Mon. 2/24/25

 

Who's In, Out, and in Between

While room for movement remains, the Top 16 is fairly stable here in the final week, which is unusual. Normally, a couple of teams enter the final week with a realistic shot at breaking the barrier, thus creating a ripple effect on the Elite 8, and, by extension, the Large/Small School Tournament seedings. That said, there is one team with a puncher’s chance at sneakin' in, which we’ll get to.

First, let’s take a look at the teams in contention:

Looking Like Royalty

Deerfield and Dexter – There is no scenario in which these teams fail to make it into the Elite 8. Home ice in the quarterfinals is guaranteed as well.

Looking Like a Lock

Cushing -- The Penguins, with recent wins over Brunswick, St. Mark’s, Andover, and KUA, have gotten hot at the right time. Were they to lose their remaining games against New Hampton and Gov’s there could be a scenario in which they get bounced out of the Elite 8, but it’s unlikely. They could also lose home ice in the Elite 8 quarters. But we see them as a virtual lock.

Looking Likely

Brunswick -- While the Bruins sit at the #7 spot in the Elite 8, their position is stronger than it appears. Win, lose, or draw against Trinity-Pawling on Friday, they’ll likely land a spot in the Elite 8 if projections play out as expected. Nonetheless, going all in at T-P is advised.

Looking to Hold Serve

Belmont Hill, St. Mark’s, Salisbury, and Rivers -- The Gang of Four are #5-6-7-8 in JSPR -- a perch, but not a comfortable one. Holderness has bent recently but can cause mayhem by trampling over at least one of the pacesetters. We’ll get to that in more detail in a bit, but let’s look at what each of the four teams ahead of them needs to do to maintain a spot in the Elite 8.

1) Belmont Hill must beat either Tabor or Westy.
2) St. Mark’s must beat -- or tie -- St. George's and Groton. And beat BB&N, too.
3) Salisbury must beat Winchendon.
4) Rivers must beat Brooks.

Any failures to accomplish the above could knock a team(s) out of the Elite 8 and into the Large/Small School Tournament seedings. Rivers’s path is the easiest -- only a Wednesday tilt vs. a Brooks squad on the skids -- while Bel Hill, St. Mark’s, and Salisbury won’t have the benefit of easy opponents to wrap up the season. And what team facing Elite 8 contenders wouldn't love to play the spoiler?

The Bull Market

Holderness -- As the Lakes Region playoff bracket won't be set until after Wednesday's games, USHR projections aren’t able to take those games into account -- and they could be critical. Here's why: Holderness is at Dexter Wednesday, a game that, should the Bulls win, could vault them as high as #3 in JSPR – a huge leap from their current #10 JSPR. Furthermore, if Holderness were to meet and beat KUA in the Lakes Region finals they could go as high as the #2 spot. While they may be on the outside looking in, the Bulls control their destiny more than any other team still in contention. A win against either Dexter or KUA should land the Bulls somewhere in the Elite 8.

Bears in the Woods

Berkshire -- As for the Bears, they’re out there looking to find their way to the Elite 8. They can win their remaining two games -- vs. Millbrook and Gunn -- but that alone won't be enough. Only Westminster entering the Top 16 can save Berkshire’s season. To do that, the Martlets have to win out, a tall order given that they end their season against Gunn, Deerfield, and Bel Hill. However minuscule, it’s still a possibility.

A Little Help, Somebody? 

KUA -- A win over Holderness in a potential Lakes Region finals matchup could give KUA a shot at landing a spot in the Elite 8. Even then KUA would need help from above in the form of one or more teams ahead of them falling flat -- and the God of JSPR comparisons shining upon the Wildcats.

Nobles -- The Bulldogs have a much better chance than KUA. Unfortunately for them, they too need help from the teams ahead of them – and if they don’t get it, they are bound for the Large School Tournament.

A Moon Shot

Avon Old Farms, Andover -- There may be a statistical Perfect Storm lurking in the data, but if there is, we’re not seeing it.

 

Fri. 2/28/25 

Four Locks, Many Scenarios 
We have a tsunami of a game on tap for tonight: Tilton at Holderness (5:00 pm).

On the surface, it doesn’t seem particularly impactful. Tilton, at 18-7-2 in NEPSIHA play, is having a good, but not great season, while Holderness, with its crucial win over Dexter on Wednesday, landed the #7 spot in the Elite 8 and is riding high. But there’s more to this game than meets the eye.

Going into today's action, Tilton -- 20th in RPI -- sits just behind Thayer -- 19th in RPI; 16th in JSPR).  In addition, Tilton and Holderness have split their two head-to-head games. If Holderness loses to Tilton tonight, the Rams will enter the Top 16, leaving Holderness in a bad spot, potentially dropping as far as #14 in JSPR. Conversely, if the Bulls win they could go as high as the #3 spot in JSPR! (That’s the largest seeding swing we’ve ever seen from a single game this late in the season.)

Rivers and Nobles, currently 9-10 in JSPR, need help from Lady Luck. Conceivably, both could land a spot in the Elite 8 with a Tilton win and a Salisbury or Brunswick loss. Additionally, KUA may have a window of opportunity in the Tilton-wins scenario, but the Wildcats' path is far less clear. They likely need two or more teams ahead of them -- e.g., Nobles and Belmont Hill -- to lose game(s) that, on paper, they’re expected to win. So there you have it: Holderness vs. Tilton is HUGE.

Elsewhere, the Berkshire/Westminster angle is still in play. Berkshire’s only hope is for Westy to get into the Top 16, which is going to require, at minimum, a Martlets' win and a tie against Deerfield tonight and Belmont Hill tomorrow, and, more likely, wins against both -- depending on the outcome of Holderness vs. Tilton. That, combined with a Bears win over Gunn on Saturday, could get Berkshire over the hump -- or at least tantalizingly close. Unlikely, but worth mentioning.

As for the teams that are a lock for the Elite 8, there are now four: Deerfield, Dexter, Cushing, and St. Mark’s (assuming the Lions don’t pull off a faceplant and lose to both BB&N and Groton). Belmont Hill and Salisbury are also looking good, but have to win their remaining games (versus, respectively, Westy and Winchendon ) to guarantee themselves a spot. As covered above, Holderness is in with a win over Tilton, and out with a loss -- assuming Westy doesn’t win out and take Thayer's/Tilton’s spot in the Top 16. Brunswick is likely in the Elite 8, even with a loss at Trinity-Pawling tonight, but, given all the potential for movement, should treat it as a must-win game. 

Avon, Andover, and likely KUA are out.

That’s a wrap, enjoy the last two days of the regular season!

Wed. 2/26/25

 

Prep Highlights
Wednesday, February 26, 2025

T-P Storms Back, Stuns Taft
Rivers, Deerfield Reach 12 Straight
Middlesex's Egan Too Much for Zebras
Holderness Edges Dexter, Stays Alive
Bears' Lacombe (4 Goals) Routs Mustangs
Salisbury Keeps Pedal to the Metal
Penguins Win 7th Straight
Meyer Notches 38th, 39th, and 40th Goal

@ Portsmouth Abbey 6, Hebron 2 -- The Abbey, in a Holt Conference quarterfinal, got big games out of sophomore Connor Nolan (3g, 1a) and senior Noah Jimbo (1g, 2a). For Hebron, junior Alex Vogel (1g, 1a) figured in both Lumberjacks' goals. Senior goaltender Evan Miller (53 saves) stood up to a peppering as the Ravens outshot Hebron, 59-16. Hebron's season ends at 2-25-0; PA stands at 13-16-1 and advances to Friday's semifinals. They'll host Kents Hill at 6:00 pm.

Westminster 3 @ Frederick Gunn School 1 -- After two scoreless periods, things picked up early in the third when junior Gus McGarvey got Westy on the board. Several minutes later, though, Gunn junior Tucker Mears knotted things back up at 1-1. The GWG came off the stick of senior Blake Burke at 11:38, with an assist going to senior Derek Rhodes (2a). Westminster junior goaltender Jack Fichthorn (32/33) had another big game. Gunn senior G Logan Heideman (29/31) didn't do too badly either. Westminster (12-9-2) continues its late-season surge, having gone 8-1-1 in February. Gunn has had a less successful month, going 1-6-1 over its last eight.

Pomfret 11 @ Wilbraham & Monson 0 -- Pomfret improves to 15-11-2. W&M falls to 0-15-0.

Berkshire 5 @ Millbrook 2 -- Junior Matt Lacombe (4g) scored all the Bears' goals except for the one that
senior Duncan Thompson (1g,2a) scored. Berkshire senior goaltender Damon Mos (22/24) earned the win; Millbrook junior netminder Dean Repaci (29/33) took the loss. Berkshire (23-6-0) has won five straight and winds up the regular season with a home game vs. Frederick Gunn on Saturday.

@ Trinity-Pawling 5, Taft 4 (OT) -- Taft took a 4-0 lead into the third, but promptly gave it up, as Trinity-Pawling busted out with four unanswered goals to send the game to OT where junior Andrew Migliore (1g,1a) won it. T-P seniors Gavin Burke (2g, 1a) and Nick Peragine (1g, 2a) each had three-point games, while Migliore (1g,1a) and senior Liam Lefebvre (2a) each had two-point outings. Taft got goals from four different goal scorers. Trinity-Pawling senior goalie Ondrej Matousek (37/41) won it; Taft senior Brady Morris (35/40) took the loss. T-P is 12-9-2; Taft falls to 11-10-2.
 
Avon Old Farms 6 @  Canterbury 2 -- Visiting Avon blew open a 2-2 game with four third-period goals. Avon's attack was led by seniors Cooper Snee and Jake Schultz, juniors Oskar Drabczynski and Jacob Jett, and sophomore Nico Ciardiello -- all four tallied a goal and an assist. Avon Old Farms (16-7-1) junior goaltender Anthony Palmer (22/24) picked up the win; Canterbury (12-13-4) senior Maxim Pitts (28/34) took the loss. 

@ Rivers 8, Brooks 1 -- Rivers' freshman Carter Meyer (hat trick, 1a), senior Will Hatten (1g,3a), and junior Justin Graf (4a) all tallied four points. Freshmen Sam Pandolfo and Finn Sears each pitched in with three assists. Rivers junior goaltender Derrick Huang (15/16) picked up the win; Brooks senior Ethan Roy (48/56) suffered the loss. Rivers (20-5-1) has won 12 straight to conclude the regular season portion of its schedule. Brooks has lost 12 of its last 13 and will host BB&N on Saturday. Meyer's hat trick puts him at 40 goals. He leads the prep scoring race with a line of 40-28-60, a 2.26 gpg rate. Brunswick's Joe Salandra also has 68 points, but has played more games.

Middlesex 6 @ Groton 2 -- Senior Matt Egan (2g,3a) had a 5-point game; and senior Nolan Marsters (2g,1a) and
sophomore Connor Wright (1g,2a) also chipped in. Groton sophomore Nate Moons (1g,1a) and freshman Bruce Li (1g,1a) had a hand in both Zebras' goals. Middlesex (10-12-4) senior Caio Bernardini (30/32), a Tufts commit, earned the win. Groton (16-11-0) junior Wes DiModica (25/30) took the loss.

@ St. Mark's 5, St. George's 3 -- St. Mark's (21-4-2) never trailed in this one, getting big days out of juniors Evan Nee (1g,3a) and Teddy Drury (1g,2a). Senior Drew Carr (2g) and junior defenseman Moussa Seydi (2a) each had two points. St. Mark's senior Justin BriseBois (22/25) picked up another W.  St. George's (14-11-2) goaltending duties were shared by junior Dash George (20/23) and sophomore Tyler King (16/18). St. George's junior Max Donatelli (1g,1a) and senior Nathan Walsh (2a) led the Dragons' scorers.

@ Exeter 4, Winchendon 3 (OT) -- An overtime goal off the stick of Exeter PG Jack Rakauskas finished off the Big Red's comeback win. Exeter, trailing 2-1 at home, got two third-period goals from senior Will Cavanagh (2g) to get the game to OT. Postgrad Gavin Fitzpatrick (1g, 1a) and sophomore Noah Poinsett-Yoshida (2a) each had two points for the Big Red. Winchendon junior Kaidan Sahajpal (1g, 1a) led the Wapitis. Exeter (13-15-1) junior Brendan Petraco (35/38) picked up the win; Winchendon (15-14-1) junior Brady Knode (30/34) took the loss. Andover-Exeter is on Saturday.

@ Salisbury 4, Hotchkiss 1 -- Salisbury seniors Oliver Morris (2g) and senior Ryan Hedley (1g, 1a), and 
postgrad Jake Novak (2a) each contributed a couple of points as Salisbury led from the get-go. In goal, Crimson Knights' seniors Steven Luciano (22/23) and Nick Hussar (1/1) combined for the win. Hotchkiss senior backstop  Connor Towle (29/32), a Holy Cross commit, was his usual solid self, giving up three goals (the fourth was an ENG). With the win, Salisbury (17-6-5) -- and 6-1-2 over the last nine -- strengthened its position in the Elite 8 chase.

@ Belmont Hill 2, Tabor 0 -- Sophomore David Bosco's third-period tally, assisted by junior d-man Evan Jones, was the only goal that mattered (sophomore Harry Lavoie added an ENG). The stars in this one were the goalies. Belmont Hill senior Keagin Wilson (26/26) posted a shutout; Tabor sophomore Vinnie D'Urso (44/45) took the hard-luck loss. Bel Hill (19-5-2), which has won five of its last six and strengthened its Elite 8 hand, travels to Westminster on Saturday to finish the regular-season portion of its schedule. 

North Yarmouth Academy 6 @ Worcester Academy 2 -- In a Holt Conference quarterfinal, North Yarmouth Academy (14-16-1) junior Brett Nasca (2g, 1a) and senior Adrian Mendoza (3a) led the offense, while senior goaltender Vincent Ouellet (28/30) took care of business in his end. Worcester Academy postgrad netminder Mark Quinn (37/43) took the loss. NYA advances to a semifinal at Pingree on Friday (4:30 pm).

Andover 5 @ Northfield Mt. Hermon 1 -- Andover (16-9-3), winners of five of its last six, never trailed in this one. Big Blue senior Danny Collins (1g,1a) and junior Alex Small (1g,1a) led the scorers, and junior backstop Edouard Lord (25/26) took care of the rest. Northfield Mt. Hermon (14-13-1) sophomore Evan Akerman (26/30) took the loss, which ended the Hoggers' seven-game win streak.

Cushing 4 @ New Hampton 0 -- Cushing (19-7-2) senior defenseman Ryland Randle (2g,1a) led the offense and junior G Maksim Corovic (20/20) posted a shutout. The Penguins have won seven in a row, including four wins over Top 16 teams Brunswick, St. Mark's, Andover, and KUA. They have a Saturday game at Gov's -- another Top 16 team. Cushing is in a strong position to garner home ice for the Elite 8.

