HNIB News Volume 31 Issue #4 - Massachusetts HS Preview by Hockey Night in Boston

HoCkey NiGHT iN BoSToN NewS

DeCeMBer 17, 2014

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Massachusetts Division i hockey

Will This Be Springfield Cathedral’s Year? Malden Catholic Goes For Fifth Straight 1A Title By Kevin Doyle • HNIB News

o. 1 Springfield Cathedral has been banging on the championship door for the past several seasons. All signs point to this being the year the reigning Catholic West champion Panthers break through. Every player but one – including six NCAA Division One commits – returns from last year’s 1A semifinalist, led by seniors Peter Crinella (Holy Cross) and DJ Petruzzelli (Quinnipiac). Coach Brian Foley’s squad boasts an embarrassment of riches on offense, highly skilled defensemen, and one of the state’s very best young goaltenders in Keith Petruzzelli (Quinnipiac). (Continued On Page 5)

THE READING ROCKETS are the defending MIAA Division I state champions. Here, they pose with the state championship trophy after beating Braintree at TD Garden. (Terrence Doyle photo)

HNIB MASS. DIV. I TOP 20 POLL

MALDEN CATHOLIC CAPTAINS and coach John McLean (l) after winning the school’s fourth consecutive MIAA Division 1A championship, beating Austin Prep in title game. (Terrence Doyle photo)

TEAM W L T 1. Springfield Cath.17 3 3 2. Cath. Memorial10 9 4 3. BC High 16 3 4 4. Malden Cath. 20 4 0 5. Central Cath. 16 5 3 6. Braintree 16 6 3 7. Arlington Cath.13 7 1 8. Austin Prep 16 5 4 9. Xaverian 13 8 2 10.Reading 17 8 2 11. St. John’s Prep 9 10 2 12.Milton 17 5 2 13.St. Mary’s 16 7 2 14.Weymouth 12 10 1 15. Barnstable 15 7 2 16. Burlington 10 4 8 17. Falmouth 13 9 2 18.Norwood 15 5 3 19.Framingham 13 10 0 20. Franklin 14 8 2

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HNIB News • Volume 31 - Number 4 HNIB NEWS Staff -PuBlISHEr EmErItuS-

-Staff WrItErS-

lance lofaro (1946-2014)

Gary demopoulos Kevin doyle michael fornabaio Jon turner Yardley dom Nicastro Nathan fournier fran Sypek

-EdItorGary demopoulos

-SalES/advErtISINGGary demopoulos Jamie Callery

-GraPHICS/SCHEdulESGary demopoulos Jamie Callery Kevin doyle

DECEmBEr 17, 2014

HNIB News 795 Turnpike St. No. Andover, MA 01845 978-682-2425 hockeynight@comcast.net www.hnibonline.com www.hnibnews.com

Printed at Gannett Offset nOrwOOd, Ma INDEX

2014/15 PUBLICATION DATES • November 6 - Jr. Hockey Preview • November 25 - Prep School Preview • December 10 - New England/NJ HS Preview • December 17 - Massachusetts HS Preview • December 20 - Coaches Directory/Arena Guide • July- Boys Summer Showcase Magazine • August - Girls Summer Showcase Magazine

HNIB NEWS/PUBLICATIONS 4 NEWS Issues • 3 Magazines

$40 (Also covers postage and handling) Name Address City State Zip Code Email Send to: HNIB News 795 Turnpike St. No. Andover, MA 01845

Mass D-1 Poll 3,5 HNIB News Staff 4 Catholic Conference 6-7 Catholic Central Large 8-9 Middlesex League 10-12 Bay State League 14-15 MVC/Dual I 16-17 Old Colony League 18 Catholic West/Big 3 19 Mass. D-2 Poll 21 Cape Ann League 22-23 NEC North . 24-25 MVC/Dual II 26-27 Hockomock 28-29 Atlantic/GBL 30 EMass. III Poll 32 Mayflower League 32, 41 Tri-Valley League 34 Patriot League 35-36 Eastern Athletic 36-37 NEC South . 37 Cath. Central Small 37 MVC/Dual III 38 So. Shore/So. Coast 39 Commonwealth/BCL 40 EMass III Independents 43 CMass/WMass 44-48 Mass. Girls Polls 49 Girls Cath. Central 50 Girls MVC-Dual 51-52, 60 Girls Northeast 53-54 Girls Middlesex 54-55 Girls SEMGHL 56-59 Girls Catholic Conf. 59 Girls Bay State League 60-61 Girls Central/West 63 Girls Independents 63

2014-15 Massachusetts HS Preview

nd, our fourth and final preview print edition of HNIB News is here, our Massachusetts HS preview issue. A unique story in Massachusetts this winter is two teams - Malden Catholic on the boys side and Duxbury HS on the girls side are both going for their fifth straight state championship. The Lancers have won the last four Mass. Super 8 crowns, while the Dragons won their first three at the Girls Division II level, and then bumped up and took the crown last year in their first Division I season. To make matters more interesting, neither team was ranked #1 in their respective polls to start the season, although both MC and Duxbury will be amongst the handful of challengers. MC’s Catholic Conference rivals all have to be considered legititmate threats to the crown, which will make for exciting league action. On the public school side, defending Division I champ Reading and state finalist Braintree should be making some serious noise. In Division II, defending state champ Beverly lost a lot from its title club, including coach Bob Gilligan who stepped down. In D3 Shrewsbury won the state title and returns another pretty solid club capable of repeating. In Mass. Girls HS hockey, many of the usual suspects will be in the hunt in Division I, including Arlington Catholic. In Division II, both Falmouth and Wellesley return the vast majority of their talented squads. Don’t forget to check out our website - hnibnews.com - during the season for highlights, rankings and polls.

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Massachusetts Division i hockey

• Massachusetts Division I Pre-Season Top 20 Poll •

Experienced CM, Talented BC High Will Be In Hunt

SPRINGFIELD CATHEDRAL GOALIE Keith Petruzzelli will be key to the Panthers title chances.

(Continued From Page 3)

No. 2 Catholic Memorial is once again very much part of the conversation after a time spent on the periphery. Now in his 41st season, Hall of Fame coach Bill Hanson welcomes back one of his deepest, most experienced teams in several years. CM generated plenty of attention during a stellar first half a year ago before running into a second-half wall. Most of those players return. Much like Cathedral, No. 3 B.C. High has been within reach of, but has fallen just short of the ultimate prize the past couple of seasons. While key personnel graduated from last season’s 1A semifinalist, an abundance of quality players return for Coach John Flaherty, including Pat Kramer (Merrimack) and Ryan Shea (Northeastern). The Eagles are strong across the board with exciting forwards, superb defensemen, and stellar goaltending. No. 4 Malden Catholic, the four-time defending 1A champion, remains the elephant in the rink. The Lancers are seeking one for the thumb. While this team may not appear quite as deep as its predecessors, players like Northeastern-bound Matt Filipe still make it very dangerous. No program has played in more big games in recent years. Pressure always seems to bring out the Lancers’ best. No. 5 Central Catholic is the consensus coaches’ pick to win the MVC-DCL crown. Coach Mike Jankowski’s club is seeking a seventh consecutive 1A berth and a dizzying array

of firepower includes freshman Boston University commit Jake Wise of North Andover, one of the top ranked players in his age group in the U.S. Defending South Sectional champion No. 6 Braintree is the top public in the poll and returns an experienced core that qualified for the program’s first Division 1A play-in game. Coach Dave Fasano’s Wamps are chasing a third consecutive Bay State Carey Division crown. No. 7 Arlington Catholic is poised to challenge for both the Catholic Central Large crown and a 1A berth. Long-time coach Dan Shine said staying in the moment will be crucial for this team, which got ahead of itself at times last year. After a first-round North Sectional exit, AC returns a dozen seasoned seniors on a mission. No. 8 Austin Prep lost several prime players to graduation and transfer from its back-to-back 1A finalists. Nevertheless, coach Lou Finnochiaro welcomes back a talented, detailoriented group led by Cam Russo and Ryan McDonough that is fully capable of another deep March run. No. 9 Xaverian is the fourth Catholic Conference club to crack the Top 10. Coach Dave Spinale will oversee one of the division’s more proficient offenses backed by a stout defense and emerging sophomore keeper Aidan Murphy.

