Thurs. 2/22/24

 

Not Done Yet

There’s a classic film from the late ‘80s titled The Princess Bride. If you’ve never seen it, sit down and enjoy a beautiful tale of a pauper and a princess, of love and deceit, of life and death...and what on earth does this have to do with prep hockey?

A quote from the film relevant to Wednesday’s relatively straightforward results will bring things into focus.

“There's a big difference between being mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.”

Nobles is mostly dead as far as their Elite 8 hopes are concerned, but they're actually slightly alive, too, which is better than Rivers, Belmont Hill, Lawrence, Kent, et al. can say.

How did this happen? St. Sebastian’s didn’t lose to Lawrence yesterday, but they also didn’t win, and that seemingly innocuous tie left the door somewhat open for Dexter, and slightly ajar for Nobles. The catalyst for one of these two teams landing the final spot in the Elite 8, as we’ll soon see, is the makeup of the top 16.

First off, here's what Dexter would need to have happen to squeak into the #8 spot:

1) Dexter beats Bel Hill
2) Berkshire loses to Gunn

Plus Dexter would need just one of these two scenarios to occur:

-- Either St. Mark's gets into the top 16 if:
1) Andover loses to Exeter
2) St. Mark's beats BB&N and Groton

-- or Loomis gets into the top 16 if:
1) Loomis beats Avon*
* in the event of a Loomis - Avon tie Andover needs to lose to Exeter as well

A lot of moving parts there, but certainly within the realm of possibility. Note: if neither St. Mark’s nor Loomis make the Top 16, the Arrows could still land the final spot in the Elite 8 even with a loss to Thayer in their final game of the regular season tomorrow (see analysis section below for more on that).

Now, Nobles’ path is narrower still:

1) Nobles beats Milton
2) Dexter loses to Bel Hill
3) Seb's loses to Thayer
4) Berkshire loses to Gunn
5) Loomis loses to Avon
6) Andover beats Exeter (and enters the top 16)

***************

Now, for purposes of analysis, recall that JSPR points are granted based on comparison of 1) head-to-head record, 2) record against common opponents, and 3) record against teams in the top 16, and 4) RPI.

Dexter will in all cases have a lower RPI than Seb’s (+1 for Seb’s). Common opponents? (+1 for Dexter). Top 16? (+1 for Seb’s). Head-to-head? They haven’t played each other (+0). Currently, with Berkshire in the final spot of the top 16, Seb’s gains a vital JSPR point over Dexter. However, if St. Mark’s or Loomis enter the top 16 then the scales tip in Dexter’s favor:  Dexter gains the crucial JSPR point and, since tiebreaker rules (head-to-head record followed by RPI) only come into play in the event of a JSPR points tie, Dexter would sneak into the final spot, avoiding the RPI comparison entirely.

Similarly, for Nobles, they need Andover to enter the top 16 to tip that comparison metric in their favor, along with RPI (which will be slightly higher than Seb’s if their dream scenario plays out). Since they split the head-to-head with Seb’s and would wind up in a JSPR points tie with the Arrows, RPI is the final fallback, and Nobles wins the #8 spot.

A fairy tale ending of the regular season is certainly possible for Nobles, but unlikely. Dexter has the more straightforward path, but even in that scenario they'll need help from other teams to land the final spot in the Elite 8.

Let's see how it all unfolds.  The Elite 8 is not yet set in stone.

 

Sat. 2/24/24

 

Prep Highlights
Saturday, February 24, 2024

Holderness Wins Lakes Region Championship
KUA Wins Lakes Region Consolation Game
Pingree Blanks NYA, Takes Holt Title
Andover Blanks Exeter
Avon Squeaks Past Loomis, 2-1, in OT
T-P's Migliore Notches Natural Hat Trick
Crimson Knights Bop Wapitis

@ Pomfret 5, Williston 4 -- Pomfret battled back from a 4-1 deficit, scoring four unanswered third-period goals to even its record at 13-13-3 and stay alive for a spot in the Small School playoffs. Early in the third period, the Griffins got a pair of goals 24 seconds apart from senior Jesse Heinberg and junior Luke Corrigan. That made it a one-goal game. Four minutes later, senior Louie Marcellino tied it at 4-4. The winning goal, at 11:12, came off the stick of junior Matthew Itzkovitz. Corrigan (2g,1a) and Marcellino (1g,2a) led all scorers with three points each. Williston finishes its season at 8-14-5.

@ St. George's 7, Middlesex 0 --  The Dragons (23-3-1) scored three goals in each of the first two periods and cruised to the win. Junior F Danny Buckley (4a) and senior F Tate Pecknold (1g,2a) led all scorers. Sophomore Ryan Magaletta had a pair of goals. The Dragons will be playing in the Elite 8. Middlesex, with a winning record in February, finishes 13-14-0.

@ St. Mark's 4, Groton 1 -- Senior Andrew Gibbons (1g,3a) led all scorers, senior D Calvin Beard notched a pair of goals, and junior goaltender Casey Kittredge (30/31) had a strong game between the pipes. St. Mark's (18-10-0) and Groton (12-7-6) are locks for the Small School playoffs.

Frederick Gunn 4, Berkshire 3 -- Gunn (17-10-5) scored all four of its goals in the second period and held off Berkshire, which scored two PPGs in the third. Gunn PG defenseman Jake Johner led all scorers with two goals. Senior G Mitchell McCusker (32/35) picked up the win. Berkshire (19-11-0) is still alive for a spot in the Large School shindig. Gunn is likely to get home ice for the Small School hoedown.

@ Andover 4, Exeter 0 -- Senior G Ben Skowronek posted a 26-save shutout to lead Andover (16-10-2) to a season sweep of archrival Exeter. Andover is bound for the Large School Tournament. Exeter finishes its season at 13-12-5.

Taft 7 @ Hotchkiss 4 -- Rhinos senior F Archer Brown (2g,1a) finished his prep career on a high note with two goals and an assist. Taft, with a win and a tie, won its season series against its main rival. Taft finishes 10-11-4; Hotchkiss wraps up its season at 8-13-4.

Lawrence 5 @ Tabor 1 -- LA, behind senior Laz Giardina (2g,1a), secured a home-ice spot in the Large School playoffs. The Spartans are 16-9-2. Tabor finishes 10-16-2.

@ Canterbury 7, Wilbraham & Monson 1 -- Canterbury (18-10-2) outshot its visitors, 59-14, and outscored them, 7-1. Junior Ryan Lucarelli (3a), and seniors Ryan Stratton (2g) and G Mitch Stenger (13/14) led the way for the Saints, who are on to the Small School playoffs, where they will have home ice. W&M finishes its second season in NEPSIHA 6-17-0, a big step up from its inaugural season (1-17-1).

New Hampton 3 @ Tilton 2 -- The #6-seeded Huskies won the Lakes Region lower-bracket title game, edging #5 seed Tilton, 3-2. The GWG came off the stick of junior Cam Caron at 6:37 of the third period. The Rams' Jeremy D'Souza scored with a little under two minutes left to make it a one-goal game and add some spice to the game's ending. New Hampton PG goaltender Alex Lafreniere (34/36) ended his prep career on a high note. Tilton sophomore Matt Wood kicked out 27 of 30 shots. Tilton (14-13-1) advances to the Small School tournament. New Hampton finishes 12-17-4.

@ Cushing 3, Governor's 2 -- A 2-2 tie after two periods was broken up by a PPG from Cushing junior F Kole Hyles early in the third, assisted by PG Josh Iby (who earlier had a goal of his own). The Penguins dumped a lot of pucks on Gov's junior G Zach Ericson (45/48). Cushing senior Marko Bilic (17/19) picked up the win, though. Cushing (26-3-0) appears to have the #1 seed in the Elite 8 wrapped up. Gov's finishes 8-17-2.

@ Salisbury 6, Winchendon 2 -- Senior Nicholas Petrut had two goals and five other Crimson Knights had a single tally. Each team used all three of its goalies. Salisbury outshot the Wapitis, 65-14. Salisbury advances to the Elite 8. The Wapitis finish up 11-20-1.

@ Kimball Union 8, St. Paul's 4 -- In the Lakes Region consolation game, PG Nathan McLean (3g,1a) and senior D Jack McMinn (1g,2a) led the Wildcats' attack. Senior F AJ True had a pair of goals for SPS. KUA (28-4-0) goes on to the Elite 8. SPS, a streaky team all season, finishes 12-16-1.

@ Pingree 4, NYA 0 -- Pingree senior netminder Nick Hubbard (1.92/.929) capped his prep career by posting a 30-save shutout in the Holt Conference Tournament championship game. Junior F Nick Moulison had two goals (one an empty-netter) and Joe Gaffney (1g,1a) also came through with a couple of points. NYA junior G Vincent Ouellet (32/35) took the loss. Pingree finishes its season 17-9-4; NYA finishes 12-15-5.

@ Holderness 3, Proctor 1 -- In the Lakes Region Championship Game, Holderness senior D Caeden Herrington scored a pair of goals (one an ENG) and senior Ryan Nolan (29/30) earned the win in net. Proctor senior G Caden Pasqualone (33/35) took the hard-luck loss. Pasqualone was outstanding over the tournament's two days, giving up a total of three goals against Elite 8 powerhouses KUA (a 2-1 Proctor win) and Holderness. In those two games, Pasqualone stopped 72 of 75 shots. And Proctor (11-16-2) has squeezed into the #8 slot in the Small School Tournament. Holderness is 25-3-0 and is the #5-seed in the Elite 8.

@ Avon Old Farms 2, Loomis 1 (OT) -- A goal from junior Michael Munroe at 4:55 of OT lifted Avon to a 2-1 win over Loomis in the traditional evening regular-season finale between the two schools. The goaltenders were the story here. Avon sophomore Anthony Palmer (24/25) picked up the win. Loomis junior Luke Quinn (32/34) took the hard-luck loss. Avon has played a lot of overtime games lately. This was the second 2-1 OT win in its last three games. Four of its last seven games have gone to OT, with Avon winning six. Avon (22-2-1) has locked up home ice for the Elite 8. Loomis fizzled out over the last five weeks, losing seven of its last 10. The Pelicans finish 14-10-1.

@ Trinity-Pawling 5, Millbrook 1 -- T-P sophomore F Andrew Migliore scored a natural hat trick, sophomore Jason Musa had four points (1g,3a), and junior Liam Lefebvre picked up three assists. In net, senior Ethan Fehrenbaker (28/29) earned the win.

Hoosac @ NMH 0 -- Hoosac got two goals from junior F Kaden Smith and a 36-save shutout from sophminic DeLuca to finish its NEPSIHA schedule at 8-8-1. The Hoggers finished 8-23-1.

@ Kent 11, Choate 2 -- Kent scored five goals in the second period to put this one way out of reach. Fifteen Kent players scored at least one point. Junior Stefano Pietrantonio (2g,2a) and senior Patrick Walsh (1g,3a) each had four. Junior Luke Dow and senior Gio DiGiulian each had three assists. Senior Owen Mahar had two goals. And on and on. Kent outshot Choate, 46-25. Kent junior Keegan Waldo (15/16) played two periods. Junior Tyler Bhalia (8/9) came on in the third, getting his first taste of prep action. Kent (15-8-2) continues on to the Large School tournament. Choate finishes at 3-22-0.

Wed. 2/21/24 -- Updated Thursday 2/22 with Holt and Lakes Region Conference schedules for Friday 2/23 semifinals

Prep Highlights
Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Berkshire's Gauthier Notches Natural Hat
Dragons Blitz Lions
Penguins' Marshall Nets Four
A Hat Trick for Salisbury's Allecia
Molson Leads Big Green
8th Grader Meyer Strikes in OT

@ Berkshire 4, Millbrook 1 -- Senior F Antoine Gauthier scored a natural hat trick in the third period, and senior G Kyle Bolduc stopped 23 of 24 shots to lead Berkshire (19-10-0) to the home win. Junior F Evan Regan (1g,2a), senior D Jack Turowsky (2a), and junior D Josh Williams (2a) also chipped in. Millbrook senior G Tyler Spokane (51/54) took the hard-luck loss.   

Salisbury 4 @ Hotchkiss 1 -- Senior F Jesse Allecia notched a hat trick and senior G Cooper Flemming kicked out 26 of 27 shots to lead Salisbury (18-5-1). Senior F Jared Rothman assisted on two of Allecia's goals. Hotchkiss junior G Connor Towle (39/43) took the loss. Salisbury is 11-1-1 over its last 13 games.

@ Avon Old Farms 5, Canterbury 3 -- Avon (21-2-1) scored four second-period goals -- two from junior F Michael Munroe -- en route to the home win. Senior F Charles Blanchard led all Winged Beavers in scoring with four assists. Senior forwards Lefty Markonidis and Ryan Flaherty each added a goal and an assist. Senior Sam Ciappa (2g,1a) figured in all three goals for Canterbury (17-10-2). Avon sophomore G Anthony Palmer (21/24) earned the win; Saints' junior Maxim Pitts (23/28) took the loss.

