Established 1996
 
 


Wed. 2/9/11

Taft Stuns #3 Salisbury

Watertown, Conn.
-- Taft tri-captain Mike Moran scored twice and junior goalie Jimmy Harrison turned aside a late Salisbury blitzkrieg as the Rhinos, outshot 46-28, stunned #3 Salisbury 3-1 here today.

“With eight minutes left in the first period, we started to settle into our game and we started to believe in ourselves,” Taft coach Dan Murphy said after the game. “We got blown out in January up at Salisbury so when we went into the third tied at 1-1, we just believed in ourselves.”

The Crimson Knights had beaten Taft 6-2 in that January game Murphy was referring to. In the first period today, it looked as if it would be a case of déjà vu as Salisbury junior Ondrej Krajnak opened the scoring for Salisbury just 43 seconds in, shoveling home a loose puck from a scrum in front of the Taft net. After that, the Crimson Knights continued to dial up the pressure, allowing Taft just two shots on goal in the first period.

After catching its breath between periods, Taft got on the board at 2:32 of the second period.  Moran skated in to the left of Salisbury sophomore goalie Tim Ernst and found mesh with a snapshot from the right hash marks.

With the score tied at one, the game evened out with more up-and-down action as Taft started to realize they could skate with Salisbury.

“We knew coming into this building to play Taft that it was going to be a game,” Salisbury coach Andrew Will said afterward. “There were a lot of missed opportunities for us today. I thought their goaltender player extremely well…by the second period I think we kind of lost our sense of urgency.”

Going into the third period, Will told his team, “We’re tied on the road against a good team and if we can continue to do the little things well we can look to get that second goal and build from there.”

Murphy continued to preach what he had all game. “Same thing, I told them just to keep believing that they could do it.”

Taft’s Moran did just that, scoring again on a beautiful give-and-go with junior Mitch Wagner from the slot to put Taft up for good at 6:11 of the final frame. Salisbury fired everything they had at Harrison, hitting the post with a little over five minutes left. PG David Jarrett iced the game for the Rhinos with a 180-foot shot into an empty Salisbury net with 31.8 seconds left.

Salisbury (14-4) faces Loomis (3-12-2) this Saturday, while Taft (9-10) looks to get to .500 against rival Hotchkiss (6-12).

-C.J.

 

2/28/11 -- The New England Prep East/West All-Star Teams, as voted on by league coaches, have just been posted in the main USHR news section.  

 



2011 NEPSIHA Playoff Schedule
Quarterfinals --
at campus sites except as noted.
Please check back for updates on starting times.

Corkery/Stuart (Open) Tournament:

#8 Nobles @ #1 Milton, 4:00 pm
#5 Avon Old Farms @ #4 Lawrence, 5:30 pm
#6 Kimball Union @ #3 Kent  (at Loomis, 4:15 pm)
#7 Cushing @ #2 Salisbury, 3:30 pm

Martin/Earl (Large School) Tournament:

#8 Berkshire @ #1 Albany Academy, 3:30 pm
#5 Northfield Mt. Hermon @ #4 Governor's, 3:00 pm
#6 St. Sebastian's @ #3 Belmont Hill, 3:30 pm
#7 Brunswick @ #2 Westminster, 5:00 pm

Piatelli/Simmons (Small School) Tournament:

#8 New Hampton @ #1 South Kent  (at Williston, 2:30 pm)
#5 Groton @ #4 Gunnery  (at Avon Old Farms, 3:30 pm)
#6 Hebron @ #3 Tilton, 5:45 pm
#7 Pomfret @ #2 Dexter, 5:00 pm

***

The winners of Wednesday’s quarterfinals advance to the Icenter in Salem, NH for the semifinals and finals on the weekend of March 4-6.

Schedule/brackets for Salem:

Fri. March 4
5:30 pm -- Stuart/Corkery Semifinal (1-8 winners vs. 4-5 winners)
8:00 pm -- Stuart/Corkery Semifinal (2-7 winners vs. 3-6 winners) 

Sat. March 5
9:00 am -- Piatelli/Simmons Semifinal (1-8 winners vs. 4-5 winners)
11:30 am -- Piatelli/Simmons Semifinal (2-7 winners vs. 3-6 winners) 
2:00 pm -- Martin/Earl Semifinal (1-8 winners vs. 4-5 winners)
4:30 pm -- Martin/Earl Semifinal (2-7 winners vs. 3-6 winners) 

Sun. March 6
10:30 am -- Piatelli/Simmons Final
1:00 pm -- Martin/Earl Final
3:30 pm -- Stuart/Corkery Final

 

 




NEPSIHA Seedings
Quarterfinals to be held Wed. March 2nd

Elite 8 (Stuart/Corkery Tournament):
1. Milton
2. Salisbury
3. Kent
4. Lawrence
5. Avon
6. KUA
7. Cushing
8. Nobles

Large School (Martin/Earl Tournament):
1. Albany Academy
2. Westminster
3. Belmont Hill
4. Governor’s
5. NMH
6. St. Seb’s
7. Brunswick
8. Berkshire

Small School (Piatelli/Simmons Tournament)
1. South Kent
2. Dexter
3. Tilton
4. Gunnery
5. Groton
6. Hebron
7. Pomfret
8. New Hampton

All games will be played at campus sites, and game times will be added in as we get them. Some things are still being worked out. However, if two schools are located over two and three quarters hours apart, a neutral site approximately midway between the two schools will be chosen. Times for the above games will be filled in as we get them.

The winners of Wednesday’s quarterfinals advance to the Icenter in Salem, NH for the semifinals and finals on the weekend of March 4-6. Here is the schedule/brackets for Salem, with times subject to change.

Fri. March 4
5:30 pm -- Stuart/Corkery Semifinal (1-8 winners vs. 4-5 winners)
8:00 pm -- Stuart/Corkery Semifinal (2-7 winners vs. 3-6 winners) 

Sat. March 5
9:00 am -- Piatelli/Simmons Semifinal (1-8 winners vs. 4-5 winners)
11:30 am -- Piatelli/Simmons Semifinal (2-7 winners vs. 3-6 winners) 
2:00 pm -- Martin/Earl Semifinal (1-8 winners vs. 4-5 winners)
4:30 pm -- Martin/Earl Semifinal (2-7 winners vs. 3-6 winners) 

Sun. March 6
10:30 am -- Piatelli/Simmons Final
1:00 pm -- Martin/Earl Final
3:30 pm -- Stuart/Corkery Final

 

 




Sat. Feb. 26 Highlights

@ Northfield-Mt. Hermon 7, Tabor 4 -- NMH scored six of the game’s final seven goals in the second and third periods to beat Tabor 7-4. The Cangelosi brothers – senior J.C. and sophomore Austin -- were at it again, combining for five goals and ten points. NMH – almost assuredly headed for the Large School Tournament – enters the second season on a hot streak, winners of 10 of 11.

Brunswick 3 @ Trinity-Pawling 2 --
Brunswick, trailing 2-0 entering the third period of the Empire Cup semis, scored three consecutive goals in the final frame in a dramatic win over Trinity-Pawling. Freshman forward Stephen Seegar got the winner at 11:14 of the third period. Brunswick outshot T-P by a 33-21 margin.

South Kent 6 @ Winchendon 4 --
#9 South Kent took care of business by beating Winchendon, and now awaits their fate as to which postseason tournament they will make. Senior captain Jack Riley single-handedly picked up the Cardinals in the first, scoring three goals as his side went to the room with a 3-1 lead and never looked back. South Kent outshot Winchendon 45-35.

@ Berkshire 3, Gunnery 1 -- Berkshire ended its season on a positive note, upending Gunnery 3-1. Senior goaltender Mitch Gillam earned the win, stopping 29 shots. Gunnery has dropped its last three, and enters the Small School Tournament on a bit of a skid.

@ Cushing 4, Berwick 1 --
Cushing exploded for three goals in four minutes in the second period and Berwick never recovered. Cushing junior Mike Walker had two goals for the hosts, who outshot Berwick 44-15. Cushing, #4 in the latest Prep Poll, is battling to secure home ice for round one of the Elite Tournament.

@ Exeter 7, Andover 3 -- Senior Eric Neiley (2g,3a) and junior Brian Hart (2g,2a) led the Exeter attack and, with the win, managed to even the season score with archrival Andover. Exeter and Andover both finished under .500 in what was a down year for the two prep powers. Neiley’s five points today gave him 40 for his season, which was only ten games long due to an injury in November.

@ Groton 2, St. Mark’s 1 -- Third period goals by seniors Nils Martin and Jack Wilkinson gave Groton a come-from-behind win over St. Mark’s at home. The Zebras, champions of the ISL’s junior circuit, could be the only Eberhart representative in the Small School Tournament.

@ Lawrence 3, St. Paul’s 2 -- # 10 Lawrence beat St. Paul’s at home and, with Nobles losing, looks to have earned the right to go to Milton on Wednesday in the first round of the Elite 8. Lawrence got points from eight different players in the win, and senior Jordan Nathan had 25 saves for the Spartans.

Milton 5 @ Nobles 2 -- Milton wrapped up their dream season with a clean three-game sweep over Nobles. Senior Woody Hudson led the way offensively with a hat trick and Pat McNally was active as always, contributing a goal and two assists from the back end. The Mustangs wrap up the regular season at 23-3-1 and enter the postseason as the #1 overall seed, having last lost on January 8th.

Kent 5 @ Choate 3 --
Kent senior captain Drew Brown’s hat trick helped lead his team past Choate on the road. Kent - #5 in the latest prep poll – will enter the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak, seemingly having corrected the problems that ailed them during a four game skid in January (which, by the way, accounted for two-thirds of their losses during the entire season).

St. George’s 3 @ Middlesex 2 -- Junior forward Jimmy Ferretti (2g, 1a) figured in all three St. George’s goals as the Dragons salvaged some positive out of a 3-17-1 season by sweeping rival Middlesex. Middlesex outshot St. George’s 45-31 but St. George’s sophomore netminder Will Silverstein stood tall, making 43 saves.

Hebron 8 @ Kent’s Hill 1 -- Junior forward Drake Hart’s five points (3g, 2a) led the way as Hebron throttled in-state rival Kent’s Hill 8-1. The Lumberjacks really took the play to their hosts, outshooting them 59-14.

@ Tilton 4, New Hampton 1 – In Lakes Region Tourney semifinal play, Tilton beat New Hampton at home behind senior forward Robert McCormick’s three points (1g, 2a). The game was a bit chippy with 36 total penalties, and Tilton got the better of the special teams battle, with two powerplay goals compared to none for New Hampton. Tilton senior William Flachsbinder turned away 30 of 31 shots to get the win in net.

@ Salisbury 6, Canterbury 1 -- #2 Salisbury had no trouble with Canterbury, coasting to a 6-1 win at home. Junior Philip Zielonka had two goals and senior Jack Barre had three assists for the Knights, who will host a game on Wednesday in the Prep Super Eight.

Albany Academy 2 @ Portledge 1 --
Senior Greg Warnken scored with one second left in overtime to lift Albany Academy to a 2-1 win over Portledge in semifinal action at the Empire Cup.

Dexter 8 @ Worcester Academy 3 -- A hat trick by senior forward John Magliozzi (3g, 2a) led the way for Dexter in an 8-3 win over Worcester Academy. This was a no-doubter as the visitors led 6-0 after two periods before Worcester made it more respectable. Dexter will most likely be the top seed in the Small School Tournament.

@ Taft 5, Hotchkiss 1 -- Taft tallied five unanswered goals – two by captain Mike Moran – in the second and third periods in a 5-1 victory over Hotchkiss. Senior Sean McGovern had three assists for the Rhinos.

BB&N 2 @ Brooks 1 -- Brooks took an early lead but couldn’t hold on as the Knights got two in the second to win a low-scoring affair in North Andover. BB&N senior goalie Sam Parker earned the win with a 27-save effort.

Pomfret 5 @ Williston-Northampton 5 -- Pomfret and Williston skated to a 5-5 tie in a back-and-forth game in which neither team ever held more than a one-goal lead. Pomfret had four-point efforts from junior Billy Beirnes and senior Danny Palumbo, while junior Alex Paolo led the way for Williston with a goal and two assists. The shots were even at 34-34.

@ Kimball Union, 11 Proctor 1 -- KUA trounced Proctor 11-1 in semifinal action in the Lakes Region Tourney and move on to face Tilton in Sunday’s 11:00 am final at Plymouth State. They also roll on with a five-game winning streak. Proctor took 12 penalties and the hosts took advantage, racking up six powerplay goals, with four coming five-on-three. KUA outshot Proctor 44-17.

@ Westminster 4, Deerfield 0 -- Patrick Spano pitched a shutout, stopping all 20 Deerfield shots, and four different teammates provided goals. Look for Westminster to host a game in the Large School Tournament on Wednesday.

Lawrenceville 4 @ Millbrook 4 -- In relegation play at the Empire Cup, Lawrenceville scored three goals in the third period to come back and tie Millbrook 4-4. Millbrook outshot Lawrenceville 44-20 but Lawrenceville junior goalie James Lawrence made 40 saves and kept it close until his teammates rallied in the third. Since this was a tournament the game was decided by a shootout, with L’ville winning the shootout, 3-2.

