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* * 🏒  HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT GUIDE  🏒 * *

Sat. 3/1/25

Up For Grabs 
Here we are, the final day of the regular season, and there’s still plenty of potential for movement in the Elite 8, and by extension, the Small/Large school tournaments.

First off, the Top 16 is the wildcard of the moment. Yesterday, with a surprise Thayer loss to Seb’s and a Trinity-Pawling win over Brunswick, the Pride snagged the 16th and final spot, which evicted (for now) both Holderness and Brunswick from the Elite 8, much to the delight of Nobles and Rivers who find themselves in the Elite 8 without having played a game yesterday.

Three teams are in the running for the final spot in the Top 16: Trinity-Pawling, Tilton, and Westminster. The RPI margins are razor thin in some scenarios, so this crucial spot may go down to the wire (i.e. last played game). Pertinent games are: Belmont Hill @ Westminster (1:30 pm); T-P @ Millbrook (2:00 pm); and New Hampton @ Tilton (4:00 pm)

1) Westy and T-P win – final spot to T-P or Westy (RPI difference @.0005)
2) Westy wins, T-P loses – final spot to Westy
3) T-P wins, Westy loses – final spot to T-P
4) Tilton & Westy win, T-P loses – final spot should go to Westy (RPI close here as well)
5) Tilton & T-P win, Westy loses – final spot to T-P
6) Tilton wins, Westy & T-P lose – final spot to Tilton

The makeup of the Top 16 by day’s end will almost certainly affect, for better or worse, the Elite 8 bubble teams: Rivers, Belmont Hill, Salisbury, Nobles, Holderness, and Brunswick. There are even moonshot scenarios wherein KUA and Berkshire have a chance, but that entails losses by basically all of the bubble teams and Westy landing in the Top 16.

With wins today both Bel Hill and Salisbury are looking good, regardless of which team lands in the final spot of the Top 16.

Holderness can launch itself into the upper echelon of the Elite 8 (possibly #2 seeding!) with a win over KUA; otherwise, they’ll need a favorable Top 16 and a loss by one or more teams ahead of them.

Rivers’s regular season is finished, and they’re in wait-and-see mode. Trinity-Pawling remaining in the #16 spot is probably ideal for the Red Wings. The same goes for Nobles: win today and hope for T-P to remain in the #16 spot.

Brunswick’s path is less clear. The loss to T-P yesterday to end its regular season didn’t help their cause. The Bruins will be rooting for Westy to beat Bel Hill, hoping that the double whammy of Bel Hill potentially exiting the Elite 8 and Westy entering the Top 16 will be sufficient to get them back in the running.

The current top four seeds (Deerfield, Dexter, Cushing, and St. Mark’s) are guaranteed a spot, with only home ice possibly at risk for Cushing and St. Mark’s.

Plenty of room for drama here on the final day. Stay tuned!

Sun. 3/9/25

NEPSAC Championships Scoreboard
We'll have highlights shortly

CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
Sunday, March 9, 2025
At the University of Connecticut
Toscano Family Ice Forum; Storrs, Conn.

Martin/Earl Tournament (Large School):
#5 Westminster @ #3 Andover, 12:00 pm -- Andover 4, Westminster 1

Piatelli/Simmons Tournament (Small School):
#2 Berkshire @ #1 Kimball Union, 2:00 pm -- KUA 4, Berkshire 3

Stuart/Corkery Tournament (Elite 8):
#4 Cushing @ #3 Dexter, 4:00 pm -- Cushing 4, Dexter 3

Note that this year the Large Schools will precede the Small Schools.

Sat. 3/8/25

NEPSAC Boys' Semifinals Highlights
Saturday, March 8, 2025

First-Ever All-Mass. Elite 8
Dexter, Cushing Advance
Chudzinski (2g,2a) Too Tough to Handle
Penguins Advance to Third Straight Title Game
Andover's Anderson Posts 2nd Straight Shutout
Blake Burke's Shorty Sinks Bel Hill
Regan Leads Bears Past Bull

ELITE 8

#4 Cushing 4 @ #1 Deerfield 1 -- Fourth-seeded Cushing put an end to top-seeded Deerfield's 14-game winning streak and, in so doing, booked its third straight trip to the Elite 8 title game. The Penguins took a 1-0 lead in the first on junior Parker Murch's third goal in as many games. In the second, Cushing doubled the lead, thanks to senior Alex Gomes. The Big Green, unbeaten since Jan. 18th, made it interesting when Justin Tavares struck four minutes into the third to cut the deficit to one goal, but the Big Green was never able to sustain much offensively. Deerfield mustered only 15 shots on goal, and Cushing junior goalie Maksim Corovic batted away 14 of them. In the final three minutes, Penguins' junior Axel Favreau delivered the knockout goal and senior Eric Lund tacked on an empty-netter. Big Green standout junior goalie Elliot Lennon (24/27) took the loss. After the game, a skirmish ensued after Deerfield's Drew Keiver was knocked to the ice and caught beneath a mosh of happy Penguins rushing the glass fronting their supporters' section. Cushing (20-7-2) plays for all the marbles Sunday for the third straight year, having come up empty in previous seasons' championship defeats to Avon (’23) and Kimball Union (’24). Deerfield departs empty-handed after its best regular season (21-4-0) since USHR began tracking all statistics in 2002, and perhaps its best season since winning it all in 2003. 