Frederick Gunn 8 @ Westminster 4 -- Isaac Truman and Will Jackson each scored a pair of goals and senior G Mitchell McCusker stopped 42 of 48 to give Gunn (15-10-5) the road win. Junior F Quinn Pine (1g,2a) led the Martlets' scorers. Westy outshot Gunn, 48-32.

@ Pingree 6, Hebron 0 -- Holt Conference Quarterfinal -- Senior F Quinn Moses (2g,3a) figured in all Pingree goals but one, and senior G Nick Hubbard posted a 17-save shutout to lead #2-seed Pingree (15-9-4) over #7 Hebron. Junior D Max Kirianov (2g,1a) and senior F Ryan Kavanagh (1g,2a) also had a big hand in the win, Pingree's fifth over its last three six games (4-0-1). Friday, Pingree hosts #3 Berwick in a Holt Conference semifinal. Puck drop is at 4:00 pm.

Rivers 4 @ Brooks 3 (OT) -- A goal from 8th grade forward Carter Meyer -- his second of the game -- at 3:56 of OT lifted Rivers (17-9-1) to the road win. This was a back-and-forth game. Every time Brooks scored, Rivers answered. Meyer (2g,1a), and fellow 8th grader Sam Pandolfo (1g,2a) led the Rivers' scorers. Brooks (8-15-1) was led by junior F Griffin Bucci, who assisted on all three Brooks goals. Senior forwards Joe Bucci (1g,1a) and Danny Valenti (1g,1a) each chipped in with a couple of points apiece. In net, Rivers' senior Jason Delehoy (21/24) picked up the win. Brooks' senior Ethan Simpson (41/45) stood tall in defeat.

@ Cushing 6, New Hampton 0 -- Senior F Emerson Marshall notched four goals, and junior D Ryland Randle added three assists to lead the Penguins (25-3-0) attack. Cushing senior G Marko Bilic (15/15) posted his 9th shutout of the season. Huskies PG goalie Alex Lafreniere (37/43) took the loss.

North Yarmouth Academy 7 @ Kents Hill 6 -- Holt Conference Quarterfinal -- Hugo Daniel (2g,2a) notched four points to lead #5-seed NYA's offense. He had help too, from Ethan Brochu (3a), and Jacob Colaluca (2g) and Matthew Brown (2g). The biggest goal -- the game-winner -- was Colaluca's second goal, with 30 seconds remaining in the third period. #4-seed Kents Hill got single goals from six different scorers. With the win, NYA advances to the Holt semis. They'll be traveling to #1-seed Portsmouth Abbey for a 5:00 pm faceoff on Friday.

@ St. Sebastian's 2, Lawrence Academy 2 (OT) -- Tonight, not much separated these two worthy teams. After senior Matt Cataldo put Seb's up 1-0 in the first, LA struck twice in the second, on goals from junior Ty Wood and senior Brendan Hirsch (SHG), to take a 2-1 lead after two. A goal from Seb's junior center Ben Merrill at 3:59 deadlocked the game -- and there it stayed. The goalies, LA junior Kolin Belliveau (25/27) and Seb's senior Pelle Russo (26/28) had strong games. Seb's is 17-6-2, and LA is 15-9-2 Though a win would have been preferable, the tie -- combined with Dexter's loss at Holderness -- takes Seb's one step closer to a spot in the Elite 8.

@ Proctor 3, Brewster Academy 0 -- Proctor senior goaltender Caden Pasqualone posted a 27-save shutout and the Hornets got goals from sophomore D Charlie O'Connell and senior F Finn Connor -- both assisted by senior Max O'Connell -- and an empty-netter from junior Beckett Homlish. Brewster freshman goalie JR Bonia (42/44) was excellent in a losing cause.

@ St. George's 9, St. Mark's 4 -- Host St. George's (22-3-1) blitzed St. Mark's (16-10-0) for five unanswered first-period goals and senior G Ryder Shea (30/34) picked up the win (though he gave up four goals for only the second time this season). Junior Owen Mulhern (1g,2a), senior Troy Hayes (1g,2a), and junior d-men Nathan Walsh (3a) and Everett Baldwin (3a) led the Dragons' point-getters. Senior Austin Borggaard (2g,2a) figured in all four St. Mark's goals. 

@ Winchendon 1, Exeter 1 (OT) -- In the second period, Winchendon junior D Nate Freelove scored a PPG. Six minutes later, Exeter senior D Leo Wiles answered with a PPG of his own. And that was it. The rest was all about the goalies, as Exeter post-grad Brady Quackenbush (21/22) and Wapitis' senior Declan Sweeney (31/32) did all they could to keep their teams in the game.

Groton 3 @ Middlesex 2 -- Freshman forward Harrison Freelove (1g,1a), senior forwards Devin Fitzgerald (1g,1a) and Will Koukopoulos (2a) led the Groton (12-6-6) offense along with junior Zach Baker, who notched a SHG. Groton senior G Ethan Ramonetti, who's quietly having an outstanding season, kicked out 36 of 38 shots.

@ Pomfret 8, Wilbraham & Monson 2 -- Junior forwards Luke Corrigan (2g,2a), Ethan Chiweshe (1g,2a) and Matthew Itzkovitz (3a) led the Pomfret attack. Senior G Beau Johnson (18/20) picked up the win. The Griffins (12-13-3) have a chance to reach .500 with a win Saturday at Williston.

@ Thayer 5, Milton 1 -- Milton (11-13-3) and Thayer (11-11-5) are close in the standings, but it was all Thayer today. Junior F Brady Kudrick had two goals for the Tigers, and senior Josh Halliday (1g,1a) and junior Kevin Delay (1g,1a) also had two points apiece. Ditto for junior F Mason Shea (2a) and junior D Declan Devin (2a).

@ Deerfield 5, Kent 3 -- Senior Tom Molson, a Yale commit, notched two goals and added an assist to lead the Big Green (13-8-3) over Kent (14-8-2). Deerfield senior John Tolve (27/30) earned the win; Kent senior Aidan Hopewell (25/30) took the loss.

@ Holderness 3, Dexter 1 -- The Bulls (23-3-0) offense came from senior forwards Caden Wells (1g,1a) and Aaron VanWie (1g), and junior D Jeremy Poirier (1g). Junior forwards Luke Piazza and Jacob Duval added two assists apiece. Dexter (16-8-2) got its lone goal from sophomore F Jake Assad. In net, Holderness senior Ryan Nolan (29/30) earned the win. Dexter sophomore Colin Davis (27/30) took the loss. With the win, Holderness may have dealt a mortal blow to Dexter's Elite 8 hopes. (We'll be checking all scenarios.)

@ Nobles 3, Governor's 0 -- A second-period goal from sophomore Billy McAusland and a pair of unassisted third-period goals from junior Ethan Cox was all the offense Nobles (15-7-3) needed as Tyler Bloomfield posted a 19-save shutout. Gov's junior G Zach Ericson (50/53) did all he could for his team -- and then some.

Berwick 3 @ Worcester 2 -- Holt Conference Quarterfinal -- Sophomore Parker Murch (2g,1) and PG Owen Horrigan (1g,2a) figured in all three goals for #3-seed Berwick (15-11-2)  in a Holt Quarterfinal win over #6-seed Worcester Academy. Senior F Connor Dozois (1g,1a) had a hand in both Worcester goals. Berwick advances to the Holt semis and will be heading to #2 Pingree for a 4:00 pm tilt on Friday.

@ Hoosac 1, Austin Prep 0 -- Senior F Andrew Heath's third-period goal was all the Owls needed in the way of offense as senior G Xavier Gagnon posted a 24-save shutout.

@ Roxbury Latin 8, Buckingham Browne & Nichols 2 -- Joe Meade (2g,2a) and Jake Novak (1g,3a) led the RL defense. Senior G Evan Zhang (15/16) played two periods and fellow senior Mark McGuire (9/10) played one.

Belmont Hill 6 @ Tabor 3 -- The first period was bonkers in this one, as the two teams combined for seven goals (five from Bel Hill and two from Tabor) and then added one apiece the rest of the way. Every single goal was scored by a different scorer. Twelve Bel Hill players scored at least one point. Bel Hill senior forwards Jake McManus (1g,1a) and Lucca Micciche (2a) were the game's biggest point producers. Bel Hill junior G Keagin Wilson (28/31) picked up the win.

-- The tournament field for Friday is as follows:

Lakes Region Tournament Semifinals:
Top Bracket:
#4 Proctor @ #1 KUA, 5:00 pm
#3 St. Paul's @ #2 Holderness, 5:00 pm
Lower Bracket:
#8 Brewster @ #5 Tilton, 6:00 pm
#7 Vermont @ #6 New Hampton, 6:30 pm

Holt Tournament Semifinals:
#3 Berwick @ #2 Pingree, 4:00 pm
#5 NYA @ #1 Portsmouth Abbey, 5:00 pm

 

Tues. 2/20/24

 

The Plot Thickens

Amid the final week of the ‘23-24 prep hockey season, we’re working behind the scenes, crunching the numbers, and seeing what possibilities exist for those teams still in contention for an Elite 8 berth.

Before the games of this past weekend we weren’t expecting much in the way of movement in the Elite 8. In other words, the projected Elite 8 seemed to be the most likely outcome. That all changed, however, when Nobles lost at Belmont Hill on Friday. That loss allowed St. Seb’s to sneak in the back door and snag a spot in the current Elite 8 standings. Furthermore, Nobles’ loss could be Dexter’s Elite 8 gain, and Holderness, previously thought to be unassailable, could drop out of the Elite 8 entirely. The world turns, and the plot thickens.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Last week we promised to provide a detailed breakdown of how NEPSIHA playoff seedings are determined, and for those of you new to the world of prep hockey, you’ll need it to understand why the seedings don’t necessarily fall in line with a team’s RPI.

First, a bit of history. For much of its existence prep hockey playoff seedings were determined by committee; that is, at the end of the regular season coaches would gather and vote on which teams would make it into the playoffs. This all changed in 2010 with the invention of JSPR -- an algorithm similar to the NCAA pairwise ranking system – developed here at USHR by Taft and Carnegie Mellon alum Jeremy Philipson.

That’s nice, but what is JSPR?

JSPR’s statistical foundation is based upon RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), which represents the strength of schedule for each participating NEPSIHA team (including affiliate programs). It is both the starting point for Elite 8 eligibility, and the determining factor in Large and Small 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). The winning percentage formula is wins plus ties (valued at half a win) divided by games played.

With the RPI calculations tallied, we then move on to JSPR, which 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 Large and Small School playoff tournaments.

The four categories are as follows:

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

If Team A wins the comparison over Team B they get one JSPR point. In the event of a comparison tie, the fallback is head-to-head results (if they played each other), followed by RPI. The eight teams with the most JSPR points at the end of the regular season form the Elite 8.

There’s more to it than that, subtleties such as what constitutes a valid NEPSIHA game (e.g., prior to last season affiliate vs. affiliate results were excluded, but now are included) and rules surrounding overtime games during holiday tournaments, and how on earth the algorithm is implemented (recursion aplenty), but the above are the basics, and should give prep hockey fans a deeper insight into why the playoff seedings are as they are.

But let’s get back to the games at hand.

Nobles is certainly kicking themselves for the loss to Belmont Hill. Without significant help from the teams they’re trailing, the Bulldogs will have to settle for the Large School Tournament. Similarly, Belmont Hill is still in the mix, but they have to win out and hope for a late-season collapse from the teams they’re chasing. As for Rivers, Kent, and Lawrence... too little too late. Still, they can play the spoiler, and what team doesn't love doing that – hushing the home crowd on the road, dashing the opponent’s Elite 8 hopes. That’s something a team can get up for.

Now, the teams with a solid shot at landing an Elite 8 spot: Holderness, St. George’s, St. Seb’s, and Dexter.

Among this group, the Dragons have the best chance. In some of our simulations, they may still land a spot even with losses to St. Mark’s and Middlesex, although it would be better not to test this hypothesis since there’s still potential for movement in the Top 16 that could adversely affect their odds.

Wednesday's Dexter at Holderness game is a biggie, more so for Dexter than Holderness. The Bulls could lose to both Dexter and say, KUA, in the Lakes Region playoffs and still possibly land a spot in the Elite 8. They have to win at least one of their three remaining games, and that is pushing it. It would be far better to win two out of three and guarantee themselves a ticket to the Elite 8.

Dexter, on the other hand, has to win out to have a chance. In addition to Holderness, Dexter has a home game Friday against Bel Hill -- and we saw what the Hillies did to Nobles. Nonetheless, Dexter has a path.

St. Seb’s also should win out to ensure they’re in the running on the final day of the regular season. On Wednesday, they face Lawrence, a team that’s fallen on hard times down the home stretch, and wrap things up against a scrappy Thayer squad on Friday.

