Sat. 2/25/23 -- Last update Mon. 2/27

Prep Quarterfinals Schedule

Here's the schedule. We'll update as info -- game times and neutral-site venues, etc. -- comes in.

Per NEPSAC, all quarterfinals (Wed. March 1) and semifinal games (Sat. March 4) will be held at campus sites. The trio of championship games will be held on Sunday, March 5th at St. Anselm College; Manchester, NH, with the Large School Championship at 12:00 pm; the Small School Championship at 2:30 pm, and the Elite 8 at 5:00 pm.

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Elite 8:
#8 Kimball Union @ #1 Cushing, 4:00 pm
#7 Westminster @ #2 Avon Old Farms, 2:45 pm
#6 Belmont Hill @ #3 Milton Academy, 5:30 pm
#5 Brunswick @ #4 Nobles, 4:30 pm

Large School Tournament:
#8 Kent @ #1 Taft, 4:45 pm
#7 Loomis @ #2 Salisbury, 4:00 pm
#6 NMH @ #3 Dexter, 4:00 pm
#5 Tabor @ #4 St. Sebastian's, 4:45 pm

Small School Tournament:
#8 New Hampton @ #1 St. Mark's, 4:00 pm
#7 Brooks @ #2 Holderness, 4:00 pm
#6 Tilton @ #3 Frederick Gunn, 5:00 pm -- at Deerfield
#5 Governor's @ #4 Lawrence Academy, 3:30 pm

Sat. 2/25/23

 

Prep Highlights:
Saturday, February 25, 2023

Taft's Guimond Blanks Hotchkiss
Gov's Tops #1 Cushing
Kyrkostas Hat Trick Downs Holderness
Petalas, Pimentel Pace Berwick
Andover's Skowronek Blanks Exeter
Milton's Caulfield Neutralizes Nobles

@ Lawrence Academy 3, Tabor 2 -- Tabor, playing on the road, outshot the host Spartans by 12 shots, but, thanks to a 36/38 showing from Lawrence senior G Vincent Lamberti, was denied the chance to jolt themselves into position for a home Large School playoff game. Junior Owen Leahy (1g,1a) paced the victors, who finish their regular season 10-11-4 overall and will comfortably qualify for the Small School tournament. Tabor got its goals from junior Keanan Dewberry and sophomore Will Doherty. The Seawolves, who started 9-2-2, were 4-7-3 down the stretch and will have to travel Wednesday for a quarterfinal matchup vs. St. Sebastian's, a familiar foe. 

Pomfret 5 @ Williston Northampton 4 -- With his team playing with nothing on the line, Pomfret senior Cameron Geary played spoiler, dashing what little hope Williston had of sneaking into the Small School bracket by notching the game-winner with 21 seconds left in regulation. Senior Aidan D'Urso and junior Louie Marcellino paced the Griffins with a goal and a helper each. Junior G Zach Bloxam (28/32) got the win in net. Williston PG Tyler Kirk was 21/26. Pomfret finishes 8-17-2. Williston finishes 14-13-2, capping its first above-.500 season since 2017-18.

@ Taft 4, Hotchkiss 0 -- Behind a 40-save shutout from junior G Rudy Guimond, Taft did all it could to preserve its spot in the Elite 8, blanking Hotchkiss at home. Senior Jackson Holl (1g,2a) and junior Derek Tremblay (3a) led the way. Sophomore Connor Towle was 28/32 in net for the Bearcats, who finish 8-14-2 in their first year under head coach Mike Doyle. Despite the convincing win, the Rhinos, due to Westminster's win over Belmont Hill, fell into the Large School bracket. They will be the #1 seed and will face #8 Kent on Wednesday.

@ Millbrook 4, Trinity-Pawling 3 (OT) -- With T-P leading 3-0 by the game's midpoint, Millbrook came roaring back, tying the game with sophomore Cole Mollica's powerplay goal with 2:58 left in regulation and winning it on senior John McLachlan's powerplay goal 43 seconds into OT. Mustangs junior G Tyler Spokane was 19/22 in the win. Millbrook finishes 10-14-13, reaching double-digit wins for the first time in the post-COVID era. T-P finishes 7-16-2.

@ Northfield Mt. Hermon 8, Hoosac 2 -- Three-point outings from seniors Joseph Dable and Cade DeWolf, plus a two-goal game from classmate Bobby Lachance Jr. led NMH to a regular-season-capping home win. Junior G Tommy Adams got the starting nod and went 14/16 before being relieved by sophomore Luke Laurino, who was 4/4. NMH, seeded #6, will travel to #3 Dexter for one of Wednesday's Large School quarterfinals. 

@ New Hampton 2, St. Paul's 2 (OT) -- In a Lakes Region Tournament consolation game, the host Huskies outshot SPS 44-31, but Big Red sophomore G Treva Murphy went 42/44, forcing the tie. NHS junior Will Schremp was 29/31 in the opposite net. New Hampton finishes 15-15-3; St. Paul's 8-17-2. With the draw, New Hampton,  seeded eighth, sneaks into the last spot in the Small School Tournament, and will travel to Southborough, Mass. to face top-seeded St. Mark's on Wednesday.

@ Governor's 4, Cushing 1 -- Gov's took a 3-0 lead into the second intermission before Cushing finally cracked the scoreboard in the third. Gov's iced the game with an ENG with 1:07 left. Senior Michael Marchese scored twice for the victors, who wrap up the regular season 9-10-9 and will travel to Lawrence for the first round of the Small School tournament. Cushing concludes its impressive campaign at 23-2-4; they'll host #8 Kimball Union in an Elite 8 quarterfinal Wednesday.

Frederick Gunn 2 @ Berkshire 2 (OT) -- In a back-and-forth game, Berkshire took a 1-0 lead on senior Jaden Davis's goal with 44 seconds left in the second. But, in the third period, Gunn jolted ahead with two goals in a span of fewer than four minutes on scores by junior Connor Ferguson and senior Michael Ryan. Eight seconds later, with 1:51 left, Berkshire senior d-man Liam Bard tied the score for good with a 6x5 goal. Gunn, 18-9-5, earned the third seed in the Small School bracket and will host #6 Tilton in a quarterfinal matchup Wednesday. Berkshire wraps up its season 11-17-1.

St. Mark's 7 @ Groton 2 -- Groton led 2-0 after the first, then the Lions took over, potting seven unanswered goals across the final two periods. Junior Andrew Gibbons and freshman Evan Nee each scored twice. Senior G Jeevan Anand went 25/27 in the win, which, in spite of its favorable positioning at the day's start, wasn't enough to keep St. Mark's in the Elite 8 field. Instead, they're the top seed in the Small School bracket and will host New Hampton Wednesday. 

Tilton 2 @ Proctor 1 -- Rams' senior Aidan Rufa scored in the first and his team carried that 1-0 lead into the third. There, they extended the lead to 2-0 on PG Keegan Knight's goal. Proctor cut the deficit to one with a 6x4 strike by sophomore Kevin Delaney, but couldn't get another shot past Tilton junior G Sawyer Russell, who was 40/41 in the game. Tilton, 17-11-0, is seeded sixth in the Small School bracket, and will travel to meet #3 Gunn in a Wednesday quarterfinal.

@ Kimball Union 5, Holderness 1 -- In the Lakes Region Tournament title game with an Elite 8 berth on the line, KUA senior captain Jackson Kyrkostas broke a 1-1 tie in the second, then scored twice more in the third to seal his hat trick and the game. Senior G Dan Heroux was the winner between the pipes, going 32/33. Evan Plunkett (37/41) took the loss for the Bulls. KUA, 22-8-1, will travel Wednesday to face top-ranked Cushing in the Elite 8. Holderness, 18-6-3, is the Small School second seed. They'll play host to Brooks.

Berwick 1 @ Portsmouth Abbey 0 -- In the Holt Conference championship game, sophomore Tanner Petalas scored a second-period powerplay goal, and sophomore goaltender Matt Pimentel posted a 35-save shutout to lead the second-seeded Bulldogs to the championship in a 1-0 win over top-seed P-Abbey. Ravens' junior G Patrick McDevitt (35/36) took the hard-luck loss. Berwick didn't exactly look like world-beaters in mid-January but  went 7-2-3 down the stretch, including a double-OT win over NYA in Friday's conference semifinal.

Andover 4 @ Exeter 0 -- Junior Ben Skowronek, with 38 saves, posted his third shutout of the season, and senior D Daniel Rekoske had a pair of goals to lead Andover to the win over archrival Exeter. The two teams split their season's series, with Exeter taking a 6-3 win at Exeter on Jan. 14th. Exeter senior G Michael Salvatore wrapped up his stellar four-year career with a 37-save effort. Both schools finished the season under .500.

Milton 5 @ Nobles 1 -- In one of the day's biggest games, Milton got a 39-save performance from sophomore G Sam Caulfield and three-point efforts from senior forwards Brendan Maher (2g,1a) and Jacob Pohl (1g,2a) to win a JSPR point from Nobles (the two teams had tied each other, 2-2, on Feb. 11th). Nobles' outshot Milton, 40-20. Milton enters the Elite 8 playoffs undefeated in its last 12 (9-0-3). That streak includes wins against Elite 8-bound Belmont Hill and, now, Nobles. As for the Bulldogs, they have struggled over the last three weeks, having gone 1-3-3 with their only win coming against lowly BB&N. Regardless, both teams will have home ice in Wednesday's quarterfinals, Milton as the #3 seed (hosting #6 Belmont Hill), and Nobles as the #4 seed (hosting #5 Brunswick).

Canterbury 5, Wilbraham & Monson 1 -- Junior D Jake Stevens (2g,2a), sophomore F Sam Ciappa (2g,1a), and senior forward -- and Saints' top scorer -- Jed Brazo (1g,1a) led the attack. Canterbury outshot Wilbraham & Monson, 60-18.

Avon Old Farms 1 @ Loomis Chaffee 1 (OT) -- Another Loomis-Avon meeting, another well-played, back-and-forth game. Another goaltending clinic. Another tie. Neither Avon's Stephen Peck (35/36) nor Loomis's Andrew Heinze (33/34) was to be outdone. (By the way, the two are split-season teammates for the Yale Junior Bulldogs. Taft's Rudy Guimond is on that team, too. Not a bad trio of goaltenders.) Anyways, nobody found the back of the net in the first two periods, despite several Grade-A chances on both ends. With 9:23 left in regulation, Loomis junior d-man Drew Anastasio flung a wrister from the right circle, where senior Will Reardon was waiting to re-direct it in. 1-0, Loomis. A few minutes later, Avon junior d-man Drew Pitts forced a blue line turnover, bolted up the right wing to the bottom of the circle, and fed a perfect backdoor pass to classmate Lefty Markonidis, who knocked it home to tie the game. In OT, the Pelicans killed a penalty, and, for the second time this year, the two sides drew even at one goal apiece. Avon concludes regular season play at 19-2-4, and, as the Elite 8's second-seeded team, hosts Westminster Wednesday. Loomis, which held an Elite 8 spot just a few weeks ago, tumbled all the way down to the seventh spot in the Large School seedings. They'll travel to Salisbury for the first round Wednesday.

Sat. 2/25/23

 

Final Day Forecasting

Barring some statistical anomaly that we're not seeing, the Top 16 is set. There's a bit too large of a gap between Gunnery and Loomis (approximately .0025) for the latter to enter the top 16 (this of course assumes a Loomis win and a Gunnery loss today). NMH, which currently sits above Loomis in RPI and is expected to beat Hoosac today, would still be one spot behind Loomis in the aforementioned scenario. Basically, Loomis is the only team that has a chance of entering the top 16, and that in itself is looking like a mighty tall order, statistically speaking.

Given that fact, here's what we see going into the final day of the regular season:

-- Westy wins and they're in, regardless of who wins the Lakes Region. If they lose -- or tie -- they're out.

-- Speaking of the Lakes Region, whoever wins the final makes the Elite 8.

-- Taft?  The Rhinos would have snagged a spot in the Elite 8 last night if either KUA or Holderness had lost their semifinal games at the Lakes Region Tournament. They still have a chance. This is what Taft needs to get in, either a...
1) KUA - Holderness tie
2) KUA win + a Westy loss or tie

-- St. Mark's? They have a chance, too. The Lions' path to the Elite 8 requires either a...
1) KUA - Holderness tie + Westy loss or tie
2) Holderness win + Westy loss or tie

There may be other factors at play (e.g., other top 16 teams unexpectedly losing), but all else being equal (i.e., stronger teams beating weaker teams) the above claims should hold.

-- Let's take a look at home ice advantage.

#1 Cushing could send their JV squad to Gov's today. Win, lose, or draw, they're #1.

If #2 Avon loses to -- or ties -- Loomis, Avon could fall to a #3 seed. Nobles, if they win today, could move up to #2.

#4 Milton plays at #3 Nobles today, with home ice likely on the line. If Milton wins, they could move as high as a #3 seed. Nobles would drop, but no lower than #5. If Milton wins, they should have home ice. Lose? They'd have to hit the road Wednesday, which would most likely just send them back for another matchup vs. Nobles. If the Mustangs lose and Holderness wins, they could fall as low as #7.

Some of the scenarios we've outlined regarding home ice advantage are "most likely" scenarios. There are always "less likely" scenarios lurking in the weeds.

