Established 1996
 
 

 

A Morning Scrimmage & Results from Up North

Brookline, Mass. --  Dexter topped visiting Delbarton 6-1 in a Sunday morning scrimmage here. Defenseman Jack Rathbone had a pair of goals. Fellow d-man Sean Keohan had a goal and an assist. Ditto for returning forward Jack Nisbet and newcomers Chase McInnis and Ian Murphy.

A couple of things first. Dexter lost Providence College recruit Jay O'Brien over the summer. The center, who was good for 34 points as a sophomore, transferred to Thayer. Delbarton, too, lost a key young player over the summer, as Johnny Farinacci, an '01 -- and a Harvard recruit who posted 18 points as a freshman last season -- is now with Shattuck-St. Mary's U16 team.

So there's that.

Both teams are young. In the case of Delbarton, the defending New Jersey state champions -- exceedingly young. The Green Wave had three seniors in the lineup on Sunday -- one up front, one on D, and one in goal. They had seven sophomore forwards. And it didn't work out too well, as they were outskated by Dexter from beginning to end.

Up front, '01 sophomore center Jack Malone, a Cornell recruit, was the entire story. The offense will only go as far as he can take them. That's asking a lot of an '01.

Senior goaltender Troy Kobryn has been excellent for Delbarton ever since he was a freshman. A strong NESCAC candidate, Kobryn wasn't at his best today, not that it would have made a difference. Delbarton just doesn't have enough experienced scorers to lean on.

As for Dexter, Dan Donato had nine newcomers dressed -- and most were freshmen. One who isn't a freshman is winger Ian Murphy, a strong-skating repeat junior from BC High, where he notched 47 points last season. Murphy skated on a line with center Jack Nisbet and LW Tommy Giandomenico, and the three were a constant threat.

The other line we liked was the all-freshman trio of Chase McInnis, Matt Boldy, and John McElaney. McInnis and Boldy we saw quite a bit of in the fall with the Cape Cod Whalers U16 team. Boldy, who played for the Junior Eagles '01 team last year, is a clever centerman with an advanced sense of the game. McInnis -- son of Marty, brother of Luke -- showed good speed off the wing. McElaney comes over from Catholic Memorial.

Sophomore defenseman Kevin MacKay was a freshman standout on the Franklin High team that edged St. Mary's-Lynn in double OT in the Div. I title game last March at the TD Garden. Just a very solid player -- really strong on his skates.

Freshmen defensemen John Fusco, son of 1983 Hobey Baker winner Mark Fusco, and Ben Meehan are a couple of other young blueliners we will be following.

Dexter's top defense pairing of junior Jack Rathbone (Harvard), and senior Sean Keohan (Dartmouth), are elite for the prep level, as good as any pairing in prep hockey. Rathbone -- when he doesn't take matters into his own hands -- will get the puck up to the forwards. If those forwards can bury their chances like they did Sunday Dexter will be OK. And they have last year's #1 goaltender, senior Aidan Murphy, back.

The bottom line, though, is that Dexter is probably too young and is likely to get physically worn down by some of the stronger prep teams. They will, however, win their fair share and could be extremely good in a year or so, when the younger players have a year of seasoning under their belts.

Note:

There is a lot of buzz at Dexter about the improvements planned for the school's main rink, which -- if all goes well -- is scheduled to take place next spring and summer, and then be ready a year from now. Look for seating rising up from ice level on the near side, a reduction in the size of the current Olympic sheet, and new locker rooms. The old Dexter rink across the driveway will be turned into a modern training center and weight room. An official announcement is expected shortly.

***
Results from Stanstead Prep Showcase
-- At Stanstead College; Stanstead, Quebec
Sat.-Sun. Nov. 19-20, 2016


Saturday's scores:
Kimball Union 2, Stanstead 1 (OT)
Northwood 8, Ulysse Prep 1

Sunday's scores:
Kimball Union 3, Northwood 0
Ulysse Prep 3, Stanstead 2

 

 

 

Berkshire Jamboree Review

Lawrence T. Piatelli Jamboree
At the Berkshire School; Sheffield, Mass.
Mon. Nov. 28, 2016

Rink 1:
Pomfret 4, Brunswick 4
Berkshire 3, Nichols 3
Pomfret 3, Canterbury 0
Berkshire 4, Northwood 4
Rink 2:
Kent 3, Canterbury 1
Northwood 2, Gunnery 0
Nichols 2, Brunswick 0
Kent 6, Gunnery 5

Monday's Berkshire Jamboree gave us a good chance to look at eight teams in their final pre-season matchup. It's a busy afternoon, for sure, what with games constantly going on at both rinks. But it keeps you hopping. And Berkshire really is a terrific place for an event like this.

GUNNERY:

The Highlanders lost both their games at this event last year, and did so again on Monday. But they are the defending prep champions, so they get to hit leadoff here. First off second-year head coach Craig Badger has lost a ton from last year: forwards Cam Donaldson, Dan Haider, Chad Varney, and Evan Johnson were all graduated while forwards Gustaf Westlund and Ethan DeStefani left after their junior years for the USHL. Defensemen Josh Gagne, Connor Dahlman, and McKay Flanagan graduated as well. Ditto for goaltender Trevin Kozlowski.

However, Badger has reloaded. And it still looks like a prototypical Gunnery team, with no shortage of speed and skill. There's also a nice mix of returnees and newcomers, with more of the latter. Overall, they skew young, so it should be fun to watch them develop over the course of the season.

In Zach Pellegrino, Albert Washco, Matt Danner, Noah Williams, Riley Brennan, and Lucas Prestamo there's a core of returning forwards that knows what it takes to win a prep title.