Quite surprisingly, Holderness could potentially drop out of the Elite 8 entirely, but they’re a strong team, so it’s unlikely that will happen. Still, if it’s statistically possible, it’s possible on the ice, and that’s where numbers and reality meet.

Good luck to all teams in the final week!

P.S. -- For those of you wondering where playoff seedings can be viewed, look under the “Playoffs” dropdown menu in the main navigation above. There, you will find current RPI, JSPR, and playoff seedings, along with their projected end-of-season equivalents.

Tues. 2/20/24

 

Cushing #1 in Final USHR Prep Poll

 
Well, here it is, the fifth and final USHR Prep Poll of the year, and Avon Old Farms, which has lost two of its last five games, is no longer in the #1 spot.

Unlike some sports, we don't do a poll after the season is concluded. There's no point. What happens on the ice between now and Sunday, March 3 is sufficient. So enjoy this one, drink it in, as there won't be another until December.|


USHR Prep Poll: Week of February 19, 2024


We did five polls this season. Six schools -- Avon, KUA, Cushing, Holderness, Brunswick, and Salisbury -- made the cut all five times. Loomis and Nobles made it four times; St. George's three times; Kent, Andover, and Belmont Hill two times; and Gunn, Dexter, and St. Sebastian's one time.

Below is a 'chart' showing how teams progressed or regressed -- subjectively, of course -- throughout the season

The polls appeared on the following weeks. Chronologically, they read from left to right on

1)  December 18
2)  January 8
3)  January 22
4)  February 5
5)  February 19

Cushing         4-7-4-2-1
KUA              2-2-3-3-2
Avon              1-1-1-1-3
Brunswick     6-3-2-4-4
Salisbury       9-9-6-5-5
Holderness    3-4-5-6-6
St. George's  X-X-10-10-7
St. Seb's        X-X-X-X-8
Dexter          X-X-X-X-9
Nobles          X-10-8-7-10
Kent              5-6-X-X-X
Bel Hill         8-8-X-X-X
Andover        X-X-9-8-X
Loomis          7-5-7-9-X
F. Gunn         10-X-X-X-X

Mon. 2/19/24

 

Hill Tops Stanstead; Wins Two Nations Prep Playoffs

 Co-Hosted by The Hill & Lawrenceville

Participants:
USA -- Lawrenceville, The Hill, Albany Academy, and Nichols.
CANADA -- Stanstead, Upper Canada College, Bishop's, and Ridley.

Friday, February 16, 2024 -- QUARTERFINALS:
Nichols 3, UCC 2 (OT)
Hill 5, Bishops 3
Stanstead 3, Albany Academy 2 (OT)
Lawrenceville 3, Ridley 0

Saturday, February 17, 2024 -- SEMIFINALS:
Ridley 3, Albany Academy 2
Stanstead 5, Lawrenceville 4
UCC 4, Bishop's 2
Hill 4, Nichols 1

Sunday, February 18, 2024 -- FINALS:
Championship: Hill 6, Stanstead 3
UCC 3, Nichols 1
Lawrenceville 3, Ridley 1
Bishop's 6, Albany Academy 3

Sun. 2/18/24 -- Sat. 2/24: Holt and Lakes Region tournament matchups and game times for Saturday added.

Boys' Prep Composite Schedule
Week of February 19, 2024

Monday, February 19, 2024
Salisbury @ Berkshire, 5:00 pm
Vermont Academy @ Proctor, 5:00 pm
Winchendon @ Andover, 5:15 pm
Governor's @ Lawrence Academy, 5:15 pm
Brewster Academy @ Hebron, 5:30 pm
Pomfret @ Avon Old Farms, 5:45 pm

Tuesday, February 20, 2024
No Games Scheduled

Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Holt Tournament Quarterfinals:
#7 Hebron @ #2 Pingree, 4:00 pm
#6 Worcester Academy @ #3 Berwick, 4:15 pm
#5 North Yarmouth Academy @ #4 Kents Hill, 4:00 pm
(#1 Portsmouth Abbey receives a bye into the semi-finals on Friday)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Frederick Gunn School @ Westminster, 2:00 pm
Millbrook @ Berkshire, 2:00 pm
Canterbury @ Avon Old Farms, 2:30 pm
Brewster Academy @ Proctor, 2:30 pm
Exeter @ Winchendon, 2:45 pm
Salisbury @ Hotchkiss, 2:45 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Taft, 3:00 pm
Rivers @ Brooks, 3:30 pm
Wilbraham & Monson @ Pomfret, 3:45 pm --  now 4:45 pm
Williston Northampton @ Albany Academy, 4:00 pm
St. Mark's @ St. George's, 4:00 pm
Kent @ Deerfield, 4:15 pm
Lawrence Academy @ St. Sebastian's, 4:15 pm
New Hampton @ Cushing, 4:30 pm
Groton @ Middlesex, 4:30 pm
BB&N @ Roxbury Latin, 4:30 pm
Dexter @ Holderness, 4:45 pm
Governor's @ Noble & Greenough, 4:45 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Andover, 5:00 pm
Belmont Hill @ Tabor, 5:00 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Choate, 5:00 pm
Milton @ Thayer, 5:00 pm
Austin Prep @ Hoosac, 6:00 pm

Thursday, February 22, 2024
No Games Scheduled

Friday, February 23, 2024

Lakes Region Tournament Semifinals:
Top Bracket:
#4 Proctor @ #1 KUA, 5:00 pm
#3 St. Paul's @ #2 Holderness, 5:00 pm
Lower Bracket:
#8 Brewster @ #5 Tilton, 6:00 pm
#7 Vermont @ #6 New Hampton, 6:30 pm

Holt Tournament Semifinals:
#3 Berwick @ #2 Pingree, 4:00 pm
#5 NYA @ #1 Portsmouth Abbey, 5:00 pm

-------------------------------------------------------
Belmont Hill @ Dexter, 5:00 pm
Thayer @ St. Sebastian's, 5:00 pm
BB&N @ St. Mark's, 5:15 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Frederick Gunn School, 5:30 pm
Westminster @ Deerfield, 5:30 pm
Winchendon @ Williston Northampton, 6:00 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Brunswick, 7:00 pm

Saturday, February 24, 2024
Lakes Region Tournament Finals:
Upper Bracket:
#4 Proctor @ #2 Holderness, 6:00 pm
#3 St. Paul's @ #1 KUA, 4:30 pm
Lower Bracket:
#6 New Hampton @ #5 Tilton, 3:00 pm
(In the lower bracket, there is no consolation game.)
Holt Tournament Finals:
#5 NYA @ #2 Pingree, 4:00 pm
-------------------------------------------------------
Williston Northampton @ Pomfret, 1:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Tabor, 1:00 pm
Middlesex @ St. George's, 1:45 pm
Groton @ St. Mark's, 2:00 pm
Exeter @ Andover, 2:00 pm
Taft @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Berkshire @ Frederick Gunn School, 2:30 pm
Millbrook @ Trinity-Pawling, 2:30 pm
Wilbraham & Monson @ Canterbury, 2:30 pm
Westminster @ Belmont Hill, 4:00 pm
Brooks @ BB&N, 4:00 pm 
Noble & Greenough @ Milton, 4:15 pm
Hoosac @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 4:30 pm
Governor's @ Cushing, 4:30 pm
Winchendon @ Salisbury, 4:30 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Avon Old Farms, 6:00 pm
Choate @ Kent, 6:30 pm

-- END OF REGULAR SEASON --

NEXT WEEK (PLAYOFFS):

Wednesday, February 28, 2024
NEPSAC Tournament: Quarterfinals (at campus sites)

Saturday, March 2, 2024
NEPSAC Tournament: Semifinals (at campus sites)

Sunday, March 3, 2024
NEPSAC Tournament: Championships (at Harvard University)
Small School, 12:00 pm
Large School, 2:30 pm
Elite 8, 5:00 pm

Sat. 2/17/24

 

Prep Highlights
Saturday, February 17, 2024

#5 Salisbury Shoots Down #1 Winged Beavers
LeDrew, McMeniman Lead #3 KUA Past #2 Cushing
Surging Arrows Win 6th Straight
Gunn's LoGuercio Strikes Again
Buckley's 2 Goals, Shea SO Lead Dragons
#4 Brunswick Blanks Taft

St. Sebastian's 7, Governor 3 -- The Arrows (17-6-1) knocked off Gov's (8-14-2), extending their winning streak to six games, and, as of this minute, hold the #8 spot in the Elite 8. Today, Seb's spread the offense among seven different scorers. The point leader was the Arrows' top scorer, senior Matt Cataldo, who had three assists. Senior Pelle Russo (22/25) picked up the win, before giving way to classmate Chase McCann late in the third.

@ Dexter 7, Kents Hill 2 -- Junior Nathan Porter (2g,1a) and senior Cullen Emery (2g,2a) helped stake Dexter (16-7-2) to a 6-0 lead by the end of the second period. Junior Sean Leetch (1g,3a) tacked on four points of his own. Both Kents Hill goals came from junior Zachary Tsatas in the third period. Eighth-grade G Justin Lee (23/25) earned his second win in net for Dexter, which has won three straight. After a six-game win streak, Kents Hill  (12-13-3) has lost three in a row. 

@ Frederick Gunn 8, Choate 1 -- For the second time in a week, senior F Alex LoGuercio posted a 3-goal-2-assist day leading Gunn (14-10-5) past Choate (3-19-0). Gunn senior G Mitchell McCusker (14/14) posted a two-period shutout, with junior Colin Logan (6/7) coming in for the third. The Wild Boars' senior goalie Ryder Holloway (38/46) was shelled.

@ Pomfret 3, Millbrook 2 (OT) -- Pomfret PG Colden Lawrence scored the game-winner 3:56 into OT, lifting the Griffins (11-12-3) to a home win over Millbrook (5-18-3). Earlier, just past the midpoint of the third period, Millbrook PG Dalton Kane had scored a powerplay goal to tie the score. Both goalies, Mustangs' senior Tyler Spokane (29/32) and Pomfret senior Beau Johnson (28/30) were solid.

@ Salisbury 5, Avon Old Farms 1 -- #5 Salisbury (16-5-1) handed #1 Avon (19-2-1) its second loss of the season, getting goals from five different scorers and dominating throughout. Salisbury senior G Cooper Flemming (21/22) was excellent. For the first time in his nascent career Avon sophomore G Anthony Palmer (35/40) allowed more than two goals in a game.

@ Thayer 4, Tabor 2 -- The Tigers started strong with a three-goal first period and that was all they needed. Junior F Kevin Delay (1g,1a), freshman F Michael Federico (1g,1a), and junior D Declan Devin (2a) each had two-point days.

Pingree 3 @ Andover 3 (OT) -- The two opposing goalies -- Andover senior Ben Skowronek (47/50) and Pingree senior Nick Hubbard (45/48) -- combined for 98 saves. That's a lot of rubber. For Pingree, junior Joe Gaffney had two goals. Andover got goals from three different scorers. Andover (13-10-2) is slumping. Several weeks ago they were in the Elite 8 hunt but have gone 1-6-1 over their last eight games. Pingree (14-9-4) is undefeated over its last five (4-0-1).

Deerfield 3 @ Exeter 1 -- Big Green senior G John Tolve kicked out 24 of 25 shots, and PG Rowan Heitoff, and juniors Lance Roberts, and Justin Tavares (ENG) found the back of the net. Exeter PG Brady Quackenbush (28/30) had a strong game but came out on the short end. Deerfield (12-8-3) has lost just once in its last six games. Exeter (13-11-4) had a four-game win streak snapped.

Vermont Academy 3 @ Brewster 2 -- VA senior captain Shane Prusak put his team ahead 3-1 less than two minutes into the second, but Brewster junior Austin Luciani struck back 43 seconds later to make it a one-goal game. From there, though, the Bobcats never cracked the Wildcats defense again. Vermont Academy is 3-18-2; Brewster is 5-19-1.

@ Rivers 3, Middlesex 2 -- Rivers got powerplay goals from sophomore Jonathan Rivard and senior Cadyn Miceli in the second, then withstood a third-period Middlesex goal to prevail for its fifth win in the last six games. Red Wings' senior G Jason Delehoy (15/17) wasn't tested much, while Middlesex senior Caio Bernardini (37/40) saw a lot of rubber. Rivers is one of the youngest teams in the land — with 11 underclassmen and four 8th-graders — but is 16-9-1, sits second in the Small School playoff picture, and just keeps winning.

@ Westminster 5, Berkshire 4 (OT) -- Junior F Blake Burke's goal 14 seconds into OT lifted host Westminster (9-10-3) to the win, its fourth in its last five games. Despite Berkshire junior F Duncan Thompson's hat trick, Westy led 4-3 after two periods. But in the third, Berkshire junior F Walker Bright's game-tying goal at 6:43 was the period's sole goal, sending the game to OT, where Burke sent the crowd home happy. Junior F Quinn Pine (2g,1a) led Westy's scorers. In net, senior Matteo De Luca (48/52) came up big. For Berkshire, senior Kyle Bolduc (24/29) took the loss. Berkshire is 18-9-0.

