It's time.
From now through the end of the season, we will examine the top boys prep hockey performers by conference every week. This is strictly stat-based. It's all about who scored the most goals, tallied the most assists and made the most saves.
Since I began in September 2022, this has been one of my favorite stories. It's a thrill to see the same names get on every week, but it's even cooler to see someone make it for the first time.
Hopefully, you have as much fun with this as I do.
This week, we will cover the first week and the games that took place before Thanksgiving (Nov. 16-Dec. 9).
For the first time in 2024-25, let's dive in.
Holt
Top skater:Â Adrian Mendoza, North Yarmouth Academy
North Yarmouth Academy has already played six games, opening its season with a 4-2 loss to Exeter on Nov. 16. Despite the team's 2-4-0 start, Mendoza has been a consistent producer with six goals and 11 points over that span. The highlights were two goals and two helpers in a 6-3 win over Mount St. Charles and two lamplighters in a 5-4 OT loss to Hoosac. Mendoza had 43 points last season, so this isn't a surprise.
Honorable mentions: Felix-Antoine Parenteau, Kents Hill (2-7—9); Dylan Kullman, NYA (1-8—9); Zachary Tsatas, Kents Hill (3-4—7); Christian Konstantino, NYA (4-3—7); Jake Thompson, NYA (3-3—6); Nikolas Smagacz, Kents Hill (4-2—6); Raphael Landry, Kents Hill (3-3—6); Brett Nasca, NYA (1-4—5); Tomas Aubut-Lavin, Portsmouth Abbey (1-3—4); Luca Mestrandrea, Portsmouth Abbey (0-4—4); Kellan Kissane, Worcester Academy (3-0—3)
Top goalie:Â Easton Theberge, Portsmouth Abbey
Theberge was a reliable force for Portsmouth Abbey in two of its first three games, making 32 saves in a 2-1 OT loss to Millbrook on Nov. 23 before making 32 saves to upset Tabor, 3-1, last Wednesday. Theberge is an '08 sophomore from Rehoboth, Mass., who was with Bishop Feehan last season.
Honorable mentions:Â Vincent Ouellet, NYA (159 saves on 176 shots over five games); Tristan Bourassa, Kents Hill (74 saves on 81 shots over three games)
Housatonic
Top skater:Â Liam Lefebvre, Trinity-Pawling
Lefebvre, a Vermont commit, had a nice start to his senior year. The '07 assisted on both goals in a 3-2 loss to Loomis Chaffee and went off for a goal and two helpers in a 6-1 win over The Hill School. Lefebvre had 12 goals and 29 points last season and will be the top dog for the Pride this season.
EXETER INVITATIONAL: 15 takeaways from this past weekend's tournament
Honorable mentions: Andrew Migliore, Trinity-Pawling (2-2—4); Jack McGregor, Hotchkiss (1-3—4); Aiden Grinshpun, Kent (2-2—4); Cal Gustafson, Kent (3-1—4); Stefano Pietrantonio, Kent (3-1—4); Oliver Morris, Salisbury (3-1—4); Connor Davis, Salisbury (1-3—4); Ryan Hedley, Salisbury (3-1—4); Chris Baird-Gajdos, Salisbury (1-3—4); Cooper Snee, Avon Old Farms (3-0—3); Nico Ciardiello, Avon Old Farms (2-1—3)
Top goalie:Â Michael Heinke and Anthony Palmer, Avon Old Farms
Yep — I'm going with Avon's goaltending tandem for the first week of the season. Heinke opened the season with a 24-save shutout over Williston Northampton. Palmer followed it up with a fantastic day, making 46 saves in a 5-2 win over then-No. 9 St. George's. The two split the net last season before Palmer got both Elite 8 postseason games.
Honorable mentions:Â Connor Towle, Hotchkiss (72 saves on 77 shots over two games)
ISL Eberhart
Top skater:Â Carter Meyer, Rivers
Surprise, surprise. New England Hockey Journal's Rookie of the Year from last season posted four goals and eight points in his first four games. While four of those points came in an 11-0 drubbing of Hebron, the '09 tallied two goals and an assist in a season-opening 6-3 win over St. Sebastian's. He added an assist on Sam Pandolfo's (Winchester, Mass.) goal in a 2-1 loss to Kimball Union.
Honorable mentions: Marco Senerchia, St. George's (2-5—7); Finn Sears, Rivers (4-2—6); Justin Graf, Rivers (1-5—6); Danny Buckley, St. George's (4-2—6); Joe Meade, Roxbury Latin (2-3—5); Aiden Ferreira, St. George's (2-3—5); Max Donatelli, St. George's (2-3—5); Cam MacPherson, St. Mark's (3-1—4); Will Irving, Rivers (2-2—4); Moussa Seydi, St. Mark's (1-3—4); Drew Carr, St. Mark's (1-3—4); Nick Sumner, Brooks (3-1—4); Caiden Pellegrino, St. Mark's (2-2—4); Cam Cataruzolo, Roxbury Latin (1-3—4)
Top goalie:Â James Potter, BB&N
The most stunning upset of the first slate of games was BB&N taking down Phillips Exeter, 3-2, last Wednesday. That was mainly due to Potter, who made 54 (yes, FIFTY FOUR) saves in his first game of the season. The Arlington, Mass., native followed that up with 34 saves on 38 shots in a 5-2 loss to Brooks on Saturday. Even with the defeat, it's a strong start to Potter's season.
