Eight teams are vying for a championship this week in the NEPSAC Hockey Martin/Earl Large School Tournament that begins with four quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The first round features four intriguing games, including a rematch of last year’s Martin/Earl Large School final between Cushing and Kent. The Lions came out on top last March, but the Penguins will be the favorite this year.
The 2020 NEPSAC Martin/Earl Large School Tournament features many of the top younger players in prep school hockey, including Cushing defenseman Jackson Dorrington, Brunswick center Andon Cerbone and Thayer right wing Michael Stenberg, a Penn State commit.
Seeds
1. Cushing (21-7-3)
2. Brunswick (17-7-2)
3. Loomis Chaffee (14-7-4)
4. St. Sebastian’s (16-9-1)
5. Thayer (15-10-1)
6. Deerfield (12-9-4)
7. Milton (14-11-2)
8. Kent (12-12-1)
Quarterfinal matchups
Kent at Cushing (@Deerfield, 3:30 p.m.)
Thayer at St. Sebastian’s (4 p.m.)
Deerfield at Loomis Chaffee (3:30 p.m.)
Milton at Brunswick (@Wesleyan, 5 p.m.)
* All quarterfinals played Wednesday, March 4, 2020 on campus of higher seed, unless otherwise noted.
Kent vs. Cushing
In a rematch of last year’s NEPSAC Martin/Earl Large School final, the Penguins look to find some sort of revenge.
The strength of Cushing’s 2019-20 team lies in its blue line. Led by Boston College commit Lukas Gustafsson, the defensive group can move pucks and skate well. Jackson Dorrington is a candidate to make the 2020 NTDP Evaluation Camp while Nolan Hayes and Cody Sealey are also effective players at this level.
Freshman Jackson Irving quickly asserted himself as the starting goaltender. He’s a really good goaltender at this level who would be viewed more favorably nationally, if he were an inch or two taller.
Up front, the Penguins have some chiseled veterans to bolster the offense. Jacob Banks, Max Dorrington and Connor Wood might or might not be Division I players, but they’re big, strong and solid contributors. Right wing Jake Hewitt, an Army commit, is smart and one of my favorite players in the prep circuit. Freshman Cam Lund has upside and junior Nick Rheaume can really shoot it.
The fact Kent is even in this position is a testament to the school’s solid recruiting efforts. The Lions lost both stars Alex Laferriere and Michael Posma, both playing in the USHL now. Both goaltenders, the team’s top defenseman, and another key forward are gone.
Cornell commit Aidan Cobb has stepped up to lead the offense with nine goals and 20 assists. Fellow seniors Jason Kleinhans and Jonas Passante have also filled significant roles up front. Two other forwards to watch are Maine commit Ryan Remick and Dante Palombo.
On defense, the biggest storyline is the emergence of junior Nick Marciano, who has taken his game to the next level in his second season of prep hockey. Senior Matthew Perryman provides some size on the backend. Look for Jeremy Siegel to get the start in net.
Prediction: Cushing wins, 4-2.
Thayer vs. St. Sebastian’s
These two teams split during the regular season with Thayer winning 5-1 back in January and St. Sebastian’s coming out on top by a score of 3-1 in the regular season finale.
Both teams have a lot of talent on their respective rosters, but much of it is younger. One advantage Thayer might have in the post-season is in the crease with senior Gavin Fitzpatrick.
Thayer’s top defensive pairing is very good, but it’s young. Sophomore Declan Loughnane and freshman CJ Foley are both good skaters who are poised with the puck.
Up front for the Tigers, the top six can be lethal with five committed players. Northeastern recruit Sasha Teleguine is as dynamic of a skater and skilled player as there is in prep hockey. Penn State commit Mike Stenberg and Boston University commit Nick Roukounakis are both physical players who can cycle pucks and shoot it hard. Providence commits Peter Kramer and Joseph Kramer, twin brothers, play solid two-way games. Other young forwards to watch are Shane Taddia, Army lacrosse commit CJ Monturio and Zach Glass.