Defending Division One State Champion No. 10 Reading again looms as the top Middlesex League team. The Rockets feature a blend of seasoned veterans led by standout defenseman Mike Seibold, and promising newcomers. No. 11 St. John’s Prep returns a large group that picked up valuable experience last season and is shooting for a return to 1A play. No. 12 Milton of the Bay State Herget is deep at forward and looking to better last year’s South quarterfinal showing. No. 13 St. Mary’s of Lynn will be a factor in the Catholic Central Large. A strong nucleus returns from last year’s North quarterfinalist. No 14 Weymouth out of the Bay State Carey projects to be one of the South’s premier defensive teams. No. 15 Barnstable, the Old Colony League champion, welcomes back a large group from last year’s South finalist. No. 16 Burlington (Middlesex Freedom), No. 17 Falmouth (Atlantic Coast), No. 18 Framingham (Bay State Carey), No. 19 Norwood (Bay State Herget) and No. 20 Franklin (Hockomock) complete the poll. Let the games begin – Championship Sunday in March at TD Garden beckons.

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DecemBer 17, 2014

Massachusetts Division i hockey

Catholic Conference Preview

Hawks Ready To Fly John McLean Malden Catholic

Will Lawrence Malden Catholic

Matt Felipe Malden Catholic

Austin Goldstein Malden Catholic

Can Malden Catholic Get ‘One For The Thumb?’ Malden CatholiC (20-4-0) Four consecutive Division 1A championships speak volumes about the resilience and single-minded focus of the Lancers’ program. To compete favorably within the state’s best league and position this team to make a run at one for the thumb, Coach John McLean will have to plug some serious holes caused by both graduation and transfer. Junior Northeastern commit Matt Filipe caught fire in the second half a year ago and takes over as the undisputed leader of the offense this season. Proven seniors Jake Witkowski and Austin Goldstein join him up front. Senior stalwarts John McLean III and Will Lawrence form the foundation on defense. Who emerges as the starting goaltender was being sorted out during the pre-season.

Billy Smith Catholic Memorial

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Xaverian (13-8-2) Coach Dave Spinale welcomes back a group of high-powered, high profile players from last year’s 1A quarterfinal club. All will have to fulfill their roles for the Hawks to challenge in the State’s premier league. A quartet of gifted senior forwards – Tim Sweeney, Jon Beniers, Andrew Durkin and Jack Cook – accounted for more than 120 points as a group last season should give opposing goaltenders fits all season. Sophomore goaltender Aidan Murphy will look to build on a stellar freshman campaign during which he posted a .920 save percentage. Senior Ryan Walsh and junior Matt McGlynn are the top duo back on the blue line. New junior Justin Laporte should step right into a key role.

Time Is Now For CM CatholiC MeMorial (10-9-4) The Knights returned to 1A play last year. With 19 senior and junior veterans back, 41-year coach Bill Hanson is confident this squad has the ability to achieve more, calling it one of the deeper, more experienced teams he’s had. There is 26 seasons worth of experienc on the top three lines. Senior captain Aaron Clancy (7-10-17), senior Zach Sullivan (9-6-15) and junior Gunnar McKenzie make up the first; senior Anthony Pannagio (8-10-18) and juniors Paul Hardiman (7-9-16) and Billy Czar comprise the second; and junior Curt Bletzer and sophomore Billy Smith form two-thirds of the third. Junior goaltender Brandon Collett has started every one of 47 games since his freshman year. Senior Kevin Curley and juniors Frankie Cosolito, Declan O’Malley and Brian Sweeney are the heart of the defense. In addition to the Catholic Conference, CM plays its usual rugged non-league slate with games against Falmouth, NJ’s Delbarton School, and prep stalwart St. Sebastian’s.

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Aaron Clancy Catholic Memorial

Paul Hardiman Catholic Memorial

Anthony Panaggio Catholic Memorial

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DecemBer 17, 2014

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Massachusetts Division i hockey

Catholic Conference Preview St. John’s Prep Crew Young But Experienced Nick Latham St. John’s Prep

Ted McNamara St. John’s Prep

Billy Falter St. John’s Prep

Zach Laramie St. John’s Prep

Despite Losses, BC High Still A Formidable Club

Pat Kramer BC High

Billy Roche BC High

B.C. HigH (16-3-4) Approximately half the roster from last year’s 1A roster is gone due to graduation and transfer. Nevertheless, look for coach John Flaherty’s club to be squarely in the hunt to defend their championship in a wide-open race, and to earn another 1A berth. The attack will run through high profile senior Merrimack commit Pat Kramer (1422-36). Seniors Tim Larocque (9-8-17), Connor Noonan (7-8-15) and Pat Riley (55-10) and junior Kayser Raei (4-9-13) are all battle-tested veterans. Newcomers Christian Simeone (Jr.) and Ian Murphy (Soph.) should contribute. Three stellar underclassmen form the core of the defense. Junior Northeastern commit Ryan Shea (6-24-30) and junior Billy Roche (4-8-12) rank among the division’s best defensemen. The same goes for junior keeper Brandon Payzant (1.41 gaa, .922), who posted seven shutouts last year. Ryan Campbell (Soph.) and Jayson Dobay (Fr.) step in on the blue line.

St. JoHn’S PreP (9-10-2) A young but fairly experienced group returns from last year’s club that scrapped its way into the North Sectional. Coach Kris Hanson hopes the Eagles build on that experience to achieve their annual goal – a slot in the Division 1A Tournament. There is depth at forward where senior captain Nick Latham and classmates Ted McNamara and Tyler Scearbo are back. Junior transfer Billy Falter (Wilmington) is a proven scorer while junior Kyle Lynch and sophomore Kyle Hentosh logged regular ice last winter. Junior veterans Brian Groom and Seth Murray – who shifts back from forward – join promising freshmen Paul Edson and Tim Tusalis on defense. Junior transfer Kyle Martin (Westford Academy) and returning sophomore Zach Laramie will compete for the goaltending job.

CUSHING HOCKEY

Cushing Olympians, including Meghan Duggan ‘06, 2-time Olympic silver medalist and captain of the 2014 U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey team

195

Approximate number of Cushing boys’ and girls’ hockey players who have gone on to play Division I hockey in college

48 24 25

Cushing athletes who have been drafted or gone pro

NEPSAC championships in the past 17 years, in 6 sports

Average number of Cushing athletes each year who go on to play in college

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DecemBer 17, 2014

Massachusetts Division i hockey

Jon Powers • St. Mary’s

CATHOLIC CENTRAL LARGE PREVIEW

Andrew Somerville

Greg McGunigle • Fenwick

Ryan Verrier • Austin Prep

Joe Scalli • St. Mary’s

Ryan Tierney

Bernie McGovern

Jack Rogers

Cam Geary

Arlington Catholic Is Highly Motivated ARlinGTon CATholiC (13-7-1) Last season’s first-round exit from the North Sectional should certainly provide motivation for coach Dan Shine’s veteran squad. The Cougars return a dozen seniors as they stalk bigger game this winter. Senior captain Ryan Smith (13-15-28) and junior Andy Somerville (8-10-18) make up the first line with junior Bernie McGovern, who missed most of last season due to illness. Senior captain Ryan Spagnoli (108-8) and classmates Ryan Tierney (9-15-24) and Jason

Smith form the second group. Seniors Ivan Mikhaylov, Nick Silva and Brendan Smith and new junior Matt Solviletti make up a third line rotation. Rugged senior captain Jack Rogers and sophomore Cam Geary return on defense. That unit will be bolstered by the return of senior Jake Ryan, who missed last season with a broken leg. Senior Dylan Morris and sophomore transfer Matt Anderson (Lawrence Academy) are competing for the goaltending job.

Young Talent Will Key St. Mary’s Run ST. MARy’S (16-7-2) A number of key performers are gone from last year’s club but coach Mark Lee is confident in this edition, citing “a good combination of returning experienced players to go along with some young but talented underclassmen.” Senior Shawn MacBurnie (13-16-29) and sophomore Dante Maribito (15-10-25) form two-thirds of the top line. Seniors Jon Powers (15 points), Clay Yianacopolous (15 points) and Eric Pedro (14 points) add to the mix. The defense includes senior Joe Scalli, sophomore Andrew Kreamer and veteran freshmen Max McKay and Nico Scalli. Six-foot, four-inch junior Brady McLaughlin could emerge. Seniors Ryan Borders and Connor Jennings will compete for the goaltending job.

Dante Mirabito St. Mary’s

Austin Prep Knows What It Takes AuSTin PReP (16-5-4) Having played in consecutive 1A championship games, these Cougars know what it takes to compete. Expect coach Lou Finocchiaro’s club to play lockdown defense in its own end while looking to transition to offense. Four-year veterans and senior captains Cam Russo and Ryan McDonough are the offensive linchpins, supported by three-year junior assistant captains Jake

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McKenelley and Eric McAdams. Seniors Scott Duarte and Anthony Cieri, juniors Mike Egan, Pat Lundy, Peter Giangrande and Kyle Secora, and sophomore Louis Finocchhiaro add depth. Seniors Mike DiSciullo, Dan O’Toole, Kevin Kiley and Pat O’Connor and sophomores Colin Murphy and Ryan Verrier man the defense. Senior transfer Cam Hill (Concord-Carlisle) and freshman Dylan Regan will compete for time in goal.