Fri. 2/24/23

 

Lakes Region Looms Large
There is never a shortage of possibilities going into the final two days of the regular season. There's always an upset lurking around the corner. Here, though, are some basics. 

-- The Top 16 is basically set. Even if Loomis beats Avon on Saturday, and Gunnery loses to Berkshire, it's likely Loomis will fall just short, RPI-wise, of entering the TUC list.

Perhaps when all the results are in, things could swing in Loomis's favor, but that appears to be a long shot. We're just not sure that there's enough RPI 'juice' left to swing things in the Pelicans' favor, as interesting as that would be.

-- The Lakes Region Tournament looks to be huge. If KUA and Holderness take care of business today, and meet each other in the final on Saturday, then one or the other has a shot at a spot in the Elite 8. On the other hand, if either team loses today, then it's a disaster for both. Quite simply, they need to play each other in order for either to have a decent shot at the Elite 8. Failing that, their chances would directly depend upon teams ahead of them losing.

-- Despite a loss to Gunn on Wednesday, Westminster can still get in -- if they win out. The Martlets have two games remaining: Deerfield today and Belmont Hill on Saturday. Both are home games.

-- A Dexter win over Belmont Hill today gets them within striking distance of the Elite 8, and, if Bel Hill also loses at Westminster tomorrow, quite possibly in. A face-plant or two by teams ahead of them could provide another route. And if they do get in, it will likely bounce Taft out of the Elite 8. So the Rhinos will definitely be rooting for Bel Hill.

 That's it for now. We'll know more after today's games.

Wed. 2/22/23

 

Prep Highlights:
Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Gunn Derails Red-Hot Westy in OT
Williston Continues Late-Season Surge
Last-Minute Holderness Goal Ties Up Dexter
Berwick Freshman Murch Too Much for Hebron
Gov's Gains 9th Tie of Season vs. Nobles, Sets Record

@ Frederick Gunn 3, Westminster 2 (OT) -- Gunn senior D Michael Ryan scored with 21 seconds left in OT to lift the Highlanders over Westy, which hadn't lost in its previous 10 games coming in. Gunn had led 2-0 before Westy battled back, tying the game with a pair of 4x4 goals. Senior goalie Ryan Crowshaw (32/34) was the winner in net, while Martlets' junior Matteo De Luca was 28/31 in the loss. It was Westy's first loss since Feb. 1 against Avon. Gunn has won five of its last six.

@ Tilton 6, Vermont Academy 0 -- Five Rams scored a goal and six picked up two points as Tilton rolled over VA behind senior Connor Waldron's 18-save shutout. Since starting 9-1, Tilton has gone 7-9. They're 16-10 overall.

Berkshire 3 @ Millbrook 0 -- Millbrook offense taketh, Millbrook offense giveth away. Three days after downing Loomis, 5-0, the Mustangs couldn't crack Berkshire senior netminder Danick Leroux, who pitched a 25-save shutout. Senior Jaden Davis (1g, 1a) and PG Sean Connolly (2a) led the Bears' attack. Millbrook's Tyler Spokane went 22/25 in the loss.

Brooks 3 @ Rivers 0 -- Senior Will Rassier scored twice and junior goalie Ethan Simpson posted a 25-save shutout as Brooks rolled Rivers to stay unbeaten in its last nine (8-0-1). The pair of goals marked the 37th and 38th points of the year for Rassier, who leads the Bishops in scoring by a mile. His team, somewhat astonishingly, is sitting in the top half of Small School bracket. Three weeks ago, they were nowhere to be found in the postseason picture.

@ Trinity-Pawling 4, Taft 3 (OT) -- Senior Cristobal Tola's OT goal with 35 seconds left lifted the Pride to its fourth win in the last six games. T-P led 3-0 at the game's midpoint, but Taft rallied, tying the game with a goal late in the second and two more in the third. Three T-P players -- Tola and seniors Raphael Denis and Tyler Fogu -- finished with a goal and assist. Seniors Jackson Holl and JJ Lemieux led Taft with a goal and a helper each. Taft junior goalie Rudy Guimond, a Yale commit, was 32/36. Pride sophomore Gavin Geraghty earned the win, going 29/32.

Kents Hill 3 @ Pingree 0 -- KHS, the #5 seed in the Holt Conference Playoffs, got a goal in each frame and a 20-save shutout from PG goaltender Ryan Rosenau. Fellow fifth-year David Hauptvogel (1g,1a) led the way offensively. Senior Theo Dimopolous and junior Declan Stewart were the other goal scorers. The Huskies will meet Portsmouth Abbey, the tournament's top seed, Friday in the semifinals.

Winchendon 3 @ Exeter 0 -- Sophomore goalie Declan Sweeney's 25-save shutout hoisted Winchendon to its first win in six games. Brett Baldassare, a senior, led the way with a goal and an assist. Seniors Jake Freelove and Matt Mahoney (ENG) were the other goal-scorers. It's a tough blow for Exeter, which is vying for the final spot in the Large School bracket from the outside. Big Red senior G Michael Salvatore was 33/35 in the loss.

@ Salisbury 4, Hotchkiss 3 -- Salisbury held a 4-0 lead 11 minutes into the second, then found themselves escaping by the skin of their teeth when Hotchkiss came roaring back. Senior Alan Lizatovic, who scored twice, and junior Brennan Cail, whose 6x4 goal with 11 seconds left made it a one-goal game, led the way for the Bearcats. Quinn McCall's two helpers led Salisbury. Salisbury PG goalie Matt Alberti was 16/19 in the win, but Hotchkiss senior Grant Kloeber (29/33) saw more action.

@ St. Mark's 8, St. George's 2 -- The Dragons scored the first two goals of the game, but the Lions scored the next eight and won easily. Juniors Jonathan Balzarini (1g,2a) and Andrew Gibbons (4a) led the way. Senior G Jeevan Anand went 16/18 in the first 52 minutes of the game before he gave way to freshman third-stringer Alex Tarves, who saved both shots he saw. After going winless in three straight to start the month, St. Mark's (20-5-1) has won five in a row.

Avon Old Farms 6 @ Canterbury 2 -- Avon got two goals apiece from seniors Joe Connor and Alex Pelletier en route to its tenth win on its current 13-game unbeaten stretch (10-0-3). Stephen Peck, Avon's senior goalie, was 18/20 in the win. Senior Jake Kloss and junior Ryan Stratton scored for the Saints. Their goalie, junior Mitch Stenger, was peppered by the Winged Beavers, saving 49 of the 55 shots he faced.

@ Williston Northampton 5, Albany Academy 2 -- Leading 2-1 into the second intermission, a three-goal third helped Williston pull away. Senior Jayson Alegria's two goals led the hosts. PG goalie Tyler Kirk (21/23) got the win. Williston has quietly put together a late season run, winning nine of its last eleven to go a game over .500 at 13-12-2.

@ Groton 5, Middlesex 3 -- Groton junior Ethan Ramonetti stopped 35 of Middlesex's 38 shots, earning the win in the battle of Zebras. Senior Andrew Almeida of Middlesex and sophomore Zach Baker of Groton each scored twice. Groton had been winless in its six prior games (0-4-2).

@ Northfield Mt. Hermon 3, Andover 1 -- Andover took a 1-0 lead in the second on junior Ethan Skowronek's goal, but NMH scored three times in the third, including Maverick Chedel's ENG with 10 seconds left, to ice the victory -- their fifth in a row and 10th in the last 13. Junior goalie Tommy Adams (24/25) outdueled his Big Blue counterpart, Ethan Skowronek, who was 19/21.

Cushing 7 @ New Hampton 2 -- The Penguins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first and didn't relent, pounding New Hampton on the road for its second 10-game win streak of the season. Juniors Ethan Gardula (a UConn commit) and AJ Sacco scored twice. D-men Troy Maldonado and Dan Markevych had three assists each. Senior G Cooper Rautenstrauch (28/30) got the start and the win before his Swiss classmate, Luke Rizzello, went 3/3 over the last seven minutes. Senior Nate Zerrenner of New Hampton went 24/31 and took the loss. Cushing is now 23-1-4 and looks like a lock for the top seed.

@ Kent 4, Deerfield 3 -- Junior Jack Roberts' goal with 5:33 left in regulation broke a 3-3 tie and lifted Kent to a skid-snapping win, its first in seven games, that just about dashed the Big Green's hopes of chasing down the Lions for the final Large School playoff spot. Roberts finished the game with two goals, joining teammates Alex Bales (a Providence College commit) and Braden Pohlman in posting a three-point day. Junior Aidan Hopewell (30/33) got the win in net.

@ Loomis Chaffee 5, Choate 2 -- Five different Pelicans scored and senior goalie Andrew Heinze went 28/30 as Loomis got back in the win column following a three-game losing skid that included defeats to Westy, NMH, and Millbrook. If LC is lucky, its offense has hit a turning point heading into the Large School Tournament play; Wednesday's game was the first since Jan. 20 in which it produced more than three goals. Choate senior Evan Partridge scored twice. 

@ Belmont Hill 4, Tabor 2 -- Danny Markham's powerplay goal in the final minutes of the second period broke a 2-2 tie and ended up the game-winner. Ronan O'Donnell, Josh Doolan, and Andrew Waugh scored the other Bel Hill goals. Hillies sophomore G Keagin Wilson got the win in net; Tabor's Gus Ackerman was tagged with the loss. Two games remain for BH (18-5-3), against Dexter (Fri.) and at Westminster (Sat.). 

@ North Yarmouth Academy 4, Worcester Academy 2 -- In a Holt Conference playoff matchup, senior G Aidan Farion stopped 33 shots, and four different scorers chipped in with a goal. Daxton St. Hilaire and Hugo Daniel each had three assists. NYA advances to Friday's quarterfinals.

Holderness 2 @ Dexter 2 (OT) -- Not much separation between two teams fighting for playoff position. Host Dexter took a 1-0 lead in the first when sophomore Michael Minchello, in the slot, wasted no time driving a hard rebound back to the net with 2:11 remaining. The game stayed at 1-0 until the third period when Dexter senior D Mick Frechette, with the teams playing 4x4, cut right to left across the low slot and fired a wrister past Bulls' senior  G Evan Plunkett to make it 2-0 Dexter. Holderness got a break when, on the PP, and with everyone converging on net, a puck popped up and deflected off the upper body of Holderness junior forward Caden Wells, which made it a one-goal game with 11:46 remaining in the period. Holderness was unable to get closer until late but, with Plunkett pulled for the extra attacker, a Dexter shot at the open net went wide and Holderness came back the other way. Wells flew down the left side and let a wrister go, beating Dexter senior G Max Gatti with 1:19 on the clock. In OT, the best chance came off the stick of Minchello, but his attempt to win it was turned aside on a terrific save from Plunkett. This was an entertaining prep game, with up-and-down action throughout.

St. Sebastian's 1 @ Lawrence Academy 1 (OT) -- Owen Lynch scored for Seb's in the second, and Owen Leahy answered for LA in the third. This, however, was a goalies' game. LA senior Vincent Lamberti (28/29) and Seb's junior  Pelle Russo (47/48) kept the shooters at bay.

Milton 4 @ Thayer 3 -- Senior d-man Mason Chen scored a pair of goals; ditto for Thayer sophomore F Brady Kudrick. Mustangs' sophomore G Sam Caulfield (32/35) earned the win; Thayer senior Beau Lane (27/31) took the loss. #4 Milton, on an 11-game unbeaten streak (8-0-3), winds up the regular season with a road rematch against #3 Nobles on Saturday.

@ Berwick 5, Hebron 2 -- In a Holt Conference playoff matchup, Berwick jumped out with three first-period goals, and held off Hebron the rest of the way. Berwick freshman F Parker Murch, who had a six-point game two weeks ago (also at Hebron's expense) figured in all Berwick's goals today (3g,2a). Half of Murch's 14 goals this season have come in the two games vs. Hebron.  Berwick advances to Friday's Holt Conference quarterfinals.

Nobles 1 @ Governor's 1 (OT) -- We queried the USHR database, asking what the record for ties in a single was. The database goes back 20 years, and we can confidently say that today, Governor's set the record for ties in a season, with nine. (Dexter tied the old record today, with eight). Anyway, no one gets whipped up about tie games, so... on to the business at hand. Cam Russo scored Gov's lone goal in the second period. And Nobles' sophomore Dennis Davidson tied it up with the extra skater on and 1:30 to go in the third. As one would expect from a 1-1 game, goaltending was paramount. In this one, Gov's senior Max LaCroix (43/44) and Nobles' sophomore Thatcher Bernstein (24/25) came up big.

Tues. 2/21/23

 

Cushing #1 in Final USHR Prep Poll of the Season

Four teams have appeared in every USHR Prep Poll this season: Avon, Cushing, and Nobles. Those three have had a stranglehold on the top three slots, while Milton has been ranked from #3-5 in all polls.

KUA also appeared in all polls... until this one. A loss and a tie vs. Holderness, and last weekend's sweep by Cushing left the Wildcats with a 1-5-1 record vs. TUCs. They're wounded, but not dead. A sweep of the Lakes Region Tournament -- along with some other outcomes -- could get them back to the Elite 8.

Five teams have appeared in three polls: Tabor, Taft, Seb's, Bel Hill, and St. Mark's.

Westminster is one of a handful of teams to appear in the poll just once -- and they waited until the final one. If everything breaks their way, the Martlets have the potential to reach as high as the #5 seed in the Elite 8.