Let's look at all the newcomers, though. Up front, we'll start with '99 forward Jack Lippis, the leading scorer on the Anaheim Jr. Ducks U16s last winter. Lippis, 5'9" and 150 lbs., is quick, skilled, crafty, and creative, but just needs to get stronger. He's a Div. I prospect. 5'9" Tyler Scott, a '98 and a smart player who works hard, arrives at Gunnery as an already-committed (Williams) PG from the Breck School. 5'11" Max DeBeradinis, an '00, is a repeat sophomore from Darien HS, the defending Connecticut state champs. DeBeradinis is super athletic, strong, and can really fire it. Like Lippis, he has to be considered a Div. I prospect. We liked '01 freshman forward Mark D'Agostino, who played on Yale's U15 team this fall. D'Agostino, who is 6'0" and 151 lbs., has excellent puck skills, and is someone Div. I coaches should be watching for the future. 6'2" sophomore F Kyle Madigan, an '00 from Duxbury HS, is another Div. I prospect. Madigan (he's not related to Northeastern coach Jim Madigan) has really good tools, but, like all the young players up front, he'll have to work on his game away from the puck. Other new forwards are '99 junior Marc Gatcomb, a 6'2" from Woburn HS who has good speed for his size, and a good release. Ryan Brassil a '99 junior from the LI Gulls U16 team and fellow '99 junior Niko Grollman, a teammate of Lippis's on the Junior Ducks round out the new players up front.

The returning d-men are Keelan Ulnick, Alex Wilkins, and Jack Cary. That's it. New to Gunnery is 5'10" right shot Jimmy Rayhill, an '01 freshman who played last winter for the Syracuse Nationals U14s. Rayhill, who is smart, with poise beyond his years, is going to be a good one. 5'10" right-shot Diarmad Dimurro a '99-born junior from the North Jersey Avalanche U16s, is a strong skater who showed patience with the puck. He's already committed to Dartmouth. Late '99 sophomore Niko Ioannou, a left shot, comes over the Junior Bruins U16s, while Dan Long, a right-shot '00 sophomore, comes over from the Connecticut Junior Rangers U16s. That rounds things up as far as new blueliners are concerned.

Kozlowski, an Army recruit who was USHR's goaltender of the year last winter, is in the BCHL. Taking over the top spot is Cedrick Andree, an '00 junior who played last season for the Ottawa Jr. Senators Midget AAA ssquad. A late round OHL draft pick of the Ottawa 67's, the 5'10" Andree is a quick, athletic type.

Gunnery is in good position for this season and, with the infusion of youth, for the years to come.

BERKSHIRE:

We liked what we saw of Berkshire. The Bears were 13-12-3 last winter, with all their losses coming in bunches: they twice lost four in a row, and once lost four out of five. Granted, they play a tough schedule but if they can smooth out those rough spots, they could be much better this time around.

On the blue line we thought 5'11" senior Kyle Koopman, a Providence recruit along with his twin brother, looked really good, stronger on his skates than we remember from last season. He was blocking shots, playing hard and smart in his own end -- he's definitely upped his game. Up front, twin brother Matt Koopman shined. The left-shot center seems a tad quicker, and a bit more dynamic. The Bears will need huge seasons from the twins from Marblehead. They appear to be the team's fulcrum.

'01 freshman F Briggs Gamill, the younger brother of Barclay Gammill (now a freshman at Trinity), was a key member of last year's Mid-Fairfield U14s, with Trevor Zegras, Spencer Knight, Dom Fensore, and others. He's excellent, and is a player Div. I coaches will be keeping an eye on for the future.

Up front, we also liked new junior Jesse Lycan, who played on the same Junior Ducks U16 team as Gunnery's Jack Lippis and Niko Grollman. Lycan skates well for a 6'1" kid and has a knack around the net. He has some Div. I potential. PG Nick Botticelli, who was on Mass Super 8 Champs Malden Catholic, is a late '97 who brings some size and physical maturity to the Bears. Botticelli scored, with an assist to Lycan, with 17 seconds remaining to lift Berkshire into a 4-4 tie with Northwood in the nightcap. The Bears twice came back from two-goal deficits to earn the tie.

Berkshire had a hard time finding secondary scoring last season. The key returnees up front are Koopman and Ryan Keelan, proven scorers both. 5'9" senior Jack Lloyd, a good NESCAC prospect, missed a month in the middle of the season last year. He'll be shooting for a better year.

Berkshire has a new goalie in 5'8" Tom Draper, a '99 from Binghamton, NY who played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights U16s last year. If the name sounds familiar, it should. His father, also named Tom, was the goaltender for UVM in the mid-'80s before going on to have short stints with several NHL teams.

Berkshire took a tough draw for themselves here, facing Nichols and Northwood, two teams that have been together since September. And they tied both of them.

NORTHWOOD:

Northwood was missing a few players due to injury, but head coach Chadd Cassidy brought up a couple of forwards from their U16 Team and placed one on each of the top two lines. Both of them -- 5'8" Tommy Bannister, an '01 from Clayton, NY and the Syracuse Nats U14s, and 5'8" Sean Bunting, an '00 in his second year aat the school -- didn't look at all out of place. As Northwood's U16 team gets more and more established, they'll have a potent built-in feeder system which could lead to even stronger teams in the years to come.

The key returnees for Northwood include the Peltonen twins from Helsinki, Finland -- center Aleksi and LD Jesper, who has a knee injury now. Both have reportedly been offered by Wisconsin. 5'9" RW Kaden Pickering, a St. Lawrrence recruit, looked really good yesterday -- so quick, so skilled, so clever. A fun player to watch. Then there's 6'2" RC Jack Dugan, a PC recruit from the Rochester area. Dugan is a power forward who can shoot it and dish it.

The Peltonens aren't the only pair of '98-born twins at Northwood. Christian and AJ DiCesare played last year for the NJ Hitmen U18 team and add to the blue line.

Goaltender Matt Petizian is back and is getting the bulk of the starts. But 6'0" Erik Short, a '98 from Essex (Vt.) HS is getting a fair share too. This past spring, Short was only the second non-senior to ever be named Vermont's Mr. Hockey.

NICHOLS:

Coach Jamie Printz has 13 returnees, and another solid team. 6'0" late '98 Cole Donhauser is a pure scorer and a strong 1-on-1 player who thrives with linemates who can feed him the puck. He has interest from schools such as Harvard, Cornell, and UConn.

An interesting newcomer is 6'0" freshman winger Dylan Lugris, an '01 from the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. He's going to be one to follow closely, as is another newcomer in 6'0" sophomore winger Jeff Kopek, also an '01. Kopek is strong for his age and size and has no problem battling for position in front.

Senior forward Steve Senese and junior Lucas Herrmann are NESCAC possibilities. .