Hoosac 4 @ Kingswood-Oxford 2 -- Hoosac ended their season on a positive note by beating K-O 4-2. Senior Matthew Martin and junior William Flynn each had a goal and an assist.

Avon 4 @ Loomis 1
– Senior linemates Mark Naclerio (2g,2a) and Greg Gozzo (1g,2a) led the Winged Beavers’ attack. Junior Michael Santaguida kicked out 25 of 26 shots to earn the win for Avon, who on Wednesday look to begin their defense of the prep crown. Loomis senior Steven Michalek stopped 45 of 49 shots in a losing cause.

Albany Academy 5, Brunswick 4 (OT)
– The title game of the Empire Cup lived up to its billing as the iron of the tournament went at it. It looked like Albany had it in the bag with a 4-2 lead midway through the third, but Brunswick struck for a pair of quick goals from Tommy Dwyer and Bo Stafford to tie it up at 4-4 and send the game to OT, where junior center Mark Knowlton saved AA’s bacon, scoring 52 seconds in.

Other Scores:
Brewster 10, Vermont Academy 0
Thayer 5, St. Sebastian’s 3
NYA 5, Pingree 3





Playoff Race Heads into Final Weekend                            

Here are the latest JSPR standings:

1. Milton -- 14
2. Salisbury -- 14
3. KUA -- 13
4. Cushing -- 11
5. Kent -- 11
6. Avon -- 11
7. South Kent -- 9
8. Lawrence -- 8
9. Nobles -- 7
10. Westminster -- 7
11. Albany Academy -- 4
12. St. Sebastian’s -- 4
13. Dexter -- 3
14. Belmont Hill -- 3
15. Governor’s -- 1
16. Gunnery – 0

*** As you can see, South Kent has moved into the top eight, at the expense of Noble & Greenough. 

*** Milton, Salisbury, Kimball Union, Cushing, and Kent continue to hold the top five spots in the JSPR rankings. 

*** Milton and Salisbury have locked up home ice for the quarterfinals, while three teams -- KUA, Cushing, and Kent – are still fighting it out for the #3 and #4 spots –and home ice advantage – for Wednesday’s quarterfinals. 

*** Avon is sitting securely in the bottom half of the top eight, with the remaining two spots a taffy-pull between South Kent, Lawrence, and Nobles. The remaining teams in the top 16 would need an otherworldly amount of assistance to make the Elite 8. 

*** The JSPR standings show that a minimum of one – and a maximum of two -- small schools will make the Elite 8. KUA is in, and South Kent is still fighting for a spot. Naturally, if South Kent makes it, the number of large schools will diminish by one, to six.

*** Below is a list of the Large Schools (and their RPI rating) in contention for a spot in either the Elite 8 or the Large School Tournament. RPI, of course, is the criterion by which schools are selected for the Large School Tournament -- the Small School Tournament, too.

#1Milton (#1 JSPR)
#2 Cushing (#4 JSPR)
#3 Salisbury (#2 JSPR)
#4 Lawrence (#8 JSPR)
#6 Nobles (#9 JSPR)
#7 Kent (#5 JSPR)
#8 Avon (#6 JSPR)
#10 Westminster (#10 JSPR)
#11 Albany Academy (#11 JSPR)
#12 St. Seb’s (#12 JSPR)
#13 Belmont Hill (#14 JSPR)
#15 Governor’s (#15 JSPR)
#17 NMH
#18 Brunswick
#20 St. Paul’s
#21 Choate

*** All of the above-listed schools, from Milton down through Governor’s – a total of 12 -- are a sure bet to make either the Elite 8 or Large School Tournaments. In addition, NMH and Brunswick are a solid bet to be playing on Wednesday, too -- we can’t see any mathematics indicating otherwise. That brings us to 14. If South Kent were to be upended in the JSPR rankings over the weekend, St. Paul’s or Choate – they are virtually inseparable – would take over the playoff berth opening up as a result of a large school moving into the Elite 8.

*** For the small schools, it is pretty straightforward. They will have a minimum of nine playoff teams this year, and a maximum of 10.
Here’s the list, by RPI rating, of the contenders. As we mentioned, Kimball Union will be appearing in the Elite 8. Possibly South Kent as well. Every school on this list, right through New Hampton, is guaranteed to be playing in quarterfinal action on Wednesday. The only way any other small school, specifically St. Mark’s, Middlesex, or Brooks, can make the playoffs is for South Kent to make the Elite 8 and create an additional playoff spot for a small school.

#5 KUA (#3 JSPR)
#9 South Kent (#7 JSPR)
#14 Dexter (#13 JSPR)
#16 Gunnery (#16 JSPR)
#19 Tilton
#22 Groton
#24 Pomfret
#26 Hebron
#27 New Hampton
#32 St. Mark’s
#33 Millbrook
#34 Brooks

Anyway, if the plug was pulled on the season at lunchtime today, and we went directly to playoffs, these would be the matchups. The big question is this: how much will they change by Sunday morning?

Open Tournament
#8 Lawrence @ #1 Milton
#7 South Kent @ #2 Salisbury
#6 Avon @ #3 KUA
#5 Kent @ #4 Cushing

Large School Tournament
#8 Brunswick @ #1 Nobles
#7 NMH @ #2 Westminster
#6 Governor @ #3 Albany
#5 Belmont @ #4 St. Seb’s

Small School Tournament
#8 St. Marks @ #1Dexter
#7 New Hampton @ #2 Gunnery
#6 Hebron @ #3 Tilton
#5 Pomfret @ #4 Groton




Lakes Region Schedule & Results

Fri. Feb. 25
Game A: @ #4 Proctor 7, #5 Holderness 2  

Sat. Feb. 26
Game B: @ #6 Brewster 10, Vermont 0
Game C:  @ #2 Tilton 4, #3 New Hampton 1
Game D: @ #1 KUA 11, #4  Proctor 1

Sun. Feb. 27
Game E: Championship Game at Plymouth State College
11:00 am -- Winner of Game C vs. Winner of Game D:
KUA vs. Tilton

Note: There is no consolation game.





Empire Cup Schedule & Results
@ Millbrook School and Trinity-Pawling School

Fri. Feb. 25:

Game 1: Portledge 8, Lawrenceville 2
Game 2: Albany Academy 4, Millbrook 3 -- *Prep West game
Game 3: Brunswick 8, Wyoming Seminary 3
Game 4: Trinity-Pawling 2, The Hill School 1

Sat. Feb. 26:

Game 5: Albany Academy 2, Portledge 1 (OT)
Game 6: Lawrenceville 4, Millbrook 4 (L'ville wins shootout, 3-2)
Game 7: Brunswick 3, Trinity-Pawling 2
Game 8:
The Hill School 7, Wyoming Seminary 5 
Championship Game: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7, 7:00 pm @ TBD
Albany Academy 5, Brunswick 4 (OT)

 




Lakes Region Tournament Schedule
Fri. Feb. 25
Game A: #5 Holderness @ #4 Proctor, 3:45 pm

Sat. Feb. 26
Game B: #7 Vermont @ #6 Brewster, 6:00 pm
Game C: #3 New Hampton @ #2 Tilton , 2:00 pm
Game D:  Winner of Game A @ #1 KUA, 5:45 pm

Sun. Feb. 27
Game E: Championship Game at Plymouth State College
11:00 am -- Winner of Game C vs. Winner of Game D

Note: There is no consolation game.





Current RPI Standings
As of Thursday morning:

1) Milton 2) Cushing 3) Salisbury 4) Lawrence 5) KUA 6) Nobles 7) Kent 8) Avon 9) South Kent 10) Westminster 11) Albany Academy 12) St. Sebastian's 13) Belmont Hill 14) Dexter 15) Governor's 16) Gunnery 17) NMH 18) Brunswick 19) Tilton 20) St. Paul's 21) Choate 22) Groton 23) Berkshire 24) Pomfret 25) Tabor 26) Hebron 27) New Hampton 28) Deerfield 29) Exeter 30) Taft 31) BB&N 32) St. Mark's 33) Millbrook 34) Brooks 35) Andover 36) Rivers 37) Berwick 38) T-P 39) Proctor 40) Thayer 41) Winchendon 42) Hotchkiss  43)Middlesex 44) Kents Hill 45) Williston 46) Canterbury 47) Holderness 48) Loomis 49) Brewster 50) NYA 51) Hoosac 52) Pingree 53) K-O 54) Vermont 55) St. George's 56) P. Abbey 57) Roxbury Latin 58) Worcester Academy.





This Morning's RPI
As of Wednesday morning:

1) Milton 2) Cushing 3) Salisbury 4) Lawrence 5) KUA 6) Kent 7) Nobles 8) Avon 9) South Kent 10) St. Sebastian's  11) Albany Academy 12) Governor's 13) Westminster 14) Gunnery 15) Dexter 16) Belmont Hill 17) Brunswick 18) NMH 19) St. Paul's 20) Tilton 21) Pomfret 22) Choate 23) Groton 24) Tabor 25) Berkshire 26) Hebron 27) New Hampton 28) Deerfield 29) Taft 30) Exeter 31) Brooks 32) BB&N 33) Millbrook 34) St. Mark's 35) Andover 36) Rivers 37) Trinity-Pawling 38) Berwick 39) Thayer 40) Winchendon 41) Proctor 42) Hotchkiss 43) Middlesex 44)Williston 45) Kents Hill 46) Canterbury 47) Holderness 48) Loomis 49) Brewster 50) NYA 51) Pingree 52) Hoosac 53) K-O 54) Vermont 55) St. George's 56) P. Abbey 57) Rox. Latin 58) Worcester Acad.



Wed. Feb. 23 Highlights


@ Kent 5, Deerfield 2 --
Down 2-0 in the second, #5 Kent scored five unanswered goals – from five different scorers – to beat Deerfield 5-2 in a big Founders’ League match up. Kent junior Kevin Dluhy earned the win, kicking out 26 of 28 shots. Kent is in a good position to secure a home game in the first round of the Prep Super 8, but has a tough pair of back-to-back games coming up with Gunnery and Choate.

Northfield-Mt. Hermon 8 @ Andover 3 -- The Cangelosi brothers had their way with Andover, as brothers JC (3g, 3a) and Austin (4g, 2a) each picked up six points in a lopsided NMH win. NMH has won nine of its last 10.

Exeter 6 @ Pomfret 4 – Dartmouth recruit Eric Neiley’s February assault on prep hockey continues as the Exeter senior had five more points in a 6-4 win over Pomfret. Neiley’s 35 points would be a great year for almost any forward in New England, but it is made even more impressive by the fact that he has done it in a mere nine games, and for a team that is 11-15. Neiley injured himself in Exeter’s first game of the season and only returned to action a few weeks ago, but if his 3.89 PPG were applied to Exeter’s 27 game schedule, his projected total would be 105 points.

Westminster 3 @ Gunnery 2 --
Westminster junior goaltender Patrick Spano made 46 saves to lead his team to a 3-2 win at Gunnery. Westminster is red hot, having won four in a row and eight of its last nine.

Nobles 7 @ Governor's 3 -- Nobles had no trouble with Governor's, winning 7-3 behind a hat trick from senior Matt Harlow. Junior PJ Falvey and freshman Brandon Shea each chipped in with a goal and two assists for the Bulldogs. Nobles outshot the home side by a 32-21 margin, and Governor's didn't get a single even-strength goal on the afternoon. Nobles, currently holding the #7 playoff seed, hosts Keller champ and top-ranked Milton on Saturday.

Kimball Union 6 @ Winchendon 1 -- #3-ranked KUA got two goals each from senior Phil Boucher and junior Tim Baylis as they cruised past Winchendon 6-1. Kimball Union looks to be in good shape for a home playoff game, currently in a tie for third (with Kent) in the JSPR rankings, which determine playoff seeding.

@ Dexter 4, Holderness 1 -- A goal by junior forward Nick Bligh (2g) at 8:44 of the third broke a 1-1 deadlock and Dexter beat Holderness 4-1 at home. Dexter is on the fringe of the top postseason tournament: they are currently tied with South Kent and Lawrence for the eighth and final slot (if the season ended today it would be Lawrence), though with only St. George’s and Worcester Academy left they likely need other teams to slip up.

@ Lawrence 4, St. Sebastian’s 2 -- Lawrence scored three goals in the third period to knock off an injury-depleted St. Sebastian’s that is currently in a state of free fall – the Arrows are winless in their last four, though they are a lock to make the large school tournament. Junior forward Brady Burns picked up two for the Spartans, who have won 10 of 11.

@ Milton 3, Brewster 0 -- Milton just keeps rolling right along, with Brewster being the Mustang’s latest victim. Senior goalie Sean Dougherty posted a shutout, making 16 saves. Milton closes their regular season with their third match up of the year with archrival Nobles on Saturday.

