We've made it.
The 2023-24 boys prep hockey season is over. Kimball Union won the Elite 8 championship, marking itself as the best team in the region. Kent earned the Large School trophy, while Canterbury took home the Small School title.
Overall, it was a strong season. There were some dominant teams but strong parity at the top. No. 1 Cushing needed overtime to beat No. 8 St. Sebastian's. No. 2 Kimball Union needed overtime to beat both No. 7 St. George's and No. 6 Salisbury.
There were also some flat-out dominant players. That's what this story is all about.
This marks the end of our second season of Top Performers. I very much hope you enjoyed the weekly look around New England.
For the final time, let's dive in.
Holt
Top skater:Â Parker Murch, Berwick
Murch didn't just build off the 34 points he tallied as a freshman last season — he was on fire. The '07 sophomore scored 30 goals and posted 61 points in 30 games en route to averaging just over two points per game. He was the most prolific scorer in the Holt and helped Berwick reach the 15-win mark and go 8-4-2 against the rest of the conference.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
Honorable mentions: Michael Delage, Berwick (18-30—48); Hugo Daniel, North Yarmouth Academy (26-18—44); Adrian Mendoza, North Yarmouth Academy (18-25—43); Connor Dozois, Worcester Academy (25-17—42); Justin Massa, Berwick (20-19—39); Ryan Kavanagh, Pingree (12-25—37); Andy Blais, Hebron (14-22—36)
Top goalie: Nick Hubbard, Pingree
Not only did Hubbard earn three straight shutouts to give Pingree the Holt championship, but he also posted dazzling numbers along the way. A 1.92 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage are reasons why the '05 senior was a star this season.
Honorable mentions:Â Matthew Pimentel, Berwick (2.77 GAA, .929 save percentage); Patrick McDevitt, Portsmouth Abbey (3.00 GAA, .917 save percentage)
Housatonic
Top skater:Â Gio DiGiulian, Kent
DiGiulian entered this season a Cornell commit on NHL Central Scouting's list. He finished this season a Cornell commit who should be drafted. The South Burlington, Vt., native scored 25 goals and 49 points. Two of those goals came in the Large School final against Dexter Southfield. He proved himself to be impactful no matter the stakes, but he really elevated in the big moments.
Honorable mentions: Tom Molson, Deerfield (15-29—44); Owen Mahar, Kent (17-27—44); Alex Pelletier, Avon Old Farms (17-24—41); Justin Tavares, Deerfield (14-26—40); Jack Roberts, Kent (12-25—37); Indiana Grossbard, Loomis Chaffee (15-21—36); Michael Munroe, Avon Old Farms (18-17—35); Jake Owens, Hotchkiss (15-20—35)
Top goalie:Â Connor Towle, Hotchkiss
The Housatonic had a handful of strong goalies. This could easily go to Anthony Palmer. But Towle did the most with the least. Hotchkiss was punching upwards most of the season and had some rough stretches. But Towle still posted strong numbers, boasting a 2.66 GAA and a .930 save percentage. That save percentage ranked fifth in the region.
Honorable mentions:Â Anthony Palmer, Avon Old Farms (1.60 GAA, .939 save percentage); Michael Heinke, Avon Old Farms (2.05 GAA, .911 save percentage); Brady Morris, Taft (2.42 GAA, .923 save percentage); Cooper Flemming, Salisbury (2.19 GAA, .909 save percentage)
ISL Eberhart
Top skater:Â Andrew Gibbons, St. Mark's
There's no real debate here. While there were some really strong performers in the Eberhart, Gibbons stood above the fray. The Air Force commit finished his prep career with 20 goals and 59 points as a senior, driving play and being a major part of a top-10 offense. This also marks three straight seasons of Gibbons being over a point-per-game player.
THE BIG STAGE: Top boys prep performers from NEPSAC playoffs
Honorable mentions: Austin Borggaard, St. Mark's (24-25—49); Bryan Tang, Middlesex (18-28—46); Calvin Beard, St. Mark's (17-27—44); Ryan Staples, St. George's (17-23—40); Max Donatelli, St. George's (14-26—40); Carter Meyer, Rivers (18-21—39); Marco Senerchia, St. George's (10-23—33); Will Hatten, Rives (20-9—29)
Top goalie:Â Ryder Shea, St. George's
The move to stay in prep for a senior season paid off big for Shea. The Maine commit posted a 1.90 GAA (No. 5 in the region) and a .938 save percentage (No. 3 in the region), playing in almost every game for the Dragons. Most importantly, he led St. George's to an Elite 8 birth after being just above .500 last season.
