December 18, 2012

New England Prep Hockey Rankings

Rank Record The Skinny
1
Belmont Hill		 7-0-1
(5) The winners of the Lawrenceville Tournament have a balanced attack, with 15 players finding the back of the net at least once over the first few weeks. In goal, junior Ryan McConnell has been solid (.915 save %). As a team, the Hillies have allowed 2 goals or fewer in each of the last 5 games.
2
Kimball Union		 8-1-0
(1) Flood-Marr champs also have a balanced attack, with tournament MVP Nick Roberto leading the charge with a 3-6-9 weekend performance. After Xmas, the Wildcats travel to Buffalo for the Nichols Tournament -- and a potential matchup with #1 Belmont Hill.
3
Dexter		 6-0-3
(4) Dexter features the top two leading scorers in prep hockey in senior Trevor Fidler (22 pts.) and soph Ryan Donato (also 22 points). Will face Exeter on Wednesday.
4
Frederick Gunn School		 8-1-1
(2) Suffered first loss of the season on Friday, a 4-1 decision to Kent. Senior goalie Dawson Sprigings has been key for Gunnery, allowing one goal or less in 6 of his last 8 games. The Highlanders are off to the Cushing tournament after Xmas.
5
Salisbury		 7-2-0
(3) The Flood-Marr Tournament was a big coming-out party for sophomore goalie Callum Booth. The young netminder from Montreal has been excellent lately, stopping 87 of the last 92 shots he's faced (.947 save %).
6
Kent		 5-1-2
(8) Runners-up at the Avon Xmas Classic. Junior Brendan Soucie, who doesn't get as much ink as many of his teammates, leads the Lions in goals with five.
7
Berkshire		 6-2-1
(NR) The Avon champs have been excellent in pressure situations this season, going 4-0 in games decided by two goals or less. Senior goalie Tim Ernst was excellent at the Avon Tournament, where he was named MVP after leading the Bears to the title with a 3-2 double OT win over Kent on Saturday.
8
Westminster		 5-2-0
(NR) The Martlets, runners-up at the Flood-Marr, are a quick, puck-moving team that will be tough for a lot of opponents to deal with. Senior C Vincent Gisonti opened some eyes over the weekend, as did 6'3" sophomore D Will Brophy.
9
Cushing		 4-1-3
(9) There's a lot of firepower on this team. Over the last six games, the Penguins have averaged 6.17 goals per game (37 goals total). New junior Michael Turner is making his mark, with a 5-7-12 line thus far.
10
Canterbury		 3-1-2
(6) Continued their strong play over the weekend at the Lawrenceville Tournament, finishing as runners-up to Bel Hill. Junior forward Mark Bowen (6g,6a) and senior d-man Dan Fritz (10a) lead the way. After Xmas, the Saints head to the Cushing Tournament, which features three teams ranked in this week's prep poll. The next poll, by the way, won't be until the week of Jan. 7th. Happy Holidays!
* Note: Only games between NEPSIHA Div. I schools -- the principal factor in determining seedings for the playoffs -- are included in the won-lost records above.