talented group of newcomers, but he might have to stand tall in the early going as those players are brought up to speed at the prep level. Sharib played the fall season for the Eastern Mass Senators.
5. Gavin Fitzpatrick
Thayer, Jr., 1/9/02, Norwood, Mass., 6-1/161
Fitzpatrick is really starting to come into his own after a solid summer in which he earned an invite to play for USA Hockey at the Five Nations Tournament following a great performance at USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp. He’ll be tested more, and will need to be better, this season with the Tigers due to all the graduation losses Tony Amonte’s team suffered.
6. Thomas Gale
Deerfield, Sr., 6/10/00, Kirkland, Quebec, 6-0/170
NCAA Commit: Dartmouth
Gale has been a difference-maker for Deerfield over the past few seasons. He’s on the smaller end of the spectrum when it comes to future Division I goaltenders, but he’s athletic and has quick reflexes. He was terrific in the 2016 Flood Marr Tournament.
7. Joe Stanizzi
Middlesex, Sr., 8/31/00, Chelmsford, Mass.
Stanizzi is on the smaller side, but he’s always put up big numbers for Middlesex, a program that can be hit with a barrage of shots against. He played the fall season for Top Gun/NEFPHL, coached by Benn Ferriero. He’ll likely find a home in the NESCAC.
8. Andy Beran
St. Paul’s, Sr., 5/5/00, St. Paul, Minn., 5-7/140
NCAA Commit: Colby
Beran is a really good goaltender, but his size will keep him from playing Division I. He’s been terrific over the last two falls for the Neponset Valley River Rats and he could steal a few games this winter for Dan Murphy’s team.
9. Alex Aslanidis
Avon Old Farms, Sr., 1/20/01, Moorestown, N.J., 6-5/210
NCAA Commit: Providence
Aslanidis has always been thought of as a top goaltender in this age group. He has good size and plays his positional well technically. He’s had a tendency to give up soft goals at times, but he’s a goaltender that NHL scouts have been watching this fall while playing for Mid Fairfield.
10. Kyle Chauvette
Loomis-Chaffee, Jr., 10/5/01, Goffstown, N.H., 5-8/140
NCAA Commit: Holy Cross
Chauvette is another goaltender who has labeled too small for much of the past few years during the college recruitment process. He made USA Hockey’s roster for the 2017 Five Nations Tournament, but was still always considered too small. Nonetheless, he just always makes saves. He has quick reflexes and does a good job tracking pucks. After playing for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs organization, he’s making the move to prep. He spent the fall season with Yale Midget Hockey.
11. Peyton Durand
Pomfret, Sr., 4/1/00, Newport, R.I., 6-0/160
Durand had a great sophomore season that put him on the map. Last season had some ups and downs, and the team in front of him wasn’t as good as the one that won the NEPSAC Small School Championship the year before. He was great in his team’s exhibition victory over Rivers. He’s small so he doesn’t cover as much of the net, and rebounds can be an issue, but he just makes saves. He’ll be a great goalie for a Division III program.
12. Evan Ruschil
Trinity-Pawling, Sr., 12/8/99, Katonah, N.Y., 6-0/190
NCAA Commit: Williams
Ruschil is a late ’99 who has already committed to playing for Williams in the NESCAC. He has decent size and plays strong fundamentally. He’ll be a solid goaltender for Bobby Ferraris’ team that could be the best that T-P has had in quite some time.
13. Dan DaChille
Brunswick, Sr., 8/3/00, Saddle River, N.J., 5-10/160
DaChille was the goaltender of record as the Bruins won the NEPSAC Large School Championship this past March. He doesn’t have great size, but he’s a solid goaltender who has always played well in big games. He’ll have some competition from ’02 Alexander Rohlf, who was stellar all fall for Yale 16-U.
14. Cam Fernandez
Millbrook, Sr., 5/19/00, Fairfield, Conn., 6-0/190
On more than a few occasions this fall, Fernandez stole the show as the backup goaltender for Mid Fairfield. He played great in some games, including one in late August against the Boston Jr. Eagles. He’s not the biggest goaltender, but he makes saves and should get a shot at the Division III level.
15. Zach Paputsakis
Kimball Union, Jr., 11/8/01, Rockland, Ontario, 6-3/170
Paputsakis played the fall season with GBL Bruins, coached by former Maine standout Brett Tyler. Time will tell whether or not he belongs higher on this list. He certainly has the physical tools to make the climb, but he lacked consistency during the split-season games. He’s a former fifth-round pick of the Oshawa Generals in the OHL Priority Selection.
16. Erik Voloshin
Milton, Jr., 2/4/00, Bedford, N.H., 5-11/175
Voloshin came down to the Mustangs last winter after playing for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs youth organization. He’s a solid goaltender who can very much keep Paul Cannata’s team in games. He spent the fall season with the Boston Bulldogs.
17. Brandon Milberg
Lawrence Academy, Jr., 7/16/01, Thornhill, Ontario, 6-1/172
Milberg is in his first year of prep hockey after coming down from Ontario. He spent the fall season with the Neponset Valley River Rats and showed some promise at times. He’ll challenge, and ultimately probably win the starting job, for Rob Barker’s Spartans, looking to make the Elite 8 after last season’s NEPSAC Small School Championship.
18. Alex Ramsay
Berwick, Jr., 4/14/02, Yarmouth, Maine, 5-11/158
Despite having the better team in front of him for much of the fall, Ramsay was solid for Cape Cod Whalers 16-U, winners of the Massachusetts Hockey District Tournament. He’s a solid goaltender with average size. Even going back to the ’02 World Selects Invite, he’s always shown promise. He’s the top prospect for Jeoff Jarnot’s team.
19. Ian Shane
Westminster, Jr., 9/24/00, Manhattan Beach, Calif., 6-1/168
Shane stepped in admirably last season and was a major reason Westy got off to such a hot start. He has decent size and should give the Martlets a chance to win most nights this winter.
20. Kyle Myer
Tabor, Sr., 1/30/01, Tampa, Fla., 6-2/185
Myer will likely split time with junior Brandon Sherman, but the Floridian has the size and athleticism to be a goaltender that can push the Seawolves over the edge, despite being the underdog in most games this season.