Honorable mentions:Â Ethan Ramonetti, Groton (2.29 GAA, .934 save percentage); Caio Bernardini, Middlesex (2.98 GAA, .920 save percentage); Ethan Simpson, Brooks (2.91 GAA, .914 save percentage)
ISL Keller
Top skater:Â Owen Leahy, Lawrence Academy
There was a lot of talent in the Keller this season, but Leahy did the most. The senior had 17 goals and 51 points, driving offense and being a key reason why Lawrence Academy locked up the No. 2 seed in the Large School Tournament. Leahy's compete helped him stand out from the rest, as he decides what the next step is in his career.
Honorable mentions: Matt Cataldo, St. Sebastian's (22-27—49); Kyle O'Leary, Nobles (17-26—43); Jake McManus, Belmont Hill (13-27—40); Teddy MacAusland, Nobles (18-22—40); Dylan Hunt, Milton (8-32—40); Brady Kudrick, Thayer (17-21—38); David Bosco, Belmont Hill (18-19—37); Brendan Hirsch, Lawrence Academy (25-12—37); Dennis Davidson, Nobles (18-19—37); Anthony Sergeyev, Milton Academy (16-21—37); Will Cannata, Milton Academy (13-23—36)
Top goalie:Â Sam Caulfield, Milton Academy
It wasn't the greatest season for Milton Academy. A year after being the No. 3 seed in the Elite 8, the Mustangs were young, going 11-13-4. But Caulfield was strong in net, posting a 2.85 GAA and a .927 save percentage. Caulfield finished the winter with the most shots on him, facing 1,046 shots and stopping 970. The Needham, Mass., native elevated his stock for a potential Division 1 commitment down the road.
Honorable mentions:Â Tyler Bloomfield, Nobles (2.74 GAA, .915 save percentage); Tyler Moschella, Thayer (2.54 GAA, .903 save percentage); Keagin Wilson, Belmont Hill (2.34 GAA, .915 save percentage); JJ Thibodeau, Belmont Hill (2.50 GAA, .902 save percentage)
Lakes
Top skater:Â Jack Sadowski, Kimball Union
Huge surprise, right? Sadowski finished with a whopping 41 goals and 87 points in 37 games. Your NHL 24 Be a Pro doesn't have those kinds of numbers. He had the most points since Jay O'Brien posted 80 at Thayer in 2017-18. Prior to that, the only person to have more production than Sadowski was Proctor's Josh Robertson in 2003-04 when he tallied 93 points in 36 games.
NEPSAC PLAYOFFS: 13 uncommitted forwards who boosted stock | 7 uncommitted defenders
Honorable mentions: Sam LeDrew, Kimball Union (38-37—75); Pavit Mehra, Holderness (27-33—60); Aaron VanWie, Holderness (30-29—59); Andrew O'Sullivan, Kimball Union (8-47—55); Corwith Simmers, Kimball Union (25-29—54); Caden Wells, Holderness (21-30—51); Caeden Herrington, Holderness (7-42—49); Cam Caron, New Hampton (19-25—44); Mason Meltzer, Brewster Academy (26-16—42); Jack McMinn, Kimball Union (5-30—35)
Top goalie:Â Blake McMeniman, Kimball Union
In McMeniman's first prep season, the '07 led KUA to an Elite 8 title. He also posted some pretty good numbers along the way, too. The Revere, Mass., native notched a 2.49 GAA and a .912 save percentage. He will be one of the most intriguing goalie prospects to watch next winter when he's a senior.
Honorable mentions:Â Ryan Nolan, Holderness (2.02 GAA, .919 save percentage)
Independents
Top skater:Â Sean Gibbons, Brunswick
Gibbons did it all for Brunswick this season. He scored 24 goals and tallied 68 points, which tied him with teammate Brendan Giles for third in the region. He was everything for the Bruins, driving offense and making it happen. His connection with Giles helped Brunswick earn the No. 3 seed in the Elite 8. Gibbons is also a West Point commit.
Honorable mentions: Brendan Giles, Brunswick (39-29—68); Emerson Marshall, Cushing (22-28—50); Antoine Gauthier, Berkshire (21-29—50); Ryan Stratton, Canterbury (22-27—49); Alex LoGuercio, Frederick Gunn (31-18—49); Sam Ciappa, Canterbury (23-21—44); Cullen Emery, Dexter Southfield (18-26—44); Duncan Thompson, Berkshire (25-19—44); Louie Marcellino, Pomfret (24-20—44); Ryan Lucarelli, Canterbury (12-31—43); Jackson Powers, Canterbury (19-23—42); Luke Corrigan, Pomfret (18-23—41); Evan Regan, Berkshire (17-23—40)
NATIONAL: 7 New Englanders invited to USA Hockey's NTDP Evaluation Camp
Top goalie:Â Marko Bilic, Cushing
There's no denying just how good Bilic was this season. The Arizona State commit posted a 1.45 GAA and a .939 save percentage. At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, he was one of the few prep players whom NHL scouts routinely had their eyes on. His raw abilities made him arguably the top goalie in prep for the entire season.