USHR Prep Poll: Week of Feb. 20, 2023

 

Mon. 2/20/23

 

One, Two, Three, Go!

We’ve reached the final week of the regular season, and with one, two, or, at most, three games to play for each NEPSIHA team, there’s still plenty of room for movement in the playoff seedings. But before we look into some of the upcoming impact games, let’s first do a quick recap of how the NEPSIHA playoff seedings are determined.

It all starts with the RPI, which represents the overall strength of schedule for each participating NEPSIHA team (that includes affiliate programs, e.g., St. Andrew’s College). It is both the starting point for Elite 8 eligibility, and the determining factor in small and large school playoff seedings, which, once the Elite 8 is determined, are based solely on RPI ranking.

RPI is calculated as follows: WP (Winning Percentage) + OWP (Opponents' Winning Percentage) + OOWP (Opponents' Opponents’ Winning Percentage). Winning percentage formula is wins plus ties (valued at half a win) divided by games played.

Having determined the RPI for each team, we move on to JSPR, an algorithm similar to the NCAA Pairwise Rankings. JSPR was developed here at USHR in 2010 by Taft and Carnegie Mellon alum Jeremy Philipson.  JSPR consists of four criteria, the combination of which is used to determine which teams make it into the Elite 8, and, by extension, which teams “fall” into the small and large school playoff tournaments.

There are four categories, weighted differently, used to determine JSPR:

1. Head-to-head result(s), i.e., teams' records vs. each other on ice. 

2. Comparing two teams' RPI, i.e., how they stand against all other NEPSIHA teams. (This ensures that the RPI is still a critical component of the JSPR Rankings.)

3. Record against mutual opponents, i.e., how two teams fared when facing mutual opponents on the ice.

4. Record against Teams Under Consideration, i.e., how two teams fared vs. other top 16 teams (as determined by the RPI).

The latter category always has the potential to impact the seedings since any team just outside of the top 16 (at the time of writing, that would be #17 NMH and #18 Loomis Chaffee) that sneaks up into the top 16 and becomes a Team Under Consideration (TUC) at season’s end can shift a point for or against one or more teams vying for a spot in the Elite 8. In short, lower-ranked teams can be a wild card at season’s end.

There’s more to it than that, subtleties such as what constitutes a valid NEPSIHA game (e.g., prior to this season affiliate vs. affiliate results were excluded, but starting this season they are included) and rules surrounding overtime games during holiday tournaments, and how exactly that's all calculated (recursion aplenty). But the above are the basics, and, rather than get bogged down by minutiae, let’s move on and take a look at some crucial current and upcoming games.

First up, Tabor @ Belmont Hill on Wednesday. Currently, Tabor, with respect to landing a spot in the Elite 8, finds themselves on the outside looking in. However, if Tabor can pull off an upset in Bel Hill’s barn they’ll give themselves a shot, potentially snagging the #8 seed.

Next, Dexter, currently sitting near the bottom of JSPR, has a taller task in order to get back into the mix, needing to take down both Holderness on Wednesday, and Bel Hill on Friday. Like Tabor, Dexter is angling for the final spot in the Elite 8.

There’s also Westminster. If they can beat Gunn (Wed.), Deerfield (Fri.), and then top things off with an upset over Bel Hill Saturday, that should be enough to lock up a spot in the Elite 8. For them, Belmont Hill is the big one. No doubt plenty of motivation there for the Martlets.

The Lakes Region Tournament is a big wild card. Both KUA and Holderness are within striking distance, but likely need to run the table this weekend (while likely facing each other in the process) in order for either team to have a chance at a spot in the Elite 8.

In addition to the above win-or-go-home scenarios, current Elite 8 locks (namely, the top five seeds) will be battling for home ice. Milton @ Nobles on Saturday, for example, could see Milton with home ice in the quarterfinals if they take the win on the final day of the regular season.

Finally, for those that don’t know, you can view current RPI, JSPR, and playoff seedings, along with projected JSPR and playoff seedings, under the “Playoffs” drop-down menu on desktop and laptop computers, and the “More” drop-down menu on mobile.

We'll provide an update after Wednesday. In the meantime, enjoy watching the fast-changing fortunes the final week affords.

Sun. 2/19/23

 

L'ville Edges Hill in 3 OTs to Win Two Nations Championship

Junior forward Porter Byrd-Leitner scored with two minutes remaining in the third overtime period to give  Lawrenceville a 3-2 win over Hill in the title game of the inaugural Two Nations Prep Hockey League Playoffs.

The OT periods were 10 minutes each. The first was played 5x5 and the second and third were played 3x3.

Two Nations Prep Hockey League Playoffs
At The Nichols School; Buffalo, NY

Day 1: Friday, February 17, 2023
Stanstead 5, Nichols 0
Hill School 3, UCC 2
Ridley 4, Albany Academies 3
Lawrenceville 5, Bishop's 1

Day 2: Saturday, February 18, 2023
Nichols 4, UCC 0
Bishop's 4, Albany Academies 3
Semifinal: Hill School 10, Stanstead 3        
Semifinal: Lawrenceville 1, Ridley 0

Day 3: Sunday, February 19, 2023
Albany Academies 5, UCC 2
Bishop's 6, Nichols 3
Third Place: Ridley 4, Stanstead 2
Championship: Lawrenceville 3, Hill 2 (3 OT)

Sun. 2/19/23 -- Last updated Sat. 2/25

 

Boys' Prep Composite Schedule:
Week of February 20, 2023

Monday, February 20, 2023
Hoosac @ Vermont Academy, 4:00 pm
Berkshire @ Salisbury, 4:30 pm
Groton @ BB&N, 5:15 pm
Holderness @ Proctor, 5:30 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Pomfret, 5:45 pm
Andover @ Winchendon, 6:00 pm

Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Canterbury @ Albany Academy, 4:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Choate, 5:30 pm

Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Holt Conference Playoffs:
#5 Kents Hill @ #4 Pingree, 4:00 pm
#7 Hebron @ #2 Berwick, 4:15 pm
#6 Worcester Academy @ #3 NYA, 5:00 pm
(#1 Portsmouth Abbey Receives a Bye into Semis)
-----------------------------------------------
Westminster @ Frederick Gunn School, 2:00 pm
Vermont Academy @ Tilton, 2:30 pm
Berkshire @ Millbrook, 2:30 pm
Brooks @ Rivers, 3:00 pm
Taft @ Trinity-Pawling, 3:00 pm
Middlesex @ Groton, 3:15 pm
Winchendon @ Exeter, 3:30 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Canterbury, 3:45 pm
Andover @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 4:00 pm
St. George's @ St. Mark's, 4:00 pm
Deerfield @ Kent, 4:45 pm
Albany Academy @ Williston Northampton, 4:15 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Governor's, 4:15 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Lawrence Academy, 4:15 pm
Cushing @ New Hampton, 4:30 pm
Hotchkiss @ Salisbury, 4:30 pm
Roxbury Latin @ BB&N, 4:30 pm
Holderness @ Dexter, 4:45 pm
Austin Prep @ Hoosac, 5:00 pm
Wilbraham & Monson @ Pomfret, 5:00 pm -- Cancelled
Tabor @ Belmont Hill, 5:00 pm
Choate @ Loomis Chaffee, 5:00 pm
Milton @ Thayer, 6:00 pm

Thursday, February 23, 2023
No Games Scheduled

Friday, February 24, 2023
Lakes Region Tournament (Semifinals)
#1 KUA will host #4 Tilton School, 6:00 p.m.
#2 Holderness will host #3 Proctor, 5:30 p.m.
#5 New Hampton will host #8 Brewster, 6:00 p.m.
#6 SPS will host #7 Vermont Academy, 4:30 p.m.
Holt Conference Playoffs (Semifinals)
#5 Kents Hill @ #1 Portsmouth Abbey, 4:30 pm
#3 NYA @ #2 Berwick, 8:00 pm -- at UNH
---------------------------------------------------
Roxbury Latin @ Rivers, 4:30 pm
Pomfret @ Austin Prep, 5:00 pm
St. Mark's @ BB&N, 5:15 pm
Deerfield @ Westminster, 5:30 pm
Dexter @ Belmont Hill, 5:30 pm
Williston Northampton @ Winchendon, 6:00 pm
Brunswick @ Trinity-Pawling, 7:00 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Thayer, 7:00 pm

Saturday, February 25, 2023
Lakes Region Tournament (Championship)
#2 Holderness @ #1 KUA, 6:00 pm
Holt Conference Playoffs (Championship)
#2 Berwick @ #1 Portsmouth Abbey, 4:30 pm
--------------------------------------------------
Hoosac @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 12:00 pm
Tabor @ Lawrence Academy, 1:00 pm
Pomfret @ Williston Northampton, 2:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Taft, 2:30 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Millbrook, 2:30 pm
Belmont Hill @ Westminster, 4:30 pm
Cushing @ Governor's, 3:45 pm
St. Mark's @ Groton, 4:00 pm
Frederick Gunn School @ Berkshire, 4:00 pm
BB&N @ Brooks, 4:00 pm
St. George's @ Middlesex, 4:00 pm
Canterbury @ Wilbraham & Monson, 4:15 pm
Andover @ Exeter, 4:15 pm
Milton @ Noble & Greenough, 4:15 pm
Kent @ Choate, 5:00 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Loomis Chaffee, 6:00 pm

-- END OF REGULAR SEASON --

Post-Season:
Quarterfinals: Wednesday, March 1st at campus sites. Higher seeds get home ice.
Semifinals: Saturday, March 4th at campus sites. Higher seeds get home ice.
Finals: Sunday, March 6th at St. Anselm College; Manchester, NH
Large School, 12:00 pm --  Small School, 2:30 pm -- Elite 8, 5:00 pm

Sat. 2/18/23

 

Prep Highlights:
Saturday, February 18th, 2023

Rassier OT Goal Lifts Red-Hot Brooks
Westy Wins Sixth Straight
Avon's Peck, Salisbury's Alberti Battle to a Draw
Croft Goal Lifts St. Mark's to Fifth Straight Win
Bulls' Backstop Plunkett Stays Hot
Cushing Finishes Off Weekend Sweep of KUA
Kent Has No Answer for Saints' Brazo

@ Dexter 5, Kents Hill 1 -- Junior Ben Morgan (2g,1a) and freshman Jake Assad (2g) led the Dexter offense. In a late-season push, Dexter (15-5-7) has won eight in a row, and is unbeaten in its last 14 (9-0-5).

@ Tabor 6, Thayer 2 -- Senior Jack DesRuisseaux (1g,3a); juniors Keenan Dewberry (1g,3a) and Cam Gaffney (2g, 1a); and sophomore Tommy Sheehen (2g) led the Seawolves' attack. Senior G Gus Ackerman (29/31) picked up the win. Tabor (13-7-5) has won three straight.

NMH 6 @ Loomis 3 --  Six different Hoggers notched a goal, and junior goaltender Tommy Adams stopped 39 of 42 shots for the win. NMH, winners of three straight and five of six, is 16-9-1 on the season. Loomis drops to 11-7-4.

@ New Hampton 6, Proctor 2 -- Senior G Nate Zerrenner stopped 30 of 32 shots, and both freshman F Cam Caron, who has 43 points on the season, and senior Christian Day, who has 42, had a goal and two assists. New Hampton has won three straight and reaches the .500 mark at 14-14-2.

@ St. Sebastian's 6, Governor's 2 -- The story in this one was Seb's four unanswered second-period goals. Junior Matt Cataldo had two of them. The Arrows improve to 13-7-4.

@ Brooks 3, Roxbury Latin 2 (OT) -- Senior Will Rassier's goal at 4:29 of OT lifted host Brooks to the win. Brooks (13-7-2) is unbeaten over its last eight (7-0-1) and is looking like a lock for home ice in the Small School quarterfinals.    

Westminster 5 @ Berkshire 4 --  Westminster, playing on the road, took a 4-1 first-period lead and hung on for the win. Senior Rowan Masse (1g,1a) and sophomore Quinn Pine (1g,1a) led Westy scorers. PG Evan Engalnd (1g,2a) led Berkshire scorers. Westminster (15-7-0) has won six straight -- and eighth nine -- to further its late-season run for an Elite 8 slot.

Salisbury 2 @ Avon 2 -- Avon senior Stephen Peck (22/24) and Salisbury PG Matt Alberti (30/32) battled to a draw.  Salisbury (12-6-5) is unbeaten in its last six with four wins and two ties. Avon (17-2-3) is unbeaten over its last 11 (8-0-3).

@ St. Mark's 1, Lawrence Academy 0 -- A goal midway through the third period from senior Ben Croft lifted the Lions to the home win. Senior goaltenders Charles Watson (25/25) and Jeevan Anand (11/11) combined forces for the shutout. St. Mark's won its fourth straight and is 19-5-1 on the season.

Andover 6 @ Pingree 0 -- Sophomore Grayden Robertson-Palmer and Freshman David O'Neill each had a pair of goals for Andover.

Trinity-Pawling 4 @ Hotchkiss 2 -- T-P senior Ben Plottner kicked out 40 shots to lead T-P to the road win. T-P's Tobias Iantorno and Hotchkiss's Shayne Bjorn were each assessed  game misconducts for a fight at the final buzzer.