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Kyle Sykora Austin Prep

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Massachusetts Division i hockey

CATHOLIC CENTRAL LARGE PREVIEW Matignon (10-11-1) New coach Chris Kelly takes over a relatively experienced club looking to build on last year’s tournament appearance. The Warriors are especially deep at forward where seniors Johnny Andrews (23-20-43) and Mike MacPherson (11-24-35) return to power up the attack. Junior Joe LaPiana (6-8-14) and John LaPiana (3-6-9) and sophomore Matt MacPherson (6-6-12) were also key contributors last season. Senior Boston Petrie is another key cog back. Top defensemen are the senior pair of Cam Monagle (3-10-13) and Nolan Arbuckle. Junior Ben Parker will likely get the call in goal.

Matignon, New Coach Kelly Look To Build On Last Season

Fenwick Looks To Move Upward Bishop Fenwick (3-17-0) The Crusaders return a large number of talented underclassmen that gained valuable experience under fire last season. Coach Dan Lynch is confident that could translate into significant upward mobility. Junior goalie Bobby Lombard saw most of the action a year ago. Senior captain Mike Campatelli and sophomore stalwart Greg McGunigle (6-39) are the anchors of the defense along with seniors Dylan Maida and Matt Garofalo. Juniors Chris Napolitano and Matt Townsend are the most productive forwards. Senior Chris Carney (who can also play defense), junior Mike Gallant and sophomore Rob Murphy also return with experience and freshman Kasey O’Brien could contribute immediately.

Eric Keefe Archbishop WIlliams

Colin Boyle Archbishop WIlliams

Pat Twombly Archbishop WIlliams

Williams Graduates 11 Seniors archBishop williaMs (12-4-6) Coach Derackk Curtis and his staff will be tasked with re-tooling a team that graduated 11 seniors, including its top five scorers. Senior goalie Matt McCaughy will be counted on to keep these new-look Bishops in games, especially in the early part of the season. Eric Keefe (6-13-19) is the lone holdover from the top two lines. Juniors Chandler Mankovsky, Cullen Lyne and Xander Mavroganis will be counted on for big minutes. Colin Boyle (12 points) and Pat Twombly are back with experience on the blue line. New underclassmen up from the freshman team and a handful of transfers will be looked to fill the void.

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Johnny Andrews Matignon

Boston Petrie Matignon

Nolan Arbuckle Matignon

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DecemBer 17, 2014

Massachusetts Division i hockey

Middlesex Liberty Preview

New Faces At Winchester

Arlington In Rebuilding Mode

Winchester (12-6-5) The Sachems return only a handful from last season’s North quarterfinal club. A commitment to discipline and team defense in all three zones will be crucial for Coach Matt Spang’s team. Senior captain Joe Ogonowosky and senior David Farioli return at forward. Senior assistant captain Bob Keane and senior Warren Asdornvuttikrai are the most experienced pair in front of senior goalie and assistant captain James Offner.

ArLington (14-4-5) Fourteen players graduated from last year’s club that bounced both St. John’s Prep and St. John’s of Shrewsbury on the way to the North Sectional semifinals, leaving veteran coach John Messuri with a massive rebuild. Senior goalie Ryan Cote and seniors Justin DiMarco and Justin Nee will be counted on to provide veteran leadership and steady play. Sophomore John Pigott can play either forward or defense. Beyond that, it will be a season of on the job training for the Spy Ponders.

Tanners Seek Turnaround Woburn (3-11-4) The Tanners suffered through a rare down season last winter during which they struggled to produce consistent offense. Though still young, Coach Jim Duran’s club should benefit from a year of experience as it seeks a return to the post-season. Captains Joey Bishop and Nick Lissner will lead the way. Junior forward Evan McDonald led the team in scoring as a sophomore. Senior Joey Santullo, junior Timmy Doherty and sophomore Justin Alves bring depth to the

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front line. Juniors Tyler Shaw and Timmy Concannon and sophomore Connor Power are the top defensemen in front of sophomore goalie Sammy Best.

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Lexington Has New King Lexington (4-14-0) New coach Steve King, formerly at Leominster, will lean heavily on a senior core group as the Minutemen seek to improve in all facets of the game. Senior captain Branden Shaw and senior assistant captain Matt Gill lead the way, supported by classmates Cullen Bryant, Tom McLaughin and Max Giesen. Newcomers Ricky Carballo (sr.), Justin Arnold (jr.), Nico Frelick

(soph.) and Sal Frelick (fr.) will be counted on for steady production.

Good Turnout At Belmont Evan McDonald Woburn

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beLmont (4-13-1) Coach Dante Muzzioli, in his 40th season on the Marauders’ bench, welcomes the largest turnout he’s had in several seasons. A large veteran returns and Muzzioli is hopeful their off-season regimen translates into on-ice success. A deep forward group has senior captains Joe Paolillo and Mike Brodigan, senior Brian Garrett, juniors David Bailey, Danny Vetrano, Evan Biette and Mike Cole, and sophomores Cam Jefferson and Mike Pergamo. Junior Trey Butler is the elder statesman on a defense rounded out by sophomores Adam Cronin, Ryan Keith and Kevin Quirk. Senior Chris Owens, sophomore Cal Crisafulli and freshman Connor Dacey are competing for the goaltending job.

Evan Biette Belmont

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Justin Arnold Lexington

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Joe Paolillo Belmont

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Massachusetts Division i hockey

Middlesex Liberty Preview

Cupboard Certainly Not Bare For Defending D-1 Champs Reading (17-8-2) Nine players graduated from last season’s Division 1 State Championship squad, but the cupboard is not bare. Not by a long shot. In fact, despite being a bit young, coach Mark Doherty figures this year’s veterans will not be intimidated by the big moment after winning a title on the TD Garden ice. Senior Mike Seibold (3-20-23) returns as one of the division’s premier puck-moving defensemen. Senior Colin Hetherington and sophomore Nick Miele are also back. Three players are competing for the open goaltending job – senior Jack Caruso and sophomores Sean Dynan and Devin Bruzzese. Senior Sean Verrier (17 points) and dynamic high-energy sophomore Matt Thomson (9-6-15) return as the top forwards. Senior Mike Keogh brings intensity to the forward unit and a deep sophomore class is poised to step up.

Mike Seibold Reading

Matt Thomson Reading

Sean Verrier Reading

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Massachusetts Division i hockey

Wilmington Middlesex Freedom Preview Will Rely Expect Burlington To Be Right In There On Defense BuRliNgTON (10-4-8) WilmiNgTON (15-4-7) Graduation and transfer losses stripped the North Sectional finalist of many of their key players, so coach Steve Scanlon said the Wildcats will focus on playing stifling team defense, at which they have excelled for years. The challenge will be producing consistent offense. The attack will run through senior captain Steve DeFuria (11-8-19) and junior center Brian Cavanaugh. Senior Eddie Silva (back from Juniors) brings a physical element. Seniors Chris Sartori and Mike Marcinkowski are a steady pair on defense. Junior transfer Joe Kelly (BC High) should step right into the rotation. Senior Glenn Sullivan and junior Nick Russo are competing for the vacant goaltending job * Stoneham is also in the Middlesex Freedom Division. No info was available as of press time.

As always, the Red Devils figure to be in the mix for the league championship and should be their usual tough draw come tourney time. Eleven players return with varying degrees of experience for coach Bob Conceison. The defense is deep with senior captains Nick Carlino and Adam Morgan, senior Danny Piotti and juniors Shane O’Halloran and Josh Boulos all back to protect junior goalie Nick Howard. Talented underclassmen Anthony Nikolopoulos (15-8-23), Rob McLean (6-16-22) and Tom Hanafin (7-5-12), all juniors, drive the offense. Junior Robbie Ryan and senior Ryan Sheldon provide quality depth.

Red Raiders Backboned By Senior Goalie Busconi WATERTOWN (14-3-5) The Red Raiders exploded on the scene last winter with some wins against big programs. This year, they won't be able to sneak up on anyone. They will need to replace some excellent senior leadership they got last season. It all starts in goal, where coach Mike Hayes welcomes back senior standout Anthony Busconi (1.00 gaa), the team captain. Watertown has experience on defense with the return of seniors Nick Giordano, Austin Farry and

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Joah Boulos Burlington

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Brendan Berkeley. Juniors Mike Giordano and Nick Martino, and sophomore Jeff Commeau will have key roles up front.