Cushing 7 @ Proctor 3 -- Cushing junior defenseman Kyle O’Brien’s powerplay goal at 6:13 of the third period broke a 3-3 tie and junior forward Sam Kane did the rest, adding three insurance goals for a natural hat trick as Cushing beat Proctor 7-3. The visiting Penguins outshot Proctor, 52-30. Cushing needs to overtake either Kent or Kimball Union to earn a home playoff game.

Avon 5 @ Canterbury 1 -- Canterbury scored 31 seconds in to jump out to a surprising lead over #8 Avon, but it was all Winged Beavers the rest of the way as Avon ripped off five straight to win easily. The visitors fired 42 shots on two different Canterbury goalkeepers, while Avon junior Michael Santaguida had a light day, needing only 16 saves to pick up the win.

Berkshire 6 @ Millbrook 5 -- It looked like this game was headed for overtime when Millbrook senior Penn Sednaoui’s third goal of the game knotted things up with just 54 seconds remaining, but Berkshire Senior Steve Puffer scored just 25 seconds later to give his team the win. Junior forward Riley Bourbonnias had two goals for Berkshire, who snapped a minor two-game skid.

Choate 7 @ Loomis-Chaffee 1 -- Senior forward Alex Hagen had five points (3g, 2a) as Chaote blasted Loomis on the road.  Choate controlled play in this one throughout, as evidenced by a 71-22 shot advantage. Junior Ben Foster (2g, 1a) also had a big day for the Boars. Loomis has lost its last nine, dating back to January 27th.

@ Taft 4, Trinity-Pawling 1 -- Taft junior Jimmy Harrison was superb in net, turning away all but one of T-P’s 40 shots to lead the Rhinos to victory. Captain Mike Moran had a goal and an assist for the home side.

Albany Academy 4 @ Williston-Northampton 3 -- Captain Albee Daley scored just 15 seconds into overtime to avoid a major upset. Williston, who knocked off Deerfield last Friday, had won three in a row to double its season win total.

@ Groton 5, Middlesex 1 -- Eberhart-champion Groton took revenge on Middlesex – the only team to beat Groton in league play this season – cashing in on three of the 13 penalties taken by the visitors. Senior forward Jack Wilkinson picked up two (both powerplay strikes) and sophomore goalie Jordan Piccolino was strong in net, making 27 saves. Down at the other end, senior goalie Zach Arnold was under siege all afternoon but came away with a respectable 48 saves on 53 Groton shots.

Tilton 9 @ Vermont Academy 1 -- Juniors Kyle Larson (3g, 1a) and Anthony Flaherty (4a) and senior Julien Tertrault (2g, 1a) led the offense as Tilton crushed Vermont Academy by a score of 9-1. After a scoreless first, Tilton exploded for six goals in the second period and never looked back. Tilton is now unbeaten in its last 10 games.

@ Rivers 3, Brooks 2 -- Brooks’ third period comeback came up just short as Rivers came away with a 3-2 win at home despite being outshot 33-17. Most of the credit should go to Rivers’ eighth-grade goalie Ryan Colena, who made 31 saves on 33 shots.

@ Salisbury 4, Hotchkiss 0 -- #2 Salisbury had no trouble with Hotchkiss, earning a tidy 4-0 home win. Salisbury senior goaltender Gabe Antoni did all that was asked of him – though it wasn’t a whole lot – making 12 saves to shut out the Bearcats. Salisbury is currently tied for first though if the season ended today the Knights would be the second seed (Milton would be #1).

Hebron 3 @ NYA 0 -- Hebron scored one goal in each period to beat NYA 3-0 on the road. Sophomore goalie Max Motew recorded a 22-save shutout, and eight different players had points for the Lumberjack

BB&N 5 @ Roxbury Latin 1 -- Senior forward Bob Pease’s hat trick led the way as BB&N beat RL on the road. Sophomore Drew Michals made 21 saves to pick up the win in net. BB&N outshot their hosts 37-22.

@ St. Mark’s 7, St. George’s 2 -- St. Mark’s senior captain Matthew Heise had five points (3g, 2a) to pace the St. Mark’s offense in a 7-2 win. The score would not have been nearly so lopsided had it not been for the stellar play of St. Mark’s senior Michael Comitini, who made 40 saves to overcome a 42-38 St. George’s shot advantage. 

Berwick 4 @ Pingree 2 -- A hat trick by senior Dave Horan was all the offense Berwick needed to beat Pingree. Senior Jimmy Collins (1g ,3a) iced the game with an empty-netter with two seconds remaining.

@ Delbarton 3, Christian Brothers Academy 1 -- Sophomore Alex Hagerty (2g) and junior Davis Agostino (1g, 1a) had two points each in a 3-1 Delbarton win over Christian Brothers Academy. Junior goaltender Colton Phinney earned the win with 24 saves. Delbarton controlled the game territorially, outshooting the visitors 38-25.

@ Portledge 4, Hoosac 1 -- Portledge senior Michael Goldstein had a goal and two assists to lead Portledge past Hoosac. Sophomore netiminder Rob Sartena earned the win, making 17 saves.

New Hampton 4 @ Bridgton 3 -- Senior forward John-Patrick Humphrey had two goals as New Hampton won on the road at Bridgton.

Another score, but it's Belmont Hill so... no box score:
@ Belmont Hill 1, St. Paul’s 0

 

 




This Week's Schedule

Mon. Feb. 21, 2011

NEPSIHA Games:
Middlesex @ St. George's, 2:30 pm
Worcester Academy @ Portsmouth Abbey, 3:45 pm
Holderness @ Proctor, 3:45 pm
Berwick @ Hebron, 3:45 pm
Salisbury @ Trinity-Pawling, 4:15 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Kingswood-Oxford, 4:30 pm
Canterbury @ Gunnery, 4:30 pm
South Kent @ Berkshire, 4:45 pm
Belmont Hill @ Lawrence Academy, 5:30 pm

Tues. Feb. 22, 2011

NEPSIHA Games:
Roxbury Latin @ St. Mark's, 4:45 pm
Brunswick @ Kingswood-Oxford, 5:15 pm
Governor's @ St. Paul's, 5:15 pm

Wed. Feb. 23, 2011

NEPSIHA Games:
Exeter @ Pomfret, 2:00 pm
Middlesex @ Groton, 2:30 pm
Berkshire @ Millbrook, 2:30 pm
Canterbury @ Avon Old Farms, 2:30 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Taft, 2:30 pm
Choate @ Loomis-Chaffee, 3:00 pm
Brooks @ Rivers, 3:00 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Andover, 3:30 pm
St. Paul's @ Belmont Hill, 3:30 pm
BB&N @ Roxbury Latin, 3:45 pm
Tilton @ Vermont Academy, 4:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Salisbury, 4:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Winchendon, 4:00 pm
Hebron @ NYA, 4:00 pm
Holderness @ Dexter, 4:00 pm  
Albany Academy @ Williston-Northampton, 4:15 pm
Westminster @ Gunnery, 4:15 pm
St. George's @ St. Mark's, 4:15 pm
Cushing @ Proctor, 4:30 pm
Berwick @ Pingree, 4:30 pm
Deerfield @ Kent, 4:30 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:00 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Lawrence Academy, 5:15 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Governor's, 5:30 pm
Brewster Academy @ Milton, 6:45 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games:
Portledge @ Hoosac, 3:15 pm (at Danbury, Conn.)
Lawrenceville @ Hill School, 4:00 pm
New Hampton School @ Bridgton Academy, 4:00 pm
Greenwich HS @ Rye Country Day, 4:45 pm

Thurs. Feb. 24, 2011

NEPSIHA Game:
Hotchkiss @ Choate, 5:00 pm

Fri. Feb. 25, 2011

NEPSIHA Games:
St. George's @ Dexter, 4:30 pm
Worcester Academy @ Roxbury Latin, 5:00 pm
Rivers @ Governor's, 5:00 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Winchendon, 5:00 pm
Gunnery @ Kent, 5:15 pm
Belmont Hill @ Tabor, 6:30 pm


Empire Cup Tournament (Day 1 of 2)

Game 1: Lawrenceville vs. Portledge - 5:30 pm @ Millbrook
Game 2: Millbrook vs. Albany Academy - 8:00 pm @ Millbrook
Game 3: Brunswick vs. Wyoming Seminary - TBD @ Trinity-Pawling
Game 4: Trinity-Pawling vs. Hill School - 7:00 pm @ Trinity-Pawling


Sat. Feb. 26, 2011

NEPSIHA Games:
Dexter @ Worcester Academy, 12:00 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Thayer, 12:00 pm (at BU -- Walter Brown Arena)
Hebron @ Kents Hill, 12:00 pm
Tabor @ Northfield - Mt. Hermon, 1:00 pm
Hoosac @ Kingswood-Oxford, 2:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Taft, 2:30 pm
Canterbury @ Salisbury, 3:00 pm
South Kent @ Winchendon, 3:00 pm
Gunnery @ Berkshire, 3:00 pm
Pomfret @ Williston-Northampton, 3:30 pm
St. George's @ Middlesex, 4:00 pm
Berwick @ Cushing, 4:00 pm
Andover @ Exeter, 4:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Groton, 4:00 pm
BB&N @ Brooks, 4:00 pm
Pingree @ NYA, 4:00 pm
Milton @ Noble & Greenough, 4:15 pm
St. Paul's @ Lawrence Academy, 4:15 pm
Deerfield @ Westminster, 6:30 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Loomis-Chaffee, 7:00 pm
Kent @ Choate, 7:00 pm

Empire Cup Tournament (Day 2 of 2)

Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 - 12:00 pm @ Millbrook
Game 6: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 - 2:00 pm @ Millbrook
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 - 12:00 pm @ Trinity-Pawling
Game 8: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 - 2:00 pm @ Trinity-Pawling
Championship Game: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7, 7:00 pm @ TBD

Non-NEPSIHA Games:
Rice Memorial @ Boston Rangers AAA, 2:00 pm
-- cancelled (Rice looking for new opponent)

Sun. Feb 27, 2011

Non-NEPSIHA Games:
Rice Memorial @ Boston Rangers AAA, 12:00 pm -- cancelled (Rice looking for new opponent)
Northwood @ Jr. Bruins (EJHL), 1:00 pm (at UMass-Amherst, Mullins Center)



NOTE:

The Lakes Region Tournament will run from Fri. Feb. 25-Sun. Feb. 27.

We will have more on the schedule shortly. It’s determined by league standings.

Participating Schools:

Brewster
Holderness
Kimball Union
New Hampton
Proctor
Tilton
Vermont

Championship Game
Sun. Feb. 27 @ 11:00 am
@ Plymouth State College
(Note: This game is not a NEPSIHA game)

 



The Final Week

We’re into the final week, and the RPI top sixteen remains unchanged from last week.  The order, though, has been moving around.

This is how things currently stand: 

RPI Top 16:

1. Milton Academy -- . 63078
2. Cushing -- .60223
3. Salisbury -- .60002
4. Lawrence -- .58878
5. Kimball Union -- .58659
6.  Kent -- .58122
7. Nobles -- .57936
8. Avon Old Farms -- .57556
9.  Dexter -- .57209
10. St. Sebastian’s -- .56946
11. South Kent -- .56893
12. Albany Academy -- .56726
13. Westminster -- .56569
14. Belmont Hill -- .56566

15. Gunnery -- .56250
16. Governor’s -- .56117

The biggest change over the past week is St. Sebastian’s. In their last four games against teams under consideration, they have gone 1–2–1.  This has dropped them from sixth to tenth in the RPI.  (It has also dropped the Arrows from ten JSPR wins to six, and out of the Elite Eight, but we will get to that in a minute.)

Some additional RPI notes:

*** NMH, 6-1 losers to Choate yesterday, now face a difficult time cracking the RPI top 16.  However, depending on their own results and the results of the teams under consideration, NMH, along with Brunswick and St. Paul’s, remain as the only teams outside of the top 16 with a chance of becoming a team under consideration.

*** Kent, which has gone 7–0–1 in their last eight, has surged from 17th to sixth in RPI, and have put themselves in position for a home playoff game next Wednesday.

*** Milton is going to have the number 1 overall RPI. The gap between the #1 Mustangs and the #2 Penguins is enormous.

In addition to being the #1 RPI team, Milton continues to hold onto the #1 overall seed.  The full JSPR results (if the playoffs started today) are below:



 

1

Milton (14)

2

Salisbury (14)

3

Kent (12)

4

Kimball Union (12)

5

Cushing (11)

6

Avon (10)

7

Nobles (8)

8

Lawrence (7)

9

Dexter (7)

10

South Kent (7)

11

St. Sebastian’s (6)

12

Albany Acad. (4)

13

Westminster (4)

14

Belmont Hill (2)

15

Gunnery (2)

16

Governor’s (0)

 

-       There is currently a three-way tie for the last playoff spot between Lawrence, Dexter, and South Kent.  Lawrence beats Dexter in their JSPR comparison, but loses to South Kent, and Dexter beats South Kent.  That makes them all 1–1 against each other.  The tiebreaker in this scenario is the RPI, and Lawrence gets the final playoff spot.

-       Milton, with the top RPI and a better record against mutual opponents, wins the JSPR comparison over Salisbury, and hence the #1 seed.