Deerfield 7 @ Kent 2 -- Deerfield (20-4-0) junior goaltender Elliot Lennon (22/24) continued his outstanding play and senior Drew Keiver (1g, 2a) led the scorers with three points. A group of his teammates -- five, to be exact -- added two points apiece. Deerfield has won 12 in a row -- counting KUA, Andover, and Avon among its victims -- and, if the season were to end today, would finish #1. They wrap up the regular season Friday at Westminster.

Roxbury Latin 5 @ BB&N 2 -- Roxbury Latin broke open a 2-2 game with three third-period goals -- all shorthanded tallies, two of which came from sophomore Nolan Cahill and the other from senior Cole Oberg (1g,1a). With the win, RL closes out the regular season with a 13-11-1 record. BB&N falls to 5-20-1.

@ Lawrence Academy 6, St. Sebastian's 3 -- Lawrence Academy (10-13-1) juniors Brady Matheson (2g) and Brady Ellis (2g) led the Spartans' offense and senior goaltender Kolin Belliveau (30/33) did his part in net. LA improves to 10-13-1. Seb's falls to 5-17-3.

Holderness 5 @ Dexter 4 --  In a game with a berth in the Elite 8 on the line, Holderness (20-5-1) took command with a four-goal second period, but it almost slipped away as Dexter tied it up with a pair in the third. The GWG, with 1:25 left in regulation, came off the stick of Bulls' senior Brayden Wade (2g), with helpers from postgrad Connor Dozois and senior Tanner Petalas. Bulls' seniors Jacob Duval (2g) and Arsene Beauregard (2a) also had strong outings. For Dexter, senior Sean Leetch (1g,1a), sophomore Noah Survilas (1g,1a), and junior Rian Chudzinski (2a) all had two points. Holderness junior G Mark Bierwirth (28/32) picked up another win. Dexter junior Colin Davis (33/38) took the loss. Holderness heads into the gauntlet of the Lakes Region Playoffs, starting with a Friday semifinal matchup vs. Tilton (5:00 pm). Dexter finishes the regular season 19-5-1 -- and holds home ice in the playoffs.

@ Loomis Chaffee 5, Choate 3 -- Loomis Chaffee (8-15-1) juniors Owen Schwarz (2g), Carson Woolcott (1g,1a), and Joey Catanzariti (1g,1a) led the Pelicans' scorers, and senior goaltender Liam Joyce kicked out 25 of 28 shots as Loomis won for the first time in six tries. Choate, under head coach Mike Pereira, has been stuck on eight wins for a week or so. Choate (8-14-2) last had an eight-win season in 2025-16 -- nine years ago. The Wild Boars can get to nine wins with a victory over Kent on Saturday. Either way, it's a big step from last season's 3-22-0 season.

@ Milton 4, Thayer 1 -- Milton (10-16-1) seniors Anthony Sergeyev (1g, 2a), Luis Valencia (2g), and Kyle Greene (2a) led the way for the Mustangs. Thayer falls to 15-11-1, and will host St. Seb's in the Valicenti Cup to finish the regular season on Saturday before next week's playoffs. Note: The Valicenti Cup is named in honor of the late Arthur Valicenti, who established the Thayer hockey program in 1958. Valicenti coached three sports -- football, hockey, and baseball -- and served as AD until retiring in 1991. Thayer's rink is named for him. Just in case you were wondering.

Noble & Greenough 6 @ Governor's 1 -- A four-goal second period put this one out of reach for Gov's -- and kept Nobles' (17-7-1) hopes for a berth in the Elite 8 alive. Top guns for the Bulldogs were seniors Kyle O'Leary (1g,4a)
and Ethan Cox (3g,1a). Junior Billy MacAusland (1g, 1a) and senior Lou Munger (2a) were other key contributors. In net, freshman Justin Lee (18/19) picked up the win. Nobles has won six of its last seven and will host Milton Saturday in the regular-season finale.

@ Kents Hill 4, Berwick 3 (OT) -- No box score submitted

Sat. 2/22/25

 

Prep Highlights
Saturday, February 22, 2025

@ Dexter 10, Kents Hill 2 -- Dexter (19-4-1) scored five first-period goals and cruised. Sophomore Noah Survilas (2g,2a), junior Rian Chudzinski (2g,2a), senior Sean Leetch (1g,2a), junior Matt Hines (2g), senior Nathan Porter (1g,1a), and senior Seamus Condon (1g,1a) led the points parade as Kents Hill (12-11-2) was outshot, 44-21. Kents Hill senior Felix-Antoine Parenteau (2g) scored both of his team's goals. Dexter came into the game in a scoring drought, with four goals total over its last three games (a tie vs. PA; and losses to SPS and Winchendon).

Governor's 4 @ St. Sebastian's 0 -- Senior Kye Smyrnios (2g) and sophomore Robbie Daley (1g, 1a) led Governor's (16-9-2) attack, and senior Zach Ericson posted a shutout. Governor's, with its third straight win improves to 16-9-2. St. Sebastian's falls to 5-16-3.

Northfield Mt. Hermon 2 @ Loomis Chaffee 1 -- NMH junior Easton Gates scored the GWG with 17 seconds left and senior goaltender Luke Laurino (39/40) had a day to remember. Before Gates's goal, NMH senior David Rainone had broken a 0-0 tie before Loomis sophomore Shane Fraser tied it up several minutes later. Loomis Chaffee senior goaltender Liam Joyce (20/22) took the loss. The Hoggers, who stood at 6-11-1 on February 1st, have won 6 straight and 8 of 9 to improve to 13-12-1. The Pelicans have lost three straight and fall to 7-14-1.

Stanstead College 4, Lawrenceville 0 -- In the Two Nations Prep playoffs, Stanstead (14-15-2) senior Jack Carter posted a 26-save shutout, and junior Aaron Chipp (1g,1a) and senior Oliver Plante (2a) had two points apiece. Lawrenceville falls to 7-15-1.

Pomfret 4 @ Millbrook 3 (OT) -- Pomfret senior -- and Babson commit Luke Corrigan (2g,1a) -- struck at 0:49 of overtime to give the Griffins the road win. Senior Matthew Itzkovitz (1g,1a), a Connecticut College commit, had a big day as well. And let's not forget senior Cole Leblanc (1a), who picked up a helper on Corrigan's OT strike. For Millbrook, junior Sam Gero (2g) led the attack. Pomfret junior Joey Mitchell (28/31) earned the win; Millbrook junior Dean Repaci (35/39) took the loss. The win ended a three-game losing streak for Pomfret (14-10-2) Millbrook falls to 10-16-1. 

@ New Hampton 7, Proctor 3 -- Senior Connor Pierson (1g,4a), postgrad Luke Gerardi (3g,1a), junior Matthew Homer (1g,2a), junior Dylan Podergois (1g,2a) and senior Broden Wood (2a) led the Huskies' attack. For Proctor, senior Beckett Homlish (2g) and junior Alex Bourque (1g,1a) had multiple points. New Hampton postgrad backstops Cole Pouliot-Porter (29/31) and Jack Roche (4/5) combined on the win. New Hampton (12-16-2) won its fourth straight. Proctor (9-17-1) has lost four of its last five.

@ St. Mark's 3, Lawrence Academy 2 (OT) -- St. Mark's (20-4-2) entered the third period trailing, 2-0, at home but got third-period goals from sophomores Phin Howard and Cam MacPherson to send the contest to OT, where sophomore Caiden Pellegrino struck for the GWG. Junior Evan Nee earned an assist on the play. For Lawrence Academy (9-13-1), juniors Brady Ellis (2g) and Michael Battista (2a) combined on both goals. St. Mark's senior G Justin BriseBois (26/28) posted another solid game. He hasn't allowed more than three goals in a game since December 7th.

@ Trinity-Pawling 7, Hotchkiss 4 -- T-P senior Liam Lefebvre, a University of Vermont commit, scored 4 goals (one an ENG) and added 2 assists to reach the 50-point mark on the season.  Junior Andrew Migliore (1g,3a), and seniors Nick Peragine (1g,2a) and Jack Rodman (1g,1a) also had big days for the Pride. For Hotchkiss, postgrad RJ Donohue (1g,1a), senior Jack McGregor (1g,1a), and sophomore Issac Oberting (2a) all had multiple points. In net, T-P senior Ondrej Matousek (30/34) bested Bearcats' senior Connor Towle (34/40). T-P stood at 3-7-0 after a Jan. 15th loss to Kent. Since then, they've gone 8-2-2 to improve to 11-9-2. Hotchkiss (6-16-1) has lost four straight since a 5-2 win over Avon on Feb. 14th.

Rivers 2 @ Middlesex 1 (OT) -- Rivers' freshman Finn Sears (1g) struck in OT to allow his team to overcome a big game from Middlesex senior goaltender Caio Bernardini, a Tufts University commit who frustrated Rivers all game, turning aside 37 of 39 shots. Freshman Carter Meyer (1a) and junior Justin Graf (2a), a Merrimack commit, picked up helpers on Sears's game-winner.  Rivers senior Will Hatten scored the third-period goal that sent the game to OT. Rivers junior G Derrick Huang (17/18) earned the W in net. Middlesex senior Alex Clapp scored his team's only goal. Rivers (19-5-1) has won 11 straight. Middlesex falls to 9-12-4.

@ North Yarmouth Academy 9,  Portsmouth Abbey 4 -- NYA senior Adrian Mendoza (2g, 3a) had a 5-point day, and juniors Harry Seely (2g), Jacob Colaluca (2g), and Jack Bathe (2a) each pitched in as well. For the Abbey, junior Drake Almeida (2g, 1a) and senior Logan McManus (2a) led the attack. NYA outshot PA, 34-30. NYA is 13-16-1; PA is 12-15-1.

Thayer 5 @ Tabor 2 -- Tabor (13-11-1) jumped ahead 2-1 at the tail end of the first, before Thayer (15-10-1) rattled off four unanswered to win its third straight game. Tigers' sophomore Michael Federico led the way with a goal and two assists, while seniors Kevin Delay (1g,1a) and Declan Devin (2a) were right behind. Tabor sophomore Liam Kailher (1g,1a) figured in both his team's goals. In goal, Tigers' junior Quinn Devin (34/36) excelled. Seawolves sophomore goalie Vinnie D'Urso (39/43) saw plenty of rubber in the loss.

@ Deerfield 4, Exeter 3 -- The #1 Big Green (19-4-0) survived a tight one down the stretch, topping Exeter (11-15-1) for an 11th straight win. Deerfield senior Lance Roberts scored a PPG and added a helper, while regular backup Nick Gerard (22/25) did enough between the pipes to earn the win. Junior goalie Brendan Petraco (31/35) took the loss for Exeter.

@ Roxbury Latin 3, Brooks 1 -- After RL (12-11-1) and Brooks (6-16-2) traded goals in the first, the hosts got second-period scores from seniors Thomas Pender -- the game-winner -- and Ben Dearden, who added an ENG. Dearden figured into all three Foxes' goals, twice by scoring and once by contributing an assist. Brooks has lost 11 of 12.

@ Taft 6, Brunswick 1 -- #5 Brunswick (18-5-3) tied the game 1-1 with eight minutes left in the first, but Taft (11-9-2) jumped back ahead on senior Matt Lemay's score 11 seconds later, and never relinquished the lead. Lemay (2g) and junior Domenico Clarizio (2g,2a) each scored twice, and Tufts commit Brady Morris made 34 saves on 35 shots. ’Wick's lone score came from Harvard commit Joe Salandra, while junior goalie Dylan Lee-Stack (31/37) was tagged with the loss.

@ Cushing 4, Kimball Union 2 -- KUA (21-7-2) took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, but Cushing (18-7-2) scored four unanswered across the second and third periods to seal its sixth straight win. Penguins' senior Max Dineen scored twice and junior goalie Maksim Corovic stopped 25 of his 27 chances. KUA's senior netminder Blake McMeniman (25/29) started strong but crumbled late.

@ Holderness 8, St. Paul's 1 -- #9 Holderness (19-5-1) delivered its second straight beatdown since losing to Winchendon Feb. 19th, this time to St. Paul's (11-17-1). Seniors Eli Chilicki (2g,1a) and Arsene Beauregard (1g,2a) led the way for the Bulls; and junior goalie Mark Bierwirth (23/24) was strong in the win. St. Paul's (11-17-1) deployed junior Blake Truchon (29/35) and junior William Birks (8/10) in net. 

Frederick Gunn 4 @ Choate 4 (OT) -- Choate (8-12-2) squandered a 3-1 second-period lead and fell behind 4-3, but senior Michael Papaspyros scored his second of the game with less than five minutes left, and the Wild Boars settled for a tie against Gunn (11-11-6). Highlanders junior d-man Tyler Clouthier scored twice. In net, Gunn senior Alfie Blakeley went 31/35 and Choate junior Jacob Saldanha was 23/27. Gunn, 1-5-1 over its last seven games, is now out of the New England playoff picture.

@ St. George's 5, Groton 3 -- St. George's senior Danny Buckley notched a hat trick, pacing the Dragons (14-10-2) en route to a home win over Groton (16-10-0). Four of his teammates, led by junior Max Donatelli (1g,1a), contributed multiple points. For the Zebras, junior Elliot Wood (1g,1a), senior Angus Frew, and freshman Bruce Li (2a) each had a couple of points. In net, St. George's sophomore Tyler King (33/36) earned the win; Groton junior Wes DiModica (35/41) took the loss.

@ Vermont Academy 4, Brewster Academy 2 -- VA senior Jack Marilley scored twice while junior Aiden Ayojiak added a goal and a helper. Brewster's goals came from freshman Evan Ashton and senior Austin Luciani. The Wildcats are 7-20-1. The Bobcats are 2-20-0. 

@ Canterbury 7, Kent 3 -- Canterbury (12-11-4), staked by senior Jake Pomichter's second-period hat trick, pulled away from a 4-3 game and raced past Kent (12-9-2). Sacred Heart commit Ryan Lucarelli, a senior, added a goal and two assists. Junior Avery Tymus had three helpers. Kent's offense, such as it was, was led by junior Lucas Husted-Edwards (1g, 1a) Kent used three goalies in the loss: junior Harvard commit Jacoby Weiner (12/17), senior Tyler Bhalla (10/11) and Keegan Waldo (3/4). Canterbury's Maxim Pitts (43/46) handled a peppering with aplomb.

@ Tilton 9, Hebron 1 -- Tilton PG Cam Tahey and senior Jeremy D'Souza each tallied dual hat tricks, with the latter adding an assist as well. In net, senior backup Marty Pierce (11/12) got the win for Tilton, but wasn't tested much. Lumberjacks' senior Evan Miller (37/46) took the loss. The Rams (18-7-2) have won four straight. 