Melrose Wants To Hit Stride mElROsE (13-5-5) It could take the Raiders time to hit their stride as coach Vin Mirasolo graduated 12 and another half-dozen returnees didn’t hit the ice until Dec. 8 as the football team reached the Super Bowl. Their leadership will be crucial in bringing along those new to the varsity level. There is proven scoring at forward with Brian McGlaughlin (7-15-22), Jack Hickey (11-9-20) and Zack Mercer (5-9-14) all back. Jake Karelas returns on defense. Tyler Brown (1.61 gaa) and Phil Bolton (2.69 gaa) are likely to share time in goal again this season.

Nowhere But Up For Wakefield WAkEfiEld (0-18-1) There is no place to go but up for new Coach John Pellerin and the Warriors. A large number of players return and Pellerin is hopeful last year’s struggles has made this team stronger across the board. Senior captain and defenseman Jack Brown, junior captain and defenseman Dylan Melanson, junior captain and forward Anthony Funicella and senior forward Joe Stackhouse will be leaned on heavily.

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DecemBer 17, 2014

Massachusetts Division i hockey

BAY STATE CAREY PREVIEW

Chris Googins Braintree

Sean Casey Braintree

John Elworthy Braintree

Evan Googins Braintree

Good Balance Has Braintree Excited BRaINtRee (16-6-3) After playing in the program’s first-ever Division 1A play-in game last season and playing for the D1 title, the reigning South Sectional champions are chasing their third straight league championship and a whole lot more under the guidance of veteran coach Dave Fasano. The Wamps boast both balance and experience. Four-year varsity regulars and senior captains forward Chris Googins and defenseman

Sean Casey are the acknowledged team leaders. Seniors Corey Woodward, Robbie McKinney, Christian Guiliano and Dereck Anson, junior Kyle Marshall, and sophomore Evan Googins return up front. Senior John Elworthy and junior Erik MacDonald also return in front of junior goalie David McDonough. Braintree’s beefed up non-league schedule includes dates with the likes of Catholic Memorial, St. John’s Prep, St. Mary’s and Duxbury.

Tigers Name Gresser As Coach NeWtoN NoRth (7-10-3) New coach Jamie Gresser will stress accountability and commitment to team defense and team offense as the Tigers target a post-season berth.

Top returnees are senior forward/defenseman Thomas Gresser, junior goaltender Thomas Joyce, and sophomore forward/defenseman Curtis Judd. Look for immediate contributions from sophomore forward Ben Lubin.

Weymouth Will Rely On Defense Weymouth (12-10-1) The Wildcats welcome back a sizable contingent and coach Marty King expects them to be very competitive. Defense is a likely strength as that unit returns virtually intact. An experienced group of defensemen will protect returning junior goalie Brendan Burns. Junior Bobby Coyle (6-915) is looking to build off a big season. Junior Matt Coleman and seniors Ryan Gunther and Gavin Mocshella also return. Sophomore Brian Chambers (24 points) and senior Sean Flaherty (11 points) are the top returning forwards. Chris Munichello, Jake Davenport and Billy Flynn provide depth.

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Ryan Gunther Weymouth

the action all season long!

Framingham In The Hunt FRamINgham (13-10-0) The primary task confronting coach Paul Spear and his staff will be identifying the replacement for graduated standout goalie Al Lynch, the BSC’s MVP as a junior. Developing quality support for a returning veteran core is also crucial. The offense will be built around a pair of stellar senior forwards in Ryder Lessing (14-16-30) and Drew McKinnon (11-8-19). Senior Tim Tierney (7-14-21) is one of the league’s more effective two-way defenseman and new forward Austan Bellefeuille provides quality depth.

Juniors, Sophomores Play Key Roles For Brookline BRooKLINe (4-17-0) The Warriors will be young with mostly juniors and sophomores playing key roles. Junior captain Jesse Leung (25 pts) and sophomore Brian Greenstein (20 pts) will be offensive catalysts. The forward lines also return seniors Nolan Crowley and Jacob Stienfield, junior Josh Russo and sophomore Eli Hopkins. New freshmen Jake Boy and Jake Geller hope to chip in. Senior captain C.J. Greenstien and sophomores Colby Ferrigno and Dan Rosenthal all return on defense for coach Steve Trundle. Freshman Ryan Leung looks to make some noise. The goaltending job is up for grabs between a couple of new freshmen and two returning juniors, who were back-ups last winter.

Transition To New System Will Dictate Rockets Year Needham Jamie O’Leary takes the reigns for the Rockets. How quickly they transition to new systems will go a long way toward determining long-term success. James Fisher, Jack Piersiak, Jon Katz and Mike McHale provide O’Leary and his staff a solid core group. Newcomers Phil Pascucci, Ricky Tamkin, Danny McEvoy, Joe Conry and Anthony Trabucco will be counted on for consistent contributions.

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Page 15

Massachusetts Division i hockey

BAY STATE HERGET PREVIEW Hard-Working Norwood A Threat For League Title Kevin Quinn Walpole

Tim Farrow Walpole

Rebels WIll Lean On Defense Walpole (12-8-2) Coach Ron Dowd’s Rebels will lean on sound team defense while working diligently in the offensive end to produce consistent offense. Veteran returnees include a trio of seasoned senior forwards – Dan Hamilton, Kevin Quinn and Kevin Ivatts – as well as talented sophomore defenseman Tim Farrow. New sophomores Cam Martin (F), Owen Hunter (F) and James Corcoran (G) all factor into the big picture.

Dedham Returns Top 2 Scorers DeDHaM (5-15-1) Playing in a predominantly Division I league, the Marauders hope to be as competitive as they can be. Coach Joe Huff will count on senior Ronnie Pucci (32 pts) and junior Brian Bilafer (29 pts) to be offensive leaders. They were the team's top two scorers last winter. Senior Liam Slavin and junior Tommy McCarthy will be vital to Dedham's defensive play. A pair of sophomores - Ryan Mudge and

Jack Rutherford - will battle for the starting goaltender's position.

NorWooD (15-5-3) Expect coach Bill Clifford’s Mustangs to be a hard-working group that relies on a strong corps of defensemen and forwards not afraid to go hard to the net. Goalie Denis Drummey (1.95 gaa) returns to anchor the back end and will be fronted by defensemen Jack O’Rourke (6-10-16) and Armando Piatelli (10 points). Top forwards are Dan Farrell (6-8-14), Connor Flynn and Sean Mellen. Forwards TJ Gover, Scott’O’Brien and Chris Quinn and defensemen

Mark Murray and Ryan Johnson will be counted on to make a smooth transition from the JV level.

Jack O’Rourke Norwood

Wildcats Return Many Forwards MiltoN (17-5-2) Coach Paul Noonan welcomes back a boatload of forwards from last year’s South quarterfinalist. Team defense will be the key for the Wildcats, who are eyeing a deeper run this winter. Ample firepower returns at forward with seniors Lloyd Hill (9-17-26), Owen Bligh (10-12-22), Jason Turner (7-11-18) and Shane Kelley (7-815) and junior Jack Halloran (9-7-16). Senior Mike Kapolis and juniors David Cunniff and Jack McGrath provide depth. Junior Brandon Musto (1.75 gaa) takes over as the full-time goalie while senior Kevin Murphy and junior Elliott Chauvet lead the defense. Five new forwards, five new defensemen and three new goalies will all press for time.

Brian Bilafer Dedham

Kaplan Named Natick Coach Natick (7-12-3) New coach Eric Kaplan takes over a Redhawks’ squad that will need younger players to step up and supplement the contributions of a small core group of veterans. Senior captain and forward Trevor Kaplan will look to build on a junior season that saw him put up nine goals and 30 points. Junior forward Andrew Carr also returns while junior assistant captain Kurt Borgman and sophomore Scott Reynolds are back on defense. Sophomore Colin Montgomery and freshmen Al and Dillon Arno should log regular time.

Wellesley Will Compete Hard Wellesley (9-9-3) Duplicating last year’s South Sectional appearance is a reasonable goal for coach Paul Donato and the Raiders. Only six players graduated from that team that was stocked with juniors and sophomores. Senior goalie Jack Maxwell returns as the anchor on defense. Seniors Connor Morton and Rustin Keene are the most experienced forwards and junior Carter Huff

will look to build on his solid sophomore campaign.