-       Kent, despite having a lower RPI than Kimball Union, win the JSPR comparison thanks to a superior record against teams under consideration and mutual opponents.

-       Cushing’s loss to Kimball Union on Saturday gave KUA the JSPR victory, and dropped Cushing from third to fifth in the JSPR results.

If the playoffs started today,  the three sets of playoff matchups would be:

Open Tournament

#8 Lawrence @ #1 Milton
#7 Nobles @ #2 Salisbury
#6 Avon @ #3 Kent
#5 Cushing @ #4 Kimball Union

Large School Tournament

#8 St. Paul's @ #1 St. Sebastian's
#7 Brunswick @ #2 Albany Academy
#6 NMH @ #3 Belmont Hill
#5 Governor's @ #4 Westminster

Small School Tournament

#8 Hebron @ #1 Dexter
#7 New Hampton @ #2 South Kent
#6 Pomfret @ #3 Gunnery
#5 Groton @ #4 Tilton

58 NEPSIHA teams have qualified for post-season eligibility, and that is all there is going to be this season.


Key games this week:

Monday: Belmont Hill @ Lawrence Academy

Tuesday: Governor’s @ St. Paul’s

Wednesday: St Paul’s @ Belmont Hill; Westminster @ Gunnery; St. Seb’s @ Lawrence; Nobles @ Governor’s.

Friday: Gunnery @ Kent

Saturday: Milton @ Nobles; St. Paul’s @ Lawrence.

 

Calculations above do not include the results of games played Monday afternoon Feb. 21.

 

 




Sat. Feb. 19 Highlights
@ KUA 2, Cushing 1 – KUA senior Phil Boucher scored the GWG in the second period. Senior Steve Mastalerz stopped 25 of 26 shots for the win; Penguins junior Chad Hardy stopped 34 of 36 in a losing effort.

Salisbury 5 @ Avon 1 – Salisbury got goals from five different scorers. They also outshot Avon, 44-17. Senior Gabe Antoni stopped 16 of 17 to pick up the win.

Westminster 3 @ Berkshire 0 – Junior Patrick Spano kicked out all 23 shots he faced, and the offense offered balance, with thrtee goals from three different scorers.

Governor’s 5 @ St. Sebastian’s 5 --  A PPG off the stick of sophomore Nathan Ferriero with 2:58 remaining in the third lifted Gov’s to a 5-5 tie on the road. Earlier, Gov’s had a 3-1 lead but the Arrows came back, scoring four of the game’s next five goals to take the lead. Junior Brendan Burke had a pair of goals for the Arrows.

@ Taft 1, Choate 0 – PG defenseman Rob Kiska scored the only goal the Rhinos needed at 16:01 of the second period and junior goaltender Jimmy Harrison stopped all 27 shots he faced.

@ Trinity-Pawling 5, Hotchkiss 3 – Hotchkiss held a 3-1 lead early in the second period but T-P got four straight goals – three of which came off the stick of senior Paul Falanga, who, having also scored 18 seconds after the opening faceoff, finished with four goals. T-P senior goaltender Alex Burdekin earned the win by stopping all 16 shots he faced in 33 minutes of perfect relief work.

@ Milton 5, BB&N 1 – Milton seniors Woody Hudson (2g), defenseman Pat McNally (2a), and defenseman CJ Ganss (2a) each had two points, as did junior blueliner Robby O’Gara (1g,1a).

@ Groton 7, St. George’s 3 -- Senior Nils Martin (2g,1a), junior Mike Doherty (1g,2a), and senior Jack Wilkinson (1g,2a) each had three points in the win.

@ Middlesex 2, Rivers 2 – A third period goal by senior center Alexander Bunick lifted Rivers to a 2-2 tie on the road. Rivers 8th grade goalie Ryan Colena kicked out 41 of 43 shots.

Lawrence 5 @ St. Mark’s 0 – Soph Colin Clapton (2g), and juniors Brady Burns (2g), Jacob Schechter (2a), and Matthew Fineberg (2a) each had two points for LA. Junior Nathaniel Heilbron kicked out all 18 shots he faced for the shutout win.

NMH 4 @ Loomis 1 – Seniors Joe Birmingham (3a) and JC Cangelosi (2a); and soph Austin Cangelosi (2g) led the attack. PG Dave Donzanti (34/35) picked up the win for the Hoggers. Steve Michalek (46/50) took the loss for Loomis.

@ New Hampton 7, Proctor 4 – Seniors Connor Gorman (1g, 2a) and Steve Berry (1g,1a);  and junior Griffin Votolato (2a) led the New Hampton attack.

@ Brunswick 4, Pomfret 1 – Brunswick got goals from four different scorers today. Brunswick junior goaltender Gryphon Richardson (28/29) picked up the win. Pomfret soph  Nick Ellis (27/30) was tagged with the loss.

@ Millbrook 2, Hoosac 1 (OT) – Junior Kevin Altidor’s goal at 4:32 of OT lifted host Millbrook to the win.

Portsmouth Abbey 8 @ Harvey 3 – Senior Garrett Behan (3g,1a) figured in four of the Abbey’s eight goals.

@ Pingree 11, Worcester Academy 3 – Junior Nate Soter had a hat trick for Pingree, which outshot Worcester 61-20.

Kent 13 @ Canterbury 1 – Kent outshot Canterbury 51-13, and skated off with a 13-1 win, their seventh in a row. Seniors Noel Acciari (2g,3a), Connor MacPhee (2g,3a), and Drew Brown (2g, 2a); and junior Ryan Rosenthal (2g,3a) led the Lions’ attack.

Tilton 1 @ Hebron 1 – A goal by Tilton senior Joey Colllins with 1:44 left in the third period lifted the Lumberjacks to a tie at home. The goaltenders were good in this one. Tilton senior William Flachsbinder kicked out 34 of 35; Hebron PG Mike Messuri stopped 23 of 24.

@ St. Paul’s 5, Thayer 3 -- Senior Paul-Arthur Plaisir (1g,2a) paced the St. Paul’s offensive efforts, along with senior D Ben Kaplan (1g,1a). Junior forward Jimmy Shea (2g) led the Thayer attack. St. Paul’s had a 5-1 lead early in the third, and picked up a couple to cut the lead to 5-3, but that was as close as they would get.

@ Andover 4, Brooks 0 -- Freshman forward Eddie Ellis (2g,1a) and junior D Thomas Shannon (1g,1a) had big nights for Andover, who came into the game having lost six in a row. Senior goaltender Eric Yoon kept a clean sheet with a 34-save shutout.

@ Gunnery 8, Albany Academy 5 -- Junior forward Drew Smolcynski (1g,2a), senior forward Terrence Wallin (2g), and sophomore forward Marc Cibelli (1g,2a) led the Gunnery offense in a penalty-filled match-up of the two top NEPSHC West squads. 


Other scores (box scores unavailable):
@ Brewster 3, Vermont Academy 1
Exeter 5 @ Deerfield 3
@ Tabor 7, Holderness 4




Fri. 2/18/11 -- In today's USHR News, we have an article entitled The Math Behind the Rankings, which explains how the JSPR Standings, used to determine seedings for the NEPSIHA playoffs, are arrived at.



Kent Reclaims Memorial Hockey Cup

Lakeville, Conn.
– Senior co-captain Noel Acciari netted a hat-trick while #7 Kent put on a clinic here today, beating a depleted Hotchkiss squad, 6-1, to recapture the Kent-Hotchkiss Memorial Hockey Cup for the first time since 2008.

Not a lot of people know such a cup exists.

Kent head coach Matt Herr does, though. "As a former Hotchkiss Bearcat myself, I know how special this rivalry is,” he said after the win. “If we can play some good defensive hockey like we did today we’re going to win some games and that’s what we’ve been preaching to these guys all year.”

Acciari and the Lions got off to a quick start, scoring just 2:25 into the game when Acciari took a cross-ice pass from junior Boo Nieves to put the Lions up 2-0.

Kent held a 2-1 lead after one, then roared out to a 4-1 lead by the end of the second frame.

“The issue for us is literally half our team is injured. We’re down to three lines and four defenseman so it was kind of a M.A.S.H unit today but we did the best we could,” Hotchkiss head coach Damon White said. “I told the guys to compete as hard as they could and to play a disciplined game.”

After junior Ryan Rosenthal opened up the second period scoring for Kent on the power play, Nieves got a goal of his own, making a nifty backhand-to-forehand deke and slipping the puck around Hotchkiss goalie Ryan Manseau to put Kent up 4-1 at the 15 minute mark.

Acciari completed his hat-trick in the third period after the Bearcats coughed up the puck at the blueline. The Johnston, RI native fired a low shot from the slot that beat Manseau to put the Lions up 5-1.

Junior defenseman Mike McKee added a late goal to complete the 6-1 victory.

Three of Kent's six goals, by the way, came on the power play.

-- C.J.

 



Wed. Feb. 16 Highlights

@ Avon 4, Choate 3 -- Senior forward Morgan Mullen scored with eight seconds remaining to lift Avon – holding tightly onto the #7 spot in the Prep Super Eight – to a huge win over Choate. Avon trailed in the third until senior Cameron Hatch tied the game at 8:23, with Mullen assisting. Avon junior netminder Michael Santaguida made 33 saves to overcome a 36-29 Choate shot advantage.

@ Westminster 4, Loomis-Chaffee 0 -- Westminster rebounded from a 2-1 loss to Brunswick Monday with a relatively easy win over Loomis. Junior goaltender Patrick Spano only needed to make 18 saves to earn the shutout, while down at the other end Loomis senior Steve Michalek did what he has been doing all season, keeping his team in the game until late, in this making 62 saves on 66 Westminster shots.

@ Kimball Union 6, Proctor 2 -- Kimball Union, still stinging from a 3-1 home setback at the hands of NMH, got back on the right track with a win against Proctor. KU junior Dennis Kravchenko continues to pile up assists, adding three more to give him a New England-leading 40 on the season.

@ South Kent 6, Gunnery 4 -- South Kent jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first and never looked back, beating Gunnery by a score of 6-4. This game featured two of the favorites in the small-school tournament, with Gunnery and South Kent currently occupying the #1 and #3 seeds, respectively.

@ Cushing 5, Andover 2 -- #2 Cushing got goals from five different players to coast past Andover. Two goals by the visitors in the latter half of the third made the final score more respectable, but Cushing controlled play throughout, piling up a 38-21 shot advantage.

@ St. Paul’s 5, St. Sebastian’s 2 – With St. Seb’s high-scoring forward Joe Prescott out for the season with mono, St. Paul’s found the Arrows ripe for the picking. Junior Josh Dickman and senior Paul-Arthur Plasir each had two goals to lead the St. Paul’s offense, while senior Derick Roy (36 saves) earned the win in net. St. Paul’s is a different team at home this year -- with a 9-5 record -- vs. a 3-6 mark on the road.

@ Salisbury 7, Kingswood-Oxford 1 -- Third-ranked Salisbury, currently sitting in the #2 spot for playoff purposes, had no trouble at all with Kingswood-Oxford. K-O sophomore goalie Anthony Giordano saw 74 (yes, 74) shots.

@ Hebron 4, New Hampton 3 -- Hebron junior Captain Shane Hearn had two goals and an assist – including the winning goal with 7:20 left – to lead Hebron past New Hampton.  Senior Max Schwan played well in net for New Hampton, making 38 saves in a losing effort.

Trinity-Pawling 5 @ Millbrook 4 -- T-P got two goals and two assists each from senior forward Michael McDonald and junior defenseman Vincent Muto to edge Millbrook 5-4 in a battle of New York-based NEPSAC members. T-P scored three of their goals on the powerplay despite Millbrook only taking five total penalties. Millbrook outshot the visitors 32-26, but still came up short.

Tilton 2 @ Brewster 1 -- Junior Kyle Larson had both goals for Tilton as the Rams hung on to beat Brewster on the road. Tilton outshot their hosts by a 32-15 margin, but Brewster freshman goaltender Ryder Garnsey kept his team in the game with 30 saves.

@ NMH 3, Exeter 2 -- Northfield-Mt. Hermon continues to be one of the hottest teams in prep hockey, as they made it seven in a row by edging Exeter 3-2. NMH was outshot 31-24, but PG goaltender Dave Donzanti made 29 saves for the hosts.

@ Milton 4, Belmont Hill 1 -- Milton wrapped up the Keller division with a 4-1 win over Belmont Hill at home. Senior forward Woody Hudson (2g, 1a) and senior defenseman Pat McNally (3a) led the Milton offense with three points apiece. One interesting thing to note is that if the season ended today, Milton would play Nobles in the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row. This would likely be the worst possible scenario for the top-ranked Mustangs, as all bets are off in a rivalry game.

Kent 6 @ Hotchkiss 1 --  A hat trick by captain Noel Acciari helped #7 Kent win its sixth in a row. Kent juniors Boo Nieves and Ryan Rosenthal each pitched in with a goal and two assists, and junior Kevin Dluhy made 22 saves for the win in goal. Kent outshot Hotchkiss 37-23. (For more on this game, see below.)

