Fri. 2/27/09 -- Empire Cup Update -- Trinity-Pawling, Hill, and Albany Academy all won their games today. The semifinal matchups on Saturday will be: Trinity-Pawling vs. Wyoming Seminary, 12:00 pm (@ T-P); and Hill vs. Millbrook, 12:00 pm (@ Millbrook). The consolation game between Albany Academy vs. Portledge will face off at 2:30 pm (@ Millbrook). The championship game will be at 7:00 pm. The location and participants will be determined by the results of the two semifinals.
2/27/09
NEPSIHA Div. II All-Stars Announced
Forwards:
Chad Goodwin -- Hebron
Robert Lerro -- Dexter
Kyle Zobler -- New Hampton
Anthony Bilotta -- Worcester Academy (Jr.)
Matt MacDonald -- Pingree
Nick Luce – NYA (Jr.)
Defensemen
Nick Trepp – Brunswick (Jr.)
Adam Rimmer -- Pingree
Kyle Williams -- NYA
Mike Tierney -- New Hampton
Goalies:
Brad Barone -- Roxbury Latin
Brian Fleming -- Kents Hill
All of the above players are seniors, except where noted.
The voting, conducted by the league coaches, was very close, and went like this: Goodwin and Lerro were the top two vote-getters among forwards, while the other four were all tied. On the blue line, Trepp got the most votes, while the other three were tied. In goal, Barone and Fleming were tied. What the voting says, basically, is that all of these players are first team all stars. The fact that there are a total of 12 players is why the league chose to do just one team as opposed to coming up with a second team as well.
2/28/09
Div. I Standings
Here are the standings as of Saturday morning, Feb. 28 – the last day of the regular season. Among the teams in contention, there is not a lot of change, other than the fact that Belmont Hill strengthened their numbers.East:
1. Exeter (1-1-2) = 4
2. Lawrence (2-2-3) = 7
3. Andover (3-3-1) = 7
4. Belmont Hill (4-4-5) = 13
5. Nobles (5-6-4) = 15
West:
1. Salisbury (1-1-2) = 4
2. Taft (4-4-1) = 9
3. Gunnery (2-2-6) = 10
4. Berkshire (3-3-4) = 10
5. Hotchkiss (4-4-5) = 13
2/28/09
Div. II Standings
Here are the standings as of Saturday morning, Feb. 28 – the last day of the regular season.1. Hebron (1-1-1) = 3
2. New Hampton (3-2-2) = 7
3. Dexter (2-3-7) = 12
4. North Yarmouth (6-5-3) = 14
5. Groton (4-6-5) = 15
6. Worcester (8-4-4) = 16
7. St. George’s (5-7-8) = 20
8. Roxbury Latin (9-8-11) = 28
9. Hoosac (7-9-12) = 28
10. Vermont (11-9-9) = 29
11. Pingree (12-11-10) = 33
12. Kent’s Hill (15-12-6) = 33 -- season over; flu epidemic
13. Brunswick (9-12-14) = 35
14. Berwick (12-12-13) = 37
Today’s games:
Brunswick @ Vermont Academy
New Hampton @ Brooks
St. George’s @ Middlesex
St. Mark’s @ Groton
Pingree@ NYA (Holt Crossover game)
Kingswood-Oxford @ Berwick (Holt Crossover game)
Worcester Academy @ Hebron (Holt Crossover game)
2/28/09
Sat. Feb. 28 Recaps
-- Exeter Makes a Statement
Exeter, NH -- Exeter senior forward Nick Kondiles had the hat trick, and senior goaltender Max Fenkell had the shutout (through 44 minutes, before Exeter's two other goaltenders came on in relief) as Exeter crushed Andover, 6-1, before an enormous crowd here today -- and we do mean enormous. Fans were packed in like sardines.
The game was pretty one-sided. Exeter's first goal, a power play tally just 1:58 in, deflected in off a skate of Exeter defenseman Tom Larkin, and seemed to immediately put Andover back on their heels. At 15:28 -- again on the power play -- Kondiles scored his first goal of the game, finishing off a nice passing sequence with Dan Weiniger and Larkin.
In the second, Kondiles scored his second goal of the game 43 seconds in off a nice look by Matt Hatch. With 1:14 remaining, James Shannon broke over the blue line and whipped one low glove side past Andover goalie Glenn Stowell. With the game now 4-0, Andover came unglued and began an unrelenting march to the penalty box that would, from this point forward, result in ten straight calls against the visitors. With Exeter on the 5x3 -- there must have been a half dozen points in this game where Exeter was on the 5x3 -- Kondiles buried a rebound. It was his third goal of the game and made it 5-0.
In the third, Andover kept marching off to the penalty box. Mike Sotak made it 6-0 Exeter on a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle at 11:56. Exeter coach Dana Barbin got playing time for two of his other goalies -- Andrew Jankowski and Joe Blundo -- by lifting Fenkell with 10:46 remaining. Andover got their only goal of the game with 3:29 left when Brian Safstrom, with a nice pass, found star junior Chris Kreider in front. Kreider, who missed the net in a couple key situations today, didn't miss this one, tapping it by Jankowski to make it 6-1, which is how it ended.
Final shots on goal were Exeter 39, Andover 25.
This was a bad game for Andover for the get-go. Even before the puck dropped, things were going wrong. In the warmups, Kreider broke two sticks a minute or two apart and, we were told, played with a borrowed stick. Once the game started, Andover struggled to find their rhythm. They were able to get the puck into the Exeter end, and even enjoyed an early 5x3 of their own, but couldn't settle the puck down and make plays. Exeter, by being aggressive, forced errors and, when they had power plays, bore down and produced results. Andover had nothing on the power play, and their penalty killers were overextended. In the second, Andover took a series of pointless penalties that nullified their chances of coming back and gave Exeter a ridiculous number of 5x3 advantages. There might have been a half dozen 5x3's. Something else Exeter did well was keep Kreider in check. The fleet forward just didn't have a lot of room to operate. And Stowell struggled in net.
For Exeter, Kondiles, as we mentioned, finished with the hat trick. In addition, Larkin had three assists, Weiniger had a goal and an assist, and Jeff Reppucci had a pair of assists.
Andover head coach Dean Boylan was not happy with his team's performance. "Exeter was totally dominant in all three zones," he said. "We didn't have the discipline we needed. They were just a much better team than we were. They played with much more discipline and they deserved to win."
Asked about all the penalties (Exeter was called for six of the game's first ten penalties, before Andover, as we mentioned, picked up the game's final 10 penalties in a row), Boylan said, " I didn't agree with everything but I did agree with some of them, not others. But it still points to a lack of discipline on our part."
Asked if he felt his team could bounce back from such a game in time for Wednesday's quarterfinal matchup at Lawrence Academy, Boylan said, "That's something good teams are able to do. So we'll find out about our character -- the important stuff."
Exeter coach Dana Barbin said, "Andover has been a tough team for us to deal with. I thought that today, in a game filled with emotion, we didn't let it get the best of us. The guys managed that part of the game well. And Fenkell didn't let any pucks in. He's been better than good all year.
In other action:
@ Salisbury 5, Canterbury 2: Senior John Guay (2a), junior Michael McCann (2g), and sophomore Gunnar Hughes (1g,1a) fueled the Crimson Knight attack. Seniors Chris Cerbino and Sean Murray each registered two assists for Canterbury in the loss. Andy Iles stopped 25 of 27 in his final tune up before the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
@ Winchendon 2, South Kent 0: Senior Ben Meisner kicked out all 33 South Kent shots en route to the shutout. Senior Jason Bellonio stopped 33 of 35 in between the pipes for South Kent. Senior Ian Reopel and junior Adam Scudder netted the goals for Winchendon.
Kent 3 @ Choate 2: Choate scored two goals in an under a minute to make it 3-2 in the third, but visiting Kent prevailed with the one-goal victory. Both goalies were strong as Choate junior Nick BonDurant kicked out 35 of 38 while Kent junior Marco De Filippo stopped 35 of 37 for Kent. Senior Nic Brickley (2a) and junior Paul Cinquegrana (1g,1a) led the Kent offense. Senior Wese Rene and junior Greg Kreisinger netted the goals for the Wild Boars.
Gunnery 4 @ Berkshire 3: In an important tilt between two teams fighting for playoff position, Gunnery used three second period goals and held on late to squeak past host Berkshire. Junior Shane Gorman (2g,1a) and sophomore Terrence Wallin (1g,1a) led the way for Gunnery. Juniors Ben Chwick and Jake Goldberg and sophomore Trevor Mingoia netted the three goals for Berkshire. Junior Alex Vazzano made 33 saves in the win. Despite losing, Berkshire secured a playoff spot due to Hotchkiss tying Taft.
Hotchkiss 3 @ Taft 3: By tying Taft, Hotchkiss was officially eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday. Taft, which scored all three of their goals in the second period, was powered by a pair of goals from senior Mike Sinsigalli. Seniors Robbie Mormina, Chris Steele, and sophomore Petr Placek netted the goals for Hotchkiss, with Steele and Mormina scoring in the third as Hotchkiss tried to comeback and get the win to remain playoff eligible. Junior Steve Racine stopped 24 of 27 for the Rhinos while freshman Jay Williams stopped 22 of 25 for Hotchkiss. Williams was pulled for the extra attacker in the final minutes, as Hotchkiss went for the win, the only way they could get a playoff berth.
@ Westminster 2, Deerfield 1: Junior Ryan Tyson scored two power-play goals in the third to propel host Westminster over Founders League rival Deerfield. Erik Bertin scored the lone goal for Deerfield. Westminster outshot Deerfield, 45-26; Charles Corsi picked up the win for Westminster.
Avon Old Farms 9 @ Loomis-Chaffee 3: Avon scored seven second period goals in their six-goal victory over Loomis. Avon junior Kevin Tiefenwerth registered a hat-trick as senior Blake Forkey (2g), juniors Paul Mimms (1g,1a), Quinn Smith (2a) sophomores Mark Naclerio (4a) Connor Doyle (1g,2a), Morgan Mullen (1g,2a) all had strong afternoons for the Winged Beavers. Juniors Albert Sung (2g) and Trey Benincosa (1g,1a) each had two-point efforts for Loomis. Avon outshot Loomis, 43-30.
Tabor 5 @ Northfield Mt. Hermon 2: Seniors Drew Jelinek (1g,1a), Jayson Megna (2g,2a) and Cam Spiro (1g,2a) led the Seawolves offense. Junior Nick Gordon (2g) and sophomore Garrett McMullen (2a) each registered two-point games for NMH. Tabor senior Nick Betti kicked out 30 of 32 as his offense was able to pepper NMH with 44 shots in the win.
@ Noble & Greenough 4, Milton 0: Sophomores Kevin Hayes (3a) and Matt Harlow (2g) led the Nobles attack. Junior Gene Lane picked up the shutout by stopping all 23 shots. About an hour before they took to the ice, Nobles knew they had been eliminated from playoff contention as a result of Belmont Hill’s victory over BB&N.
@ Lawrence 5, St. Paul’s 3: Trailing 3-2 after two periods of play, host Lawrence came back with three unanswered goals in the third to gain some momentum going into Wednesday’s quarterfinals. Powering the comeback were seniors Wayne Simpson (2g,1a), Steven Whitney (3a), and Brendan Cottam (1g,1a); and sophomore Zack Phillips (1g,1a). Senior Alex Davidson (1g,1a) and sophomore Jonathan Liau (1g,2a) each had multiple point efforts for St. Paul’s. Senior Matt Walsh made 28 saves in the win.
@ Proctor 9, Brewster 6 (Lakes Region Championship Semi): Senior Dan Rowland (1g,6a) registered seven points and fellow senior Rob Toczylowski registered a hat-trick for Proctor. Senior Charley Stern (2g,1a) and juniors Connor Toomey (1g,3a), Nik Tasiopoulos (1g,3a), and Keith Buehler (1g,1a) also came up big for the Hornets.
@ Millbrook 4, Hill School 3 (Empire Cup Semi): Senior Mathieu Dubuc scored the game winner, his second of the game with 30 seconds left on the clock to earn the victory for Millbrook. Seniors Sean Spero and Matt Abbott each added two assists for Millbrook. Junior Connor McBride scored twice for Hill School, with senior Brooke Potts adding assists on both tallies. Millbrook outshot Hill, 52-20.
@ Trinity-Pawling 5, Wyoming Seminary 2 (Empire Cup Semi): After trailing 2-1 after the first frame, Trinity-Pawling scored four unanswered goals to earn the win. Senior Robbie MacGregor (1g,1a) and junior Travis Ritter (2g) powered the Trinity-Pawling attack. Shots were TP 50, Wyoming Seminary, 20 – aligns kind of nicely with the score, doesn’t it?
@ Hebron 8, Worcester Academy 0 (Holt Playoffs): Hebron mustered 57 shots as seniors Chad Goodwin (4a), Andrew Cetola (2g), and Billy Brewster (2a); and juniors Chris Gacsy (3a), Cam Moniz (3a), Andrew Bettencourt (2g), Nate Dupere (1g,1a), and Ian Canty (1g,1a) led the Hebron offensive barrage. Senior Craig Ryan kicked out all 20 shots to earn the shutout.
@ North Yarmouth 7, Pingree 0 (Holt Playoffs): Juniors Tom Gildersleeve (2g,1a) and Nicholas Luce (2g,1a); and sophomore Sebastin Perrson (1g,2a) all registered three-point games for North Yarmouth. Sophomore Alex Bolduc stopped all 15 shots to earn the shutout.
@ Berwick 5, Portsmouth Abbey 3 (Holt Playoffs): Senior Tom Hay (2g) and sophomores Alex Tobey (2g,1a) and Kyle Lajeunesse (2a) led the Berwick attack. Junior Shaun Millerick made 15 saves in the win.
Belmont Hill 6 @ BB&N 3: Belmont Hill secured the #4 seed in the east on the strength of three power play goals. Seniors Jack McNamara (1g,2a) and Michael Blake (2a); and sophomores Connor Brickley (1g,3a), Mike McNamara (2g), and Dylan Pike (1g,1a) paced the Belmont Hill offense. Mike Condon stopped 23 of 25 shots for the win. The skaters in front of him outshot BB&N, 52-25. Belmont Hill sophomore forward Brendan McNally (and BB&N soph Alex Quinn) were ejected for fighting (if you can call it that) in the second period. The game DQ -- as of now -- means McNally will have to sit out Wednesday's quarterfinal. However, Belmont Hill is appealing it. (Editorial comment: We were at the game, and wouldn't be at all surprised if it's overturned. To take it a step further, we'd be a little surprised if it wasn't overturned. That, however, is for supervisor of officials Ned Bunyon to figure out.)
@ Williston-Northampton 5, Pomfret 4: Senior Justin Alejandro buried the game winner, his second of the day, with 1:39 left. He also had an assist earlier. This game was back-and-forth much of the way. Williston got its other three goals from three different scorers. Pomfret was powered by seniors Kevin Karales and Ben Waldman who each registered a goal and an assist in the loss. Senior Max Bigler kicked out 20 of 24 shots to secure the narrow victory.
@ Groton 7, St. Mark’s 0: Seniors Luke Deary (1g,1a) and Ben Sargent (2a); and sophomores Garrett Sunda (1g,2a), Connor Miyamoto (1g,2a), and Nils Martin (2g) led the seven-goal onslaught for Groton. Junior Dale Adams stopped all 16 shots for the shutout as his offense was able to triple that, peppering St. Mark’s with 48 shots on net.
@ Vermont Academy 3, Brunswick 1: Senior Mike Didomenico andjuniors Pier-Andre Marquis and Jean-Daniel Vermette tallied the goals for Vermont Academy. Senior Austin Erney kicked out 26 of 27 shots for the victory.
St. George’s 10 @ Middlesex 1: Senior Scott Chanelli highlighted St. George’s blowout by registering a hat-trick and an assist in the win. Seniors Patrick Guerriero (2g,2a), Kevin Shelton (1g,2a), and Thomas Growney (2a); juniors Mike Violette (1g,4a) and Garrett Sider (2g,1a); and sophomore Danny Johnson (1g,1a) also contributed upfront for St. George’s. Senior Alex Layton kicked out 21 of 22 in the blowout victory.
2/27/09
Down to the Wire
As we head into the final weekend of the ’08-09 regular season, there are the obviously big games – you know which ones those are – and then there are those below-the-surface meaningful games, those that impinge on the race for a playoff spot in ways that aren’t instantly apparent. While there are no teams that can move up to the .500 plateau this weekend, there are two teams whose play on Saturday could drop their record below that mark: Governor's and Proctor. On Friday, Governor's hosts Rivers, a team with a .133 win percentage. Proctor plays Saturday in the Lakes Region Tournament (against tomorrow’s play-in game winner). Although an upset in either of these games appears unlikely, such an occurrence won’t affect the three teams – Exeter, Lawrence, and Andover – in the third criterion, as each of those teams has a win against Governor's and Proctor. A Rivers win over Governor’s, however, could affect the race for the #4 spot in the east. Belmont Hill and Nobles have both gone 2-0 vs. Governor's, and are done with them for the season. In fact, if Governor's were below .500 right now, Tabor (with zero wins against Governor's or Proctor) would be tied for fourth with Belmont Hill. But for now this doesn’t matter. Late Saturday night does matter. For Tabor to get in, all this must happen: Governor’s must drop below .500 (through losing to Rivers), Proctor must lose and fall below .500, and South Kent must beat Belmont Hill. And even if all those dominoes fall right for Tabor, the Seawolves would still need help in the form of a win or tie from Milton (who play at Nobles Saturday). While Tabor making the playoffs as the #4 seed is within the realm of possibility, it’s a long shot, but still intriguing, as we had considered them dead. Belmont Hill is a much different case. They can clinch the #4 spot for themselves simply by beating South Kent (Fri.) and BB&N (Sat.). If Belmont Hill wins out, the fortunes of Governor’s, Proctor, Nobles, and Tabor won’t add up to a hill of beans. Belmont Hill will be the #4 seed. They control their own destiny. Win, and they are in. The team closest to them, Nobles, is quite alive. They need to win Saturday and get outside help in the form of Belmont Hill falling. If Belmont Hill goes 1-1 this weekend, then a Nobles’ win over Milton will kick Belmont Hill out of the final playoff spot. Belmont Hill, unlike a lot of teams, can’t benefit from any outside help. They can only be hurt by outside events. For example, if either Governor’s or Proctor – or both – lose on Saturday, that will hurt Belmont Hill even more in the third criterion. Right now Belmont Hill is at its optimal third criterion value. There’s no gold they can mine there, and they still trail Nobles in that category.
Saturday’s Exeter-Andover traditional end-of-the-season rivalry game will, of course, be big. Although this game does not carry the importance of last year’s regular season finale (Andover, you may recall, needed to win that one to get into the playoffs), both teams will be geared up. Exeter has already secured the number one seed in the East, along with the top winning percentages in the first two criteria and is guaranteed at least a second in the third criterion. Andover has clinched the top spot in the third criterion. To gain the #2 seed – and home ice – Andover will need to beat Exeter and get outside help in the form of St. Paul's beating Lawrence. A tie in either of these games will not change the positioning of the top three. If Lawrence wins on Saturday, they will host Andover in the #2 vs. #3 matchup next Wednesday. Here are the unofficial standings going into Friday (clinched teams in bold):
1. Exeter (1 + 1 + 2) = 4
2. Lawrence (2 + 2 + 3) = 7
3. Andover (3 + 3 + 1) = 7
4. Belmont Hill (4 + 4 + 5) = 13
5. Nobles (5 + 6 + 4) = 15
6. Tabor (6 + 4 + 7) = 17
In the west, the situation is mutable in the extreme. While we can say with certainty that South Kent cannot make the playoffs, the Cardinals fortunes in the last two games will go a long way towards determining the fate of others. Why? Because South Kent’s success or failure at Belmont Hill (Fri.) and Winchendon (Sat.) will move them up or down in the criteria, thus affecting the fate of teams still in playoff contention. There are too many factors to definitely say anything other than this: Only Salisbury and Gunnery have already clinched playoff berths. Salisbury we are 100% sure on. And Gunnery we have a high degree of confidence in. As for the rest of the field, one of the following teams will not make the playoffs: Taft, Berkshire, or Hotchkiss. Let’s break it down: if Berkshire wins, they are in the playoffs. If Taft wins they are in. Hotchkiss, then, is the only team that does not control their own destiny in making the playoffs. If Hotchkiss wins, they will need Berkshire to lose, and they are in at the expense of Berkshire. South Kent’s record in their last two games -- both of South Kent’s opponents are over .500 -- will greatly affect the standings in the third criterion, and the seeds of the playoff teams. Are there scenarios in which Taft loses and makes the playoffs? Yes. Are their scenarios in which Berkshire loses and make the playoffs? Yes. Are there scenarios in which Hotchkiss loses and makes the playoffs? No! Berkshire has the advantage of having played so many games that a loss doesn’t much affect their value in the first two categories, while Taft -- no matter the scenarios – has secured the best value in the third criterion of all the West teams. This leaves Berkshire and Taft controlling their own destiny, while Hotchkiss needs help. Here are the unofficial west standings going into Friday (clinched teams in bold):
1. Salisbury (1 + 1 + 2) = 4
2. Taft (4 + 4 + 1) = 9
3. Gunnery (2 + 2 + 6) = 10
4. Berkshire (3 + 3 + 4) = 10
5. Hotchkiss (4 + 4 + 5) = 13
6. South Kent (6 + 6 + 3) = 15
All teams need to play with intensity on Friday and Saturday: but especially Belmont Hill, Berkshire, and Taft as wins assure them of playoff spots. In fact, a Berkshire win will most likely give them home ice for a playoff game. Taft can sneak into the second spot with a win, depending on the results of the Berkshire-Gunnery game, and the results of the two South Kent games. This is because the seedings are a confluence of factors that are outside Taft’s control – something that can actually be said for a number of teams. Taft, by our calculations, cannot finish as the #1 seed in the west, but Berkshire, Salisbury and Gunnery all can. As forSalisbury and Gunnery, they need to continue to play well. While they may have clinched, they will be scrambling for seedings, which carry over into crossover play in Salem, where there are matchups that might best be avoided (though players had best not be thinking that way!) Taft, which has beaten Berkshire and Gunnery -- albeit in December -- would probably much rather face one of those two teams, and not Salisbury, who they have tied on home ice, and lost to at a neutral site (Bridgeport, Conn.). Salisbury would like to win and have the number one seed, or would they? The #1–4 West matchup winner faces the #2–3 East matchup winner, which is guaranteed to be either Andover or Lawrence. Andover has the best record in New England against teams above .500, and Lawrence has won 20 of 21 games heading into this weekend. Granted, no playoff matchup is easy, but a guarantee for the winner of the #1–4 West matchup to play one of those two makes it perhaps more valuable to play in the #2–3 game. Of course, the winner of that game will play either Exeter (the top team in the east) or a team that has just fought tooth-and-nail to get into the playoffs and are looking for blood. Whatever the matchups are, whether this weekend, the first round of the playoffs, or in Salem, there is great hockey upcoming.