@ Holderness 4, St. Paul's 0 -- Junior Caden Wells (1g,2a) was a difference-maker in this one. Ditto for Bulls' senior G Evan Plunkett (22/22), who posted his second consecutive shutout. It was also his fourth in his last six games. On top of that, he's shut out SPS twice this season. And with that, Holderness extends its unbeaten streak to seven (6-0-1).    

@ Millbrook 3, Pomfret 3 (OT) -- Not a lot of difference between the two squads today. With the game tied at 2-2 midway through the third, junior Dale Campbell put host Millbrook ahead. Then, four minutes later, junior Louie Marcellino answered for Pomfret. Overtime proved nothing. Junior Tyler Spokane (27/30) was in net for Millbrook; junior Zach Bloxam (33/36) was between the pipes for Pomfret.

Portsmouth Abbey 3 @ North Yarmouth Academy 2 -- PA senior d-man Jack Baird's third-period goal broke a 2-2 tie and propelled the Ravens to the road win. NYA's Euan Martin (35/38) took the loss; PA's Patrick McDevitt (27/29) earned the win.

Taft 5 @ Choate 2 -- Junior F Archer Brown led the offense with two goals. And the Rhinos won their third straight, extending their unbeaten streak to seven (6-0-1) as they make a late-season run at an Elite 8 slot.

Hoosac 5 @ Worcester Academy 3 -- Senior F Cole Elwood (1g,2a) led the Owls' offense. Four other players -- Avery Hilton, Noah Jimbo, Jake Bryceland, and Nathaniel Haley -- notched two points apiece.

@ Belmont Hill 6, BB&N 1 -- Six different scorers found the back of the net for Belmont Hill.

Cushing 2 @ Kimball Union 0 -- Senior Cooper Rautenstrauch's 27-save shutout led the Penguins to a weekend home-and-home sweep of the Wildcats. Cushing is 22-1-4 entering the last week of the regular season.

@ Canterbury 5, Kent 2 -- Senior Jed Brazo (2g,2a) had another big night, and is now leading prep scorers with a 25-23-48 line in 26 games. Brazo has at least a point in every game since December 30th. Freshman G Cody Hew kicked out 24 of 26 shots to pick up the win. 

Wed. 2/15/23

 

Prep Highlights:
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Freshman Caron's 4-Point Game Leads Huskies
Owens, Bullock, Towle Lead Bearcats Past Lions
Taft Goes Wild in Third; Stuns Deerfield
Gardula, Resendes Lead Penguins to 20th Win
Tabor Edges Seb's; Halts Skid
Pohl, Cannata, Caulfield Stymie Belmont Hill

Frederick Gunn 6, Pomfret 3 -- In a neutral-site game played at Trinity College, Gunn scored twice in the final minute-and-a-half of the first, breaking a 2-2- tie and mounting a lead they wouldn't surrender. Senior Kyle Smyth (2g) and sophomore Luke Calabria (1g,2a) led the way for the Highlanders. Gunn G Ryan Crowshaw, a senior, went 24/27 in the win. His Pomfret counterpart was junior Zach Bloxam (33/39), who took the loss.

@ Avon Old Farms 4, Choate 0 -- Behind senior goalie Stephen Peck's 14-save shutout and Joe Connor's sixth two-goal game of the season, Avon rolled to its fourth win in five games, remaining unbeaten across its last 10 games, a stretch that dates back to Jan. 11. Senior netminder Primo Baldassarre (46/50) certainly held his own, but took the loss.

@ New Hampton 7, Vermont Academy 1 -- NHS scored twice in the first, twice in the second, and three times in the third before VA sophomore Tristen Ayojiak finally cracked the scoreboard in the final two minutes of the game. Freshman Cam Caron (2g,2a) and senior Christian Day (2g,1a) led the way for the Huskies, who snapped a three-game slide. Sophomore Andrew Knox (11/12) was the winner between the pipes.

@ Berkshire 5, Trinity-Pawling 3 -- In a back-and-forth game deadlocked at 3-3 by the midpoint of the third period, Berkshire senior Stanley Bright scored a powerplay goal with 6:01 left that stood up as the game-winner. An empty-netter sealed the deal, giving the Bears their third win in 10 games. Cole O'Donnell was the winner in net.

@ Tabor 5, St. Sebastian's 4 -- Three straight goals in the second period gave Tabor a lead that, despite the Arrows' best efforts, the Seawolves didn't relinquish. Juniors Matthew Magee and Cam Gaffney, respectively, had two goals and three helpers to lead Tabor, which had won just one of its last nine entering the day. Juniors Colin Gorman (2g,1a) and Matt Cataldo (1g,1a) paced Seb's. TA's Gus Ackerman (28/32) picked up the win.

@ Hotchkiss 4, Kent 3 -- Junior Jake Owens's goal with 7:23 left -- his second goal of the game -- hoisted host Hotchkiss (7-11-1) to back-to-back wins for the first time since they won twice in the same day at the Flood-Marr Tournament. Senior Brendan Bullock scored the other two for the victors. Bearcats' sophomore Connor Towle (29/32) earned the win; Lions' junior Aidan Hopewell (34/38) took the loss. Kent reached the three-goal watermark for the first time since Jan. 25, but dropped its fifth straight game nonetheless.

@Westminster 3, Loomis Chaffee 2 -- After Loomis (11-6-4) scored what it thought -- what all of Jackson Rink thought -- was the game-tying goal with four seconds left in regulation, the far-side referee came swooping in to deliver a disputable goaltender interference call that gave Westy (14-7-0) its fifth win in a row. Martlets' goalie Matteo De Luca had not appeared hindered by traffic around the crease, extending his left leg fully in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the would-be score. Nineteen seconds earlier, Westy sophomore Blake Burke had notched a powerplay goal that ended up the game-winner. De Luca, a junior, went 28/30 and was the winner in net. Loomis's Andrew Heinze (29/32) took the hard-luck loss.

@ St. Mark's 4, Rivers 1 -- A three-goal second period and a 23/24 showing from senior goalie Charles Watson propelled St. Mark's (17-5-1) to a home victory. SMS Junior Austin Borggaard (1g,1a) led all point-scorers. Rivers (8-11-3) is winless in its last five games.

@ Cushing 6, Andover 2 -- #3 Cushing led 3-0 in the second when Andover sophomore Peyton Militello scored consecutive goals less than three minutes apart to draw the Big Blue within one, but the Penguins pulled away for good with three unanswered scores in the third. Linemates Ethan Gardula (2g,2a), a UConn commit, and Landan Resendes (1g,3a), a BC recruit, each had a monster day. Senior G Cooper Rautenstrauch (14/16) got the win for Cushing (20-1-4), which has won seven in a row for the second time this year.

@ St. George's 4, Roxbury Latin 1 -- Three consecutive St. George's goals across the game's final 14 minutes (including an empty-netter) turned what was a 1-1 game into a comfortable victory for the hosts, their fourth win in five tries. Senior Ben Buckley scored twice. In a matchup of junior goalies, The Dragons' Nikolas Barnes (16/17) was the winner, while RL's Evan Zhang (32/39) took the loss.

@ Taft 5, Deerfield 2 -- After a scoreless first, Deerfield took a 2-0 lead in the second period on goals by junior Jakub Kohn and PG Nate Heithoff. But Taft erupted in the third, scoring five times without an answer from the Big Green, and won easily. Seniors JJ Lemieux (1g,2a) and Jackson Holl (2g), and junior Derek Tremblay (1g,1a) each had multiple-point periods in the big third.

Williston Northampton 6 @ Canterbury 4 -- In a wild back-and-forth game that featured 81 total shots on net, Williston had the biggest one -- senior Emmanuel Damianakis's game-winner with 7:58 left and an empty-netter in the final minute -- and won its seventh game in the last nine attempts. Senior Jayson Alegria (2g,2a) and junior Alexandre Pellerin (1g,2a) paced the Wildcats, while senior Jed Brazo (2g,1a) and sophomore Sam Ciappa (1g,1a) led the Saints' attack. Junior goalie Jake Henry, the winner, went 27/31. Sophomore Cody Hew of Canterbury was impressive, turning away 50 of the 55 shots he faced in a losing effort.

@ Middlesex 6, Portsmouth Abbey 4 -- The Abbey (11-9-3) carried a 3-2 lead into the second intermission, but Middlesex (9-13-1) exploded for four third-period goals -- one on the PP and two more with a 5x3 advantage -- to come from behind and snag the win. It was a big day for Zebra sophomores: Dylan Cappelli and Jack Francini scored two goals apiece and Caio Bernardini earned the win with a 39/43 performance in the blue paint. Fifteen total penalties were called in the game.

@ Tilton 6, Brewster Academy 5 (OT) -- Brewster scored twice in the final nine minutes of regulation to even the score, sending the game to OT on freshman Travis Gillen's goal with 1:01 left, but Tilton senior d-man Cam Quigley needed just 42 seconds of the extra frame to dispatch the Bobcats with the game-winner. With the win, the Rams (13-10-0) put a halt to its five-game losing streak.

@ Thayer 3, Austin Prep 1 -- Three Thayer goals in the first 21 minutes of play were enough to propel the Tigers to victory, because Austin Prep only mustered one against senior G Beau Lane (19/20). Senior Shane Taddia and sophomore Brady Kudrick had a goal and a helper each in the win. AP senior goalie Nathan Deroche (45/48) was the tough-luck loser.

Northfield Mt. Hermon 4 @ Exeter 2 -- Two goals in the first two minutes of the third -- by seniors James Hooley and Maverick Chedel -- gave NMH (15-9-1) the lead for good. Junior Tommy Adams (28/30) picked up the win, while senior Michael Salvatore (39/42) took the loss. Kevin Czepiel's last Hoggers team is getting hot at the right time: they've won four of five and seven of ten, and are "in position to be in position," jockeying for one of the final Large School playoff berths.

@ Kimball Union 4, Proctor 1 -- Junior goalie Colby Boyce's 26-save night, plus goals from four different skaters, lifted #5 KUA (20-6-1) to its 20th win of the year. Caden Pasqualone, Proctor's junior netnminder, was 29/33 in the loss. Junior Avan Pyle scored the Hornets' lone goal.

@ Millbrook 7, Hoosac 2 -- The hosts built a 6-0 lead over the first two periods, and, despite two goals from Hoosac in the third, won handily. Junior Finley Patrick (2g,1a) and senior Dan Urban (1g,2a) led the Millbrook attack, while junior G Tyler Spokane (18/20) got the win. The Mustangs go for three straight Saturday against Pomfret.

@ Worcester Academy 4, Pingree 3 -- Worcester PG Mark Evangelous's goal at 6:40 of the third lifted the host Hilltoppers (8-16-0) to their fourth win in five games. Earlier, Pingree's Quinn Moses had single-handedly tied the game with two goals in a minute's span. Before that, in the second, WA junior Connor Dozois, who leads the Holt Conference in goals, had scored two shorties to open up a 3-1 lead. Freshman G Wes DiMonica (23/26) earned the win.

@ Berwick 2, North Yarmouth Academy 1 -- Berwick junior Justin Massa scored twice in the first, and sophomore goalie Matthew Pimentel shut NYA down the rest of the way -- save for senior Zach Stabb's powerplay goal in the second -- to secure the fifth win in eight games for the Bulldogs. Pimentel finished 30/31. NYA's Aidan Farion (28/30) took the loss.

@ Milton 6, Belmont Hill 2 -- Milton, on its home ice, led 3-2 after the first, then scored three more times across the second and third periods. Senior Jacob Pohl and junior Will Cannata had two goals each and were both among the four Mustangs -- defensemen Mason Chen and Dylan Hunt were the others -- who tallied three points. Sophomore goalie Sam Caulfield stopped 43 of Bel Hill's 45 shots. Milton, undefeated in nine straight (7-0-2), has a stranglehold on an Elite 8 spot with three games left -- two against 8-12-3 Thayer and one against #1 Nobles. Belmont Hill's seven-game win streak came to an end.

Nobles 6 @ BB&N 3 -- #1 Nobles, on goals from senior D Will Brophy and sophomore F Ethan Cox, held a 2-0 lead after two. But things went haywire in the third, as the teams combined for seven goals. Senior D Matt Tully (2g,1a), Brophy (2g,1a), Cox (1g,1a), and sophomore F Teddy MacAusland (2a) led the point scorers for Nobles. BB&N senior captain Alex Sandell scored all three of the Knights' goals. Nobles improves to 17-2-4. BB&N is 3-17-1.