@ #3 Dexter 6, #7 Rivers 2 -- Junior Boston University commit Rian Chudzinski scored twice and added two assists, pacing third-seeded Dexter to its first Elite 8 title game appearance since 2020. Sophomore Noah Survilas added two goals and a helper of his own, including a goal 34 seconds into the game that set the tone for his team's offensive explosion. The hosts led 3-0 by the time 13 minutes had elapsed in the first, then, after #7 seed Rivers scored a PPG at the tail end of the first, Dexter came back with three more goals in the second. That middle frame included two goals — from Survilas and Chudzinski — in a 35-second stretch. All told, Dexter put 50 shots on Red Wings' junior goalie Derrick Huang, who stopped 44. Dexter's netminder, junior Colin Davis (31/33) earned the win. Dexter, the deeper team, came out of the gate with fire and purpose, forechecking hard and bottling up Rivers' all-freshman line of Sam Pandolfo-Carter Meyer-Finn Sears. Rivers finishes the season 20-5-1, and after a Small School championship berth last season elevated itself into the Elite 8 contender conversation in its fourth season under coach Freddy Meyer. Lots to look forward to in Weston, though the NTDP could come looking for one or more of the prized freshmen.

LARGE SCHOOLS

#3 Andover 7 @ #2 Avon Old Farms 0 -- Andover (17-9-3) senior goaltender Chase Anderson (36 saves) posted his second consecutive shutout to lead his team to a 7-0 trouncing of Avon (17-7-1). Leading the Big Blue attack were seniors Grayden Robertson-Palmer (1g,2a), Rui Han (2g), Peyton Militello (1g,1a), and senior defenseman Zachary Skowronek (1g,1a). Junior David O'Neill and sophomore Nate Kreppner also added goals. Avon Old Farms junior Anthony Palmer (26/33) took the loss. Senior Michael Heinke (4/4) relieved Palmer late in the game. Avon was shut out for the second time this season, the first at the hands of Deerfield and Elliott Lennon on Feb. 15th, a loss that the Winged Beavers recovered from with a six-game unbeaten streak (5-0-1) that was brought to a halt by Anderson and his Big Blue teammates. Andover has won six straight and eight of nine, their hottest stretch since winning the Flood-Marr behind Anderson's MVP performance in December. Andover will face #5 Westminster in the Large School Championship Game at UConn Sunday at noon.

#5 Westminster 4 @ #1 Belmont Hill 3 -- Westy senior Blake Burke's shorthanded goal with 1:11 left in regulation lifted the fifth-seeded Martlets to their first Championship Sunday appearance since 2016, when they fell to Thayer in the Large School title game. It's a heartbreaker for top-seeded Bel Hill, which, after junior Dartmouth commit Jake Tavares tied the game with a powerplay goal earlier in the third, went on the power play in the waning moments with a chance to win it. It was a finish perhaps befitting of a wild game. Westminster junior Owen Burke scored in the second, tying the game 1-1 less than 30 seconds after Belmont Hill junior Patrick Woods had put his team ahead. Sophomore David Bosco's PPG gave the Sextants the lead back five minutes later, and Bel Hill took that 2-1 advantage into the second intermission. In the third, the Marlets broke through, jumping ahead on two goals — from seniors Quinn Pine and Derek Rhodes — in a span of 90 seconds, which set up the seesaw finish. In net, Belmont Hill junior JJ Thibodeau (24/28) suffered the loss. Westminster used two goalies: regular starter Jack Fitchthorn (8/8), who felt sick since breakfast, was relieved 12 minutes into the game by freshman Cayden Weichselbaumer (21/24). Belmont Hill ended the regular season on a 10-3-0 stretch, with one of those losses coming in the regular-season finale last weekend at Westminster.

SMALL SCHOOLS

@ #1 Kimball Union 11, #5 St. George's 0 -- Kimball Union senior goaltender Blake McMeniman posted a 27-save shutout, and his teammates scored bushels of goals to lead the Wildcats to the Small School Championship Game (vs. Berkshire, Sunday at 2:00 pm). Seniors Mickael Tissier (3g,2a), Iain Olsen (1g,4a), and Corwith Simmers (2g,2a) led the points parade. Four of KUA's goals were powerplay tallies, with three coming in the third when St. George's was called for five straight penalties. KUA outshot the Dragons, 33-27. KUA (23-7-2) has won four straight, sweeping the Lakes Region Tournament, topping Gunn in the quarterfinals and, today, St. George's. The Dragons (15-11-2) had a strong first half. They were 11-4-1 on Jan. 22nd but went 4-7-1 thereafter.