Note:
In running various scenarios, particularly the farther-reaching ones, we have avoided ties, which complicate matters without really adding values – they’re just too neutral to be particularly useful. One thing we can’t avoid is the fact that, given the extraordinary amount of games remaining that can effect the standings, and given the complexity of the third criterion, there is so much here that is highly speculative, but fun, too. The spinning out of various scenarios can become mind-boggling. The trick is to steer clear of the far-out stuff – it can get pretty wild -- and hang in there with the meaningful stuff. Basically, we covered a huge number of scenarios and attempted to boil them down to something digestible. So, if you see a fact that is wrong then please email us, but please don’t point out possible scenarios we might have missed, because there are literally thousands of them. Let the games be played and see where the dust settles.
2/27/09
Div. II Picture: Six Teams Are In
We’ve run a large number of different scenarios for the remaining ten Div. II games. While we can’t test them all -- including ties there are almost 60,000 possible outcomes – we have distilled the most likely of them in order to come up with the following:-- Hebron is the #1 seed, even if they lose to Worcester in the Holt game on Saturday.
-- Five additional teams, by our calculations, have clinched a playoff spot (seedings, of course, are totally up in the air). They are:
NYA (@ New Hampton, 5:00 pm Fri.; home vs. Pingree, 4:30 Sat)
New Hampton (home vs. NYA, 5:00 pm Fri.; @ Brooks, 4:00 pm Sat.)
Dexter (home vs. RL, 3:45 pm Fri. )
Groton (home vs. St. Mark's, 2:00 pm Sat.)
Worcester Academy (@ Hebron Sat.)
Teams that are still breathing:
Hoosac – home vs. Brunswick, 5:00 pm Fri. (If they win, they are almost certainly in, but they can lose and get in with help. Could finish as high as #3.)
Roxbury Latin - @ Dexter, 3:45 pm Fri. (If they win they are as good as in. They can lose and get in with help. Could be as high as #4.)
St. George's - @ Middlesex, 4:00 pm Sat. (If they win they will still need a little help. If they lose, they will need lots of help. Probably #7 or #8, if they get in.)
Vermont – home vs. Brunswick, 2:00 pm Sat. (They must win and get help. Lose and they’re out. Probably #8, if they get in.)
Brunswick - @ Hoosac, 5:00 pm Fri.; @ Vermont, 2:00 pm Sat. (They must win both games and still get tons of help in order to win a potential tiebreaker for the #8 seed. Of course, if they lose, they are done.)
Teams that are out:
We can't find a way to get Pingree (@ NYA, 4:30 pm Sat.) or Berwick (home vs. K-O, 5:00 Sat.) in even if they win.
No other team can be eligible.
Berwick and Pingree are the only Div. II teams that can move from .500 or above to -.500 in the last few days. No team can move up to .500.
How Brunswick plays on the road will determine much of how things work out this weekend. A Pingree upset of NYA would also create huge repercussions.
Div. II standings as of Friday morning, Feb. 27:
1. Hebron (1-1-1) = 3
2. NYA (4-3-2) = 9
3. New Hampton (5-2-3) = 10
4. Dexter (2-5-8) = 15
5. Groton (5-6-5) = 16
6. Worcester (9-4-4) = 17
7. St. George’s (7-7-7) = 21
8. Roxbury Latin (8-8-8) = 24
9. Hoosac (3-9-12) = 24
10. Vermont (10-10-8) = 28
11. Kents Hill (15-12-6) =33 (season over, flu epidemic)
12. Pingree (12-11-11) = 34
13. Berwick (12-12-13) = 37
14. Brunswick (11-15-15) = 41
2/27/09 -- Updated (see notes at bottom)
Belmont Hill Moves a Step Closer
With less than two minutes remaining, this one was looking like it might go into overtime knotted at 0-0. But Belmont Hill senior Will Gray seized the moment, picking up a puck off the boards in center ice, cutting back to the middle as he broke over the blue line, and firing a low, hard shot past South Kent senior goaltender Jason Bellonio to put his team up 1-0 with 1:30 left on the clock.Gray added an empty netter with 30 seconds left for the final 2-0 margin of victory.
Belmont Hill senior goaltender Mike Condon was the key to his team's win today. He was perfect, stopping all 33 shots he faced (South Kent outshot Belmont Hill, 33-29).
It actually looked like Belmont Hill had taken a 1-0 lead a few minutes earlier -- with about five minutes left on the clock -- but the officials waved off the goal, ruling that senior Ryan Walsh had illegally directed the rebound of a shot into the net.
Belmont Hill’s Mike Blake was awarded a penalty shot about five minutes into the second period, but was stopped by Bellonio.
The win gave a big lift to Belmont Hill’s playoff hopes. If they win at BB&N tomorrow, the #4 seed in the East is theirs. South Kent, of course, entered the game already eliminated from contention.
"It was a fast-paced game and all three of our lines did a great job shutting down their top line," said Belmont Hill head coach Ken Martin. "South Kent is a good team. We played them before and they beat us. We played smart, we skated well, and we moved the puck well."
South Kent head coach Geoff Marottolo said, "Goaltending has been an issue with us all year, but Jason (Bellonio) had a really solid game today. Belmont Hill is tough to play here on this big sheet. They're a methodical team. It was a bit of a chess match -- but also exciting to watch. We had our scoring opportunities, but Condon is one of the best around."
Notes:
Saturday:
Belmont Hill @ BB&N, 1:00 pm
Milton @ Nobles, 4:00 pm
-- If Nobles wins, then Belmont Hill, in order to make the playoffs, also needs a win. A tie for Belmont Hill and a win for Nobles is not enough for Belmont Hill to get in.
If they both tie, then Belmont Hill is in.
If they both lose, Belmont Hill is also in.
What must happen for Nobles to be the #4 seed: BB&N must beat or tie Belmont Hill, then Nobles must go out and win their game.
No matter what happens tomorrow, either Nobles or Belmont Hill will emerge as the #4 East seed and will travel to #1 Exeter for a quarterfinal playoff game on Wednesday.
-- Tabor was mathematically eliminated today.
Fri. 2/27/09 -- Lakes Region Tournament Update -- Brewster beat Tilton tonight 5-4 in the #5 @ #4 play-in game. Brewster will travel to Proctor on Saturday for a 4:00 pm tilt. KUA will be hosting Holderness Saturday at 5:45 pm. On Sunday, the losers will meet in the 1:00 pm consolation game, with the winners to meet in the championship game at 3:00 pm. Both of those games will be played at St. Anselm College (Manchester, NH).
2/26/09 -- Update: Numbers have been triple-checked.
Thurs. Feb. 26 Standings
Here’s what we have through games of Wed. Feb. 25. We’ll double check the whole thing later in the morning, just to be sure. But this is how things look now:East:
1. Exeter (1-1-2) = 4
2. Lawrence (2-2-3) = 7
3. Andover (3-3-1) = 7
4. Belmont Hill (4-4-5) = 13
5. Nobles (5-6-4) = 15
6. Tabor (6-4-7) = 17
7. Milton (8-7-6) = 21
West:
1. Salisbury (1-1-2) = 4
2. Taft (4-4-1) = 9
3. Gunnery (2-2-6) = 10
4. Berkshire (3-3-4) = 10
5. Hotchkiss (4-4-5) = 13
6. South Kent (7-7-3) = 17
7. Westminster (8-8-7) = 23
2/26/09
Thurs. Feb. 26 Div. II Standings
Here’s what we have as of this morning (Thurs. Feb. 26). It’s been a wild week in Div. II, and there is some significant shuffling of the deck. We’ll have detailed analysis tonight or tomorrow.1. Hebron (1-1-1) = 3
2. NYA (4-3-2) = 9
3. New Hampton (5-2-3) = 10
4. Dexter (2-5-8) = 15
5. Groton (5-6-5) = 16
6. Worcester (9-4-4) = 17
7. St. George’s (7-7-7) = 21
8. Roxbury Latin (8-8-8) = 24
9. Hoosac (3-9-12) = 24
10. Vermont (10-10-8) = 28
11. Kents Hill (15-12-6) =33
12. Pingree (12-11-11) = 34
13. Berwick (12-12-13) = 37
14. Brunswick (11-15-15) = 41
Note: While Roxbury Latin and Hoosac are currently tied for 8th in points with 24, Roxbury Latin, by dint of having a lower number in two of the three categories, would be in (were the season to end today).
2/25/09
Wed. Morning Div. I Playoff Scenario
Here are the standings of playoff hopefuls heading into the games of Wed. Feb. 25:East:
1. Exeter (1-1-2) = 4
2. Lawrence (2-2-3) = 7
3. Andover (3-3-1) = 7
4. Nobles (5-4-4) = 13
5. Belmont Hill (4-5-5) = 14
West:
1. Salisbury (1-1-2) = 4
2. Berkshire (1-1-3) = 5
3. Gunnery (1-1-7) = 9
4. Taft (5-5-1) = 11
5. Hotchkiss (4-4-4) = 12
6. South Kent (6-7-5) = 18
All of the above teams are mathematically alive. Lawrence leads Andover in two criteria so, although both teams have seven points, Lawrence holds the tiebreaker and, were the season over now, would have earned home ice.
Today's Div. I games:
Exeter @ Pomfret, 2:00 pm; Berkshire @ Millbrook, 2:00 pm; Canterbury @ Avon Old Farms, 2:30 pm; Choate @ Loomis-Chaffee, 2:30 pm; Tilton @ Brewster, 2:30 pm; Westminster @ Gunnery, 2:30 pm; Trinity-Pawling @ Taft, 2:30 pm; Cushing @ Proctor, 3:30 pm; St. Paul's @ Belmont Hill, 3:30 pm; Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Andover, 3:30 pm; Hotchkiss @ Salisbury, 3:30 pm; BB&N @ Thayer, 4:00 pm; Deerfield @ Kent, 4:00 pm; St. Sebastian's @ Lawrence, 4:10 pm; Albany Academy @ Williston-Northampton, 4:45 pm; Kimball Union @ Tabor, 5:00 pm; Noble & Greenough @ Governor's, 5:15 pm.
Wed. 2/25/09 -- There were two major upsets today, with Millbrook blitzing Berkshire, 7-3, in Div. I; and NYA putting an end to Hebron's season-long perfect Div. II record with a 3-2 win up at Hebron.
2/25/09
Wed. Feb. 25 Recaps
Salisbury Strikes Fast; KO's Hotchkiss --
Sheffield, Mass. -- Salisbury blitzed Hotchkiss with four third period goals – all in a span of 4:18 – to break open a 1-1 game and skate off with a 5-1 win on their home-rink-for-the-season (i.e., Berkshire Schools’ old rink).
For Hotchkiss, the loss represents perhaps a mortal blow to their playoff hopes. For Salisbury, it's likely clinched them the #1 seed in the west.
The game-winner came at the 8:34 mark of the third period when junior Kyle Hughes wired a shot from just inside the blue line that beat Hotchkiss junior goaltender Cab Morris top shelf – just an eye-popping shot. It might have rattled Hotchkiss a bit. But the crux of the matter was this: Salisbury bore down and kept the pressure on, scoring another 17 seconds later, then another 57 seconds after that – that’s three goals in 1:14. The next one came a little over three minutes later. As we mentioned, four goals in 4:18.
From the opening face off, this was one hell of a game – a real battle. In the first, Salisbury had the edge early, and Hotchkiss late. But it was Salisbury that scored the period’s only goal as Gunnar Hughes, from a wild scrum in front beat Morris with 16.2 seconds left in the period, putting his team up 1-0 going into the first intermission.
The second period was hands down the most intensely fought -- and physical -- period of prep hockey we’ve seen this season, with up-and-down action and excellent goaltending at both ends. Hotchkiss tied the game up when, with the two teams skating 4x4 -- and just seconds after Salisbury junior goaltender Andy Iles had made a terrific save on a shot from the right side -- the puck came out to the left faceoff circle. Junior defenseman Mac Bennett, utilizing his acceleration and speed, pinched in from the left point and winged a great shot past Iles.
The game got even more physical after that -- just a good, old-fashioned war. A great period for the fans. Hotchkiss, which had been outshot in the first, 14-9, came back and outshot Salisbury in the second, 12-5.
The third period, right from the start, was a little less wild -- still physical, but just a little less so. The game also had the earmarks of a 2-1 game. It had that feel. But once Hughes scored the goal that broke the 1-1 deadlock, which came off nice short neutral zone passes from Frankie Drolet and defenseman Steven Cook, things fell apart. Armstrong followed up with a tip of a Brandon Russo shot from the point to make it 3-1. A Brian Eggleston bomb from the point made it 4-1. Then, on the power play, Max Edson converted a rebound of a Billy Fitzgerald point shot to make it 5-1.
For two periods, Morris was excellent in the Hotchkiss net, finishing with 28 save son 33 shots. Iles was tremendous throughout, finishing with 32 saves on 33 shots.
"Hotchkiss played their hearts out," said Salisbury head coach Andrew Will afterward. "They were the better team the first two periods. They just didn't allow us to get into the flow. Iles made great saves to allow it to be tight at 1-1 after two periods. Our kids responded very well in the third. When they got (Hotchkiss) down, they didn't let them get up. When we got that goal that made it 2-1, we kind of kept the pedal to the floor."
Notes: Salisbury senior defenseman Victor Heselton fractured a mastoid bone in the back of this neck blocking a shot in the Avon game, and did not play today. He is likely out for the season.
But that wasn't the only game today...
@ Millbrook 7, Berkshire 3: Millbrook pulled off one of – if not the -- season’s biggest upset, blasting Berkshire 7-3 behind senior Mathieu Dubuc’s hat trick, and putting in peril the Bears’ chances of gaining home ice for the playoffs. Millbrook jumped out to a 4-0 lead early in the second, but Berkshire brought it within one with just over five minutes left in the third. Millbrook then scored three goals in a span of 3:07 to finish off the upset. Other big contributors for Millbrook were senior Matt Abbott, junior Matt Job, and sophomore Josh Freitas – each had a goal and an assist. For Berkshire, seniors Justin Agosta and Cam Miller, and junior Jake Goldberg scored the goals, while senior Andrew Flynn and junior Kevin Sullivan added two assists each in the loss. Late in the game, Millbrook added an empty net goal -- with 2:36 still left on the clock. Millbrook senior Jamie MacMillan kicked out 37 of 40 shots for the win.
North Yarmouth 3 @ Hebron 2: Hebron, which has been perfect in Div. II play –unbeaten and untied – saw it all come to an end today as visiting North Yarmouth, which has been on a roll of their own of late, never trailed en route to the upset win. NYA got the eventual game winner from junior Mikko Mannisto, his second goal of the game, at the 12:47 mark of the third. Senior Craig Ryan made 22 saves for Hebron, while NYA sophomore Tyler Piercy stopped 28 of 30 to earn the victory. Junior Tom Gildersleeve and sophomore Mike Morrison each added two assists for North Yarmouth.
@ Avon Old Farms 6, Canterbury 3: After each team scored power-play goals in the first, host Avon took the lead for good just 2:09 into the second period. Seniors Stefan Demopoulos (1g,3a) and Blake Forkey (1g,1a); and juniors Patrick MacGregor (2g,1a) and Quinn Smith (3a) led the Winged Beavers’ offense. Senior Sean Murray scored twice for Canterbury and fellow senior Chris Cerbino registered two assists. Avon senior Doug Margison stopped 26 of 29 shots for the win.
Choate 6 @ Loomis-Chaffee 4: Host Loomis was able to overcome 3-1 and 4-2 deficits to come back and tie this one at 4-4, but Choate sophomore forward Dan Linell struck for two third period goals to sink the Pelicans’ hopes for an upset. Linell also added an assist on another goal. Seniors Wes Rene (1g,2a), Mark Goggin (1g,1a) and Sam Gilbert (2a) also contributed to the Choate offense. Loomis got a hat trick from sophomore Mike Blair.
@ Belmont Hill 4, St. Paul’s 0: Mike Condon posted a 34-save shutout victory to keep his team’s playoff hopes alive. Freshman Joe McNamara registered three assists in the win.
@ Andover 8, Northfield Mt. Hermon 1: Junior Chris Kreider (3g,3a) registered six points as fellow juniors Garnet Hathaway (2g,2a) and Brian Safstrom (1g,1a); and seniors Brooks Dyroff (1g,1a) and Mike Lozzi (1g,1a) led the barrage for Andover. Shots in this game were Andover 45, NMH 22; senior Glen Stowell stopped 21 shots for the victory.
@ Gunnery 2, Westminster 1: Junior Alex Vazzano stopped 38 of 39 Westminster shots as sophomore Terrence Wallin scored the game winner for Gunnery on the power-play with just under six minutes to play. Junior Daniel Hnatko scored for Westminster as senior Charles Corsi stopped 27 of 29 in the hard-luck loss.
@ Lawrence 5, St. Sebastian’s 2: Seniors Wayne Simpson (1g,2a) and Steven Whitney (1g,1a) got Lawrence back to their winning ways after Monday’s loss, their first since Dec. 19 to Cushing. Senior Brendan Corcoran and junior Bobby Sugrue each scored a power-play goal for St. Sebastian’s. Lawrence outshot St. Sebs, 39-22; senior Matt Walsh made 20 saves for the win.
Brunswick 4 @ Rye Country Day 2: Sophomores Tommy Dwyer (1g,1a) and Toshi Terai (2a) each notched two points for Brunswick. Sophomore Shayne Bingham scored both goals for Rye Country Day. Senior Dan Cassidy only had to stop 13 of 15 for the win, while the Brunswick offense in front of him mustered 28 shots.
@ Williston-Northampton 5, Albany Academy 2: Williston outshot Albany Academy by 64-18, but Albany sophomore Colin Stevens made 59 saves to keep things respectable. Senior Matt Wood and junior P.J. McCadden each tallied a goal and an assist for Williston. Junior Zach Popp scored both Albany goals. Junior Mark Bushy made 16 saves for the win.
Hoosac 5 @ Vermont Academy 1: Seniors Steven Buco (1g,1a), Sean Jenkins (2a) led the way as Hoosac scored three goals on the power-play. Niko Langlois made 12 saves for the win as the Hoosac outshot Vermont 33-13.
@ Taft 6, Trinity-Pawling 3: Knotted 2-2 after the first two periods of play, Taft exploded for four goals in less than seven minutes to seize control in the third. For the Rhinos, seniors Robbie Bourdon and Jesse Root each had four assists and senior Mike Sinsigalli and junior John Barr each scored twice. Seniors Beau Roeder (2g) and Robbie MacGregor (1g,1a); and sophomore Paul Falanga (2a) led the Trinity-Pawling offense. Taft outshot TP 48-20.
Exeter 4 @ Pomfret 1: Exeter extended its unbeaten streak to ten as senior Ryan Williamson and junior Josh Richards each tallied a goal and an assist in the win. Junior Max Fenkell had 23 saves on 24 shots.
@ Groton 8, Middlesex 4: Host Groton seized a 7-0 lead 11:22 into the second period and that was enough for them to get by. Seniors Ben Sargent (3a) and Jono Turchetta (1g,1a); juniors Connor Baharozian (1g,1a) and Conor Robinson (2a); and sophomores Nils Martin (2g) and Connor Miyamoto (1g,1a) led the offensive outburst. Senior Tucker Blanton (2a) and juniors Joe Pascucci (1g,1a) and Conor Murphy (1g,1a) all had multiple point efforts for Middlesex.
Deerfield 4 @ Kent 3 (OT): Senior Cody Skinner buried the game winner, his second of the game at the 3:38 to earn the win for Deerfield. Juniors Matt Doyle and John Rose netted the other goals for Deerfield as sophomore Alex Ward added two assists for the Big Green. Senior Kyle Lysaght scored twice for Kent. Deerfield senior Grant Dennis, in his second consecutive start, kicked out 32 of 35 for the win while Kent junior Marco De Filippo stopped 32 of 36.
Pingree 3 @ Berwick 2: Trailing 2-0 on the road, Pingree scored three unanswered goals to capture the victory. Junior Kyle Lange tallied a goal and assist for Pingree as seniors Matt MacDonald and Adam Rimmer netted the other goals for Pingree. Senior Trevor Leahy stopped 18 of 20 shots for the victory.
@ Tabor 5, Kimball Union 2: Senior Jayson Megna (1g,2a) and junior Ian Coleman (2a) led the attack for Tabor as five different players scored for the Seawolves. Senior Nick Betti kicked out 22 of 24 shots to earn the win.
