There were a lot of reasons why last season was so frustrating for Frederick Gunn.
For starters, the Highlanders went 12-16-3 and missed the postseason for the first time in Craig Badger's tenure as head coach, which began in 2015.
Even more frustrating: the roster was good, and the games were close. Frederick Gunn earned wins over teams like New Hampton, Berkshire, St. Andrew's College, Avon Old Farms and Canterbury. They tied Dexter and Hotchkiss.
But then the Highlanders would lose close games.
"I thought we had one of the better teams we've had in the last few years," Badger said. "Multiple coaches after games would say we were the best team they played and wondered why our record was what it was."
The biggest reason for that?
"We just struggled to score goals at times," Badger said.
Frederick Gunn graduated most of its top players from last season. Much of this season will hinge on how fast a new-look forward core can acclimate to the prep game.
The floor could be really low, but the ceiling could be really high.
Zoomed-out view
Frederick Gunn brings in high-end talent every year. It's something that Badger has become accustomed to.
The problem is that nowadays those players sometimes leave early for junior hockey.
And that's exactly what happened to Frederick Gunn this offseason.
Forward Nathan DeSanto, an '08 who scored 20 goals last winter, was supposed to come back and repeat his senior year. But in June, he opted for the CCHL's Renfrew Wolves.
READ MORE: The Krayers have been through a lot in junior hockey. Now, it’s paying offÂ
Will Wright, another forward, opted to play for the Wolves and leave Frederick Gunn after his junior year.
Alex Taylor, an '09 skilled forward who had 21 points last winter, left for the OHL's Owen Sound Attack on Labor Day weekend. He's now playing for the GOJHL's Caledonia Corvairs.
"We were hoping those guys would be back," Badger said. "They had good years last year, and we were hoping they'd have really good years this year.
"But that didn't happen, and that's fine. It creates more opportunity for other guys."
The last few years
Frederick Gunn has had two straight middle-of-the-pack seasons, going 12-16-3 this past year, while going 12-14-7 in 2024-25, sneaking in as the No. 8 seed in the Small School tournament.
The Highlanders have been a fixture in the Small School tournament, most notably falling in the championship games in 2022 and 2023.
The coach
Badger spent one season as an assistant at Williams College before joining Frederick Gunn as associate head coach in 2005, which he held until being promoted to head coach in 2015.
The former Wesleyan defenseman is only six wins from 200 since he's 194-112-29 at Frederick Gunn.
Who will the stars be?
This team's strength will be on defense and in net. That starts with Ryan Collins, an '08 defenseman who had four goals and 18 points in 29 games last winter.
"He should be a top guy in New England," Badger said. "His IQ is elite. He snaps the puck. He's very, very good."
Fellow seniors Michael Block (New Milford, Conn.) and Jack Giamou are also back, giving the Highlanders an experienced core on the blue line.
In net, Alex Schnarr, last year's starter, is back as a senior, along with senior Alex Saga and sophomore Ethan Lazdowsky (Norton, Mass.).
Schnarr posted a strong 2.91 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in the large majority of starts last season.
Playing Schnarr as much as he did wasn't the initial plan. Badger had wanted Schnarr and Saga to push each other, and each get a similar amount of starts. But Saga went down last October, thrusting Schnarr into the starter's net.
READ MORE: The next big thing? Max Prudovsky sure looks like it
"Schnarr ultimately played too much last year," Badger said. "I think he had a really, really good year. But had he been able to play a little less, he would have had an even better year."
All three goalies are healthy now, meaning Badger can distribute time between the two seniors and get Lazdowsky in as well.
Newcomers
Unsurprisingly, most of the newcomers are up front.
Roman Gerr arrives as a potential star. The Mansfield, Mass., native had 51 goals and 94 points in 64 games for Boston Hockey Academy's 16U team last winter. He's 6-foot-3 and leads Frederick Gunn's fall team in goals (11) and points (18).
"He's one of those kids who just has a knack for it," Badger said. "He's a guy that we expect to be able to come in and have an immediate impact on the top end of things."
Gilbert Sudaley should be another impactful forward. The former Mid Fairfield 16U standout ranks second on Frederick Gunn's fall team with 15 points in 15 games.
Other incoming forwards are...
- Former Bishop Feehan (MIAA) forward Patrick O'Reilly (Norton, Mass.)
- Former Barrie Colts 16U forward Gavin O'ConnellÂ
- Former Nest Hockey Academy 16U forward Cam LegerÂ
- Former Northwood School 16U forward Aidan Kress
Badger also brought in former Kimball Union defenseman Aaron Sheck, who leads all defensemen on the Highlanders' fall team in points with 12.
Eric Grahs was also brought in on defense. The 6-foot-3, right-shot '09 arrives via the Nashville Junior Predators 16U team, while Brendan St. Croix is new and came from the Barrie Colts 16U team.
Breakout prospects
All of the newcomers are breakout prospects. But Frederick Gunn has an intriguing group of returning junior forwards who should be primed for breaking out.
That starts with Alex Jarvis, who has six goals and 12 points on Frederick Gunn's fall team.
"He's very skilled and very quick," Badger said.
Hudson Kinsler is another intriguing forward to watch. After two points last winter in limited minutes, he has nine in 15 fall games. He's known for his IQ.
And there's Peter Royer, who had three assists last season, but has eight points this fall.
None are known for their size, which showed as sophomores last season. As juniors, they should be making an impact.
BOYS PREP PREVIEWS: Brunswick | Winchendon | Cushing | Salisbury | Kimball Union | Hotchkiss | Williston | Taft | Holderness | Phillips Exeter | Dexter Southfield | St. Paul’s | Nobles
"They're all smaller," Badger said. "Kinsler has grown the most and is probably the tallest of the three, and he's probably 5-foot-9. So they're all smaller and different from each other but all smaller, crafty players."
The ceiling
This team will rely on its defense and goaltending heavily early in the season. And with three starting-caliber goalies, that shouldn't be an issue.
But two big questions hang over this team.
- How fast will the newcomer forwards adjust to prep?
- What's the ceiling of those forwards?
"I always think that we're going to be among the best teams in New England," Badger said. "And this year, I don't think any different."
If those new forwards can get up to speed quickly and produce, Frederick Gunn very well could be one of the best teams in New England.