@ #2 Berkshire 3, #3 Holderness 1 -- A 1-1 third-period deadlock was broken by two goals from Berkshire senior Evan Regan, both assisted by fellow senior Duncan Thompson. After a scoreless first period, the two teams traded powerplay goals in the second, with Berkshire junior Dominic Somma and Holderness senior Will Rob finding the back of the net. Berkshire (23-6-1) will advance to the Small School Championship Game (vs. KUA, Sunday at 2:00 pm). Holderness (21-6-1) posted another 20-plus win season under head coach Alan Thompson.

Tomorrow:

CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
Sunday, March 9, 2025
At the University of Connecticut
Toscano Family Ice Forum; Storrs, Conn.

Martin/Earl Tournament (Large School): #5 Westminster @ #3 Andover, 12:00 pm
Piatelli/Simmons Tournament (Small School): #2 Berkshire @ #1 Kimball Union, 2:00 pm
Stuart/Corkery Tournament (Elite 8): #4 Cushing @ #3 Dexter, 4:00 pm

Note that this year the Large Schools will precede the Small Schools.

Sat. 3/8/25

NEPSAC Boys' Semifinals Scoreboard
Saturday, March 8, 2025

All Games at Campus Sites
Please send info to staff@ushr.com

ELITE 8
#4 Cushing 4 @ #1 Deerfield 1
@ #3 Dexter 6, #7 Rivers 2

LARGE SCHOOLS
#5 Westminster 4 @ #1 Belmont Hill 3
#3 Andover 7 @ #2 Avon Old Farms 0

SMALL SCHOOLS
@ #1 Kimball Union 11, #5 St. George's 0
@ #2 Berkshire 3, #3 Holderness 1

Up Next:

CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
Sunday, March 9, 2025
At the University of Connecticut
Toscano Family Ice Forum
Storrs, Conn.

Martin/Earl Tournament (Large School): #5 Westminster @ #3 Andover, 12:00 pm
Piatelli/Simmons Tournament (Small School): #2 Berkshire @ #1 Kimball Union, 2:00 pm
Stuart/Corkery Tournament (Elite 8): #4 Cushing @ #3 Dexter, 4:00 pm

Note that this year the Large Schools will precede the Small Schools.

Wed. 3/5/25

NEPSAC Boys' Quarterfinals
* Highlights *
Wednesday, March 5, 2025

 
Leetch Caps Dexter Comeback
Lennon, Big Green Roll On
Freshman Line Sparks Rivers
Cushing's Murch Has a Day
D-man Jones (2g,2a) Leads Bel Hill
Andover's Anderson Shuts Down T-P
Avon's Grossbard Notches Hat Trick
Olsen (2g,2a) Leads Wildcats
Bears' Bolduc Blanks T-P

ELITE 8

@ #3 Dexter 3, #6 Salisbury 2 -- Sean Leetch -- the son of Hockey Hall of Famer and Avon Old Farms legend Brian Leetch -- potted the game-winner with 70 seconds left, capping third-seeded Dexter's furious comeback to top sixth-seeded Salisbury. The Crimson Knights took a 2-0 lead after a scoreless first, jumping ahead on goals by seniors Oliver Morris and Connor Davis but, in the third, with its season hanging in the balance, Dex bore down. Forty-three seconds into the final frame, junior Rian Chudzinski made it a one-goal game. Twelve minutes later, sophomore d-man Myles Brosnan came up with his third goal in the last seven games, tying the score and setting the stage for Leetch to deliver the game-winner. In net, junior Colin Davis (34/36) earned the win. Salisbury senior Stephen Luciano (32/35) took the tough loss. Dexter (19-5-1), once the top-seeded team in New England, stumbled into the playoffs with a 1-3-1 finish to its regular season, but there's no understating what a win like today's can do for a team's psyche. Salisbury started uncharacteristically at 4-4-2, but turned it on and won 14 of its last 19 games to surge into the Elite 8. Alas, the curtain closes on the Crimson Knights' season after a fifth trip to the Elite 8 in six seasons. 

@ #1 Deerfield 4, #8 Nobles 1 -- In a game much tighter than the final score indicates, top-seeded Deerfield, which won 13 straight to end the regular season, found a way to keep the train chugging along against eighth-seeded Nobles, thanks in large part to junior goalie Elliot Lennon (29/30). The Big Green got a first-period goal from post-grad Ben Paterson and a second-period score by junior Nate Watson, then withstood a third-period goal from Nobles' senior Ted MacAusland. The Bulldogs dialed up the pressure in the waning minutes, yanking freshman goalie Justin Lee (27/29) with three minutes left and down by a goal. The move went unrewarded, however, as Deerfield potted two empty-netters to seal the deal. Deerfield, which hasn't had a hiccup since mid-January, marches on. Nobles, which surged into the Elite 8 with nine wins across its final 10 regular season games, goes home.