@ Deerfield 4, Taft 3 -- A goal by freshman Tyler Kelleher lifted Deerfield to a big Founders’ League win over Taft. The Big Green, unbeaten in their last eight games, have a talent in Kelleher, who is second on the team with 26 points in 15 games.

@ Lawrence 6, Governor’s 2 -- Lawrence – currently occupying the on-the-outside-looking-in #9 spot in the playoff standings – took care of business at home, beating Governor’s. Governor’s led 2-1 after one, but the hosts ripped off five unanswered goals to get the win. Lawrence probably regrets the pair of 4-3 losses to ISL rival Nobles (Lawrence led both games in the third), as Nobles sits just ahead of the Spartans in the race for the final spot in the Prep Super Eight.

Groton 4 @ Brooks 2 -- Three points (2g, 1a) from captain Garrett Sunda helped Groton beat Brooks on the road. Sophomore Jordan Piccolino was strong between the pipes for the Zebras, turning away 30 shots to pick up the win.

@ Berkshire 2, Pomfret 1 -- A goal by Brian Ferrell with just over five minutes remaining pushed Berkshire past Pomfret. 6’6” Junior goalie Pat Feeley didn’t give Pomfret much net to shoot at, making 27 saves on 28 shots.

@ Middlesex 4, Portsmouth Abbey 2 -- Middlesex got goals from four different scorers and beat Portsmouth Abbey by a score of 4-2 at home. Abbey freshman Connor Rodericks kept things interesting, making 43 saves, but his side had trouble creating offense, with just 17 shots on net.

@ Berwick 5, Kent’s Hill 1 -- Senior Jimmy Collins and freshman Matt Winkler had two goals apiece as Berwick topped Kent’s Hill 5-1. Berwick outshot Kent’s Hill 31-15.

@ St. Mark’s 6, Rivers 3 -- St. Mark’s sophomore forward Mike Pontarelli had four goals and an assist to lead his squad past Rivers. Senior goalie Michael Comitini got the win in goal, making 40 saves.

@ Hoosac 4, Vermont Academy 3 -- Hoosac beat Vermont Academy on a powerplay goal by Senior Tony Jorgenson (2g, 1a) in overtime. It was fitting that the game-winner was a powerplay strike, as all but one of the game’s goals were scored on the man advantage.

Williston-Northampton 3 @ Canterbury 2 -- Williston evened their season series with Canterbury with a win on the road. Sophomore netminder Tim Keegan got the win, with 22 saves.

Nobles 4 @ BB&N 2: Nobles got two goals each from senior captain Matt Harlow and freshman Brendan Shea to beat BB&N 4-2 on the road. Nobles outshot their hosts 48-19 but BB&N senior Sam Parker made 44 saves to keep the Knights close.

Winchendon 5 @ Holderness 1 -- Winchendon junior goaltender Frederick Giroux stopped 41 of 42 shots and Winchendon rolled past Holderness 5-1. PG Ryan Kelley had a goal and an assist for the visitors.

Delbarton 7 @ Hill 3 --
Delbarton was tied with the Hill, 3-3, with eight minutes to go in the third before exploding for four unanswered goals in a span of five minutes. The visitors took 16 penalties and paid dearly as all three of Hill's goals came on 5-on-3's. Sophomore John Baiocco (2g, 2a) and senior Peter McMullen (2g, 1a) each had two-goal games for Delbarton. Senior captain Julian Fazi (2g, 1a) had two for Hill.


Other scores... but details missing:
King Low 6, Harvey 3
St. George's 4, Roxbury Latin 1
Tabor 4, Thayer 1




Prep Playoff Picture Taking Shape

Two weeks remain in the NEPSIHA season. If the top tier of the playoffs – the Elite 8 -- were to start today, the same eight teams would make the playoffs as per the JSPR article we posted on Wednesday. However, there are changes in the order. Here’s how things look this morning.    

1.  Milton (14)

2.  Salisbury (14)

3.  Cushing (12)

4.  Kent (11)

5.  KUA (11)

6.  St. Sebastian’s (10)

7.  Avon (10)

8.  Nobles (8)

*The numbers in parentheses indicates the amount of JSPR comparisons won, with the maximum of 15.


Notes:

Cushing falls to 3rd while Milton and Salisbury move up:

Milton’s win over Nobles on Saturday gave the Mustangs a 9-3-1 record against the Teams Under Consideration, while Kent held steady at 5-2-0.  This gave Milton the JSPR comparison victory over Kent, and thus the #1seed

With South Kent moving into the top 16, they now count as a Team Under Consideration.  South Kent defeated Cushing 3 – 2 on Jan. 23, thus dropping the Penguins to 4  - 3 – 0, while Salisbury maintained their 4 – 2 – 0 record against TUC’s this season.  This gave Salisbury the JSPR edge over Cushing.


Seeding teams with equal JSPR numbers:

You will notice that a number of teams are tied in the JSPR comparisons they have won.  In the event of a tiebreaker, the winner of the tied teams’ JSPR comparisons gets the higher seed.  Milton defeated Salisbury, Kent defeated KUA, and St. Sebastian’s bested Avon in their JSPR comparisons.


Last team out:

Currently Nobles is the last team in, while Lawrence is the last team out.  Lawrence has won 7 JSPR comparisons, and will have plenty of opportunities to improve their chances to get in as they still have four games remaining against potential top 16 teams: Governor’s, Belmont Hill, St. Sebastian’s and St. Paul’s

RPI Notes:

After a full slate of games over the weekend, the RPI top 16 has seen very slight changes. South Kent has replaced St. Pauls as the 16th-ranked RPI team; additionally, there was some shuffling of teams within the top 16, with the biggest plunge taken by Dexter, falling from 9th to 14th.

Fifty-seven of the 63 NEPSIHA schools have reached the 15-game minimum to be eligible for playoff qualification.  Three of those teams are one game below qualification.  With that, we can say with near certainty that the following 20 teams are most likely to comprise the teams under consideration for the JSPR comparison.  The teams are:  Milton, Cushing, Salisbury, Lawrence, Nobles, KUA, St. Sebastian’s, Avon, Albany, Kent, Gunnery, Westminster, Governor, Dexter, Belmont Hill, South Kent, NMH, St. Paul’s Choate, and Pomfret. 


***
The Large School Tournament (if the season ended this morning):   

1.  Lawrence                                                   

2.  Albany                                                      

3.  Westminster                                              

4.  Governor’s                                                

5.  Belmont Hill                                             

6.  NMH                                                        

7.  St. Paul’s                                                   

8.  Choate       
                                               

***


The Small School Tournament
(if the season ended this morning):   

1.  Gunnery

2.  Dexter

3.  South Kent

4.  Pomfret

5.  Groton

6.  Tilton

7.  Hebron

8.  New Hampton


***

The following matchups this week could prove to be critical in the standings:

Mon. Feb. 14:  Salisbury @ Gunnery, St. Paul’s @ Dexter

Wed. Feb. 16: Gunnery @ South Kent, Choate @Avon, Governor’s @ Lawrence, St. Sebastian’s @ St. Paul’s, Belmont Hill @ Milton

Fri. Feb. 18:  Nobles @ Belmont Hill

Sat. Feb. 19: Cushing @ KUA, Governor’s @ St. Sebastian’s, Albany @ Gunnery, Salisbury @ Avon

Sun. Feb. 20: Choate @ NMH

***

The RPI broken down by large and small school is as follows (large schools are in the left-hand column; small school are in the right-hand column.

Milton

0.631000872

 

KUA

0.580743925

Cushing

0.608927791

 

Gunnery

0.570419142

Salisbury

0.593653428

 

Dexter

0.567280183

Lawrence

0.591873837

 

South Kent

0.560336283

Nobles

0.588370171

 

Pomfret

0.55080624

St. Sebastian’s

0.580370888

 

Groton

0.541841335

Avon

0.580164432

 

Tilton

0.540284309

Albany

0.574621358

 

Hebron

0.523505941

Kent

0.573645307

 

New Hampton

0.522108292

Westminster

0.56979146

 

Brooks

0.516241077

Governor

0.567389211

 

St. Marks

0.503976497

Belmont

0.566354928

 

Millbrook

0.501470125

NMH

0.553432228

 

Rivers

0.494018206

St. Pauls

0.55209121

 

Berwick

0.476109745

Choate

0.551244175

 

Proctor

0.466253419

Brunswick

0.540999037

 

Holderness

0.462693161

Bekshire

0.53303051

 

Kents Hil

0.458570087

Deerfield

0.528444321

 

Winchendon

0.458436405

Tabor

0.516119846

 

Middlesex

0.457729551

Taft

0.507881826

 

NYA

0.441832841

BBN

0.507259528

 

Hoosac

0.434990813

Exeter

0.495999476

 

Pingree

0.431794631

Andover

0.490642965

 

Kingswood - Oxford

0.417592383

Thayer

0.4745718

 

Vermont

0.414841725

Hotchkiss

0.470344578

 

St. Georges

0.399865293

Trinity-Pawling

0.466789211

 

Portsmouth

0.379667169

Canterbury

0.45581332

 

Rye

0.332126582

Loomis

0.448308367

     

Williston

0.427251865

     

Brewster

0.421767139

     

Worcester

0.364691717

     

Roxbury Latin

0.337276932

     

-- J.P.




This Week's Schedule

Mon. Feb. 14, 2011

NEPSIHA Games:
Kents Hill @ Brewster Academy, 3:30 pm
Salisbury @ Gunnery, 4:30 pm
St. Thomas More @ King-Low, 4:30 pm
Brunswick @ Westminster, 4:30 pm
Berwick @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Dexter, 5:00 pm
Millbrook @ Berkshire, 5:15 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Williston-Northampton, 5:15 pm
Kent @ Taft, 5:30 pm
Pomfret @ Rivers, 6:00 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games:
Fieldston Prep @ Rye Country Day, 4:45 pm
Bergen Catholic @ Portledge, 5:30 pm
Malden Catholic @ St. Mary's HS, 8:00 pm

Tues. Feb. 15, 2011

Non-NEPSIHA Games:
Iona Prep @ Harvey, 3:45 pm
LaSalle College HS (PA) @ Delbarton, 4:45 pm
Xaverian @ BC High, 7:00 pm

Wed. Feb. 16, 2011

NEPSIHA Games:
Proctor @ Kimball Union, 2:00 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Millbrook, 2:00 pm
Gunnery @ South Kent, 2:30 pm
Choate @ Avon Old Farms, 2:30 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Westminster, 2:30 pm
Kent @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Tilton @ Brewster Academy, 2:30 pm
Vermont Academy @ Hoosac, 3:00 pm
Andover @ Cushing, 3:15 pm
Groton @ Brooks, 3:15 pm
Governor's @ Lawrence Academy, 3:30 pm
St. Sebastian's @ St. Paul's, 3:30 pm
Kents Hill @ Berwick, 3:30 pm
Belmont Hill @ Milton, 3:30 pm
Winchendon @ Holderness, 3:30 pm
Roxbury Latin @ St. George's, 3:45 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ Salisbury, 4:00 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Canterbury, 4:00 pm
New Hampton School @ Hebron, 4:00 pm
Pomfret @ Berkshire, 4:00 pm
Taft @ Deerfield, 4:00 pm
Rivers @ St. Mark's, 4:00 pm
Exeter @ Northfield - Mt. Hermon, 4:15 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Middlesex, 4:30 pm
Harvey @ King-Low, 4:30 pm
Noble & Greenough @ BB&N, 5:00 pm
Thayer @ Tabor, 5:30 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games:
Rice Memorial @ Stanstead College, 3:00 pm (at St. Michaels College)
Portledge @ Wyoming Seminary, 4:30 pm
Delbarton @ Hill School, 5:30 pm
Rye Country Day @ Rye HS, 7:45 pm

Thurs. Feb. 17, 2011

NEPSIHA Games:
Albany Academy @ St. Thomas More, 2:30 pm
Brunswick @ NYA, 4:00 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Gunnery, 7:00 pm (S)(at Rentschler Field)

Fri. Feb. 18, 2011

NEPSIHA Games:

Brunswick @ Kents Hill, 3:00 pm
Proctor @ Holderness, 4:00 pm
NYA @ Dexter, 4:00 pm
Middlesex @ Pingree, 5:00 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ Westminster, 5:00 pm
BB&N @ St. Mark's, 5:00 pm
Brooks @ Roxbury Latin, 5:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Belmont Hill, 5:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Tilton, 5:30 pm
Winchendon @ South Kent, 6:00 pm
Hebron @ Cushing, 6:30 pm
Tabor @ Andover, 6:30 pm
Deerfield @ Williston-Northampton, 7:00 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games:
Stanstead College @ Vermont Academy, 7:00 pm
Shady Side Academy @ Lawrenceville, 7:00 pm