On the blue line returning seniors Jack Miller and Tom Elia -- both '99s -- are solid NESCAC type candidates.

In net, the returnee is 6'3" junior Josh Graziano, who's a big blocker type of goalie, and was a 6th round draft pick of Owen Sound. New sophomore Robbie Nuchereno, an '01, got some time in net yesterday. An athletic kid, Nuchereno made a couple of great saves. He's only 5'9" but his dad is reportedly tall, so he might add a few inches and break the 6'0" mark that all Div. I goalies are expected to meet in this era.

KENT:

Kent needs to find more scoring this year. They lost F Satchel Clendenin and D Greg Krisberg, who provided offense from the back end. They also lost big D Carter Dwyer to the NAHL. Fortunately, they have a lot of returning forwards who may be motivated after last season. Guys like senior Tommy Tanner, senior Jack Bloem, junior Jeremy Routh, and seniors Augie Burkhardt and Andrew Rinaldi (both of whom were out Monday). That group needs to find the back of the net more more regularity than they did last year.

Senior D Kyle Delmaestro was out of action Monday but, by the weekend, should be ready for his fourth season with the Lions. Delmaestro is not only the team's top defenseman, but he's also a key to the offense.

Kent has two very good d-men in 5'10" new junior Nick Smith, who was with the Syracuse Jr. Stars U16s last winter; and 6'1" d-man Troy Daniels, a new senior and the younger brother of twins Justin and Drew Daniels who played for Kent in '07-08 and from there to Northeastern.

Senior goaltender Peter Negron returns as the #1. The Kent coaches are high on the two young incoming goalies, 6'1" sophomore Alex Contey from the Jersey Hitmen U16s, and Blaine Moore, a 6'3" repeat freshman who played at CVU (Champlain Valley Union HS) last season. Moore played the second half vs. Gunnery and moved well for a big kid.

BRUNSWICK:

Brunswick had a very good season last year, going 19-6-2 in NEPSIHA play and reaching the quarterfinals, where they were smoked by Avon, 9-2. D Max Fuld and F Colin Slyne were a couple of key losses to graduation. But they have several key returnees along with some new talent.  

Much of the scoring burden will land squarely on the shoulders of senior co-captains Christian LeSueur and Nick VanBelle. Those two combined for 32 goals last year and will be the go-to guys again this year. But secondary scoring will be needed. 5'11" sophomore Charles Shaffer returns and will be playing a bigger role. A talented newcomer is 5'8" sophomore forward Aaron Aboodi, who played last year on a loaded Mid-Fairfield U14 team. 6'0" sophomore D Cooper Moore was also on that team and has also come over to Brunswick. They are keys to the future.

Backing up returning senior goaltender Strauss Mann is 5'9" Dan Dachille, an '00 sophomore who played for the LI Gulls U16s last season.

POMFRET:

Pomfret doesn't have any Div. I prospects but could take a step forward this year under second-year head coach Matt Goethals.

Senior forwards Jon Beniers, who is committed to Hamilton, and 6'3" LW Brandon Mitchell are Pomfret's top returning scorers. They will need help, though, and some of that could come from a pair of PG forwards -- 5'9" Peter Simeone from Waltham HS, and 5'8" Phil Satin who, with Winston Churchill HS, is the all-time leading scorer in Maryland HS hockey history. We'll have to see how that translates to prep play, but it is certainly a neat factoid.

On the blue line 6'0", 200 lb. senior RD Josh Labonte and PG Sean Conley, a right-shot from the Buffalo Junior Sabres 18Us, will be doing the heavy lifting.

The new goaltender is 5'10" Thomas Lemire, a junior who played last season for the NH Jr. Monarchs U16s.

CANTERBURY:

Canterbury lost about 90% of their goal scoring from last season. Gone are Travis Schneider, Ryan and Kyle Lynch, and JD Pogue.

The key forward will be 6'1" junior -- and leading returning scorer -- Connor Astley. The big question: who will pick up the slack behind him?

Canterbury's two best players are senior defensemen Matt Cousino and Nick Parody. Cousino, a strong skater with good natural ability, gives the team offensive punch from the blue line. He gets the long leash. The Vermonter is also the team's potential Div. I player. He's paired with 6'3" Parody, who moves well for his size, but plays a more defensive game than Cousino.

5'7" senior goaltender Dan Seitz, a backup last year, will be the team's #1 goalie.

 

 

 

Prep Composite, Week of Nov. 28, 2016


Mon. Nov. 28, 2016
-----------------------------------------------------

Lawrence T. Piatelli Jamboree (one-day event)
At the Berkshire School; Sheffield, Mass.
Rink 1
9:30 am -- Pomfret vs. Brunswick
11:30 am -- Berkshire vs. Nichols
1:30 pm -- Canterbury vs. Pomfret
3:30 pm -- Berkshire vs. Northwood
Rink 2:
10:00 am -- Kent vs. Canterbury
12:00 pm -- Northwood vs. Gunnery
2:00 pm -- Brunswick vs. Nichols
4:00 pm -- Gunnery vs. Kent
----------------------------------------------
St. Paul's Jamboree (Day 2 of 2)
At St. Paul's School; Concord, NH
10:00 am -- Loomis vs. Tabor
12:15 pm -- St. Paul's vs. Groton
-----------------------------------------------
Hotchkiss Jamboree (one-day event)
At the Hotchkiss School; Lakeville, Conn.
1:30 pm -- Salisbury vs. Trinity-Pawling (Dwyer Rink)
1:30 pm -- Hotchkiss vs. Westminster (Schmidt Rink)
3:00 pm -- Salisbury vs. Westminster (Dwyer Rink)
3:00 pm -- Hotchkiss vs. Trinity-Pawling (Schmidt Rink)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Kents Hill @ College Marie de L'Incarnation, 12:30 pm (S)
Lawrence Academy @ Brooks, 4:30 pm (S)
Howell HS @ CBA, 4:30 pm
Rye Country Day @ Portledge, 5:30 pm