#7 Rivers 5 @ #2 St. Mark's 3 -- Seventh-seeded Rivers found itself locked in a 1-1 tie with second-seeded St. Mark's when senior Will Irving scored back-to-back goals spanning the first intermission to put Rivers ahead 3-1. From there, the Lions fought back, but Rivers had the counter to every punch thrown. The Red Wings' deadly all-freshman line of Carter Meyer (1g,1a), Finn Sears (2a), and Sam Pandolfo (1g) was a big factor, as was the play of junior goalie Derrick Huang (33/36). Coach Freddy Meyer's crew, which split a hotly-contested regular season series vs. St. Mark's, boasts talented youngsters, a vigorous contingent of veterans, and a group that's already experienced the highs and lows of the NEPSAC playoffs after a trip to the Small School finals last year. Now, the Red Wings march on to the Elite 8 semis for the first time since 2018. St. Mark's, meanwhile, closes the book on its best season in nearly a decade. Twenty-three wins marks the most in a season for the Lions since winning the Small School crown in 2016. Coach Carl Corazzini strung together four wins or more four separate times, highlighted by a 13-game unbeaten stretch between December and January. 

#4 Cushing 6, #5 Brunswick 3 -- Fourth-seeded Cushing -- which averaged more than four goals per game over its regular season-ending eight-game win streak -- didn't slow down a bit, and banished fifth-seeded Brunswick in a neutral-site game at Pomfret. Six different Penguins' skaters found the back of the net, but junior Parker Murch, in his first prep playoff game after transferring from Berwick -- led the way with a goal and two helpers. Senior Max Dineen (1g,1a) also turned in a multi-point outing, and junior goalie Maksim Corovic (22/25) was solid in net. Brunswick, thanks to Harvard commit Joe Salandra and junior classmate Ben Lombardi, held an early 2-1 lead in this one, but the Penguins scored the next four and the Bruins never recovered. It was another excellent season from Mike Kennedy's crew in Greenwich, which started the season 13-0-2 start and didn't lose until after the turn of the new year. The Bruins finish 18-6-3 in NEPSIHA play and 22-10-3 overall.


LARGE SCHOOLS

@ #1 Belmont Hill 5, #8 Kent 3 -- Sextants' junior defenseman Evan Jones, a Dartmouth recruit, had a 4-point day, scoring two goals -- both powerplay tallies -- and adding two assists. Classmate Jake Tavares (1g,1a), also a Dartmouth commit, and sophomore David Bosco (1g,2a) had multi-point days too. Belmont Hill (19-6-2) advances and will host Westminster on Saturday. Kent concludes its season 13-10-2. A streaky team, the Lions had two 3-game losing streaks, the second of which was followed by a 3-game win streak. The Lions crushed teams, and were crushed in return. They also had five players -- four of whom are juniors -- committed to Div. I programs: two to Harvard, and one each to Cornell, Dartmouth, and Colgate.

@ #2 Avon Old Farms 5, #7 Thayer 3 -- Dartmouth-bound junior Indiana Grossbard's hat trick made the difference for second-seeded Avon, playing in the Large School tournament for the first time since 2019, against seventh-seeded Thayer. All three of Grossbard's goals came in the first two periods, including two in a five-minute span in the second, and the Winged Beavers entered the second intermission in control with a 4-1 lead. But Thayer made it interesting. Senior Tommy Anderson netted a PPG, then classmate Blake Stuzynski's goal brought the Tigers within one with less than five minutes remaining. Ultimately, though, Providence recruit Cooper Snee had the last laugh for Avon, quashing any chance of a Thayer comeback after a goal with 90 seconds left. Junior Anthony Palmer (29/32) earned the win in net. Thayer junior Tyler Moschella (28/33) took the loss. The Tigers' season ends after a 10-4 start and a return to the postseason for the first time since pre-pandemic days. They took another leap this season and continued a positive trend. Seven wins in ’22, then nine in ’23, 11 in ’24, and now 15 this year --upward momentum for third-year head coach David Hymovitz and his charges.

@ #3 Andover 6, #6 Trinity-Pawling 0 -- Andover senior Chase Anderson posted a 38-save shutout and seniors Grayden Robertson-Palmer (2g), Peyton Militello (1g,1a) and Rui Han (2a); sophomore Alex Theodore (1g,1a) and junior David O'Neill (2a) all had two-point days to lead Andover to a Saturday semifinal matchup at Avon Old Farms. This was a fairly close game -- 1-0 after one, 2-0 after two -- but Andover, a deeper, faster team was able to consistently get behind T-P's d-men and blow it open with four third-period goals. Trinity-Pawling, which stood at 3-7-0 on January 15th, went 10-2-3 the rest of the way. T-P finished 13-9-3, its first winning season since 2017-18.