Dexter 1 @ New Hampton 1: Senior Pat Dunn kicked out 27 of 28 for New Hampton and Dexter sophomore Kevin Green stopped 32 of 33 in a goaltenders’ battle. Both goals came in the second frame, eight minutes apart, as senior Sean Dunn scored for New Hampton and sophomore Steve McKenna netted the lone goal for Dexter.
Noble & Greenough 4 @ Governor’s 0: Junior Gene Lane made 19 saves to pick up the shutout. Sophomores Matt Harlow (2g,2a) and Kevin Hayes (2g,1a) each netted two goals and sophomore Billy Arnold chipped in with two assists.
@ Thayer 4, BB&N 3: Junior Kyle Rooney registered a hat-trick, and sophomore Charlie Coyle also chipped in with two assists to lead Thayer. Junior Sal Tecci stopped 31 of 34 shots to earn the one-goal victory.
Winchendon 5 @ Holderness 4: Visiting Winchendon almost squandered a 5-1 third period lead but was able to hold one for the one-goal victory. Seniors Hugo Turcotte (2g,1a), Cam O’Brien (1g,1a), and Corey Bellamy (2a); and junior Phil Arnone (1g,1a) helped build the Winchendon lead. The Holderness comeback effort was paced by senior Mark Haggarty (1g,1a); and juniors Jeff Gordon-Johnson (1g,1a) and Matty Chartrain (2a). Winchendon senior Ben Meisner and junior Simon Brandt combined to make 33 saves for the win.
2/24/09
Tues. Feb. 24 Div. II Standings
There are no Div. II games today, so here is how things look heading into the games of Wed. Feb. 25.
1. Hebron (1-1-1) = 3
2. New Hampton (3-3-3) = 9
3. Dexter (2-2-6) = 10
4. North Yarmouth (4-4-2) = 10
5. Worcester (6-5-4) = 15
6. Groton (7-6-5) = 18
7. St. George’s (9-10-8) = 27
8. Berwick (12-8-9) = 29
8. Hoosac (4-11-14) = 29
10. Roxbury Latin (10-7-13) = 30
11. Vermont (8-11-12) = 31
12. Middlesex (14-8-11) = 33
13. Pingree (13-13-10) = 36
13. Kents Hill (15-14-7) = 36 (season over, flu epidemic)
Today's Div. II Games:
Brooks @ Rivers, 3:00 pm; Roxbury Latin @ Worcester Academy, 3:00 pm; Middlesex @ Groton, 3:00 pm; Pingree @ Berwick, 3:45 pm; Dexter @ New Hampton, 4:00 pm; Brunswick @ Rye Country Day, 4:00 pm; North Yarmouth @ Hebron, 4:00 pm; Hoosac @ Vermont Academy, 4:00 pm; St. George's @ St. Mark's, 5:00 pm; Kingswood-Oxford @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:30 pm.
2/24/09
Prep All-Star Teams
Here are the 2008-09 All-Star Teams, as voted on by the NEPSIHA coaches. All players are seniors except as noted.
East
Forwards:
Chris Kreider, Andover (Jr.)
Dan Weiniger, Exeter
Wayne Simpson, Lawrence
Defensemen:
Tom Larkin, Exeter
Thomas Kader, Tabor
Goaltender:
Mike Condon, Belmont Hill
West
Forwards:
Wade Megan, South Kent
Mark Goggin, Choate
Robbie Bourdon, Taft
Jake Goldberg, Berkshire (Jr.)
Kevin Goumas, Canterbury (Jr.)
Defensemen:
Danny Biega, Salisbury
Mac Bennett, Hotchkiss (Jr.)
Goaltender:
Alex Vazzano, Gunnery (Jr.)
Notes:
In the West there was a five-way tie in the voting for forwards. The third leading vote-getter among West defensemen was Berkshire senior Justin Agosta. The second-leading vote getter among West goalies was Salisbury junior Andy Iles.
In the East, things were a little more clear-cut in the voting. However, Lawrence senior Steven Whitney was a close fourth in the voting for forwards.
2/22/09
Div. II Standings
Here’s how things look in Div. II going into this week’s play. 1. Hebron (1-1-1) = 3
2. Dexter (2-2-5) = 9
2. New Hampton (3-3-3) = 9
4. North Yarmouth (4-4-2) = 10
5. Worcester Academy (6-5-4) = 15
6. Groton (7-6-5) = 18
7. Berwick (12-8-8) = 28
7. Hoosac (4-10-14) = 28
------------------
9. Vermont Academy (8-10-11) = 29
10. Roxbury Latin (10-7-13) = 30
11. Middlesex (14-8-10) = 32
12. Pingree (13-12-9) = 34
12. St. George’s (9-13-12) = 34
14. Kents Hill (15-14-7) = 36
To show how wide-open Div. II is, playoff hopes are still alive for Vermont Academy, Roxbury Latin, Middlesex, and St. G's to sneak up into the top eight, though some are great long shots than others. Roxbury Latin, to take an extreme case, could finish as high as 5th and as low as 12th, all depending on how things shake out this week.
There is one Div. II game this afternoon: Hebron @ Kents Hill.
2/23/09
This Week’s Schedule
Mon. Feb. 23, 2009:
Brewster @ Holderness, 2:30 pm – rescheduled from 1/28
St. Paul's @ Thayer, 4:00 pm – rescheduled from 1/28
Winchendon @ Pomfret, 4:15 pm
Canterbury @ Gunnery, 4:15 pm
Hebron @ Kents Hill, 4:45 pm -- canceled (flu epidemic has closed Kents Hill)
South Kent @ Choate, 5:00 pm
Proctor @ Milton, 5:15 pm – rescheduled from 1/28
Lawrence @ Governor's, 5:15 pm
St. George's @ Dexter, 5:45 pm -- rescheduled from 1/28
Wed. Feb. 25, 2009:
Exeter @ Pomfret, 2:00 pm
Berkshire @ Millbrook, 2:00 pm
Canterbury @ Avon Old Farms, 2:30 pm
Choate @ Loomis-Chaffee, 2:30 pm
Tilton @ Brewster, 2:30 pm
Westminster @ Gunnery, 2:30 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Taft, 2:30 pm
Brooks @ Rivers, 3:00 pm
Roxbury Latin @ Worcester Academy, 3:00 pm
Middlesex @ Groton, 3:00 pm
Cushing @ Proctor, 3:30 pm
St. Paul's @ Belmont Hill, 3:30 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Andover, 3:30 pm
Hotchkiss @ Salisbury, 3:30 pm
Pingree @ Berwick, 3:45 pm
BB&N @ Thayer, 4:00 pm
Deerfield @ Kent, 4:00 pm
Dexter @ New Hampton, 4:00 pm
Brunswick @ Rye Country Day, 4:00 pm
North Yarmouth @ Hebron, 4:00 pm
Hoosac @ Vermont Academy, 4:00 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Lawrence, 4:10 pm
Albany Academy @ Williston-Northampton, 4:45 pm
Kimball Union @ Tabor, 5:00 pm
St. George's @ St. Mark's, 5:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Governor's, 5:15 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:30 pm
Fri. Feb. 27, 2009:
South Kent @ Belmont Hill, 3:00 pm
Roxbury Latin @ Dexter, 3:45 pm
Fieldston Prep @ Rye Country Day, 5:00 pm
Rivers @ Governor's, 5:00 pm
Brunswick @ Hoosac, 5:00 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Winchendon, 5:00 pm
North Yarmouth @ New Hampton, 5:00 pm
Plus: Fri 2/25, Sat. 2/26, Sun. 2/27: Second Annual Lakes Region Championship: Participants are Tilton, Proctor, KUA, Holderness, and Brewster. On Fri 2/27 #4 will host #5 in a single-elimination play-in game. The winner will play at #1 Proctor on Saturday at 4:00 pm. #2 KUA will host #3 on Saturday (game time TBA). Both winners and losers will play on Sunday at St. Anselm's College. The consolation game is at 1:00 pm and the championship follows at 3:00 pm. The Sunday games do not count as NEPSIHA games. #3, #4, #5 seeds are TBA.
Plus: 2009 Empire Cup (Day 1 of 2):
Hill vs. Albany Academy, 5:00 pm (@ Trinity-Pawling)
Trinity-Pawling vs. Wyoming Seminary, 7:30 pm (@ Trinity-Pawling)
Millbrook vs. Portledge, 8:00 pm (@ Millbrook)
***
Sat. Feb. 28, 2009:
Thayer vs. St. Sebastian's, 10:00 am (Arthur Valicenti Cup at Walter Brown Arena, BU)
Belmont Hill @ BB&N, 1:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Groton, 2:00 pm
Brunswick @ Vermont Academy, 2:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Taft, 2:15 pm
Gunnery @ Berkshire, 3:00 pm
Canterbury @ Salisbury, 3:00 pm
Pomfret @ Williston-Northampton, 3:30 pm
New Hampton @ Brooks, 4:00 pm
St. George's @ Middlesex, 4:00 pm
Milton @ Noble & Greenough, 4:00 pm
Andover @ Exeter, 4:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Lawrence, 4:45 pm
Tabor @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 5:00 pm
South Kent @ Winchendon, 6:00 pm
Rivers @ Cushing, 6:00 pm
Kent @ Choate, 6:00 pm
Deerfield @ Westminster, 6:30 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Loomis-Chaffee, 7:00 pm
Plus: Holt Playoffs -- Sat. 2/28 only (Hebron, Worcester, NYA, Pingree, Berwick, Kingswood-Oxford, Portsmouth Abbbey). Matchups to be announced.
Plus: Lakes Region Championship (Day 2 of 3) Matchups to be determined.
Plus: 2009 Empire Cup (Day 2 of 2):
Trinity-Pawling vs. Wyoming Seminary, 12:00 pm (@ Trinity-Pawling)
Winners of Friday Game #1 and Game #3, 12:00 pm (@ Millbrook)
Losers of Friday Game #1 and Game #3, 2:30 pm (@ Millbrook)
Championship Game, 7:00 pm: Location and teams to be determined by 2:00 pm Saturday.
***
Sun. Mar. 1, 2009:
Northwood School vs. Boston Jr. Bulldogs, 3:30 pm (@ Hanover, NH)
Plus: Lakes Region Championship (Final Day -- Games do not count as NEPSIHA games).
-- END OF REGULAR SEASON --
2/23/09
Questions for Final Week to Answer
There are changes a-plenty in the standings, mainly due to several contenders being upset, as well as several teams falling below .500, which has shaken things up in the third criterion. Let’s start by looking at that third criterion: Choate lost to Taft, and Kent lost to Canterbury, dropping both of these teams below .500. Take Taft, which is undefeated (3-0-2) vs. these teams. All of those games are presently excluded from Taft’s third criterion computation. Here are the other contenders who have lost third criterion data because of teams falling below .500: Andover (1 tie), Berkshire (3 wins), Gunnery (1 win, 1 tie), Hotchkiss (3 wins), Salisbury (2 wins 1 tie), Tabor (1 win), and, as mentioned, Taft (3 wins, 2 ties). Both Choate and Kent will have a huge impact on the west race, Choate faces off against South Kent tonight, Loomis (Wed.), and then closes the season with, that’s right, Kent. Kent two games remaining, facing Deerfield (Wed.) in advance of Saturday night’s tilt at Choate. On Saturday, a lot of teams will be looking for a specific result out of the Choate-Kent game to aid their playoff chances. South Kent has shot up in the third criterion and can do wonders for themselves by beating Choate this afternoon, not only improving in the first two categories, but increasing the chances of Choate finishing below .500 -- and thus hurting all of the teams that they are 1) currently in the playoff race with them and 2) stand to gain from having Choate above .500. A South Kent loss increases the chances of Choate being at .500, hurts South Kent in the first two categories, and would put them in a situation where they would not only have to win out (after today, South Kent has two games left – at Belmont Hill and Winchendon), but get outside help. Looking at the rest of the west, Salisbury controls their own destiny as the top seed, while Berkshire has clinched a playoff berth. Currently in third is Gunnery, who finishes up with games against Canterbury, Westminster, and Berkshire. Gunnery’s first two criteria are strong, but they will need to beat Westminster and Berkshire this week to shore up their third criterion – plus hope that Choate and Kent remain below .500, as Gunnery is the west team least helped by those two moving above .500. Taft currently holds the #4 position thanks in large part to their strong showing in the third criterion, and will need wins in their last games versus Trinity-Pawling and Hotchkiss to definitely make the playoffs. If Choate and Kent do move above .500 then the Rhinos could probably get away with winning against T–P and tying Hotchkiss and still make the playoffs. Hotchkiss, undefeated in their last nine, face a tough schedule to end the season, with Salisbury on Wednesday and Taft on Saturday. If Hotchkiss wins out, they will likely move over Taft, their archrival, and into the fourth spot, but they may still need outside help, specifically a certain result in the Kent–Choate game depending on each team’s record, to gain a crucial point in the third category, but it is still too early to tell exactly which team they will be pulling for. Here are the west numbers:
1. Salisbury (1 + 1 + 3) = 5
2. Berkshire (1 + 1 + 4) = 6
3. Gunnery (3 + 3 + 6) = 12
4. Taft (5 + 5 + 2) = 12
5. Hotchkiss (4 + 4 + 5) = 13
6. South Kent (6 + 6 + 1) = 13
In the east, the picture looks relatively unchanged, but has tightened up, especially in the race for the #4 spot between Nobles and Belmont Hill. On Friday, Nobles won an OT thriller over Belmont Hill, and this pushed Nobles within .005 of Belmont Hill in the first category, ahead of Belmont Hill by .001 in the second category, and tightened the gap in the third category considerably. KUA going above .500 will push Nobles over the top in third category, but Nobles can help their own chances as they have two games remaining against teams that are currently sitting at .500, and here is where things get tricky for them. Should Nobles win their final two games – vs. Governor’s and Milton -- they would then need those teams to get back above .500 to regain that edge. Nobles can not afford to lose those games as it will likely put them below Belmont Hill in the first two categories. Belmont Hill controls their own destiny, and a win over South Kent on Friday night is their biggest necessity: it is their final chance to improve their third criterion ranking. Belmont Hill has done well vs. teams on the .500 borderline. If Governor’s and Milton do indeed fall below .500, it would hurt Belmont Hill more in the third criterion because Belmont Hill will wind up playing one fewer game than Nobles this season, thus making those points earned in the third category slightly more valuable to them. The top three – Exeter, followed by Lawrence and Andover -- remain the same as before. If Exeter wins out, they will be the #1 seed in the east. Exeter faces Pomfret and then Andover in the final game of the regular season, not only the biggest rivalry in New England, but also a vital game in terms of the playoff standings. Andover faces NMH before the big tilt, so both Exeter and Andover, no matter what the result, will lower their raw value in the third criterion heading into this game. (This is due to the way the third criterion is set up, which makes any game that isn’t against a team above .500 lower the raw value in the third criterion.) Looking ahead for a moment, let’s assume that the current teams that are above and below .500 remain there and that Exeter and Andover both earn wins heading into the game. Also, for purposes of this scenario, assume that Lawrence wins out (they face Governor’s today in a makeup, St. Seb’s, and St. Paul’s). An Andover win under this scenario would give Lawrence the top seed, and a rematch between Exeter and Andover, at Exeter, in a quarterfinal matchup next Wednesday. An Exeter win would give Exeter the #1 seed and Lawrence would host Andover. The only problem with this scenario is the fate of the third criterion for these teams as Governor’s, Milton, and Proctor (amongst others) could fall below .500 and change the scenario. Tabor is out of the race for the fourth seed, but can still impact the fortunes of many a contender. If they defeat KUA, KUA will finish the season below .500 and hurt the third criterion of the following teams still in the hunt: Nobles, Salisbury, Hotchkiss, Exeter, and Andover. A Tabor loss ends KUA’s season at 12 – 12 – 0, thus counting KUA in the third criterion, and helping these same five teams. Here are the east numbers
1. Exeter (1 + 1 + 2) = 4
2. Lawrence (2 + 2 + 3) = 7
3. Andover (3 + 3 + 1) = 7
4. Belmont Hill (4 + 5 + 4) = 13
5. Nobles (5 + 4 + 5) = 14
Third Criterion Notes: Avon, with their loss to Salisbury this past weekend, has clinched a losing record. So, too, has NMH, with their record dipping to 8 – 11 – 7 after tying Loomis Saturday. Cushing and Winchendon have both clinched winning records, but can’t themselves make the playoffs. Currently Choate, Kent, and KUA sit one game below .500, while Deerfield, Governor’s, Milton, and Proctor are all at .500. If Williston, which has three games this week, manages to win them all, their final record would be 12 – 12 – 2 making them a part of the third criterion, otherwise they are below .500. With a slate of games full of meaning today and Friday in addition to the typical Wednesday – Saturday prep schedule, there will be a lot of volatility in the standings up until the last day of the season.
Mon. 2/23/09 -- @ Choate 7, South Kent 5 (final) -- @ Gunnery 10, Canterbury 0 (final) --
2/23/09
West Standings Update
Today's results have shaken things up in the West. Let's start with Gunnery's win, which has pushed their winning percentage into a tie with those of Berkshire and Salisbury. Hotchkiss, meanwhile, is still in fourth in the first two categories, and Taft is in fifth, while South Kent has moved to sixth in the first category and seventh in the second category. South Kent's falling to Choate today has raised the raw third criterion for Berkshire, Hotchkiss, Salisbury, and Taft. Taft was the greatest benefactor of this and has moved into first in the third category, a position they will likely hold onto if Choate remains at or above .500. South Kent still holds second place in the third criteria, and that is the now-slender thread keeping their playoff hopes alive. Here are the current unofficial west standings:2/23/09
Hebron Unanimous Choice -- Again
As has been the case throughout the season, Hebron again tops the USHR Div. II Prep Poll
USHR Div. II Poll: Week of Feb. 23, 2009
2/22/09
Lawrence Again #1 in USHR Div. I Poll
There’s a bit of shuffling in the order, but the same 10 teams are in the Top 10 this week as last. That’s a first for this season. Everybody knows who can play at this time of year, but beyond that there are a lot of questions seeking answers. And those answers will come over the next two weeks.Beyond the Top 10: Just bubbling under is South Kent, at #11. They have a realistic shot on making the playoffs (we'll have the numbers tomorrow). And they also go on the road for three games this week: @ Choate (Mon.), @ Belmont Hill (Fri.), and at Winchendon (Sat.). They need to win them all. Tabor, at #12, is pretty much eliminated. There might be some extremely wild scenario under which they could make it, but the odds are astronomical.
USHR Div. I Prep Poll: Week of Feb. 23
2/21/09
Sat. Feb. 21 Recaps
Exeter 4 @ Deerfield 1: Deerfield struck first, going up 1-0 on an Andrew Ammon first period goal, but it was all Exeter after that as the visitors extended their unbeaten streak to ten games. On the power play, a Jeff Reppucci shot from the right point found the top left corner with 1:03 left in the period. In the second, Exeter went up 2-1 when Josh Richards got the puck out front to defenseman Michael Kennedy, pinching in from the left point. In the third, Deerfield junior goaltender Casey DeSmith stopped Exeter PG Dan Weiniger on a breakaway 37 seconds in, but a couple minutes later, on the power play, Weiniger got the first of his two goals, putting his team up 3-1 when Nick Kondiles got it to Matt Hatch who fed Weiniger out at the right face off circle. Later in the period, Weiniger buried the rebound of a Hatch shot for the 4-1 final. Exeter junior goaltender Max Fenkell had a strong game, kicking out 26 of 27 shots. Exeter put a combined 36 shots on Deerfield senior Grant Dennis, who played the first period, and DeSmith who came in at the start of the second.
Hotchkiss 5 @ Trinity-Pawling 1: Juniors Mike Borge, Ken Matheson, and Derek Deblois each registered a goal and an assist for the Bearcats. Senior Zack Martin chipped in with two assists. Freshman Jay Williams came up big in net, kicking out 30 of 31 shots, and also registering an assist in the victory.
@ Taft 5, Choate 2: After visiting Choate knotted it at 2-2 just 36 seconds into the third, host Taft rang off three consecutive goals en route to the victory. Senior Robbie Bourdon (2g,2a) had a four-point afternoon for the Rhinos and junior Steve Racine kicked out 30 of 32 shots in the win. Seniors Wes Rene and Joel Goodsell netted Choate’s goals.
Westminster 4 @ Berkshire 3: A goal by junior Ryan Tyson – his second of the day -- with 19 seconds left in regulation lifted Westminster to a 4-3 upset win over host Berkshire. Westminster trailed this one, 3-2, but, with 9:45 left in the third, Westminster tied it up on a goal by senior Will Wierzba (1g,1a). For Berkshire, juniors Jake Goldberg (1g,2a) and Kevin Sullivan (2a) led the offense. Westminster senior Charles Corsi kicked out 26 of 29 Berkshire shots while Westminster was only able to muster 16 shots, but capitalized on their opportunities. Going into the final week of the regular season, this loss hurts Berkshire’s aspirations to the #1 seed in the west. The loss ended Berkshire’s 13-game unbeaten streak. The Bears previous loss was to Williston-Northampton on Jan. 10, a 3-2 decision.
@ Tabor 7, Holderness 6: Trailing 6-5 going into the final frame, host Tabor came back to tie it on a shorthanded goal by senior Eric Czapka (2g,3a). Sophomore Cam Spiro (1g,1a) scored the game winner less than two minutes later. Seniors Anthony Mezzagno (2g,2a), Regan MacLean (1g,1a), and Thomas Kader (2a) also helped fuel the Tabor offense. Holderness got its offensive output from seniors Mark Haggarty (2g,1a), Nick Neron (1g,1a), and Chris Grilk (2a); and juniors Matty Chartrain (1g,3a) and Eric Rochefort (2a). Tabor outshot Holderness 46-28.