Connor Morton Wellesley

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DecemBer 17, 2014

Massachusetts Division i hockey

MVC/DUAL I PREVIEW

Central Catholic Ready For Another Big Year Central CatHoliC (16-5-3) There is plenty of buzz around the Raiders, who are seeking a berth in their seventh consecutive 1A Tournament. Much of that optimism is being created by freshman forward Jake Wise of North Andover, who has already committed to Boston University and is ranked as a top player in his age group in the U.S. Wise will add to an already deep forward unit that will feature seniors Christian Thompson, Billy Stahley and Eric Robbins. Returning seniors Sean Holly and Dave Sheehan will lead the defense.

kins Brendan Hop Waltham

Waltham Must Develop Scorers

Christian Thompson Central Catholic

The Raiders boast balance and speed as they seek to move beyond the 1A quarterfinal round. Coach Mike Jankowski expects his club will once again rank among the State’s elite.

Colonials Have Holes To Fill aCton-BoxBoro (10-7-4) The Colonials incurred substantial graduation losses and lost another key player to the prep ranks, leaving coach Bob Lavin with the task of identifying where the goals will come from. Seniors Julian Stewart, Matt McCrobie and Mike Champigny return as the top forwards. Seniors Cam Harer and Kyle Ng are the top two on defense with assistance coming from sophomore Tommy Peduto and Chris Joyce. Senior

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Brandon Ham ner Waltham

WaltHam (9-9-2) Developing consistent goal-scorers is the primary task for veteran Coach John Maguire and his staff this winter. Returning senior keeper Shamus Egan, regarded by many as the league’s best, will be leaned on heavily to give his club a chance every night out. Seniors Brendan Hopkins and Brandon Hamner and junior Peter Simeone return with experience at forward. The defense will feature senior James Cicconi, junior Steven Millerick and sophomore Jake Miller.

Lions Must Improve Offensively CHelmsford (9-7-6) A dozen players return for the Lions. Coach Mike McGrath’s club will have to increase its offensive output from a year ago in order to take the next step. Junior Derek Adamson (8-5-13) and sophomore Wes Phillips (4-5-9) are the lone proven scorers. Senior Jason Arnaud, juniors Mario Serra and Nick St. Jean, and sophomore Jake Green all return with experience. Top defensemen are seniors Pat Couilliard and Marty Conley and junior Charles McKelvey. A threeway contest for the goaltending job involves senior Tim Huggins and juniors Blake Alber and Tommy Connelly. A deep group of underclassmen add depth.

• D-1 Independent • Tommy Peduto Acton-Boxboro

Matt Laforest and sophomore Ryan Germain will split the goaltending duties.

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Hingham Hopes For Better Year HingHam (6-12-4) It’s not often the Harbormen miss the post-season. Last year was one of those years. With few proven scorers, Coach Tony Messina says a tourney berth will require tight defense and good goaltending coupled with the emergence of consistent offense by both returning players and new underclassmen. Top forwards are senior captain Jack Forbes and Dan Shea, senior Ethan Iaria, junior Billy McNally and sophomore Matt Demelis. Senior captain Mike Saleski, senior Nico Droster and sophomore Marc O’Rourke will patrol the blue line. Juniors Andrew Ehler, back from B.C. High; and Matt Personeni, back after missing a year due to health issues, will compete for the goaltending job.

the action all season long!

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Page 17

Massachusetts Division i hockey

Core Group Guides Grey Ghosts Westford AcAdemy (9-10-3) The Grey Ghosts lost heavily to graduation and saw another key player transfer but coach Bob Carpenter remains optimistic about this team’s chances. Success will result from consistent hard work. A core group of five will guide the Ghosts. Senior captain Andrew Gounaris and classmates Joe Schultz and Peter Conway return at forward. Junior Tom Egan and sophomore Matt Ricci are the leaders on defense. Alex Flanagan and Wes Harrington also return on the back line. Players moving up from the JVs will fill in the ranks.

Andover Tabs Kuchar New Coach Andover (5-13-2) After doing a solid job of reviving a struggling Amesbury program the past several years, new Coach Chris Kuchar will seek to do the same with the Golden Warriors. He expects hard work and commitment as the players and staff work through the necessary transition period. Senior Will Sauerbrunn (6-10-16), senior Brian Sarget (4-5-9) and junior Steve Schuhwerk (3-4-7) are the most experienced forwards. Senior Nick Scarpa saw action in nine games last year and is the most experienced of four players vying for the goaltending job. Senior Conor Silk can play either forward or defense. Senior Patrick Hughes and junior Andrew Soucy return on the back line.

Canterbury School discover a deeper knowledge

A Long Tradition of Ice Hockey Excellence... Head Coach Varsity, Boys Padraic McCarthy ’94 Head Coach Varsity, Girls Peter LaVigne

A Catholic coeducational boarding and day school for grades 9-12. For more information, contact: Matthew Mulhern ’95 Director of Admission Canterbury School 101 Aspetuck Avenue New Milford, CT 06776-2825 860-210-3832 admissions@cbury.org www.cbury.org

MVC/DUAL I PREVIEW

Former Guertin Assistant Takes Over At Billerica BillericA (5-15-0) New coach Jim Egan, a former assistant at Bishop Guertin, will strive to mold a hard-working team that plays a physical game all over the ice. Thirteen players return with varying degrees of varsity experience. Goaltenders Tim Baxter (Sr.) and Dylan Salk (Jr.) both return and sophomore Scott Murphy (transfer from AC) will push for time. Senior captains Nick DiDonna and Joe Kelleher return on the blue line along with physical juniors Tom Zarro and Dominic DiCicco. Leading the charge up front are

seniors Nick Fantasia, Ryan Kelleher and Nick Covino, juniors Callahan Johnson, Cameron Climo and Brian Corbett, and sophomore Jack Waldman.

Cal Johnson Billerica

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DecemBer 17, 2014

Massachusetts Division i hockey

Old COlony League PReview

Patrick Takes Charge For Trojans Brendan Page Bridgewater-Raynham

Bridgewater-raynham (7-10-3) Dave Patrick takes over at BR and is hoping to push for a league title. Senior leadership and team defense are the keys for the Trojans are to be successful. The forward unit is deep with seniors Anthony Hart,

Mike Hiltz, Rob Keane and Justus Daniels all back. Junior goalies Brendan Page and Danny Sullivan will compete for playing time. Jake Deano, up from the JVs, could make an impact.

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Barnstable Anticipates Another Solid Year

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BarnstaBle (15-7-2) The Red Raiders lost a substantial chunk of offense to graduation but a dozen players return with experience from last year’s South Sectional finalist. Coach Scott Nickerson anticipates they will once again be in the post-season mix. Senior Donnie Brodd (12-10-22) is the most accomplished forward. Support will come from returning seniors Kevin Conway and Ben Barattini and junior veterans Matt Kaski, Nick Dunne and Alex Barattini. Stalwart senior Mike McDonough (9-7-16) is an accomplished two-way defenseman. Juniors Steve Megnia, Joe Demayo and Dave Ryder join him on the back line in front of senior keepers Jake Kazcynski and Dylan Campbell, who both logged time last season. * No

iNfo was available oN

Dartmouth

as of press time.

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Page 19

Massachusetts Division i hockey

Well-Stocked Cathedral Loaded At All Positions

CATHOLIC WEST PREVIEW

Zac Prattson Cathedral

Peter Crinella Cathedral

Devan Tongue Cathedral

Pioneers Have To Re-Tool Defense St. JOhn’S ShreWSBury (11-6-7) The Pioneers thrived under new coach Mike Mead a year ago and will look to continue the forward momentum. Success will depend upon the development of a re-tooled defense and new goaltender. The Pioneers will look to a talented group of forwards to lead the way. Seniors Patrick Storer (12-13-25), Kevin Quinlivan (10-14-24) and Garrett Lehan (5-12-17) and junior Chris Stalmok (10-7-17) will look to build upon their productive campaigns of a season ago. Junior Alex Franchi and Matt Mongeau will split time in goal while Brendan Doherty, Jared Ward and Tim Oger lead the defense. Sophs Justin Storer (F), Adam Romano (D) and Billy Zegras (D) add to the mix.

SPringfield Cathedral (17-3-3) This much is certain – there is no more experienced team in Massachusetts than Cathedral. The Panthers graduated a single player from last season’s 1A semifinalist and return a treasure trove of talent, including six Division One commits and counting. The offense ranks among the most explosive the Bay State has seen in quite some time, driven by seniors Peter Crinella (31-28-59, Holy Cross) and DJ Petruzzelli (21-35-56, Quinnipiac), junior Johnny Leonard (29-23-52, UMass) and sophomore Riley Prattson (16-30-46, Providence). Senior Zac Prattson (23 points) and sophomore Devon Tongue (11 goals) add to the incendiary mix.