@ Brunswick 3, Taft 0 -- Behind a 28-save shutout from senior Will Baker and goals from three NCAA-bound seniors, Brunswick (20-3-2) earned its fifth straight win. Sean Gibbons (West Point) scored a shorty in the first, Ryan Wachtel (Princeton) notched a second-period score, and Cooper Cleaves (Dartmouth) added an ENG in the third. Taft junior G Brady Morris (26/28) also played well, but his offense couldn't help him much.

@ Hotchkiss 7, Trinity-Pawling 1 -- Senior Jake Owens and junior Evan Jones scored two goals apiece, pacing Hotchkiss (8-11-4) in a home win over Trinity-Pawling (5-16-1). Bearcats junior G Connor Towle (25/26) earned the win in net. On the other end, it was a rough night for T-P's Czech junior Ondrej Matousek (24/31). The Bearcats, who started 2-8-2, are 6-3-2 since Jan. 20th and have now matched last season's win total.

St. Mark's 4 @ Lawrence 1 -- After a scoreless first period, St. Mark's (16-9-0) erupted for three goals in a five-minute span in the second and never looked back. Defenseman Calvin Beard (1g,2a), Sacred Heart commit Austin Borggaard (2g), and Air Force recruit Andrew Gibbons (1g,1a) paced the Lions, while junior G Justin BriseBois (30/31) was excellent in the blue paint. LA (14-9-1), meanwhile, has dropped three of its last four games.

St. George's 4 @ Groton 0 -- Dragons' senior Danny Buckley scored twice and senior G Ryder Shea, a Maine commit, stopped all 32 shots he faced. With the win, #10-ranked St. George's (21-3-1) clinched the ISL Eberhart title. Groton is 11-6-6.

@ NYA 3, Portsmouth Abbey 2 (OT) -- North Yarmouth Academy sophomore Hugo Daniel scored his second goal of the day 27 seconds into OT. Minutes earlier, in the third, The Abbey had taken a 2-1 lead on junior Noah Jimbo's goal, but NYA senior Matthew Brown scored less than a minute later, sending the game to the extra period and setting up Daniel's golden goal. In net, senior Aidan McAuslin (28/30) got the win for the Panthers (11-14-4). Senior Patrick McDevitt (30/33) took the loss for the Ravens (11-13-4).

@ Tilton 6, Hebron 0 -- Tilton senior G Blaze Martonick (20/20) posted his first shutout, senior Danny Storella (2g,2a) had a monster day, and junior Noah Pineo (2g) added two goals of his own. The Rams, with the victory, climb above .500 (13-12-1). Hebron is 3-25-1.

Loomis 7 @ NMH 2 -- Loomis (13-8-1), which entered the day having lost five of its last six, banished its recent frustration at the Hoggers' expense. Sophomore Indiana Grossbard and senior Ethan Woolcott paced the Pelicans with a goal and two helpers each. In net, junior Liam Joyce (12/13) got the start, then post-grad Jasper Curtis saved 10 of 11 third-period shots in his prep debut.

@ Kent 6, Canterbury 2 -- Canterbury senior Jake Stevens scored a powerplay goal just past the midpoint of the third, giving his team a 4-3 lead on the road, but the host Lions didn't quit. Instead, they roared back, scoring three unanswered goals in the final eight-and-a-half minutes to pull one out of the hat. Senior Gio DiGiulian netted the GWG. Kent senior G Aidan Hopewell (35/39) got the win in goal. Canterbury junior Maxim Pitts (23/29) took the loss. Kent (14-7-2) is 4-1-1 over its last six. The Saints (17-9-2) have dropped three of four.

Brooks 3 @ Roxbury Latin 2 -- Junior Griffin Bucci's goal at 13:59 of the third period lifted Brooks to the road win. Junior Brendan Peck and freshman Andrew Martin scored Brooks's other goals.

New Hampton 5 @ Proctor 1 -- Huskies' PG Alex Lafreniere came up with a sterling performance, kicking out 46 of 47 shots. Junior F Connor Pierson (1g,2a) and junior D Broden Wood (2g) led the attack. Senior Caden Pasqualone (27/31) took the loss for the Hornets.

Kimball Union 4 @ Cushing 2 -- In a battle of heavyweights, KUA (27-3-0) won the back half of the home-and-home weekend series with Cushing (24-3-0) behind a hat trick from senior Sam LeDrew and sparkling goaltending from junior Blake McMeniman. After a scoreless first period in which Cushing had the edge in play, the pace -- and scoring -- heated up in the second as Cushing came out pressing. It paid off quickly, with PG Bronson Hunt scoring on the powerplay at 2:50 and Max Dineen making it 2-0 with an even-strength goal just 1:17 later to put the Penguins up, 2-0. KUA kept at it, though, and later, in a similar sequence, got goals 43 seconds apart from LeDrew on the powerplay and CJ Watroba at even strength to make it 2-2 and quiet the Penguin faithful. The third period was even better than the second. Here's where McMeniman shined, as the Penguins were pressing the play all around McMeniman, who had his head on a swivel with pucks coming at him from all points on the compass. At the other end, Bilic was facing just as many shots but less sustained pressure. Finally, at 13:50, LeDrew finished off a great passing sequence with linemate Jack Sadowski and defenseman Jack McMinn to give KUA a 3-2 lead. LeDrew immediately went from celebrating his goal to the penalty box, taking a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting. (The same thing happened Friday when a Cushing player did the same to KUA. Mind your manners, guys.) Shortly after Le Drew got out of the penalty box, he scored an ENG to cap off his hat trick and the win. Shots were 15-15 in the third. There's not much separating these two teams. McMeniman (36/38) earned the win. Cushing senior Marko Bilic (32/35) took the loss. All in all, an excellent hard-fought game between two excellent teams. It had a playoff feel. Who knows, but they might meet again in a couple of weeks.

Thurs. 2/15/24

 

Projecting the Elite 8

The end of the regular season is nine days away, and the Elite 8 playoff seedings are approximating what we may see when the games of Saturday, February 24th are in the books.

First off, the current JSPR top 5  -- KUA, Cushing, Avon, Brunswick, and Salisbury -- is effectively set, except for the exact order. We’re not seeing many scenarios in which any one of them gets bounced out of the Elite 8. You could put Holderness (currently in the 6th spot) in that group as well, but a stumble against St. Paul’s and/or Dexter combined with other non-favorable results could put them on the edge. At any rate, the top 6, based on their play thus far, are looking like locks for the Elite 8.

It gets more interesting when you look at the current 7-12 spots in JSPR.

St. George’s, for example, is enjoying one of the strongest seasons it’s had since...well, pretty much forever. However, they haven’t played the stiffest of competition. We think they need to win out to ensure a spot in the Elite 8.

Nobles, while having played a stronger schedule than the Dragons, lose a critical JSPR point to them based on current RPI and record against teams in the top 16. On paper Nobles is projected to win their remaining games -- they’ve got Belmont Hill, Governor’s, and Milton left on their schedule, none of which are easy wins (the scrappy Governor’s team, for example, upset Lawrence yesterday, and tied Nobles last week). Still, if Nobles takes care of business they should wind up in one of the final two spots.

Next up are teams currently on the outside looking in: Dexter, Berkshire, LA, and Seb’s. All need help in the form of higher-ranked teams unexpectedly losing combined with their pulling off upsets of their own. At this point in the season it’s all about high-value wins: the stronger the opponent the better.

Dexter has games against Holderness and Belmont Hill, both top 16 teams at present, while Berkshire has Salisbury and Gunn. Wins there will boost their slim chances at a final spot in the Elite 8. Lawrence, which has taken it on the chin of late, losing to St. Seb’s and Governor’s in succession, has St. Mark’s and St. Seb’s left on its schedule. Finally, St. Seb’s and coach McCann’s young arrow-nauts can further LA’s pain, and their gain, with a win against the Spartans next Wednesday.

Our take: St. Seb’s and Dexter have the best chance among the outsiders of gaining a spot in the Elite 8. They’ll need help from St. George’s and/or Nobles, but they both are solidly in the running.

We should note that while Kent is projected to land as high as the 11th spot in JSPR, they don’t have enough quality opponents remaining on their schedule to pose a serious threat to other teams contending for the final two spots.

For those of you new to the JSPR ranking algorithm used here at USHR and by NEPSIHA to determine the Elite 8 and Large & Small school seedings, we’ll have a follow-up article before the end of the regular season giving a more detailed explanation.

Wed. 2/14/24

 

Prep Highlights
Wednesday, February 14, 2024

 
Seb's Wins 5th Straight; Edges Toward Elite 8
Winged Beavers Overpower Wild Boars
#4 'Wick Edges #5 Salisbury, 4-3
New Hampton's Pierson Notches Natural Hat
Proctor Gives KUA a Scare
Cushing's Bilic Posts 8th Shutout

@ St. Sebastian's 8, Tabor 4 -- Down 2-1, the host Arrows scored four goals in the second and added three more in the third. Junior Ben Merrill (2g,2a), sophomore Casey Mutryn (1g,3a), and senior Matt Cataldo (2g,1a) fueled the scoring explosion. For Tabor, senior F Kai Roberto scored a pair of goals. Seb's (16-6-1) has won five in a row and is knocking on the door of the Elite 8.

Berkshire 5 @ Trinity-Pawling 2 -- The Bears' top guns -- senior Antoine Gauthier (2g,2a), and juniors Evan Regan (2g,1a) and Duncan Thompson (2a) -- continued their recent scoring pace. Senior goalie Tommy Adams (32/24) was on his game. And Berkshire (18-8-0) won for the fourth time in five games.

New Hampton 3 @ Vermont Academy 1 -- New Hampton junior forward Connor Pierson, with his team down 1-0 in the first period, reeled off three straight goals -- a natural hat trick -- to lead the Huskies (9-16-3) to the road win. Junior F Cam Caron assisted on two of those goals. The goaltending was noteworthy, as New Hampton PG Alex Lafreniere (28/29) earned the win. VA senior James Mikos (34/37) took the loss.

Pomfret 2, Frederick Gunn 2 -- In a neutral-site game played at Trinity College, Gunn senior Alex LoGuercio's third-period game-tying goal lifted the Highlanders (13-9-5) to a tie with Pomfret (10-12-3). Gunn got behind early, as Pomfret junior forwards Ethan Chiweshe and Will McLean put the Griffins up 2-0 at the first intermission. Gunn junior D Luke Calabria, who also assisted on LoGuercio's game-tying goal, scored the only goal in the second period to cut Pomfret's lead to 2-1. And then, at 13:31 of the third, LoGuercio salvaged the tie. Gunn junior starting goalie, junior Collin Logan (6/8), started but was replaced after the first period by senior Mitchell McCusker (18/18), who was perfect the rest of the way. Pomfret senior Beau Johnson (32/34) excelled at the other end. Gunn is 13-9-5; Pomfret is 10-12-3.

Westminster 5 @ Loomis 2 -- Junior F Blake Burke scored three goals -- one short-handed -- to lead visiting Westy to a 4-0 lead after two periods. Senior G Matteo De Luca (38/40) came up with a big game.  Loomis junior G Luke Quinn (30/34) took the loss. Loomis (12-8-1) has lost three in a row, and five of its last six. Westminster (8-10-3) has won three of its last four, and four of its last six.

@ Canterbury 6, Williston Northampton 2 -- Host Canterbury (17-8-2) took a 4-1 lead early in the third period, but Williston (7-12-4) cut the lead to 4-3 with a pair of goals less than a minute apart. Canterbury, however, stopped the bleeding right there, adding a couple of late power-play goals for the 6-3 margin of victory. Senior F Ryan Stratton (2g,1a) and PG F Jackson Powers (3a) led the Saints' attack. Canterbury senior G Mitch Stenger (20/23) picked up the win, while his counterpart, Williston senior G Jake Henry (48/54) faced a ton of rubber.

@ Kent 3, Hotchkiss 3 -- Hotchkiss, trailing 3-1 after two periods and playing on the road, struck for two goals in the third period to sneak out of the building with a tie. Hotchkiss (7-11-4) got goals from juniors Jack McGregor and Evan Jones, and senior Nate Harrison. For Kent (13-7-2), senior F Gio DiGiulian, senior D Denver Damphousse, and junior F Michael Fiedorczuk scored. In net Hotchkiss junior starter Connor Towle (13/13) was replaced five minutes into the second period by PG Ian Johnson (15/18).  Kent junior Keegan Waldo kicked out 26 of 29.

Avon 6 @ Choate 2 -- Senior F Lefty Markonidis (2g,1a) led the Winged Beavers (19-1-1) past the Wild Boars (3-18-0). Junior Michael Munroe (1g,1a), PG Alex Pelletier (1g,1a), senior Brendan Tighe (2a) and senior d-man Blake Jones (2a) all added two points apiece. Avon junior G Michael Heinke (13/15) picked up the win. Choate junior Gordie Leary (41/47) took the loss.