@ Hebron 3, Kingswood-Oxford 0: Kingswood-Oxford senior goaltender Andrew Boyce kicked out 57 of 60 shots, but still got tagged with the loss as Div. II powerhouse Hebron blanked K-O, 3-0, today. The win goes to Hebron senior Craig Ryan, who stopped all eight shots he faced for the shutout. Juniors Andrew Bettencourt (2g,1a) and Cam Moniz (2a) each had multipoint games for host Hebron.
@ Milton 4, BB&N 2: Milton used three second period goals to beat BB&N as seniors Kyle Hunchberger (1g,2a) and Ryan Edwards (2a) led the attack. Junior Eric Danilchuck scored both BB&N goals while juniors Jack Bartlett and Greg Tang registered assists on each tally. Milton outshot BB&N 43-17.
Lawrence 12 @ St. Mark’s 1: After squeaking past Tilton last night 3-2 in OT, Lawrence came out and bombarded St. Mark’s today. Senior Steven Whitney (1g,2a); sophomores Michael Jamieson (2g,1a), Zack Phillips (1g,1a), and Colby Emma (2g,1a); and freshmen Tyler Whitney (2g,3a), Brady Burns (4a), Will Messa (1g,2a), and Matt Baldino (2g) all led the offensive barrage. Lawrence outshot St. Mark’s 54-13.
Salisbury 4 @ Avon Old Farms 0: Senior Andy Iles was in perfect in net, kicking out all 33 Winged Beaver shots. Senior Francis Drolet (1g,1a) and sophomore Gunnar Hughes (1g,2a) powered the Salisbury offense.
Brooks @ Andover: Canceled by Brooks’ request. “Unfortunately,” said Brooks AD Lori Charpentier, “due to illness, injury and a couple of students who have departed for an exchange program, we do not have the numbers to compete in today's game.”
Cushing 5 @ Kimball Union 4: Cushing almost squandered a 4-0 second period, allowing host KUA to come back and make things interesting in the final frame. Cushing got goals from five different players. Junior defenseman Scott Baron had a pair of assists. For KUA seniors Andrew Murmes (1g,1a) and Michael Basist (2a) each had two-point afternoons. Cushing junior Mike Reed stopped 22 of 26 shots to earn the win.
@ Worcester Academy 3, Pingree 0: Senior Nico Candelmo stopped all 27 Pingree shots to pick up the shutout. Worcester got goals from three different players. Sophomore Michael Barton notched two assists.
@ Winchendon 5, Tilton 1: Seniors John Jenkins (1g,1a), Hugo Turcotte(2a); and junior Phil Arnone (2g) each registered two points for Winchendon. Senior Ben Meisner kicked out 18 of 19 shots.
@ Middlesex 6, Rivers 1: Middlesex was paced by seniors Ryan Williams (1g,1a) and Chris Barry (2a); juniors Conor Murphy (2g) and Joe Pascucci (1g,2a); and sophomore Nick Bingaman (4a). Sophomore Zach Arnold made 31 saves to earn the victory. There were a total of 24 penalties called in the game, with 14 called against Rivers.
@ Loomis-Chaffee 5, Northfield-Mt. Hermon 5: Down 5-1 with three minutes to go in the second period, NMH started its comeback to earn the tie. In the third, junior Andrew Bonazza made it 5-4, and then scored the tying goal with only 1:38 left on the clock. Juniors Jonathan Sucese (1g,1a) and Nick Gordon (2a); and sophomore Garrett McMullen (1g,2a) also helped in the Hoggers’ comeback. Loomis’s 5-1 lead came as a result of five successive power-play goals. Seniors Brett Ehnot (1g,2a) and Ryan Stanley (3a); junior Chris Lembo (2g,1a); and sophomores Mike Blair (2g) and Chris Izmirlian (2a) led the Loomis attack. Senior Craig Naclerio made 45 saves for Loomis, and NMH senior Ryan Dillon kicked out 25 of 30 shots for the Hoggers.
@ St. Paul’s 5, Thayer 0: Senior Cory McGrath (1g,2a) and junior Sam Courcelles (1g,2a) each had three-point games for St. Paul’s. Senior TJ Bowse pitched the shutout, stopping 27 shots.
Gunnery 12 @ Albany Academy 0: Seniors Matt Bean (2g,2a) and Mike Garlasco (1g,1a);juniors Shane Gorman (2g,3a), Vinny Scotti (1g,4a), Thane Heller (2g,1a), Matt Milana (2g,1a), and Nicholas Luukko (2a); and sophomore Adam DeSanctis (2a) all contributed to the dozen goals put up by Gunnery. Junior Alex Vezzano and sophomore Bobby Segin combined to make 21 saves for the shutout.
@ Groton 6, St. George’s 6: St. George’s senior Scott Chanelli (2g,2a) scored his second goal of the period with 1 tick remaining to lift St. George’s to a tie. Senior Patrick Guerriero (1g,2a) helped pace the St. George’s attack. Junior Scott Fronsdahl (1g,1a) registered two points as Groton got goals from six different players. Senior Alex Layton stopped 26 of 32 shots for St. George’s; junior Dale Adams made 30 saves on 36 shots for Groton.
@ Canterbury 8, Kent 2: Senior Chris Cerbino (3g,2a) and junior Joey Agliato each registered hat-tricks as seniors Rich Rodeschini (2g,1a) and Sean Murray (2a); and juniors Kevin Goumas (3a) and Andrew Kacz (2a) also contributed up front for Canterbury. Senior Chris Buquicchio notched a goal and an assist for Kent. Canterbury sophomore Al Endres made 24 saves to pick up the victory.
@ Pomfret 5, Millbrook 2: Pomfret overcame a 2-0 second period deficit to pick up its fifth victory of the season. Seniors Ben Waldman (2g,1a), Kevin Karales (3a), and Julian Malakorn (2a); and sophomores Ray Zeek (2g) and Danny Palumbo (2a) led the comeback effort. Pomfret outshot visiting Millbrook, 43-23 as senior Ben Coulthard stopped 21 shots to pick up the win.
2/20/09
Two Very Different Stories
In the race to the NEPSIHA Div. I playoffs, the East and West are providing very compelling -- and very different -- stories. In the East, it looks like the top three seeds have been sewn up by Andover, Exeter, and Lawrence. The order of these three teams is a complete crapshoot. In the first category .031 separates these three teams, and in the second category the difference is .033, with Exeter leading Lawrence, which in turn leads Andover. The schedules for these three offer a lot of contrast. Andover and Lawrence both have games remaining versus Div. II teams, which, presuming victories, would help them close the gap to Exeter in the first category. Lawrence probably has the easiest schedule remaining of the three, as all three of their remaining Div. I games are against teams below .500. Exeter is on the road versus Deerfield (currently at .500) and Pomfret before hosting Andover in the hugely anticipated regular season finale. Today (Friday) Andover hosts a Tabor team that needs to upset them in order to have any shot of making the playoffs, and finishes with NMH at home and, of course, Exeter on the road, a game that will play a big role in determining the East seeding. The fourth spot is currently held by Belmont Hill, with Nobles in fifth. Those two teams face off today (Friday) at Belmont Hill. A Belmont Hill win will virtually clinch them the #4 seed in the east, but the gap is too great for either Belmont Hill (or Nobles) to sneak into the top three in the East. A Nobles win, however, will shake things up greatly by moving Nobles within .015 in the first category, ahead in the second category by .001, and within .035 in the third category. Nobles could also be aided by KUA moving over .500, and this would move them over Belmont Hill in the third criteria if all other factors remain the same as they are now. If both of these events happen, Nobles would move ahead of Belmont Hill. If KUA fails to reach .500 then the gap is narrowed and Nobles would need Belmont Hill to lose in the last week (they play two below-.500 teams) and would themselves need to earn strong results in their last week (vs. two teams currently above .500). Tabor, although they can still impact the race, look effectively out of the hunt for the fourth seed. Tabor is 1 - 1 - 0 against KUA and NMH, and still has games remaining versus both of these teams. However, Seawolves wins in these games would likely lead to one or both of these teams finishing below .500 (and thus irrelevant in the third criteria). Here are the unofficial East standings through Thursday:
1. Exeter (1 + 1 + 3) = 5
2. Lawrence (2 + 2 + 2) = 6
3. Andover (3 + 3 + 1) = 7
4. Belmont Hill (4 + 4 + 4) = 12
5. Nobles (5 + 5 + 6) = 16
6. Tabor (6 + 6 + 7) = 19
In the West, things are equally compelling, as the fight is on and it’s a real scrap. Berkshire and Salisbury look to have a strong grip on the top two seeds, although in which order is hard to say. Salisbury’s 4-3 loss to Gunnery yesterday (Thurs.) has given Berkshire some breathing room, and control of their own destiny: win out and they are the #1 seed in the West. If both Berkshire and Salisbury win out, and KUA moves above .500, Salisbury could possibly, depending on Taft’s placement in the third category, move into first. Suffice to say, on Wednesday March 4 there will be two games played at the Berkshire School (Salisbury is playing home games there while their new rink is under construction), but who is #1 and who is #2 is just as large a mystery as who they will be facing. Hotchkiss, Taft, and Gunnery are currently in a very tight battle for the final two playoff spots. If the season ended today, Gunnery would be on the outside looking in (due to their low value in the third criteria). If Salisbury and Berkshire do indeed win out, that would hand Gunnery and Salisbury losses to teams above .500 and help Taft. First, though, let’s look at each team starting with the Rhinos. Taft currently leads the West in the third criteria and sits in fourth place. They will face Choate, T-P, and Hotchkiss – all at home -- in the last three games. First off, Taft’s poor form of late (0-2-1 in the last three versus teams above .500) has hurt them. Taft is also quite vulnerable in the third criteria as both Kent and Choate stand at .500. A win over Choate would help Taft mightily, but they would then need the Wild Boars to finish the season at or above .500 (and Choate faces South Kent, Loomis, and Kent in their final three after facing off against Taft). Taft could be aided in this category by NMH moving above .500, but the Rhinos need to worry about themselves to get in. Taft – Hotchkiss on the last day of the season could quite possibly determine the final two playoff teams. Hotchkiss sits in third place and faces T – P, Salisbury, and Taft to end the season. Win out and Hotchkiss is in, and, we should point out, would enter the playoffs with a ton of momentum, having beaten both Salisbury and their archrival, Taft, back-to-back. If Hotchkiss loses two out of three, they may be heading home early. They Bearcats are 3 – 0 – 0 versus Choate and Kent, so they would like to see those teams remain above .500, and would also like to see KUA move above .500. Gunnery is on the outside looking in, as they are in fifth but, while being the team least vulnerable to the fortunes of Choate and Kent, Gunnery can also get no further outside help in terms of a team currently moving above .500. Gunnery’s win over Salisbury yesterday was a huge boost to the team, but they need to play well down the stretch and could possibly need a win over Berkshire plus help from Taft or Hotchkiss to make the playoffs. Their schedule has Albany Academy, Canterbury, Westminster, and Berkshire left. Westminster is out of the race but can still impact the fortunes of others with games left against Berkshire and Gunnery, and could help or hurt some teams depending on Deerfield’s record heading into the Westy-Deerfield regular season finale. South Kent faces three teams above .500 (Winchendon twice, Choate, and Belmont Hill) and, because they can’t get help in the third criteria in terms of a team moving above .500, look virtually out of the race, yet are mathematically still alive. Here are the unofficial west standings through Thursday:
1. Berkshire (1 + 1 + 4) = 6
2. Salisbury (2 + 2 + 2) = 6
3. Hotchkiss (4 + 4 + 3) = 11
4. Taft (5 + 5 + 1) = 11
5. Gunnery (3 + 3 + 6) = 12
6. South Kent (6 + 6 +5) = 17
In the third criteria, Cushing, Governor’s, and Proctor are all one game above .500; Choate, Deerfield, Kent, and Milton are at .500; and KUA is one game below .500. NMH, a team that has been hovering around .500, has now dropped two games below and will need to finish 2 – 0 – 1 or 3 – 0 – 0 in their final three to make it to .500. Williston, with a very manageable schedule, could quite possible sneak to .500 or better and impact the third criteria. The following are teams that have clinched at or above-.500 records or teams that could mathematically finish at .500 or better, or below .500. Teams that are not yet certain are in bold:
Andover
Avon (9 – 12 – 1, three games remaining)
Belmont Hill
Berkshire
Choate (8 – 8 – 4, four games remaining)
Cushing (11 – 10 – 3, three games remaining)
Deerfield (9 – 9 – 2, four games remaining)
Exeter
Governor's (11 – 10 – 1, three games remaining)
Gunnery
Hotchkiss
Kent (9 – 9 – 2, three games remaining)
KUA (10 – 11 – 1, three games remaining)
Lawrence
Milton (9 – 9 – 4, three games remaining)
NMH (8 – 10 – 6, four games remaining)
Nobles
Proctor (9 – 8 – 2, two games remaining)
Salisbury
South Kent
Tabor
Taft
Westminster
Williston (9 – 11 – 2, four games remaining)
Winchendon (12 – 8 – 0, five games remaining)
Arnold, in OT, Lifts Nobles in a Must-Win Game
2/20/09
Belmont, Mass. -- A Billy Arnold unassisted goal at 2:26 of overtime lifted Nobles to a crucial 4-3 win here today, a win that keeps the flame of their playoff hopes burning brightly. The goal, the sophomore's second of the day, came off a faceoff to the right of Belmont Hill senior goalie Mike Condon. Arnold won the draw and muscled toward the net, getting off a shot that beat Condon top shelf, sending the Nobles bench spilling onto the ice in glee.
This was a classic prep tilt -- hard-fought and emotional. The final shot total of 49-19, while not to be dismissed, doesn't give a full picture off the territorial play, which still favored Nobles, just not as overwhelmingly as the numbers would indicate. Nobles used the space of the big sheet well, moved the puck, and got off a lot of shots. Many were from in tight, and many were from the outside. But wherever they came from, Condon was tough. Getting as many pucks on him as possible is not a bad strategy.
This was a see-saw affair -- and here's the Cliff Notes version: Nobles came out hard, and scored two goals in the first two minutes of the game. Bel Hill came back and tied it at 2-2 midway through the second, then went ahead 3-2 in the third. Nobles got it right back, though, tying the game up at 3-3, and sending it into OT.
Here's the above, but with more detail. Nobles' first goal came 58 seconds in, when Mark Hourihan and Ben Wiggins drove to the net. From our angle, the puck appeared to be trapped under Condon, who seemed to get pushed into the net with it. 1-0, Nobles. At the 1:46 mark, Arnold converted a nice pass by fellow sophomore Kevin Hayes to put the visitors up 2-0. It looked like a rout might be in the making, but Nobles wouldn't score another goal for over 42 minutes.
At the 4:49 mark Belmont Hill junior Nick Tierney, on the power play, made a nice cross-slot pass to Brandon McNally to cut Nobles' lead to 2-1. That's where it stood after one. Shots in the first were 18-3 Nobles.
Things really began to heat up in the second, and, right through to the end of the game, it seemed every single time a puck was tied up by either goaltender, intense scrums ensued. The stakes of this game were clear to both the players and the large, vocal crowd.
Bel Hill had a little over a minute of a 5x3 midway through the period, but couldn't cash in.
Finally, with 1:19 left in the period, Belmont Hill tied it up at 2-2 on a play that started with a tremendous second effort by Tierney, who got the puck to Jack McNamara, who moved it to McNally. The sophomore needed a couple of whacks at the puck, but was able to get it past Nobles' junior goaltender Gene Lane. The game moved to the third all knotted up. (Shots in the second, by the way, were 16-7 Nobles.)
At the 4:44 mark of the third, Belmont Hill senior Will Gray, from the left side, worked the puck across the top of the crease and hooked it around Lane to make it 3-2, giving the home team its first -- and only -- lead of the day. Ryan Walsh assisted on the goal.
At 8:25, with Matt Ronan off for a late hit and Nobles moving the puck smartly on the power play, Matt Harlow got it to Arnold who moved it to Hayes, stationed at the top of the right faceoff circle. Hayes snapped one past Condon to tie the game at 3-3.
There were some great chances for both teams after that -- this was a pretty compelling game. Harlow sent Hayes in alone for a great opportunity, and then Harlow came flying in for the rebound, and another great opportunity. Condon held the fort, though, as another scrum broke out around him.
Shortly afterward, Hourihan picked up a loose puck in his end and took off on a shorthanded breakaway attempt, but Condon came up with a big save.
With a little over a minute left, Belmont Hill's Mike McNamara had a great chance to put his team up by a goal -- but no dice.
The game moved to OT. McNamara had another excellent chance about a minute in. Again, no dice. At the other end, Wiggins and Jared Lackey teamed up for a couple of great opportunities but couldn't get it past Condon.
Finally, with 2:34 left, a big-time player came up with a big time play -- and Nobles lives to see another day.
"We talk a lot about measuring yourself in games like this," said Nobles head coach Brian Day, "and (Arnold) is a difference-maker. For them, Condon was a difference-maker. To get four shots past him was an accomplishment. As a team, I thought we played hard. This is a prideful group of guys, and this game meant a lot to them in terms of staying alive. They put forth a great team effort."
Belmont Hill head coach Ken Martin said, "I thought our kids did a great job. I was proud of them. I thought they battled hard. We beat (Nobles) last time by a goal, and they beat us by a goal this time. Both teams played hard, but they got the last one. This was a great ISL game."
He's right. It was a great prep game, and it also sets things up for an interesting week ahead for both teams. Nobles has two remaining games: @ Governor's Wed. 2/25, and at home vs. Milton Sat. 2/28. Belmont Hill has three left: they host St. Paul's on Wed. 2/25 and South Kent on Fri. 2/27, and are on the road at BB&N Sat. 2/28.
2/19/09
Div. II Standings
1. Hebron (1-1-1) = 3
2. Dexter (2-2-5) = 9
3. New Hampton (5-3-2) = 10
4. Worcester Academy (8-4-4) = 16
5. North Yarmouth (9-3-5) = 17
6. Groton (6-6-6) = 18
7. Hoosac (4-8-12) = 24
7. Roxbury Latin (11-6-7) = 24
--------------------------------------
9. St. George’s (10-11-9) = 30
10. Berwick (13-8-11) = 32
11. Middlesex (14-8-12) = 34
12. Vermont Academy (7-13-15) = 35
13. Kents Hill (16-13-7) = 36
14. Pingree (15-12-10) = 37
In Div. II, the last two playoff spots will likely be determined more by how Middlesex and Pingree finish than by the actual contenders for the spots. Middlesex finishing above .500 puts Roxbury Latin and St. George's in strong positions, while Pingree getting to .500 will boost Berwick's credentials (providing that Pingree only loses one more game, and that one loss coming against Berwick). Hoosac is still a bit of a wild card. They have a very tough last week so they could fall completely out of things. NYA has the toughest Div. II schedule of all (Hebron, Dexter, New Hampton, Hoosac, and probably Pingree in the Holt crossover game), so even their spot is not completely secure.
2/18/09 -- Snow is expected for New England late this afternoon, with the heaviest snow expected north. So far, one game -- Winchendon @ Holderness -- has been postponed. We will let you know if there are others.
2/18/09
Wed. Feb. 18 Recaps
@ Cushing 3, Andover 3: Andover, on goals from junior Chris Kreider and senior Brooks Dyroff, came back from a 3-1 third period deficit to earn the tie. Dyroff’s goal came with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Junior Conor Sheary (1g,1a) and sophomore defenseman Julian Ciocco (2a) led the way for the host Penguins. Senior Glen Stowell stopped 33 of 36 shots for Andover, while Cushing junior Marcus Calvanico kicked out 25 of 27.
@ South Kent 5, Gunnery 3: South Kent, in a situation where they probably have to win out to have any chance at a playoff berth, came back from a 3-2 third period deficit at home. After junior Joe Tebano tied it up, junior Mike Pereira scored his second and third goals of the game to sink Gunnery. Seniors Jeff Silengo (1g,1a), Wade Megan (3a), and Will Rayner (2a) also had big days for South Kent. Junior Shane Gorman registered a goal and an assist for Gunnery. Sophomore Sam Locke started in net for South Kent, but went down with a hamstring injury with four minutes left in the second period. Senior Jason Bellonio took over, allowed the go-ahead goal to Gorman and then shut the door in the third period as his teammates roared back.
Exeter 4 @ Northfield Mt. Hermon 3 (OT): NMH junior Andrew Bonazza tied this one up at 3-3 with 56 seconds remaining in regulation. In OT, though, Exeter senior Dan Weiniger scored his second goal of the game at the 2:16 mark to give his team the win. Shots were Exeter 50, NMH 31. Junior Branden Komm was in net for NMH; junior Max Fenkell for Exeter. All three of Exeter’s regulation goals were scored on the power play.
@ Westminster 2, Loomis-Chaffee 2: Senior netminder Matt Mule stopped 55 of 57 shots and senior Greg Babbitt scored with 25 seconds remaining to lift visiting Loomis to a hard-earned tie at Westminster. Senior Joey Campanelli and junior Ryan Tyson each netted a goal for Westminster. Westminster senior goaltender Charles Corsi kicked out 27 of 29.
@ Hebron 5, New Hampton 3: Senior Chad Goodwin had four goals as Hebron rolled on today, capitalizing on its power-play chances to skate past New Hampton in a big Div II tilt. Senior Billy Brewster (2a) and junior Chris Gacsy (2a) also helped fuel the Hebron offense. Senior Cody Sharib (2a) was the lone multi-point man for New Hampton. Senior Craig Ryan stopped 17 of 20 shots for the victory.