Tues. Nov. 29, 2016
Bishop Eustace Prep @ Princeton Day School, 5:15 pm

Wed. Nov. 30, 2016
Millbrook @ Canterbury, 2:30 pm
Taft @ Salisbury, 2:30 pm
Hotchkiss @ Gunnery, 3:00 pm
Worcester Academy @ Middlesex, 3:00 pm
Cushing @ Dexter, 3:30 pm
Belmont Hill @ Berwick, 3:30 pm
The Hun School @ Holy Ghost, 3:45 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Kimball Union, 4:00 pm
Worcester Academy @ Middlesex, 3:00 pm
Thayer @ St. George's, 4:00 pm
Rivers @ St. Sebastian's, 4:00 pm
Portledge @ La Salle College, 4:00 pm
Tilton @ Kents Hill, 4:00 pm
Berkshire @ Albany Academy, 4:00 pm
Bridgton Academy @ Governor's, 4:00 pm
Princeton Day School @ Seton Hall Prep, 4:15 pm
New Hampton @ Winchendon, 4:30 pm
Hebron @ Holderness, 4:30 pm
Proctor @ St. Mark's, 4:30 pm 
Groton @ North Yarmouth Academy, 4:45 pm
CBA @ Pope John, 5:00 pm
Pingree @ Hoosac, 3:30 pm  5:30 pm
Tabor @ Milton, 5:30 pm (S)
Pomfret @ Noble & Greenough, 5:30 pm
Roxbury Latin @ Moses Brown, 5:45 pm

Thurs. Dec 1, 2016
Don Bosco Prep @ Saint Peter's Prep, 4:00 pm
Friends Academy @ Portledge, 4:30 pm

Fri. Dec. 2, 2016
Lake Forest Academy @ Gilmour Academy, 10:00 am
Rice Memorial @ Ridley College, 12:15 pm
Northwood Junior vs. Nichols, 2:00 pm (at Shattuck-St. Mary's Showcase)
Calvert Hall @ The Hun School, 4:00 pm
CBA @ Bishop Eustace Prep, 4:00 pm
Rivers @ Thayer, 5:00 pm  4:00 pm
Dexter @ Middlesex, 4:30 pm
Hoosac @ Lawrenceville, 5:00 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Milton, 5:15 pm
Brewster Academy @ Andover, 5:15 pm
Brooks @ Pingree, 5:30 pm
Académie Saint-Louis @ Holderness, 5:30 pm
St George's @ Moses Brown, 5:45 pm
St. Paul's @ Kimball Union, 6:00 pm
BB&N @ Lawrence Academy, 6:00 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Westminster, 6:00 pm
Seacoast College Prep @ Governor's, 6:00 pm (S)
Tilton @ Proctor, 6:30 pm
Winchendon @ Cushing, 6:30 pm  6:00 pm
Shattuck-St. Mary's vs. St. Andrew's College, 8:00 pm (at Shattuck-St. Mary's Showcase)
Loyola Academy @ Gilmour Academy, 8:15 pm
Rice Memorial @ Bishop's College School, 8:30 pm

Sat. Dec. 3, 2016
Nichols vs. Sioux Falls Stampede U18, 10:00 am (at Shattuck-St. Mary's Showcase)
Rice Memorial @ St. Michael's College School, 12:15 pm
Northwood Junior vs. St. Andrew's College, 1:00 pm (at Shattuck-St. Mary's Showcase)
Hoosac @ Hill School, 1:30 pm
Worcester Academy @ Holderness, 2:30 pm
Brooks @ BB&N, 3:00 pm
Belmont Hill @ Noble & Greenough, 3:00 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Moses Brown, 3:15 pm
Roxbury Latin @ Portsmouth Abbey, 3:30 pm
Xaverian @ Central Catholic, 4:00 pm (S)
St. Mark's @ Winchendon, 4:00 pm
Canterbury @ Hotchkiss, 4:00 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Albany Academy, 4:30 pm  4:00 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Trinity-Pawling, 4:30 pm
Millbrook @ Lawrenceville, 4:30 pm
Salisbury @ Williston-Northampton, 5:00 pm
Governor's @ Thayer, 5:30 pm
Pomfret vs. New Hampton, 5:30 pm (at Tabor Invitational)
Brewster Academy @ Proctor, 6:00 pm
St. Francis Prep @ Gilmour Academy, 6:00 pm
Deerfield @ Groton, 6:00 pm
Kent vs. Exeter, 6:00 pm (at Exeter Invitational)
Andover @ Choate, 6:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Vermont Academy, 6:30 pm
Gunnery vs. Hebron, 6:30 pm (at Exeter Invitational)
Taft @ Berkshire, 7:00 pm
Berwick vs. Tabor, 7:30 pm (at Tabor Invitational)
Rice Memorial @ Stanstead College, 8:30 pm

Sun. Dec. 4, 2016
Sioux Falls Stampede U18 vs. St. Andrew's College, 8:00 am (at Shattuck-St. Mary's Showcase)
Northwood Junior vs. Culver Academy, 10:00 am (at Shattuck-St. Mary's Showcase)
Pomfret vs. Berwick, 10:30 am (at Tabor Invitational)
Nichols vs. Shattuck-St. Mary's, 11:00 am
Hebron vs. Kent, 12:00 pm (at Exeter Invitational)
Shady Side Academy @ Gilmour Academy, 12:15 pm
New Hampton vs. Tabor, 12:30 pm (at Tabor Invitational)
Cushing @ Avon Old Farms, 2:00 pm
Gunnery vs. Exeter, 2:30 pm (at Exeter Invitational)
Académie Saint-Louis @ Tilton, 3:00 pm
Kents Hill vs. NYA, 5:00 pm (S) (at Maine Prep Cup; Auburn, ME)
Hebron vs. Bridgton, 7:10 pm (S) (at Maine Prep Cup; Auburn, ME)

Mon. Dec. 5, 2016
--------------------------------------------------
Maine Prep Cup
Kents Hill, Bridgton, Hebron, and NYA
at Norway Savings Bank Arena; Auburn, ME

Consolation Game, 4:00 pm
Championship Game, 7:10 pm
--------------------------------------------------
Hoosac vs. Portledge, 2:30 pm (at Brewster, NY Ice Arena)
St. Augustine @ The Hun School, 3:45 pm
Rye Country Day @ Harvey, 3:45 pm
Holderness @ St. Paul's, 4:30 pm
Canterbury @ Berkshire, 5:00 pm
Millbrook @ Salisbury, 5:30 pm
CBA @ Rumson-Fair Haven, 8:15 pm

 

 

 

Belmont Hill Jamboree Review

Final scores:

Proctor 4, Belmont Hill 2
Winchendon 5, St. Mark's 2
St. Andrew's College 3, Proctor 1
Winchendon 7, Belmont Hill 4
St. Andrew's College 7, St. Mark's 0

As you can see from the scores above, St. Andrew's College and Winchendon were the top teams at Saturday's Belmont Hill Jamboree.