 

Sun. 2/13/23 -- Latest update Thurs. 2/16

 

Boys' Prep Composite Schedule:
Week of February 13, 2023

Monday, February 13, 2023
Canterbury @ Frederick Gunn School, 5:00 pm
Westminster @ Deerfield, 5:00 pm
Berkshire @ Hotchkiss, 5:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Groton, 5:00 pm
Hebron vs. Bridgton, 5:00 pm -- Maine Prep Cup @ Bridgton (Consolation)
Austin Prep @ Xaverian, 6:00 pm
Kents Hill vs. NYA, 7:00 pm -- Maine Prep Cup @ Bridgton (Championship)

Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Lawrence Academy @ Governor's, 5:45 pm

Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Frederick Gunn School vs. Pomfret, 1:30 pm -- at Trinity College
Kent @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Choate @ Avon Old Farms, 2:30 pm
Berkshire vs. Trinity-Pawling, 2:30 pm
Vermont Academy @ New Hampton, 2:45 pm
Roxbury Latin @ St. George's, 3:15 pm
Holderness @ Winchendon, 3:30 pm
Rivers @ St. Mark's, 3:30 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Tabor, 3:30 pm
Governor's @ Lawrence Academy, 3:30 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Westminster, 4:00 pm
North Yarmouth Academy @ Berwick, 4:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ Tilton, 4:00 pm
Deerfield @ Taft, 4:00 pm
Kingswood Oxford @ Harvey, 4:00 pm
Pingree @ Worcester Academy, 4:15 pm
Williston Northampton @ Canterbury, 4:30 pm
Proctor @ Kimball Union, 4:30 pm
Groton @ Brooks, 4:45 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Hoosac @ Millbrook, 5:00 pm
Andover @ Cushing, 5:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Middlesex, 5:00 pm
Belmont Hill @ Milton, 5:00 pm
Austin Prep @ Thayer, 5:15 pm
Noble & Greenough @ BB&N, 5:30 pm

Thursday, February 16, 2023
No Games Scheduled

Friday, February 17, 2023
TNPHL Playoffs   Schedule
Holderness @ Vermont Academy, 4:00 pm
Dexter @ Winchendon, 4:00 pm
Wilbraham & Monson @ Worcester Academy, 4:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Tilton, 5:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Belmont Hill, 5:00 pm
Pingree @ Hebron, 5:00 pm
Brooks @ Andover, 5:15 pm
Hotchkiss @ Trinity-Pawling, 5:30 pm
New Hampton @ Brewster Academy, 5:30 pm
Kimball Union @ Cushing, 5:30 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Exeter, 5:30 pm -- now 4:45 pm
Berwick @ St. Mark's, 5:30 pm
Thayer @ Milton, 5:30 pm
Frederick Gunn School @ Brunswick, 6:00 pm
Tabor @ St. George's, 6:00 pm
Deerfield @ Williston Northampton, 6:00 pm

Saturday, February 18, 2023
TNPHL Playoffs   Schedule
Kents Hill @ Dexter, 1:00 pm
Thayer @ Tabor, 1:30 pm
Lawrence Academy @ St. Mark's, 1:45 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Loomis Chaffee, 2:00 pm
Hoosac @ Worcester Academy, 2:00 pm
BB&N @ Belmont Hill, 2:00 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Hotchkiss, 2:15 pm
Rivers @ Middlesex, 2:15 pm
Proctor @ New Hampton, 2:30 pm
Westminster @ Berkshire, 2:30 pm
Governor's @ St. Sebastian's, 2:30 pm
Salisbury @ Avon Old Farms, 3:00 pm
Roxbury Latin @ Brooks, 3:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ North Yarmouth Academy, 3:15 pm
Brewster Academy @ Vermont Academy, 3:30 pm
Groton @ St. George's, 3:30 pm
Andover @ Pingree, 4:00 pm
Tilton @ Hebron, 4:00 pm
Austin Prep @ Wilbraham & Monson, 4:15 pm
Winchendon @ Frederick Gunn School, 4:30 pm
Pomfret @ Millbrook, 4:30 pm
St. Paul's @ Holderness, 4:45 pm
Exeter @ Deerfield, 5:00 pm
Taft @ Choate, 5:45 pm
Cushing @ Kimball Union, 6:00 pm
Kent @ Canterbury, 7:00 pm

Sunday, February 19, 2023
TNPHL Playoffs   Schedule
Académie Saint-Louis @ Wyoming Seminary, 10:30 am
Loomis Chaffee @ Millbrook, 12:00 pm
Worcester Academy @ Hebron, 12:00 pm
Choate @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 2:00 pm

Monday, February 20, 2023
Berkshire @ Salisbury, 4:30 pm
Groton @ BB&N, 5:15 pm
Holderness @ Proctor, 5:30 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Pomfret, 5:45 pm
Andover @ Winchendon, 6:00 pm

Sat. 2/11/23

 

Prep Highlights:
Saturday, February 11, 2023
***

#1 Nobles, #4 Milton Settle for a Tie
Nobles 2 @ Milton 2 (OT) -- #1 Nobles held a 2-1 lead after two periods and had momentum on its side, but took a pair of major penalties in the third, handing #4 Milton a golden opportunity to get back in the game, which is exactly what the host Mustangs did.

"It's never a good situation going into the third period of a one-goal game and having to kill two majors," said Nobles' head coach Brian Day afterward.

The trouble started when Nobles' sophomore forward Ben Nakata was called for a cross-check in front of the Nobles bench just 2:22 into the third. To these eyes, it was definitely a minor penalty. A major? Not so sure.

Nobles killed it successfully, but Milton scored about a minute later as junior forward Jonathan Careri, following the play to the net, managed to bat a bouncing puck past Nobles' sophomore goalie Thatcher Bernstein, tying up the game at 2-2 midway through the third. 

Seventeen seconds after that tying goal, Noble's junior Liam McCarthy, with the play in Milton's end, buried a Mustangs player in the corner with a hit from behind. The ref immediately called a major and a game misconduct on McCarthy. The penalty killers went right back to work -- and again kept Milton off the board. However, by the time that second major penalty had ended, Nobles had spent a huge chunk of the third period killing penalties, legs were getting heavy, and time to score was running down. Several minutes later, time simply ran out.

"Our penalty killing was immense," Day said.

Overtime settled nothing.

Earlier, Milton had taken a 1-0 lead 7:32 into the first as senior Madden Powers, in the low slot, converted a pass out from behind the net with a quick slapper.

Nobles tied it at 1-1 with three minutes left in the first, with Nakata banging a bouncing rebound past standout Milton sophomore goaltender Sam Caulfield.

Nobles scored the only goal of the second about four minutes in when senior Matt Tully converted a point shot with the teams skating 4x4.

For the game, Nobles held a 37-28 edge in shots.

Tully (1g,1a) figured in both Nobles goals; Madden Powers (1g,1a) and Luis Valencia (2a) did the same for Milton, which was again without top scorer Mikka Kelechian.

This was the 8th OT game Nobles has played this season. They are 3-1-4 in those games.

Milton is unbeaten over its last eight games (6-0-2).

The two teams are scheduled to meet again on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Nobles in the second, and final, regular-season meeting of the two teams.

***

St. Mark's Gets Back in the Groove
Campbell Lifts Millbrook in OT
Holahan Backstops 'Wick to Another Win
Westy Explodes in Second
Taft Comes from Behind, Edges Rival Hotchkiss
Loomis's Heinze (43 Saves) Tames Salisbury
T-P Stays Hot

Albany Academy 10, Hebron 1 -- In a neutral-site game played at Exeter, Albany Academy pounded Hebron, 10-1, behind junior Michael Malatino's three-goal, two-assist afternoon. Senior Austin Jerzak and junior Ryan Wead added two goals each. In net, Will Mizenko and Caleb Murray teamed up for the win, stopping all but one -- Hebron senior Anthony Lombardo's second-period goal -- of the 18 shots they faced.

@ Avon Old Farms 5, Deerfield 0 -- Behind senior goalie Stephen Peck's 16-save shutout and Joe Connor's fifth two-goal game of the season, Avon rolled to its third win in four games to stay unbeaten across its last nine. Deerfield junior John Tolve (23/27) played the first two periods and took the loss, and senior teammate Michael Corrado (11/12) played the third. Avon is on a nine-game unbeaten streak (7-0-2) stretching back a month, to Jan. 11th.

St. Mark's 3 @ Middlesex 2 -- After back-to-back losses -- Wednesday to Brooks and Friday to Cushing -- and an injury to top scorer Richard Gallant -- St. Mark's (16-5-1) got back on track on senior Sebbie Johnson's game-winner with 40 seconds left. It was Johnson's second goal of the game. Senior Jack Murphy and junior Bryan Tang had the Middlesex goals. Charles Watson, a senior, went 33/35 in net and earned the win.

@ Millbrook 3, Williston Northampton 2 (OT) -- Millbrook junior Dale Campbell's goal 3:51 into OT lifted Millbrook, which hadn't won since December 18, to its first victory in 13 games. Earlier, in the early third, Mustangs senior Connor Koropatnicki had tied the game. Millbrook junior G Tyler Spokane (25/27) earned the win, while Williston PG Tyler Kirk (25/28) took the loss. 

Tabor 2 @ Governor's 2 (OT) -- Gov's junior Tyson Scanlon scored a 6x5 goal with five seconds left to even the score for good. A few minutes before, Tabor senior Jack DesRuisseaux (who recently committed to Sacred Heart) had put his team up, 2-1, with his second goal of the game. Seawolves' senior G Gus Ackerman was 34/36 in the draw.

@ Brunswick 5, Berkshire 1 -- The Bruins scored twice in the first, once in the second, twice in the third, and got a 27/28 performance from senior goalie Brendan Holahan, coasting to a home victory over Berkshire. Senior d-man Sloan Farmer (1g,1a) led the way for Brunswick. Senior captain James Shannon, who committed Friday to Quinnipiac, also found the back of the net. Berkshire sophomore Josh Williams scored the Bears lone goal, while senior G Cole O'Donnell (42/47) saw a lot of action in the loss.

Cushing 5 @ Canterbury 3 -- Two third-period goals thirty seconds apart -- by junior AJ Sacco and PG Brendan Quinn -- lifted the Penguins to the road win, their sixth consecutive victory. Sacco had a three-point night to lead the team. Canterbury was paced by sophomore Sam Ciappa. Cushing senior Cooper Rautenstrauch (31/34) earned the win. Canterbury sophomore Sean Dunn (28/33) took the loss.

@ Exeter 2, Choate 0 -- Senior Michael Salvatore's 28-save shutout, his second donut of the season, lifted Exeter (10-12-1) to a home blanking of Choate. Both Big Red goals came from juniors in the third, Jack Gordon first and Christian Maro later. Choate senior Primo Baldassarre (21/22) deserved a better fate.

@ Portsmouth Abbey 4, Kents Hill 2 -- After Kents Hill took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, The Abbey scored three goals across the final two periods to pull away for the win. Senior Josh Bonrouhi (2g,1a) and Logan McManus (1g,2a) each had three-point nights. PA junior G Patrick McDevitt (28/30) picked up the win; Kents Hill PG Ryan Rosenau (21/24) took the loss.

Westminster 5 @ Pomfret 2 -- Following a scoreless first period, Westy (12-7-0) exploded for four goals in the second, jolting themselves into a lead they would not relinquish. Juniors Ryan Shaw (2g,2a) and Michael Bianco (2g) potted two goals apiece for the victors. Their classmate, goaltender Matteo De Luca, was 21/23 in net. The Martlets, winners of five of six, have charged into the postseason picture.

Taft 4 @ Hotchkiss 3 -- Two unanswered power-play goals in the final nine minutes -- by sophomores Theo Weisman and Preston Hidy -- hoisted Taft to a come-from-behind win. Hotchkiss, without a win in its last seven tries, took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission, and, before giving up the lead for good, held a 3-2 lead midway through the third. The Bearcats were paced by junior James Mackey's two goals. Taft junior Rudy Guimond, a Yale commit, went 25/28 in the win. Taft has won four of its last five.

Loomis Chaffee 1 @ Salisbury 1 -- Despite outshooting Loomis 44-23, Trey Deere's trickle-in goal in the second was all Salisbury could get past Pelicans' senior G Andrew Heinze, who finished 43/44, For good measure, Heinze also assisted Eli Velepec's game-tying goal in the third. Junior G Cooper Flemming (22/23) had a strong game for the Crimson Knights. Salisbury is unbeaten (4-0-1) over its last five; Loomis is 2-1-2 over the same span.

@ Frederick Gunn 5, Lawrenceville 2 -- The Big Red led 1-0 in the first and tied the game 2-2 in the second, but Gunn pulled away with three unanswered goals (including an ENG) over the final 25 minutes. Junior Alex LoGuercio, the Highlanders' leading scorer, notched two goals to bring his season total to 20. Ryan Crowshaw, a senior, went 24/26 in the win. The win was Gunn's first in February. They'd come into the game with two losses and two ties since an 11-2 win over Hoosac Jan. 27.

KUA 2 @ Holderness 2 (OT) -- After a scoreless first, the two teams traded goals in the second -- and again in the third. But nothing in OT could untie the knot. Both goalies -- Holderness senior Evan Plunkett (36/38) and KUA senior Dan Heroux (35/37) -- had to be on point. Holderness is now 15-5-1 on the season, and even better lately, going 4-0-1 over its last five, and 6-1-1 over its last eight. KUA is now 19-6-1 but has stalled out a bit over its last five (2-2-1). In games vs. Holderness, KUA has a loss and a tie. The two teams could meet again in the Lakes Region Tournament Feb. 24-25.

NMH 3 @ Winchendon 2 -- Hoggers' junior defenseman Jack Turowsky broke a 2-2 tie with 3:51 remaining in the third. NMJ junior goaltender Tommy Adams kicked out 20 of 22 shots to earn the win. NMH was won three of its last four. Late this week, it was announced that Hoggers' head coach Kevin Czepiel would be taking the reins at the Berkshire School in the fall.

Brooks 4 @ St. George's 1 -- A pair of first-period goals from senior F Jeremy Emch gave Brooks a lead it would not relinquish. Brooks has caught fire recently, and is riding a five-game win streak.

