With the landscape changing in Massachusetts high school hockey over the past decade or so, it has been more common for the best players to be underclassmen.
Last year, freshman left wing Michael Munroe (Hanover, Mass.) led Hanover to a Division 3 state championship at TD Garden. He cemented a terrific first and only season in the MIAA with a four-point game in the final against Marlboro. Now, he’s off to Avon Old Farms and will undoubtedly commit to a Division 1 college hockey program on Aug. 1.
As the MIAA season is set to start in earnest this weekend, here’s a look at the New England Hockey Journal Preseason MIAA All-Freshman Team.
There will be under-the-radar players that step up on teams throughout the season, but these are the six freshmen who start the year as most likely to positively impact their respective teams.
Joe Marchi
Catholic Memorial, 10/30/07, RW, right shot, 5-7/150
Marchi got a little taste of varsity last winter as an eighth grader. The diminutive winger has a ton of skill and can be a dynamic offensive weapon for Larry Rooney’s team that looks primed for another big season. He’s quick, skilled and has confidence with the puck on his stick. After a standout fall for the River Rats 15 Only, he’s set for a big winter at the MIAA level. He’ll have some horses around him to help him be productive as CM also boasts sophomore center Tyler Hamilton (Framingham, Mass.), one of last season’s top freshmen.
Mike Federico
BC High, 7/1/08, LW, left shot, 5-9/155
In years past, freshmen at BC High didn’t necessarily step right in and play. Federico, from Hanover, Mass., will have the opportunity to be in the top six from the start of the season. In the preseason, he played in all situations, even scoring a shorthanded goal in an exhibition game. Federico is a goal scorer who has a good shot and knows where to go to put himself in position to find the back of the net. With James Marshall (Weymouth, Mass.) and Ryan Flaherty (Milton, Mass.) off to prep school, Federico will have to shoulder some of the offensive responsibilities, if BC High is going to make another deep run in the state tournament.
Ethan Goodrich
St. John’s Prep, 5/29/07, C/LW, left shot, 5-8/135
Goodric
h often falls under the radar, due to being from North Hampton, N.H., and having played for Seacoast and Top Gun previously. However, he was one of the best players at November’s Massachusetts Hockey 15 Only State Championship. He’s got a quick twitch and has skill to make plays. Goodrich will have the opportunity to slowly adjust to the high school level, skating behind some chiseled vets up front for another loaded St. John’s Prep team. Goodrich will have to prove he can play at both ends of the ice and head coach Kristian Hanson and his staff will make him a better all-around player.
Aidan Fitzpatrick
St. Mary’s, 2/10/08, C, left shot, 5-11/150
Fitzpatrick, from Peabody, Mass., is a two-way center who got better as the fall season moved along. He can finish and make plays. Fitzpatrick has good size, athleticism and hockey sense to jump in and contribute right away for a Spartans program that has always allowed youngsters to flourish. He’ll have the benefit of playing with some older veterans, including top returning forward Brady Bullock (Lynn, Mass.).
Evan Jones
Arlington, 2/9/07, D, left shot, 5-9/165
Head coach John Messuri makes freshmen earn their ice time. That won’t be any different with Jones, who has long been a stalwart on the blue line for the Junior Eagles '07 group. Jones is a puck-moving defenseman who will contribute in the transition game. He’ll need to get stronger and play at pace with older competition, but he’ll be one of the best young defensemen in the MIAA this winter.
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Anthony Palmer
St. Mary’s, 10/28/07, G, catches left, 5-9/145
Palmer bided his time behind upperclassmen while being on the varsity as a seventh and eighth grader. Now, the Winthrop, Mass., native is set to take over as the full-time starter for Mark Lee’s Spartans. Palmer isn’t the biggest goaltender in the MIAA, but he comes highly regarded and with a large resume. He helped the Neponset Valley River Rats win a 15 Only state championship this fall and was impressive at last July’s USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in quick reflexes and a great glove. He’s a competitor and will help give St. Mary’s a leg up in the goaltending department all season long.