A shutdown defense features sophomore goaltender Keith Petruzzelli (Quinnipiac), who won 13 of 15 starts while posting a 1.60 gaa a year ago; and sophomore defenseman Dan Petrick (5-28-33), who’s headed for Northeastern. Seniors Bryce Peritz and Matt Cieboter and junior Cam Griffin complete the top four on defense.

Keith Petruzzelli Cathedral

BIG 3 PREVIEW Whalers Name Rossi As Coach neW BedfOrd (7-13-0) The Whalers will have a new coach this winter, as Mark Rossi has taken over the reins. He will instill in his players to be focused and stay committed. Key guys project to be defensemen Cannondale LeDuc and Luke Galarza, along with forwards Niko Safeolis and Matt. St. John.

Patrick Storer St; John’s (S)

Chris Stalmok St. John’s (S)

Guardians Strive To Move Forward St. Peter-Marian (6-14-0) The Guardians gained valuable experience last season and coach Brian Allain will lean on that core to continue moving forward. Sophomore goalie Nathan Pickett is a steadying influence and enjoyed a solid rookie season. Sophomore Nick Pennucci (12-8-20), freshman Nick Palermo (6-8-14) and junior Conor Leonard return at forward. Senior Matt Panarelli will lead the defense. Look for freshman defenseman Cody Digregorio, sophomore forward Cole Archanbeault and freshman forward Jack Quinn to have an impact.

Upgraded Schedule For Boxers BrOCktOn (7-10-4) The Boxers, who haven’t lost a league game since 2009, will rely on team defense and discipline in all three zones as they negotiate an enhanced non-league schedule that includes Xaverian, Falmouth, ActonBoxboro, and Bridgewater-Raynham. The line of senior Justin Allen (14-14-28), junior Korey Paull (9-17-26) and sophomore Anthony Paull (7-11-18) returns intact. Junior Zack Dinopolous (8-9-17) has a proven nose for the net and speedy soph Max Siegel is poised to break out. Junior Ian Peterson (6-10-16) will partner with converted center junior Dan Heffernan (8-5-13) in front of senior goalie Franco Massaro (2.54 gaa). Coach Chris Cunningham welcomes back abundant depth along with a talented freshman class.

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Page 21

Massachusetts Division ii hockey By Gary Demopoulos • HNIB News

ast season, one team stood out as an easy choice to pre-season #1 in the HNIB News Mass. Division II Top 15 poll. And that team, Beverly, didn't disappoint, staying at #1 all season long and eventually winning the state title. This year, there is a very real chance things will be way different. Any one of a number of teams have the ability to be accepting the MIAA hardware next March at TD Garden. For now, we will go with Tewksbury (17-4-2) at #1. The Redmen return the bulk of their offensive power, a four-year starting goalie, and several defensemen from last season's North finalist. Medfield (18-4-3) had quite the baptism to Division II last winter, winning the South sectional and giving Beverly all in could handle in the title game at Boston Garden. With some talented players back, Medfield starts the season at #2. #3 Canton (15-5-4) will be quite the force in both the Hockomock League and south region if the Bulldogs can develop a young defense. They certainly have the skill up front and a stopper between the pipes. #4 Lincoln-Sudbury (13-3-5) is another team that returns the majority of its squad that reached the D2 North semifinals, including several scorers. Bet they will battle Tewksbury tooth-and-nail in the MVC/Dual County II League. While the four teams above all coming off great seasons last winter, #5 Peabody (5-13-1) endured a sub -.500 season. But with 20 players back, expect the Tanners to have a turnaround campaign. Like Medfield, #6 Medway (155-2) also had quite the first season in Division II from the Tri-Valley League. Armed with one of the top goalies in the division, the Mustangs have the ingredients for

D-2 Pre-Season Top 15 Poll

Tewksbury, Medfield Set Early Pace Keep An Keen Eye On Canton, L-S

BEVERLY was ranked #1 from the pre-season all the way to the state championship game in March, winning the school’s first-ever state title with a 2-1 win over Medfield. (Gary Demopoulos photo)

for another big year. #7 Masconomet (15-5-2 lost its top scorer, but got a couple of new players in that could make an immediate impact. The Chieftains should be tough in the Cape Ann League. They may have suffered some huge losses, but defending state champ Beverly (22-1-1) won't backslide too far. They start the season at #8, but will have to overcome the loss of four senior defensemen, the school's all-time leading scorer, and a stellar goaltender. The third team from the NEC in the top ten is Winthrop (15-6-0) at #9. The Vikings return some key pieces including a four-year starter in goal. Coach Dale Dunbar's defense-first mentality should pay dividends. Rounding out the D-2 Top 10 is Oliver Ames (14-7-2). The Tigers have one of the division's premier backstoppers in Jimmy Tierney and a couple of impressive scorers. #11 Westwood (16-5-1) will battle tooth-and-nail with Medfield and Medway for Tri-Valley League supremacy. The Wolverines will be battle-tested once the post-season comes around. The Cape Ann League’s North Reading (16-3-2) starts at #12. If the Hornets find a suitable replacement for the graduated CAL MVP Keith Linnane in goal, they could surge up the polls.

MASSACHUSETTS Div. II Top 15 W 1. Tewksbury 17 2. Medfield 18 3. Canton 15 4. Lincoln-Sudb. 13 5. Peabody 5 6. Medway 15 7. Masconomet 15 8. Beverly 22 9. Winthrop 15 10. Oliver Ames 14 11. Westwood 16 12. No. Reading 16 13. Coyle Cassidy 8 14. Boston Latin 8 15. Marblehead 17

L 4 4 5 3 13 5 5 1 6 7 5 3 12 12 6

T 2 3 4 5 1 2 2 1 0 2 1 2 2 0 1

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DecemBer 17, 2014

Massachusetts Division ii hockey

CAPE ANN LEAGUE PREVIEW Strong Finish Has Triton Optimistic Ben Ventura Newburyport

Jason Tannian North Reading

Solid Newburyport In Cape Ann Chase NEwbuRypORT (12-8-2) The Clippers enjoyed a solid debut Division 1 campaign last winter. Long-time coach Paul Yameen returns a solid core but will need younger players to step up and fill the gaps. Team defense will be stressed. Four-year senior forward Ben Ventura (9-1726) is closing in on 100 career points and is joined up front by classmates Austin Roy (13 points) and Ty Therrien (10 points) and junior Scott Webster (6-10-16). Freshman Mark Babcock figures to step into a regular role. Senior two-time all-league defenseman Matt Kelleher (6-11-17) continues rehab from a lacrosse knee injury. Sophomore Tanner Derby returns as does junior goalie Noah Kolesha, who will be pushed by freshman Ken Hodge.

Jack Norton Triton

Jarrod Guertin Triton

Shea Capolupo Triton

TRITON (9-10-2) The Vikings closed 6-0-1 a year ago, missing the post season by a single point in their inaugural Division 1 season. You can bet that’s more than enough motivation for coach Drew Wile’s club, a blend of talented veterans and exciting newcomers. Junior Jack Norton (36 points) powers the attack, aided by seniors Jarrod Guertin (18

Joe Schickling Triton

points), Joe Schickling (16 points) and Jack Killion, and sophomore Jed Cutter (11 points). Junior Shea Capolupo and sophomore Barrett Towns are back with blue line experience. St. Mary’s transfers Ricky Calvani, a sophomore, and Zack Mello, a freshman, add depth on defense. Junior Kyle McKendry adds to the depth at forward. Freshman Nolan Smith could get the call in goal.

North Reading Has Good Crew Back NORTH READING (16-3-2) The defending league champions do have a whole host of guys returning, but one spot they will have to replace is in goal, where league MVP Keith Linnane has graduated. Senior Jared Potter (37 pts) and junior Nick Day (27 pts) will be the go-to guys offensively for coach John Giulliotti. Returning seniors Chris Onanian (11 pts) and Griffin Paine (10 pts) will complement them, as will juniors Tyler Calos, Michael Driscoll and Patrick Driscoll, and sophomore John Merullo. The Hornets have four defensemen back, led by seniors Sean McGreal (10 pts) and Cory Collins. Junior Jason Tannian and sophomore Jared Valade have varsity experience. With Linnane graduated, the goaltending job looks to go to returning junior Nick Ponte.