 

Wed. 2/19/25

 

Prep Highlights
Wednesday, February 19, 2025

KUA Romps
Rivers Freshmen Tame Lions
Dexter Stunned
Wapitis Edge Bulls in OT
Lennon Shines
Bel Hill Lays an Egg
Nobles Wins 5th Straight
Penguins' Lund Strikes in OT

Westminster 4 @ Loomis Chaffee 1 -- Seniors Blake Burke and Derek Rhodes each scored a goal and added an assist, leading the way for Westy (11-8-2), which jumped ahead less than four minutes in and never looked back. Loomis (7-13-1) got its lone goal from sophomore Shane Fraser, who's now scored four times in the last three games. Between the pipes, junior Jack Fitchthorn (31/32) shined for Westy. Loomis senior Luke Quinn (26/30) took the loss. With the win, Westminster cracks the Top 16.

Frederick Gunn 4, Pomfret 3 -- In a neutral-site game played at Trinity College, Gunn senior Ian Kusis scored the game-winner 3:08 into OT, capping a furious comeback that lifted the Highlanders (11-10-5) over Pomfret (13-10-2). Gunn had trailed 3-1 with 13 minutes left in regulation, but sophomore Patrick Cerullo scored to make it a one-goal game and junior Dylan Hall sent the game to the extra period with a 6x5 goal with 1:12 left. In net, Gunn senior Logan Heideman (26/29) settled in and earned the win. Pomfret junior Joey Mitchell (30/34) started strong but faltered late. The win, for the time being, inserts Gunn into the final spot in the Small School tournament picture. Pomfret is one spot ahead.

@ New Hampton 4, Vermont Academy 1 -- New Hampton (10-16-1) got goals from four different scorers en route to completing the season sweep of Vermont Academy (6-19-1). Junior Matthew Homer (1g,1a) led the way for the victors. VA got its lone goal from senior Jack Marilley, late in the first. 

Kent 7 @ Hotchkiss 2 -- Kent (12-8-1) stormed out of the gate with four goals, including a shorty and a PPG, in the first seven minutes and rolled to a win over northwest Connecticut neighbor Hotchkiss (6-15-1). Cornell commit Jack Broderick and Dartmouth-bound Stefano Pietrantonio contributed two goals apiece, while junior Lucas Husted-Edwards scored once and added three helpers. In net, Hotchkiss starter Connor Towle (19/24) was yanked for backup Charlie Abel (24/26) after the first. On the other end, Harvard commit Jacoby Weiner (30/32) was strong for the Lions, who've won three in a row.

@ Tabor 3, St. Sebastian's 0 -- Tabor sophomore goalie Vinnie D'Urso blanked Seb's with a 30-save shutout, and senior Victor Desrochers' first-period goal was all the Seawolves (12-10-1) needed. Tabor added two empty-netters in the final two minutes. Seb's (5-15-3) got a 28/29 outing from sophomore Tommy Saulnier, but couldn't crack D'Urso on the other end. Tabor has alternated wins and losses over its last six, while Seb's has lost five in a row.

@ Winchendon 4, Holderness 3 (OT) -- Winchendon senior defenseman Johnny Harbour scored with 30 seconds left in OT, lifting the Wapitis (13-13-1) to a shocking upset of #9 Holderness (17-5-1). The Bulls had to scramble just to get the game to the extra period; Winchendon took a 3-0 lead near the end of the second period on junior Ben Short's seventh of the season. But Holderness senior Arsene Beauregard got his team on the board and, in the final two minutes of regulation, seniors Tanner Petalas and Jacob Duval struck 70 seconds apart to tie it up. It was all for naught, though, because Harbour potted the game-winner moments after. In net, Winchendon junior Brady Knode (37/40) got the win. Holderness junior Mark Bierwirth (27/31) took the loss.

@ St. Paul's 3, Dexter 1 -- #2 Dexter (18-3-1) took a 1-0 lead near the midpoint of the second, but St. Paul's (11-15-1) tied the game in the final minute of the period, thanks to sophomore Chay Simons's first prep goal. In the third, it was all Big Red: senior Matt Vohra scored the eventual game-winner and Harry Dermody added an ENG. Dexter hadn't lost a NEPSIHA game since Cushing beat them on Jan. 5th. St. Paul's, meanwhile, is a victory away from matching its highest win total since 2018-19.

@ Millbrook 6, Hoosac 2 -- Millbrook (10-15-1) took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, then, after a scoreless second, erupted for four goals in 11 minutes in the third. Mustangs' seniors Mason Walker and Michael Contino paced the attack with a goal and an assist apiece, while senior goalie Luke Dinsmore (24/26) picked up the win in net. Hoosac freshman Jackson Green stopped 25 of Millbrook's 31 shots. The Owls fall to 6-10-2.

@ Tilton 3, Brewster Academy 2 -- Brewster (2-18) made it interesting by closing a 3-0 deficit to 3-2, but Tilton (16-7-2) held on to keep pace in the Small School tournament race. Rams' senior Jeremy D'Souza led the way, assisting on classmate Cam Fahey's goal in the first, then scoring one of his own 11 seconds later. The Rams have put an early February slide behind them, and have won three of their last four games.

Thayer 5 @ Portsmouth Abbey 3 -- The Thayer sophomore duo of Ty Hymovitz (2g,1a) and Michael Federico (1g,1a) led the way as the Tigers (13-10-1) outlasted Portsmouth Abbey (12-14-1) and snapped a four-game losing streak. The Abbey outshot their visitors from the north, 41-29, but Thayer junior goalie Quinn Devin made 38 saves in the win. Ravens' sophomore goalie Easton Theberge (24/29) took the loss.

Nobles 6 @ BB&N 1 -- #4 Nobles, paced by two goals apiece from seniors Ethan Cox and Dennis Davidson, rolled on the road against BB&N (5-19-1). Yale commit Kyle O'Leary added a goal and two helpers. Sophomore John Williams scored the lone goal for the Knights. Nobles (16-6-1) has won five straight.

@ Williston Northampton 4, Canterbury 3 -- Juniors Declan Grenache and Owen Converse each scored a goal and added an assist, paving the way as Williston (9-14-1) edged Canterbury (11-11-4). The Saints held a 45-30 advantage in shots, but Wildcats' senior goalie Zack Tremblay (42/45) came up big in the win. Senior Maxim Pitts (27/30) took the loss for Canterbury, which has lost five of its last seven games.

@ Berkshire 8, Trinity-Pawling 3 -- Berkshire juniors James McMurray (4a), Matt Lacombe (2g,1a), and Dominic Somma (2g); and senior Evan Regan (2g) led the way, as the Bears (20-6-0) continued an impressive season with a thorough rear-end-whooping of T-P (10-9-1). All told, 13 Berkshire skaters saw their names etched onto the score sheet. Junior David Fridman (1g,1a) led T-P's attack. Berkshire, presently third in the Large School tournament picture, has responded with consecutive wins after back-to-back losses against Kent and Brunswick.

@ St. George's 4, Roxbury Latin 2 -- St. George's junior Aiden Ferreira scored twice, and Providence commit Marco Senerchia added a pair of assists. Plus, regular backup Dash George got the nod in net for the Dragons and turned aside 33 of the 35 shots sent his way. For the Foxes (11-11-1), senior captain Cole Oberg scored twice in defeat, and freshman goalie Lucas Dolan turned in a 27/31 outing. The win helped St. George's (13-9-2) banish some recent demons: the Dragons have won just twice in their last eight games.

Kimball Union 9 @ Proctor 2 -- KUA (21-6-2) bounced back from a mini two-game losing streak -- in which it scored two goals total -- with a scoring frenzy at Proctor (9-16-1). The Wildcats led 4-2 after one, the second period was scoreless, then the visitors exploded for five unanswered goals in the third. Seniors Max Kimelman (2g,1a) and CJ Watroba (2g,1a), and sophomore Rowen Sang (3a) each had three-point days. Sophomore G Luca Campo (27/29) picked up the win. KUA outshot Proctor, 33-29. Hornets' postgrad Colby Jewell assisted on both his team's goals.

Rivers 4 @ St. Mark's 2 -- Rivers, in a game rife with Elite 8 implications and marred by whistle-happy officials (15 total penalties), picked up its 10th straight win in a nail-biter at rival St. Mark's. St. Mark's got on the board first, when soph Thomas Birks converted a pass-out from behind the net 3:34 into the first, but, midway through the period, Rivers senior Will Irving, on the PP, banged home a rebound to send the teams into the first intermission tied at 1-1. With 4:16 left in the second, Rivers' freshman Carter Meyer scored an unassisted goal, deking St. Mark's senior goaltender Justin BriseBois and tucking it behind him, giving Rivers a 2-1 lead to take into the third period, where, just 2:09 in, St. Mark's sophomore Cam MacPherson (1g,1a) converted a goalmouth pass from junior linemate Grady Bishop to tie it 2-2, where it stayed until Rivers' freshman Sam Pandolfo (1g, 1a) fed linemate Carter Meyer (2g, 1a) and, on a bang-bang play, Meyer picked up his 37th goal of the season -- the GWG as it turned out. Pandolfo, from Meyer, added an empty-netter in the final minute. Rivers' freshmen Carter Meyer (2g,1a) and Pandolfo (1g,1a) led the Red Wings' scorers. St. Mark's sophomore center Cam MacPherson (1g,1a) figured in both Lions' goals. Rivers' junior G Derrick Huang (17/19) came up with some key saves in big situations, as did his counterpart, St. Mark's senior Justin BriseBois (23/26). Rivers improves to 18-5-1, with its last loss coming on Jan. 18th, a 4-3 loss to, you guessed it, St. Mark's. The Lions, 5-3-0 over its last 8, fall to 18-4-2.

Brunswick 3 @ Salisbury 3 (OT) -- With the extra attacker on and 26 seconds on the clock, senior Oliver Czaja banged home the rebound of a Cam Minella point shot to lift Brunswick (17-4-3) to a 3-3 road tie at Salisbury (16-6-4). In a big game with Elite 8 implications, little was settled, but the visitors redeemed themselves after digging themselves a hole in the first period, falling behind 3-0 before mounting a comeback. Salisbury seniors Ryan Hedley (1g, 1a), Connor Davis (2a), and Oliver Morris (2a)  led the Crimson Knights' scorers. Brunswick's multiple-point scorers were juniors Joe Salandra (2g,1a) and Mason St. Louis (2a); and freshman defenseman Cam Minella (2a). In net, Salisbury senior Steven Luciano kicked out 28 shots while his Brunswick counterpart, junior Dylan Lee-Stack, stopped 31.

Governor's 4 @ Lawrence Academy 1 -- Governors got goals from four different scorers and a sterling game from senior Zach Ericson (41/42) to knock off Lawrence. Gov's (15-9-2), which has moved into the Top 16, is 5-3-0 in its last 11 games. LA drops to 9-12-1.

Deerfield 3 @ Taft 1 -- The Big Green Machine rolls on, winning its ninth straight. Postgrad Cam Umlah, senior Justin Tavares (ENG), and junior Matteo Alvarez each notched a single goal, and junior goaltender Elliot Lennon (35/36) continued his superb play. Lennon (1.98/.927) hasn't allowed more than two goals in any game since Jan. 11th, a string of 11 games. Deerfield's win, combined with Dexter's loss to St. Paul's, lifts the Big Green into the #1 spot in JSPR points. Deerfield improves to 17-4-0, while Taft, which has lost five of its six games in February, drops to 10-9-2. Rhinos' senior Brady Morris (25/27) was strong in the loss.

@ Cushing 4, Andover 3 (OT) -- Senior Eric Lund's second goal of the game, at 3:03 of OT, lifted Cushing to its fifth straight win. Besides Lund's two goals, senior Alex Gomes (3a) and junior Axel Favreau (2a) were the Penguins' other top point producers. In net, Cushing junior Maksim Corovic (25/28) picked up the win; Andover
junior Edouard Lord (25/29) took the loss. Andover's top scorers were sophomore Alex Theodore (1g,2a), junior David O'Neill (2g), and senior Peyton Militello (2a). Andover (13-9-3) has lost four of its last six -- with all four losses against Top 16 teams. 

Northfield Mt. Hermon 5 @ Exeter 4 (OT) --  NMH junior Joey Dellacroce's goal at 1:22 of OT gave the Hoggers a 5-4 win at Exeter. Northfield Mt. Hermon sophomore Evan Akerman (40/44) was also a key factor, as NMH was outshot, 44-23. Dellacroce (1g,1a), fellow junior Easton Gates (2a), and senior Filip Svodoba (2a) all had two points for NMH. Seniors Will Cavanagh (3a) and Dryden Dervish (2g) were Exeter's top guns. NMH has won five in a row -- and seven of its last eight -- to reach the .500 mark at 12-12-1. Exeter (11-14-1) has lost four of its last six.

@ Milton 5, Belmont Hill 2 -- Milton seniors Kyle Greene (3g,1a), Anthony Sergeyev (3a), and Luis Valencia (1g,1a), and sophomores Michael Shaw (1g,1a) and Chance Bolton (2a) led the attack as the Mustangs took it to the visitors. Juniors Patrick Woods (1g) and Mathew Carorlan scored the Sextants' goals. Bel Hill (17-5-2) is 3-2-0 over its last five as it struggles to remain in the Elite 8. Milton (9-15-1) ended a three-game skid.

Groton 4 @ Brooks 2 -- Groton junior goaltender Wes DiModica kicked out 44 of 46 shots and four different scorers found the back of the net to lead the Zebras. Brooks' sophomore Harry Jackson (2a) figured in both his team's goals. Groton (16-9-0) was won four straight. Brooks (6-14-2) has lost nine of its last 10.