#5 Westminster 6 @ #4 Governor's 4 -- NO BOX SCORE


SMALL SCHOOLS

@ #1 Kimball Union 8, #8 Frederick Gunn 1 -- Gunn scored first, on junior Dylan Hall's PPG 2:25 in, but KUA senior Blake McMeniman made the next 21 saves, and the players in front of him reeled off eight unanswered goals in a comfortable win. Four senior Wildcats scored twice: Ian Olsen (2g,2a), Merrimack commit CJ Watroba (2g,1a), Middlebury commit Max Kimelman, and Corwith Simmers. Gunn used two goalies in the loss. Senior Logan Heideman (28/34) was replaced by classmate Colin Logan (6/8) once the rout was on. Gunn (12-12-7) departs after it did enough down the stretch to sneak in, extending a remarkable run of 17 consecutive seasons ending in a playoff berth.

@ #2 Berkshire 3, #7 Groton 0 -- Senior goalie Kyle Bolduc posted a 19-save shutout, and senior Evan Regan (2g,1a) figured in all three Berkshire goals (one was on the powerplay, and one was an empty-netter). Fellow senior Duncan Thompson (2a) assisted on both. Sandwiched between Regan's goals was an even-strength goal from junior James McMurray. Groton junior goaltender Wes DiModica (36/38) was excellent in defeat. Berkshire will host Holderness in a Saturday semifinal. Groton has concluded its season 16-12-0. The '24-25 Zebras were about as streaky as possible, with a 3-game win streak, two 4-game win streaks, and a 5-game win streak. But they also had two 3-game losing streaks, and a 4-game losing streak (including today).

@ #3 Holderness 6, #6 Pomfret 1 -- After a scoreless first period, Holderness looked reborn in the second, scoring twice in the first six minutes, then pouring it on. Senior Jacob Duval helped extend his lengthy five-year prep career a few more days, scoring twice and adding an assist. His longtime teammate Luke Pazzia, who transferred to the Bulls from Austin Prep alongside Duval in 2022, had a goal and an assist for a multi-point day of his own. Junior goalie Mark Bierwirth kicked out 23 of the 24 shots he faced. Holderness was responsible for the first three goals of the game and the last three, with Pomfret junior Rich Cavanagh's goal wedged in the middle. Pomfret (16-11-2) bows out after matching its highest win total since 2004 (before any of the current crop of Griffins were even born).

#5 St. George's 5 @ #4 Tilton 3 -- The fifth-seeded Dragons, who finished the regular season 4-4-0 in their last eight games, came out of the gates ablaze in Tilton, taking a 3-0 lead into the first intermission on goals from juniors Max Donatelli and Aiden Ferreira; and senior Danny Buckley. The Rams made it a game in the second, drawing within a goal thanks to consecutive PPGs from sophomore Wesley Huft and junior Max Gagnon. That was as close as Tilton would get, though, as the Dragons pulled away with a pair of scores on both sides of the second intermission, and Tilton senior Andrew Feldman's goal with six minutes left was too little, too late. In net, Rams junior Matt Wood (22/27) took the loss. St. George's netminder Dash George (48/51) came up big; his team was nearly doubled up on shots, but the junior stood tall. After falling in the Elite 8 quarterfinals to eventual champion Kimball Union last year, St. George's -- which had lost seven consecutive playoff games -- is on to the NEPSAC semis for the first time since it won the Div. II crown with Shea Guthrie leading the way in 2005. Tilton's season, which started 9-1-1 and culminated in a third straight postseason berth, comes to an end. The Rams put together win streaks of four games or longer three times, including an eight-game undefeated stretch from December into January. 

MATCHUPS FOR SATURDAY'S SEMIFINALS:

ELITE 8
#4 Cushing @ #1 Deerfield
#7 Rivers @ #3 Dexter

LARGE SCHOOLS
#5 Westminster @ #1 Belmont Hill
#3 Andover @ #2 Avon Old Farms

SMALL SCHOOLS
#5 St. George's @ #1 Kimball Union
#3 Holderness @ #2 Berkshire

 

Sun. 3/2/25

NEPSAC Quarterfinals Matchups

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
At Campus Sites (except as indicated)

Elite 8:
#8 Nobles @ #1 Deerfield, 5:30 pm
#7 Rivers @ #2 St. Mark's, 4:30 pm
#6 Salisbury @ #3 Dexter, 5:00 pm 
#5 Brunswick @ #4 Cushing, 5:00 pm -- at Pomfret

Large School:
#8 Kent @ #1 Belmont Hill, 3:30 pm
#7 Thayer @ #2 Avon Old Farms, 4:00 pm 
#6 Trinity-Pawling @ #3 Andover, 3:00 pm 
#5 Westminster @ #4 Governor's, 4:30 pm

Small School:
#8 Frederick Gunn @ #1 Kimball Union, 4:00 pm
#7 Groton @ #2 Berkshire, 5:15 pm 
#6 Pomfret @ #3 Holderness, 4:30 pm
#5 St. George's @ #4 Tilton, 4:30 pm

SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 8, 2025
Games Hosted by Higher Seed