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Michael Castro Masconomet

Garrett Lafata Masconomet

Brendan Lafata Masconomet

Jake Giacchino Masconomet

Depleted Chieftains Must Re-Stock MASCONOMET (15-5-2) The Division II North quartefinalists lost 15 seniors to graduation, and top scorer Joe Griffin to juniors, so building chemistry will be first and foremost for coach Andrew Jackson. The offense will be built around senior Mike Castro (26 pts) and senior Vitaly Knowles and Andrew Anzalone. Expect immediate contributions from new junior Garrett Lafata and sophomore brother Brendan Lafata. Junior Anthony Mancini is another newcomer that will help out. Senior captain Jake Giacchino and junior

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Nick Pease are key holdovers on the blue line. New senior Connor Whiffen hopes to help out. The goaltending position was completely wiped out the graduation so newcomers Greg Knowles (junior) and Matteo Napolitano (sophomore) will battle for minutes between the pipes for the Chieftains.

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Massachusetts Division ii hockey

CAPE ANN LEAGUE PREVIEW Lynnfield Looks To Improve

Jake Harlow Amesbury

Brayden Carney Pentucket

Dan O’Leary Lynnfield

PENTUCKET (6-14-0) The Sachems are also under new management with Jarrett Scarpaci replacing long-time head coach Bill Burns. He inherits a team will a good returning nucleus which could mean some added success this winter. The first line consists of three senior captains in Brayden Carney, Ben Klosowski and Jeremy Binding. Sophomore Johnny Orlando will be a key offensive contributor. New sophomores Max Whitmeyer and Brendan Lincoln hope to chip in. Senior captain John Moner anchors the defense, a unit that also welcomes back junior Andrew Greenbaum. Scarpaci can turn to three different goaltenders in returning sophomores Anthony Orlando and Rob Porter, and freshman Cam Ludwig.

LYNNFIELD (5-11-4) Team defense, good special teams play and solid goaltending will be the keys if the Pioneers can be a challenger in the Cape Ann League. Senior co-captain Dan Sullivan (16 pts), senior Mike Look and junior Dan O'Leary (16 pts) will be offensive leaders for coach Jon Gardner, along with junior Rob Loconte. On defense, senior captain Cam Rondeau and junior Matt Miller will log a lot of minutes.

New Coaches At Pentucket, Amesbury AMESBURY (10-11-0) Back for his second stint behind the bench for the Indians is George Dodier, who takes over a team that qualified for the post-season a year ago. Amesbury lost some key players to graduation and defections, and will turn to junior goaltender Jake Harlow, senior rearguard Austin Toohey (9 pts) and senior forward Mike Duggan to provide leadership during the early transition period.

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Learn more at stowerec.org or call Matt Frazee at 802-253-2264

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DecemBer 17, 2014

Massachusetts Division ii hockey PEABODY (5-13-2) A team certainly capable of making a big turnaround this season is the Tanners, who return 20 players from last winter, where they lost a lot of close games. Senior co-captain Reed Foster (13 pts), seniors Bobby Caproni (12 pts) and Ryan Carney, and sophomores Chris Gillen and Nick Merryman all return up front for coach Mark Leonard. Senior co-captain Cam Smullen, senior Matt Pino and junior Donny Shaw are nice blue line nucleus for the Tanners. Peabody has three guys - senior Stephen Ferrante, junior Freddy Robitaille and sophomore Aaron McDonnell - who will fight for the starting goaltender's job.

NORTHEASTERN CONFERENCE NORTH Peabody Confident With 20 Players Back

Bobby Caproni Peabody

Cam Smullen Peabody

Matt Pino Peabody

Reed Foster Peabody

Danvers Needs To Find Offensive Scoring Punch DANVERS (11-10-1) Strong team defense and finding a top scorer will be keys to the season for the Falcons. There is not much offensive production returning to the roster. Coach Kevin Brown will have the luxury of senior tri-captain Alex Taylor in goal. He will be fronted by senior tri-captain rearguard Steve Ganley. Both were NEC all stars a year ago. The third tri-captain, senior Sean Lundergan, will be an important cog in the Danvers offense.

Steve Ganley Danvers

Ross Wahl Beverly

Sean Hanlon Beverly

New Era Dawns At Beverly Shairs Takes Over As Coach BEVERLY (22-1-1) Longtime assistant Justin Shairs takes over as head coach of the defending state champion Panthers, who have a lot of spots to fill thanks to graduation and defections. Shairs says meshing the returning players with newcomers will be key. Returning forwards like seniors Jesse McLaughlin (13 pts), Brendan Boyle, Clinton Cabral and Ted Leathersich, and juniors Ross Wahl and Hunter Spencer all will have increased offensive roles. New junior Ben Cotreau and freshmen Anthony Damato and Tim McCarthy hope to be contributors. On defense, the top four blueliners have moved on, leaving plenty of ice time for guys like senior Chris McKenna, juniors Tyler Cloutman and Sean Hanlon, and sophomores Luke Samperi and Terran Mazzaglia. In goal, junior Tim Casagrande and freshman Troy Doyle are in the mix to take over.

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NORTHEASTERN CONFERENCE Hallmark Team Defense Buoys Winthrop Charge WINTHROP (15-6-0) Team defense, a hallmark of this program for the last several years, will again dictate how much success the Vikings will have this year. They should be considered a serious challenger to the NEC North title. Production up front for coach Dale Dunbar will come for senior Pat Todisco (23 pts), senior Dillon Driscoll (10 pts) and sophomore Charlie Page (16 pts). Newcomers ready to help out are Steven Holgerson and Henry Brooks. The Vikings return six defensemen, led by senior Sean Gillis and senior Marc Ferullo. New sophomore Dave Barry hopes to crack the rotation. They also have the luxury of a four-year starter in goal with the return of senior standout Ray Feeley (1.70 gaa).

Saugus Back In NEC SAUGUS (5-12-2) After a one-year stint in the Cape Ann League, the Sachems return to the NEC. Up front, look for guys like Nick Straticos, Chris Sanderson, Brandon Ronan and Mike Sarnachiarro to be involved heavily in the offense. Christian Patterson and Jim Alcott are key defensemen for coach Jeff Natalucci. Freshmen looking to make an impact at forward are Pat Groark, John Torres and Ryan Granara.

Marblehead Does A Restocking Job MARBLEHEAD (17-6-1) Like many high school teams, the Magicians saw some significant losses due to graduation and transfers. But, make sure coach Bob Jackson will have his team compete hard and be in the mix. Up front, junior Tim Kalinowski (17 pts) and sophomore Braden Haley (20 pts) are coming off superb seasons and will be leaders. Bigger offensive roles await senior Cam McDonald, Colin Daly and Owen Piccarello. Junior P.J. Roy will be a key defenseman for Marblehead.

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Massachusetts Division ii hockey

Scarlet Knights Rely On Seniors NORTH ANDOVER (7-11-3) The Scarlet Knights have some numbers returning, and they will rely on senior leadership in order to have a successful campaign. Seniors Patrick Sweeney and Alex Martino, and junior Nolan Heinze will be leaders at forward for coach Peter Marfione. A trio of three seniors - Nick DiDuca, Riley Eckles and Andrew Brillard - gives North Andover some nice experience on the blue line.

MVC/DUAL COUNTY II PREVIEW

Ryan Petti Tewksbury

Ryan Meade Tewksbury

Colin Quinn Tewksbury

Kyle Paquette Tewksbury

Things Looking Good For Tewksbury TEWKSBURY (17-4-2) With the vast majority of players back from last year's Division II North finalist, all things point to a highly successful season for the Redmen. "We'll see what happens," said coach Derek Doherty. "We are looking good so far. Most of Tewksbury's offensive power is back, led by seniors Ryan Petti (43 pts), Ryan Meade (23 pts), Colin Quinn (19 pts) and junior Dario Riparo (10 goals). Seniors David Dempsey and Sean Leonard and

Nick DiDuca North Andover

Dario Riparo Tewksbury

junior Mark Gorman will have increased offensive roles. There is plenty of experience on the back line as well, with seniors Sean Brady and Robert Cutone, and sophomore Brett Morris (15 pts) all returning. Sophomore Jonathan Fowler should see more time. In goal, veteran starter Kyle Paquette (1.27 gaa) is back for his senior year, although he is injured to start the season. Junior Chris Raymond gets the nod until Paquette's return.

Josh Goldstein Haverhill

Haverhill Needs Balance HAVERHILL (9-10-2) Continued improvement on defense and goal scoring by committee will be the mantras of the Hillies this winter, who look to improve and get a post-season bid. Senior co-captain Josh Goldstein (20 pts) and junior Kyle Gosselin (8 pts) will be offensive catalysts for coach Joe Roberts. New junior Cam Belanger, a transfer from Central Catholic, should help right away. Defensively, senior co-captain Rob Budds will be a standout in front of returning junior goaltender Mike Gleason (1.88 gaa), who has the ability to steal a few games.