Tues. 2/18/25

 

A New #1 in USHR Prep Poll

This week's prep poll -- the final one of the season -- is now posted. Check it out here:

USHR Prep Poll, Week of February 17th, 2025

Sun. 2/16/25 -- Last Update: Fri. 2/28 

Prep Boys' Composite Schedule
Monday, February 17th through the End of the Season

 
Monday, February 17, 2025
Salisbury @ Westminster, 4:00 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Kent, 4:00 pm -- Ppd. to Thurs. Feb. 20 @ 5:00 pm
Worcester Academy @ Austin Prep, 4:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Groton, 5:00 pm
Berkshire @ Hotchkiss, 5:00 pm
Canterbury @ Frederick Gunn School, 5:00 pm
Maine Prep Cup @ Kents Hill School:
Consolation, 4:00 pm -- Hebron vs. Bridgton
Championship, 6:00 pm  -- NYA vs. Kents Hill

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
The Hill School @ Delbarton, 4:30 pm

Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Frederick Gunn School vs. Pomfret, 2:00 pm -- at Trinity College
Kent @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Westminster, 2:30 pm
Mount St. Charles @ Austin Prep, 2:30 pm
Vermont Academy @ New Hampton, 2:45 pm
Choate @ Avon Old Farms, 3:00 pm -- now 3:30 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Tabor, 3:30 pm
Holderness @ Winchendon, 3:30 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Berkshire, 3:45 pm
Rivers @ St. Mark's, 4:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Proctor, 4:00 pm
Pingree @ Worcester Academy, 4:00 pm
Canterbury @ Williston Northampton, 4:00 pm
Governor's @ Lawrence Academy, 4:15 pm
Thayer @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:30 pm
Dexter @ St. Paul's, 4:30 pm
Groton @ Brooks, 4:30 pm
Brewster Academy @ Tilton, 4:30 pm
Hoosac @ Millbrook, 4:30 pm
Deerfield @ Taft, 4:45 pm
Andover @ Cushing, 5:00 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Brunswick @ Salisbury, 5:00 pm
Berwick @ Kents Hill, 5:00 pm
Roxbury Latin @ St. George's, 5:15 pm
Noble & Greenough @ BB&N, 5:15 pm
Belmont Hill @ Milton, 5:15 pm
Wilbraham & Monson @ Hebron, 5:45 pm

Thursday, February 20, 2025
Trinity-Pawling @ Kent, 4:00 pm -- Makeup of Mon. Feb. 17th

Friday, February 21, 2025
Two Nations Prep Playoffs (Through Sunday)  TNPP Playoff Schedule
Vermont Academy @ Holderness, 3:00 pm
Dexter @ Winchendon, 4:45 pm
Milton @ Thayer, 5:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Berwick, 5:00 pm
Hebron @ Pingree, 5:00 pm
Brooks @ Andover, 5:15 pm
Tabor @ St. George's, 5:45 pm
New Hampton @ Brewster Academy, 5:45 pm
Frederick Gunn School @ Brunswick, 6:00 pm
Deerfield @ Williston Northampton, 6:00 pm
Tilton @ St. Paul's, 7:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Belmont Hill, 7:00 pm
Wilbraham & Monson @ Worcester Academy, 8:00 pm

Saturday, February 22, 2025
Two Nations Prep Playoffs -- TBD -- through Sunday
Governor's @ St. Sebastian's, 12:30 pm
Pomfret @ Millbrook, 2:00 pm
Rivers @ Middlesex, 2:00 pm
Proctor @ New Hampton, 2:30 pm
Brooks @ Roxbury Latin, 2:30 pm
Salisbury @ Avon Old Farms, 3:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ St. Mark's, 3:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Trinity-Pawling, 3:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ North Yarmouth Academy, 3:15 pm
Groton @ St. George's, 3:30 pm -- now 4:30 pm
Brewster Academy @ Vermont Academy, 3:30 pm
Westminster @ Berkshire, 3:45 pm
Andover @ Pingree, 3:45 pm
Kents Hill @ Dexter, 4:00 pm
Thayer @ Tabor, 4:00 pm
Austin Prep @ Wilbraham & Monson, 4:00 pm
Hebron @ Tilton, 4:00 pm
Exeter @ Deerfield, 4:00 pm
Frederick Gunn School @ Choate, 4:30 pm
Brunswick @ Taft, 4:45 pm
Kimball Union @ Cushing, 5:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Holderness, 5:30 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Loomis Chaffee, 6:00 pm
Kent @ Canterbury, 7:00 pm

Sunday, February 23, 2025
Two Nations Prep Playoffs -- TBD -- through Sunday
Choate @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 1:00 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Millbrook, 1:00 pm
Hebron @ Kents Hill, 2:00 pm

Monday, February 24, 2025
Austin Prep @ Exeter, 4:00 pm
Berwick @ Worcester Academy 4:00 pm
Canterbury @ Berkshire, 5:15 pm
Winchendon @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:15 pm
Hebron @ Brewster Academy, 5:30 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Pomfret, 5:45 pm -- now 5:00 pm

Tuesday, February 25, 2025
No games scheduled

Wednesday, February 26, 2025
-- Holt Conference Quarterfinals --
#7 Hebron @ #2 Portsmouth Abbey, 2:00 pm
#6 Berwick @ #3 Kents Hill, 4:00 pm
#5 NYA @ #4 Worcester Academy, 4:00 pm
--------------------------------------------------------------
Berkshire @ Millbrook, 2:00 pm -- now 2:30 pm
Westminster @ Frederick Gunn School, 2:00 pm
Pomfret @ Wilbraham & Monson, 2:45 pm
Taft @ Trinity-Pawling, 3:00 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Canterbury, 3:15 pm
Middlesex @ Groton, 3:30 pm
St. George's @ St. Mark's, 3:30 pm
Brooks @ Rivers, 3:30 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Lawrence Academy, 4:00 pm
Proctor @ Brewster Academy, 4:15 pm
Cushing @ New Hampton, 4:30 pm
Hotchkiss @ Salisbury, 4:30 pm
Andover @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 4:30 pm
Roxbury Latin @ BB&N, 4:30 pm
Holderness @ Dexter, 4:45 pm
Deerfield @ Kent, 4:45 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Governor's, 4:45 pm
Tabor @ Belmont Hill, 5:00 pm
Winchendon @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Austin Prep @ Hoosac, 5:00 pm
Thayer @ Milton, 5:30 pm
Choate @ Loomis Chaffee, 6:45 pm

Thursday, February 27, 2025
No games scheduled

Friday, February 28, 2025
-- Lakes Region Tournament -- Semifinals
#4 New Hampton @ #1 KUA, 4:30 pm
#3 Tilton @ #2 Holderness, 5:00 pm
-- Holt Conference Playoffs -- Semifinals
#4 NYA @ #1 Pingree, 4:30 pm
#3 Kents Hill @ #2 Portsmouth Abbey, 6:00 pm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Frederick Gunn School @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 5:00 pm
Deerfield @ Westminster, 5:00 pm
St. Mark's @ BB&N, 5:15 pm
Hoosac @ Williston Northampton, 6:00 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Thayer, 7:00 pm
Brunswick @ Trinity-Pawling, 5:00 pm

Saturday, March 1, 2025
-- Lakes Region Tournament --
Championship: #2 Holderness @ #1 KUA, 4:30 pm
Consolation: #4 New Hampton @ #3 Tilton, 4:00 pm
-- Holt Conference Playoffs --
Championship: #4 NYA @ #2 Portsmouth Abbey, 4:00 pm
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cats Academy @ Austin Prep, 1:00 pm
Hoosac @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 1:30 pm
Belmont Hill @ Westminster, 1:30 pm
St. George's @ Middlesex, 1:45 pm
St. Mark's @ Groton, 2:00 pm
Frederick Gunn School @ Berkshire, 2:00 pm
Cushing @ Governor's, 2:00 pm
Pomfret @ Williston Northampton, 2:00 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Millbrook, 2:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Taft, 2:45 pm
Tabor @ Lawrence Academy, 3:30 pm
Wilbraham & Monson @ Canterbury, 3:30 pm
BB&N @ Brooks, 4:00 pm
Andover @ Exeter, 4:15 pm
Milton @ Noble & Greenough, 4:15 pm
Salisbury @ Winchendon, 4:30 pm
Kent @ Choate, 5:00 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Loomis Chaffee, 6:00 pm

-- END OF NEPSAC REGULAR SEASON --

Sunday, March 2, 2025
Bishop's College School @ Stanstead College, 4:00 pm

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
NEPSAC Tournament
Quarterfinals at Campus Sites

Saturday, March 8, 2025
NEPSAC Tournament
Semifinals at Campus Sites

Sunday, March 9, 202
NEPSAC Tournament
Championship Sunday at the University of Connecticut

Sat. 2/25/25 

Prep Highlights
Saturday, February 15, 2025

@ Brunswick 3, Berkshire 2 -- In a battle between two TUCs, Berkshire held a 2-1 lead early in the third period, but Brunswick rallied with goals 49 seconds apart from freshman Cameron Minella and senior Oliver Czaja. 'Wick soph Harry Holland had two assists and junior Joe Salandra scored the Bruins' first-period goal. Between the pipes, Brunswick junior Dylan Lee-Stack (24/26) earned the win; Berkshire senior Kyle Bolduc (13/16) took the loss.  Juniors Dominic Somma (1g) and Carter Johnson (1g) scored Berkshire's goals. Brunswick (17-4-2) has won four of its last five; Berkshire (18-6-0) has won four of its last six.

@ Salisbury 6, Loomis Chaffee 3 -- Salisbury broke open a 2-2 game with 4 unanswered third-period goals. Senior Connor Davis (1g, 2a), postgrad Jake Novak (1g, 1a), and senior Ryan Hedley (1g, 1a) led the Crimson Knights' attack. Sophomore Shane Fraser (2g) and senior Luke Collins (2a) each had two points for the Pelicans. In goal, Salisbury senior Steven Luciano (15/18) picked up the win; Loomis Chaffee senior Liam Joyce (28/33) took the loss. Salisbury (16-5-3) has won five in a row and is 13-1-1 over its last 15 games. Loomis falls to 7-12-1.

Choate 3 @ Exeter 2 -- Choate (8-11-1) broke a 1-1 third-period tie with back-to-back goals from juniors Harris Pangretitsch and Greg Najda. In net, Choate junior Jacob Saldanha (31/33) outdueled Exeter junior Brendan Petraco (28/31). Choate has won three of its last four. Exeter falls to 11-13-1.

Westminster 4 @ Pomfret 0 -- Visiting Westminster (9-8-2)  broke open a 0-0 third-period tie on a goal from junior -- and Colgate commit -- Tommy Coccaro (1g, 1a). The Martlets followed up with a couple of empty-netters and, with six seconds remaining, senior Derek Rhodes (1g) scored a full-strength goal. Both goalies stood out. Westminster junior Jack Fichthorn (30/30) picked up the shutout, while Pomfret (13-9-2) junior Joey Mitchell (37/39) took the hard-luck loss. 

Cushing 3 @ Canterbury 2 -- The two teams swapped powerplay goals in the first and even-strength goals in the second. With the score tied at 2-2 midway through the third, Cushing junior Axel Favreau scored the game-winner, with assists going to d-men Ryland Randle and Tommy Bleyl. Senior Max Dineen (1g, 1a) and sophomore Joseph Covelluzzi scored the Penguins' other goals.  For the Saints, juniors Tommy Browne (1g, 1a) and Avery Tymus (2a) figured in both their team's goals. In net, Cushing junior Maksim Corovic (28/30) picked up the win; Canterbury senior Maxim Pitts (28/31) took the loss. Cushing (16-7-2) has won four straight; Canterbury (10-10-4) has lost three straight.

@ Holderness 7, Kimball Union 2 -- Any doubters pointing to Holderness's strength of schedule -- a perennial parlor game in prep circles -- may have to eat humble pie now, for the Bulls (17-4-1) emphatically avenged last weekend's 5-2 loss to KUA (20-6-2). In today's rematch, a scoreless period set the stage for a busy second, after which the Bulls took a 3-2 lead to take into the second intermission. Then, in the third, Holderness put things out of reach with a four-goal stanza. Senior Tanner Petalas (2g, 1a), postgrad Connor Dozois (1g, 2a), and seniors Jacob Duval (2g), Brayden Wade (1g, 1a) and Will Rob (2a) each had two or more points. In net, Holderness junior Mark Bierwirth (23/25) earned the win. Kimball Union senior Blake McMeniman (28/35) took an uncharacteristic loss. Before this, only once all season had McMeniman given up more than three goals in a game.

Williston Northampton 4 @ Millbrook 3 -- With 26 seconds to play, Williston freshman Brayden White (1g) scored the GWG, with assists going to senior Cal Hoyt (2g, 1a) and sophomore Easton Anello (2a). Junior Declan Grenache (1g) scored Williston's other goal. For the Mustangs, senior David Ambuhl (1g, 1a) and sophomore CJ List (1g, 1a) provided the offensive spark. In net, Williston Northampton senior Zack Tremblay (34/37) bested Millbrook junior Dean Repaci (18/22).

@ New Hampton 5, Brewster 2 -- Seniors Jack Mombouquette (1g, 1a), Conor Griffin (1g, 1a), and Connor Pierson (2a), and junior Johnny Niemela (1g, 1a), led the Huskies' offense. In net, New Hampton junior Sam Zygulski bested Brewster Academy sophomore JR Bonia. New Hampton is 9-16-2. Brewster falls to 2-17-0.

@  Governor's 3, Tabor 2 -- Gov's (14-9-2) junior Tripp Schuhwerk aka "Mr. Saturday" once again came up big, scoring -- with an assist from sophomore Jack Torr -- a third-period GWG. Earlier, Gov's had scored twice in the first, but Tabor (11-10-1) answered with two in the second. In net, Gov's senior Zach Ericson (34/36) earned the win. Tabor sophomore Vinnie D'Urso (41/44) suffered a hard-luck loss. Gov's Schuhwerk, committed to Rutgers for lacrosse, has scored 5 of his 9 goals this season over the last three Saturdays -- including the game-winner in all three.

Brooks 5 @ St. George's 2 -- Brooks (6-13-2), which carried an eight-game losing streak down to Rhode Island, emerged with a 5-2 win over St. George's (12-9-2) in a game in which they never trailed. Contributors were legion: seniors Brendan Peck (1g, 1a) and Griffin Bucci (1g, 1a); sophomore Nick Sumner (1g, 1a), and
junior Nick Dias (2a).  In net, Brooks senior Ethan Roy (29/32) earned the win; St. George's sophomore Tyler King (28/33) took the loss. St. Gorge's, after a strong start to the season, has faded lately, going 1-5-1 over the last seven.

Deerfield 3 @ Avon Old Farms 0 -- Deerfield junior goaltender Elliot Lennon (30/30) handed Avon its first donut of the season and postgrad Ben Paterson (2g, 1a) figured in all three Big Green goals, including 4x3 and 5x4 shorthanded goals in the second period. Sophomore Nathan Caples added an insurance goal in the third period. Deerfield continues to scorch opponents, having won 8 straight, and 9 of 11. Avon has lost 5 of 7 and is receding rapidly from the Elite 8 field.

@ Portsmouth Abbey 4, Kents Hill 1 -- PA (12-12-1) got goals from four different scorers, the last an ENG, and a big game out of senior goaltender Giuliano Al Asmar (22/23) in dispatching Kents Hill (10-10-2).  Kents Hill junior Tristan Bourassa (31/34) took the loss. The Abbey is 4-1-1 over its last six.