Elite 8
1/8 vs. 4/5
2/7 vs. 3/6

Large School Tournament
1/8 vs. 4/5
2/7 vs. 3/6

Small School Tournament
1/8 vs. 4/5
2/7 vs. 3/6

CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
Sunday, March 9, 2025
At the University of Connecticut
Martin/Earl Tournament (Large School), 1:15 pm 12:00 pm
Piatelli/Simmons Tournament (Small School), 11:00 am 2:00 pm
Stuart/Corkery Tournament (Elite 8), 4:00 pm

Sat. 3/1/25

Prep Highlights
Saturday, March 1, 2025

Rivers, Nobles Make the Elite 8 Cut
KUA, Holderness Fall Short
Andover Beats Exeter
P-Abbey Wins Holt Championship
KUA Wins Lakes Region
Burke Brothers Bomb Bel Hill
Dragons' Donatelli Downs Middlesex
Gomes Goal Grounds Gov's
MacAusland Leads Way with 5-Point Day

@ Westminster 4, Belmont Hill 2 -- The Burke Brothers of Trumbull, Connecticut -- senior Blake Burke (2g, 2a) and junior Owen Burke (1g, 1a) -- laid siege to Belmont Hill, sinking the latter's Elite 8 hopes and enabling Westminster to jump to #15 in JSPR and scramble teams' JSPR points. The game-winner, from Owen, came late in the second. Blake added an empty-netter with 26 seconds left to seal it. Both goalies were called on to do some heavy lifting. Westminster junior Jack Fichthorn (33/35), who's been key to Westy's February surge (9-2-1 over its last 12), kicked out 33 of 35 shots. Belmont Hill junior JJ Thibodeau (31/34) took the loss. Westy finishes the regular season 13-10-2 and is the #5 seed in the Large School Tournament. Bel Hill has gone 5-3 over its last eight to finish 19-6-2. The Sextants will be the #1 seed in the Large School Tournament, while the Martlets will be the #5 seed.

@ Northfield Mt. Hermon 7, Hoosac 4 -- NMH rode a three-goal first period, which included two powerplay goals, to a 7-4 win over Hoosac (7-12-2). Senior Mateo LaHaie (2g,1a) and junior Joey Dellacroce (3a) each contributed three points. Hoosac seniors Max Delage (1g,3a)  and Carter Wood (2g,1a) led the Owls' attack. The Hoggers, who outshot Hoosac, 23-20, have won eight of their last 10 to finish 15-14-1, a winning season that looked highly unlikely three weeks ago.

St. George's 4 @ Middlesex 3 (OT) -- St. George's junior Max Donatelli (1g,3a) led the attack and St. George's
junior Dash George, in relief of sophomore Tyler King (0/2), kicked out 23 of 24 shots for the win. The offensive kingpins for Middlesex were sophomore Luke Sardone (1g,2a) and senior Matt Egan (2g).  Middlesex senior and Tufts commit Caio Bernardini (34/38) took the loss. Both teams fizzled down the stretch. St. George's, a force for the first eight weeks of the season, went 4-7-1 over its last 12 games to finish the regular season portion of its schedule at 15-11-2. They'll be the #5 seed in the Small School Playoffs. Middlesex went 1-4-1 over its last six to finish the season 10-13-4.

Cushing 4 @ Governor's 3 -- A 2-2 game was broken open when Cushing senior forward Alex Gomes found the back of the net at 4:49 of the second period; junior Parker Murch added an insurance goal midway through the third period, a goal that turned out to be useful, as Gov's senior forward Kye Smyrnios cut Cushing's lead to one goal when he found the back of the net with 2:23 remaining in regulation. Gomes (1g,2a) led the Penguins' scorers. In net, junior Maksim Corovic (22/25) earned the win; Gov's senior Zach Ericson (21/24) took the loss. Under first-year head coach Ryan Bourque the Penguins won eight straight to finish the regular season at 20-7-2 and gain the #4 seed in the Elite 8. Gov's (16-11-2) had a season with more ups than downs and will be the #4 seed in the Large School Playoffs.

Trinity-Pawling 4 @ Millbrook 4 (OT) -- Millbrook caught the visitors from T-P flatfooted in the first, taking a 3-1 lead after one. T-P turned the tables in the second, outscoring its hosts 3-1. Millbrook scored the only goal midway through the third, a game-tying strike from senior Michael Contino. Overtime was for naught. Trinity-Pawling senior Sam Marchand (2g) and UVM-bound senior Liam Lefebvre (2g) scored the Pride goals. Millbrook senior Mason Walker (1g,1a) and sophomore Casey Berninger (2a) led the Mustangs' scorers. T-P outshot Millbrook, 35-27. T-P, 3-7-0 in mid-January, went 10-2-3 to finish the regular season 13-9-3. They will be the #6 seed in the Large School Playoffs. Millbrook (11-17-2) endured a seven-game losing streak but followed that up with a 3-3-2 ending to its season.