@ Hotchkiss 3, Kent 2 (OT): A goal by senior Chris Steele (1g,1a) with 36 seconds remaining in OT propelled Hotchkiss to a key win. Juniors Mac Bennett and Mike Borge had Hotchkiss’ other goals. Senior Christian Cowles added helpers on both Kent tallies, both of which came on the man advantage. Hotchkiss junior Cab Morris made 21 saves while Kent’s junior netminder Marco De Filippo kicked out 29 of 32 Bearcat shots.
@ Deerfield 3, Taft 2: The Big Green got three goals in the second, but Taft came back with a pair of third period goals by senior Robbie Bourdon to make things interesting. Seniors Cody Skinner (1g,1a) and Evan Dugdale (2a) led the way for the Big Green as Andrew Ammon and junior John Rose also added tallies. Junior Casey DeSmith kicked out 31 of 33 shots for the win. Junior Michael Petchonka stopped 25 of 28 in the loss.
@ Avon Old Farms 7, Choate 3: After losing 5-1 to Choate on Jan. 31 and trailing 2-1 after the first period, host Avon stormed back with six tallies in the final two periods to knock off the Wild Boars, 7-3. Seniors Charles Vasaturo (2g,2a), Blake Forkey (1g,2a), and Stefan Demopoulos (3a); junior Quinn Smith (1g,2a); and sophomore Mark Naclerio (2a) led the Winged Beavers attack. Sophomore Dan Linnell (2g) and freshman Philippe Hudon (2a) led Choate’s offense. Avon junior Josh Dionne had 31 saves for the win. Junior Dan Rivellini took the loss.
@ Berkshire 8, Pomfret 1: Berkshire extended its unbeaten streak to 13 due in large part to senior Andrew Flynn (3a); juniors Jake Goldberg (3g) and Kevin Sullivan (1g,2a); and sophomore Trevor Mingoia (2g). Senior Zeke Testa kicked out 19 of 20 shots for the win.
@ Lawrence 5, Governor’s 3: Lawrence picked up its 16th consecutive NEPSIHA win one day before the two-month anniversary of their last loss (Dec. 19 to Cushing). Pacing the Lawrence attack was senior Wayne Simpson (2g,2a) and junior Scott Shiner (1g,1a). Senior Chris Menard and junior Jake Picking each registered two assists for Governor’s. Lawrence senior goalie Matt Walsh stopped 25 of 28 shots for the win.
Williston-Northampton 4 @ Canterbury 3: Williston overcame a 3-1 second period deficit to take this one. Senior Dana Borges (2a); juniors P.J. McCadden (2a) and Kevin Kelly (2a); and sophomore Brendan Woods (2g) led the Williston offense. Senior Chris Cerbino (1g,1a) and junior Kevin Goumas (2a) led Canterbury.
@ Salisbury 8, Albany Academy 0: Salisbury picked up its third straight victory as senior John Guay (2g,1a); juniors Kyle Armstrong (2g,2a), Kyle Hughes (2g,1a), Michael McCann (2a), and Connor Cunningham (2a); and sophomore Gunnar Hughes (1g,1a) all had a big day. Juniors Andy Iles and Evan Casamento combined on a 16 save-shutout.
@ Brunswick 5, Kingswood-Oxford 2: Junior Phil Silbereisen (2g) and freshman Luke Esposito (2g) led the Brunswick attack. Brunswick outshot K-O, 50-20.
@ St. Paul’s 5, St. Sebastian’s 2: St. Paul’s was paced by senior Cory McGrath (1g,2a) as the hosts got goals from five different players. Senior TJ Bowse kicked out 32 of 34 shots for the win.
@ Noble & Greenough 6, BB&N 2: Nobles was led by juniors Jared Lackey (2g,1a) and Gus Young (3a). Nobles outshot BB&N, 54-15.
@ Middlesex 6 @ Portsmouth Abbey 5 (OT): Junior Paul Keane (2g,1a) buried the game winner 2:30 into OT. Also contributing to the Middlesex attack were seniors Tucker Blanton (1g,3a) and Chris Mahoney (1g,2a); and freshman Blake Cormier (2a). Middlesex outshot Portsmouth Abbey, 53-29.
Belmont Hill 5, @ Milton 2: Senior Jack McNamara (2a) and sophomores Dylan Pike (1g,1a), Brandon McNally (1g,1a) led the Belmont Hill offense. Milton sophomore Doo Soo Kim contributed assists on his team’s two goals. Despite the final score, Milton outshot Belmont Hill 50-30, meaning Mike Condon had to kick out 48 shots to earn the win.
Vermont Academy 4 @ Worcester Academy 3 (OT): A goal by junior Pier-Andre Marquis at 1:16 of overtime lifted Vermont to a big Div. II road win. Marquis also had a pair of assists in regulation. Junior Jean-Daniel Vermette (1g,2a) and PG Tim McAuliffe (2a) also were big contributors to the win. For Worcester, junior Anthony Bilotta scored all three of his team’s goals, with senior Dennis White assisting on each of them. Freshman D Matt Mortimer had a pair of assists. Vermont senior goaltender Austin Erney kicked out 28 shots for the win.
@ Tabor 6, Thayer 2: The Seawolves offense was led by seniors Jayson Megna (2g,1a), Eric Czapka (1g,2a), and Anthony Mezzagno (1g,1a). Sophomore Cam Spiro and junior D Derek Henderson each added a pair of assists. Tabor senior goaltender Nick Betti stopped 28 of 30 shots for the win.
Winchendon @ Holderness was postponed due to the weather. No makeup date has been announced.
2/17/09
Monday’s Games Shake Up Standings
After Sunday’s games Andover and Salisbury stood atop, respectively, the East and West, in the New England playoff standings. Twenty-four hours later, though, Exeter and Berkshire were the new #1’s. What happened? Well, Exeter’s Monday afternoon win over Berwick pushed their all-NEPSIHA winning percentage out of a tie with Andover’s and into sole possession of first in that category -- and first overall in the East. Meanwhile, Berkshire’s defeat of Millbrook lifted them .006 points above Salisbury in the first two categories -- and first overall in the West. Taft, despite only tying (above-.500) Hotchkiss, got outside help in the form of several Kent wins, which propelled the Rhinos to first in the third criteria, and onto slightly firmer ground in the third criteria in the west. Beyond those moves, it still looks like the top five in both the East and West is the group that will bear the playoff teams. In the East, Tabor and Milton; and in the west, South Kent and Westminster, will need loads of help in order to make it in. And although we can’t say for certain, it looks highly likely that Exeter, Andover, and Lawrence will be in the playoffs from the East, and the same goes for Salisbury and Berkshire in the West. However, the positioning of these teams, and home ice, is far from certain. Here are the unofficial numbers for the top seven from the East and West.
1. Exeter (1 + 1 + 2) = 4
2. Andover (2 + 2 + 1) = 5
3. Lawrence (3 + 3 + 3) = 9
4. Belmont Hill (4 + 4 + 4) = 12
5. Nobles (5 + 5 + 6) = 16
6. Tabor (7 + 6 + 7) = 20
7. Milton (8 + 7 + 5) = 20
1. Berkshire (1 + 1 + 2) = 4
2. Salisbury (2 + 2 + 3) = 7
3. Taft (4 + 4 + 1) = 9
4. Gunnery (3 + 3 + 5) = 11
5. Hotchkiss (4 + 4 + 4) = 12
6. South Kent (6 + 7 + 6) = 19
7. Westminster (7 + 6 + 7) = 20
In a quick look at the third criteria, Kent pushed above .500 which, as we mentioned, helped Taft. Teams one game above .500 include Choate, Cushing, Kent, and Milton. Currently sitting one game below .500 is Deerfield and NMH, while KUA and Proctor are at exactly.500 in NEPSIHA Div. I play. The fortunes of these teams will help decide the third criteria, while the top teams in each division need to continue playing well down the stretch to secure a playoff berth. On Wednesday and Thursday there are a combined nine games between teams currently above .500, so the volatility will only continue as we head into the final two weeks of the season.
***
By the way, this is how the standings would currently appear if the East/West breakdown was tossed and teams were just ranked 1-8. Three teams from the East would make it (the top three as it turns out), and five from the West.
1. Exeter -- 52. Andover -- 5
3. Lawrence -- 12
4. Berkshire -- 12
5. Salisbury -- 15
6. Taft -- 17
7. Gunnery -- 21
8. Hotchkiss -- 22
2/16/09
Div. II Prep Standings
Through games of Sun. Feb. 151. Hebron (1-1-1) =3
2. New Hampton (4-4-2) = 10
3. Dexter (2-2-7) = 11
4. Worcester (5-3-4) = 12
5. NYA (9-5-3) = 17
6. Groton (7-7-8) = 22
7. Roxbury Latin (8-6-12) = 26
7. Kents Hill (13-8-5) = 26
9. Pingree (15-10-6) = 31
10. Brunswick (12-12-9) = 33
10. Hoosac (6-13-14) = 33
12. Berwick (13-11-10) = 34
12. Middlesex (16-8-10) = 34
14. Vermont Academy (9-14-15) = 38
2/16/09 Updated Wednesday's Andover @ Cushing game is a 3:15 pm start
This Week's Schedule
Mon. Feb. 16, 2009:
St. John's Prep @ Catholic Memorial, 12:30 pm
Xaverian vs. Barnstable, 3:00 pm (@ Bridgewater)
Portsmouth Abbey @ St. George's, 4:15 pm
Bishop Eustace @ Wyoming Seminary, 4:30 pm
Berwick @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Millbrook @ Berkshire, 5:15 pm
Tue. Feb. 17, 2009:
Trinity-Pawling @ Millbrook, 2:30 pm
North Yarmouth Academy @ Kents Hill, 4:00 pm -- rescheduled from 1/28/09
Hoosac @ Brunswick, 4:00 pm -- rescheduled from 1/28/09
Wed. Feb. 18, 2009:
Catholic Memorial @ Fairfield Prep, 1:00 pm
Exeter @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 2:00 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Westminster, 2:00 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Millbrook, 2:30 pm
Kent @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Choate @ Avon Old Farms, 2:30 pm
New Hampton @ Hebron, 3:00 pm -- rescheduled from 1/7/09
Groton @ Brooks, 3:00 pm
Gunnery @ South Kent, 3:00 pm
St. Sebastian's @ St. Paul's, 3:15 pm
Andover @ Cushing, 3:15 pm
Hoosac @ Tilton, 3:30 pm -- postponed (canceled?), snow
Governor's @ Lawrence, 3:45 pm
St. George's @ Roxbury Latin, 3:45 pm
Proctor @ Kimball Union, 4:00 pm
Taft @ Deerfield, 4:00 pm
Albany Academy @ Salisbury, 4:00 pm (@ Berkshire)
Pomfret @ Berkshire, 4:00 pm
Canterbury @ Williston-Northampton, 4:00 pm
Harvey @ KLHT, 4:30 pm
Berwick @ Kents Hill, 4:30 pm
Belmont Hill @ Milton, 4:30 pm
Rivers @ St. Mark's, 4:30 pm
BB&N @ Noble & Greenough, 4:30 pm
Vermont Academy @ Worcester Academy, 5:00 pm
Portledge @ Hill School, 5:00 pm
Winchendon @ Holderness, 5:00 pm -- postponed, snow
Portsmouth Abbey @ Middlesex, 5:15 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ Brunswick, 5:30 pm
Thayer @ Tabor, 5:30 pm
LaSalle College HS (PA) @ Delbarton, 5:45 pm
Thurs. Feb. 19, 2009:
Salisbury @ Gunnery, 4:30 pm -- rescheduled from 1/28/09
Fri. Feb. 20, 2009:
St. John's (S) @ Catholic Memorial, time TBA -- rescheduled from 2/3/09
Rivers @ Thayer, 4:00 pm
Fieldston Prep @ Harvey, 4:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Belmont Hill, 5:00 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Kimball Union, 5:00 pm
Milton @ BB&N, 5:00 pm
Dexter @ North Yarmouth, 5:00 pm
Holderness @ Proctor, 5:00 pm
Middlesex @ Pingree, 5:30 pm
Brooks @ Roxbury Latin, 6:00 pm
Winchendon @ South Kent, 6:00 pm
Lawrence @ Tilton, 6:00 pm
Deerfield @ Williston-Northampton, 6:30 pm
Tabor @ Andover, 6:30 pm
Shady Side Academy @ Lawrenceville, 7:00 pm
Hoosac @ Kents Hill, 7:00 pm
Stanstead College @ Vermont Academy, 7:00 pm
Boston Rangers AAA @ Hebron, 7:30 pm
Sat. Feb. 21, 2009:
KLHT @ Portsmouth Abbey, 1:30 pm
Lawrence Academy @ St. Mark's, 1:30 pm
Stanstead College vs. St. Francis, 2:00 pm (@ Clarkson University)
Clifton Park Dynamo @ Brunswick, 2:00 pm
Shady Side Academy @ Lawrenceville, 2:00 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ Hebron, 2:00 pm
Gunnery @ Albany Academy, 2:00 pm
Northwood vs. Wyoming Seminary, 2:00 pm (@ Mullins Center, UMass-Amherst)
BB&N @ Milton, 2:00 pm
Cushing @ Kimball Union, 2:00 pm
Rivers @ Middlesex, 2:00 pm
Thayer @ St. Paul's, 2:30 pm
St. George's @ Groton, 2:30 pm
Hoosac @ North Yarmouth, 3:00 pm
Salisbury @ Avon Old Farms, 3:00 pm
Governor's @ St. Sebastian's, 3:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Trinity-Pawling, 3:15 pm
Brewster @ Vermont Academy, 4:00 pm
Holderness @ Tabor, 4:00 pm
Pingree @ Worcester Academy, 4:00 pm
Tilton @ Winchendon, 4:00 pm
Choate @ Taft, 4:00 pm
New Hampton @ Proctor, 4:30 pm
Exeter @ Deerfield, 4:30 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Loomis-Chaffee, 4:30 pm
Millbrook @ Pomfret, 5:30 pm
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers @ Hill School, 6:00 pm
Brooks @ Andover, 6:00 pm -- canceled
Kent @ Canterbury, 7:00 pm
Westminster @ Berkshire, 7:00 pm
Sun. Feb. 22, 2009:
Shady Side Academy @ Hill School, 12:00 pm
Northwood vs. Junior Bruins, 3:00 pm (@ Mullins Center, UMass-Amherst)
Mon. Feb. 23, 2009:
Brewster @ Holderness, 2:30 pm -- rescheduled from 1/28/09
St. Paul's @ Thayer, 4:00 pm -- rescheduled from 1/28/09
Winchendon @ Pomfret, 4:15 pm
Canterbury @ Gunnery, 4:15 pm
Hebron @ Kents Hill, 4:45 pm
South Kent @ Choate, 5:00 pm
Proctor @ Milton, 5:00 pm -- rescheduled from 1/28/09
Lawrence @ Governor's, 5:15 pm
2/16/09
Lumberjacks Top USHR Div. II Poll… Again
Once again, Hebron sits atop the USHR Div. II Coaches Poll, and once again it’s unanimous.Hebron, unbeaten and untied in Div. II play, hosts New Hampton on Wednesday, in a makeup game (from Jan. 7).
USHR Div. II Prep Poll: Week of Feb. 16, 2009
Sun. 2/15/09 -- Notes -- @ Lawrence 6, South Kent 2: Lawrence Academy successfully extended their win streak to 16 today. “We jumped on them in the first period,” said LA head coach Kevin Potter. “Our game plan was to get pucks on the net, and to crash the net.” And that they did, blitzing South Kent and sophomore goaltender Sam Locke with four goals in the first ten minutes. Senior Brendan Cottam banged home a rebound 1:42 in, senior D Andrew Haber connected from the right point, a power play goal at 7:23. Senior Steven Whitney worked his magic at the 9:13 mark, walking out of the corner and taking a shot, then, after being taken down, managing a second shot, batting one home, a great individual effort. Just 28 seconds later, off a faceoff in the South Kent end, junior Scott Shiner connected. After that, South Kent began to pull themselves together – to at least stanch the bleeding – and with 31 seconds left in the period, SKS senior Dan Pelletier, with his team shorthanded, skated the puck into the Lawrence end and, from the left side, fired what appeared to be a bit of a changeup that appeared to catch Lawrence goalie Matt Walsh a little off balance, cutting Lawrence’s lead to 4-1. And that’s how the period ended.
In the second, there was no scoring. Lawrence outshot South Kent, but South Kent stuck with it. South Kent coach Geoff Marottolo tried to mix things up by reuniting Wade Megan with Jeff Silengo and Mike Pereira, linemates for all of the ’07-08 season.
In the third period, South Kent cut the Lawrence lead to 4-2 when, on the powerplay, Megan, on a great look, found Pereira on the far post for a tap-in at the 4:08 mark.
South Kent kept the pressure on, looking for that goal that would make it a one-goal game. PG Chris Wieland had a nice back-door opportunity, but couldn’t finish it off. Finally, in the South Kent end, Whitney put a hit on Silengo, stole the puck and got it to Cottam, who buried his second of the game to make it 5-2 at the 11:45 mark, in effect putting the game out of reach. Freshman Devin Tringale added an empty netter for the final of 6-2.
”We made some mistakes early,” said Marottolo, “but no excuses here. Our kids battled hard. That’s a very good Lawrence team.” Asked if he felt his team had been KO’d from the playoff picture, Marottolo said, “We have five games to go with teams with .500 records. We have a chance. Absolutely. Our kids won’t lie down. We’re going to slide down the chimney and go in the back door.”
Being a Sunday game, there was a bevy of NHL scouts and college assistants, and a good number of college head coaches, too, such as Mike Schafer, Jerry York, Nate Leaman, and Blaise MacDonald. Megan and Whitney didn’t hurt their draft status. The college guys were keeping close tabs on, among others, LA’s two Maritimers -- sophomore forward Zack Phillips and sophomore D Zach Shannon.
2/15/09
LA Again Tops USHR Div. I Prep Poll
Lawrence Academy, which has won every game they have played since the Lawrence-Groton Christmas Tournament, is again #1 in USHR’s Div. I Prep Poll.Moving back into this week’s poll is Belmont Hill, and moving out is South Kent, which was at #9 last week.
We don’t really go below #1-10 in the poll, but if we did, #11 would be Tabor, which is 8-2-2 in their last 12 games; and #12 would be South Kent, which will finish up their season with five games against teams with above-.500 records.
There are three teams – Nobles, Tabor, and South Kent – that basically have to win out, plus get outside help in order to make the playoffs.
USHR Div. I Prep Poll: Week of Feb. 16, 2009
2/14/09
Sat. Feb. 14 Recaps
@ Exeter 0, Northfield Mt. Hermon 0: The goaltenders were the story here. Exeter junior Max Fenkell stopped 35 shots for Exeter; junior Branden Komm stopped all 41 shots he faced for the Hoggers.
Berkshire 3 @ Winchendon 2: With the scored knotted at 2-2, junior Jake Goldberg buried his second goal of the game at the 13:46 mark of the third period. Senior defenseman Justin Agosta also scored for Berkshire. Senior Hugo Turcotte (2a) figured in both Winchendon goals. Berkshire was outshot in the this game 39-28. Senior Zeke Testa came up big, kicking out 37 shots for the win.
Dexter 4 @ Portsmouth Abbey 1: Senior Robert Lerro (3g,1a) and junior Mike Lopez (1g,1a) led the way for Dexter.
Tabor 7 @ St. Sebastian’s 4: Seniors Eric Czapka (2g,3a), Regan MacLean (1g,2a, and Anthony Mezzagno (2a); and junior Ian Coleman (1g,1a) led the attack for Tabor. St. Seb’s was powered by seniors Paul Donato (2g,1a) and Steve Rogers (1g,1a); and junior Tom O’Regan (2a).
Brunswick 3 @ Kent’s Hill 2 (OT): A power play goal by junior Ben Weisburger – his second of the game -- at 1:30 of OT lifted Brunswick to a big road win.Sophomore Bo Stafford also added a goal and an assist for Brunswick. Senior Nick Kolb scored both goals for Kent’s Hill. Brunswick senior Mike Furlong only saw 21 shots in the win, while senior Brian Fleming stopped 32 of 35 shots in between the pipes for Kent’s Hill.
Governor’s 6 @ BB&N 0: Seniors Jeff Menard (1g,1a) and Chris Menard (2a); and sophomore Brian Ward (2g,1a) led the Govenor’s attack. Junior netminder Luc Montoni was perfect in net, kicking out 26 shots en route to the shutout.
@ Lawrenceville 9, Albany Academy 5: Lawrenceville seniors Ryan Eaker (4g,1a) notched a natural hat trick in the first period. Max Van Bourdondien (1g,4a), and Chris Tompkins (1g,1a); and junior Brenden Gallinek (1g,1a) also had big games for L’ville.
@ Vermont Academy 5, Kingswood-Oxford 1: Vermont, led by juniors Jean-Daniel Vermette (3g,2a) and Pier-Andre Marquis (1g,3a), climbed above the .500 mark. Vermont Academy outshot visiting Kingswood 45-14.
Westminster 5 @ Choate 4: Choate had a 3-1 second period lead, but gave up four straight goals. Seniors Joey Campanelli (2g) and Harry Radovich (1g,1a); and juniors Ryan Tyson (1g,1a), Jeff Coffin (1g,1a), and Peter Michaildis (2a) led the Westminster rally. With three of their goals coming on the power-play, the Wild Boars were fueled by seniors Joel Goodsell (1g,3a) and Bill Rivellini (1g,1a). Choate outshot Westminster 40-29. Senior Charles Corsi stopped 36 of 40 shots for the win.
