Sun. 1/24/16
Steady On
Saturday's snowstorm wasn't helpful, as a bunch of games were cancelled. But no amount of snow is going to stop the USHR weekly prep poll.
Also, nothing seems to be stopping Avon Old Farms (11-1-2), as John Gardner's group holds onto the #1 spot for the third week in a row.
Nine of the teams from last week's poll are again ranked in the Top 10. Loomis (9-3-3), which lost to Westminster 5-1 on Saturday, is bounced, while Proctor (13-4-2) makes its first appearance.
USHR Prep Poll; Week of Jan. 25, 2016
Sun. 1/31/16
Avon, Rolling On
Avon Old Farms, for the fourth consecutive week, holds onto the top spot in the USHR weekly prep poll.
There is volatility, however, particularly once you get past the top six. Three of the four teams ranked #7-10 were not in last week's USHR poll.
And, outside of the Top 10, there are some intriguing teams angling for playoff position.
St. Mark's, for example. The Lions are 11-4-1, but 9-1-1 over their last 11. Their schedule is not particularly strong but, not to be underestimated, they do have key wins in there. They have beaten Tabor. They have beaten Rivers. They have tied Belmont Hill. And, on Saturday, they dominated Dexter in a 5-1 win. 'Nuff said.
Cushing has hit the skids, having lost 3 in a row, 5 of 7, 6 of 9, etc. To put it bluntly, January has been a lousy month in Ashburnham.
Westminster, too, has hit the dog days hard, with three straight losses. The Martlets were only able to muster two goals over those three games, all of which came at home (a 5-1 loss to Avon, a 1-0 loss to Deerfield, and a 3-1 loss to Kent).
Proctor's most recent game was a 4-1 loss at Tabor last Thursday. No shame there, as Tabor is fighting for playoff position. Senior F Jake Pappalardo (19-37-56) and junior D Reilly Walsh (31 pts. in 18 games; he missed a few while overseas with the NTDP) lead the way.
Rivers, Nobles, and Deerfield are bubbling under, and could well earn post-season berths. Rivers looked very good against Nobles on Saturday, a game in which Nobles was fortunate to escape with a 4-4 tie.
USHR Prep Poll; Week of Feb. 1, 2016
Tues. 1/26/16
ECEL U16 & U18 Championships
The East Coast Elite League (ECEL) will be hosting league championships this weekend, Jan. 29-31, at the Tri-Town Arena in Hooksett, NH.
The teams: Hill Academy, Colorado RoughRiders, NH Monarchs, Elite Hockey (Cheshire Academy), Boston Bandits, Buffalo Red Raiders (St. Francis), Connecticut Wolf Pack, and Iowa Wild.
Click below for the full program. (It's a PDF file.)
ECEL Winter Championships Program Book
Thurs. 1/21/16
Tkachuk Tops North American Skaters
London Knights (OHL) LW Matthew Tkachuk tops North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's Mid-Term Rankings, but 6'2" LC Auston Matthews of the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League A is the real North American -- and American -- #1 leading up to the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, which will be held June 24-25 at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY.
North American Skaters
North American Goalies
North American Skaters (Alphabetical)
Mon. 1/18/16
Winged Beavers Remain #1
Avon Old Farms, which has won its last seven games -- and is undefeated over its last 10 -- holds onto the top spot in this week's USHR Prep Poll.
The Winged Beavers only loss of the season came on Dec. 6, a 4-2 decision to Cushing. They have tied Taft and Deerfield.
USHR Prep Poll; Week of Jan. 18, 2016
Sun. 1/10/16
Avon Takes #1 Spot in USHR Prep Poll
There's a new #1 in this week's prep poll, and its Avon Old Farms.
USHR Prep Poll; Week of Jan. 11, 2016
Mon. 1/4/16
Westminster #1 in First USHR Prep Poll of 2016
The Westminster School, by dint of being the only undefeated prep school team in the land, holds on to the #1 position in this week's USHR Prep Poll.
Two new teams cracked the Top 10 this week. Click the link below to see who they are. The teams that were in the poll last week, but this time have been kicked out -- just tossed to the curb, so unceremoniously -- are Deerfield and St. Sebastian's.
USHR Prep Poll; Week of Jan. 4, 2016