Let's look at them.
 
As usual, St. Andrew's College has a few weeks jump -- ten games, to be precise -- on the other teams here. That's not a bad thing, as they set the bar for the rest of the field, and provided a ready point of reference. Even without 6'2" senior center Morgan Barron (Cornell), their top scorer last season, they looked good here (though not as good as the '13-14 team, which went 40-2-2 and boasted Warren Foegele and five other Div. I commits). At any rate, Barron will be back for next weekend's games at Shattuck-St. Mary's. The top Saints forward here today was 6'0" senior RW Corey Andonovski, a Princeton recruit. With size, a long stride, and a nose for the net, Andonovski was a threat every time the puck was on his stick. On D, 6'1" senior Ryan O'Connell (BU) was the standout. There's not a lot of flash with O'Connell, but he sees the ice extremely well and makes flawless decisions. He has offensive ability, manifested in his stick and passes, but he doesn't pinch or take it end-to-end much. He plays a very steady, controlled game. 6'5", 203 lb. senior RD Noah Lugli has pro size and keeps it simple. The Saints moved the puck crisply in their wins here, beating Proctor in the morning and overwhelming St. Mark's in the late afternoon.

Winchendon head coach Jarrett Sampson feels that this year's squad is the best he's had in his seven years behind the bench. No argument here. We can go back decades -- and say the same thing. First off, they didn't lose much to graduation. Secondly, they have more depth. Last year, teams had their hands full with the line of 5'8" Johnny Mulera (PC), 5'11" Ben Thomas (Union), and 5'7" Matt Fawcett (Quinnipiac), which combined for 42 of the team's 95 goals. They'll be a handful again. However, the supporting cast looks to be stronger this year. Big 6'1" junior wing Mike Hardman has grown, picked up a step, mans the point on the PP, and looks like a DI prospect to these eyes. In the 7-4 win over Belmont Hill, Mulera had a hat trick, and Fawcett and Hardman each had a pair. New junior Justin Alves, from Woburn (Mass.) HS, is a 5'8", quick playmaking type who adds to the attack, as does 6'2" junior winger Cam Gendron, a strong skater from Central Catholic HS. On D, 6'3" Brian Scoville, formerly committed to UMass, is back and getting looks from DI schools. A couple new junior d-men -- Ville Raino and 6'2" Max Newnam -- will add depth to the blue line. Brandon Graf, now a senior, is back in net. Winchendon will open the season Wednesday vs. New Hampton, then face Cushing (Fri.), and St. Mark's (Sat.). So we'll know more soon.

St. Mark's, which went 23-6-1 and won the small-school championship with a 3-2 OT win over Rivers in March,  lost a ton to graduation. And they start the season with a devastating injury, as senior Ethan Kimball, he of the game-winning goal nine seconds into that overtime period, broke his ankle playing for the Little Bruins U18s a couple weeks ago. He'll be out until late January. On top of that the Lions lost seven senior forwards -- and 82 goals -- to graduation, a group headed by Peter Housakos (Maine), Zach Tsekos (Sacred Heart), Derek Osik (BCHL), and Owen Allen. If you take the 82 goals lost to graduation, and then add in Kimball's 21 goals, you get 103 goals lost through graduation and injury. Then think about this: St. Mark's, as a team, scored 107 goals last season. In other words, at least for the first couple months of the season, they return four(!) goals as a team. That's tough, but that's not all: the Lions also lost four-year starting goaltender Ryan Ferland, a Princeton recruit playing this season in the BCHL.

The bottom line: St. Mark's is very, very young. But they do have some high-end talent among the youngsters. For pure skill, late '01 forward Sean Farrell, a Harvard recruit who played for the Junior Bruins U16s last season, is a freshman with star potential. Ditto for returning LD Henry Thrun, also an '01 committed to the Crimson. There's a chance the NTDP will try to pry those two away in a couple years. '01 RD Colby Bailey, who was hurt last season and again this fall, will be looking to gain traction. Freshman forward Tyler Young, son of BU assistant Scott Young, is another '01 who will be asked to contribute. '02 freshman RD Tucker Hartmann, from the South Shore Kings U14 team that will be representing Mass at U14 Nationals in March, is also on board. Goaltender will be junior CJ McKennitt, a Div. I baseball prospect who transferred from Dexter. So it looks like head coach Carl Corazzini will need a lot of patience this year, but it could pay off big down the line. As for the Belmont Hill Jamboree, St. Mark's had a tough draw, facing Winchendon and St. Andrew's College. Corazzini had several players in tryouts and also used all his goalies.

Proctor lost Jake Pappalardo (Maine) and his 78 points to graduation. That's a negative. The positive is that senior Reilly Walsh (Harvard), just back from a 17-game stint with the Chicago Steel, looks bigger, stronger, more assured, and improved defensively. He goes into the season as the top defenseman in prep hockey, and a huge offensive contributor for the Hornets (he had 40 points in 26 games last season). He'll be joined by his brother this season. Ronan Walsh, a winger, is a 6'3" freshman and an '02 birthdate so he has a way to go. It will be interesting to watch his development over the next four years.

Proctor has some scoring depth, with senior Tate Singleton leading the way. Junior Ryan King, senior Peter Laviolette, sophomore Myles Abbate, and junior Cole Joslin can all pop one in.

6'2" LD Matt Slick is in his 4th year at Proctor. He gets a bit overshadowed by Reilly Walsh, but he's crucial to the Hornets defense.

In net, junior Devin Barresi, a transfer from Worcester Academy is the newcomer, while senior Ville Lassonen is a returnee. Proctor is at St. Mark's (Wed.), then home for Tilton (Fri.) and Brewster (Sat.)