Sat. Feb. 19, 2011

NEPSIHA Games:
Portsmouth Abbey @ Harvey, 1:00 pm
Hoosac @ Kents Hill, 1:00 pm
Rivers @ Middlesex, 2:00 pm  
Proctor @ New Hampton School, 2:00 pm
BB&N @ Milton, 2:00 pm
St. George's @ Groton, 2:30 pm
Hotchkiss @ Trinity-Pawling, 2:30 pm
Governor's @ St. Sebastian's, 3:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ St. Mark's, 3:00 pm
Vermont Academy @ Brewster Academy, 3:30 pm
Albany Academy @ Gunnery, 3:30 pm
Worcester Academy @ Pingree, 4:00 pm
Salisbury @ Avon Old Farms, 4:00 pm
Choate @ Taft, 4:00 pm
Cushing @ Kimball Union, 4:00 pm
Holderness @ Tabor, 4:00 pm
Exeter @ Deerfield, 4:30 pm
Tilton @ Hebron, 4:30 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Loomis-Chaffee, 4:30 pm
Thayer @ St. Paul's, 5:30 pm
Pomfret @ Brunswick, 6:00 pm
Brooks @ Andover, 6:00 pm
Kent @ Canterbury, 7:00 pm
Hoosac @ Millbrook, 7:00 pm
Westminster @ Berkshire, 7:00 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games:
Stanstead College @ Northwood, 11:00 am (at Middlebury)
Shady Side Academy @ Lawrenceville, 1:30 pm
Rice Memorial vs. Nichols, 2:00 pm (at Clarkson)
Xaverian @ Malden Catholic, 3:15 pm

Sun. Feb. 20, 2011


NEPSIHA Games:

Winchendon @ NYA, 11:30 am
Choate @ Northfield - Mt. Hermon, 3:00 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games:
Nichols @ Rice Memorial, 10:40 am (at S. Burlington, Vt.)
Shady Side Academy @ Hill School, 12:00 pm
Northwood @ Kimball Union, 1:00 pm

Mon. Feb. 21, 2011


NEPSIHA Games:
Middlesex @ St. George's, 2:30 pm
Worcester Academy @ Portsmouth Abbey, 3:45 pm
Holderness @ Proctor, 3:45 pm
Berwick @ Hebron, 3:45 pm
Salisbury @ Trinity-Pawling, 4:15 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Kingswood-Oxford, 4:30 pm
Canterbury @ Gunnery, 4:30 pm
South Kent @ Berkshire, 4:45 pm
Belmont Hill @ Lawrence Academy, 5:30 pm

 


 


Sat. Feb. 12 Highlights

@ Milton 4, Nobles 2 -- Senior defenseman Pat McNally did it again for Milton, breaking a 2-2 tie with just over four minutes to play to give his team a huge 4-2 win over their archrivals; McNally, who now has a mind-blowing 16 goals in 21 games from the blue line, took the puck off the wall in the offensive zone, cut to the slot and and fired one over the glove of Nobles’ sophomore goalie Mason Pulde for the game-winner.

Nobles got off to a great start in this one when junior d-man Tim Boyle scored a shorthanded tally to give the Bulldogs the lead just 2:50 in, and carried momentum through the first period, with Matt Harlow adding to the lead halfway through the period. The Mustangs, outshot in the period 22-6, went to the locker room down 2-0, but it could have been worse had it not been for the strong play of Milton senior goalie Sean Dougherty (32 saves) who was peppered, particularly late in the period. Nobles would regret not further capitalizing on their strong first, as two second-period powerplay goals tied the score for the hosts, with senior Dan Merenich (2g, 1a) having a hand in both goals. The game stayed tied until McNally’s goal at 13:50 of the third, and Merenich iced it with an empty netter to make it a 4-2 final. Milton can clinch the Keller with a win Wednesday at home against Belmont Hill, and will almost certainly be playoff-bound at the end of the season. Nobles, tenuously holding the eighth playoff spot in the Prep Super 8, gets another shot at the Mustangs in the regular season finale in Dedham.

Deerfield 2 @ Avon 2 -- Deerfield now leads the Founders’ league by virtue of a 2-2 tie with #7 Avon. Deerfield sophomore goalie Jake Thoubboron stopped 34 of 36 Avon shots. Avon captain Mark Naclerio (1g, 1a) was the only multi-point scorer. Amazingly, if the season ended today, the Big Green would not make the playoffs despite leading prep hockey’s traditionally toughest division. A first period fight led to the ejections of Avon’s Paul Mimms, and Deerfield’s Greg Browne and Devin Joyce. All three will miss their team’s next game.

@ Westminster 3, Choate 2 -- Westminster junior forward Nick Finn scored an unassisted breakaway goal with 1:03 remaining to give his team a win over Founders’ League rival Choate at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. tonight. The Wild Boars, who had weathered two first period 5-on-3 Westminster powerplays, held a 2-1 lead entering the third period but Westy junior defenseman Andy Michaldis tied the game at 3:41 on his first goal of the season. The game featured good up-and-down action, but the two teams only combined for 43 shots on goal. Patrick Spano kicked out 21 of 23 for the win. Westminster has now won four in a row.

Tabor 5 @ Dexter 3 -- Tabor got three goals in the game’s first 12 minutes and Dexter never caught up as the Seawolves dealt Dexter its first loss of 2011. Tabor junior Shane Joyce was excellent in net, making 53 saves as the hosts bombarded him with 56 shots. Tabor senior Cameron Spiro and Dexter senior Stephen McKenna each had a pair of goals.

NMH 4 @ Exeter 2 -- Northfield–Mt. Hermon got their fifth win in a row on the road as junior Tim DePretoro and sophomore Austin Cangelosi each had a goal and an assist for the Hoggers while post-grad Dave Donzanti kicked out 25 of 27 between the pipes. Exeter captain Eric Neiley had both goals for the losing side.

Taft 3 @ Hotchkiss 2 -- A goal by Taft captain Peter Mistretta at 6:46 of the third period propelled Taft to a road win at Hotchkiss. Taft evens its record at 10-10-0. Taft Junior Jimmy Harrison (26 saves) got the win in net.

Albany Academy, 4 Hebron 1 -- Albany senior netminder Ben Halford turned aside 33 of 34 Hebron shots as ninth-ranked Albany Academy beat Hebron in a neutral site game played at Phillips Exeter Academy. Albany rebounded nicely after losing to South Kent on Thursday, the Cadets’ first loss in 11 games. Senior forward Nick Pichette led the Albany offense with a goal and two assists.

Rivers 5 @ Roxbury Latin 1 -- Junior forward Daniel Walsh had two goals and an assist to pace the Rivers offense in a road win over Roxbury Latin. The Red Wings thoroughly dominated this one, outshooting their hosts by a 50-15 margin.

St. Mark’s 5 @ Middlesex 4 -- St. Mark’s, despite being outshot 34-27, got a road win at the expense of Eberhart rival Middlesex. It is the third time in eight days that Middlesex has lost a game by one goal, and they are now 1-5 on the year in one-goal games.

@ Berkshire 7, Winchendon 6 -- A goal by junior Kevin Rooney (1g, 2a) at 15:17 of the third gave Berkshire the win in an offensive affair with Winchendon. Winchendon senior Anthony Fyfe-Miller had a hat-trick in a losing cause.

@ Governor’s 6, Pingree 0 -- Governor’s cruised to an easy 6-0 home win over Pingree. Senior goalie Rory Burke kept a clean sheet, making 18 saves.

KUA 9 @ Holderness 3 -- Sophomore forward Jonathan Charbonneau and junior Tim Baylis each had hat-tricks and #8 KUA had no trouble with Holderness. Kimball Union seems to have gotten going again after a midseason slide, with wins in each of its last five games.

Millbrook 4 @ Williston-Northampton 1 -- In a game that featured 37 penalties, Millbrook’s special teams play was the difference as the visitors scored four powerplay goals while only surrendering one. Oftentimes your goalie has to be your best penalty killer, or so the expression goes, and Millbrook senior Tim Cooney was just that, making 36 saves on 37 shots.

@ St. Paul’s 10, Proctor 1 -- St. Paul’s rebounded after a 7-0 loss yesterday to Tabor, blasting Proctor at home by a score of 10-1. The home side got goals from 8 different players in the win.

@ Brooks 10, St. George’s 3 -- Brooks pounded St. George’s at home 10-3. St. George’s took 14 penalties on the road, hardly a recipe for success. Brooks has won four in row, and St. George’s falls to 1-15-1 on the year.

@ Salisbury 13, Loomis-Chaffee 0 -- #3 Salisbury scored 27 seconds into the game and never looked back, slaughtering Loomis by a score of 13-0. The Knights outshot their opponents 65-16. Steven Michalek was not in net for Loomis-Chaffee. Junior Nick Stasack (52/65) took the abuse.

@ Kent 5, Trinity-Pawling 4 (OT) -- Kent survived an upset bid by T-P by virtue of a Connor MacPhee overtime strike. The hosts utilized a balanced attack, with five different players finding the back of the net, and outshot T-P 38-18.

@ Berwick 3, Portsmouth Abbey 0 -- Berwick followed up its upset of Hebron with a shutout of Portsmouth Abbey at home. Berwick sophomore Cam Riddle saw only nine shots but saved them all to keep the Ravens off the board.

Gunnery 7 @ Pomfret 6 -- In a wild tilt at Pomfret, the Gunnery scored five consecutive goals after trailing 2-0 and 3-1 in the first frame. Pomfret surged in the waning moments but to no avail as the Griffins fell to a strong Gunnery effort led by junior forwards Drew Smolcynski (1g,2a) and Jarrid Privitera (2g,2a). For Pomfret, senior captain Danny Palumbo (1g,3a) and junior defenseman Jay Kourkoulis (1g,1a) had strong efforts in a losing cause.

St. Thomas More 3, Harvey 1 -- Senior Jimmy Newman scored all three goals for the winners, and PG Craig Shea kicked out 46 shots.

@ New Hampton 8, Kents Hill 1  -- New Hampton spread the scoring around, getting goals from eight different scorers. In the second period, they tallied three shorthanded-goals. Junior Grifin Votolato (1g,2a) and senior Connor Gorman (3a) led the way on the points column, with three apiece.

Other scores (but no details)
South Kent 6 @ Belmont Hill 1
NYA 4 @ Brewster Academy 3
@ Worcester Academy 4, Bridgton 3
Vermont Academy 3 @ Kingswood-Oxford 1(@ Rentschler Field)
@ Thayer 4, BB&N 1

Missing Scores:
None -- all scores from Saturday are in.





Prep Schedule for Whalerfest
It’s in the low thirties and clear in East Hartford, Conn. this afternoon -- perfect weather for the Whalerfest’s slate of prep games today.

Tomorrow will be a little warmer, with a predicted high of 36 degrees and a 30 percent chance of snow.

There are some meaningful matchups with playoff implications – on both the boys’ and girls’ sides. The Westminster girls vs. the Choate girls tomorrow at 4:00 pm is a matchup of the #1 and #2 teams, respectively. Westminster is 11-0-0 in league play (16-1-0 overall) while Choate is 12-2-0 in league play (15-2-0 overall). The boys follow right after in what should be a good tilt. In the only previous meeting between the two schools this season, Westy traveled down to Choate on Dec. 8 and, trailing 4-3 in the third, struck for a pair of late third period goals to sneak away with a 5-4 win.     

Friday 2/11/11
4:00- Cushing Girls vs. Hotchkiss Girls
6:00- Cushing Boys vs. Canterbury Boys

Sat. 2/12/11
10:00am-Kingswood-Oxford Boys vs. Vermont Academy Boys
4:00pm-Westminster Girls vs. Choate Girls
6:00pm-Westminster Boys vs. Choate Boys

Thursday 2/17/11
7:00pm- Gunnery Boys vs. Loomis Boys

For more about the Whalerfest, which takes place in 40,000-seat Rentschler Field in East Hartford, please follow this link.


Whalernation




Corrections
The prep standings we published yesterday in the article What if the Playoffs Started Today? are incorrect – at least a little bit -- and will be recalculated on Sunday, after the weekend’s games are all tabulated.

First off we’ll tell you what is correct. There are no changes among schools we listed for the top tourney. Those teams – the elite 8, if you will -- remain the same, just as we published them yesterday. They are:

1.  Cushing
2.  Milton
3.  St. Sebastian’s
4.  Salisbury
5.  Kent
6.  Kimball Union
7.  Avon
8.  Nobles


The changes are in the next two tournaments – the large and small school tournaments.

Albany Academy, which we calculated yesterday as #2 in the small school standings, is actually no longer a small school. The school’s male enrollment went from 198 to 212 and now, suddenly, they are a large school. Meaning, of course, that they are no longer eligible for the small school tourney. Instead, if the season had ended yesterday, the #2 seed in the large school tournament. Their high RPI allows them to hold on to their lofty perch.

New Hampton, on the other hand, had a reduction in male enrollment, from 210 last year to 191 this year, and are now classified as a small school, and eligible for the small school tournament. By dint of Albany Academy being bumped up to the large school tournament, everyone in the small school tournament moves up a spot, meaning the next highest-ranked team, New Hampton, moves into the #8 spot.

The mistake originated in the application packet for the tournament emailed by NEPSIHA to participating schools and the US Hockey Report. In the packet, the male enrollment figures used to separate large schools from small schools were last year’s numbers, and not the numbers that Williston-Northampton AD Mark Conroy calculated this past fall.