@ Avon Old Farms 3, Deerfield 2: Host Avon overcame a 2-0 first period deficit, coming back with three straight goals, two of which were on the power play. Mike Smigelski, and defensemen Charles Vasaturo and Pat MacGregor found the back of the net for the Winged Beavers, and Quinn Smith had a pair of assists. Senior Cody Skinner and junior Matt Doyle netted goals for Deerfield. Avon junior Josh Dionne kicked out 34 of 36 shots for the win. Deerfield junior Casey DeSmith stopped 28 of 31.
@ New Hampton 2, Pingree 1: Trailing 1-0 in the third, New Hampton struck for a pair of goals 17 seconds apart, seniors Mike Young and Mike Carr coming through with the big tallies. Senior Pat Dunn made 24 saves to secure the win.
@ Salisbury 5, Loomis-Chaffee 2: Senior Danny Biega (2g) led the way for Salisbury. Senior Brett Ehnot and sophomore Mike Blair each registered a goal and an assist for Loomis. Salisbury outshot Loomis by a total of 53-16.
@Cushing 3, Canterbury 2: Junior Mike Conderman broke a 2-2 tie with a second period power play goal and it held up through a scoreless third period. Junior Marcus Calvanico stopped 26 of 28 for the win.
@ South Kent 6, Tilton 1: PG Chris Wieland (2g,1a) and seniors Wade Megan (1g,1a) and Neil Fachini (2a) led the attack and sophomore goaltender Sam Locke kicked out 22 of 23 shots.
@ Holderness 5, Kimball Union 3: Holderness came back from a 3-1 deficit with four unanswered goals. Senior Mark Haggarty notched a hat trick. Junior Jeff Gordon-Johnson (1g,2a) also had a big day. And junior Jeff Wasson kicked out 25 of 28 shots for the win.
@ Williston-Northampton 5, Millbrook 4: Williston, down 3-1 after one period, came back with a big second-period effort. Juniors TJ Powers (2g,1a) and PJ McCadden (2a) led the attack. For Millbrook, senior Mathieu Dubuc had a pair of goals.
@ St. Paul’s 8, Proctor 4: Senior Corey McGrath scored a hat trick to lead St. Paul’s. Junior Sam Courcelles (1g,2a), senior defenseman Scott Harff (3a), and sophomore Paul-Arthur Plaisir (2g) also had big days.
St. George’s 9 @ Brooks 3: A lot of points for the Dragons today. Senior Patrick Guerriero (4a) had four of them. Senior D Carmen Boscia (2g,1a); juniors Garrett Sider (1g,2a) and Mike Violette (2g); and sophomore Penn Sednaoui (1g,1a) were other key players.
@ Middlesex 8, St. Mark’s 3: Juniors Joe Pascucci (4a) and Thomas Livingston (3a); and soph Nick Bingaman (1g,2a) led the Middlesex attack.
Gunnery 5 @ Pomfret 2: Gunnery, in a battle for a playoff spot in the west, got goals from five different scorers. In net, junior Alex Vazzano kicked out 34 of 36.
@ Kent 5, Trinity-Pawling 1: Seniors Christian Cowles (2g,1a), Kyle Lysaght (2g), Nick McIntyre (2a), and Mike Domsodi (2a) paced the Kent offense. And junior Matt Madrazo kicked out 23 of 24 shots for the win.
@ Milton 2, Nobles 2: Nobles outshot Milton 27-16 but had to settle for a 2-2 tie. Senior Thomas Tysowsky stopped 25 of 27 shots for Milton.
How Div. I Leaders Did Saturday (Calculations have NOT been updated)
1. Exeter (1 + 1 + 2) = 4 Tied NMH, 0-0
2. Andover (2 + 2 + 1) = 5 DNP
3. Lawrence (3 + 3 +3) = 9 DNP
4. Belmont Hill (4 + 4 + 4) = 12 DNP
5. Nobles (5 + 5 + 5) = 15 Tied Milton, 2-2
6. Tabor (7 + 6 + 8) = 21 Beat St. Seb’s, 7-4
1. Salisbury (1 + 1 + 1) = 3 Beat Loomis, 5-2
2. Berkshire (1 + 1 + 4) = 6 Beat Winchendon, 3-2
3. Taft (4 + 4 + 2) = 10 Tied Hotchkiss, 3-3
4. Hotchkiss (4 + 4 + 3) = 11 Tied Taft, 3-3
5. Gunnery (3 + 3 + 7) = 13 Beat Pomfret, 5-2
6. South Kent (6 + 6 + 5) = 17 Beat Tilton, 6-1
2/13/09
Fri. Feb. 13 Div. I Playoff Update
Wednesday’s playoff games didn’t change much in the east, but in the west there was significant movement.
We’ll start with the east, where all of the top five teams won their games, further distancing themselves from the rest of the pack, specifically Milton, which was defeated by St. Paul’s. Milton, having now dropped five consecutive Div. I games, is at .500. Should they fall below .500, teams that have already beaten Milton would be hurt. The unofficial east numbers:
1. Exeter (1 + 1 + 2) = 4
2. Andover (2 + 2 + 1) = 5
3. Lawrence (3 + 3 +3) = 9
4. Belmont Hill (4 + 4 + 4) = 12
5. Nobles (5 + 5 + 5) = 15
6. Tabor (7 + 6 + 8) = 21
In the west, there was a huge shakeup, in large part due to the Salisbury-Taft game on Wednesday. Salisbury’s win pushed them into the #1 spot in the first two categories, and dropped Taft into fourth in those same two categories. Salisbury also improved in the third category with the win, while Taft was hurt in several other ways as well. Kent and NMH each lost yesterday, which dropped both teams one game below .500. This hurt Taft in the third criteria because their wins over NMH and Kent are, at least for now, not counted. Nonetheless, Taft still has a big edge over Hotchkiss in the third criteria. However, given the tough schedule ahead for the Rhinos, they need to play strong hockey and get some wins in the remaining games. Berkshire’s win over Kent pushed them into a tie for first with Salisbury in the first two categories, while Gunnery’s win pushed them into third. Here are the unofficial west numbers:
1. Salisbury (1 + 1 + 1) = 3
2. Berkshire (1 + 1 + 4) = 6
3. Taft (4 + 4 + 2) = 10
4. Hotchkiss (4 + 4 + 3) = 11
5. Gunnery (3 + 3 + 7) = 13
6. South Kent (6 + 6 + 5) = 17
The third, highly volatile criteria led to some interesting changes. Proctor’s loss to Exeter puts them in the category of teams that are one game above, below, or currently at .500, a list that also includes Cushing, Deerfield, Kent, KUA, Milton, and NMH. Teams that were included in this list before were Choate and St. Sebastian’s. Choate won, moving them into slightly safer territory, while St. Sebastian’s lost, pushing them further below .500. Over the weekend some big tilts include: Andover @ Governor’s (Fri.), Westminster @ Choate (Sat.), Taft @ Hotchkiss (Sat.), Nobles @ Milton (Sat.), NMH @ Exeter (Sat.), and South Kent @ Lawrence (Sun.).
2/11/09
Wed. Feb. 11 Recaps
--- Salisbury Makes a StatementBridgeport, Conn. -- Salisbury, #3 in the West, played like the hungrier team today, totally dominating #1 West Taft, 5-1, here at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
The first period was a bit of a feeling-out period, though Salisbury controlled the play, outshooting Taft, 11-3, with most shots coming from the perimeter. Salisbury began to limber up with a couple of late powerplay opportunities.
The second period, though, was the story of the game. Just 54 seconds in, Salisbury junior defenseman Brandon Russo skated over the Taft blue line and fired a high slapper from the top of the left faceoff circle that broke off the shoulder of Taft junior goaltender Steve Racine. A soft goal, it seemed to energize Salisbury – and put the Rhinos even further back on their heels.
Just 39 seconds after Russo’s goal, an interference call on Taft put Salisbury on the power play. Salisbury converted when sophomore Gunnar Hughes dished a short goalmouth pass to junior Michael McCann, who tapped it home to make it 2-0 at the 2:11 mark.
At 4:27, with the teams skating 5x5, a nice trio of passes off the rush between sophomore Jon-Paul Durso, senior John Guay, and sophomore Adam Platt – with Durso finishing it off -- put Salisbury up 3-0.
Taft head coach Dan Murphy called a timeout.
It worked – a little bit. Taft got their only goal of the game when senior C.M. Liotta, at the far hash marks, moved it to junior Will Einstein behind the net. Einstein got it out front for junior Matt Gellatly, who beat Salisbury junior goaltender Andy Iles at the 9:26 mark.
But 21 seconds after the goal, Taft took another penalty – and again Salisbury capitalized, with McCann finding senior Frankie Drolet in front. Drolet’s first shot rebounded back to him and he didn’t miss with the second one, putting his team up 4-1 at the 10:31 mark.
Just ten seconds after that goal, Salisbury really stuck the dagger in, attacking the Taft zone right off the faceoff, just driving to the net. Junior Connor Cunningham at first glance appeared to have jammed it home from the doorstep, but senior defenseman Danny Biega was there as well, took a poke at it, and it broke past Racine for a 5-1 Salisbury lead.
At that point, Racine was replaced by fellow junior Michael Petchonka.
There was no scoring over the next 26 or so minutes. Salisbury had their lead, and pretty much concentrated on playing solid defense, just shutting down Taft. The Rhinos were only able to muster four shots in the third period, as Salisbury would outshoot Taft, 6-4.
Afterward, Taft head coach Dan Murphy said, “They (Salisbury) wanted it more. They outworked us, and they outhustled us… I just have to give a lot of credit to them because they played so well. They just suffocated us. We were behind the 8-ball right from the drop of the puck. Salisbury played great. They really did.”
Salisbury head coach Andrew Will said, “I think our guys were not thrilled going into the break losing to T-P in OT. They came back really wanting to get into the win column. They were also motivated and excited to be playing Taft. I just stressed that I wanted 54 minutes of good hockey.”
“I thought we were much better with our decisions today. Taft likes to stretch the ice. The D recognized the back pressure, recognized the odd-man rush, and made smart decisions.”
“We were pleased with the first period,” Will added, “but we had to pick up the intensity and pace. This win certainly will help with our confidence. Playing against a great team like Taft, it showed us how we can play solid D and create offense off of that.”
Note: Taft was playing without star forward Robbie Bourdon, who was suffering from an "upper respiratory infection."
@ Gunnery 2, Avon Old Farms 1: Junior Alex Vazzano stopped 26 of 27 shots to lead Gunnery, locked in a hunt for a playoff spot, to victory. Gunnery’s offense came from juniors Joey Fiori (1g,1a) and Shane Gorman (1g,1a); and sophomore Terrence Wallin (2a).
Middlesex 3 @ Roxbury Latin 1: Junior Aimahd Sabky stopped 23 of 24 shots to lead Middlesex to an upset win over #6 Roxbury Latin. Junior Joe Pascucci (1g,1a) and sophomore Nick Bingaman (1g,1a) led the Middlesex attack.
@ Brooks 2, St. Mark’s 1: Junior Nick Galanos scored twice for Brooks as sophomore Tyler Stillings stopped 17 of 18 shots to seal the victory. St. Mark’s junior Jake Smith stopped 36 of 38 to keep things close.
Williston-Northampton 2 @ Northfield Mt. Hermon 1 (OT): After senior Dana Borges tied it with 12 seconds remaining in regulation,junior Ben Kravitz buried the game winner 3:08 into the overtime frame for Williston. Junior Bobby Bowden stopped 36 of 37 shots for Williston while junior Branden Komm kicked out 30 of 32 shots for the Hoggers.
@ BB&N 1, Groton 1: Junior Anthony Moccia stopped 18 of 19 for BB&N while junior Dale Adams kicked out 24 of 25 for Groton. Freshman Luke Griffin scored for BB&N and junior Connor Baharozian scored for Groton.
@ New Hampton 4, Kent’s Hill 4: #9 Kent’s Hill stormed back from a 4-1 deficit to earn a tie against #3 New Hampton. Leading the way were seniors Nick Kolb (2g,1a) and Jack Croasdale (2g). #3 New Hampton’s attack was paced by seniors Sean Dunn (2g) and Kyle Zobler (1g,1a). Senior Pat Dunn stopped 32 of 36 for New Hampton while senior Brian Fleming stopped 38 of 42 for Kent’s Hill.
@ Canterbury 4, Trinity-Pawling 1: Senior Andrew Kacz (2g) and junior Kevin Goumas (2a) powered the Canterbury attack. Sophomore netminder Al Endres made 29 saves on 30 shots for Canterbury to earn the victory.
Tilton 5 @ Holderness 3: Seniors John Hyslip (2a) and Kevin Meehan (2a); andJunior Cody Marquis (2g) led the Tilton attack. In the loss, Holderness seniors Colin Higgins (2g) and Andrew Reilly (3a); and junior Jacob Scott (2a) led the way. Junior Matt Mosca stopped 33 of 36 shots to hold on for the win.
@ Loomis-Chaffee 4, Deerfield 4: Loomis scored three third period goals to come back and earn a tie on the strength of junior Chris Lembo (3g) and sophomore Chris Izmirlian (1g,1a). Deerfield’s offense was led by senior Antoine Laganiere (1g,1a) as the Big Green got goals from four different players. Deerfield junior Casey DeSmith stopped 31 of 35 while Loomis senior Craig Naclerio kicked out 42 of 46.
Choate 5 @ Pomfret 4: Choate scored four consecutive goals in the third period to deny Pomfret of its fifth victory of the season. The Wild Boars were led by seniors Billy Rivellini (2g,1a), Joel Goodsell (3a), Max Heaton (2g), and Mark Goggin (2a). Four different players registered goals for Pomfret. Junior Dan Rivellini stopped 34 of 38 shots to preserve the one-goal win. @ Belmont Hill 8, St. Sebastian’s 2: After being bounced from the most recent poll, you could , if you wished, say that Belmont Hill came out with a vengeance today. It might be more accurate, though, to say that St. Seb’s had a tough day in their end of the rink. Despite the score, the final shots for this game were St. Seb’s, 55, Belmont Hill, 27, as Princeton recruit Mike Condon was kept very busy in a game in which his team won by six goals. The Belmont Hill attack got contributions from seniors Tony Uglietto (2g,1a), Ryan Walsh (1g,1a), Michael Blake (2g), and Jack McNamara (2a); and sophomore Brandon McNally (1g,2a). This game was also marred by twenty penalties. Winchendon 9 @ Brewster 2: After Brewster tied it at 2-2 with 12 minutes left in the second period, Winchendon exploded for seven unanswered goals. Seniors Adam Hercules (3g,2a), Hugo Turcotte (5a), Raphael Pouliot (3g), and John Jenkins (1g,1a); and junior Phil Arnone (2g,2a) led the attack. Senior Ben Meisner stopped 36 of 38 shots to earn the victory. @ Andover 5, Kimball Union 2: #2 Andover scored five consecutive goals in the first and seconds periods to pull away from visiting KUA. Andover was fueled by senior Mike Lozzi (2a); and juniors Chris Kreider (2g,1a), Redmond Colson (2a), and Bennett Carroccio (2a). Senior Glen Stowell kicked out 23 of 25 shots for the win. Millbrook 6 @ Albany Academy 4: Take this for what you will, but the shot totals as recorded in this game were Millbrook 68, Albany, 51. Millbrook’s point producers were senior Mathieu Dubuc (3g); and juniors Jonathan Theriault (1g,1a) and Will Lee (2a). All four of Albany’s goals came on the power play, with the big point contributors being juniors Matt Rakoczy (2g,1a) and Zach Popp (1g,1a); and sophomore Albee Daley (1g,1a). Exeter 7 @ Proctor 6: Senior Dan Weiniger (3g,2a) tied the game at 6-6 with 1:52 remaining and then buried the game-winner 49 seconds later to lift #6 Exeter to a dramatic victory over host Proctor. Helping Weiniger upfront for Exeter were seniors Matt Hatch (1g,5a), Nick Kondiles (2g,1a), and Thomas Larkin (3a). Matching Exeter goal-for-goal, Proctor seniors Rob Toczylowski (3g,3a) and Dan Rowland (3g) each registered hat tricks, while junior Connor Toomey (3a) also had a strong showing. Berkshire 3 @ Kent 2: Less than three minutes after host Kent had erased a two-goal deficit, junior Kevin Sullivan, off a pass from junior Jake Goldberg, buried the game winner for #4 Berkshire. Berkshire senior netminder Zeke Testa stopped 42 of 44 Kent shots for the big win. Senior Andrew Flynn and Goldberg each registered two assists for Berkshire. Senior Christian Cowles and Chris Buquicchio provided the Kent tallies. @ Nobles & Greenough 6, Governor’s 4: #10 Nobles notched its fifth consecutive win on the strength of their powerplay, which registered four goals today. Spearheading the Nobles’ offense were sophomores Kevin Hayes (3g,1a), Matt Harlow (1g,4a), and Billy Arnold (2g,1a); and junior Gus Young (3a). Four different players registered goals for Governor’s. Nobles outshot Governor’s by a 36 to 23 margin. @ Hoosac 4, Portledge 3: #8 Hoosac was led by senior Steven Buco (2g,2a) and junior Jory Uhlman (2g,1a). Senior Nick Ponzo stopped 15 of 18 shots to pick up the victory. @ Lawrence 5, Thayer 1: Lawrence, at #1 in the USHR prep poll for the first time this season, showed themselves worthy. Seniors Wayne Simpson (1g,2a) and Steven Whitney (1g); and sophomores Zack Phillips (1g,2a) and Zach Shannon (3a) rolled past visiting Thayer. Lawrence outshot Thayer 41-14. @ Rivers 5, St. George’s 3: Rivers’ offense came from juniors Tom Manna (1g,2a), Mike Whouley (2g), and Jordan Greenfield (2a); and sophomores Cam Brown (3a) and Conor Dempsey (1g,1a). Senior Patrick Guerriero (2g) and Thomas Growney (2a) led the way for St. George’s. Rivers goaltender Dillon Pieri kicked out 36 of 39 shots for the win.
@ Hotchkiss 11, Westminster 2: Although #8 Hotchkiss and Westminster were each riding five-game winning streaks into today’s contest, Westminster was cooled down quickly and decisively. Leading the Bearcats’ barrage were seniors Chris Steele (2g,1a) and Zack Martin (2g); juniors Derek Deblois (2g,4a), Matt Coleman (5a), and Ken Matheson (2g); and sophomore Petr Placek (1g,1a). Junior Daniel Hnatko (1g,1a) contributed to both Westminster tallies. Hotchkiss junior Cab Morris stopped 32 of 34 shots for the win.
Tabor 5 @ Cushing 2: Tabor, on the road, scored four first period goals. The Seawolves attack was led by seniors Jayson Megna (1g,2a), Regan MacLean (2g), and Eric Czapka (2a). Tabor senior Nick Betti was a wall in net, stopping 38 of 40 shots.
2/10/09
Feb. 10 Playoff Update
The playoff race is starting to take on a more definitive shape, especially in the East, where the top five teams look like the only teams with a legitimate shot. In order, they are Exeter, Andover, Lawrence, Belmont Hill, and Nobles. Milton, right in the mix a couple of weeks ago, has been wounded, likely mortally, by a recent four-game losing streak. They have dropped into a distant sixth. At the top, Exeter and Andover will continue to duke it out for the top spot, with Lawrence nipping at their heels. Here are the unofficial numbers going into Wednesday's games.
1. Exeter (1 + 1 + 2) = 4
2. Andover (2 + 2 + 1) = 5
3. Lawrence (3 + 3 + 3) = 9
4. Belmont Hill (4 + 4 + 4) = 12
5. Nobles (5 + 5 + 7) = 17
6. Milton (9 + 10 + 5) = 24
7. Tabor (11 + 8 + 6) = 25
8. KUA (9 + 9 + 8) = 26
A similar scenario – but an even closer race -- exists in the West, where five teams are definitively in the playoff hunt, and the rest on the outside looking in. At #6, a resurgent South Kent team has the least amount of DI games played (13), and also has a large number of games left versus above .500 teams. Wednesday’s Taft-Salisbury matchup at the Harbor Yard Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. is a big game in the battle for home ice. In an interesting note, if the season ended today, Salisbury and Berkshire would be the #2-3 matchup in the West quarterfinals (each are tied, but, as Berkshire leads in two of the three criteria, they would be the higher seed). The thing is, Salisbury is without a rink right now, and have been playing all season out of the new Berkshire rink, ten miles up Route 41. Gunnery and Hotchkiss are currently tied for the last playoff position, with Gunnery holding the tiebreaker there. South Kent and Westminster are further back and will need wins and outside help in order to get back in the picture. The unofficial numbers through Tuesday:
1. Taft (1 + 1 + 1) = 3
2. Berkshire (2 + 2 + 4) = 8
3. Salisbury (3 + 3 + 2) = 8
4. Gunnery (4 + 4 + 5) = 13
5. Hotchkiss (5 + 5 + 3) = 13
6. South Kent (6 + 7 + 6) = 19
7. Westminster (7 + 6 + 7) = 20
8. Choate (9 + 9 + 8) = 26
In the first two categories, where the most stability lies, teams just need to keep winning to hold their positions. However, there is a lot of volatility in the third criteria, where outside forces come into play. Specifically, there are now eight teams hovering one game above, one game below, or right at .500. These teams are: Choate, Cushing, Deerfield, Kent, KUA, Milton, NMH, and St. Sebastian’s. (Of those teams, seven of the eight are currently above .500.) With three weeks left in the regular season, there is a lot of hockey to be played with playoff implications. The game tomorrow with the greatest direct playoff implications is, as mentioned above, Taft vs. Salisbury. The following games are all between teams that are above .500: Westminster vs. Hotchkiss, Proctor vs. Exeter, Tabor vs. Cushing, Berkshire vs. Kent, KUA vs. Andover, Governor’s vs. Nobles, and St. Seb’s vs. Belmont Hill. (St. Seb’s is one game below .500, meaning a win from them helps teams that have beaten the Arrows already, a group that includes Milton (2x), Belmont Hill, Nobles, and Lawrence.