Frederick Gunn School 2 @ Berkshire 2 (OT) -- Berkshire senior Deven Hikspoors' goal at 11:38 of the third lifted the Bears to a 2-2 tie at home. Sophomore Jonah Rainisch (2a) assisted on the goal, just as he had on his team's first goal, an Evan Regan PPG in the first. Junior Tucker Mears and postgrad Travis Rugg scored Gunn's goals. Berkshire outshot Gunn, 35-23, but Gunn senior G Logan Heideman (33 saves) stood up to it. Berkshire senior Kyle Bolduc kicked out 21 shots. Berkshire (23-6-1) just missed the cut for the Elite 8, but will be the #2 seed in the Small School Tournament. Gunn (12-12-7) is the #8 seed in the Small School Tournament.

Pomfret 2 @ Williston Northampton 1 --  A third-period goal from Pomfret senior Cole Leblanc, coming 47 seconds after Williston junior Luca Fantasia tied the game at 1-1, proved to be the game-winner. Junior Will Norton had given Pomfret a 1-0 first-period lead; there was no scoring in the second. Pomfret junior G Joey Mitchell (37/38) had another strong game, giving up one goal five days after kicking out 45 of 46 shots in a 1-0 loss to Avon. Williston ends its season at 10-16-1. Pomfret (16-11-2) will advance to the Small School Tournament as the #6 seed.

@ Canterbury 11, Wilbraham & Monson 0 -- Canterbury senior Ryan Lucarelli (1g, 4a) led the scorers. Canterbury outshot its guests, 84-15. Canterbury finishes its season 13-13-4. W&M finishes 0-18-0.

@ Lawrence Academy 3, Tabor 0 -- Lawrence got even-strength goals from sophomore Luke Allen and
senior Laz Giardina and an empty-netter from senior Ty Wood. Allen (1g,2a) and Wood (1g,2a) had a hand in all three Spartan goals. Both goaltenders were excellent: Lawrence Academy senior Kolin Belliveau posted a 28-save shutout; Tabor sophomore Vinnie D'Urso (31/33) took the loss. LA won five of its last seven to finish 11-13-1. Tabor finishes 13-13-1.

St. Mark's 3 @ Groton 1 -- St. Mark's junior Evan Nee (2g,1a) and sophomore Caiden Pellegrino (2a) led all scorers and St. Mark's senior goaltender Justin BriseBois (27/28) had another strong showing. Groton sophomore Nate Moons scored the lone Zebras goal. Groton junior Wes DiModica (33/36) played well but took the loss. St. Mark's, winners of five straight, finishes the regular season 23-4-2 and will be the #2 seed in the Elite 8. Groton (16-12-0) will be the #7 seed in the Small School Playoffs.

Noble & Greenough 7 @ Milton 2 -- Junior Billy MacAusland (2g,3a) had a huge day, and seniors senior Kyle O'Leary (1g, 2a) and Dennis Davidson (1g, 1a) didn't do too badly either. Nobles freshman Justin Lee (20/22) and sophomore Tucker Monroe (5/5) took care of business at the other end.  MacAusland finishes the regular season with a 28-33-61 line in 26 GP. His 2.35 PPG is second to Rivers' freshman Carter Meyer. Milton senior Anthony Sergeyev (2a) figured in both Mustangs' goals. Nobles held a 42-27 edge in shots. With the win, Nobles (18-7-1) won the #8 seed in the Elite 8. They did it by going 7-1-0 over the last eight. Milton finishes 10-17-1.

@ Taft 3, Hotchkiss 3 -- A 6x5 goal from Hotchkiss senior Jack McGregor (2g) with 45 seconds left lifted the visitors to a tie at rival Taft. Both goalies played well. Hotchkiss senior Connor Towle (31/34), a Holy Cross commit, posted 31 saves. Taft senior Brady Morris, a Tufts commit, had 25. Hotchkiss finished 6-17-2. Taft finishes 11-10-3.   

Andover 4 @ Exeter 3 -- A late second-period goal from senior Rui Han, a Yale commit, lifted Andover to a regular-season-ending win over Exeter, thus splitting the season's series with each team winning one-goal games on the road. Andover juniors Zachary Fedele (1g,1a) and David O'Neill (1g,1a) each notched two points. If you like to watch goaltenders make a lot of saves, this game had it in spades as Andover senior Chase Anderson (42/45) earned the win and Exeter junior Brendan Petraco (40/44) took the loss. Andover may have faded some after a 7-1-2 start that included a Flood-Marr Tournament championship -- Chase Anderson was named MVP -- but went 6-1-0 over its final seven games to finish 17-9-3. They'll be the #3 seed in the Large School playoffs. Exeter had a rocky season, finishing 13-16-1.