Belmont Hill had a good season last year, going 15-8-6 in NEPSIHA play. They didn't give away games. They tended to beat their weaker opponents, and stayed in the game vs. tougher foes. Only once did they lose a game by as many as three goals. Here at the Jamboree, like St. Mark's, they still had cuts to make and changed goalies so often it was hard to tell who was who. No matter, head coach Jeremiah McCarthy knows his #1 is Yale recruit Connor Hopkins, a sophomore, so that's a position of strength. They have some depth, albeit young, on the blue line. Senior LD Mike Armstrong is the leader of the group, a 5'10" solid puck-handling d-man. Sophomore LD James Perullo is in much the same mold. A couple new defenseman to watch are '01 freshmen Brett Bliss and Mike Brown. Bliss is the younger brother of Cornell D Ryan Bliss and Milton F Jack Bliss. Brown, a good-sized kid, comes over from Fessenden. Up front, 6'6" returnee John Copeland, a junior, looks better on his skates, and could be a larger contributor. The keys to the attack, ultimately, rest with seniors Christian O'Neill (Yale) and Sam Hesler (Dartmouth). Belmont Hill will be at Berwick (Wed.) and Nobles (Sat.).


***
Northeast Showcase Scoreboard
Here are Friday and Saturday's scores from the Northeast Showcase, being hosted by Tilton and New Hampton.

Playoffs are Sunday.

Fri.-Sat. at the Northeast Showcase


 

 

Prep Composite, Thanksgiving Week

Wed. Nov 23, 2016
Rivers @ Belmont Hill, 12:30 pm (S)
St. Andrew's College @ St. Michael's College School, 3:00 pm  

Thurs. Nov. 24, 2016
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Fri. Nov. 25, 2016
------------------------------------------------------
Northeast Showcase (Day 1 of 3)
At Tilton Academy and New Hampton School
-------------------------------------------------------
St. Andrew's College @ Belmont Hill, 4:00 pm (S)

Sat. Nov. 26, 2016
-------------------------------------------------------
Belmont Hill Jamboree (one-day event)
At The Belmont Hill School; Belmont, Mass.
8:30 am -- Belmont Hill vs. Proctor
10:00 am -- St. Mark's vs. Winchendon
11:30 am -- Proctor vs. St. Andrew's College
1:00 pm -- Winchendon vs. Belmont Hill
2:30 pm -- St. Andrew's College vs. St. Mark's
----------------------------------------------------------
Northeast Showcase (Day 2 of 3)
At Tilton Academy and New Hampton School
-------------------------------------------------------
Thayer @ Rivers, 1:00 pm (S)
Noble & Greenough @ St. Sebastian's, 2:00 pm (S)
Kents Hill @ Academie Saint-Louis, 3:00 pm
Seton Hall Prep @ Don Bosco Prep, 5:00 pm
North Yarmouth Academy @ Moses Brown, 6:30 pm

Sun. Nov. 27, 2016
------------------------------------------------------------
Proctor Academy Jamboree (one-day event)
At Proctor Academy; Andover, NH
8:00 am -- Proctor vs. Holderness
9:00 am -- St. Anne College U15 vs. NH Avalanche U14
10:00 am -- Berwick vs. Vermont Academy
11:00 am -- Williston vs. Stanstead College
12:00 pm -- St. Anne College U15 vs. NH Avalanche U14
1:00 pm -- Holderness vs. Berwick
2:00 pm -- Williston vs. Proctor
3:00 pm -- Stanstead College vs. Vermont Academy
----------------------------------------------------------------
Northeast Showcase (Day 3 of 3)
At Tilton Academy and New Hampton School
-------------------------------------------------------
St. Paul's Jamboree (Day 1 of 2)
At St. Paul's School; Concord, NH
10:00 am -- St. Paul's vs. Loomis
12:15 pm -- Groton vs. Tabor
4:00 pm -- Tabor vs. St. Paul's
6:15 pm -- Groton vs. Loomis
-------------------------------------------------------
St. Andrew's College @ Dexter, 10:00 am (S)
Kents Hill @ Academie Saint-Louis, 6:00 pm
St. Augustine @ Don Bosco Prep, 6:00 pm
Hoosac @ Moses Brown, 6:15 pm

Mon. Nov. 28, 2016
-----------------------------------------------------

Lawrence T. Piatelli Jamboree (one-day event)
At the Berkshire School; Sheffield, Mass.
Rink 1
9:30 am -- Pomfret vs. Brunswick
11:30 am -- Berkshire vs. Nichols
1:30 pm -- Canterbury vs. Pomfret
3:30 pm -- Berkshire vs. Northwood
Rink 2:
10:00 am -- Kent vs. Canterbury
12:00 pm -- Northwood vs. Gunnery
2:00 pm -- Brunswick vs. Nichols
4:00 pm -- Gunnery vs. Kent
----------------------------------------------
St. Paul's Jamboree (Day 2 of 2)
At St. Paul's School; Concord, NH
10:00 am -- Loomis vs. Tabor
12:15 pm -- St. Paul's vs. Groton
-----------------------------------------------
Hotchkiss Jamboree (one-day event)
At the Hotchkiss School; Lakeville, Conn.
1:30 pm -- Salisbury vs. Trinity-Pawling (Dwyer Rink)
1:30 pm -- Hotchkiss vs. Westminster (Schmidt Rink)
3:00 pm -- Salisbury vs. Westminster (Dwyer Rink)
3:00 pm -- Hotchkiss vs. Trinity-Pawling (Schmidt Rink)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Kents Hill @ College Marie de L'Incarnation, 12:30 pm (S)
Lawrence Academy @ Brooks, 4:30 pm (S)
Howell HS @ CBA, 4:30 pm
Rye Country Day @ Portledge, 5:30 pm