Noble & Greenough 4 @ Milton 3 --The usual suspects -- junior Billy MacAusland (3a), and senior Kyle O'Leary (2g), Ted MacAusland (1g, 1a), and Dennis Davidson (1g, 1a) -- led the scoring parade for Nobles. This was a 2-2 game entering the third period, when Nobles got the GWG from Davidson, followed by an insurance goal from O'Leary. Bulldogs' freshman G Justin Lee (18/21) picked up the win. Milton sophomore G Eli Zucker (32/36) took the loss. Nobles has won four straight and nine of its last 11 as it pushes for home ice in the Elite 8.

Pingree 4 @ North Yarmouth Academy 1 -- Pingree got goals from four different scorers and strong goaltending from junior Von Larson (30 saves) in its win at NYA (12-15-1). Pingree was 7-8-1 on January 24th. They've won eight in a row since to improve to 15-8-1.

St. Mark's 3 @ Middlesex 2 -- Junior Max Santos scored the GWG early in the third period, junior Moussa Seydi (3a) assisted on all three St. Mark's goals, and senior G Cassidy Kittredge kicked out 22 of 24 shots as St. Mark's (18-3-2) squeaked past Middlesex (9-11-4). St. Mark's has won 5 of its last 6.

Taft 5 @ Hotchkiss 2 -- Taft star Jason Rothstein, a junior and a Harvard commit, notched a hat trick and senior Preston Hidy had a goal and two assists to lead the Rhinos past rival Hotchkiss. In net, Taft senior Brady Morris (31/33) 54:00 earned the win; Hotchkiss senior Connor Towle (32/37) took the loss. With the win, Taft put an end to its four-game losing streak.

Sat. 2/15/25 --

 

Today's Updated Schedule

Please let us know if we're missing anything at staff@ushr.com .Thank you and drive safely.

Saturday, February 15, 2025
Hebron @ Albany Academy, 12:00 pm
Pingree @ North Yarmouth Academy, 1:00 pm
Westminster @ Pomfret, 1:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ New Hampton, 1:30 pm
Tabor @ Governor's, 2:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Middlesex, 2:00 pm
BB&N @ Belmont Hill, 2:00 pm
Taft @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Winchendon, 2:30 pm 
Berkshire @ Brunswick, 3:00 pm -- now 1:00 pm
Cushing @ Canterbury, 3:00 pm -- now 1:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ St. Paul's, 3:00 pm
Cats Academy @ Austin Prep, 3:30 pm
Kents Hill @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:00 pm
Hoosac @ Wilbraham & Monson, 4:00 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Salisbury, 4:15 pm -- now 1:15 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Milton, 4:15 pm
Williston Northampton @ Millbrook, 4:30 pm -- now 12:30 pm
Brooks @ St. George's, 4:30 pm -- now 3:30 pm
Deerfield @ Avon Old Farms, 5:00 pm -- now 3:00 pm
Choate @ Exeter, 5:00 pm -- now 12:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Holderness, 5:00 pm
Lawrenceville @ Frederick Gunn School, 5:30 pm
Nichols @ The Hill School, 5:30 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Kent, 6:00 pm  -- ppd. to Mon. 2/17, 4:00 pm
Proctor @ Berwick, 6:00 pm
Mount St. Charles @ Worcester Academy, 7:00 pm 

 

Fri. 2/14/25 (updated Sat. 1/25)

 

JSPR: Looking Under the Hood

Earlier this month we analyzed the potential teams in the hunt for a spot in the Elite 8. The write up was intentionally light on statistical details so as to not distract from the focal point, i.e., which teams have a realistic shot at making it into the Stewart/Corkery Tournament. Today, however, we’re going to take a deep dive into the ranking system used by NEPSIHA to determine end-of-season playoff seedings.

First, a brief bit of history. Prior to the 2012-13 season, playoff seedings for the Elite 8 and Small/Large school tournaments were decided by committee. At the end of the regular season coaches would gather at a predetermined location, and debate which teams should -- or should not -- be granted a spot in one of the playoff tournaments. Under time pressure (everything had to be decided by the meeting’s end), you can imagine that things would get heated.

To avoid the annual playoff seedings meeting drama, moving to a statistical model was deemed to be the fairest approach, which was the impetus that led to the creation of JSPR, an algorithm similar to the Pairwise Power Rankings that was developed here at USHR by Taft and Carnegie Mellon graduate Jeremy Philipson.

Now, what is JSPR? An algorithm. What’s an algorithm? A sequence of steps. Ok, let’s examine the steps involved in the ranking process.

The foundation of JSPR is based on RPI (Ratings Percentage Index); it provides a snapshot of each team’s strength compared to that of every other NEPSIHA team. To arrive at any given team’s RPI we calculate the winning percentage -- (win + (tie / 2.0)) / (win + loss + tie) – in three phases, each weighted accordingly:

1) Teams' winning percentage (25%); i.e. how well a team performs in its games
2) Opponent’s winning percentage (21%); i.e. how well have your opponents performed
3) Opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage (54%); essentially, the overall strength of a team’s schedule

Using the above three phases we then apply the RPI formula:
(WP * 0.25) + (OWP * 0.21) + (OOWP * 0.54)

With the RPI calculated we can now proceed to JSPR, which consists of four criteria used to compare the top 16 teams by RPI against each other:

1. Head-to-head result(s), i.e. if the teams have actually played each other during the season.
2. Comparing two teams' RPI, i.e. how they fared against all other NEPSIHA teams
3. Record against mutual opponents, i.e. when two teams have played the same opponents, how each has fared.
4. Record against TUCs (Teams Under Consideration), i.e. how teams have fared in head-to-head play against other top 16 teams as determined by the RPI.

Any team that wins the criteria comparison against a fellow Top 16 team is granted a JSPR point. If there’s a comparison tie, the team with the greater RPI wins the JSPR point. By totaling up the JSPR points for each team a provisional ranking is arrived at.

Since it’s not uncommon for a JSPR points tie to occur between two or more teams, to arrive at the final ranking we need to apply the JSPR tie-breaker rules, which are as follows:

1) Winner of JSPR comparison, if applicable
2) Winner of head-to-head result(s), if applicable
3) Winner of RPI

In other words, if there is no winner of the JSPR comparison between two JSPR-points-tied teams, and they have not played each other, the final fallback is RPI; otherwise, the winner of JSPR comparison or head-to-head result(s) comparison (in that order) gets a tie-breaker point. For each team in a tie-breaker group we apply the tie-breaker rules; tally up the tie-breaker points and sort in order by tie-breaker points. If the entire group has the same number of tie-breaker points, we fallback to RPI as the end-all-be-all tie-breaker. Astute readers may wonder, are four decimal places sufficient to break a tie? Yes, because, behind the scenes, RPI is calculated to the sixteenth decimal place – suffice to say, there won’t be any end-of-season RPI ties in the next quadrillion or so years.

To make the tie-breaker rules concrete, let’s take a look at a current example. Today, Belmont Hill, Brunswick, and Nobles each have 9 JSPR points, and are also tied with respect to the JSPR comparison step. At first glance, one might think that Nobles should be ranked above Belmont Hill (since Nobles won their head-to-head game on Dec. 8th), but that would only apply if they were the only tied teams – Nobles hasn’t played Brunswick this season, and therefore loses the tie-breaker via RPI. Similarly, Brunswick loses the tie-breaker to Bel Hill via RPI (as per NEPSIHA rules Bel Hill’s double-OT win over Brunswick on Dec. 28th goes in the books as tie). Each team in the group has an equal number of tie-breaker points, hence the fallback to RPI to set the order.

After that, determining playoff seedings is elementary. For the Elite 8, take the top 8 teams by JSPR, and set them aside. Next, for the Large and Small school tournaments, take the remaining teams as determined by RPI, sort them by school size, and the tournament fields are set.

We hope this crash course in how the playoff seedings are determined has been helpful!

A final note: current RPI, JSPR, and Playoff Seedings, along with their projected equivalents can be viewed from desktop/laptop/tablet devices under 'Playoffs' in the main navigation menu of ushr.com, and from the 'More' menu on mobile phones. All of the aforementioned are calculated in real time. That is, every new game result added affects the playoff picture. Things change quickly -- and often dramatically. So stay tuned!

Wed. 2/12/25

 

Prep Highlights
Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Assist King Graf Racks Up Six More
Kent's Weiner Flips the ScriptSalisbury Sneaks Up LateDeerfield Stays HotNobles' Freshman Lee Slams DoorAvon Wins, Stays on Elite 8 BubbleAndover's Lord Shuts Out KUASeawolves' Sheehan Strikes in OT
@ Kent 5, Berkshire 1 -- Kent (11-8-1) junior goaltender Jacoby Weiner kicked out 43 of 44 shots to lead the Lions past Berkshire, 5-1. Weiner, a 6'4" Harvard commit, hasn't lived up to his billing in his first year in the prep ranks, but he certainly did in this one. Junior Jack Broderick (1g, 2a), a Cornell recruit, led all scorers. Juniors Aiden Grinshpun (2g) and Lucas Husted-Edwards (1g, 1a), and senior Luke Dow (1g, 1a) all chipped in with a couple of points. Berkshire (18-5-0) saw its four-game win streak -- including back-to-back wins over Salisbury and Avon -- halted. Bears' senior Kyle Bolduc (12/17) had a forgettable day in goal. 

Cushing 5, Brunswick 0 -- In a game played at Sacred Heart University, Cushing (14-7-2) senior Zach White posted a 20-save shutout to lead the Penguins past Brunswick (15-4-2). Senior Max Dineen (3a) and sophomores Joseph Covelluzzi (2g) and Chase Warsofsky (1g, 1a) led the attack. Brunswick junior goalie Dylan Lee-Stack (30/35) took the loss. Brunswick banked some wins against strong teams in December and, as a result, is still very much in the Elite 8 picture, but, since the holidays they haven't done much. The next week will be crucial, as they face Gunn, Berkshire (again), and Salisbury.

Hotchkiss 2 @ Westminster 2 (OT) -- Both Hotchkiss senior Connor Towle (37/39) and Westminster junior Jack Fichthorn (31/33) had strong games in net. Senior Jack McGregor (1g, 1a) and junior Aidan Patton were the Bearcats' (5-12-1) goal scorers. Senior Easton Masse and Blake Burke came through for Westy (7-8-2).

@ Trinity-Pawling 4, Canterbury 2 -- T-P (10-8-1) scored two goals in the second and sailed to the win. Pride senior Liam Lefebvre, a University of Vermont commit, had a goal and two assists, and classmate Nick Peragine had two assists. Canterbury (10-9-4) seniors Jake Pomichter (1g, 1a) and senior Ryan Lucarelli scored the Saints' goals.

Groton 6 @ BB&N 3 -- Groton (14-9-0) scored one in the first, two in the second, and three in the third to salt this one away. Junior Kaiden Donia (1g, 3a) and sophomore Harrison Freelove (1g, 2a) were the top guns for the Zebras. BB&N (5-17-0) senior Noah Rosado (2g) and junior Ben Romer (2a) each had two points for the Knights.

St. Paul's 5 @ Brewster 0 -- St. Paul's (10-14-1) junior goaltender Blake Truchon posted a 28-save shutout and five different scorers found the back of the net -- four in the third period -- to knock off Brewster (2-16-0).

Salisbury 4 @ Taft 3 --  Taft, playing at home, took a 3-2 lead into the third, but couldn't hold it as Salisbury came back with a pair of goals -- from PG Keanan Hodgson and senior Oliver Morris -- to sneak home with the win. Morris (1g, 2a) and postgrad Jake Jarrell (2a) had multiple points for the Crimson Knights. For Taft senior Matt Lemay (2g, 1a) and Harvard commit Jason Rothstein (1g, 1a) did the same. In net, Salisbury junior Jordan Rittenberg (20/23) earned the win. Taft senior Brady Morris (35/39) faced a lot more rubber, but took the hard-luck loss. Salisbury (15-5-3) is 12-1-1 over its last 14 games. Taft (9-8-2) has lost four straight.

Deerfield 3 @ Loomis Chaffee 1 -- Big Green senior Justin Tavares -- a Denver lacrosse recruit -- paced his team with a goal and an assist, extending the Deerfield (15-4-0) win streak -- which has rocketed it near the top of the Elite 8 picture -- to seven straight. In net, Elliot Lennon, a junior, went 24/25 in the win. Loomis senior G Luke Quinn (26/29) took the loss.

Holderness 5 @ Tilton 2 -- After a scoreless first period, Holderness (16-4-1) pulled away with a three-goal second frame and picked up a key road win over Tilton (14-7-2). Bulls' senior d-man Jeremy Poirier (2g,1a) and his mate on the blue line, sophomore Tegan Gregory (3a) led all scorers. In the blue paint, Holderness junior Mark Bierwirth (22/24) earned the win, while Tilton junior Hunter Marshall did well to go 39/44. The Bulls have won five of six -- their lone loss in that span came to fellow Lakes Region giant Kimball Union. Tilton is 1-1-3 over its last five games and continues to slide toward the bottom of the Small School tournament standings.

@ Rivers 6, St. George's 3 -- Rivers senior Will Hatten tallied a hat trick and added an assist, and classmate Will Irving added two goals and three helpers. Incredibly, Red Wings junior Justin Graf assisted on all six of his team's goals and raised his league-leading assist total to 34. In net, junior Derrick Huang (19/22) picked up the win. For St. George's, junior Max Donatelli scored twice, and sophomore goalie Tyler King (32/37) took the loss between the pipes. Rivers (16-5-1) has won eight straight games.

@ Nobles 3, Governor's 0 -- Nobles freshman Justin Lee posted a 31-save shutout en route to a third straight win for the Bulldogs (14-6-1). Lee's shutout was backed by second-period goals from seniors Ethan Cox and Dennis Davidson, plus an ENG from Yale recruit Kyle O'Leary. Cox figured into two of the three goals for Nobles. Gov's (13-8-2) got a 31/33 effort from senior G Zach Ericson in the loss.

Avon Old Farms 7 @ Frederick Gunn 2 -- Avon sophomore Nico Ciardiello (2g,1a) and Dartmouth-bound junior Indiana Grossbard (1g,2a) each racked up three points as the Winged Beavers (13-5-0) vented their frustrations from a recent three-loss-in-four-game stretch with a thorough dismantling of Gunn (10-7-5). In net, junior G Anthony Palmer (24/26) picked up the win. Still, Avon remains on the bubble in the Elite 8 picture with seven games left.

@ Andover 4, Kimball Union 0 -- Andover junior goalie Edouard Lord, standing in for struggling senior Chase Anderson, recorded a 37-save shutout, becoming the first netminder all season to blank reigning prep champion Kimball Union (20-5-2). Lord had played just eight total minutes before Jan. 22nd. Andover's attack was paced by Yale-bound senior Rui Han (1g,1a). The Big Blue (12-8-3) snap a three-game slide, and jump -- for the time being -- into third place in the Large School tournament field. KUA (20-5-2) is clinging to the final spot in the Elite 8 picture.

