Most prep teams would be satisfied with a Large School championship game berth, and they would be right to feel that way. That's a massive accomplishment.
Salisbury, however, has commonly been one of the teams in the Elite 8 for quite some time.
Since Andrew Will took the reins at Salisbury in 2008, earning a spot in the Elite 8 Tournament — and then winning it all — has become commonplace. Will's teams have stood at the top of the prep hockey universe in 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2022.
Salisbury missed out on the Elite 8 last season and landed in the Large School bracket, where it went on a run to the final game, losing to Taft in overtime.
The goal is to get back into the Elite 8 fray this season. But Will has been around long enough (16 years to be exact) to know there were lots of positives to take from last season's result.
"Yeah, we would have loved to have won the final game," Will said. "We would love to have been in the Elite 8. But more important than that is did we develop? Did we grow? Did our guys have a great experience as young men here at the school? Were they better prepared to move on as student-athletes and as young men to be successful either returning this coming year or as they moved onto junior hockey or college?
"The focus and the emphasis is really on doing things the right way on and off the ice. Put ourselves in a position where we have a chance to be successful and if we can do a better job paying attention to details and habits, then we're giving ourselves a chance and that's all we can ask for."
It's that mindset that has Salisbury as an Elite 8 contender year after year. That's true again this season.
New players mixing with older ones at forward
Salisbury is no stranger to losing players. This offseason, however, the Crimson Knights lost 14, including many point producers up front like Garrett Krieger, Liam Kilfoil and Trey Deere.
Will's team should have no problem replacing that production. That starts with Seamus Latta, a senior captain, who posted 10 goals and 21 points in 28 games last season.
"He's an extremely mobile, strong player that's really effective on both sides of the puck," Will said.
Another important piece to the offense will be Jared Rothman, a senior '06. He only scored five goals and 15 points last season, but he's coming off a very strong fall campaign with the 18U Avon Regals squad.
"Really smart, intelligent player, plays with some pace," Will said. "He's our student body vice president so he's another guy who brings some leadership for us."
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Nicholas Petrut will also be looked at to step up after posting three goals and 11 points last season. Like Rothman, he comes off various great showings in the fall with the same 18U Avon Regals team.
Petrut dealt with injuries throughout last season, which makes starting his senior season healthy so important for the '06.
"I think he's a guy who's really ready to take a jump," Will said.
Latta, Rothman and Petrut won't be the only players counted on for primary scoring. Per usual, Will and his staff brought in some highly-touted forward recruits. Three of the five major offensive additions are '06s, while two are '07s.
First, there's Connor Davis, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound forward who played the last bunch of seasons for the Lac St-Louis Lions in Quebec. Brud Delaney, who stands at 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, arrives at Salisbury this season after spending his developmental years with the Chicago Mission. He represented the Central District at USA Hockey's Select 17 Camp this past summer.
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"He's a really smart player, a little undersized," Will said of Delaney. "His hockey IQ is off the charts and he has a terrific compete."
The final '06 is Oliver Morris, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound forward, who played with Northfield Mount Hermon the last two winters. A Redondo Beach, Calif., native, he cut his teeth with the Anaheim Jr. Ducks for youth hockey. Morris' ability to finish scoring chances should be a big boost for Salisbury.
So, too, will the infusion of Ryan Hedley and Owen Knight — two '07 forwards. Hedley comes to Salisbury from Raleigh, N.C., and the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes organization. Knight arrives in Connecticut from Canada where he played for the Lambton Jr. Sting.
"We're really excited about our group," Will said of his newcomers.
A different look on defense
Last season's Salisbury team was fortunate to have a veteran core of defensemen. Seniors Alex Zakrzewski, Quinn McCall and Sam Hall, along with then-junior Hudson Gorski, provided strong play in their own zone, as well as offense at the other end of the ice.
The seniors all graduated. Gorski packed his bags for the USHL's Chicago Steel in August, forcing Will and co., to play with a new-look defense this season.
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One mainstay from last year will be Anthony Biakabutuka — a strong two-way defender from Quebec. He had a strong first season at Salisbury last winter and built off of that in the fall with the Avon Regals. He's also an assistant captain for Will's squad.
"Big, strong, mobile, left-shot defenseman. Found some confidence in terms of finding his spots and jumping up into the play," Will said. "He was on our power play by the end of last year. But a tough, hard-nosed, physical guy that's difficult to play against."
Ty Creech will be impactful along with Biakabutuka. Creech was recruited to Salisbury prior to the 2021-22 season as a forward, but played defense that year due to injuries in back. He requested to go back to forward last year, but realized that the initial move to defense may have been a blessing. Junior Finn Boyd is another returning defenseman who should play legitimate minutes.
Will brought in strong defensive recruits, too, in Zach Walsh, Kieran Riley, Caden Creech and Julian Stubgen.
Walsh played for Millbrook last season and led all defensemen in the NEPSAC in goals (13) and points (35). The '05 will be a postgrad for Salisbury this winter. Stubgen, an '06, comes from the London Jr. Knights U18 team and is a strong, two-way defender.
Riley and Creech are two '07s who will pull on a Salisbury sweater for the first time this season. Riley was a sixth-round pick (115th overall) by the Mississauga Steelheads in the OHL Draft earlier this year. Creech is Ty's younger brother and stands at 6-foot-1 and 181 pounds. He played last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 15U squad.
In net, Will platooned Matt Alberti, then a postgrad, and Cooper Flemming last season. Flemming returns after posting a 2.12 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
"He's ready and poised to take on an even greater role and he's had a really good offseason," Will said. "So we're really confident and excited about Cooper."
Will has another great goaltending option in Steven Luciano (New Canaan, Conn.). Luciano comes off a strong fall with the Mid Fairfield Rangers 16U team and summer at Select 16 Camp.
"He's a really good, young, talented goalie," Will said. "We feel really excited about where we are with him as well."