@ Brunswick 4, Salisbury 3 -- #5 Salisbury (15-5-1) scored once in the first and again in the second, taking a 2-0 lead into the second intermission before #4 Brunswick (18-3-2) stormed ahead. Then, with the Knights netminder pulled and just over two minutes left, ’Wick senior Brendan Giles potted an ENG to make it 4-2. Salisbury junior Oliver Morris scored 6-on-5 with under a minute to go, but it wasn't enough. Giles (2g) paced the Bruins, while Salisbury was led by senior Jesse Allecia (1g,1a). In a matchup of senior goalies Brunswick's Will Baker (24/27) outdueled Cooper Flemming (21/24).

Cushing 3 @ Andover 0 -- Behind a 26-save shutout from Arizona State-bound senior Marko Bilic and two-point nights from seniors Brendan Agnew (1g,1a) and AJ Sacco (2a), #2 Cushing cruised past #8 Andover. The Penguins, who have won 15 straight games since losing to Lawrence at the Flood-Marr, have blanked their opponent 10 times (eight from Bilic, two from Zach White). Chase Anderson, Andover's junior goalie, went 31/34 in the loss.

@ Kimball Union 4, Proctor 2 -- With the game knotted at 2-2 more than midway through the third, KUA senior captain Sam LeDrew, a St. Lawrence recruit, scored a PP goal that held up as the game-winner. In the waning minutes, UNH commit Jack Sadowski added an ENG for the final margin of victory. The play of Proctor senior G Caden Pasqualone (33/36) was a big reason why the Hornets (9-13-2) were in this game until the end. #2 KUA (26-2-0) got a 22/24 performance from senior G Colby Boyce in the win.

@ Rivers 6, St. Mark's 5 -- In a crazy back-and-forth game that saw four lead changes and three ties, a pair of goals by Rivers senior Brett Stone spanning the second intermission lifted the Red Wings (15-9-1) over St. Mark's (14-9-0). The Lions had led 3-1 in the first and 4-3 in the second before their hosts stepped on the gas and pulled ahead for good. Freshman Cam MacPherson (1g,3a) and senior Air Force commit Andrew Gibbons (2g,1a) paced SMS. The aforementioned Stone was among five Rivers skaters to notch two points. With the win, Rivers passes St. Mark's in the Small School playoff picture.

Exeter 3 @ NMH 0 -- Thanks to a 19-save shutout by post-grad goalie Brady Quackenbush and goals from three different scorers (inlcuding an ENG), Exeter (12-10-4) kept its unbeaten (4-0-1) February rolling. Luke Laurino, the Hoggers' senior goalie, went 29/31 in the loss. NMH (7-19-1) has one win in its last seven games.

@ Governor's 4, Lawrence 3 -- Governor's (8-13-2) led 3-0 after the second period, but only escaped by the hair on its chinny-chin-chin after LA outscored Gov's 3-1 in the third. Senior Michael Ranaldi's two goals led the victors, but it was freshman F Robbie Daley whoo came up with what turned out to be the GWG. For LA, senior Brendan Hirsch scored twice — he has at least one goal for Lawrence (14-8-1) in seven of its last 10 games. Junior G Zach Ericson (40/43) came up with a huge game for Gov's. LA junior G Kolin Belliveau (32/36) took the loss.

 

Mon. 2/12/24

Boys' Prep Composite Schedule
Week of February 12, 2024

 
Monday, February 12, 2024
Championship Game: NYA vs. Kents Hill, 4:00 pm -- Maine Prep Cup (at Hebron)
Hotchkiss @ Berkshire, 5:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Groton, 5:00 pm
Frederick Gunn School @ Canterbury, 5:00 pm
Winchendon @ Vermont Academy, 6:00 pm
Consolation Game: Bridgton vs. Hebron, 6:00 pm -- Maine Prep Cup (at Hebron)

Tuesday, February 13, 2024
No games scheduled

Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Frederick Gunn School vs. Pomfret, 1:30 pm  -- at Trinity College
Tilton @ Brewster Academy, 2:30 pm
Berkshire @ Trinity-Pawling, 2:30 pm
Westminster @ Loomis Chaffee, 3:00 pm
Brooks @ Groton, 3:15 pm
Tabor @ St. Sebastian's, 3:30 pm
New Hampton @ Vermont Academy, 3:30 pm
Thayer @ Austin Prep, 3:30 pm
St. George's @ Roxbury Latin, 3:45 pm
Exeter @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 4:00 pm
Proctor @ Kimball Union, 4:00 pm
Winchendon @ Holderness, 4:00 pm
Williston Northampton @ Canterbury, 4:00 pm
North Yarmouth Academy @ Berwick, 4:15 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Governor's, 4:15 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Choate, 4:30 pm
Middlesex @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:30 pm
Worcester Academy @ Pingree, 4:30 pm
Hotchkiss @ Kent, 4:45 pm
Salisbury @ Brunswick, 5:00 pm
Taft @ Deerfield, 5:00 pm
Hoosac @ Millbrook, 5:00 pm
Milton @ Belmont Hill, 5:00 pm
Cushing @ Andover, 5:15 pm
BB&N @ Noble & Greenough, 5:30 pm
St. Mark's @ Rivers, 5:30 pm
Wilbraham & Monson @ Hebron, 5:30 pm
 

Thursday, February 15, 2024
No games scheduled

Friday, February 16, 2024
Two Nations Prep Playoffs, TBD (through Sunday)
Holderness @ Vermont Academy, 3:30 pm
Winchendon @ Dexter, 4:30 pm
Berwick @ St. Mark's, 4:30 pm
Tilton @ St. Paul's, 5:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Belmont Hill, 5:00 pm
Hebron @ Pingree, 5:00 pm
Andover @ Brooks, 5:15 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Exeter, 5:45 pm
Thayer @ Milton, 5:45 pm
Brewster Academy @ New Hampton, 6:00 pm
Brunswick @ Frederick Gunn School, 6:00 pm
Cushing @ Kimball Union, 6:00 pm
St. George's @ Tabor, 6:00 pm
Williston Northampton @ Deerfield, 6:00 pm
Worcester Academy @ Wilbraham & Monson, 7:45 pm

Saturday, February 17, 2024
St. Sebastian's @ Governor's, 12:30 pm
Kents Hill @ Dexter, 1:00 pm
Vermont Academy @ Brewster Academy, 1:30 pm
Millbrook @ Pomfret, 2:00 pm
Middlesex @ Rivers, 2:00 pm
Tabor @ Thayer, 2:30 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
St. Mark's @ Lawrence Academy, 2:45 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Salisbury, 3:00 pm
Brooks @ Roxbury Latin, 3:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ North Yarmouth Academy, 3:15 pm
Taft @ Brunswick, 3:30 pm
St. George's @ Groton, 3:30 pm
Austin Prep @ Wilbraham & Monson, 3:30 pm
Berkshire @ Westminster, 3:45 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 4:00 pm
Hebron @ Tilton, 4:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Cushing, 4:30 pm
New Hampton @ Proctor, 4:30 pm
Choate @ Frederick Gunn School, 4:30 pm
Pingree @ Phillips Andover Academy, 4:30 pm
Deerfield @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Pingree @ Andover, 5:15 pm
Holderness @ St. Paul's, 6:00 pm
Canterbury @ Kent, 7:00 pm

Sunday, February 18, 2024
Millbrook @ Loomis Chaffee, 12:00 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Choate, 3:00 pm
Hoosac @ Worcester Academy, 4:00 pm

Monday, February 19, 2024
Salisbury @ Berkshire, 5:00 pm
Vermont Academy @ Proctor, 5:00 pm
Winchendon @ Andover, 5:15 pm
Governor's @ Lawrence Academy, 5:15 pm
Brewster Academy @ Hebron, 5:30 pm
Pomfret @ Avon Old Farms, 5:45 pm

Sat. 2/10/24

 

Prep Highlights
Saturday, February 10, 2024

KUA's McMenimen Blanks Holderness
Avon's Flaherty Sinks Deerfield in OT
Bruins Beat Bears
Leahy Leads LA Past Streaking SPS
Towle, Morris Lock Up in Goalies' Duel
McDevitt's 45 Saves Lead P-Abbey
Gunn's Scoreless Weekend

@ Rivers 4, Roxbury Latin 2 -- Junior F Will Hatten scored two goals, including the go-ahead goal late in the second period to lead host Rivers (14-9-1) from a come-from-behind win over Roxbury Latin (7-11-2). Rivers' sophomore G Derrick Huang (15/17) picked up the win. RL senior Evan Zhang (27/30) was saddled with the loss.

Brunswick 5, Berkshire 3 -- Senior forwards Luke Drury (1g,2a), Sean Gibbons (2g), Brendan Giles (2a) all had multi-point games, as they seem to every game. Ditto for d-man Cooper Cleaves, who scored a highlight-reel GWG late in the second. Senior G Will Baker (24/27) picked up another win for #4-ranked Brunswick (17-3-2). Senior Tommy Adams (20/25) took the loss for Berkshire (16-8-0). Senior F Antoine Gauthier scored two goals for Berkshire (16-8-0).

Pingree 1 @ NYA 0 -- Pingree (12-9-3) got a first-period goal from sophomore D Mikey Covelluzzi and senior G Nick Hubbard (27/27) did the rest, picking up his second shutout in as many days.

@ Taft 1, Hotchkiss 1 -- The story here was the goaltenders, as Hotchkiss junior Connor Towle (37/38) and Taft junior Brady Morris (31/32) were both on their game. PG Landon Douthit scored the Hotchkiss goal in the first; Taft junior Preston Hidy answered in the third.

@ St. Mark's 3, Middlesex 1 -- The Lions (14-8-0) got goals from three different scorers and junior G Cassidy Kittredge kicked out 21 of 22 shots for the win.

@ Cushing 5, Canterbury 2 -- #2 Cushing (22-2-0) applied the brakes on the resurgent Saints (16-7-2), getting individual goals from five different scorers. Junior D Ryland Randle assisted two of them. Cushing senior G Marko Bilic (31/33) picked up the win; Canterbury junior G Maxim Pitts (39/43) took the loss.

Pomfret 5 @ Westminster 1 -- Pomfret's top guns came through, as senior Louie Marcellini notched a hat trick (ESG, PPG, and ENG) and junior Luke Corrigan (1g,3a) had a four-point day. Pomfret senior G Beau Johnson (50/51) took care of the rest.

@ Tabor 7, Governor's 3 -- The Seawolves notched five second-period goals to put this one out of reach. Junior forwards Adam Quinn (2g,1a) and Will Doherty (3a) each had three-point days for Tabor. For Gov's, senior Cam Russo's hat trick was the day's only bright spot. Tabor outshot Gov's, 45-27.

Belmont Hill 10 @ BB&N 1 -- Senior F Marco Beshere, junior F Luis Kuehburger, and junior D Lindan Verville, and each had two goals to lead the Belmont Hill offense.

Portsmouth Abbey 3 @ Kents Hill 1 -- Kents Hill's 6-game win streak was halted by the visitors from Portsmouth, RI, who got a major performance from senior G Patrick McDevitt, a Wesleyan commit who kicked out 45 of 46 shots for a well-earned win. Abbey freshman Connor Nolan had two goals, the second being an empty-netter.

@ Williston Northampton 6, Millbrook 2 -- A pair of first-period goals off the stick of sophomore F Declan Grenache sparked Williston's attack. Senior G Jake Henry (20/22) earned the win.

New Hampton 5 @ Brewster 4 (OT) -- Brewster senior F Mason Meltzer's hat trick gave the hosts a 3-1 lead, and woke up the visitors, who scored four of the next five goals, culminating in a goal at 4:06 of OT from Dylan Podergois, who capped off a four-point day (2g,2a). Junior Cam Caron (2g,1a) and senior Dylan McDougall (3a) also had big days for the Huskies.

Winchendon 8 @ NMH 4 -- Junior F Trevor Pellecchia (3g,1a) and sophomore F Jake West (2g,2a) led the Wapitis' scoring parade. Junior F Blake Baksay (2g,1a) led the Hoggers' scorers. 

@ Lawrence Academy 4, St. Paul's 1 -- SPS came in riding a six-game win streak, and when sophomore F Harry Dermody scored midway through the second to make it a 1-1 game, it looked like the Pelicans (11-13-1) had a chance to extend their streak. But the deeper Spartans (14-7-1) took over and won it going away. Senior F Owen Leahy (1g,3a) -- the team's leading scorer -- and senior D Shawn Leary (1g,1a) had multipoint outings; senior forwards Spencer Hirsch and Brendan Hirsch had single goals. LA junior G Kolin Belliveau (23/24) earned the win. SPS sophomore G Blake Truchon (34/38) took the loss. Lawrence has won four of its last five.