Lawrence 5 @ Thayer 4 (OT) -- LA sophomore Luke Allen capped a hat trick with the game-winner, almost three minutes into OT. Earlier, Thayer sophomore Ty Hymovitz sent the game to OT with a PPG, his second goal of the game, with 1:25 left in regulation. Lawrence senior Ty Wood scored twice and added two helpers. The win saves the Spartans (7-11-1) from a three-game losing streak. Thayer (12-9-1) has lost three straight.

@ Dexter 4, New Hampton 2 -- A goal from New Hampton junior Matthew Horner put his team up 2-1 going into the third period, and New Hampton (8-16-2) had top-seeded Dexter (18-2-0) on the ropes. In the third, though, Dexter bore down, and scored three unanswered to secure its fourth straight win. Junior Joseph Marchi delivered the game-tying goal before sophomore d-man Myles Brosnan potted the eventual game-winner. In goal, Dexter junior Kyle Ready (18/20) was the winner. New Hampton PG Cole Pouliot-Porter (33/37) saw a lot of rubber in the loss. 

@ Northfield Mt. Hermon 7, Williston Northampton 5 -- Williston (7-14-1) scored first, then NMH (10-12-1) scored four straight, then Williston scored four straight of its own, but it was NMH scoring the final three goals to win a seesaw battle. Hoggers' senior captain Blake Baksay notched a hat trick (including an ENG), while teammates Filip Svodoba (1g,2a), Braydon Hudtloff (1g,2a), and Tanner Guentensberger (3a) each recorded three points of their own. On the losing side, Williston senior Gabriel Qureshi (3a), post-grad Teddy Devoe (1g,1a), and junior Camden Tabb (1g,1a) led the scorers. Neither NMH sophomore goalie Evan Ackerman (22/27) nor Williston PG Fraser Smith (36/42), was particularly sharp, but Ackerman emerged with the win nonetheless.

@ Tabor 4, Milton 3 (OT) -- Tabor senior Tommy Sheehan potted the game-winner -- unassisted -- 1:16 into OT, lifting the Seawolves (11-9-1) to their second win in three games. Earlier, Tabor had built a 3-1 first-period lead, but Milton senior Anthony Sergeyev tied the game with a goal in the second and another in the third, forcing the extra period. In net, Tabor sophomore Vinnie D'Urso (22/25) ever-so-slightly outdueled Milton sophomore Eli Zucker (21/25). Tabor has won two of its last three.

@ Choate 6, Pomfret 1 -- Seniors Jacob Head and Michael Papaspyros each scored twice, leading Choate (7-10-1) to a convincing upset win over Pomfret (13-8-2). Between the pipes, Wild Boars' junior Jacob Saldanha stopped 29 of 30 shots. Pomfret junior Joey Mitchell (21/26) took the loss. In its first season under former Avon Old Farms and UConn assistant Mike Pereira, Choate has surpassed its win total from the previous two seasons combined.

@ Exeter 8, Proctor 1 -- Proctor scored first, but the Big Red (10-12-1) got two goals apiece from senior Dryden Dervish and Noah Poinsett-Yoshida, plus a three-point outing from post-grad Angus Arnold (1g,2a), en route to a drubbing of the Hornets (8-15-1). Junior goalie Brendan Petraco saved all but one of the 33 shots sent his way. His Proctor counterpart, junior Brodie Farren, went 32/40 in the loss. 

@ Belmont Hill 5, St. Sebastian's 1 -- Seb's (5-13-3) took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission, then Bel Hill (15-4-2) rattled off five unanswered goals spanning the second and third periods. Sophomore Harry Lavoie (1g,1a) and senior Andrew Waugh (1g,1a) led the way for the victors. Freshman Cade Noonan was responsible for the Arrows' lone goal, the second of his prep career. Belmont Hill has won six of its last seven games.

@ Worcester Academy 4, Portsmouth Abbey 1 -- Worcester (9-10-0) scored twice in the first and twice in the second, building a lead over The Abbey (11-12-0) it wouldn't relinquish. Both goals in the middle period came courtesy of Hilltoppers' freshman AJ Oliveri. Senior Chris Hughes added two helpers. The Ravens' only score came from senior Noah Jimbo, with less than two minutes left

@ Roxbury Latin 3, Middlesex 2 -- RL (11-9-1) held a 3-1 lead after two periods, then withstood a Middlesex (9-10-3) PPG, from senior Matt Egan, and held on for the win. Foxes' juniors Will Archibald and Luke Campanella each scored a goal and assisted on another. Middlesex has lost five of seven; Roxbury Latin has won three of four.

St. Mark's 10 @ Brooks 2 -- Thirteen Lions had their names etched onto the score sheet, and seven of them tallied multiple points as St. Mark's (17-2-2) extended its win streak to four with a good old-fashioned beatdown of Brooks. Sophomore Will Manchuso and junior Evan Nee led the way with a goal and three assists each. Sophomore Thomas Birks and Caiden Pellegrino each scored twice, too. Senior goalies Justin BriseBois (20/22) and Cassidy Kittredge (8/8) teamed up for the win in net. Brooks (5-13-2) has lost eight straight games.

 

Sat. 2/8/25

 

Prep Highlights
Saturday, February 8, 2025

Freshmen Lead Rivers
KUA First to 20
Schuhwerk Sinks Thayer
Dexter Romps
Salisbury Comes from Behind
Pineo's Heroics
St. Mark's Steams Along
Pingree Wins 7th Straight

@ Governor's 3, Thayer 2 -- Governor's (13-7-2) junior Tripp Schuhwerk scored two goals, the second of which was the game-winner in the final minute of regulation as Gov's won for the sixth time in seven games. Both goalies played well: Gov's senior Zach Ericson (28/30) picked up the win and Thayer junior Tyler Moschella (30/33) took the loss. Schuhwerk, who has 8 goals on the season has scored 2 goals in a game thrice: vs. Exeter in December, then a week ago in a big 3-0 win over St. Mark's, and then again today. Gov's senior Coleston Bazin scored in the second and junior Mikey Mansfield picked up a pair of assists. Thayer (12-8-1) got its goals from senior Kevin Delay and sophomore Michael Federico.

Winchendon 6 @ Albany Academy 0 --  Winchendon (12-11-1) lit the lamp four times in the first period, a couple more times in the second, and sailed past Albany Academy (2-16-4). Wapitis' senior goaltender Dylan Michelow posted a 23-save shutout and junior Cooper Ludwar (1g, 3a), senior Kai Magyar (2g, 1a) and junior Kaden Kern (1g, 2a) led the scoring parade. Winchendon outshot AA, 40-23.

Rivers 6 @ Belmont Hill 3 -- Freshmen Carter Meyer (2g, 2a) and Finn Sears (2g) led the way offensively as Rivers (15-5-1) upended Belmont Hill (14-4-2), lifting themselves into the Elite 8 picture. The game was closer than the score indicates as Rivers scored two empty-netters in the waning minutes. Bel Hill got offense from junior -- and Dartmouth commit -- Jake Tavares (1g, 1a) and sophomore David Bosco (1g, 1a). In goal, Rivers' junior Derrick Huang (18/21) bested Belmont Hill junior JJ Thibodeau (20/24). Rivers has won seven straight.

@ Roxbury Latin 6, Milton 3 -- Roxbury Latin came from behind in topping Milton. The Foxes' attack was led by sophomores Joe Meade (1g, 3a) and Thomas Mattera (2g), freshman Cam Cataruzolo (1g, 1a), and junior Will Archibald (1g, 1a). Milton was led offensively by senior Nick Brandano (1g, 3a) and senior G Sam DiFiore (29/34). Milton outshot RL, 34-26.

Tilton 3 @ Exeter 2 (OT) -- It appeared Exeter (9-12-1) was about to eke out a 2-1 win -- until Tilton (14-6-2) senior Noah Pineo tied the game at 2-2 late in the third and struck again with the game-winner in OT. Tilton senior Jeremy D'Souza (2a) and postgrad Peter Silverman (1g) were other key contributors. All the Exeter scoring came from senior Dryden Dervish (1g, 1a), and juniors Brendan McCarthy (1g, 1a) and Thomas Wilson (2a). In net, Tilton junior Matt Wood (29/31) bested Exeter junior Brendan Petraco (30/33).

@ Kimball Union 6, New Hampton 1 -- KUA (20-4-2) got goals from junior Josh Phillips, senior CJ Watroba, and sophomore Rowen Sang (1g), and a pair of helpers from senior Iain Olsen. In net, senior Blake McMeniman kicked out 24 of 25 shots for the Wildcats' fifth straight win and 20th of the season. New Hampton (8-15-2) junior goaltender Sam Zygulski (42/45) stood tall in defeat.

@ North Yarmouth Academy 3, Worcester Academy 1 -- NYA (11-14-1) got goals from three different scorers, and senior G Vincent Ouellet kicked out 22 shots for the win. NYA juniors Harry Seely (1g, 1a) and Jordan King (2a) each notched 2 points. In net for Worcester Academy (8-10-0), postgrad Mark Quinn (37/40) took the hard-luck loss.

@ Dexter 7, Andover 1 -- Dexter (17-2-0) dinged Andover G Chase Anderson (10/14) for four first-period goals, chasing the senior after one period. Big Blue (11-8-3) junior Edouard Lord (29/32) took over for the final two periods. The Dexter haymakers were led by senior Ian Burke (2g, 1a) and junior Rian Chudzinski (2g, 1a).  Dexter junior Colin Davis (30/31) had another strong outing. In the last three games, Davis has allowed 3 goals total.

@ Pingree 7, Kents Hill 2 -- Pingree (13-8-1) won its seventh in a row behind the offense of seniors Max Guertin (1g,2a), Joe Gaffney (1g,2a), and Nick Moulison (2g), and sophomore Christian Marsh (2g). Pingree junior goaltender Von Larson (29/31) earned the win.

St. George's 9, BB&N 1 -- A multitude led the St. George's (12-7-2) attack. Specifically, juniors Ethan Goodrich (1g, 4a), who had a five-point day and junior Aiden Ferreira (3g, 1a) who notched four points. Senior Danny Buckley had a hat trick, and junior Ryan Magaletta (1g, 2a) and senior Nathan Walsh (3a) each hotched 3 points. The Dragons outshot BB&N, 41-15.

@ Salisbury 4, Upper Canada College 3 (OT) -- The visitors from north of the border held a 3-1 lead in the second period, but Salisbury started its comeback with a second-period goal from senior Oliver Morris. That cut UCC's lead to 3-2. In the third period, postgrad Liam Baxter tied it at 3-3. The finishing touch came from postgrad Jake Novak at 1:04 of OT. Senior Ryan Hedley had two assists. Junior Jordan Rittenberg (20/23) picked up the win. The two teams will meet again Sunday at noon. Salisbury head coach Andrew Will attended Upper Canada College and later returned to teach and coach hockey for his alma mater.

@ Northfield Mt. Hermon 7, Austin Prep 1 -- The seniors led the Hoggers' onslaught as Blake Baksay (2g, 1a), Filip Svodoba (2g, 1a), Mateo LaHaie (1g, 2a, and Tanner Guentensberger (3a) all finished with three points. Junior Joey Dallacroce (3a) did too. The Hoggers (9-12-1) outshot AP, 42-17. In goal, NMH senior Luke Laurino (16/17) picked up the win.

@ Middlesex 5, Brooks 4 (OT) -- Brooks, playing on the road, led 4-3 after two periods, but junior Charlie Brand (1g, 1a) tied it up in the third, sending the game to OT, where senior Matt Egan (2g, 2a) won it at 1:46.
Senior Jack Francini (1g, 1a) also contributed a couple of points on the day. For Brooks, sophomore Andrew Martin (1g, 1a) and senior Griffin Bucci (1g, 1a) each had two-point days. The loss was the seventh in a row for Brooks.

@ St. Mark's 5, St. Sebastian's 2 -- Seb's held a 2-0 lead after one period of play, but St. Mark's (16-2-2) roared back with five unanswered goals. Sophomore Cam MacPherson (1g, 2a), senior Drew Carr (1g, 2a), juniors Evan Nee (3a) and Moussa Seydi (2g), and sophomore Will Manchuso (2a) all had multiple points for the Lions. Senior Justin BriseBois (25/27) earned the win in net. St. Sebastian's (5-12-3) sophomore goalie Tommy Saulnier (34/38) took the loss.

Wed. 2/5/25

 

Prep Highlights
Wednesday, February 5, 2025

 
Avon in a Funk
Kent's Poirier Nicks Taft
Mustangs Gunned Down
Rivers Freshman a Handful
Buckley Saves Dragons
Salisbury Bounces Back
Bosco, Cohen Lead Sextants
Big Green Edges Big Blue


@ Westminster 4, Avon Old Farms 1 --  Westminster seniors Blake Burke (2g, 1a) and Derek Rhodes (1g, 2a) each notched three points and junior goaltender Jack Fichthorn (36/37) kept Avon, which has uncharacteristically lost two straight and three of four, in a funk. Avon (12-5-0) junior goaltender Anthony Palmer (31/35) took the loss. Westy (7-8-1) has won three straight.

Kent 3 @ Taft 2 -- Taft (9-6-2) took a 2-0 first-period lead, but Kent (10-8-1) came back with three unanswered goals, the last of which was Kent junior d-man Ryan Poirier's GWG in the third period. Poirier, a Harvard commit, and junior Maddox Boyle, a Colgate University commit, each had a goal and an assist for Kent. Sophomore Will Schlechtweg scored the Lions' other goal. For the Rhinos, junior -- and Harvard commit -- Jason Rothstein (1g, 1a) finished with two points, as did seniors Preston Hidy (1g, 1a) and Joey Crescimanni (2a). In net, senior Keegan Waldo (36/38) earned the win; Taft senior Brady Morris (24/27) took the loss. 

Berkshire 6 @ Canterbury 3 -- Berkshire (18-4-0) senior Luke Matthews and junior Dylan Chernoff each notched two goals, and senior Duncan Thompson (3a) and sophomore Jonah Rainisch (3a) each contributed three helpers to lead the Bears. Canterbury (10-8-4) senior Ryan Lucarelli (1g, 2a) figured in all three of his team's goals. In net, Berkshire senior Kyle Bolduc (18/21) picked up the win; Canterbury senior Maxim Pitts (36/42) took the loss.

@ St. Paul's 4, New Hampton 2 -- St. Paul's (9-13-1) junior Harry Dermody (1g, 2a) led the attack and junior Blake Truchon kicked out 29 shots for the win. New Hampton junior goaltender Sam Zygulski (24/27) took the loss, which was the third straight for the Huskies (7-14-2).