We simply went with what we got in the packet when doing our standings. New Hampton head coach Matt Wright, however, noticed the enrollment figures were amiss – when his teams didn’t land amid the small schools. He pointed out the discrepancy to NEPSIHA President John Gardner, as well as to us at USHR.

Please note that while the criteria for the top tournament is arrived at via a more complex rating system, the JSPR system, while teams for the large school and small school tournaments are determined simply by RPI within their enrollment category

The Large School Tournament would be seeded thusly:

1.  Lawrence
2.  Albany Academy
3.  Belmont Hill
4.  Governor’s
5.  Westminster
6.  St. Paul’s
7.  Choate
8.  Brunswick

The Small Schools Tournament would be:

1.  Dexter
2.  Gunnery
3.  Pomfret
4.  Groton
5.  South Kent
6.  Tilton
7.  Hebron
8.  New Hampton

Here are the male enrollment figures for the current season. The left-hand column, ending with Roxbury Latin, are all large schools. The small schools are in the right-hand column, and begin with Proctor.

2010-11 NEPSIHA Schools: Male Enrollment Figures




#2 Cushing Ices Canterbury at Rentschler Field

East Hartford, Conn – Sophomores Garrett Hehir and Robbie Baillargeon had two goals each and junior Liam Moorfield-Yee kicked out 30 shots as #2 Cushing beat Canterbury 6-2 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford tonight.

The teams skated on the outdoor rink that is part of Whale Bowl 2011. The AHL’s Connecticut Whale set up the outdoor festival in order to revive hockey interest in Hartford. The team was known as the Hartford Wolf Pack until November of last year, when former Hartford Whaler owner Howard Baldwin became the team’s head of marketing. With the success of the NHL’s Winter Classic, Baldwin saw an opportunity to celebrate the name change and the city’s hockey history.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Cushing head coach Rob Gagnon said. “The kids have a great appreciation for all the effort that went into making this happen. They did their part by selling tickets as well.”

Hehir opened the scoring for the Penguins at 5:20 of the first, finding a loose puck in front. Cushing kept up the pressure, scoring a minute and twenty seconds later off a draw to the right of Canterbury PG goalie Scott Steele as PG Fabio Cuetara found a rebound off a shot from the point, flipping it past Steele to make it 2-0 Penguins.

With a little over two minutes left in the period, Canterbury junior Andrew Nolan found a rebound off a shot from the point, and fired it over Moorfield-Yee’s glove to cut Cushing’s lead to 2-1.

With the 27-degree game time temperature, it took awhile for the players to get going when they came out for the second, but Cushing got there the quickest, scoring twice in the opening six minutes, the first coming off the stick of Hehir. He was followed up by junior Mike Walker, who scored off a rebound from the point to give Cushing a 4-1 cushion. Saints tri-captain Kyle Garvin did bring his team within two, however, scoring on a beautiful forehand-to-backhand deke almost halfway through the second frame.

Baillargeon, the leading scorer in all of New England prep hockey, then capped things off with his two goals, the first coming at 11:35 of the second period to give his team a 5-2 lead going into the second intermission. Baillargeon's second goal of the night -- and the game's final -- came with 5:07 remaining in the third. An Enfield, Conn. native, Baillargeon finished the game with four points, giving him 58 points in 24 games this year for the Penguins.

“Cushing capitalized on our mistakes…and that was the difference in the game,” Canterbury coach Padraic McCarthy remarked. “We had a lot of chances to score in the third, but we just couldn’t get a stick on them.”

Cushing (21-4) is off till next Wednesday when they face Andover (7-13) while Canterbury (6-18-1) will look to rebound against Winchendon (10-16-1).

Tomorrow at Rentschler Field, Kingswood-Oxford faces Vermont Academy at 10:00 am. Later, at 4:00 pm the Westminster girls and the Choate girls, ranked, respectively, #1 and #2 in New England, go at it, followed by the Westy-Choate boys' tilt at 6:00 pm.

-- C.J.




What If The Playoffs Started Today?

After Wednesday’s slate of games, there are sixteen days left in the NEPSIHA season.  We feel it’s a good time to see where things stand using the second half of the playoff formula.  With some teams still not yet reaching the 15 game minimum for NEPSIHA post-season qualification, the RPI standings, which determine the 16 teams evaluated under the playoff system, are still fluctuating.

As a note, there is a slight change to the JSPR ranking system used to determine the playoff teams.  No longer will each victory in a head- to- head series be worth a point for each win.  For example. St. Sebastian’s has beaten Nobles twice to date on the season, but instead of getting two points in the two teams’ JSPR comparison, St. Seb’s only receives one point for winning the season series.  If the playoffs started today the following teams would be seeded as such:

1.  Cushing
2.  Milton
3.  St. Sebastian’s
4.  Salisbury
5.  Kent
6.  Kimball Union
7.  Avon
8.  Nobles

The Large School Tournament would be seeded thusly:

1.  Lawrence
2.  Belmont Hill
3.  Governor’s
4.  Westminster
5.   St. Paul’s
6.  Choate
7.  Brunswick
8.  NMH

The Small Schools Tournament would be:

1.  Dexter
2.  Albany
3.  Gunnery
4.  Pomfret
5.  Groton
6.  South Kent
7.  Tilton
8.  Hebron

Note that the above calculations do not include the games of today, Thurs. Feb. 10.



Wed. Feb. 9 Highlights

@ Taft 3, Salisbury 1 --
Senior Captain Mike Moran had two goals to lead Taft to an impressive upset of #3 Salisbury. Taft junior Jimmy Harrison was under fire all day but kept the Knights offense under control, making 45 saves on 46 shots. Taft is a team that no one will want to see down the stretch as the Rhinos – though just 9-10 on the season –now have wins over Avon and Salisbury on their resume. (For more on this game, see full game story below.)

Avon 3 @ Gunnery 0 --
Junior Michael Santaguida stopped all 29 shots he faced, erasing a 29-18 Gunnery shot advantage and leading #7 Avon to victory. Perhaps this game will be the spark that the Beavers – 1-3-1 in their past 5 before today – have been looking for as they look to make their seemingly annual run to Salem in March.

Pomfret 5 @ Choate 4 -- Pomfret got four consecutive second period goals and held on in the third to squeak past Choate on the road. Choate had a 33-21 shot advantage but sophomore Nick Ellis made 29 saves in goal for Pomfret. Five different scorers found the back of the net for Pomfret in the game.

@ Kent 3, Berkshire 2 -- A goal by junior forward Ryan Rosenthal with 7:20 left in the third gave Kent a 3-2 home win over Berkshire. Kent has won three in a row since the mid-season slump that toppled them from their perch at #1 in the poll and knocked them right out of the top ten altogether. However, at 15th in the RPI rankings, they still have work to do before playoff time.

@ Cushing 9, Tabor 6 --
Defense was not on the menu in Ashburnham, as Cushing – ranked #2 in the latest prep poll – outgunned Tabor in an offensive affair. Sophomore Robbie Baillargeon (second in New England in scoring) and PG Sam Kane each had five points for the Penguins.

@ Lawrence 3, Thayer 2 --
Thayer dropped a tough one to Lawrence Academy, as Lawrence captain and leading-scorer Andrew Cerretani scored a powerplay goal in overtime to lift the Spartans. While there may be no such thing as a moral victory, the Tigers – winless since pre-Christmas break – have shown some fight recently, losing one-goal games to #5 Nobles and #10 Lawrence in the last two weeks.

Kimball Union 8 @ Andover 2 -- Dennis Kravchenko practically single-handedly dismantled Andover to the tune of six points (3g, 3a) in an 8-2 KUA win. Andover scored just 44 seconds in, but KUA rattled off the next eight to blow away the hosts. Kimball Union has dropped to #8 in the prep poll after reaching as high as #2; the Wildcats sit at #7 in RPI.

@ Albany Academy 5, Millbrook 3 -- #9 Albany made it 11 in a row, using four second period goals to beat Millbrook 5-3. This was a potential trap game for the hosts, who play South Kent and Hebron in the next three days. Those two games are big for Albany, which ranks eighth in RPI and is likely on the bubble for the top playoff tournament.

Deerfield 5 @ Loomis-Chaffee 2 -- Deerfield got three-point efforts from junior Kevin Roy (2g, 1a), freshman Tyler Kelleher (1g, 2a), and sophomore Jordan Jancze (3a). Loomis senior netminder Steve Michalek contines to be a busy man, facing 52 shots (47 saves).

@ NMH 5 , Williston-Northampton 0 -- Senior Captain Joe Birmingham and junior Ryan Dickie each had two goals as NHM had no trouble with Williston. Sophomore forward Austin Cangelosi tallied three assists. PG Dave Donzanti pitched a shutout for the hosts, stopping all 27 shots he saw on the afternoon.

@ Groton 4, BB&N 3 -- A Nils Martin goal 18 seconds into overtime gave Groton a win and likely an Eberhardt league title as well. Groton jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second but BB&N came storming back to tie on the back of leading-scorer Luke Griffin’s two third period goals. Barring a monumental collapse, the Zebras will finish first in the ISL’s junior circuit: Groton is two games ahead of BB&N with four to play and no head-to-head matchups. 

@ Brooks 3, St. Mark’s 2 -- Junior Brendan McDonough (2g, 1a) had a hand in all three Brooks goals in a 3-2 win over St. Mark’s. Brooks held a 39-25 shot advantage on the afternoon.

Middlesex 5 @ Roxbury Latin 1 -- Captain TA Demoulas had three points to pace the Middlesex offense as they rolled past Roxbury Latin by a score of 5-1. Sophomore Carl Hesler added a pair of goals for the visitors, who held a decisive 47-17 shot advantage.

@ Brunswick 5, Lawrenceville 2 -- Following back-to-back losses at the hands of ranked opponents, Brunswick bounced back with a tidy 5-2 victory over Lawrenceville. Brunswick outshot their guests 40-19.


---  More recaps to follow.
And here they are:

@ Kingswood-Oxford 5, Worcester Academy 2 -- A hat trick by Junior Taylor Waybright led K-O to a 5-2 win over Worcester Academy. Senior Michael Barton did all the scoring for Worcester.

@ Trinity-Pawling 7, Canterbury 4 -- T-P forwards Alex Silvia and Paul Falanga each found the back of the net three times to pace the offense in a 7-4 win over Canterbury.  Canterbury outshot T-P on the afternoon by a 33-29 margin.

@ Nobles 3, Governor’s 1 -- One could forgive #5 Nobles if they were looking ahead to their Saturday matchup with hated rival Milton Academy (#1 in the prep poll), but were still able to get by Governor’s by a score of 3-1. Senior Matt Harlow had two for the Bulldogs, who bounced back from a 4-1 setback at the hands of St. Paul’s.

@ Berwick 4 Hebron 2 -- An empty net goal by Captain Alex Tobey completed his hat trick and also iced a major upset for Berwick, as they knocked off Hebron at home. Berwick senior goaltender Alex Devine also played a leading role in the victory, turning aside 33 of 35 Hebron shots. Hebron outshot Berwick 35-24.

St. Sebastian’s 3 @ Belmont Hill 2 -- Junior Joe Prescott scored 2:33 into overtime to lift #4 St. Sebastian’s to a big win at Belmont Hill. Junior forward Jim Vesey had both goals for the Hillies. Junior goalie Gordon Donnelly recorded the win, making 29 saves. The Arrows are now in the uncomfortable position of actually having to root for Nobles, as a win by their neighbors on Saturday would put St. Sebs in the Keller driver’s seat.

Dexter 6 @ Pingree 1 -- Dexter went up to Pingree and came away with a decisive 6-1 win. Six different scorers found the back of the net for the visitors, who are unbeaten in their last ten, and sit at #9 in RPI.

Hoosac 5 @ Portsmouth Abbey 0 --A long bus ride didn’t prevent Hoosac from having their way with Portsmouth Abbey. Hoosac got four goals in the first and never looked back, outshooting their hosts 34-15 on the day.

Exeter 8 @ Proctor 5 --  Senior Eric Neiley (4g,4a) figured in all eight goals for Exeter. For Neiley, a Dartmouth recruit, it was his first game back since suffering an injury in the first game of the season on Nov. 19. Neiley's linemate Brian Hart, a Harvard recruit for the fall of '12, had a huge day two, with seven points (4g,3a).