For St. Sebastian’s, the team’s offense runs around Boston College commit Tim Delay. He’s a great skater with good skill. Brendan Dumas has made a big progression in his game this season and is the team’s hardest worker. Brendan Gorman and Michael Callow are two other young players to watch up front.
On the blue line, Ryan MacDermott and Thomas Messineo bring plenty of experience. MacDermott can hit and play hard in his own zone. Freshman Nolan Joyce and sophomore Will Elias are puck-moving defensemen who can chip in offensively.Â
Prediction: This is a tough one to pick. Thayer wins, 3-2.
Milton vs. Brunswick
This game is another battle of teams with good, young talent. Brunswick exceeded a lot of people’s expectations and hung around the Elite 8 bubble all season. Milton made a late charge after seeing some players make big leaps in their first prep season.
For Brunswick, the team’s offense is led by Andon Cerbone, an extremely gifted player with the puck on his stick. He’s skilled and can skate well. His linemate for much of the season, Quinnipiac commit Matt McGroarty plays a well-rounded game. Another young player with plenty of upside is Connor Welsh. Senior Jakub Teply is a big, physical winger who is heavy on pucks. A few other forwards of note are Beanie Richter, James Shannon and Michael Salandra.
Senior Jude Brower and junior Henry Dale have stepped up to play more minutes on the blue line while junior Alexander Rohlf has the potential to be a very good goaltender at the prep level.
Meanwhile, Milton ran off a 6-2 stretch towards the end of the season that helped the Mustangs get into the playoffs. Paul Cannata’s team is led offensively by prep newcomer David Chen, a skilled playmaker. Other top forwards are Tyler Crist and Jeffrey Lee.
Defensively, Brown commit Ethan Mistry leads the way. He’s a smooth, smart, puck-moving defenseman. Junior Will Van Der Veen has some size and is more skilled than some might expect. A young player with great feet and potential for years to come is freshman Chris Romaine. Junior Chris DeMers will get the start in net for Milton.
Prediction: Another tough game to pick, but Brunswick should get the job done. Bruins come out on top, 3-2.
Deerfield vs. Loomis Chaffee
Loomis Chaffee has a chance to win it all in this tournament. The Pelicans have a solid group of older players, many of whom are college commits.
When healthy, senior Cody Hoban is the best player for Loomis Chaffee. The Dartmouth commit is skilled and has improved dramatically over the past 12 months. Vermont commit Anthony Cipollone, Dartmouth commit Alex Krause and UConn commit Oliver Flynn are also dangerous forwards.
On defense, senior and UMass commit Kennedy O’Connor leads the way with his ability to be physical and keep things simple. Dartmouth commit Ben Ritter, St. Lawrence commit Jan Olenginski and Charlie Andriole also are solid contributors on the blue line.
In goal, Holy Cross commit Kyle Chauvette has the ability to steal some games. He’s undersized, but athletic and quick. He only played 18 minutes of the team’s game against Avon Old Farms on Saturday night so that’s something to watch.
For Deerfield, senior defenseman Eamon Doheny is the team’s best player. He has good size and can play with physicality and his offense is steadily improving. Also on the blue line is Holy Cross commit Jake Higgins. Another defenseman getting some interest is mobile junior Pierce Patterson. Freshman Brian Grant is a name to remember for the future.
Seniors Jarod Harrington and Alex Robert lead the team in scoring, but keep a close eye on freshman Drew Garzone. He’s going to be a good player.
In goal, look for senior Justin Prete to get the start, but freshman Justin Katz has been impressive in a few outings.
Prediction: To me, this is the easiest of the four games to predict. No offense to Deerfield, but Loomis Chaffee is a team that easily could have been in the Elite 8 if a few pucks had bounced differently. Pelicans win, 5-2.Â
Who wins the Martin/Earl Large School Championship?
If Hoban and Chauvette are healthy, I think Loomis wins. Cushing has a very good chance to win and Steve Jacobs’ Penguins have a ton of depth. Brunswick and Thayer have an outside chance.
With that being said, I’ll pick Cushing, since they have the fewest question marks. If I knew for sure the injury status of Hoban and Chauvette, I might go for the Pelicans still.
