SALEM, N.H. — Eight teams met up at the Icenter here on Jan. 7 to begin the first of three days to decide the True Hockey Prep Cup.
Kimball Union Academy, Northwood School, Dexter Southfield, St. Andrew’s College, Mount Saint Charles, Nichols School, Frederick Gunn and Culver Academies represent a mix of full season and prep school teams in participating in the event. Mount Saint Charles won the inaugural event in 2020, held in North Andover, Mass.
Northwood handed KUA the Wildcats’ first loss of the season in the opening match of the event, while Dexter captured an emotional 6-5 shootout victory over the SAC Saints on day one, getting a lift from the return of captain Matt Fusco (Westwood, Mass.) to the lineup and a multi-goal game from Connor Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.). Third-string goalie Luca Ciccolo (Duxbury, Mass.) battled through some third-period adversity to stand tall in overtime and stop both shooters he faced to secure the win. The Rhode Island Saint M’s at Mount Saint Charles posted a decisive 6-3 victory over Nichols, while Frederick Gunn beat Culver by a 5-4 score.
On a day that was impacted by the area’s first meaningful snowfall of the year, plus several delays that impacted the game schedule, there was still a large presence of colleges and NHL scouts from the area to watch the teams compete. The event continues Saturday, with the tournament trophy decided in the Sunday playoff competition.