Salisbury 5 @ Loomis Chaffee 1 -- #5-ranked Salisbury (15-4-1) extended its unbeaten streak to nine games (8-0-1) but it took them a little while to get going. After senior F Jared Rothman's first-period goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, the Crimson Knights didn't score again until the third period, when they notched four goals, all from different scorers. Salisbury senior G Cooper Flemming (18/19) earned the win. Junior G Luke Quinn (27/31) took the loss for #9 Loomis (12-7-1). Loomis has lost four of its last five.

Lawrenceville 4 @ Frederick Gunn 0 -- After topping #1 Avon, 4-3 in OT, on Wednesday to extend its unbeaten streak to seven games, Gunn has suffered consecutive 4-0 losses to #4 Brunswick Friday night, and to L'ville Saturday. The Big Red got goals from four different skaters, but the big story was senior goaltender Kyle Ozgun's 42-save shutout, his first of the season. Senior Mitchell McCusker (17/20) took the loss.

@ Noble & Greenough 5, Milton 2 -- The visiting Mustangs (10-11-3) took a 2-1 lead into the third period, but #7-ranked Nobles (13-6-3) exploded for four goals -- two PPG and one ENG -- to win it handily. Junior forwards Matthew Welch (2g,1a), Ethan Cox (11g,2a), and Ted MacAusland (1g,1a) led the Bulldogs' offense. Nobles' G Tyler Bloomfield (27/29) earned the win. Milton junior G Sam Caulfield (39/42) took the loss.

Avon Old Farms 3 @ Deerfield 2 (OT) -- The #1-ranked Winged Beavers (18-1-1) had difficulty solving Deerfield sophomore G Elliot Lennon through two periods, just as the Big Green had difficulty solving Avon sophomore G Anthony Palmer. But with the game 0-0 heading into the third, each team struck for two goals, sending it to OT, where senior Ryan Flaherty scored his second goal of the game. Avon's Palmer (18/20) picked up the win. DA's Lennon (34/37) took the hard-luck loss. Charles Blanchard scored Avon's other goal. Junior F Lance Roberts and junior D Zachary Chehade scored for Deerfield (10-8-2).

St. George's 5 @ Brooks 2 -- Junior F Danny Buckley (2g) and senior G Ryder Shea (22/24) led the way for #10-St. George's (18-3-1) which answered a 2-1 deficit heading into the third period with four unanswered goals (including a Buckley SHG). Brooks senior G Ethan Simpson (40/45) took the loss. Brooks is one of three teams -- and the only Eberhardt foe -- to have defeated St. George's this season, topping the Dragons 3-1 on January 10th.

Kent 8 @ Trinity-Pawling 5 -- Senior F Gio DiGiulian (1g,3a), junior F Luke Dow (hat trick), and senior F Owen Mahar (2g,1a) powered the Lions' (13-7-1) attack. For T-P, sophomore Jason Musa (hat trick) led the Pride attack. Kent, which outshot T-P, 37-33, has won three of its last four. T-P has lost five straight.

Exeter 4 @ Choate 0 -- Junior F Dryden Dervish (1g,2a), and senior forwards Jack Gordon (1g,1a) and Reilly Piersimoni (1g,1a) led the Exeter (11-10-4) attack, and sophomore G Brendan Petraco (25/25) posted a shutout in his second career start. Choate senior Ryder Holloway (30/34) took the loss, the sixth straight for the Wild Boars (3-17-0).

@ Kimball Union 2, Holderness 0 -- #3 KUA got its offense from senior F Sam LeDrew (1g,1a), junior D Andrew O'Sullivan, and junior F Corwith Simmers (1g) and all the defense it needed from junior G Blake McMeniman (29/29) who posted his fourth shutout of the season. Both of KUA's goals were powerplay tallies. Bulls' senior G Ryan Nolan (27/29) took the loss. The loss was the Bulls' second in eight days to KUA. #6-ranked Holderness is 19-3-0 and its only other loss was at the hands of New Hampton. KUA (25-2-0) has losses to Rivers and Stanstead College. KUA and Holderness are the odds-on favorites to meet again in the Lakes Region Tournament in two weeks.

@ Proctor 6, Berwick 3 -- Proctor dumped 63 shots on Berwick sophomore G Hunter Marshall. Six of them got behind him. Senior forwards Max O'Connell (2g,1a) and Nolan Davis (2g) led the Hornets' attack. Senior G Caden Pasqualone (20/23) picked up the win. Berwick sophomore D Cameron Clark notched two goals.

@ Worcester Academy 7, Bridgton 2 -- In a non-league game, WA exploded for three goals in the second and four more in the third for an easy win. Senior forwards Connor Dozois (3g,2a), Joe DeCesare (3g,1a), and Ike Dutton (4a) led the Hilltoppers' attack. WA outshot Bridgton, 47-20.

Wed. 2/7/24

 

Prep Highlights
Wednesday, February 7, 2024

LoGuercio's 4 Goals Lead Gunn to 4-3 Win at #1 Avon
Ciappa Hat Trick Powers Red-Hot Saints
Hyles OT Strike Leads #2 Cushing Past #4 'Wick
Salisbury's Flemming Blanks Rhinos
Westy's Tsatas Notches Hat Trick, Halts Hotchkiss
Gauthier Leads Berkshire Comeback vs. Kent
Beard's Two Tallies Carry St. Mark's to OT Win
St. Paul's Wins 7th Straight
LA's Hirsch & Hirsch Too Much for Thayer

@ Westminster 5, Hotchkiss 2 -- Westy senior Nicholas Tsatas notched a hat trick, more than doubling his season goal total, as the Martlets (6-9-3) snapped Hotchkiss's (7-10-2) four-game winning streak. Junior Quinn Pine tallied three helpers in the win. For the Bearcats, senior Ben Brown scored twice. Martlets' senior Matteo De Luca (37/39) picked up the win in net; Hotchkiss senior Connor Towle (37/41) got tagged for the loss.

Holderness 5 @ Tilton 2 -- After a high-stakes loss to #3 Kimball Union on Friday, #6 Holderness (19-2-0) rebounded to top Tilton (10-11-1) on the road. The Bulls got goals from five different skaters, including a shorty from senior Aaron VanWie. Senior netminder Ryan Nolan (20/25) earned the win between the pipes.

Frederick Gunn 4 @ Avon 3 (OT) -- Gunn senior Alex LoGuercio netted the game-winner 18 seconds into OT to hand #1 Avon (17-1-1) its first loss of the season. Earlier, the senior from Monroe, Conn. had staked the Highlanders to a 3-1 lead with a natural hat trick in the second — he scored all four Gunn goals in the win — before AOF charged back to force the extra frame. The Winged Beavers held a 46-26 shot advantage, but Gunn senior Mitchell McCusker (43/46) held the fort and LoGuercio had Michael Heinke's (22/26) number.

@ Canterbury 3, Trinity-Pawling 2 -- Canterbury senior Sam Ciappa scored a hat trick, giving the host Saints all the goals they'd need. Junior Maxim Pitts (23/25) picked up the win in net. Padraic McCarthy's squad had its seven-game win streak snapped last Wednesday but has now won 10 of its last 12. They're 16-6-2 overall.

@ Kents Hill 6, Austin Prep 1 -- Holding a 2-1 lead after two periods, Kents Hill (12-10-3) exploded for four goals in the third to win comfortably. Senior Mathis Turgeon (2g,1a) paced the KH attack. The Huskies, once 3-9-2, are 10-1-1 in their last 12. They've won six straight.

@ Groton 10, BB&N 0 -- Four Zebras tallied at least four points — paced by freshman Harrison Freelove (hat trick, 2a) — as Groton (11-5-4) rolled over BB&N (3-18-0). Senior forwards Devin Fitzgerald and Will Koukopoulos each scored two goals and added two assists.

Cushing 4, Brunswick 3 (OT) -- In a neutral-site game played at UConn's Toscano Ice Forum, Cushing junior F Kole Hyles's powerplay goal with 52 seconds remaining in OT lifted the #2 Penguins to a 4-3 win over #4 Brunswick. Early on, it looked like it would be a long day for the Bruins, as Cushing went up 2-0 on first-period goals by PG Josh Iby and junior Luke Goukler. Cushing carried the play until about midway through the second, at which time Brunswick began applying sustained pressure for the first time. With 1:55 left in the second, Cushing took an interference penalty. 'Wick coach Mike Kennedy called a timeout to give his potent PP unit a minute to catch their breath. It worked, too, as it took all of 18 seconds before Brendan Giles, off a couple of quick passes from F Sean Gibbons and D Cooper Cleaves, beat Cushing senior G Marko Bilic to cut the Penguins' lead to 2-1. Early in the third, Cushing PG Josh Iby notched his second goal of the game when junior D Ryland Randle spotted Iby down low. Iby wristed it short side, giving the Penguins another two-goal cushion. But it wouldn't last long as Cushing took its second and third penalties of the game and Brown commit Luke Drury converted both times to tie the game at 3-3 and send it to OT. There, 2:10 in, Brunswick took its third penalty of the game and had nearly killed it off when, with 52 seconds left, Luke Goukler sent Hyles in for the game-winner. In the Cuhing net, Bilic (23/36) earned the win. Brunswick senior Will Baker (27/31) took the loss.

NMH 2 @ Williston 2 (OT) -- NMH (7-17-1)  held a 2-1 lead at the second intermission, but Wildcats PG Hunter Harkins scored with just under 10 minutes left, forcing OT. The extra five minutes weren't enough to determine a winner. Williston (6-11-4) hasn't won since Jan. 26.

@ Salisbury 3, Taft 0 -- Behind a 16-save shutout from senior Cooper Flemming and goals from Zach Walsh, Ryan Hedley, and Anthony Biakabutuka, #5-ranked Salisbury (14-4-1) blanked Taft (8-10-2) and completed a season sweep of the Rhinos. Junior Brady Morris (28/31) took the loss in the blue paint.

Albany Academy 8 @ Millbrook 5 -- AA senior goalie Logan Weber (13/17) allowed four goals in the first and Millbrook (5-15-3) took a two-goal lead into the first intermission. In the second, senior Caleb Murray (22/23) relieved Murray, and the tide changed. The Cadets (6-10-1) scored six of the game's last seven goals, winning handily.

@ Berkshire 5, Kent 4 -- A third-period game-tying SHG from senior F Antoine Gauthier and a GWG off the stick of senior D Nico Pasquale with 56 ticks on the clock allowed host Berkshire to come back from deficits of 3-0 after one period, and 4-3 after two.  Gauthier's game-winner was his second goal of the game. Junior F Devin Hikspoors (1g,2a) and senior D Jack Turowsky (3a) also had big days. For Kent, senior F Jack Roberts (1g,1a), junior F Luke Dow, and seniors Owen Mahar and Patrick Walsh each contributed two points apiece. Berkshire (16-7-0) is on an 11-2-0 run. Kent (12-7-1) is 5-5-0 over its last 10. 

@ Deerfield 5, Loomis 1 -- Senior G  John Tolve kicked out 35 of 36 shots, and senior forwards Tom Molson (1g,2a) and Jakub Kohn (2g) led the attack as the host Big Green (10-7-2) knocked off #9-ranked Loomis (12-6-1).

@ St. Sebastian's 4, Belmont Hill 2 -- A goal from senior F Colin Gorman with 2:36 left in regulation turned out to be the game-winner. A Noah Flynn ENG with 1:09 left sealed the win. Senior forwards Matt Cataldo (1g,1a) and Nolan Flynn (1g,1a), and sophomore F Casey Mutryn (2a) led the Arrows' sharpshooters. Belmont Hill freshman David Bosco led his team with two goals. Seb's (14-6-1) is 6-1-1 over its last eight. Belmont Hill (12-8-2) is 5-6-1 since the calendar flipped to 2024.

@ St. George's 5, Rivers 3 -- The host Dragons exploded for three second-period goals and added two more in the third to win going away. Senior F Troy Hayes (2g,1a), sophomore F Ryan Magaletta (1g,1a), junior F Danny Buckley (1g,1a), senior F Ryan Staples (2a), and junior D Everett Baldwin (2a) led the attack. For Rivers, eighth-grader Carter Meyer (1g,2a) and sophomore Justin Graf (1g,1a) figured in all three goals. St. G. senior G Ryder Shea (32/35) earned the win; Rivers' senior G Jason Delehoy (22/26) took the loss. #10-ranked St. George's (17-3-1) has won eight of its last nine. Rivers is 13-9-1.

@ New Hampton 5, Dexter 3 -- Host New Hampton (7-15-3) led throughout and despite a third-period flurry from Dexter (13-7-2) held on for the 5-3 home win. New Hampton sophomore Dylan Podergois (2g,1a) led all scorers. The win broke a six-game losing streak for the Huskies. Dexter is 4-4-0 over its last eight.