Update:
Other scores from Wednesday, but arrived after deadline:

Milton 6, St. Paul's 2
Kents Hill 4, Vermont Academy 1
Rivers 5, St. George's 5
Westminster 5, Hotchkiss 4 (OT)
Exeter 8, Proctor 5
Brewster 5, Winchendon 3
King-Low 4, Rye CD 3
New Hampton 5, Stanstead 3



Mon. 2/7/11

This Week's Schedule

Mon. Feb. 7, 2011

NEPSIHA Games
Portsmouth Abbey @ St. George's, 4:15 pm
New Hampton @ Holderness, 4:30 pm
Andover @ Dexter, 5:00 pm
Thayer @ Belmont Hill, 5:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Exeter, 5:30 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games
Ossining HS @ Harvey, 3:45 pm
Rye Country Day @ Portledge, 4:45 pm
Bishop Guertin @ Malden Catholic, 6:00 pm

Tues. Feb. 8, 2011

NEPSIHA Games
Rivers @ Groton, 4:45 pm
South Kent @ Northfield - Mt. Hermon, 5:00 pm  

Non-NEPSIHA Games

Portledge @ St. Peter's Prep, 3:45 pm
St. Augustine @ Delbarton, 4:45 pm

Wed. Feb. 9, 2011

NEPSIHA Games
Vermont Academy @ Kents Hill, 1:00 pm (@ Hooksett, NH)
Tilton @ Holderness, 2:00 pm  
Trinity-Pawling @ Canterbury, 2:30 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Northfield - Mt. Hermon, 2:30 pm
Salisbury @ Taft, 2:45 pm
Westminster @ Hotchkiss, 3:00 pm
Dexter @ Pingree, 3:00 pm
Hamden Hall @ St. Thomas More, 3:00 pm
BB&N @ Groton, 3:15 pm
Tabor @ Cushing, 3:30 pm
St. Mark's @ Brooks, 3:30 pm
Middlesex @ Roxbury Latin, 3:45 pm
Hebron @ Berwick, 3:45 pm
Worcester Academy @ Kingswood-Oxford, 4:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Andover, 4:00 pm
Millbrook @ Albany Academy, 4:00 pm
Exeter @ Proctor, 4:00 pm
Berkshire @ Kent, 4:00 pm
Thayer @ Lawrence Academy, 4:00 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Gunnery, 4:15 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Belmont Hill, 4:30 pm
Winchendon @ Brewster Academy, 4:30 pm
St. George's @ Rivers, 4:30 pm
Hoosac @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:30 pm
Rye Country Day @ King-Low, 4:30 pm
Deerfield @ Loomis-Chaffee, 4:45 pm
Milton @ St. Paul's, 5:00 pm
Pomfret @ Choate, 5:15 pm

Governor's @ Noble & Greenough, 5:15 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games
Green Mountain Glades (EJHL) @ Northwood, 12:00 pm (@ UVM)
Stanstead College @ New Hampton School, 4:30 pm
Lawrenceville @ Brunswick, 5:00 pm
Harvey @ Fieldston Prep, 6:15 pm
Coyle-Cassidy HS @ BC High, 8:00 pm

Thurs. Feb. 10, 2011

NEPSIHA Games
South Kent @ Albany Academy, 4:00 pm
Choate @ Trinity-Pawling, 5:15 pm

Fri. Feb. 11, 2011

NEPSIHA Games
St. Thomas More @ Harvey, 3:45 pm
St. Paul's @ Tilton, 4:00 pm
Belmont Hill @ Thayer, 4:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ St. Sebastian's, 4:15 pm
Roxbury Latin @ Pingree, 4:30 pm
Middlesex @ BB&N, 4:45 pm
Gunnery @ Loomis-Chaffee, 5:00 pm
Cushing @ Canterbury, 6:00 pm
Brunswick @ K-O, 6:00 pm -- postponed to Tues. 2/22 @ 5:15 pm

Andover @ Governor's, 7:00 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games
Stanstead College @  St. Francis, 1:45 pm (@ Union College)
St. Luke's @ Portsmouth Abbey, 6:00 pm
Don Bosco Prep @ Pope John, 7:30 pm

Sat. Feb. 12, 2011

NEPSIHA Games
Vermont Academy @ Kingswood-Oxford, 10:00 am
Noble & Greenough @ Milton, 12:45 pm
Kents Hill @ New Hampton School, 1:00 pm
South Kent @ Belmont Hill, 2:00 pm
BB&N @ Thayer, 2:00 pm
Deerfield @ Avon Old Farms, 2:30 pm
Proctor @ St. Paul's, 2:30 pm
Rivers @ Roxbury Latin, 2:45 pm
Kimball Union @ Holderness, 3:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Middlesex, 3:30 pm
Hoosac @ Worcester Academy, 3:30 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Exeter, 4:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Berwick, 4:00 pm
Tabor @ Dexter, 4:00 pm
Taft @ Hotchkiss, 4:00 pm
Winchendon @ Berkshire, 4:00 pm
Pingree @ Governor's, 4:30 pm
Gunnery @ Pomfret, 4:45 pm
Hebron @ Albany Academy, 5:00 pm (@ Philips Exeter)
Millbrook @ Williston-Northampton, 5:00 pm
St. George's @ Brooks, 5:00 pm
Westminster @ Choate, 6:00 pm (@ Rentschler Field; E. Hartford, CT)
Harvey @ St. Thomas More, 6:15 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Salisbury, 7:00 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Kent, 7:00 pm
NYA @ Brewster Academy, 7:00 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games
Rice Memorial @ CP Dynamo, 4:00 pm

BC High @ Catholic Memorial, 4:30 pm

Sun. Feb 13, 2011


NEPSIHA Games
Canterbury @ Winchendon, 12:00 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Kimball Union, 3:00 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games
South Kent @ Bridgton Academy, 12:00 pm
Rice Memorial @ CP Dynamo, 12:00 pm
Morristown Beard @ Don Bosco Prep, 7:30 pm

Mon. Feb. 14, 2011

NEPSIHA Games
Kents Hill @ Brewster Academy, 3:30 pm
St. Thomas More @ King-Low, 4:30 pm
Salisbury @ Gunnery, 4:30 pm

Brunswick @ Westminster, 4:30 pm
Berwick @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Dexter, 5:00 pm

Millbrook @ Berkshire, 5:15 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Williston-Northampton, 5:15 pm
Pomfret @ Rivers, 6:00 pm

 Non-NEPSIHA Games
Bergen Catholic @ Portledge, 5:30 pm
Malden Catholic @ St. Mary's HS, 8:00 pm

 




RPI Top 50
Here are the RPI rankings, current through games of Sun. Feb. 6.

1) Milton 2) Salisbury 3) Cushing 4) Nobles 5) Lawrence 6) St. Seb’s 7) KUA 8) Albany Academy 9) Dexter 10) Avon 11) Belmont Hill 12) Governor’s 13) Gunnery 14) Choate 15) Kent 16) Westminster 17) St. Paul’s 18) Pomfret 19) South Kent 20) Brunswick 21) Hebron 22) Groton 23) Berkshire 24) Tilton 25) Deerfield 26) NMH 27) BB&N 28) New Hampton 29) St. Mark’s 30) Tabor 31) Brooks 32) Millbrook 33) Andover 34) Rivers 35) Exeter 36) Taft 37) Hotchkiss 38) Proctor 39) Thayer 40) Holderness 41) Middlesex 42) Canterbury 43) Trinity-Pawling 44) Berwick 45) Kents Hill 46) Loomis 47) Winchendon 48) Williston 49) NYA 50) Pingree.




Sat. Feb. 5 Highlights
Groton 5 @ St. Mark’s 1 -- Groton got a goal and two assists from junior forward Mike Doherty and cruised to a 5-1 road win over St. Mark’s. St. Mark’s really didn’t give itself much of a chance to score the upset, taking 20 penalties in the game. Groton keeps its place atop the Eberhart at 7-1, mere percentage points ahead of 7-2 BB&N.

@ NMH 3, NYA 1 -- Post-grad goalie Dave Donzanti led Northfield – Mt. Hermon to victory, making 24 saves. North Yarmouth outshot the hosts 25-21 but nonetheless dropped their fourth game in a row.

@ Governor’s 4, Thayer 0 -- Thayer’s tough season continues, as the Tigers suffered another loss – their 12th in a row – at the hands of Governor’s. Governor’s senior goaltender Rory Burke stopped all 26 Thayer shots to record the shutout victory.

Lawrence 5 @ BB&N 1 -- Junior Devin Tringale’s natural hat trick led Lawrence Academy past BB&N. BB&N led this game with 12 minutes left in the second but eventually the visitors were too much for the Knights to handle. BB&N must put this non-league setback behind them as they face a must-win at Groton on Wednesday.

Milton 5 @ Exeter 2 -- Top-ranked Milton Academy used goals from five different scorers to get a road win at Exeter. The Mustangs – ranked #1 for the second week in a row – are unbeaten in their last seven. Exeter actually outshot Milton in the game, but Milton senior Sean Dougherty turned aside 25 shots to record the victory.

Albany Academy 7 @ Winchendon 6 -- #9 Albany Academy blew a three-goal lead in the third period but escaped with the win when senior center Greg Warnken found the back of the net 3:50 into overtime. Albany should be tested next week, when the Cadets face off against Millbrook, South Kent, and Hebron.

Brooks 3 @ Middlesex 2 -- A goal by junior Brendan McDonough (2g, 1a) one minute into the extra session lifted Brooks to a 3-2 road win over rival Middlesex. Brooks gave up a goal just 57 seconds in and never led until the very end, but still got the win. The shots were even at 30-30.

@Belmont Hill 11, Rivers 3 -- Senior captain Brandon McNally paced the Belmont Hill offense with six points (2g, 4a). The Hillies have really taken out their frustration on the Eberhart league this season, outscoring BB&N, Groton, and Rivers by an aggregate score of 30-5; however they have been less successful in Keller play with a record of 2-4-1.

@ Proctor 3, Tilton 3 -- Tilton got two third period goals from junior Anthony Flaherty to avoid a loss at the hands of upset-minded Proctor. Tilton outshot their hosts 54-36 but Proctor senior Frankie McCormick made 51 saves between the pipes. Senior Jon Felteau had two goals for Proctor.

@ St. Sebastian’s 6, Tabor 5 – St. Seb’s never trailed in today’s Travis Roy Cup, but they sure had to squirm as the visiting Seawolves scored a pair of quick goals midway through the third to erase a 5-3 Arrows’ lead. However, just 16 seconds after senior Cam Spiro tied it up at 5-5, St. Seb’s junior Joe Prescott scored the game-winner, with an assist going to junior Danny O’Regan. Prescott (2g,2a) and O’Regan (1g,3a) each had four-point days for St. Sebastian’s. Junior Griffin Rogers had a pair of goals for Tabor.

Portsmouth Abbey 4 @ St. Thomas More 3 – Senior captain Dan Welch scored with 1:07 remaining in the third to give Portsmouth Abbey a 4-3 road win. Portsmouth Abbey had a 3-1 lead but St. Thomas More came back to tie the game at 3-3. Portsmouth Abbey outshot their hosts, 51-25, but St. Thomas More’s PG goalie Nick Dimare kicked out 47 of 51 shots in a tough-luck loss.

@ Kimball Union 4, Holderness 2 – KUA got goals from four different scorers and outshot Holderness 56-14. Holderness junior goalie Andrew Munroe stopped 52 of 56 shots in a losing effort.

Berwick 2 @ Vermont Academy 2 – Berwick got a pair of late third period goals from senior Kevin Airoldi and junior Marc-Olivier Lehoux to turn a 2-0 Vermont Academy lead into a 2-2 tie. Berwick outshot Vermont, 39-17.

 




Wednesday's Postponements

This page is getting updated as new information comes in. The most recent update was on Fri. afternoon Feb. 4.

NEPSIHA Games
Cushing @ Tilton -- cancelled; may not be made up.
Berkshire @ Canterbury
-- postponed; makeup date TBA
Avon @ Westminster -- played yesterday (Westminster won, 2-1)
Kent @ Taft -- postponed to Mon. 2/14 @ 5:30 pm
Millbrook @ Gunnery
-- postponed; makeup date TBA
Proctor @ Brewster Academy -- postponed; makeup date TBA
St. Sebastian's @ Milton -- postponed to Thurs. 2/3 @ 6:00 pm
Salisbury @ Trinity-Pawling -- postponed; no makeup date yet
NMH @ KUA -- postponed to Sun. 2/13 @ 3:00 pm
Andover @ Deerfield --
postponed; makeup date TBA
St. Mark's @ Roxbury Latin -- postponed to Thurs. 2/3 @ 3:45 pm
South Kent @ Albany -- postponed to Thurs. 2/10 @ 4:00 pm
Holderness @ Exeter
-- postponed; makeup date TBA
NYA @ Hebron -- played yesterday (Hebron won, 6-2)
Rivers @ Groton
-- postponed to Tues. 2/8 @ 4:45 pm
Hoosac @ Winchendon -- postponed to Sun. 2/6 @ 12:30 pm
Loomis @ Williston -- postponed to Mon. 2/14 @ 5:15 pm
Middlesex @ St. George's, 4:30 pm
Dexter @ Pomfret
--  postponed to Mon. 2/21 @ 4:30 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ Rye Country Day -- cancelled
Governor's @ St. Paul's -- postponed to Tues. 2//22 @ 5:15 pm
Hotchkiss @ Choate -- postponed; makeup date TBA
Belmont Hill @ Lawrence Academy -- postponed to Mon. 2/21 (time TBA)
Thayer @ Nobles -- postponed to Thurs. 2/3 @ 5:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Worcester Academy, 7:30 pm

Non-NEPSIHA Games
New Hampton @ Bridgton Academy -- postponed to Wed. 2/23 @ 4:00 pm