It’s Bishop Hendricken’s world, and the rest of Rhode Island boys hockey is just living in it, with the reigning Division 1 state champions rolling through the first month of the season.
In my last rankings, I placed Moses Brown ahead of the Hawks, calling it a “1A and 1B” situation, rather than declaring one better than the other. Well, on Friday, the top two teams in the state squared off, and Bishop Hendricken decided for me.
Luckily for the Quakers, they’ll have a chance to exact revenge on Saturday, as they get another crack at dethroning the Hawks, but for now, Bishop Hendricken gets the top spot.
Outside of the Hawks jumping back to No. 1 in this week’s rankings, a new team has cracked the bottom of the Top 5.
Let’s dive in.
1. Bishop Hendricken (9-1-0)
Previous rank: 2
Division 1
Coach: Mike Soscia
Next: vs Barrington, Jan. 16, 8:00 p.m.
The Hawks suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday, falling 5-1 to Conn. power Darien, but that result does little to diminish Bishop Hendricken’s impressive 4-0 win at Moses Brown the night before. Nick Stevens scored twice in the victory and now has 14 goals and 18 points on the season, while the Hawks outshot the Quakers 49-14. Bishop Hendricken has also picked up shutout wins over La Salle Academy and Pilgrim since our last top 5. Netminder Zach Fontenault already has five shutouts this season and owns a .958 save percentage.
2. Moses Brown (7-1-0)
Previous rank: 1
Division 1
Coach: Frank Fede
Next: at LaSalle Academy, Jan. 16, 5:00 p.m.
The Quakers were humbled by Bishop Hendricken for their first in-state loss of the season. Even so, the defeat drops Moses Brown just one spot in this week’s rankings — looking back, I was premature in moving the Quakers ahead of the Hawks. Moses Brown has otherwise handled its in-state schedule with relative ease. Joe Magiera leads the Quakers with 11 points, while Anthony Fede and Pierce Adrian are each producing at a point-per-game pace. Alan Jaffe, whom many coaches across the state labeled the top goalie entering the season, has seen his numbers dip slightly as a junior, though he still owns a respectable .919 save percentage.
3. Pilgrim (8-2-0)
Previous rank: 3
Division 1
Coach: Mike Boyajian
Next: at LaSalle Academy, Jan. 17, 6:30 p.m.
Despite sitting third in our rankings this week, the Patriots sit firmly in a tier below Bishop Hendricken and Moses Brown — that doesn’t mean Boyajian isn’t leading an impressive group. Through 10 games this season, Pilgrim has already scored 11 more goals (29) than it did last season (18). The Patriots are 2-1 since our last rankings. They fell to the Hawks 4-0, then followed up the defeat with a 5-0 win over Barrington and a 6-1 victory over Connecticut’s Daniel Hand. Jackson Bromage has six points in his last two outings and leads Pilgrim with 15 (eight goals, seven assists) on the year.
4. LaSalle Academy (3-5-1)
Previous rank: 4
Division 1
Coach: Shawn Tingley
Next: at Prout School, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m.
The fact that the Rams play the hardest schedule in the state remains true, but the results are beginning to trickle in for LaSalle Academy. The Rams are 1-1-1 in their last three games, with the lone loss coming at the hands of Bishop Hendricken, but only by a score of 1-0 — which is an impressive result given the Rams’ prowess. Sophomore Evan Vitti, in just his second start of the season in goal, stopped 17 of 18 shots in the loss. LaSalle bounced back with a 2-0 win at home against Smithfield and a 3-3 tie against Connecticut’s Notre Dame. Shane Gaudreau, whom we tabbed as a player to watch in the preseason, leads the Rams with six points.
READ MORE: New boys prep hockey rankings
5. Smithfield (5-7-0)
Previous rank: NR
Division 1
Coach: Rob Jackson
Next: at Barrington, Jan. 14, 7:00 p.m.
The Sentinels, who sat sixth in our preseason top 10, enter the top five for the first time this season. Despite owning a 2-2 record in its last four games, Smithfield has played stiff competition. On Saturday, the Sentinels beat up on Barrington 8-1, courtesy of Ryan Cavanagh’s four goals and an assist and Jacob Sylvester’s three points (two goals, assist), who paces Smithfield with 12 points. The Sentinels have already played the Prout School twice in 2026, splitting the two matchups. It should be smooth sailing for Smithfield until it squares off against Bishop Hendricken at the end of January.
Dropped out: East Greenwich/Toll Gate