@ St. Mark's 3, Brooks 2 (OT) -- Brooks carried a 2-1 lead into the third period, but St. Mark's senior D Calvin Beard -- the Lions' third-leading scorer -- tied the game in the third -- and then struck again 17 seconds into OT. Lions junior G Cassidy Kittredge (30/32) picked up the win. Senior F Joe Bucci scored two goals for Brooks. St. Mark's (13-7-0) is 7-4-0 since the calendar turned the page to 2024. Brooks (6-13-0) is in the midst of an eight-game losing streak.

Vermont Academy 4 @ Hoosac 3 -- VA junior  F Lucas Sinacola's tally at 15:52 turned out to be the game-winner. In net, senior G Owen Willgos (29/31) earned the win, the second of the season for VA (2-15-2). Junior forwards Jack Marilley (2g) and Cole Robinson (3a) paced the victor's attack. Zach Robert scored two goals for Hoosac (4-7-1).

@ St. Paul's 4, Brewster 3 -- Junior F Matt Vohra (1g,2a) led host St. Paul's (11-12-1) to its seventh consecutive win. St. Paul's has also had losing streaks of eight and four games this season. That's the definition of a streaky team. Senior F Mason Meltzer had two goals for Brewster (5-16-0).

@ Pomfret 6, Choate 1 -- Senior G Beau Johnson (26/27) and senior F Louie Marcellino (1g,2a) led the host Griffins (9-11-2) past Choate  (3-15-0).

@ Proctor 3, Exeter 3 (OT) -- A third-period goal off the stick of junior D Kevin Delaney lifted Proctor (8-12-2) to the home tie. Neither Hornets' senior G Caden Pasqualone (30/33) nor Big Red senior G Brady Quackenbush (33/36) earned a win. Exeter (9-10-4) is 3-7-2 over its last 12.

@ Lawrence 6, Thayer 1 -- Senior forwards Brendan Hirsch (3g) and Spencer Hirsch (2g,1a) figured in all six Spartan goals, and senior G Otto McLaughlin (19/20) earned the win. LA (13-6-1) has won three straight. Thayer (8-9-5) is 3-3-3 over its last nine.

@ KUA 6, Andover 3 -- Senior F Sam LeDrew (2g,2a), junior D Andrew O'Sullivan (4a), and senior F Jack Sadowski (2g,1a) led the #3-ranked KUA (23-2-0) attack. KUA has won 11 of its last 12. Andover (13-7-1) has lost four of its last six. 

Tabor 3 @ Milton 2 -- The visiting Seawolves (9-11-2) trailed 2-1 after two, but got a game-tying goal from sophomore F Heyden Hildebrandt and, with 1:10 left, sophomore F Chase Watts scored a PPG to win it. Hildebrandt (2g), junior F Tommy Sheehan (2a) and senior D Cole Estey (2a) led the Tabor Attack. Senior F Will Cannata (1g,1a) led the Mustangs. Both goaltenders, Tabor junior Owen Byers (43/45) and Milton junior Sam Caulfield (40/43) were kept busy. Tabor (9-11-2) is 3-1-1 over its last five. Milton, after a 7-game unbeaten streak, has hit a rough patch, going 2-5-0 over its last seven. The Mustangs are 10-10-3.

@ Middlesex 1, Roxbury Latin 0 -- A first-period PPG off the stick of junior F Jack Francini, with an assist from junior D Sam Karp was all the scoring Middlesex (11-10-0) needed. Middlesex has won three in a row, and five of its last six. RL (7-10-2) has lost four straight.

@ Portsmouth Abbey 4, Worcester Academy 0 -- These two teams met a week ago, with P. Abbey blanking WA, 3-0. This time it was a 4-0 blanking. The common denominator in both games was PA senior G Patrick McDevitt (32/32) who, in total, has kicked out the last 73 Worcester shots he's seen. Worcester sophomore G Wes DiModica (40/43) was the hard-luck loser. PA is 10-9-3, while WA falls to 6-14-0.

Nobles 2 @ Governor's 2 (OT) -- Gov's freshman F Spencer Thornborough, back from South Korea, where he was on the gold-medal-winning US Junior Olympic Team, scored a goal in the first period, and another in the second to allow Gov's to take a 2-0 lead into the third. #7-ranked Nobles, however, answered with two of its own, from junior F Kyle O'Leary and sophomore F Billy MacAusland. Both were powerplay goals. O'Leary (1g,1a) and junior F Ted MacAusland (2a) each posted two points for the Bulldogs (12-6-3).

Tues. 2/6/24

Once Again, Undefeated Avon Tops USHR Prep Poll

Once again, Avon Old Farms (17-0-1) holds the #1 spot in the USHR Prep Poll. Will they still be there for our final poll on February 20th, two weeks from tonight?

Note: Unlike some sports, we don't do an end-of-season poll. What happens between Wednesday, February 28th and Sunday, March 3rd is quite sufficient, thank you.


USHR Prep Poll: Week of February 5, 2024 

Sun. 2/4/24 -- Latest update: Wed. 2/7

 

Boys' Prep Composite Schedule
Week of February 5, 2024

 
Monday, February 5, 2024
Pomfret @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 4:00 pm
Bridgton vs. NYA, 5:00 pm -- Maine Prep Cup (at Hebron)
Proctor @ Tilton, 6:00 pm
Kents Hill vs. Hebron, 7:00 pm -- Maine Prep Cup (at Hebron)

Tuesday, February 6, 2024
No games scheduled

Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Hotchkiss @ Westminster, 2:30 pm
NMH @ Williston Northampton, 2:45 pm
Frederick Gunn School @ Avon Old Farms, 3:00 pm
Holderness @ Tilton, 3:00 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Canterbury, 3:00 pm -- now 2:30 pm
BB&N @ Groton, 3:00 pm
Austin Prep @ Kents Hill, 3:00 pm
Kent @ Berkshire, 3:30 pm
Cushing vs. Brunswick, 3:30 pm -- at UConn
Tabor @ Milton, 3:30 pm
Exeter @ Proctor, 4:00 pm
Worcester Academy @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:00 pm
Albany Academy @ Millbrook, 4:15 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Deerfield, 4:15 pm
Taft @ Salisbury, 4:30 pm
Rivers @ St. George's, 4:30 pm
Belmont Hill @ St. Sebastian's, 4:30 pm
Brooks @ St. Mark's, 4:30 pm
Dexter @ New Hampton, 4:45 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Governor's, 4:45 pm
Hebron @ Berwick, 4:45 pm
Andover @ Kimball Union, 5:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ St. Paul's, 5:00 pm -- now 5:30 pm
Vermont Academy @ Hoosac, 5:00 pm
Roxbury Latin @ Middlesex, 5:15 pm
Choate @ Pomfret, 5:30 pm
Thayer @ Lawrence Academy, 6:00 pm
Lawrenceville @ The Hill School, 6:30 pm

Thursday, February 8, 2024
No games scheduled

Friday, February 9, 2024
Choate @ Westminster, 4:30 pm
Albany Academy @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Cushing @ St. Mark's, 5:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Dexter, 5:00 pm
Middlesex @ BB&N, 5:00 pm
Thayer @ Belmont Hill, 5:00 pm
Pingree @ Hebron, 5:00 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Lawrence Academy, 5:30 pm
Andover @ Governor's, 5:30 pm
Frederick Gunn School @ Brunswick, 6:00 pm
New Hampton @ Kimball Union, 6:00 pm
Winchendon @ Tilton, 6:00 pm
Pomfret @ Worcester Academy, 7:00 pm

Saturday, February 10, 2024
Albany Academy vs. Hebron, 12:00 pm -- at Exeter
Governor's @ Tabor, 12:00 pm
Brunswick @ Berkshire, 1:00 pm
Pingree @ North Yarmouth Academy, 1:00 pm
Berwick @ Proctor, 2:00 pm
Middlesex @ St. Mark's, 2:00 pm
Roxbury Latin @ Rivers, 2:15 pm 
Winchendon @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 2:30 pm
Hotchkiss @ Taft, 2:30 pm
New Hampton @ Brewster Academy, 2:30 pm
Canterbury @ Cushing, 3:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Lawrence Academy, 3:00 pm
Millbrook @ Williston Northampton, 3:15 pm
Pomfret @ Westminster, 3:30 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Kents Hill, 3:30 pm
Belmont Hill @ BB&N, 3:30 pm
Bridgton Academy @ Worcester Academy, 4:00 pm
Milton @ Noble & Greenough, 4:15 pm
Mount Saint Charles Academy @ Austin Prep, 4:15 pm
St. George's @ Brooks, 4:30 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Deerfield, 5:00 pm
Exeter @ Choate, 5:00 pm
Salisbury @ Loomis Chaffee, 5:30 pm
Lawrenceville @ Frederick Gunn School, 5:30 pm
Holderness @ Kimball Union, 6:00 pm
Hoosac @ Wilbraham & Monson, 6:15 pm
Kent @ Trinity-Pawling, 7:00 pm

Sunday, February 11, 2024
No games scheduled

Monday, February 12, 2024
Championship Game: NYA vs. Kents Hill, 4:00 pm -- Maine Prep Cup (at Hebron)
Hotchkiss @ Berkshire, 5:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Groton, 5:00 pm
Frederick Gunn School @ Canterbury, 5:00 pm
Winchendon @ Vermont Academy, 6:00 pm
Consolation Game: Bridgton vs. Hebron, 6:00 pm -- Maine Prep Cup (at Hebron)

Sat. 2/3/24

 

Prep Highlights
Saturday, February 3, 2024

Yancey, Stejskal Keep Kents Hill Smokin'
#9 Andover Edges Dexter
Rivers' Delehoy Handles Bel Hill
Tabor Stung by Hornets
Frosh Chudzinski Notches Pair for Seb's
Exeter's Quackenbush Stymies Rams
Shea, #10 Dragons Edge Berwick
Halliday Hat Trick Leads Thayer

@ Exeter 2, Tilton 1 -- Exeter (9-10-3) senior netminder Brady Quackenbush kicked out 24 of the 25 shots he faced, and senior forwards Tristan Fedele and Reilly Piersimoni scored less than two minutes apart in the second period. Tilton sophomore G Matt Wood (22/24) was strong in defeat. Tilton falls to 10-9-1.

Andover 5, Dexter 4 -- Junior forwards Grayden Robertson-Palmer (2g,2a) and Peyton Militello (1g,2a), and senior forward Ethan Skowronek (1g,2a) were the offensive stars for #9-ranked Andover (13-6-1). Junior netminder Chase Anderson (44/48) earned the win. For Dexter (13-6-2), senior forwards Henry Butte (1g,1a) and Ben Morgan (1g,1a) had multi-point days.

Worcester Academy 3 @ NYA 1 -- Hilltopper sophomore G Wes DiModica kicked out 37 of 38 shots and three different scorers aided the cause. NYA junior G Vincent Ouellet (27/29) had a strong game too. The win broke a four-game losing streak for Worcester. 

Albany Academy 6 @ Winchendon 3 -- Senior F William Kotary (2g,1a) and sophomore D Tommy Bleyl (2g) led the AA attack. For the Wapitis, PG F Liam Marek assisted on all three of their goals. Cadets' G Owen Roberts (36/39) earned the win. It's the third straight win for Albany following a five-game losing streak.

@ Thayer 7, Governor's 2 -- Host Thayer (8-8-5) busted open a 2-2 tie with five unanswered goals over the final two periods. The Tigers' three leading scorers -- senior Josh Halliday (3g,1a), and juniors Brady Kudrick (1g,2a), and Tommy Anderson (3a) were the big point producers up front. Sophomore netminder Tyler Moschella picked up the win.

@ Milton 4, Roxbury Latin 1 -- Junior G Sam Caulfield kicked out 25 of 26 shots, and classmates Anthony Sergeyev (2g) and Ewan Cleary (1g,1a) led the attack for Milton (10-9-3).

St. George's 2 @ Berwick 1 -- The #10-ranked Dragons kept it rolling, edging host Berwick (13-8-2) on the road. St. George's senior G Ryder Shea, a Maine recruit spending an afternoon in the state, kicked out 25 of 26 for the win. Berwick G Matthew Pimentel (46/48), who's putting together an excellent junior season, did all he possibly could to keep the Dragons at bay, but Berwick falls to 13-9-2. St. George's has won 7 of its last 8 and moves up to 16-3-1.

@ St. Sebastian's 4, St. Mark's 1 -- After a scoreless first period, Seb's (13-6-1) came out for the second with purpose, and, 7 seconds in, senior Matt Cataldo forced a St. Mark's defensive-zone turnover to put his team up 1-0. The Arrows built on the lead with two goals from freshman Rian Chudzinski and a PPG from sophomore Casey Mutryn. Senior Isaac Mitchell had two assists. St. Mark's (12-7-0) finally solved Seb's senior G Pelle Russo (36/37) as junior Drew Carr scored with 1:30 left for the final 4-1 margin of victory. St. Mark's sophomore G Alex Tarves (25/29) faced constant pressure around the net and came up with some big saves. The Arrows had two of their top forwards -- juniors Ben Merrill and Teddy Mutryn -- on the shelf.