@ Tilton 7, New Hampton 4 -- In the Lakes Region third-place game, #3 Tilton edged #4 New Hampton behind four-point days from postgrads Peter Silverman (3g, 1a) and Cam Fahey (2g, 2a). Both junior Max Gagnon (1g,2a) and senior Andrew Feldman (3a) pitched in with three points. New Hampton got two points apiece from juniors Ray MacDougall (2g) and Johnny Niemela (2a). In goal, Tilton junior goaltender Matt Wood bested New Hampton's duo of junior Sam Zygulski and postgrad Cole Pouliot-Porter, who split duties. Tilton finished strongly, winning five of its last six to finish the regular season 19-8-2, and will be the #4 seed for the Small School Playoffs. New Hampton finishes 12-19-2.

@ Kimball Union 4, Holderness 2 -- A goal midway through the third period from KUA sophomore Matthew Ross broke a 2-2 tie and turned out to be the game-winner. KUA senior Max Kimelman, a Middlebury College commit, added an empty-netter with two seconds left. Junior Josh Phillips and postgrad Zach Phillips scored KUA's first two goals in the first period. Both were assisted by sophomore Rowen Sang. Senior Eli Chilicki and postgrad Connor Dozois scored the Holderness goals. In net, KUA senior Blake McMeniman (25/27) picked up the win. Holderness junior Mark Bierwirth (40/43) took the hard-luck loss. KUA went 3-3 over its last six and fell out of the Elite 8. They'll be the top seed in the Small School playoffs. Holderness finished its season by winning four of its last five to finish 21-6-1. The Bulls also fell out of the Elite 8 and will, as the #3 seed, join KUA (and others) in the Small School Playoffs.

@ Portsmouth Abbey 8, North Yarmouth Academy 3 -- #2-seeded Portsmouth Abbey won the Holt Division championship game with a decisive win over #4 seed NYA. Seniors Noah Jimbo (3g) and Callum Coyle (3a),  and sophomore Connor Nolan (2g,1a) led the Ravens' offense. Seniors Luca Mestrandrea (1g,1a) and Tomas Aubut-Lavin (1g,1a) pitched in too. For NYA, senior Adrian Mendoza scored two goals. In net, Portsmouth Abbey sophomore Easton Theberge (15/18) and senior Giuliano Al Asmar (4/4) picked up a combined win. North Yarmouth Academy senior Vincent Ouellet (39/47) suffered the loss. P-Abbey finishes its season 15-16-1. NYA finishes 15-17-1.

Avon Old Farms 5 @ Loomis Chaffee 1 -- Junior Indiana Grossbard scored twice, with the second goal an empty-netter.  Senior Mason Minsky and Connor Noll, and junior Tucker Harris each scored once. And senior Cooper Snee posted two assists. Avon Old Farms (17-7-1) failed to gather momentum over its last 10 games, going 5-4-1 and the Winged Beavers fell short of reaching their customary postseason home in the Elite 8. They will be the #2 seed in the Large School playoffs. Loomis lost six of its last seven to finish the season 8-16-1.

@ Proctor 4, St. Paul's 1 -- In the Lakes Region #5-6 Game, #5 Proctor squeezed by #6 St. Paul's on an OT goal from senior Beckett Hamlish (2g), assisted by classmate Kevin Delaney (2g,1a). For SPS, Matt Vohra (1g,1a) led the scorers. The Hornets outshot SPS, 52-26. Proctor junior goaltender Brodie Farren picked up the win. SPS junior Blake Truchon (48/52) took the loss. Proctor finishes the season 12-17-1. SPS finishes 12-18-1.

NO BOX SCORES FOR:

Salisbury 6 @ Winchendon 3
Kent 4 @ Choate 3
@ Brooks 5, BB&N 1

Sat. 3/1/25

Friday's Results Hurt Holderness

We have a quick update regarding what changed after Friday’s results. First off, Thayer, in OT, was upset by St. Sebastian’s, a team that going in had won just five games all season. That, combined with Trinity-Pawling’s upset of Brunswick, bounced Thayer out of the Top 16. Trinity-Pawling took its place.

And Holderness, despite beating Tilton in a Lakes Region semifinal last night is, because of the results of those two games, now out of the Elite 8. However, a win over KUA in the Lakes Region final later today would likely return the Bulls to the Elite 8. Their path, however, was made harder by the perfect storm of Friday's unexpected results. 

With Thayer out, Holderness loses the (now-crucial) JSPR point they gained by beating Thayer earlier this season, at the St. Seb's Christmas Tournament. And that's the rub.

While all the other contenders held serve yesterday, there are still opportunities for havoc later today, all revolving around which team will be #16 in JSPR after all results are in. Back-of-the-envelope work on tomorrow's scenarios shows that Trinity-Pawling, Westminster, and Tilton all have a shot at becoming that 16th team, which could shuffle the Elite 8 deck yet again.

Nobles, #8 now, will want to be all-in for today's game vs. Milton (4:15 pm).

We'll have another update later this morning, after more forensic work. 

Today's Schedule:

-- Lakes Region Tournament --
Championship: #2 Holderness @ #1 KUA, 4:30 pm
Third Place: #4 New Hampton @ #3 Tilton, 4:00 pm
Consolation: #6 St. Paul's @ #5 Proctor, 2:45 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 -- now 4:00 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