Trinity-Pawling 3 @ Kent 2 -- A third-period goal from junior F Tanner Duncan broke a 2-2 tie and lifted T-P to the win. Senior G Ben Plottner kicked out 34 of 36 shots to earn the win. Kent senior Harrison Fogel (16/19) took the loss. A couple of weeks ago, T-P had one win to its name. But something has happened. Since getting hammered at Salisbury, 11-3, on Jan. 18, T-P was won two in a row, and four of its last six. Kent is going in the other direction, having lost four in a row, while getting outscored 15-5 in the process.

Fri. 2/10/23

 

Changings of the Guard

Last week, three prep coaches, each with ten or more years of service (no, John Gardner is not one of them!), announced that they will be stepping down at the end of the season.

From where we stand, prep schools and their athletic programs are defined primarily by their coaches. The longest-tenured coaches are like the turning of the calendar. They're like the copper beech tree in the front yard, and the Canada geese on the flyway south. Every year, come November, they're at their places. We reporters become accustomed to them. And then, inevitably, they're gone.

Usually, we don't learn of three retirements in the same week. But that's exactly what happened last week. So let's look back at their careers, and send them off in high style.

***
Milton Academy head coach Paul Cannata has all the attributes of a terrific hockey analyst. There's very little he can't explain succinctly, and virtually nothing he can't explain with humor. Exposition, description, explanation, breaking things down, putting them back together. That's what Paul Cannata does. He's a teacher and a coach first, and a humorist of the top order secondarily. You want anecdotes? He's got 'em.

The resume: A Roxbury Latin grad ('85) and team captain, Cannata went on to play at Hamilton College. He began his coaching career at AIC, spending two years ('90-92) as an assistant there before heading further west and taking over as head coach at North Adams State College (now Massachusetts College of  Liberal Arts). Soon, though, with his early dues paid, Cannata returned to the Boston area, joining Bruce Crowder's staff at Northeastern in '96-97. He'd spend seven years as an assistant there. But that wasn't all. Through his summer camps, and coaching kids in USA Hockey's Mass District camps, Cannata stayed close to his roots.

The 2003-04 season was Cannata's first as head coach at Milton. The squad he inherited won three games. Five years later, the Mustangs, behind senior defenseman Pat McNally (22-28-50 in 28 games played), went 26-3-1, and won the Elite 8 title, edging Matt Herr's Kent squad, 2-1, in the 2011 championship game, and giving the school its first-ever prep title.

Five years later, in '15-16, Milton went 20-6-2 and was back in the Elite 8 championship game, this time around falling, 3-2, to Gunnery.

Milton had another strong season in 2017-18, going 18-3-2, but falling to Dexter in an Elite 8 quarterfinal, 4-1.        That squad had Matty Beniers, who was 11-16-27 in 23 games as a freshman before being whisked off to the NTDP and the University of Michigan. He's currently a strong -- perhaps strongest -- candidate for the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) with the Seattle Kraken.

Thus far this season, Milton is 13-4-3 and, with a strong finish, stands to make, on Cannata's watch. a fourth trip to the Elite 8. 

For Cannata, the decision to step away from coaching is, he said, "Simple math."

His two children were brought up at -- and educated by -- Milton. "But my daughter is in college now, and my son is about to be," said Cannata. "Plus this is my twentieth season at Milton. And I'm 55."

Cannata has plans, but he isn't tipping his hand. "I'll still be in hockey," he said, "in one way or another."

***
This is the 30th year that Berkshire's Dan Driscoll has been a head coach at the high school/prep level. That's a few turns around the sun.

A Lynn, Mass. resident who played for St. Mary's HS (Lynn), UConn, and professionally in Europe, Driscoll, after a stint at Hamilton-Wenham HS, took over at Winchendon in the 1996-97 season and won a Div. II title right off the bat, following that up with a second Div. II title in '99. Driscoll's formula was centered around moving top Boston-area high school players to Central Mass. Old-timers will remember the likes of Charlie Daniels, an East Boston High School forward, and Mark Concannon, from Hull High School. Both would go on to play at the Div. I level in college at, respectively, St. Lawrence and UMass-Lowell.

After five years at Winchendon, Driscoll took the reins at former Div. II Pomfret in '01-02. In his third year, '03-04, the Griffins reached the Div. I quarterfinals as the #4 seed in the West, meaning they had to take on #1 West seed Avon. Pomfret put a scare into the Winged Beavers, nicking Avon junior goaltender Jon Quick for four goals, but eventually falling, 5-4, in two OTs. Avon went on to win it all.

Leaving Pomfret, Driscoll moved on to Berkshire for the '06-07 season. In his first year, with stalwarts like future UVM and Bruins blueliner Kevan Miller, Berkshire came to life in February, finishing the season with seven straight wins, but falling short of the playoffs.

In Driscoll's second season, the school built the $35 million Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center, the school's spiffy two-sheet athletic center.

In '11-12, Berkshire won the Large School Tournament in Salem, NH, dispatching St. Sebastian's, 4-3, on Brendan McGovern's OT goal.

"This team," Driscoll told USHR after the game, "had ten OT games and 18 one-goal games over the course of the season. We have 'good soul'... good team character and a never-say-die leadership that really benefitted us today. There are 11 seniors on this team, and they were invested in playing for each other and in playing for the school."

Now, says Driscoll, who will remain as the school's AD, "It's been 30 years and it's time to pass the baton. There's a 12-month aspect to being a dad, a coach, and an AD. It's time for somebody else to take the reins. I'm ready."

"I'm grateful. I got to be at Berkshire when my kids were. The family connections meant a lot. It was a mission I really believed in.

"The highlight for me," Driscoll added, "was the relationship you build with kids and parents. You have an impact. It's a bond you carry forever."

***
Jeff Dwyer, currently in his tenth year as head coach at St. George's, has the program in a good position, having reached the quarterfinals of last season's Small School Playoffs, where a 3-1 loss to Gunn ended the Dragons' 13-6-4 campaign. This season, they're 13-8-0 as of this writing, and, with a strong finish, could get back to the postseason.

"I'm proud of where the program is," Dwyer said. "We have  a competitive program that lines up with our admissions." (Note: the school's 9th-grade class is significantly larger than that of most other schools, hence there are a lot of ninth-grade players -- six on this year's team alone.)

Dwyer, a big d-man in his days at Choate, Yale, and in minor pro -- he was an Atlanta Thrashers sixth-round draft pick in 2000 -- got into coaching as soon as his pro career ended, first with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) and then in the USHL, working with Mark Carlson at Cedar Rapids.

From there, Dwyer joined College Hockey, Inc. shortly after the organization's formation. College Hockey, Inc., as many of you know, advocates for the college game, educating young players on the benefits of college hockey, which may seem plain as day to many of us, though less so in some outposts, particularly north of the 49th Parallel.

After College Hockey, Inc., Dwyer joined Ryan Mulhern and Justin Cerenzia at St. George's. All three are still at St. George's and all are a part of the team. Dwyer took over the head position after Cerenzia was injured on the bench as a clearing attempt on a PK drilled him in the head in a December 2014 game, fracturing his skull.

Dwyer, who has three kids -- ages 10, 8, and 5 -- is moving on to Thayer, where he will be taking an administrative position, working in admissions and development. He's still young, so we expect to see him back on the bench somewhere, someday.

Wed. 2/8/23

 

Prep Highlights:
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
KUA Starts Slowly -- and Pays the Price
Loomis's Heinze Holds off Deerfield
McFaul Leads Brooks to Upset Win Over St. Mark's
Worcester's Dozois Scores Five
Leroux Leads Bears Past Lions
Gov's Marchese Notches First-Period Hat, Ties up #1 Nobles

Westminster 4 @ Hotchkiss 1 -- Westy senior Rowan Masse, an Old Dominion baseball commit, paced the Marlets with a goal and a helper as they cruised to a road win in Lakeville. Junior G Matteo De Luca (20/21) earned the win. Hotchkiss, which got its only goal from senior Alan Lizatovic in the second, started sophomore Connor Towle (41/45) in goal. Westy has won three of its last four. Hotchkiss has lost four straight, and five of its last six.

Berkshire 4 @ Kent 1 -- Behind a 36/37 performance from senior G Danick Leroux, a Holy Cross commit, and two goals from senior Tanner Marsh, Berkshire (9-13-0) snapped its three-game skid with its first win in two weeks. Kent's offensive woes continued -- the Lions have scored three times in their last three games -- as sophomore Stefano Pietrantonio supplied the only goal. Junior Aidan Hopewell (18/21) took the loss in net.

@ Kents Hill 3, Austin Prep 1 -- After the teams traded goals in the first period, Kents Hill PG Ben Cohen and senior Barrett Lunder scored in the final five-and-a-half minutes of the second to propel the Huskies (9-15-0). PG goalie Ryan Rosenau (29/30) picked up the win.

@ Andover 3, Kimball Union 2 -- Two first-period goals -- from juniors Ethan Skowronek and Jake LeDoux -- got Andover (8-12-1) off to a two-goal head start, and they held on to upset #5 Kimball Union (18-6-0) for the first time since KUA reappeared on the Big Blue schedule in 2019. Junior Sam LeDrew and sophomore Corwith Simmers scored the Wildcats' goals. After nine straight wins, KUA has hit a rough patch, losing two of its last three.

@ Albany Academy 4, Millbrook 1 -- Two powerplay goals in the first and two 5x5 scores in the third, plus a 28/29 performance in goal by senior Will Mizenko, lifted AA (10-10-0) to its first win in four games. Millbrook's only goal came off the stick of senior Nate Rebello. Albany senior G Will Mizenko turned away 28 of 29 shots for the win.

@ Trinity-Pawling 8, Canterbury 3 -- Six different Pride skaters found the back of the net -- senior Tyler Fogu and junior JP Macrigiane twice each -- as T-P rolled Canterbury for its fourth win of the season. Canterbury's Jed Brazo, a senior, stayed hot, scoring again for his sixth goal in the last three games. T-P junior Ethan Fehrenbaker (20/23) picked up the win in net.

@ Loomis Chaffee 2, Deerfield 1 -- Senior Jacob Hookman-Vassa's goal thirty seconds into the third period broke a 1-1 tie and stood up as the game-winner. Earlier, in the second, Deerfield had taken the lead on sophomore d-man Pierce Lapham's first career goal, but Loomis responded with Cory Alissi's goal less than a minute-and-a-half later. The Big Green hit the post on a grade-A chance in the final minutes, but Loomis senior G Andrew Heinze (29/30) held them off the board and earned the win. With the win, Loomis (11-5-3) salvages a split of the season series with Deerfield.

Proctor 4 @ Exeter 3 -- Despite a late charge from the Big Red, Proctor junior Finn Connor's powerplay goal in the second held up the game-winner. Junior Tyler Gwatkin (1g,1a) paced Proctor, while junior Christian Maro's two helpers led Exeter. Proctor G Caden Pasqualone, a junior, went 20/23 and earned the win. Exeter senior Michael Salvatore (31/35) got the loss in net.

@ Dexter 5, New Hampton 1 -- Dexter scored twice in the first and thrice in the third en route to its fifth straight win to stay unbeaten over its last 11. Senior Joe Hurton (2g) and junior Jonathan Lanza (3a) led the attack. Senior goaltenders Max Gatti (17/18) and Paul Dalessio (4/4) teamed up for the win in net.

@ Brooks 5, St. Mark's 4 -- Brooks junior Tanner McFaul scored twice and added two helpers, leading the red-hot Bishops to an upset win over St. Mark's, which lost sophomore star Richard Gallant (33p in 17g) to an apparent arm injury early in the first. Brooks has now won four games in a row since a 9-0 loss to Belmont Hill on January 25. 

Avon Old Farms 3 @ Frederick Gunn 3 -- After trading goals in each period of regulation, neither team could crack the scoreboard in the extra frame, and the game ended deadlocked. Each team's leading scorer -- Avon senior Joe Connor and Gunn junior Alex LoGuercio -- found the back of the net. Neither Avon senior Stephen Peck (30/33) nor Gunn senior Ryan Crowshaw (29/32) was to be outdueled.

@ Worcester Academy 6, Portsmouth Abbey 2 -- In a game featuring 18 (yes, 18!) total penalties, including two misconduct calls and four bench minors, WA's Connor Dozois, who stayed out of the box all night, scored five goals to lead his team to victory. The junior's Herculean effort -- his fourth hat trick of the year -- brought his season total to 22 goals. Hilltoppers' freshman goalie Wes DiModica (34/36) earned the win.

@ Pingree 6, Wilbraham & Monson 2 -- Four Pingree skaters tallied a goal and an assist, and sophomore Max Kirianov (3a) led all point-scorers. Junior G Luke Marinelli (24/26) picked up the win.

Salisbury 3 @ Taft 2 (OT) -- Salisbury PG Garrett Krieger's goal with 29 seconds remaining in overtime hoisted the Knights to their fourth consecutive win to jump to 12-6-3. Taft junior Shane Mettler had sent the game to the extra frame with a 6x5 goal with two minutes left. Salisbury PG goalie Matt Alberti (18/20) got the win, but Rhinos' junior Rudy Guimond kept his team in the game by stopping 54 of 57 shots in the loss.

St. George's 4 @ Rivers 2 -- After Rivers (8-10-2)  took a 2-1 lead four minutes into the middle frame, St. George's (13-8-0) scored three unanswered goals -- including two in a 15-second span late in the second -- to pull away for the win. Dragons' freshman Max Donatelli (1g,2a) led the way for the victors.