Honorable mentions:Â Justin BriseBois, St. Mark's (66 saves on 71 shots over two games); Derrick Huang, Rivers (53 saves on 58 shots over two games)
ISL Keller
Top skater:Â Brendan Keaveney, St. Sebastian's
It's no surprise that Keaveney is producing. The '06 had 28 points last season. But the cast around Keaeveny is much different, consisting mostly of younger guys and players who are playing consistent varsity minutes for the first time. Keaveney tallied an assist in a 6-3 loss to Rivers but scored two goals in a 5-2 win over Milton Academy.
Honorable mentions: Brian McFadden, Thayer (1-2—3); Cade Noonan, St. Sebastian's (1-2—3); Eli Heinze, Governor's (1-2—3); Jake Tavares, Belmont Hill (0-3—3); Austin Wu, St. Sebastian's (1-2—3); Matthew MacDonald, Thayer (2-1—3); Michael Federico (0-3—3)
SHOWCASE NOTES: 15 standouts and takeaways from the ISL Keller Showcase
Top goalie:Â Vinnie D'Urso, Tabor
I easily could've gone Tucker Monroe here, and it would've been warranted, but D'Urso was outstanding in his first prep start against Lawrence Academy. The sophomore '08 made 46 saves to hold off Lawrence Academy, 3-1. The Andover, Mass., native was with his hometown high school last season and is a longtime member of the Neponset Valley River Rats.
Honorable mentions:Â Tucker Monroe, Nobles (48 saves on 50 shots over two games)
Lakes Region
Top skater:Â Matt Vohra, St. Paul's
Lakes Region teams played differing amounts of games. St. Paul's only played two, but Vohra was a big factor in each. He potted two goals and added an assists in a 10-2 win over Brewster Academy. In a 6-3 loss to Tilton, he tallied two assists. Vohra is an '06 who posted 16 points in each of his last two seasons with St. Paul's. He's on the right track to surpass that number this winter.
Honorable mentions: CJ Watroba, Kimball Union (2-5—7); Xander Boutilier, Kimball Union (2-5—7); Zach Phillips, Kimball Union (4-3—7); Alex Reed, Vermont Academy (4-2—6); Peter Silverman, Tilton (3-2—5); Connor Dozois, Holderness (3-2—5); Josh Phillips, Kimball Union (2-3—5); Jeremy D'Souza, Tilton (0-4—4); Quinn Brandell, St Paul's (0-4—4); Jeremy Poirier, Holderness (0-4—4); Brayden McKenna, Brewster Academy (3-0—3)
Top goalie:Â Blake McMeniman, Kimball Union
McMeniman has picked up right where he left off last season. It started with a 20-save performance to beat Stanstead College, 6-2. He got both games at the Exeter Invitational, making 31 saves to beat Rivers, 2-1, and then earned a 24-save shutout over then-No. 10 Kent. All in all, he has a .964 save percentage and a 0.80 goals-against average so far.
Honorable mentions:Â Jake Hedman, Vermont Academy (105 saves on 112 shots over three games)
Independents
Top skater:Â Mason St. Louis, Brunswick
Five players at Independent schools posted nine points, which has to be some kind of record. St. Louis stands out from the pack due to his consistency. He tallied a goal in a 3-3 tie with then-No. 9 St. George's, another goal in a 4-0 win over Loomis Chaffee, two goals and two assists in a 9-6 win against Phillips Exeter and a goal and two assists in a 6-2 win over New Hampton. Quite the first week in prep for St. Louis.
Honorable mentions: Max Dineen, Cushing (3-6—9); Duncan Thompson, Berkshire (1-8—9); Matt Lacombe, Berkshire (6-3—9); Joey Dellacroce, Northfield Mount Hermon (3-6—9); Braydon Hudtloff, Northfield Mount Hermon (1-7—8); Joey Salandra, Brunswick (3-5—8); Easton Gates, Northfield Mount Hermon (4-4—8); James McMurray, Berkshire (3-5—8); Gavin Fitzpatrick, Phillips Exeter (3-5—8); Anthony D'Arienzo, Hoosac (1-7—8); Gabriel Qureshi, Williston Northampton (0-7—7); Evan Regan, Berkshire (4-3—7); Blake Baksay, Northfield Mount Hermon (3-4—7); Sam Gero, Millbrook (5-2—7)
LATEST RANKINGS: A new No. 1 team after a chaotic first week
Top goalie:Â Chase Anderson, Phillips Andover
This was also highly contested. Anderson gets the nod this week due to his consistency against three strong opponents, getting his senior season started off right. He started his season with 37 saves to beat No. 5 Cushing, 4-1. Then came a 26-save performance in a 2-2 tie with Pomfret and 27 stops in a 4-1 victory over Albany Academy.
Honorable mentions:Â Lucas Mesika, Phillips Exeter (137 saves on 148 shots over five games); Maksim Corovic, Cushing (101 saves on 111 shots over four games); Dylan Lee-Stack, Brunswick (111 saves on 121 shots over four games); Logan Heideman, Frederick Gunn (53 saves on 55 shots over two games); Kyle Bolduc, Berkshire (58 saves on 62 shots over three games); Zack Tremblay, Williston Northampton (64 saves on 68 shots over two games); Joey Mitchell, Pomfret (62 saves on 66 shots over two games)