Tues. Nov. 29, 2016
Bishop Eustace Prep @ Princeton Day School, 5:15 pm

Wed. Nov. 30, 2016
Millbrook @ Canterbury, 2:30 pm
Taft @ Salisbury, 2:30 pm
Hotchkiss @ Gunnery, 3:00 pm
Pingree @ Hoosac, 3:30 pm
Cushing @ Dexter, 3:30 pm
Belmont Hill @ Berwick, 3:30 pm
The Hun School @ Holy Ghost, 3:45 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Kimball Union, 4:00 pm
Rivers @ St. Sebastian's, 4:00 pm
Portledge @ La Salle College, 4:00 pm
Tilton @ Kents Hill, 4:00 pm
Berkshire @ Albany Academy, 4:00 pm
Bridgton Academy @ Governor's, 4:00 pm
Princeton Day School @ Seton Hall Prep, 4:15 pm
New Hampton @ Winchendon, 4:30 pm
Hebron @ Holderness, 4:30 pm
Proctor @ St. Mark's, 4:30 pm 
Groton @ North Yarmouth Academy, 4:45 pm
CBA @ Pope John, 5:00 pm
Tabor @ Milton, 5:30 pm (S)
Pomfret @ Noble & Greenough, 5:30 pm
Roxbury Latin @ Moses Brown, 5:45 pm 


 

 

Prep Composite, Week of Nov. 14, 2016

Wed. Nov. 16, 2016

St. Andrew's College @ Appleby College, 2:00 pm
Delbarton @ La Salle College, 4:00 pm (S)
Bridgton Academy @ Exeter, 4:00 pm (S)
Hoosac @ CP Dynamo, 7:00 pm (S)

Thurs. Nov. 17, 2016

Gloucester Catholic @ The Hun School, 4:00 pm (S)
Princeton Day School @ Notre Dame HS (NJ), 5:15 pm (S)
Bergen Catholic @ Wyoming Seminary, 5:30 pm (S)
St. Joe's Prep @ La Salle College, 8:45 pm

Fri. Nov. 18, 2016

Middlesex Black Bears @ Tabor, 4:00 pm (S)
Proctor @ Dexter, 4:00 pm (S)
Kents Hill @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Hoosac @ Northfield - Mt. Hermon, 5:30 pm
Berwick @ New Hampton, 5:45 pm (S)
Gunnery @ Trinity-Pawling, 6:00 pm (S)
CBA @ St. Joe's Metuchen, 6:45 pm (S)
Seacoast College Prep @ Bridgton Academy, 7:00 pm
Nichols @ St. Andrew's College, 7:30 pm

Sat. Nov. 19, 2016

Stanstead College Prep Showcase:
Kimball Union vs. Stanstead College, 1:30 pm
Northwood Juniors vs. Ulysse, 4:00 pm
                             ***
Scrimmages/joint practice/situational play at Avon Old Farms:
Starting at 1:00 pm
Avon, Williston-Northampton, & Millbrook
                             ***
Hoosac @ Gunnery, 11:00 am (S)
Academie Saint-Louis @ New Hampton, 12:00 pm
Seacoast College Prep @ Tilton, 12:00 pm (S)
Pingree @ North Yarmouth Academy, 1:00 pm (S)
Lawrenceville @ Rice Memorial, 1:15 pm
Pomfret @ Rivers, 1:30 pm (S)
Kents Hill @ Cushing, 2:00 pm
Delbarton @ Berkshire, 2:00 pm (S)
Appleby College @ St. Andrew's College, 2:00 pm
Middlesex Black Bears @ Holderness, 2:00 pm (S)
Hill School @ St. Sebastian's, 3:00 pm (S)
Brewster Academy @ Exeter, 5:30 pm
Worcester Academy @ Rice Memorial, 6:15 pm

Sun. Nov 20, 2016

Stanstead College Prep Showcase:
Kimball Union vs. Northwood Juniors, 12:00 pm
Stanstead vs. Ulysse, 2:30 pm
                      ***
Ridley @ St. Andrew's College, 10:00 am
Delbarton @ Dexter, 10:00 am (S)
Worcester Academy @ Rice Memorial, 12:30 pm
Hill School @ Belmont Hill, 1:00 pm (S)

Mon. Nov. 21, 2016

Hoosac @ Albany Academy, 4:00 pm
Chaminade @ Portledge, 5:30 pm

Tues. Nov. 22, 2016

Portledge @ Delbarton, 4:30 pm
CBA @ Princeton Day School, 5:15 pm (S)
Berwick @ Pingree, 5:15 pm (S)
Exeter vs. Stanstead College, 5:30 pm -- at Norwich University

Wed. Nov 23, 2016

Rivers @ Belmont Hill, 12:30 pm (S)
St. Andrew's College @ St. Michael's College School, 3:00 pm 

 

 

 

Large School/Small School Breakdown

Here is the 2016-17 NEPSAC large school/small school breakdown. The schools in the left-hand column are all large while the schools in the right-hand column are all small. The numbers refer to male enrollment.

This list will become increasingly relevant in the second half of the season, when playoff spots are within reach.

2016-17 Large School/Small School Breakdown


 

 

Keep 'Em Coming

So far, we have 74 schools that have posted their schedules to USHR. They are:

Hotchkiss, St. George's, Winchendon, Brewster, Kingswood-Oxford, Loomis, Thayer, Belmont Hill, Pingree, Canterbury, St. Paul's, Worcester Academy, Choate, Deerfield, Vermont Academy, Taft, St. Sebastian's, Portsmouth Abbey, Andover, Salisbury, St. Mark's, Gunnery, Westminster, Roxbury Latin, Trinity-Pawling, Williston, Northampton, Exeter, Trinity-Pawling, Westminster, Williston-Northampton, Moses Brown, Milton, Cushing, North Yarmouth Academy, Albany Academy, Berwick, Governor's Kent, Pomfret, Avon Old Farms, Brunswick, Dexter, Holderness, Millbrook, St. Andrew's College, BB&N, Berkshire, Groton, Hebron, Hoosac, Kents Hill, Kimball Union, Lawrence Academy, New Hampton, Noble & Greenough, Northfield-Mt. Hermon, Proctor, Rivers, Tabor, Tilton, Northwood, Christian Brothers Academy, Don Bosco Prep, Central Catholic, St. John's Prep, Delbarton, Gilmour Academy, Bridgton, Rice Memorial, LaSalle College, The Hill School, Portledge, Princeton Day School, Harvey, The Hun School, and Wyoming Seminary.