@ North Yarmouth Academy 3, Bridgton Academy 2 -- After Bridgton took a 2-1 lead early in the third, NYA senior Zach Stabb tied things at 2-2 with his second goal of the game, setting the stage for junior Ethan Brochu's game-winner with just under four minutes left in regulation. NYA junior G Aidan McAuslin (18/20) was the winner between the pipes.

Milton 4 @ Tabor 3 -- Senior forwards Jacob Pohl (3g,1a) and Brendan Maher (1g,2a) led the Mustangs' attack, and sophomore G Sam Caulfield (37/40) took care of things in net as Milton, in its third try this season was able to vanquish its bête noire. The two teams are headed in opposite directions: Tabor has lost five of six; Milton is unbeaten over its last seven (6-0-1).

Cushing 7 @ Winchendon 0 -- Junior linemates Ethan Gardula (1g,4a) and Landan Resendes (3g,1a) led the charge. Senior D Zach Rizzo and PG F Jack Costanzo pitched in as well, each contributing a goal and two assists. Senior G Cooper Rautenstrauch (19/19) and junior Aidan Foley (3/3) combined on the shutout. Cushing is unbeaten over its last six (5-0-1).

@ Choate 4, Pomfret 3 -- The Wild Boars scored three first-period goals and held off a late Pomfret charge. PG Ben Polomsky (1g,2a) led the way offensively, and senior G Primo Baldasarre (34/37) stood out in goal.

@ Berwick 12, Hebron 2 -- Freshman F Parker Murch (4g,2a) had a night he can tell his grandkids about; and junior forwards Eli Chilicki, Justin Massa, and Michael Delage each had four-point days. Berwick has won three of its last four.

@ Roxbury Latin 6, Middlesex 2 -- Junior Jake Novak (2g,2a) led the offense. Vincent Jaeger (3a), Will Matthews (2a), and Patrick Schultz (2a) added a multitude of helpers. Junior G Evan Zhang (25/27) earned the win in net.

@ Belmont Hill 6, St. Sebastian's 4 -- Six different Hillies found twine as the Sextants survived a third-period run by St. Seb's, thanks in large part to a four-goal explosion in the second. Senior d-man Matthew Biotti (1g,2a) had a three-point night. For Seb's, junior Isaac Mitchell (2g,1a) led the way. Freshman JJ Thibodeau (22/26) was the winner in net. Belmont Hill has won six in a row and nine of its last 10 games. Seb's is 0-2-2 over its last four.

@ Holderness 3, Tilton 0 -- In a matchup of two Lakes Region foes trending in opposite directions, Holderness, which has won four straight, blanked Tilton, losers of its last six, thanks to senior Evan Plunkett's 35-save shutout. Junior Caden Wells (1g,1a) paced the Bulls. Tilton junior Sawyer Russell saved 26 of 28 in net, but took the loss.

Governor's 4 @ Noble and Greenough 4 -- After Governor's took a 4-1 lead into the first intermission behind senior Michael Marchese's opening-frame hat trick, #1 Nobles clawed back into the game with two goals in the second and one in the third. The game-tying goal came off the stick of senior D Will Brophy with just over five minutes left in regulation. In the draw, Gov's senior G Max LaCroix went 41/45. Nobles sophomore Thatcher Bernstein started 3/6 and was lifted for Tyler Bloomfield, a junior, who went 33/34. After a 14-game unbeaten streak (13-0-1), Nobles, in its last two games, has a loss and a tie

 

Tues. 2/7/23

 

Nobles #1 in This Week's USHR Poll

From the start, Avon, Cushing, and Nobles have had a stranglehold at the top of this season's polls. Each is formidable, and you can throw a blanket over them.

We feel that there's a strong second tier that consists of Milton, KUA, Belmont Hill, and St. Mark's. 

The #8-9-10 slots are a bit more malleable, with half a dozen teams fighting for the one slot that will put them in the Elite 8. This is where the fun comes in. 

Two teams that figured in the Jan. 23rd poll have been drummed out.

Tabor, a solid team that has played a slew of tight, one-goal games and showed themselves to be a hang-in-there gang, had Lady Luck on its side early. Lately, less so: Since January 14th, the Seawolves are 1-4-2.

Taft bounced back a bit after losses to Westy, Loomis, and NMH. Since the last poll, the Rhinos are 3-1-0, having beat T-P and Gunn, and split with Kent. They need junior G Rudy Guimond to carry them.

Holderness has won five of six. The win over KUA was a big feather in their cap. The Bulls have had only two games vs. TUCs and have split them, losing to Cushing, but beating KUA. Future games against TUCs are few. They'll face KUA again on Saturday (Feb. 11), and Dexter (Feb. 22), plus they could get another shot at KUA in the Lakes Region Tournament.

Loomis is hanging around and has a chance to bust into the Elite 8. Since a loss to Deerfield on Jan. 11, they've gone 4-2-1. They have seven games left. Three of their future opponents are currently TUCs -- Salisbury, Westminster, and Avon. The Pelicans go into those games with a win over Westy, and a tie vs. Avon.


USHR Prep Poll: Week of February 6, 2023

 

Sun. 2/5/23 - updated Fri. 2/10/23

 

Boys' Prep Composite Schedule:
Week of February 6, 2023

Monday, February 6, 2023
Worcester Academy @ Pingree, 5:00 pm
Kents Hill @ Bridgton, 5:00 pm -- Maine Prep Cup (semifinal)
Tilton @ Proctor, 6:00 pm
Hebron vs. NYA, 7:00 pm @ Bridgton -- Maine Prep Cup (semifinal)

Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Brunswick @ Delbarton, 4:30 pm

Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Cushing @ Winchendon, 2:15 pm
Canterbury @ Trinity-Pawling, 2:30 pm
Westminster @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Berkshire @ Kent, 2:30 pm
Williston Northampton @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 2:45 pm
Hoosac @ Vermont Academy, 3:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Brewster Academy, 3:00 pm
Austin Prep @ Kents Hill, 3:00 pm
Proctor @ Exeter, 4:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Worcester Academy, 4:00 pm
Millbrook @ Albany Academy, 4:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Andover, 4:00 pm
St. Luke's @ Harvey, 4:00 pm
Deerfield @ Loomis Chaffee, 4:15 pm
Salisbury @ Taft, 4:30 pm
Portledge @ Wyoming Seminary, 4:30 pm (S)
St. Sebastian's @ Belmont Hill, 4:30 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Frederick Gunn School, 4:45 pm
New Hampton @ Dexter, 4:45 pm
St. Mark's @ Brooks, 4:45 pm
St. George's @ Rivers, 4:45 pm
Hebron @ Berwick, 4:45 pm
Bridgton Academy @ North Yarmouth Academy, 5:00 pm
Groton @ BB&N, 5:00 pm -- Cancelled (injuries @ BB&N), makeup TBD
Wilbraham & Monson @ Pingree, 5:00 pm
Thayer @ Lawrence Academy, 5:00 pm
Lawrenceville @ Selects Academy U18, 5:00 pm
Pomfret @ Choate, 5:15 pm
Middlesex @ Roxbury Latin, 5:15 pm
Tilton @ Holderness, 5:30 pm
Milton @ Tabor, 5:30 pm
Governor's @ Noble & Greenough, 5:30 pm

Thursday, February 9, 2023
No Games

Friday, February 10, 2023
Vermont Academy @ Winchendon, 4:00 pm
Dexter @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:00 pm 
Westminster @ Choate, 4:30 pm
Proctor @ Berwick, 4:30 pm
Hoosac @ North Yarmouth Academy, 5:00 pm
Albany Academy @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Worcester Academy @ Pomfret, 5:00 pm
BB&N @ Middlesex, 5:00 pm
Hebron @ Pingree, 5:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ Roxbury Latin, 5:30 pm
Governor's @ Andover, 5:30 pm
Lawrence Academy @ St. Sebastian's, 5:30 pm
St. Mark's @ Cushing, 5:45 pm -- now 5:00 pm
Kimball Union @ New Hampton, 6:00 pm
Belmont Hill @ Thayer, 6:00 pm
Brunswick @ Frederick Gunn School, 6:00 pm
Millbrook @ Williston Northampton, 6:00 pm
Austin Prep @ The Hill School, 7:00 pm

Saturday, February 11, 2023
Albany Academy vs. Hebron, 12:00 pm -- at Phillips Exeter
Austin Prep @ The Hill School, 1:00 pm
BB&N @ Belmont Hill, 2:00 pm
Rivers @ Roxbury Latin, 2:15 pm
Deerfield @ Avon Old Farms, 2:30 pm
Williston Northampton @ Millbrook, 2:30 pm
St. Mark's @ Middlesex, 2:45 pm
Cushing @ Canterbury, 3:00 pm
Westminster @ Pomfret, 3:00 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Winchendon, 3:00 pm
Tabor @ Governor's, 3:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ St. Paul's, 3:00 pm
Berkshire @ Brunswick, 3:30 pm
Kents Hill @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:00 pm
Pingree @ Vermont Academy, 4:00 pm
Taft @ Hotchkiss, 4:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Holderness, 4:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Milton, 4:00 pm
Hoosac @ Wilbraham & Monson, 4:15 pm
Brooks @ St. George's, 4:30 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Salisbury, 5:00 pm
Choate @ Exeter, 5:00 pm -- now 3:30 pm
Lawrenceville @ Frederick Gunn School, 5:30 pm
Académie Saint-Louis @ Worcester Academy, 5:30 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Kent, 7:00 pm

Sunday, February 12, 2023
Académie Saint-Louis @ Cushing B, 1:00 pm

Monday, February 13, 2023
Canterbury @ Frederick Gunn School, 5:00 pm
Berkshire @ Hotchkiss, 5:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Groton, 5:00 pm
Hebron vs. Bridgton, 5:00 pm -- Maine Prep Cup @ Bridgton (Consolation)
Austin Prep @ Xaverian, 6:00 pm
Kents Hill vs. NYA, 7:00 pm -- Maine Prep Cup @ Bridgton (Championship)

 

Sat. 2/4/23

 

Prep Highlights:
Saturday, February 4, 2023

Buckley Brothers Lead Dragons
St. Mark's Battles Back to Tie Up Seb's
LA's Leahy Has Career Game -- at Nobles Expense
Tabor Gets its Mojo Back

@ NMH 5, Vermont Academy 0 -- The Hoggers (12-8-1) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first and cruised from there. Four different skaters tallied a point and a helper. NMH junior G Tommy Adams posted his third shutout of the year, but it was an easy one: VA put only five shots on net all afternoon. 

North Yarmouth Academy 6 @ Worcester Academy 2 -- Behind a two-goal game from freshman Hugo Daniel and a 26/28 performance in net by senior Aidan Farion, NYA (14-8-2) completed a two-game season sweep of the Hilltoppers. For WA, junior Braden Clifford (51/57) faced a lot of rubber.

@ St. George's 5, Berwick 1 -- After Berwick cut the deficit to 2-1 early in the third, the Dragons potted three unanswered goals (the last of which came on an empty net) to seal their second win in as many games. Each Buckley brother -- sophomore Danny and senior Ben -- scored a goal, and the elder added two assists. Junior goalie Matthew DellaRusso (22/23) was the winner in net; Berwick sophomore Matthew Pimentel (35/39) took the loss.

@ Dexter 4, Andover 2 -- Four different skaters found twine and senior netminder Paul Dalessio stopped 14 of 16 shots as Dexter, which seems to have left behind its strange affection for ties, won its fourth straight game to climb to 11-5-7. Senior Brayden Naumann scored for the third contest in a row. Andover, meanwhile, drops to 7-12-1.

@ Kents Hill 5, Pingree 2 -- Kents Hill senior forward Theo Dimopolous scored four goals, including two in the game's final minute, as the Huskies (8-15-0) pulled away late to take down the Highlanders (8-9-4). Sophomore Trey Hanson and junior Ryan Kavanagh notched goals for the losers.

@ Exeter 4, Tilton 3 -- Junior Jack Gordon's goal with 1:10 left in regulation lifted host Exeter to a nail-biting victory over the visiting Rams. Junior Tristan Fedele (1g,1a) led the way for the victors, while Tilton was paced by senior Cam Quigley's two helpers. In a battle of senior goaltenders, Michael Salvatore (31/34) edged Conor Waldron (29/33) to earn the victory.

St. Sebastian's 3 @ St. Mark's 3 -- Senior Jim Lyver's goal with 3:36 left in the third completed the Lions' comeback -- they were down 3-0 early in the second -- and lifted the hosts to a tie in a battle of Saints -- Mark's against Seb's. Earlier, in the second, SMS senior Damon Myers scored twice to pull his team within striking distance. Lions' senior goalie Jeevan Anand, was 31/34. Pelle Russo was is net for Seb's.

Brooks 6 @ Middlesex 3 -- With Brooks holding a 1-0 lead six minutes into the game, the fire alarms blared at Pratt Rink, spectators were ordered to evacuate, and the game was paused for an hour's time. Then, almost like nothing had happened, it resumed right where it left off: with a faceoff in the host's zone. Brooks, too, picked up where it left off, and cruised to a comfortable road victory to jump to 9-7-1.

