Salisbury enters the final week of the prep school hockey season in the same position it has much of the season: atop the New England Hockey Journal Top 10 Rankings.
The Crimson Knights will almost certainly be the top seed in the Elite 8 Tournament when it begins next Wednesday. While teams at the top are safe, there will likely be some anxious moments for teams on the bubble.
NEHJ Prep Hockey Top 10 Rankings – February 21, 2018
1. Salisbury (21-1-1)
Post-grad Bryan McGrath, a Wilkes commit, has quietly put together a very nice final season of prep hockey. His continued strong play will be key as no other team in New England has the horses up front or on the blue line to match what Andrew Will can trot out onto the ice each and every game.
Last Week: W 2-1 Avon Old Farms
This Week: at Hotchkiss (2/21), at Canterbury (2/24)
2. Rivers (25-1-2)
The Red Wings have won 15 straight games since it’s only loss of the season back on January 3rd against Dexter. Senior Billy Shea has scored a goal in five straight games. Shawn McEachern’s team does such a great job executing the game plan, paying attention to fine details, and making adjustments. It makes up for the lack of elite, high-end talent compared to KUA and Salisbury. Having the best goaltender, Aidan Porter, in prep hockey helps, too.
Last Week: W 4-1 St. Mark’s, W 3-1 Exeter, W 5-0 Middlesex
This Week: at Brooks (2/21)
3. Kimball Union (23-5-1)
Senior captain and Holy Cross commit Bryce Dolan notched his first career hat trick at the prep level last Wednesday in a 5-1 win at Proctor. Fellow captain Andranik Armstrong has 13 points over the last seven games. If the offense can continue scoring at a decent clip, the Wildcats will be tough to dethrone as Elite 8 Champions.
Last Week: W 5-1 Proctor, W 4-1 Cushing
This Week: Lakes Region Playoffs (2/23, 2/24)
4. Thayer (15-9-1)
The Tigers enter the final week of the regular season riding a nine-game winning streak. Tony Amonte’s team will be tested twice, a rematch of last week’s tilt against Milton and then a finale versus St. Sebastian’s. The region’s top NHL Draft prospect, Jay O’Brien, has 35 points during the winning streak. That’s nearly four points per game for those not inclined to do the math.
Last Week: W 12-0 St. Paul’s, W 6-3 Milton, W 8-3 Tabor
This Week: vs. Milton (2/21), at St. Sebastian’s (2/23)
5. Dexter (19-4-2)
Dan Donato’s team hasn’t lost a game in over a month. While the schedule hasn’t exactly been the toughest, Dexter picked up nice wins over Winchendon and New Hampton this past week. The team finishes up with just one game this week, at St. Paul’s. After missing time earlier in the season, senior Jack Rathbone has been absolutely electric over the past month.
Last Week: W 4-1 Berwick, W 5-3 Winchendon, W 5-1 Kents Hill, W 6-3 New Hampton
This Week: at St. Paul’s (2/23)
6. Milton (17-3-1)
Friday’s loss to Thayer was the first loss since in exactly two months. The Mustangs hadn’t suffered a defeat since the Flood-Marr Tournament. Paul Cannata’s team will have a chance to bounce back with a rematch at Thayer Wednesday afternoon. Senior Tiger Zhang has lit the lamp five times over the last three games.
Last Week: W 2-1 Belmont Hill, L 3-6 Thayer
This Week: at Thayer (2/21), vs. Nobles (2/24)
7. Exeter (22-3-1)
Dana Barbin’s team picked up a key victory at Northfield Mount Hermon, but suffered a setback against Rivers. While there isn’t a true superstar on the Big Red, it seems as if a different veteran steps up each game. Exeter will be an extremely tough out come playoff time due to its experience and depth.
Last Week: W 2-0 Northfield Mt. Hermon, L 1-3 Rivers, W 4-0 Deerfield
This Week: at Winchendon (2/21), at Andover (2/24)
8. Northfield Mount Hermon (21-4-3)
Since the calendar turned to 2018, NMH only has lost twice: at Kimball Union and home against Exeter. The Hoggers have taken care of business against everyone else, including wins over the last month against Cushing, Winchendon and Loomis-Chaffee. Kevin Czepiel deserves Coach of the Year honors in his second season at the helm at his alma mater.
Last Week: L 0-2 Exeter, W 2-1 Loomis-Chaffee, W 4-3 Choate
This Week: at Andover (2/21), vs. St. Paul’s (2/24)
9. Cushing (19-8-1)
No defenseman in prep hockey has as many points as senior Nolan McElhaney, a New Hampshire commit. While his offensive production has been stellar, the defensive side of the puck hasn’t been a strength for the Penguins defense. Undersized forward Matthew Guerra has been the offensive catalyst in Steve Jacobs’ return to Ashburnham.
Last Week: W 9-5 Andover, L 1-4 Kimball Union
This Week: vs. New Hampton (2/21), at St. Mark’s (2/23), vs. Governor’s (2/24)
10. Winchendon
The Wapitis take the final spot inside the top 10 over Westminster. A lot of the teams in the fight for a spot in the top 10 have fumbled games lately. Winchendon is no exception, losing two of three, but both to top 10 opponents. After leaving the USHL at the Thanksgiving break, Quinnipiac commit Matthew Fawcett has led a high-powered offense.
Last Week: W 6-1 Holderness, L 3-5 Dexter
This Week: vs. Exeter (2/21), at Williston-Northampton (2/23)
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