Frederick Gunn 3 @ Millbrook 1 -- Senior Logan Heideman kicked out 30 of 31 shots and three different players -- the final an ENG -- found the back of the net for Gunn (9-6-4). Millbrook (8-14-0) senior G Luke Dinsmore (30/32) had a strong game in defeat. Millbrook has lost seven straight.

Kimball Union 4 @ Northfield Mt. Hermon 2 -- Kimball Union (18-4-2) sophomore Luca Campo kicked out 16 shots and four different skaters scored a goal. For NMH (7-12-1), senior Blake Baksay scored two goals. Sophomore goalie Evan Akerman (33/37) took the loss.

@ Proctor 6, Brewster Academy 3 -- Proctor (7-13-1) senior Kevin Delaney (2g, 1a) led the Hornets' attack, and senior Chris Dakers (22/25) picked up the win. Brewster Academy (2-15-0) sophomore JR Bonia (41/47) took the loss. 

Dexter 6 @ Pomfret 2 -- Dexter sophomore Owen McHale (1g, 3a) and senior Nathan Porter (1g, 2a) led the offense and junior goaltender Kyle Ready kicked out 22 shots. Pomfret junior goaltender Joey Mitchell (35/39) took the loss.

@ Winchendon 5, Austin Prep 2 -- Winchendon (10-11-1) put its stamp on the game with a four-goal second period. Wapitis' senior Kai Magyar notched two goals and senior netminder Dylan Michelow (18/20) picked up the win. Austin Prep (6-11-2) sophomore goalie Warren DuBois (44/49) was kept on his toes.

Middlesex 3 @ St. George's 3 (OT) -- A late third-period goal from senior Danny Buckley -- his second, to go along with a helper -- allowed the Dragons to eke out a tie. OT settled nothing. St. George's senior defenseman -- and PC recruit -- Marco Senerchia (1g, 2a) joined Buckley with three points of his own. The Middlesex (8-8-3) offense was led by senior Matt Egan (2g). Both St. George's junior goalie Dash George (34/37) and his counterpart, Middlesex senior -- and Tufts commit -- Caio Bernardini (36/39) had a busy afternoon. St. George's (11-7-2) is 0-3-1 in its last four.

Loomis 3 @ Williston Northampton 2 -- A goal from Loomis (7-10-1) sophomore Joey Burke midway through the second period turned out to be the GWG. A third-period goal from Williston Northampton (7-13-1) freshman Brayden White made things interesting, but the Pelicans held on for the win, their third in the last four games. Loomis Chaffee senior Liam Joyce (30/32) earned the W. Williston Northampton senior Zack Tremblay (31/34) took the loss.

Tilton 4 @ Cushing 4 -- Tilton (13-5-2) and Cushing (12-7-2), two teams jockeying for playoff positioning (and both currently in the Small School tournament field) traded goals in the first, then each side scored thrice in the second. After that, goalies Zach White (29/33) of Cushing and Matt Wood (36/40) kept the other side off the board. Tilton PG Brad Guden (2g) led the way for the Rams. Senior Max Dineen (1g,1a) paced the Cushing attack. Each team is 1-1-1 over its last three games.

@ Nobles 6, Thayer 3 -- Nobles' senior Dennis Davidson scored a hat trick, while classmate Kyle O'Leary -- a Yale recruit -- added two goals and two assists, and junior Billy MacAusland tallied three helpers. #8 Nobles (12-6-1) got a 34/37 outing in net from freshman goalie Justin Lee. Thayer junior Chris Williams (23/29) suffered the loss. The Bulldogs have won three of four; the Tigers have lost three of five.

St. Mark's 3 @ Roxbury Latin 2 -- St. Mark's sophomore Blake Grislis scored his third of the season with 32 seconds left in the second period, and his goal stood up as the game-winner. Earlier, RL (9-9-1) had taken a 2-1 first-period lead, but #3 SMS (14-2-2) tied it up, then won it on Grislis's score. In net, Lions senior Cassidy Kittredge (26/28) picked up the win; Lucas Dolan, a freshman, went 40/43 for the Foxes in the loss.

@ Portsmouth Abbey 6, Worcester Academy 2 -- The Abbey (11-11-0), behind a goal and two assists apiece from senior Hunter McCarthy and sophomore Connor Nolan, rolled to a conference win over Worcester (8-9-0). The Ravens, 7-2-0 in conference play, have built a commanding lead in the Holt Conference. Sophomore goalie Easton Thebarge (28/30) earned the win between the pipes. Freshman Reece Burgess (35/41) took the loss. His classmate, AJ Oliveri (1g,1a), led the way for the Hilltoppers.

Belmont Hill 6 @ Lawrence 3 -- Sophomore David Bosco (1g, 2a) and senior Grayson Cohen (2g) led the way, but five Bel Hill skaters, including Dartmouth commits Jake Tavares and Evan Jones, tallied multiple points. Senior Keagin Wilson stopped 25 of the 28 Lawrence shots he faced. The Sextants (13-3-2) are winners of four straight. LA, which had won four of its last five entering the day, falls to 6-10-1 in an uncharacteristic season. 

Pingree 6 @ BB&N 3 -- Pingree sophomore Christian Marsh and senior Kellan Danaher each scored twice as the Highlanders (11-8-1) picked up their fourth straight win. On the losing end, BB&N (5-15-0) got two goals from senior Cortez Heyworth.

@ Choate 1, Hotchkiss 0 (OT) -- Choate junior goalie Jacob Saldanha and Hotchkiss senior netminder Connor Towle each kept their opponent off the board for all of regulation, but Wild Boars' junior Greg Najda scored a PPG 1:20 into overtime to send the home crowd off happily. Saldanha posted a 32-save shutout. Towle also faced 32 shots, but the one he didn't stop made the difference. Choate (6-10-1) got its second Founders League win. Hotchkiss (5-11-0) has lost three straight, the last two in OT.

@ Holderness 3, Exeter 2 (OT) -- Holderness senior Brayden Wade delivered the game-winner with two minutes left in OT, lifting the #9 Bulls (15-3-1) to a fourth straight win. Earlier, Exeter (9-11-1) had taken a 2-1 lead after second period goals from Gavin Fitzpatrick and Noah Poinsett-Yoshida, but Holderness tied it up in the third on senior Tanner Petalas's PPG. In the blue paint, Bulls junior Mark Bierwirth (26/28) earned the win; Big Red junior Brendan Petraco 32/35) took the loss.

@ NYA 8, Hebron 0 -- After North Yarmouth lost to Hebron in November, the Panthers (10-14-1) looked forward to avenging the earlier loss -- and they did just that. NYA senior goalie Vincent Ouellet saved all 15 shots he faced and senior Cayne Leive notched a hat trick, matching his scoring output from the previous eight games. Junior Curtis Brown added two goals of his own. It was the first win in five games for NYA. Hebron, meanwhile, has lost all 18 games its played since that opening-night win over North Yarmouth.

@ Deerfield 3, Andover 2 -- Deerfield sophomore Kellar Kelusky scored the game-winner with less than seven minutes left, capping a furious comeback for the #6 Big Green (14-4-0) against the Big Blue (11-6-3). Andover led 2-0 after the first, but Kelusky and senior Drew Keiver (SHG) tied it up in the second before the former landed the knockout blow. Deerfield sits second in the Elite 8 picture with seven games to play.

@ Hoosac 8, Wilbraham & Monson 0 -- Hoosac senior Max Delage scored twice and added a helper, while freshman goalie Jackson Green logged a 12-save shutout. All told, the Owls (5-8-2) saw 10 skaters record a point and five tally multiple points.

Rivers 6, Groton 2 -- The Rivers freshman trio of Finn Sears (2g,2a), Carter Meyer (1g,2a) and Sam Pandolfo (1g,1a) figured in five of the six Red Wings goals. Junior goalie Derrick Huang (33/35) shined in the win. Junior Wes DiModica (15/21) took the loss for Groton (12-8-0). Rivers (13-5-1), the defending Small School runners-up and still one of the youngest teams in prep hockey, has won five straight and seven of eight. 

@ Milton 4, St. Sebastian's 2 -- After Seb's (5-11-3) took a 2-0 lead 12 minutes in -- on junior Charlie Delay's sixth of the season -- Milton (8-12-1) scored four unanswered to surge ahead -- for good. Seniors Luis Valencia (1g,1a) and Kyle Greene (2a) paced the ’Stangs. Milton has won back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 4.

@ Tabor 4, Governor's 2 -- Tabor junior Chase Watts scored twice and sophomore Ethan Travis added a goal and three assists. In net, Seawolves' sophomore Vinnie D'Urso was great: he saw 54 shots and stopped 52 of them. Gov's (12-7-2) got its goals from senior Eli Heinze and Ian Crowley. Tabor (10-8-1) snapped a three-game skid with the win.

@ Salisbury 7, Trinity-Pawling 4 -- #7 Salisbury (12-5-3), fresh off its first loss in four weeks, went up 2-0, then T-P (9-8-1) surged ahead with three straight. But the next four goals -- spanning the second intermission -- belonged to the Crimson Knights, and they built a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Senior Owen Knight and junior Joey Banas tallied two goals and a helper apiece. Between the pipes, Salisbury senior Steven Luciano (27/31) was the winner; his T-P counterpart, senior Ondrej Matousek (31/37) took the loss.

Brunswick 5 @ Lawrenceville 0 -- Brunswick junior goalie Dylan Lee-Stack pitched a 24-save shutout and both junior Harvard commit Joe Salandra and senior Oliver Czaja each scored twice as the #5 Bruins (14-3-2) rolled over L-Ville (5-14-1). Big Red goalie Anthony Russell (40/45) took the loss. The win snapped a stretch of three straight losses (all against non-NEPSIHA opponents) for ’Wick.

 

Mon. 2/3/25 -- updated Fri. 2/14/25

 

Prep Boys' Composite Schedule
February 3rd through 17th, 2025

 
Monday, February 3, 2025
Kents Hill @ Brewster Academy, 4:30 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Hotchkiss, 5:00 pm
Berkshire @ Avon Old Farms, 5:15 pm
Wilbraham & Monson @ BB&N, 5:30 pm
Westminster @ Williston Northampton, 5:30 pm

Tuesday, February 4, 2025
No games scheduled

Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Avon Old Farms @ Westminster, 1:30 pm
Kent @ Taft, 2:30 pm
Berkshire @ Canterbury, 2:30 pm
Frederick Gunn School @ Millbrook, 2:30 pm
Kimball Union @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 2:30 pm
New Hampton @ St. Paul's, 2:30 pm
Brewster Academy @ Proctor, 2:30 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Williston Northampton, 2:30 pm
Tilton @ Cushing, 3:00 pm
Dexter @ Pomfret, 3:15 pm
Austin Prep @ Winchendon, 3:30 pm
Middlesex @ St. George's, 3:30 pm
Brunswick @ Lawrenceville, 3:45 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Salisbury, 4:15 pm
Exeter @ Holderness, 4:15 pm
Thayer @ Noble & Greenough, 4:30 pm
Andover @ Deerfield, 4:30 pm
Governor's @ Tabor, 4:45 pm
Hebron @ North Yarmouth Academy, 4:45 pm
Rivers @ Groton, 5:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Choate, 5:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Roxbury Latin, 5:00 pm
Wilbraham & Monson @ Hoosac, 5:00 pm
Albany Academy @ South Kent, 5:00 pm
Pingree @ BB&N, 5:00 pm
Belmont Hill @ Lawrence Academy, 5:00 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Milton, 5:15 pm
Worcester Academy @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:30 pm

Thursday, February 6, 2025
Berwick @ Worcester Academy 3:00 pm  ppd., makeup TBD
Hebron @ Kents Hill, 5:00 pm  ppd. to Thurs. Feb. 13 @ 5:00 pm
Millbrook @ Frederick Gunn School, 5:00 pm

Friday, February 7, 2025
St. Paul's @ New Hampton, 3:45 pm
Taft @ Frederick Gunn School, 4:15 pm
Vermont Academy @ Cushing, 4:30 pm
Lawrenceville @ Hotchkiss, 5:00 pm
Hoosac @ Brunswick, 5:00 pm
Holderness @ Kimball Union, 5:00 pm
Berwick @ Pingree, 5:00 pm
Rivers @ Brooks, 5:00 pm
Groton @ St. Mark's, 5:15 pm
Belmont Hill @ Andover, 5:15 pm
Middlesex @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 5:30 pm
Tabor @ Noble & Greenough, 5:45 pm
Proctor @ Tilton, 6:30 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Winchendon, 7:00 pm

Saturday, February 8, 2025
Thayer @ Governor's, 2:00 pm
Winchendon @ Albany Academy, 2:00 pm
Milton @ Roxbury Latin, 2:00 pm
Tilton @ Exeter, 3:00 pm
New Hampton @ Kimball Union, 3:00 pm
Rivers @ Belmont Hill, 3:00 pm
Brooks @ Middlesex, 3:00 pm
Worcester Academy @ North Yarmouth Academy, 3:15 pm
Andover @ Dexter, 4:00 pm
Austin Prep @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 4:15 pm
BB&N @ St. George's, 4:15 pm
St. Sebastian's @ St. Mark's, 4:30 pm
Upper Canada College @ Salisbury, 4:30 pm
Kents Hill @ Pingree, 5:00 pm

Sunday, February 9, 2025
Upper Canada College @ Salisbury, 12:00 pm
Albany Academy @ Lawrenceville, 2:30 pm

Monday, February 10, 2025   
Bridgton @ Kents Hill 4:00 pm
Proctor @ Groton, 4:30 pm
Maine Prep Cup @ Kents Hill School:
Bridgton vs. Kents Hill, 4:00 pm
Hebron vs. NYA, 6:00 pm -- Changed to Tuesday

Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Maine Prep Cup @ Kents Hill School:
Hebron vs. NYA 6:20 pm

Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Bishop's College School @ Stanstead College, 1:00 pm
Berkshire @ Kent, 2:30 pm
Westminster @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Holderness @ Tilton, 2:30 pm
Williston Northampton @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 2:45 pm
Cushing @ Brunswick, 3:00 pm -- at Sacred Heart University
Wilbraham & Monson @ South Kent, 3:00 pm
Canterbury @ Trinity-Pawling, 3:00 pm
Austin Prep @ Kents Hill, 3:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Brewster Academy, 3:00 pm
Groton @ BB&N, 3:30 pm
Milton @ Tabor, 3:30 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Worcester Academy, 4:00 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Frederick Gunn School, 4:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Andover, 4:00 pm
Millbrook @ Albany Academy, 4:00 pm
Deerfield @ Loomis Chaffee, 4:00 pm
Salisbury @ Taft, 4:30 pm -- now 3:30 pm
St. George's @ Rivers, 4:30 pm
New Hampton @ Dexter, 4:45 pm
St. Mark's @ Brooks, 4:45 pm
Berwick @ Hebron, 4:45 pm
Governor's @ Noble & Greenough, 4:45 pm  -- now 3:15 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Thayer, 5:00 pm
Vermont Academy @ Hoosac, 5:00 pm
Proctor @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Middlesex @ Roxbury Latin, 5:00 pm
St. Sebastian's @ Belmont Hill, 5:00 pm
Pomfret @ Choate, 5:15 pm