Kimball Union 7 @ New Hampton 1 -- The #3-ranked Wildcats (22-2-0) rolled over host New Hampton behind the offense of senior forwards Sam LeDrew (1g,2a), Kyle Murray-Smith (2g), and Jack Sadowski (1g,1a). Seniors Luke Clarner (3a), Andrew O'Sullivan (2a), and Ian Olsen (2a) picked up seven helpers between them.

@ Rivers 5, Belmont Hill 1 -- Senior goaltender Jason Delehoy (22/23) took care of business between the pipes, and sophomore F Justin Graf (2g) and senior F Cayden Miceli (1g,1a) led the scoring parade. Eighth-grade F Carter Meyer, senior F Jacob Kulas, and sophomore D Evan Handler contributed two assists apiece. Rivers (13-8-1) outshot Belmont Hill (12-7-2) by a 30-23 margin. Sextants' junior G Keagin Wilson (14/18) was relieved midway through the second by sophomore JJ Thibodeau (12/12).

Proctor 4 @ Tabor 4 (OT) -- Host Tabor (8-11-2) gave up three third-period goals to allow Proctor (7-12-1) to come back and tie up the game. OT settled nothing. Senior F Finn Connor (2g,1a) and junior D Kevin Delaney (2g) were the big guns for the Hornets. The Seawolves got single goals from four players and senior D Cole Estey had a three-assist afternoon.

@ Kents Hill 6, Pingree 3 -- Host Kents Hill (10-10-3) took an early lead with four first-period goals and senior netminder Kody Yancey (50/53) did the rest. Senior F Sam Stejskal (2g,2a) and junior F Felix-Antoine Parenteau (1g,2a) led the KH scorers. Stejskal, a native of the Czech Republic, has a 4-7-11 line over his last four games. Pingree (10-9-3) got goals from three different scorers, and senior G Nick Hubbard (34/39) took the loss. Kents Hill, in the doldrums after a 6-0 blanking at Pingree in early January, have won four in a row and are 8-1-1 over their last 10.

Wed. 1/31/24

 

Prep Highlights
Wednesday, January 31, 2024

 Big Green Tops Big Blue
Winged Beavers Remain Undefeated
Hot Saints Get Cooled Off
Cushing Shutout Streak Halted
Streaky SPS Wins 5th Straight
Sadowski Figures in all KUA Goals
Lions' Balzarini Strikes in OT
Hornets Save Best for Last
Leary's Late Strikes Sink Sextants
Kent's Hopewell Holds Back Rhinos

@ Avon Old Farms 6, Westminster 2 -- The #1-ranked Winged Beavers (17-0-1) exploded for five third-period goals en route to their 17th win. Junior F Cooper Snee led the attack with a pair of goals. Senior F Hayden Hastings (1g,1a), senior d-men Magnus Turcotte (2a) and Andrew Pitts (2a), and PG F Alex Pelletier (2a) also had two-point days. Sophomore G Anthony Palmer (26/28) picked up another win. Westy senior Matteo De Luca (40/45) took the loss.

@ Berkshire 6, Canterbury 2 -- The Canterbury Express, rolling into Sheffield with seven straight wins, got derailed by host Berkshire (15-7-0), which took over with four third-period goals. Sophomore F Matt Lacombe had a pair of goals. And freshman F Jonah Rainisch (1g,1a), junior F Devan Hikspoors (2a), senior F Camden Raifstanger (2a), and senior D Jack Turowsky (2a) chipped in with two points apiece. Senior G Tommy Adams (28/30) earned the win. Canterbury junior Maxim Pitts (24/29) took the loss. Canterbury is 15-6-2.

Frederick Gunn 6, Millbrook 1 -- Gunn (11-7-3) got three unanswered first-period goals and extended its unbeaten streak to five (4-0-1). Senior Mark Pizzo (2g), junior Will Jackson (1g,1a), and sophomore Tucker Mears (2a) each had two points. Senior G Mitchell McCusker (19/20) earned the win. Millbrook's Dean Repachi (51/57) faced a ton of rubber.

Cushing 6 @ Tilton 2 -- #4-ranked Cushing (18-2-0) was unable to extend its shutout streak to five, but rolled on nonetheless. Senior F Emerson Marshall (2g,1a), and junior forwards Kole Hyles (2g) and Luke Goukler (2a) led the offense. Senior G Marko Bilic (16/18) picked up another win. For the Rams (10-8-1), junior F Jake Tash had a pair of goals, and junior netminder Marty Pierce (47/53) was better than the final score indicated. Probably exhausted, too.

Deerfield 5 @ Andover 3 -- The Big Green (9-7-2) went on the road and knocked off the #9-ranked Big Blue (12-5-1). Junior F Lance Roberts (2g), senior F Tom Molson (1g,1a), and junior F Justin Tavares (1g,1a) led the attack, and senior G John Tolve kicked out 25 of 28 shots for the win. Andover senior Ben Skowronek (30/34) took the loss.

@ Kents Hill 10, Bridgton 1 -- Junior forwards Ben Chapdelaine (2g,1a) and Zachary Tsatas (1g,2a), and senior forwards Tanner Cole (1g,2a) and Mathis Turgeon (1g,2a) all had three-point days. Senior G Kody Yancey (21/22) earned the win. Kents Hill (9-10-3) outshot Bridgton 55-22, and has four wins in its last five games and is 6-1-1 over its last eight.

@ Loomis 5, Williston 1 -- #7 Loomis (12-5-1) scored four unanswered third-period goals, each from a different scorer, and junior G Liam Joyce stopped 18 of 19 shots. Williston junior G Zack Tremblay (39/44) took the loss.

@ Brunswick 3, Lawrenceville 1 -- #2 Brunswick (15-2-2) got offense from its big guns: seniors Sean Gibbons (1g,2a), Brendan Giles (2g), and Ryan Wachtel (2a). Sophomore G Dylan Lee-Stack (28/29) was strong in net for 'Wick. L'ville senior G Kyle Ozgun had a good day (30/33) but took the loss. It was L'ville's first game in nine days as, over the weekend, they had to bow out of the Two Nations Prep Showcase due to a lack of healthy players.

Portsmouth Abbey 3 @ Worcester Academy 0 -- Senior G Patrick McDevitt posted a 41-save shutout to lead the Ravens (9-9-3) to the road win. WA sophomore G Noah Schenenga (36/38) took the hard-luck loss. P-Abbey got its goals from senior F Luke Stock and junior F Hunter McCarthy and added an empty-netter from junior Noah Jimbo.

@ Winchendon 3, Austin Prep 1 -- The Wapitis (9-12-0) got goals from three different scorers. Junior G Dylan Michelow (24/25) earned the win and AP sophomore Liam Burke (33/35) played well in a losing cause, keeping AP in the game throughout (the final goal was an empty-netter.)

St. Paul's 7 @ New Hampton 1 -- A resurgent SPS squad (9-12-1) picked up its fifth consecutive win behind the offense of sophomore Anderson Kilbourne (1g,2a), juniors Tommy Humphreys (2g) and Michael O'Brien (2g), and senior Lino Viau (2a). Sophomore Blake Truchon picked up the win in net.

Holderness 3 @ Exeter 1 -- #5-ranked Holderness (18-1-0) got all its goal-scoring in the second period as junior forwards Tanner Petalas and Jacob Duvall, and PG Pavel Mehra found the back of the net. Senior D Caeden Harrington picked up helpers on two of those goals. Bulls' senior G Ryan Nolan (19/20) earned the win. Exeter senior Brady Quackenbush (30/33) took the loss.

Lawrence Academy 4 @ Belmont Hill 3 -- Bel Hill took a 3-2 lead in the early stages of the third, but Lawrence senior Shawn Leary scored twice in the final four minutes, including the game-winner with 37 seconds left. LA senior Otto McLaughlin (27/30) ever-so-slightly outdueled Hillies' junior Keagin Wilson (26/30) to pull out the win. It's no surprise this was a tight, evenly-matched game: Lawrence is 11-6-1 and Belmont Hill is 11-6-2.

BB&N 5, Pingree 1 -- In a game tied 1-1- after the two frames, BB&N scored twice in the early stages of the third to pull ahead, then added two ENGs for the cherry on top. Knights' sophomore Ben Romer (2g,2a) had a big night, and his classmate, goalie James Potter, went 39/40. BB&N, which entered the week 1-16-0, beat Wilbraham & Monson in OT on Monday. Now the Knights have won back-to-back games for the first time since January of 2018.

Tabor 3 @ Governor's 2 -- Gov's senior Cam Russo scored with just under eight minutes left to make this a one-goal game, but junior G Owen Byers (31/33) did enough in the waning minutes to secure a Seawolves win. Senior d-man Cole Estey (1g,1a) paced the Tabor (8-10-1) attack. 

Groton 2 @ Rivers 1 -- Groton freshman Harrison Freelove scored the game-winner on the PP nearly eight minutes into the third. The frosh's deciding goal came after Rivers eighth-grader Carter Meyer, his team's leading scorer, put the Red Wings ahead in the first, but Zebras' sophomore KJ Ni tied the game in the second. The GWG was Freelove's fifth goal of the season. Groton senior Ethan Ramonetti (28/29) got the win in net; Rivers senior Jason Delehoy (24/26) took the hard-luck loss.

@ Kimball Union 4, NMH 0 -- KUA senior standout Jack Sadowski (2g,2a) figured into all four of his team's goals and his classmate, G Colby Boyce, posted a 17-save shutout. Wildcats' junior Corwith Simmers tacked on a goal and two helpers. #3 Kimball Union is 20-2-0. NMH is 6-15-0.

@ St. Mark's 3, Roxbury Latin 2 (OT) -- St. Mark's senior Jonathan Balzarini scored the GWG 3:25 into OT, saving the Lions (12-5-0) from what could've been a back-breaking loss. Junior G Cassidy Kittredge (20/22) got the win in net.

@ NYA 5, Hebron 1 -- After North Yarmouth Academy scored on three of its first 10 shots, Hebron coach Jack O'Brien lifted junior G Hayden Plimley for senior Julian Karagiannis. Karagiannis, a Quebec native, saved 40 of 42 shots the rest of the way, but the damage had been done. Junior Vincent Ouellet (27/28) got the win in goal for the Panthers.

Proctor 9 @ Brewster 5 -- Brewster (4-15-0) scored three times in the first and held a 5-3 lead with eight minutes to play, but Proctor (7-12-0) stormed back, scoring six goals in a seven-minute span to pull out an improbable win. The third-period explosion was only a matter of time for Proctor, which outshot its hosts 56-24. Hornets' senior Finn Connor notched a hat trick; he was joined by three other teammates who also had three-point nights. Junior G Chris Dakers (19/24) will certainly take the win.

Salisbury 4 @ Trinity-Pawling 3 -- After an OT game-winner in their earlier meeting, #6 Salisbury (13-4-1) once again sneaked past T-P (5-12-1) by a 4-3 score. Pride junior Liam Lefebvre scored a powerplay goal with a second left in the second to make it a one-goal game, but Cimson Knights' junior G Steven Luciano (30/33) kicked out every shot he faced in the third, and his team prevailed. Senior Seamus Latta scored twice and added a helper in the win. T-P junior G Ondrej Matousek, a native of the Czech Republic, went 37/41 in the defeat.

@ Kent 3, Taft 2 -- Taft (8-9-1) took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, but Kent senior G Aidan Hopewell (28/30) barred the door after that. In the second, Kent seniors Owen Mahar and defenseman Denver Damphousse scored to put the Lions in front for good. Kent is 12-6-1.

@ Hotchkiss 10, Choate 1 -- Behind a four-goal night from senior captain Jake Owens (4g,1a), Hotchkiss (6-9-2) continued its recent hot streak. The Bearcats started the season 2-8-2, but have won four of five dating back to Jan. 20. Five Hotchkiss skaters tallied at least three points. Junior G Connor Towle (14/15) got the start and played two periods; with his team ahead 7-1, PG Ian Johnson (10/10) finished off the win.

Dexter 6, Pomfret 2 -- Pomfret (7-11-2) held a 2-1 lead more than halfway through, but Dexter (13-5-2) battened down the hatches, scoring five unanswered from then on. Though Dexter's goals came from six different scorers, juniors Sean Leetch (1g,4a) and Nathan Porter (1g,3a), and sophomore Joseph Marchi (1g,3a) all helped themselves in the points column. Sophomore G Colin Davis (24/26) got the win between the pipes; Griffins' sophomore Joey Mitchell (37/43) took the loss.

Nobles 6 @ Thayer 2 -- In a game that was deadlocked 2-2 after the second, #8 Nobles (11-6-2) erupted for four unanswered goals in the third. Juniors Dennis Davidson (2g,1a) and Kyle O'Leary (1g,2a) paced the Bulldogs' attack. The win, coupled with Andover's loss to Deerfield, has Nobles in the final spot in the Elite 8 picture. However, there's a long way to go yet.