We'll update this list daily so readers will know when a school has added its schedule. 

Note: New to USHR this year is the Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey League, which consists of Hill, Lawrenceville, Portledge, Wyoming Seminary, Princeton Day School, The Hun School, and LaSalle College High School. The league's playoffs will be on Feb. 15th (semis) and Feb. 22 (finals).


Note to coaches: We're just getting started here! There are a few Thanksgiving jamborees we're still waiting on, so if you have any pre-season tournaments, jamborees or scrimmages of interest, please send your schedules to cwarner (at) ushr.com. We're also collecting Xmas/New Year's holiday tournament schedules. And we'll begin posting those in short order.

Note to all: We will be keeping this in chronological order, so additional schedules will be inserted where appropriate.


2016-17 Prep Jamborees & Tournaments
---

MPHL Kick-Off Classic
At Cairns Arena; Burlington, Vt.
Fri.-Sun. Nov. 11-13, 2016

Participating Schools: Gilmour Academy, Lake Forest Academy, Loyola Academy, Shady Side Academy, St. Francis HS, Bishop's College, Rice Memorial Prep, Ridley College, Stanstead College, and St. Michael's College School.

2016 MPHL Kick-Off Classic Schedule
 

***
Stanstead College Prep Showcase
At Stanstead College; Stanstead, Quebec
Sat.-Sun. Nov. 19-20, 2016

Sat. Nov. 19
1:30 pm -- KUA vs. Stanstead
4:00 pm -- Northwood vs. Ulysse

Sun. Nov. 20
12:00 pm -- Northwood vs. KUA
2:30 pm -- Stanstead vs. Ulysse

Note: Three 20-minute periods

***

Northeast Showcase
Co-hosted by the Tilton School and New Hampton School
Fri.-Sun. Nov. 25-27, 2016

Northeast Showcase Full Tournament Schedule

***
Belmont Hill Jamboree

At The Belmont Hill School; Belmont, Mass.
Sat. Nov. 26th, 2016

8:30 am -- Belmont Hill vs. Proctor
10:00 am -- St. Mark's vs. Winchendon
11:30 am -- Proctor vs. St. Andrew's College
1:00 pm -- Winchendon vs. Belmont Hill
2:30 pm -- St. Andrew's College vs. St. Mark's

All games will consist of three 15-minute periods with ice made between the 2nd/3rd periods.
***
Fourth Annual Proctor Academy Jamboree
At Proctor Academy; Andover, NH
Sun. Nov. 27th, 2016

8:00 am -- Proctor vs. Holderness
9:00 am -- St. Anne College U15 vs. NH Avalanche U14
10:00 am -- Berwick vs. Vermont Academy
11:00 am -- Williston vs. Stanstead College
12:00 pm -- St. Anne College U15 vs. NH Avalanche U14
1:00 pm -- Holderness vs. Berwick
2:00 pm -- Williston vs. Proctor
3:00 pm -- Stanstead College vs. Vermont Academy

30 minute games, 2 min. minors, stop time


***
St. Paul's Jamboree
At St. Paul's School; Concord, NH
Sun.-Mon. Nov. 27-28, 2016

Sun. Nov. 27
10:00 am -- St. Paul's vs. Loomis
12:15 pm -- Groton vs. Tabor
4:00 pm -- Tabor vs. St. Paul's
6:15 pm -- Groton vs. Loomis

Mon. Nov. 28
10:00 am -- Loomis vs. Tabor
12:15 pm -- St. Paul's vs. Groton


***

10th Annual Piatelli Jamboree
At the Berkshire School; Sheffield, Mass.
Mon. Nov. 28, 2016

Participating Schools: Berkshire, Brunswick, Canterbury, Gunnery, Kent, Nichols, Northwood, Pomfret.

Rink 1
9:30 am -- Pomfret vs. Brunswick
11:30 am -- Berkshire vs. Nichols
1:30 pm -- Canterbury vs. Pomfret
3:30 pm -- Berkshire vs. Northwood

Rink 2:
10:00 am -- Kent vs. Canterbury
12:00 pm -- Northwood vs. Gunnery
2:00 pm -- Brunswick vs. Nichols
4:00 pm -- Gunnery vs. Kent

 

***
Hotchkiss Jamboree

At the Hotchkiss School; Lakeville, Conn.
Mon. Nov. 28, 2016

1:30 pm -- Salisbury vs. Trinity-Pawling (Dwyer Rink)
1:30 pm -- Hotchkiss vs. Westminster (Schmidt Rink)
3:00 pm -- Salisbury vs. Westminster (Dwyer Rink)
3:00 pm -- Hotchkiss vs. Trinity-Pawling (Schmidt Rink)

Note: Schmidt is the front rink (NHL size). Dwyer is the back rink (Olympic size).

 

 

 

Welcome to 2016-17

 
The 2016-17 Prep Pages are now officially open.

All of last season’s news, rosters, schedules, and stats have been archived, and new material will start going into this season’s pages immediately, as coaches begin to upload their teams' schedules.

We want to remind new readers of a couple of new features we introduced last season. Players’ career prep statistics, for one. If you click on a player’s name on the roster you will see his final stats for all the seasons he has played prep hockey and, of course, running totals for the current season. If you click on the year, say 2015-16, it will show a player's game-by-game statistics.

It is also possible to download rosters, schedules, and all statistics pages in PDF form, which has the added benefit of giving pages a cleaner look when printed out.

Pretty much all columns are sortable. Just click on the top. This is useful for, among other things, separating scoring and goaltending leaders by school, birth year, position, points, etc. 

We’ve also done a lot of work on the back end, mainly behind-the-scenes stuff that you probably won’t notice beyond the fact that the site will be running more smoothly than ever.

Once we have a reasonable number of schedules posted, we will begin to keep you updated on which of them are actually up, so you won’t have to waste your time looking for those that have yet to be uploaded.

We will also be posting jamboree and holiday tournament schedules. Look for those to start going up over the coming week as well. Note to coaches: send 'em along, please.

We are also accepting advertising for the upcoming season. Please write information(at)ushr.com for rates.

Of course, we will have the news coverage you have come to expect.

Welcome to the new season. We're glad to be here. We’re glad you’re here. And, as always, we thank you for your support.