2/9/09 A heads-up: Brewster-Andover game on Brewster's team schedule for today is NOT happening. It was canceled a while back.
This Week’s Schedule
Mon. Feb. 09, 2009:
Holderness @ Tilton, 2:45 pm (Make up game from 1/7/09)
Portsmouth Abbey @ St. George's, 4:30 pm
Delbarton @ St. Peter's Prep, 5:00 pm
Rye Country Day @ Portledge, 5:30 pm
Malden Catholic @ Xaverian, 8:00 pm
Tue. Feb. 10, 2009:
Brunswick @ Lawrenceville, 5:00 pm
Wakefield HS @ Malden Catholic, 6:00 pm
Wed. Feb. 11, 2009:
Tilton @ Holderness, 2:00 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Canterbury, 2:30 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 2:30 pm
Westminster @ Hotchkiss, 2:45 pm
St. Mark's @ Brooks, 3:00 pm
Groton @ BB&N, 3:15 pm
Exeter @ Proctor, 3:30 pm
Horace Greeley H.S. @ Harvey, 3:30 pm
Tabor @ Cushing, 3:30 pm
Middlesex @ Roxbury Latin, 3:30 pm
Berkshire @ Kent, 4:00 pm
Millbrook @ Albany Academy, 4:00 pm
Taft @ Salisbury, 4:00 pm (@ Bridgeport, Conn.)
Kents Hill @ New Hampton, 4:00 pm
Portledge @ Hoosac, 4:00 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Gunnery, 4:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Andover, 4:00 pm
Berwick @ Hebron, 4:00 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ St. Thomas More, 4:00 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Belmont Hill, 4:30 pm
Rye Country Day @ KLHT, 4:30 pm
Winchendon @ Brewster, 4:30 pm
Milton @ St. Paul's, 4:30 pm
Deerfield @ Loomis-Chaffee, 4:30 pm
Choate @ Pomfret, 4:30 pm
St. George's @ Rivers, 4:30 pm
Thayer @ Lawrence, 4:45 pm
Bishop Eustace @ Hill School, 5:30 pm
Governor's @ Noble & Greenough, 5:30 pm
Catholic Memorial @ Mount St. Charles, 6:00 pm
Xaverian @ Marshfield, 6:15 pm
Coyle-Cassidy H.S. vs. BC High, 8:15 pm (@ UMass-Boston)
Thu. Feb. 12, 2009:
Brunswick @ North Yarmouth, 5:00 pm
Billerica H.S. @ Malden Catholic, 6:00 pm
Fri. Feb. 13, 2009:
Worcester Academy @ Brewster, 3:30 pm
Brunswick @ Hebron, 3:30 pm
Roxbury Latin @ Pingree, 3:45 pm
Hoosac @ New Hampton, 4:00 pm
Duxbury @ Xaverian, 4:00 pm
Belmont Hill @ Thayer, 4:00 pm
Gunnery @ Loomis-Chaffee, 4:30 pm
Milton @ St. Sebastian's, 4:45 pm
Berwick @ Worcester Academy, 5:15 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Millbrook, 5:30 pm -- rescheduled from Wed. 1/28/09
Bridgton @ Wyoming Seminary, 6:00 pm
Delbarton @ St. Augustine, 6:00 pm
Tilton @ Kent, 6:30 pm
Andover @ Governor's, 7:00 pm
Sat. Feb. 14, 2009:
Brunswick @ Kents Hill, 11:00 am
Roxbury Latin @ Rivers, 12:00 pm
Albany Academy @ Lawrenceville, 2:00 pm
Governor's @ BB&N, 2:00 pm
Westminster @ Choate, 2:30 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ Vermont Academy, 2:30 pm
Deerfield @ Avon Old Farms, 2:45 pm
Tilton @ South Kent, 3:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Holderness, 3:00 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Salisbury, 3:00 pm (@Berkshire)
Tabor @ St. Sebastian's, 3:00 pm
Proctor @ St. Paul's, 3:00 pm
Berkshire @ Winchendon, 3:00 pm
Worcester Academy @ Brewster, 3:30 pm
Taft @ Hotchkiss, 4:00 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Exeter, 4:00 pm
Pingree @ New Hampton, 4:00 pm
Millbrook @ Williston-Northampton, 4:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Middlesex, 4:30 pm
Canterbury @ Cushing, 4:30 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Milton, 4:30 pm
CP Dynamo @ Hoosac, 4:30 pm
Gunnery @ Pomfret, 4:30 pm
St. George's @ Brooks, 5:00 pm
Dexter @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:00 pm
St. John's (S) @ Xaverian, 5:30 pm
Stanstead College @ North Yarmouth, 5:45 pm
Thayer vs. Catholic Memorial, 6:00 pm (@ BU)
Trinity-Pawling @ Kent, 7:00 pm
Sun. Feb. 15, 2009:
Bridgton @ Lawrenceville, 12:00 pm
Albany Academy @ Hill School, 12:00 pm
Stanstead College @ Kents Hill, 1:00 pm
Canterbury @ Winchendon, 1:00 pm
South Kent @ Lawrence, 2:30 pm
Mon. Feb. 16, 2009:
St John's Prep @ Catholic Memorial, 12:30 pm (@ BU)
Xaverian vs. Barnstable HS, 3:00 pm (@ Bridgewater)
Portsmouth Abbey @ St. George's, 4:15 pm
Bishop Eustace @ Wyoming Seminary, 4:30 pm
Berwick @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Millbrook @ Berkshire, 5:15 pm
2/9/09
Div. II Standings Update
Here are the updated numbers, going into Monday’s action. (There’s not a lot of action, actually, just one game.)1. Hebron (1-1-1) = 3
2. Dexter (2-2-6) = 10
3. New Hampton (6-4-2) = 12
4. Worcester (7-3-4) = 14
5. NYA (9-5-3) = 17
6. Roxbury Latin (5-6-9) = 20
7T. Kents Hill (12-7-5) = 24
Groton (8-8-8) = 24
9. Hoosac (3-11-13) = 27
10T. Berwick (13-9-10) = 32
Pingree (15-10-7) = 32
Brunswick (10-11-11) = 32
13. Vermont Academy (11-14-14) = 39
2/9/09
Once Again, Hebron Unanimous #1
The Lumberjacks roll on, and again hold the #1 spot in the USHR Div. II Prep Poll. And the vote was unanimous.
USHR Div. II Prep Poll: Week of Feb. 9, 2009
2/8/09
Big Venue for a Big Tilt
The Founder’s League was off this past weekend, but will be getting back at it this Wednesday, Feb. 11th.Among the games that day will be Salisbury vs. Taft, a battle of two top-ranked teams that will be played at the Harbor Yard Arena in Bridgeport, Conn.
This game, a home game for Salisbury, will face off at 4:00 pm. If you want to see an AHL game, stick around because at 7:00 pm the Bridgeport Sound Tigers will face off against the San Antonio Rampage.
The Sound Tigers have a page on their web site listing some area restaurants. Ralph 'n' Rich's is the one closest to the arena, just a block north, actually.
And here’s a link to The Barnum Museum, which is also very close to the arena. We plan to check out if we get down there with some time to spare.
The arena, the restaurant, and the museum are all within blocks of each other in downtown Bridgeport. So too, is the Amtrak station.
If you’re driving, the arena is right off I-95 at 600 Main St.; Bridgeport, Conn. 06604. Here’s the link:
1/7/09 Sat. Feb. 9 Recaps
@ BB&N 5, St. Paul’s 4: After seeing his team relinquish the lead three times, BB&N senior Stephen Wadsworth (2g,2a) scored the game winner with 2:48 remaining in the third period. Also contributing to the BB&N attack were juniors Eric Danilchuk (1g,2a) and Jack Bartlett (3a); and sophomore Alex Quinn (2a). BB&N senior Joe Papa kicked out 40 of 44 shots for the win.
@ Exeter 2, Milton 0: Senior Dan Weiniger scored both goals and junior Max Fenkell stopped all 34 shots he faced in shutting out Milton. Milton’s Thomas Tysowsky excellent as well, stopping 35 of 36 Exeter shots (the second Exeter goal was an empty-netter).
Kingswood-Oxford 6 @ Worcester Academy 3: In a Div. II shocker, visiting Kingswood-Oxford upended Worcester Academy, 6-3. Senior goaltender Andrew Boyce was the hero for K-O, stopping 49 of 52 shots. Sophomores Tyler Blake (2g,1a) and Nick Gehris (1g,1a) led the K-O attack. Senior Ben Goodman (1g,2a) figured in all Worcester’s goals. The win was the second in the season for K-O, the last coming on Dec. 10, a 5-3 win over Rye Country Day.
@ Kent’s Hill 3, Dexter 2: In their previous three contests, #2-ranked Dexter had accrued goal totals of seven, six, and 17, but nothing of the sort happened today as #10 Kent’s Hill surprised them 3-2. Kent's Hill senior Brian Fleming stopped 20 of 22 shots for the win. Kent’s Hill got goals from three different players, and senior Nick Kolb (2a) was in on two of them. Junior Matt Magoon (2a) and sophomore John Magliozzi (1g,1a) led the Dexter attack.
@ Belmont Hill 5, Rivers 3: Belmont Hill led 5-0 midway through the third, but Rivers then scored three straight to keep things interesting. Leading the Belmont Hill attack was senior Jack McNamara (2g,1a). In net, Mike Condon stopped all 22 shots in his 45 minutes of play before being replaced by junior Derek Metcalfe. This was Belmont Hill’s first victory since defeating Div. II Berwick in OT last Saturday as they fell victim to East powerhouses Lawrence and Andover earlier in the week.
Brooks 4 @ Middlesex 3: Despite a late third period comeback attempt by Middlesex, Brooks, behind junior Nick Galanos (2g,1a) and freshman Nick Potter (1g,1a), prevailed. Junior Joe Pascucci added two assists for Middlesex. Brooks sophomore goalie Tyler Stillings stopped 36 of 39 shots to earn the win.
Roxbury Latin 3 @ St. George’s 2 (OT): Senior forward Andrew Berry scored at 2:36 of overtime to lift Roxbury Latin to a big win at St. George’s. Sophomore goaltender Brad Barone stopped 38 of 40 for the win. Senior defenseman Shayne Anderson had two assists for RL.
@ Winchendon 5, Albany Academy 3: After Albany Academy made things interesting in the third, Winchendon junior Vincent Clement-Gratton (1g,1a) preserved the win with a goal at the 6:21 mark. Seniors Raphael Pouliot (1g,1a) and Corey Lee (2a) also had big games for Winchendon. Junior Zach Popp netted two goals for Albany Academy. Winchendon outshot Albany Academy 48-26.
Berwick 2 @ Vermont Academy 1 (OT): A Matt Tucceri goal 34 seconds into OT was the difference here. Tucceri, a senor, also assisted on Berwick’s goal in regulation. Berwick sophomore goaltender Alex Devine kicked out 28 of 29 for the win. Vermont senior Austin Erney stopped 28 of 30 in a losing cause.
@ Tabor 4, Northfield-Mt. Hermon 2: Senior Nick Betti stopped 29 of 31 shots to lead the host Seawolves past NMH. Seniors Jayson Megna, Anthony Mezzagno, and George DeMello each had a goal and an assist for Tabor.
@ Kimball Union 2, Holderness 1: KUA sophomore goaltender Steve Mastalerz stopped 27 of 28 shots to pick up the win. Holderness senior Jeff Wasson had a strong game as well, stopping 35 of 37. PG Andrew Murmes (1g,1a) and sophomore Gabriel Veilleux (2a) figured in both of KUA’s goals.
@ Hill 8, Team Comcast Under-18 1: Junior Max Novak (2g,2a), senior Brooks Potts (4a), and sophomore Marcello DeAngelis (2g,1a) led the way offensively for the Hill.
@ Groton 10, St. Marks 1: Seniors Sean La Liberte (3a) and Jono Turchetta (1g,1a); juniors Scott Fronsdahl (2a) and Conor Robinson (2a); sophomores Nils Martin (4g,1a), Garrett Sunda (1g,1a), and Connor Miyamoto (2a); and freshman Michael Doherty (1g,1a) led the way for Groton. Junior Dale Adams and sophomore Max Lindemann combined to make 18 saves for the win.
@ Proctor 4, Tilton 1: Senior Conor Systrom stopped 33 of 34 shots to lead host Proctor. PGs Andrew Francis (2g) and Dan Rowland (2a); and junior Nik Tasiopoulos (2a) led the way offensively.
@ New Hampton 4, Portsmouth Abbey 1: Seniors Sean Dunn (2g,1a), Kyle Zobler (1g,1a), and Mike Carr (2a) led the attack. Senior goaltender Pat Dunn stopped 20 of 21 shots.
@ Governor's 7, Thayer 5: Juniors Brett Riley (2g,1a) and Cody Ferriero (2g,1a); and sophomore Alex Gacek (2g) paced the Governor's attack. Sophomore Charlie Coyle (2g,2a) and senior Brian Cotrone (2g,1a) led the way for Thayer.
2/6/09
Div. II Playoff Update
Here are standings going into the games of Friday Feb. 6:1. Hebron (1-1-1) = 3
2. Worcester (3-2-3) = 8
3. Dexter (2-3-7) = 12
4. New Hampton (7-4-2) = 13
5T. Groton (9-5-5) = 19
North Yarmouth (10-5-4) = 19
7T. Roxbury Latin (6-8-11) = 25
Vermont Academy (8-8-9) = 25
9. Pingree (13-7-8) = 28
10T. Hoosac (4-11-14) = 29
Kents Hill (13-10-6) = 29
12. Brunswick (11-11-10) = 32
13. Berwick (12-13-13) = 38
14T. Middlesex (17-14-12) = 43
St. George’s (13-16-14) = 43
2/5/09 Thurs. Feb. 5 Div. I Playoff Update
Yesterday’s game shook up the current standings in the prep playoff race. In the East, Andover’s tie of Deerfield coupled with Exeter’s defeat of Holderness led to Exeter taking the lead in the first two categories and taking the first position overall in the East. Lawrence was strengthened both by defeating the #4 team in the East, Belmont Hill, and by NMH’s beating Kimball Union, raising NMH’s record to .500. Belmont Hill and Nobles were also aided by St. Seb’s moving to the .500 plateau, as it boosted Nobles into fifth. Milton failed to take advantage of the help offered by St. Seb’s moving to .500, losing their third consecutive game and dropping to 7th in the first two criteria and 6th overall in the east. The drop after that is substantial. Here are the numbers for the top 7:
1. Exeter (1+1+3) = 5
2. Andover (2+2+1) = 5
3. Lawrence (3+3+2) = 8
4. Belmont Hill (4+4+5) = 13
5. Nobles (5+5+6) = 16
6. Milton (7+7+3) = 17
7. Tabor (12+10+7) = 29
In the West, mutability is the word of the day. The upset of the West’s previous top team, Salisbury, by sub-.500 Trinity Pawling, coupled with both Taft’s win over .500 Kent and NMH reaching .500,has pushed the Rhinos into first in all three categories. In addition, Salisbury’s loss and Berkshire’s win over Canterbury has pushed the Bears percentage points over Salisbury in the first two categories and into the second position. Hotchkiss continues their winning ways, has jumped over Gunnery by mere percentage points in the first two categories, and right into the final playoff position in the West. South Kent and Westminster, despite wins, are still definitively on the outside looking in:
1. Taft (1+1+1) = 3
2. Berkshire (2+2=4) = 8
3. Salisbury (3+3+2) = 8
4. Hotchkiss (4+4+3) = 11
5. Gunnery (5+5+5) = 15
6. South Kent (6+7+6) = 19
7. Westminster (7+6+10) = 23
Some teams to keep an eye on in upcoming weeks are Deerfield, Kent, NMH, and St. Sebastian’s as all four currently sit at .500 in DI play. Some games of note to keep in mind for this week are Lawrence @ St. Sebastian’s, Belmont Hill @ Andover, and Milton @ Exeter. The smaller number of games this weekend is due to schools, principally from the West, going on winter’s long weekend.
Today's Curious Fact for the Mathematically Inclined:
Andover, by virtue of tying Deerfield yesterday, actually helped themselves more in the third criteria than if they had won. If the regular season were over now, and Andover had instead won yesterday’s game, Deerfield would have finished below .500, meaning Andover's win would have had less value than a tie in the third criteria. Of course, if Andover had lost it would have hurt them in the first two criteria. But by tying, Andover did the best they could in terms of helping themselves – though only in the third criteria. And just for now. Go figure.
2/4/09
Wed. Feb. 4 Recaps
-- Michaildis Natural Hat Trick Lifts Westminster to 5th StraightSimsbury, Conn. – In a see-saw game, Westminster, trailing 3-2 early in the third, battled back to take a 5-4 decision over Avon Old Farms here today.
This was a game that Avon could have put away early, as the Winged Beavers – with the help of three straight power plays – outshot their hosts 19-6 in the first period. But they didn’t score until that 19th and final shot when, with four seconds left in the period, senior Stefan Demopoulos knocked a rebound past Westminster senior goaltender Charles Corsi for a 1-0 lead.
In the second, the Winged Beavers went up 2-0 when Kevin Teifenwerth, from below the right faceoff dot fired one top shelf behind Corsi at the 7:42 mark.
But the lead that Avon worked to get in the game’s first 25-plus minutes disappeared – poof! – in a mere 16 seconds.
First, Joey Campanelli, manning the right point on the power play, beat junior Josh Dionne with a low shot at the 10:31 mark.
Then, at 10:47, Westminster senior forward Mike Hallisey took it down the left side and, from just inside the blue line, let fly with a high shot that handcuffed Dionne. Just like that, it was 2-2.
Avon head coach John Gardner called time out and reminded his team that they also had enjoyed a 2-0 lead over Westminster in their previous meeting (on Jan. 26, at Avon) and had managed to cough it up, and the game, too (an eventual 4-2 loss).
The timeout paid off quickly, as it took all of seven seconds for Avon to cash in on a faceoff play, Demopoulos on the right side backhanding a pass into the slot for Quinn Smith, who snapped it past Corsi at the 10:54 mark to give Avon a 3-2 lead.
The two teams had combined for three goals in 23 seconds. After that, things settled down. There was no scoring for the rest of the second, a period in which Westminster outshot Avon 13-8.
The third period was a disaster for the Winged Beavers.
With Westminster on the power play, Ryan Tyson found junior forward Peter Michailidis in the slot and hit him with a nice pass. Tyson wristed it past Dionne at the 3:02 mark to tie the game at 3-3.
Shortly after, big Avon forward Stanley Smigelski was tagged with a major penalty for a hit from behind. (From where we were, it looked more like the two-minute variety of the call, but either way it was a penalty.)
And Westminster cashed in (though not in the first two minutes). At the 7:36 mark, a Campanelli shot from the point was tipped home by Michaildis to give Westminster a 4-3 lead.
We should mention that the Westminster power play unit of Campanellli and Harry Radovich on the points, and Tyson, Daniel Hnatko, and Micailidis up front really bore down nicely when the game was on the line.
Westminster would extend that to 5-3 when Hnatko found Michailidis in the slot. Michailidis’ turnaround shot beat Dionne to make it 5-3, and gave Michaildis a natural hat track.
Avon made it interesting when, with the Dionne pulled and an extra attacker on, a shot from the point by big senior D Charles Vasaturo beat Corsi with 20 seconds left. After that, time just ran out on the Winged Beavers. Avon has now lost four of their last five games, and are four games under .500
Shots in the third were 12-6 Westminster
After the game, Westminster head coach Tim Joncas said some talks after his team’s loss to Loomis Jan. 24 really brought the team together. “It’s a gritty team,” he said. “They come to work every day and play 54 minutes. That’s why we have a lot of come-from-behind wins like today. I’m just proud of the kids because we don’t have a lot of name-brand kids in this program. We’ve had a good week or so.”
Outside the Avon room, John Gardner was less upbeat. “I thought we should have won that game. We took a lot of penalties. We gave them three power play goals. I don’t want to take anything away from Westminster – they were opportunistic – but the truth of the matter is we blew the game.”
”I actually thought we executed our game plan well, but we didn’t seal the deal. We just don’t know how to win yet.”
... and in other action:
@ Taft 2, Kent 1: #4 Taft got goals from senior CM Liotta and junior Kevin Spotts. Senior Christian Cowles scored the lone goal for Kent. Taft junior Steve Racine stopped 31 of 32 shots, outdueling Kent junior Marco De Filippo who kicked out 22 of 24 shots.
@ Northfield Mt. Hermon 3, Kimball Union 1: NMH junior Josh Woody (2g) and senior Reilly Struthers (2a) led the Hoggers attack. Junior Branden Komm stood tall in net, stopping 35 of 36 shots for the win.
Berkshire 4 @ Canterbury 1: With all four goals coming within a 2:30 span in the first period, #5 Berkshire was powered by juniors Kevin Sullivan (2g,1a), Jake Goldberg (2a); and senior Andrew Flynn (2a). Despite losing by three, host Canterbury outshot Berkshire by accumulating 28 shots to Berkshire’s 22.
@ Gunnery 7, Millbrook 0: #7 Gunnery was led by senior Mike Garlasco (1g,3a); and juniors Thane Heller (3g), Shane Gorman (1g,2a), and Zach Capozza (1g,1a). Gunnery junior goaltender Alex Vazzano was perfect in net, stopping all 23 shots en route to his third shutout of the season.