Thursday, February 13, 2025
The Hill School @ Delbarton, 4:00 pm

Friday, February 14, 2025
Dexter @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:00 pm
Belmont Hill @ Thayer, 5:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Cushing, 5:00 pm
Albany Academy @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Rivers @ Roxbury Latin, 5:00 pm
Governor's @ Andover, 5:30 pm
Lawrence Academy @ St. Sebastian's, 5:30 pm
Worcester Academy @ Mount St. Charles, 5:30 pm
Westminster @ Choate, 5:45 pm
Avon Old Farms @ Hotchkiss, 6:00 pm
Brunswick @ Frederick Gunn School, 6:00 pm
BB&N @ Middlesex, 6:00 pm
Pingree @ Hebron, 6:00 pm
Winchendon @ Tilton, 6:30 pm

Saturday, February 15, 2025
Hebron @ Albany Academy, 12:00 pm
Pingree @ North Yarmouth Academy, 1:00 pm
Westminster @ Pomfret, 1:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ New Hampton, 1:30 pm
Tabor @ Governor's, 2:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Middlesex, 2:00 pm
BB&N @ Belmont Hill, 2:00 pm
Taft @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Winchendon, 2:30 pm 
Berkshire @ Brunswick, 3:00 pm -- now 1:00 pm
Cushing @ Canterbury, 3:00 pm -- now 1:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ St. Paul's, 3:00 pm
Cats Academy @ Austin Prep, 3:30 pm
Kents Hill @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:00 pm
Hoosac @ Wilbraham & Monson, 4:00 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Salisbury, 4:15 pm -- now 1:15 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Milton, 4:15 pm
Williston Northampton @ Millbrook, 4:30 pm -- now 12:30 pm
Brooks @ St. George's, 4:30 pm -- now 3:30 pm
Deerfield @ Avon Old Farms, 5:00 pm -- now 3:00 pm
Choate @ Exeter, 5:00 pm -- now 12:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Holderness, 5:00 pm
Lawrenceville @ Frederick Gunn School, 5:30 pm
Nichols @ The Hill School, 5:30 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Kent, 6:00 pm  -- ppd. to Mon. 2/17, 4:00 pm
Proctor @ Berwick, 6:00 pm
Mount St. Charles @ Worcester Academy, 7:00 pm

Sunday, February 16, 2025
Nichols @ The Hill School, 12:00 pm

Monday, February 17, 2025
Salisbury @ Westminster, 4:00 pm
Trinity-Pawling @ Kent, 4:00 pm  -- makeup of Sat. 2/15
Worcester Academy @ Austin Prep, 4:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Groton, 5:00 pm
Berkshire @ Hotchkiss, 5:00 pm
Canterbury @ Frederick Gunn School, 5:00 pm
Maine Prep Cup @ Kents Hill School:
Consolation, 4:00 pm -- Hebron vs. Bridgton
Championship, 6:00 pm  -- NYA vs. Kents Hill

Mon. 2/3/25

 

It's February, Time for Elite 8 Projections

It’s that time of year, the final month of the prep hockey season, and, as always, playoff seedings are up in the air.

So how are we projecting the final NEPSIHA playoff seedings, and where can one view the projections?

Let’s start with the latter. Both current and projected playoff seedings can be viewed from desktop/laptop/tablet devices under 'Playoffs' in the main navigation menu of ushr.com, and from the 'More' menu on mobile phones.

As for the projections, they are based on the standard RPI -- used by the NCAA -- in conjunction with JSPR, an algorithm similar to the Pairwise Power Rankings that was developed here at USHR by Taft and Carnegie Mellon graduate Jeremy Philipson, -- now a Silicon Valley tech wizard. We’ll have a follow-up article later this month that will break down RPI and the JSPR algorithm in depth, but for now let’s focus on the current TUCs (Teams Under Consideration), i.e., the Top 16 in RPI or, less formally, the contenders.

Results from the weekend of February 1st have all been submitted -- and here’s how the current Elite 8 picture looks:

1) Dexter
2) Deerfield
3) Avon Old Farms
4) St. Mark’s
5) Brunswick
6) Andover
7) Holderness
8) Salisbury

Knocking on the door: Thayer, Governor’s, Cushing, Nobles, Belmont Hill, KUA, Rivers, and Berkshire.

Projected Elite 8, however, looks quite a bit different:

1) Dexter
2) Deerfield
3) St. Mark’s
4) Avon Old Farms
5) Brunswick
6) Belmont Hill
7) KUA
8) Thayer

Andover, Holderness, and Salisbury are projected to land in the Small/Large School tournaments; furthermore, Andover and Holderness are projected to drop out of the top 16 entirely. Bit of a shocker, particularly Salisbury, but we think the Crimson Knights will rise up down the stretch and land a spot in the Elite 8, projections notwithstanding.

Between Andover and Holderness, the former is skating on thin ice. Check out their next six games: Deerfield, Belmont Hill, Dexter, KUA, Gov’s, and Cushing. That’s quite the gauntlet.

Holderness doesn’t have as steep a hill to climb, but the Bulls' projection is weighed down by the annual home-and-home slugfest with fellow Lakes Region powerhouse KUA, and projected #1 seed Dexter. Pick off one or two of those games and the Bulls' future looks brighter as any victory over a contending team is crucial to gaining JSPR points, and JSPR points are the main criteria by which playoff seedings are determined.

Salisbury took a tough 1-0 loss at Berkshire on Saturday. Had they pulled out a win or a tie they'd be sitting pretty. As it stands, they now face a couple of near must-wins -- vs. Brunswick (Feb. 19) and at Avon (Feb. 22) – in addition to taking care of business in other remaining games. Not much margin for error.

Belmont Hill, KUA, and Thayer are projected to eject the aforementioned out of the Elite 8. Out of the three, we see KUA having the best shot, but their performance against the top 16 teams thus far leaves something to be desired, and the large spread between their RPI ranking (7) and JSPR ranking (14) reflects this. They’ve got plenty of opportunity down the home stretch, however, with two against Holderness -- or three if they meet in the Lakes Region playoffs --  along with games against Andover and Cushing. 

Marquee matchups for Belmont Hill include Andover, Thayer, and Nobles. The Sextants' three losses thus far have come at the hands of contenders (Nobles, Gov’s, and St. Mark’s). Meanwhile, Thayer has upcoming games against Nobles, Governor’s, and Belmont Hill -- games they’ll likely need to win or tie to stay in the Elite 8 race.

Finally, Berkshire. At 16-4-0 you’d expect them to be a shoo-in, but losses to Avon and Nobles offset Saturday's win over Salisbury. They still have games at Avon (Feb. 3) and at Brunswick (Feb. 15) to look forward to. Both are games the projections expect them to lose. Flip the script in either and the Bears are back in the running.

Lots to digest here. Stay tuned --  and expect the unexpected!

Sat. 2/1/25

 

Prep Highlights
Saturday, February 1, 2025
St. Mark's Shut Out
LA Keeps Up Winning Ways
Westy's Fichthorn Blanks Kent
Berkshire Shuts Down Salisbury
T-P Wins 6th Straight
Keaveney, Wu Come Through
Avon's Palmer Slams the Door
Meyer (4 goals) En Fuego
Pomfret Rollin' Along

@ Governor's 3, St. Mark's 0 --  Gov's (12-6-2) got two goals from junior Tripp Schuhwerk (2g) and an empty-netter from Brodie Donovan to extend its win streak to five straight games. St. Mark's (13-2-2) unbeaten streak came to an end at 13 games.

@ Dexter 5, Mount St. Charles 18U 0 (Scrimmage) -- Junior Colin Davis blanked the Mount's 18U team with a 20-save effort. Juniors Nick Dolympio (1g,2) and Joseph Marchi (2g), and sophomore D Myles Brosnan  led the scorers. Three of Dexter's goals came on the powerplay. This was the second game of the weekend series. On Friday night in Woonsocket, Mount won, 5-4.

@ Rivers 8, Middlesex 1 --  Freshman Carter Meyer (4g) kept up his torrid pace, and senior Will Hatten (2g, 1a)  and junior Justin Graf (3a) each added three points. Rivers (12-5-1) outshot Middlesex (8-8-2), 45-16.

@ Kimball Union 6, Tilton 0 -- In a Lakes Region tilt, KUA (17-4-2) outshot Tilton (13-5-1), 47-15. Six of those 47 shots found the back of the net. Junior Jackson Davies scored a pair of goals and senior goaltender Blake McMeniman (16/16) posted his fifth shutout of the season.

Andover 5, Loomis Chaffee 1 -- Andover (11-5-3) senior Rui Han (2g, 1a) and Grayden Robertson-Palmer (1g, 2a), and sophomore Kieran McIntosh (1g, 2a) each posted three points and senior goaltender Chase Anderson (18/19) had another strong game. His counterpart, Loomis Chaffee senior Luke Quinn (19/22) gave up three goals; the fourth and fifth were ENGs. Loomis (5-10-1) was coming off a 4-3 win at Avon Wednesday but couldn't keep up the good mojo.

Westminster 3, Kent 0 -- Westminster (5-8-1) junior goaltender Jack Fichthorn (33/33) posted a shutout, and senior Blake Burke, and juniors Tommy Coccaro and Gus McGarvey each tallied a goal. Kent (9-8-1) junior Jacoby Weiner (24/26) suffered the loss.

@ St. Sebastian's 5, Tabor 3 -- St. Sebastian's senior Brendan Keaveney (1g, 3a) had a 4-point day, and freshman Austin Wu notched a hat trick as the Arrows (5-10-3) put a halt to their three-game losing streak. Tabor (9-8-1) sophomore Ethan Travis had three assists. St. Sebastian's sophomore G Tommy Saulnier (28/31) picked up the W; Tabor sophomore Vinnie D'Urso (30/34) took the loss. 

@ Pingree 5, Brewster 2 -- Pingree (10-8-1) got goals from five different scorers and an 18-save effort from junior netminder Von Larson to win its third straight. Brewster (2-14-0) senior G Joey Pearl (35/40) suffered the loss.

@ Portsmouth Abbey 6, North Yarmouth Academy 2 -- Abbey (10-11-0) senior Noah Jimbo (2g, 1a) and junior Drake Almeida (2g) led the scorers. Sophomore goaltender Easton Theberge (20/22) earned the win.

Northfield Mt. Hermon 5 @ Millbrook 3 -- NMH (7-11-1) junior Joey Dellacroce (1g, 3a) figured in all but one of the Hoggers' goals. Sophomore Evan Akerman (21/24) picked up the win.  NMH improves to 7-11-1; Millbrook (8-13-0), after a promising 6-0-1 start to its season, has lost 13 of its last 15 games.

Pomfret 5 @ Canterbury 4 -- Pomfret junior Will Norton (1g, 2a)  and senior Luke Corrigan (2g) led the Griffins' scorers. In net, junior Joey Mitchell (17/18) and sophomore Cesar Della Santina (18/21) split duties.
Canterbury was led by seniors Ryan Lucarelli (3a) and Jake Pomichter (2g). Senior netminder Maxim Pitts (29/34) took the loss. Pomfret (13-6-2) has won six of its last seven. Canterbury (9-7-4) saw its nine-game unbeaten streak (6-0-3) end.

Lawrence Academy 6 @ Groton 2 -- Lawrence seniors Laz Giardina (1g, 2a) and Ty Wood (2g) led the Spartans' attack.  LA (6-9-1) has won four of its last five. Groton (12-7-0) saw its five-game win streak come to an end.

Trinity-Pawling 3 @ Taft 0 -- Trinity-Pawling senior G Ondrej Matousek (39/39) posted a shutout and sophomore Brayden Reynolds (2g) and senior Andrea Blais (2a) were the offensive heroes as T-P (8-7-1) extended its win streak to six (5-0-1). Taft (9-5-2) saw its six-game win streak (5-0-1) come to end.  Rhinos'
senior goalie Brady Morris, a Tufts recruit stopped 34 of 37 shots.

@ Berkshire 1, Salisbury 0 -- Berkshire (16-4-0) senior forward Luke Matthews scored the game's only goal and senior goaltender Kyle Bolduc (32/32) shut down Salisbury (11-5-3), which had come into the day riding a 9-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1). Salisbury senior Steven Luciano (26/27) was excellent in defeat.

@ Holderness 4, Brooks 3 -- Holderness (14-3-1) got goals from four different scorers and junior goaltender Mark Bierwirth kicked out 24 shots to lead the Bulls to their third straight win. Brooks (5-10-2) got two goals from senior Griffin Bucci and sophomore netminder Lachlan Fletcher stopped 31 of 35 shots. The loss was the sixth straight for Brooks.

Roxbury Latin 2 @ Berwick 1 -- A third-period short-handed goal from Roxbury Latin (9-8-1) senior Thomas Pender (1g) spelled the difference in this one. RL senior goalie Sam DiFiore (17/18) earned the win, while Berwick (6-13-1) junior Ethan Addazio (19/21) took the loss.

Williston Northampton 13 @ Wilbraham & Monson 0 -- Senior Cal Hoyt (2g, 2a) and junior Owen Converse (hat trick) led the Williston Northampton (7-11-1) assault.  Seventeen players wound up on the scoresheet. W&M (0-9-0) was outshot, 75-5. Hard to imagine.

Avon Old Farms 4 @ Choate 0 -- After two scoreless periods, the Winged Beavers scored four in the third, each from a different skater.  Junior goaltender Anthony Palmer (27/27) picked up the shutout.  Wild Boars' junior Jacob Saldanha (34/38) took the loss. Avon (12-3-0) has won 9 of 10; Choate (5-10-1) has lost six of seven, with its lone win a 5-3 decision over Berkshire.

@ Deerfield 6, Hotchkiss 1 -- Deerfield (13-4-0) got goals from six different scorers and a big game out of junior goaltender Elliot Lennon (24/25). The Big Green's win streak is at five, and the team just keeps pushing its way toward the top of the playoff hopefuls. Hotchkiss falls to 5-9-0.

@ Lawrenceville 6, Hoosac 1 -- L'ville (4-8-2) senior goaltender Anthony Russell kicked out 39 of 40 shots and six different scorers found the back of the net for the Big Red.