Tabor 7, Proctor 2 -- At the Salem Icenter, after four straight losses across the last ten days, Tabor (10-6-4) finally got back into the win column with a resounding win over the Hornets. In the second, the Seawolves scored three shorthanded goals on the same penalty. Junior Kai Roberto (2g,1a) led the way, while senior Gus Ackerman (8/8) and junior Brayden Bennett (15/17) teamed up for the win in net. Proctor senior Nick Marrocco scored both of the Hornets' goals.

@ Kimball Union 8, New Hampton 2 -- KUA, now 18-5-2, coasted on its home ice behind senior Dan Heroux's 27/29 performance between the pipes. Senior Jackson Kyrkostas (1g,4a) and junior Sam LeDrew (1g,3a) led the point-scorers, and junior Jack Sadowski (2g,1a) and sophomore Andrew O'Sullivan (2g,1a) had three-point nights. New Hampton goalies Nate Zerrenner, a senior, and Will Schremp, a junior, were 29/36 combined.

@ Lawrence Academy 4, Noble and Greenough 3 (OT) -- Lawrence junior Owen Leahy scored all four of his team's goals, including the OT winner with 33 seconds left in the extra frame. His heroic effort handed top-seeded Nobles its second loss of the season. The loss snaps a 14-game unbeaten streak for the Bulldogs, but it was only a matter of time: eight of their 13 wins on that streak were by one goal and four went to overtime. LA, meanwhile, is 8-7-2. Senior goalie Luc Gagnon picked up the win in net.

@ Belmont Hill 6, Rivers 1 -- Belmont Hill (13-4-3) scored five times in the opening period, cruised to a home victory, and extended its undefeated stretch to nine games (8-0-1). Senior forward Dane Carter scored twice for his 20th and 21st points of the campaign.

 

Fri. 2/3/23

 

The Book of Deerfield, and More

A week ago, we wrote of  Deerfield Hockey's 100th Anniversary celebration, which took place last weekend on the school's campus.

We also wrote of the driving force behind the event, Dr. Anthony Abene, an orthopedist and team physician for the San Jose Sharks and Barracuda, and father to Max Abene, Deerfield '22, and now a freshman forward at Colby College.

Unfortunately, Dr. Abene was unable to attend the event he had set in motion, due to a severely detached retina. Surgeons forbade him from flying back east.

During the Covid year, Abene says, he waded through digitized Deerfield yearbooks. He manually entered the scores of every game in the school's history. He also created a spreadsheet and database of every player, approximately 900, several hundred of whom went on to play the game in college. Seventeen became NHL draft picks.

Abene's research also led him to a project: a 100-year history of Deerfield Hockey. It's a work in progress. So far, he's covered the years from 1922-1944. It's terrific fun. The pictures alone are priceless, and much of the material drawn from season round-ups that appeared in The Pocumtuck, the school yearbook, is equally entertaining. 

For starters, let's just say that, over the last 100 years, the way we write about hockey has changed as much as the game itself.

We found little tidbits like this, from a February 14, 1925 account of a 7-1 win over Springfield College:

“The game was witnessed by several girls who had the honor to go to the dance which followed
with certain stars of the game"

Nice!

The grandson of James Franklin Cowan '30, recalled hearing his father talk of the team shoveling snow off the outdoor rink "and the players helping erect and tear down the rink each season,"

"A nearby barn," he added, "doubled as the team's locker room and provided the 'luxury' of cold buckets of spring water for showering."

Nice! All the amenities!

Lack of good ice was a constant issue. In practically all the early years, games commenced in mid-January, with the season wrapped up 4-5 weeks later. The 1938 team played just seven games. In 1936, the school played 14 games, a record at the time. Must have been a cold winter.

Also in 1936, The Pocumtuck (named for a regional Native American tribe, as well as a mountain in the town), reported on the season opener:

"The game with the Mass. State Freshmen at Amherst was no test of either team, due to the weather conditions, although the Green and White seemed superior. The game ended, after an overtime, 0-0, on a rink covered with inches of water."

Sorry to miss that one!

In 1931, Deerfield beat Suffield Academy, 2-0. The Pocumtuck reported that "in the second period a degenerate form of hockey held sway." What made it degenerate was not made clear. We can imagine, but perhaps you had to have been there.

Virtually every yearly wrap-up ends with a bow to the head coach.

From 1944:

"Without a doubt Mr. Switzer deserves the utmost appreciation for his tireless diligence in molding the Varsity into a smooth, tremendously powerful outfit, averaging over five goals a game."

Here's a link to the 78-page (and growing) PDF document. Due to all the photographs, it's a fairly large document. Just something to keep in mind if you're using an older computer.

Wed. 2/1/23

 

Prep Highlights:
Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Dragons Get Their Mojo Back
Saints Roll on Brazos' Hat Trick
Naumann Saves Dexter from Another Tie
Heroux Halts Hoggers
SPS Comes Alive in the Third
Cleaves Comes Up Big for 'Wick
Russo & Caulfield Battle to 1-1 Draw
Brophy's Tally Keeps Nobles Rolling
Swaim OT Goal Lifts Rivers Over Groton

Avon Old Farms 6 @ Westminster 2 -- Trailing 2-1 early in the second, Avon rattled off five unanswered goals, coasting to a win over Westy and completing a season sweep of the Martlets. Seniors Charlie Gollob (1g,3a) and Joe Connor (1g,2a) and junior Hudson Miller (3a) led the way. Westy's goals came from seniors Wade Volo and Rowan Masse. Avon's Stephen Peck (26/27) was the winner in net, while Westy junior Matteo De Luca (29/34) took the loss. The Winged Beavers are 15-2-1. The Martlets fall to 9-7-0.

@ Taft 5, Kent 1 -- Taft scored twice in the first and thrice in the third. Seniors Jackson Holl (1g,3a) and JJ Lemieux (1g,2a) led the attack. Kent had its chances, but could only solve Taft junior G Rudy Guimond once, that being a second-period goal from junior Jack Roberts.

@ Cushing 3, Tilton 0 -- Powerplay goals by juniors Emerson Marshall and Landan Resendes backed senior G Cooper Rautenstrauch's (19/19) fourth shutout of the season. With the addition of AJ Sacco's empty-netter, the Penguins (15-1-4) won their third game in the last four tries. Tilton senior Conor Waldron (37/39) took a tough loss.

@ St. George's 4, Middlesex 1 -- Junior Troy Hayes and sophomore Colin Walsh each scored twice (Walsh's second was an ENG in the final minute) as the Dragons snapped their five-game losing skid. The lone Middlesex goal belonged to sophomore Matt Egan. Junior Matthew DellaRusso (27/28) earned the win in net. Sophomore Caio Bernardini (28/32) took the loss.

Frederick Gunn 3 @ Millbrook 3 (OT) -- Gunn senior Michael Markowski's goal with just under three minutes remaining in regulation lifted the visitors to the 3-3 draw. Trailing 2-1 after the first, Millbrook had jumped in front in the second on goals by junior Dale Campbell and senior D Zach Walsh. In a battle of junior goalies, Gunn's Mitchell McCusker was 28/31 while Tyler Spokane of the Mustangs went 34/37. Gunn (13-6-3) has won just once in its last five tries.

@ Canterbury 5, Berkshire 4 -- Canterbury senior Jed Brazo, whose 17 goals led all Independents entering the day, potted three more today, all in the third period, including the game-winner with 15 seconds left. Senior Burke Bogardus (1g,1a) led the way for Berkshire. Saints junior Mitch Stenger (39/43) was the winner, while Berkshire senior Cole O'Donnell (28/33) took the loss. The Bears have dropped three in a row and five of six. Canterbury has won three of four.

Dexter 2 @ Pomfret 1 -- Senior Brayden Naumann potted the game-winner with 3:46 remaining to lift Dexter, winners of three straight and unbeaten in its last nine games, to a road win at Pomfret. In the second, Griffins PG Riley Frost had tied the game 1-1. Dexter went back to senior Max Gatti between the pipes; he was 22/23 in the victory.

@ Williston Northampton 7, Loomis Chaffee 2 -- Behind goals from seven different skaters and a 31/33 performance from PG goalie Tyler Kirk, Williston dominated Loomis, which held the final spot in the Elite 8 field entering the day, from start to finish. Seniors Jayson Alegria and Emmanuel Damianakis led the way with a goal and a helper apiece. The Wildcats even scored two shorthanded goals on the same penalty. Both L-C goals were off the stick of junior Cory Alissi.

Kimball Union 3 @ NMH 0 -- Senior G Dan Heroux's 24-save shutout, backed by senior AJ Noel's powerplay goal and two third-period goals from junior Jack Sadowski, led the Wildcats (17-4-0) to a dominant road win. Junior G Tommy Adams (37/40) was in net for the Hoggers, who saw their four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) snapped.

@ St. Paul's 3, New Hampton 2 -- Trailing 1-0 after the second, SPS scored three times in the third, including the eventual game-winner, a shorty by junior Matt Goldenberg, and held on to win its sixth game of the year.

Brunswick 4 @ Lawrenceville 3 -- Brunswick junior Cooper Cleaves scored twice, including a powerplay slapshot goal in the third that stood up as the game-winner, even after 'Wick potted an empty-netter and Lawrenceville responded with a 6x5 goal in the final seconds. Brunswick held a significant shot advantage, 44-22, and senior Brendan Holahan got the win in net.

Rivers 5 @ Groton 4 (OT) -- Rivers got the game-winner, 2:05 into OT, from senior Luke Swaim. A few minutes earlier, Swaim assisted freshman Justin Graf's game-tying goal in the waning minutes of regulation. Earlier, Rivers had gone up 3-0 after the first before the Zebras stormed back with four unanswered goals to grab the lead. Rivers' junior goalie, Brendan Nee (32/26), outdueled Groton's junior G Ethan Ramonetti (33/38).

@ Portsmouth Abbey 5, Worcester Academy 2 -- PA scored late in the first, and carried that 1-0 lead into the third, where both offenses erupted, combining for six goals. Of those six third-period goals, however, only two were WA's, and The Abbey (9-6-3) cruised to its sixth win in eight games. Senior Josh Bonrouhi scored twice.

St. Mark's 8 @ Roxbury Latin 1 -- Six different Lions found the back of the net as the ISL Eberhart's top team crushed its worst. Senior Sebbie Johnson and junior Calvin Beard each scored twice. The only goal for one-win RL came from junior Jake Novak, in the first. Senior Charles Watson (14/15) and freshman Alex Tarves (6/6) teamed up for the win.

Milton 1 @ St. Sebastian's 1 -- In a battle of goalies, neither Seb's junior Pelle Russo nor Milton sophomore Sam Caulfield was to be outdone. The former finished 35/36 while the latter was 33/34. Arrows junior Nolan Flynn scored 1:08 into the second, but the Mustangs earned the tie with senior Brendan Maher's goal in the third. It's the third draw of the year for each side.

@ North Yarmouth Academy 11, Hebron 3 -- NYA seniors Zach Stabb (3g,3a) and Daxton St. Hillaire (3g,2a) both logged hat tricks, while junior Nick Pelletier (2g,4a) posted a six-point day. The Panthers led, 7-0, before Hebron finally got on the board in the third. Remarkably, Lumberjacks junior Julian Karagiannis was 66/77 in net. NYA's Euan Martin was 29/32.

@ Proctor 7, Brewster 2 -- In the first, Proctor scored and Brewster answered to tie the game. In the second, same deal: Proctor scored and Brewster answered, tying things up at 2-2. In the third, the Hornets scored five unanswered goals and won going away. Proctor junior Finn Connor paced his team's scoring with two goals and a helper. Junior Caden Pasqualone (22/24) earned the win, while Brewster's Patrick Green (43/50) took the loss.

Governor's 3 @ Tabor 1 -- After a scoreless first, Gov's struck twice in the middle frame on goals by senior Mason Sturm and junior Tyson Scanlon. Tabor sliced the lead in half early in the third, but an empty-netter with 33 seconds left sealed the deal. Tabor's slide continues: the Seawolves have now lost three in a row, and are 1-4-2 over their last seven.

@ Holderness 4, Exeter 2 -- Trailing Exeter, 2-1, after the first period, Holderness would turn the game around on goals from Max Tong and Kaden Frelove to take a 3-2 lead after two. The Bulls would add an empty-netter for the final 4-2 margin of victory. Senior Cam Guthrie scored both of Exeter's goals. Bulls' junior G Ryan Nolan (23/25) earned the win; Exeter's Michael Salvatore (32/35) took the loss. Holderness has won four of its last five. Exeter has lost its last three.

@ Deerfield 5, Andover 2 -- Juniors Tommy Augustine and Tom Molson, and sophomore Justin Tavares each scored a goal and added two assists; and junior goaltender John Tolve kicked out 28 of 30 shots to lead the Big Green to their third straight win. Junior Jake LeDoux and senior Joey Zhang picked up assists on both Andover goals. 

@ Nobles 2, Thayer 1 -- An unassisted goal from big senior D Will Brophy midway through the third period broke a 1-1 tie, and sophomore G Thatcher Bernstein stopped 29 shots as Nobles edged Thayer. Tigers' senior G Beau Lane (27/29) took the tough loss. Nobles is 15-1-2; Thayer drops to 6-11-2.

Pingree 4 @ BB&N 1 -- Pingree got goals from four different scorers, and junior Nick Hubbard kicked out 25 shots to lead Pingree, which came into the game winless over its last six (0-3-3), to a much-needed win.