@ Trinity-Pawling 3, Salisbury 2 (OT): Junior Brendan MacDonald buried the game winner 3:03 into the extra frame to complete a major upset of #3 Salisbury. In the effort, Trinity-Pawling also got goals from seniors Beau Roeder and Doug Izzo. Salisbury’s tallies came from junior Michael McCann and junior Brendan Russo. Trinity-Pawling sophomore Zach Kizitaff was the story of the game, however, stopping 43 of 45 Crimson Knight shots to earn the dramatic victory. Comparatively, Salisbury’s Andy Iles only faced 27 shots.
@ Dexter 17, St. Thomas More 2: We understand the Div. II criteria very well and can tell you that goal differential has absolutely nothing to do with playoff seeding. We’d have to see a tape of this game in order to make any comment, but from studying the box score, or forensic report or whatever it is, we can tell you that sophomores John Magliozzi (1g,5a) and Steve McKenna (3g,1a—hat-trick in 1st period), and eight grader Charlie Donners (2g,3a) combined for 14 points in the first period, but only one thereafter, so, despite the run-up of a score, there may actually have been a pullback of sorts. Still… people are going to be talking about this one, and rightly so. For the record, freshmen Cameron Darcy (4g,2a—hat-trick in 1st period) and Nelson Pulling (2g,2a) also had a bunch of points. Shots on goal were Dexter 70, St. Thomas More 11. With the demise of Div. II, this might be a good time for St. Thomas More to evaluate where they want to go with their hockey program because games like this one aren't fair to anyone -- and not just the players on St. Thomas More, but Dexter, too.
@ Winchendon 5, Hoosac 2: On the strength of three consecutive power-play goals in the first and second periods, Winchendon powered past Hoosac. The Winchendon attack was led by seniors Raphael Pouliot (1g,1a) and Hugo Turcotte (2a). Winchendon senior goaltender Ben Meisner stopped 29 of 31 shots.
@ Groton 3, Rivers 0: Junior Connor Baharozian (2g) led the offense for #9 Groton. Junior Dale Adams stopped all 24 shots to preserve the shutout.
@ Berwick 7, Brooks 2: Berwick was led by seniors Aaron Harris (3g), Matt Tucceri (4a); junior Oliver Jansson (1g,2a); and sophomores Alex Tobey (2a), Kyle Lajeunesse (1g,1a), and David Horan (2a). Sophomore Alex Devine stopped 18 of 20 for the win.
South Kent 11 @ Albany Academy 1: South Kent’s big guns were seniors Wade Megan (1g,2a), David Benmocha (1g,2a), Neil Fachini (2g), Chris Wieland (1g,1a), and Dan Pelletier (2g); and juniors Chris Egan (2g,1a) and Mike Pereira (1g,1a). The shot totals in this game were South Kent 69, Albany Academy, 19.
@ Deerfield 3, Andover 3: Junior Chris Kreider (2g) scored with 1:02 left in the third period to lift #1 Andover to a tie. All but one goal in this game was scored on special teams, as all three of Andover’s tallies were scored on the power-play and Deerfield registered two of its goals in 5x3 situations. Deerfield got its offense from Alex Ward (2a) while its goals came from senior Antoine Laganiere and juniors Steve Kelley and Nick Lovejoy. Deerfield’s Casey DeSmith stopped 41 of 44 Andover shots while senior Glenn Stowell stopped 33 of 36 shots in between the Andover pipes.
Hebron 7 @ North Yarmouth 3: Registering three goals on the man advantage, #1 Hebron’s attack was fueled by seniors Chad Goodwin (2g,2a), Eric Rodriguez (4a), Andrew Cetola (1g,1a), and Matt Siracusa (1g,1a); and juniors Nate Dupere (1g,1a) and Chris Gacsy (2a). Sophomores Colt Steele (2g,1a) and Sebastian Perrson (1g,1a) led the way for #5 North Yarmouth.
@ Brewster 7, Proctor 3: After a back-and-forth first period, Brewster seized control. Seniors Stefan Lutzenkirchen (3g), Guillaume Cyr (4a), Justin Ingram (1g,1a), and Victor Nilsson (2a); and junior Ridge Garbutt (2g,2a) led the way. Proctor goals came from three different players. Brewster senior Philip Kagstedt stopped 41 of 44 for the win.
@ Nobles 5, Thayer 1: Four second-period goals were more than enough to rally Nobles past Thayer. Sophomores Kevin Hayes (2g,1a), Billy Arnold (1g,1a), Matt Harlow (3a), and Mike Reardon (1g,1a) led the Nobles attack. Final shot totals for this game were Nobles 37, Thayer 14.
Hotchkiss 5, @ Choate 1: #10 Hotchkiss notched its fifth consecutive win, with three goals coming on special teams. Hotchkiss was led by senior Brian Infante (1g,2a); and juniors Mike Borge (2g,1a), Ken Matheson (1g,1a), Derek Deblois (1g,1a) and Matt Coleman (2a). Junior Cab Morris kicked out 35 of 36 Wild Boar shots for the win. Choate has only one win in their previous eight games with three ties mixed in.
Exeter 4 @ Holderness 3: Senior Dan Weiniger (2g,2a) scored what turned out to be the game winner at the 10:01 mark of the third period to give #6 Exeter its third straight victory. Seniors Nick Kondiles (1g,2a) and Matt Hatch (1g,2a) also contributed to the Exeter offense. Three different players scored for Holderness. Junior Max Fenkell stopped 25 of 28 Holderness shots.
Governor’s 6 @ St. Paul’s 1: Governor’s five-goal victory was powered by senior Chris Menard (2g); juniors Josh Adinolfo (1g,2a), Tim Winslow (2a); and sophomores Alex Gacek (2g,1a) and Brian Ward (3a). Senior Dominic Malerba stopped 21 of 22 shots for the victory.
Loomis-Chaffee 7, @ Williston-Northampton 6 (OT): After trailing by two heading into the third, Loomis came back to tie it. Senior John Antonides (1g,4a) capped the comeback by scoring the game winner just four seconds into OT. Loomis was led by senior Ryan Stanley (2g,2a); and juniors Chris Lembo (1g,2a) and Phil Vermiglio (2a). Williston was led by juniors T.J. Powers (2g,2a), Garrett Lessard (1g,1a), and Kevin Kelly (2a). Loomis senior Craig Naclerio kicked out 44 of 50 shots, while Williston’s Bobby Bowden stopped 35 of 42 shots in the offensive shootout.
Tabor 7 @ Milton 4: Despite a third period push by #9 Milton, Tabor held on for the victory. Seniors Regan MacLean (3g,1a), Anthony Mezzagno (1g,3a), Drew Jelinek (1g,1a); and sophomore Cam Spiro (2g,1a) led the way for the Seawolves. Seniors Kyle Hunchberger (2g), Ryan Edwards (1g,1a), Jay Haseley (1g,1a); and sophomore Doo Soo Kim (2a) led the Milton attack. Milton senior Michael Baldino stopped 28 of 31 shots after coming in just seven minutes into the game after fellow senior and Holy Cross recruit Thomas Tysowsky surrendered four early goals. Tabor’s Robert Kang stopped 23 of 27 shots to earn the victory.
@ Harvey 6, Yorktown H.S. 4: Host Harvey rolled over Yorktown behind sophomore Rick Schulman (3g,3a), who figured in all six Harvey goals. Helping Schulman up front were senior Sean O’Brien (2g,1a) and freshman Tim Ehlberg (1g,2a).
@ St. George’s 4, Middlesex 1: Juniors Mike Violette (2g), Garrett Sider (2a); and senior Kevin Shelton (2a) all contributed to four first period goals by St. George’s. Middlesex sophomore Zach Arnold faced 49 shots, while St. George’s sophomore netminder Paul Roche only faced 24 in the victory.
@ Lawrence 5, Belmont Hill 4 – Due to a transmission problem with this one, we won’t have details until the morning.
We are missing the St. Sebastian's-BB&N score.
2/3/09
Div. II Playoff Scenario
We’ve put the numbers through their paces, and the unofficial calculations show that if the season were to end right now, the following eight teams would be in the playoffs:1. Hebron (1-1-1) = 3
2. Worcester (3-2-2) = 7
3. Dexter (2-3-5) = 10
4. New Hampton (7-4-3) = 14
5. North Yarmouth (7-5-4) = 16
6. Roxbury Latin (6-8-10) = 24
7. Groton (10-7-8) = 25
Pingree 12-6-7 = 25
… and these teams would be on the outside looking in:
9. Vermont (9-8-9) = 26
10. Kents Hill (12-10-6) = 28
11. Berwick (12-12-12) = 36
12. Middlesex (16-11-11) = 38
13. Hoosac (4-18-18) = 40
The Three Criteria:
1. Winning % vs. all Div. II Teams
2. Winning % vs. .500 or better Div. II Teams
3. (% of games vs. .500 or better Div. II Teams) x (Winning % vs. .500 or better Div. II Teams).
Wednesday’s Key Matchups:
-- Berwick @ Brooks, 3:00 pm - Berwick needs to beat the teams they should beat to stay in the hunt. .
-- St. Mark's @ Roxbury Latin, 3:30 pm - Which group of voters is right about RL?
-- Hebron @ North Yarmouth, 4:00 pm - Hebron can solidify their grasp on #1 going into a stretch of contests with strong Div. II teams
-- Middlesex @ St. George's, 4:00 pm - Whoever wins moves to .500, affecting other teams' standings
2/3/09
First Look: Div. I Playoff Picture
With four weeks to go in the regular season, it’s time to begin running the numbers. And that’s exactly what we’ve done, producing for you our first look at the playoff scenario.
As a reminder, or for people new to the prep hockey scene, the playoffs work like this. NEPSIHA Div. I is split into two regions: East and West. Within each conference, the teams are ranked according to three equally weighted criteria and are given a rank for each, with the best receiving a “1”, the second-best receiving a “2”, and so forth. Should teams be tied within a category, the teams are given the same ranking and the subsequent number is skipped. After all three criteria have been tabulated, the ranks are added and the teams with the four lowest combined totals are the playoff teams, with the best score (i.e the lowest score) hosting the fourth place in their conference, and the second place hosting the third. The same goes for the other region. These are the only factors determining who makes the playoffs. (We should mention that the poll released weekly here at USHR is based in large part on numbers and strength of schedule, but also allows for a subjective viewpoint based on current play, and a feel for the teams. We mention that only because people sometime ask.)
At any rate, the three criteria are as follows:
1. NEPSIHA Winning Percentage
2. NEPSIHA Div. I Winning Percentage
3. (Winning Percentage vs. NEPSIHA Div. I teams with a .500 record or better) x (Percentage of games played vs. NEPSIHA Div. I teams with a .500 record or better)
Looking at the general picture right now, of the 39 Div. I prep teams, there are 17 between .400 and .600 in Div. I winning percentage. Given the amount of teams around .500, this high volatility can lead to a lot of fluctuation in the third criteria based on the fortunes of teams that may not necessarily be fighting for playoff berths. The way the third criteria is set up, it is essentially a ratio of the amount of games won versus NEPSIHA Div. I teams over the amount of NEPSIHA Div. I games played. Take Kent, for example. They have beaten Taft already, and this week face both Taft and Berkshire. Two wins for Kent and they boost their playoff chances considerably, two losses and Kent (currently 7-6-2) would fall below .500. If they do fall below, teams that have previously beaten Kent (Salisbury, Tabor, Gunnery, Berkshire, Hotchkiss, and Westminster) and any teams in the future that might defeat Kent, thus pushing them under .500, will all take a hit in the third criteria. But if, say, Kent loses twice this week, and then gets hot again and pulls ahead of .500 later in the season, those opponents who beat them will bounce back in the third criteria. That’s a good example of how the system can fluctuate in ways that aren’t readily apparent, yet have a real affect on teams. Lastly, these are unofficial rankings based on the data available to us here. This data is current as of Tuesday night February 3, and present a portrait of how things would look if the playoffs were to start tomorrow.
In the East, there is a lot of jockeying for position, but the contenders have presented themselves. Andover, Exeter, Lawrence, Belmont Hill, Milton, and Nobles are the clearly defined top six, with the last two -- Milton and Nobles -- on the outside looking in. After that, we’re talking long shots, huge amounts of outside help, and highly improbable finishes.
Andover and Exeter are dead even in the battle for home ice in the first round. They have matching NEPSIHA winning percentages, though Exeter has the edge in Div. I winning percentage while Andover has a better strength of schedule rank. Since they are tied in one category, and split in the other, the first tiebreaker is rendered meaningless, and it goes to the next one, head-to-head matchups, which Andover currently holds by virtue of their 4-1 win Jan 17th. Andover is just one game behind Exeter in terms of their NEPSIHA Div. I records while, in the third criteria, Exeter is one game behind Andover. St. Sebastian’s pulling above .500 would greatly help Andover. Exeter, on the other hand, has several wins against teams that are currently above .500, but a couple of losses by these teams will hurt them in the third criteria. Needless to say, Exeter-Andover on the last day of the season may have huge implications for playoff seeding. Lawrence's gap over Belmont Hill and Milton in the first two criteria is quite large, but the teams are clumped closely together in the third criteria. If St. Seb's can reach .500, it will provide a lift to Belmont Hill and Milton (which has two wins over the Arrows). If Governor's falls below .500 it will hurt Belmont Hill more than Milton, as the Hillies have two wins over Governor’s. As for Lawrence, they just need to keep winning (and wouldn't mind it if NMH reached .500 tableau either). As we mentioned above, we don’t really see anyone else besides those six teams in the hunt for the playoffs on the East side of the bracket. But for those six teams, a move by a team out of contention may help or hurt them severely. Here are the numbers:
1. Andover (1+2+1) = 4
2. Exeter (1+1+2) = 4
3. Lawrence (3+3+4) = 10
4. Belmont Hill (4+4+3) = 11
5. Milton (5+6+5) = 16
6. Nobles (7+7+6) = 20
7. KUA (10+9+7) = 26
8. Proctor (6+5+16) = 27
9. Cushing (9+7+11) = 27
In the west, things are both a little clearer and a little hazier. (We’ll explain). It looks like the top seven teams are all still in the thick of things: Salisbury, Taft, Berkshire, Gunnery, Hotchkiss, South Kent, and Westminster. Choate has really shot themselves in the foot as of late, going 2-3-4 in their past nine, with those three wins coming against teams that are below .500. In terms of both NEPSIHA and NEPSIHA Div. I winning percentage the top three look hard to crack. Berkshire's winning percentages (.727 for both) is very strong. Trailing Berkshire by a significant gap is The Gunnery and Hotchkiss – they are both at .667. The next two, South Kent and Westminster, are even farther back in this criteria. In the third criteria though, Salisbury and Taft look like locks for finishing 1-2. Taft is nipping on Salisbury's heels in that category, and would be greatly aided by beating Kent tomorrow (Wed.) and by NMH’s moving over .500. Given that Kent is above .500 and that Taft has already lost once to them, a win would be huge for the Rhinos, while Salisbury has only tied them -- and aren't scheduled to play them again this season. Salisbury could be aided by Westminster dropping below .500 as they suffered a loss to them while Taft beat them, but given that Westminster is three games over .500, we really don't see that happening. Canterbury staying below .500 will also help Taft maintain a healthy distance between themselves and Berkshire and Gunnery (as Berkshire has beaten them twice and Gunnery has earned a draw and still has another game coming versus the Saints). Berkshire is solidly entrenched in the third position in the third criteria too, while Hotchkiss is right on Gunnery's back, with South Kent right behind them. Westminster is further back in that category and will need a lot of help to make up ground. Teams that can greatly impact the third criteria for these teams are Kent, Canterbury, Choate, and Winchendon. Here are the numbers:
1. Salisbury (1+1+1) = 3
2. Taft (2+2+2) = 6
3. Berkshire (3+3+3) = 9
4. Gunnery (4+4+4) = 12
5. Hotchkiss (4+4+5) = 13
6. South Kent (6+7+5) = 18
7. Westminster (7+6+7) = 20
8. Choate (9+9+10) = 28
9. Winchendon (10+10+9) = 29
10. Kent (10+10+9) = 29
11. Deerfield (11+11+7) = 29
To sum it all up, the contenders have made themselves known, but given that there are four weeks left, and that 27 of the 39 DI teams are above .400, every game can potentially impact somebody else's chances and will shape up to be an intriguing stretch run.
2/2/09
This Week’s Schedule
Mon. Feb. 2, 2009:
Rivers @ Roxbury Latin, 3:40 pm -- makeup of 1/28 game
Williston-Northampton @ Westminster, 4:30 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Hotchkiss, 4:30 pm
Tue. Feb. 3, 2009:
St. Thomas More @ Dexter, 4:15 pm
Vermont Academy @ Stanstead College, 5:00 pm
St. John's (S) @ Catholic Memorial, 5:00 pm
St John's Prep @ Malden Catholic, 6:00 pm
Wed. Feb. 4, 2009:
Kent @ Taft, 2:00 pm
Berkshire @ Canterbury, 2:30 pm
Salisbury @ Trinity-Pawling, 2:30 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Westminster, 2:30 pm
Berwick @ Brooks, 3:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 3:00 pm
Millbrook @ Gunnery, 3:00 pm
Hoosac @ Winchendon, 3:00 pm
Tabor @ Milton, 3:15 pm
St. Sebastian's @ BB&N, 3:15 pm
Hotchkiss @ Choate, 3:30 pm
Rivers @ Groton, 3:30 pm
St. Mark's @ Roxbury Latin, 3:30 pm
Andover @ Deerfield, 3:45 pm
South Kent @ Albany Academy, 4:00 pm
Hebron @ North Yarmouth, 4:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Worcester Academy, 4:00 pm (Buffone Arena)
Proctor @ Brewster, 4:00 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Williston-Northampton, 4:00 pm
Lawrenceville @ Delbarton, 4:00 pm
Middlesex @ St. George's, 4:00 pm
St. Thomas More @ Dexter, 4:15 pm
Cushing @ Pomfret, 4:30 pm
Exeter @ Holderness, 5:00 pm
Rye Country Day @ Kingswood-Oxford, 5:00 pm
Governor's @ St. Paul's, 5:15 pm
Portledge @ Brunswick, 5:30 pm
Thayer @ Noble & Greenough, 5:45 pm
Belmont Hill @ Lawrence, 5:45 pm
Xaverian @ Chelmsford HS, 7:45 pm
Thu. Feb. 5, 2009:
Vermont Academy @ Kimball Union, 4:00 pm
Pomfret @ Gunnery, 4:00 pm
Fri. Feb. 6, 2009:
Cushing @ Holderness, 3:30 pm
Hebron @ Berwick, 4:00 pm
Lawrence @ St. Sebastian's, 4:30 pm
Delbarton @ Bishop Eustace, 4:30 pm
St. Mark's @ Rivers, 5:00 pm
Pingree @ North Yarmouth, 5:00 pm
Belmont Hill @ Andover, 5:15 pm
Noble & Greenough @ St. Paul's, 5:30 pm
King & Low-Heywood Thomas @ St. Thomas More, 6:00 pm
Harvey @ New Hampton, 6:00 pm
Winchendon @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 7:00 pm
Worcester Academy @ St. George's, 8:00 pm
Sat. Feb. 7, 2009:
Thayer @ Governor's, 1:00 pm
Groton @ St. Mark's, 1:30 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ Worcester Academy, 2:00 pm
Brooks @ Middlesex, 2:00 pm
Rivers @ Belmont Hill, 2:00 pm
Roxbury Latin @ St. George's, 2:00 pm
Berwick @ Vermont Academy, 3:00 pm
Milton @ Exeter, 3:00 pm
Brunswick @ Pingree, 3:00 pm
Dexter @ Kents Hill, 3:00 pm
Albany Academy @ Winchendon, 3:15 pm
Harvey @ Tilton “B”, 3:30 pm
Holderness @ Kimball Union, 3:30 pm
St. Paul's @ BB&N, 3:30 pm
Newburyport HS @ Malden Catholic, 3:45 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Tabor, 4:00 pm
Delbarton @ Seton Hall Prep, 4:15 pm
Tilton @ Proctor, 4:30 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ New Hampton, 5:00 pm
Westford Academy @ Xaverian, 6:15 pm
Sun. Feb. 8, 2009:
No Games Scheduled
Mon. Feb. 9, 2009:
Malden Catholic @ Xaverian, time TBA
Holderness @ Tilton, 2:45 pm (Make up game from 1/7/09)
Brewster @ Andover, 4:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ St. George's, 4:30 pm
Delbarton @ St. Peter's Prep, 5:00 pm
Rye Country Day @ Portledge, 5:30 pm
2/2/09
And, Once Again, Hebron is #1
As has been the case with every USHR Div. II coaches poll this season, Hebron is #1.
And it's unanimous, too.
Dexter, at #2, and Worcester Academy, at #3, were also unamimous.
In the Curious Cases File, Roxbury Latin, at #7, deserves mention. While getting a fairly high ranking from some voters, an equal number failed to place them in their top 10.
2/1/09 -- Please click on January above for last night's recaps. Also, check out the new standings page. Let us know what you think.
2/1/09
Andover Remains #1 in USHR Div. I Poll
For the fourth straight week, Phillips Andover Academy holds the #1 spot in this week’s USHR Div. I Prep Poll.
One team in last week’s poll was bounced out – Deerfield. The Big Green lost to Westminster at home on Wednesday, and at Hotchkiss on Saturday.
Moving into the poll, at #10, is Hotchkiss, by dint of that win over Deerfield.
At #11, right there on the bubble, is Westminster, winners of three in a row --- Avon, Deerfield, and Kent -- last week. Westy, by the way, went on that streak right after a Jan. 24 loss at Loomis.
