When the coronavirus rolled in last March just days after the completion of the 2020 NEPSAC playoffs, no one was sure how the following prep hockey season was going to unfold.
Come winter at St. Mark’s, head coach Carl Corazzini and the Lions were no different.
The Southborough, Mass., prep school ended up going remote from November to January, so they didn't get to play games against their traditional prep opponents. Instead, they set them up as they went, playing local Midget clubs whenever they could.
When they got back to campus from winter break, the school was on lockdown. Unable to play outside competition, the team shifted its focus to intra-squad play.
“It wasn’t ideal, but we had a lot of fun and the school was really supportive,” said Corazzini, entering his eighth season at St. Mark’s.
Now, after the partial prep season in 2020-21, the Lions are more than ready to return to normal in 2021-22. “It’s been too long and it will be a lot of fun,” Corazzini said, "so we’re definitely looking forward to it.”
(Previously in New England Hockey Journal's prep school preview series: Brunswick, Gunnery, New Hampton)