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Ryan Dale Lincoln-Sudbury

Eric Holden Lincoln-Sudbury

Matt Jacobs Lincoln-Sudbury

Jacob Sacher Lincoln-Sudbury

Braden King Lincoln-Sudbury

Warriors In Line For Nice Campaign LINCOLN-SUDBURY (13-3-5) With the bulk of last year's successful club back for another year, the Wariors should be in the hunt and able to accomplish team goals as long as they stay healthy. Coach Tom Pare has no shortage of offensive weapons, including seniors Matt Jacobs (42 pts) and Jacob Sacher (34 pts), senior Connor Lewis (18 pts) and juniors Eric Holden (32 pts), Drew Baker (19 pts)

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and Myles Cohen (17 pts). On defense, senior Ryan Dale (27 pts) likes to get involved offensively. Junior Justin Bain is a key holdover. New junior Braden King, a returner from junior hockey, will contribute immediately. Freshman David Netburn wants to crack the rotation. The Warriors also return their starting goalie in senior Derek Ashe (1.88 gaa). Sophomore Cam Kessler provides depth at the position.

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Massachusetts Division ii hockey

MVC/DUAL COUNTY II PREVIEW Methuen Has Holes To Fill METHUEN (5-10-5) The Rangers graduated 13 players from last year's club, so it is easy to say that there will be a lot of new faces on the bench this season. Returners like Mike Baglieri, Pete Menzie and Mark Picorillo will be key to the Methuen offense for coach Denny Egan. On the blue line, returners like Jack Field, Joe Green and Matt O'Connor will be counted on in front of returning starting goaltender Christian Mazzone.

Christian Mazzone Methuen

Matt O’Connor Methuen

Jack Field Methuen

Alex Kibrick Boston Latin

Wolfpack Ready To Build BOSTON LATIN (8-12-0) The Wolfpack have 18 returners from a team that finished strong last winter, including late season wins over D2 powers Canton and Medfield. They hope to build on that success. The offense will be driven by senior captain Patrick Butler, juniors Will Ahern and Jimmy O'Leary and sophomore Sam Mastrogiacomo. Junior Alex Kibrick and freshman John Murray will be key blue liners for coach Frank Woods. In goal, look for senior Rob DeAngelo.

Patriots Turn To Colarullo CONCORD-CARLISLE (7-8-4) Another team under new management are the Patriots, who turn their fortunes over to Curt Colarullo. Seniors John Caroll, Tommy Standish, Chili Sample and Jim Faber (could see time on defense) will be vital forwards. Newcomers up front who should be contributing are juniors Ben Winslow and Tony Ferrenti and sophomore Jeff Costanza. Senior goaltender Leon Palandjian hopes to give the

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Massachusetts Division ii hockey

Mansfield, King Philip Good To Go

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE - REX-KELLEY

MANsfIELd (10-8-3) The Hornets were one of the four former Division 2 teams that jumped up last year and posted a winning record. Coach Rick Anastos welcomes back a large veteran group that will take on the toughest schedule in program history. Senior Jared Collins (14-16-30) and junior Billy Grant (12-6-18) return to lead the offense while seniors Will Kelleher (+26) and Evan Kershaw (13 points) form the nucleus on defense. Sophomore forwards Matt Farragher, Chad Piotti and Pat Sunderland should all make an impact this winter. KING PHILIP (9-10-1) Good returning numbers means more balance for the Warriors, who will be able to skate four lines this winter. At forward, senior captain Tom Hanson, last season's leading scorer, and senior captain Paul Lyons lead a deep group that includes seniors Bobby Dugan, Robert Boardman and Greg Jacobson, juniors Mat Smith and Sam Ross, and sophomore Richie Lucente. Second-year coach Jim Lehan returns six defensemen, led by senior captain Brandon King. Also back in the fold are seniors Ethan Douglas and Jason Bolduc and juniors Clay Guess, Kyle McCarthy and Cory Lombardo. Senior Sam Thompson is a returner in goal, but a host of other newcomers will be in the mix during pre-season camp.

Sean Young North Attleboro

Andrew Casson North Attleboro

Erik Clements North Attleboro

Big Red Want Solid Two-Way Game NORTH ATTLEBORO (10-10-1) The Big Red have a nice nucleus returning, which, if they play a strong two-way game and be physical, could put them as a serious challenger in the league, and into the post-season again. Senior co-captain Sean Young (38 pts) is the prime marksman for coach Steve Snizek. Senior Mark Ventola, junior Andrew Casson (11 pts) and sophomores Erik Clements (16 pts) and Zachary McGowan are other key returners up front. On the blue line, senior Ryan Ma and sophomore Vincent Zammiello will be cornerstones. Goaltending chores will fall on seniors Brady Grunewald and Zak Tetreault.

Good Group Back At Franklin fRANKLIN (14-8-1) The Panthers proved they belonged in their first Division 1 campaign last season and coach Chris Spillane welcomes back a sizeable contingent to what is a senior-heavy squad. Returning senior forwards Joe Bourque, Ryan Spillane and Alec Borkowski all ranked among the team scoring leaders last season. Likewise, seniors Kyle Filbert, Mason Saunders and Nick Morris are all back as the core of what projects to be a solid defense.

Attleboro Must Play Good ‘D’ ATTLEBORO (9-8-4) Coach Mike Cripps’ Attleboro Bombardiers were solid last winter at 98-4. Senior forward Luke Chomyszak (7-4), senior defenseman Ben Chomyszak (3-8), senior forward Domenic Bartnikowski (4-6) and junior forward Keagin Larkin (8-6) return. Junior forward Ryan Girouard is a transfer from Mt. St. Charles in Rhode Island. “We graduated half of of our team (10 players) last year, including our three-year starting goalie,” Cripps said. “We are going into the season with two goalies that have never played before, so we will have to play good defense and score more goals this year.”

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Massachusetts Division ii hockey

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE - DAVENPORT Oliver Ames Could Prove Troublesome OLIVER AMES (14-7-2) The Tigers had a solid playoff-bound campaign last winter, and all points to another decent year. Keys will be commitment to small details, and establishing a team concept to both sides of the puck. Coach Mark Homer will have the ace in the goal with the return of senior netminder Jimmy Tierney (2.10 gaa, 3 shutouts), one of Division 2's top goal-

tenders. Seniors Albert Basse (11 pts) and Thomas McCormack, and sophomore Jared Costello will lead the defensive unit. New sophomore Max Bamford will help out. Senior co-captains Tyler Provost (31 pts) and Tim Doherty (15 pts) spearhead the offensive attack. New sophomore Evan DiMartinis possesses good hockey sense.

Offense Must Step Up For Foxboro FOxbORO The Warriors of the Hockomock League return Nick Luciano, a captain defenseman who is steady, according to coach Jim Genovese. John Cronin, in his second year this season as goalie, had a big end of the season taking the starting job late

in the season and winning a tournament game. “We’re losing a lot of scoring from last year,” Genovese said. “We need to have players step up and put the puck in the net. Team defense will be a big part if we want success. John Cronin will be looked on to be the backbone of that Defense in net.”

Milford Looks For Farther Tourney Run MILFORD (12-6-2) Two straight tournament appearances and two straight first round setbacks for the Scarlet Hawks. This year, the team hopes to qualify again for the postseason and go farther. Senior Drew Wilde (35 pts) will drive the offense for coach Michael Balzarini. Senior Griffin Lynch (18 pts)

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and sophomore Alec Gilliatt (17 pts) are two more weapons up front. Freshman Aidan Wilde hopes to contribute. Defensively, seniors Sam Croteau (18 pts) and Sean Burns (11 pts) are expected to have big years. Keep an eye on freshman RJ Stansbury.

Justin Slocum Canton

Defense Key For Canton CANTON (15-5-4) Always one of the top clubs in the South, expect the Bulldogs to be right there again, as long as they can develop a relatively young defense corps. Offense most certainly will be a team strongpoint with the trio of senior Brian Hagan (21 pts), junior John Femia (30 pts) and sophomore Matt Lazaro (40 pts). New sophomore Shaun Kirby, a transfer from CM, will help out. While the defense develops, coach Brian Shuman will be confident with senior Justin Slocum (1.65 gaa) returning between the pipes.

• Rex - Kelley Division •

Knights Ready

TAUNTON (6-15-0) Coach Kris Metea will have another young squad, even with the return of 19 varsity players. A solid, young blue line core will play a role in the continued improvement of the program. Junior captain David Perry and sophomore Nick Terry (14 pts) are headliners on the blue line for the Tigers in front of junior goalie Cam Pitts, who played in 13 games last winter. Up front, look for juniors Tyler Whalon (12 pts), Nick Croft (10 pts) and Tyler Pietryzk (injured most of last season) and sophomore Zack Albert to be offensive leaders.

STOUGHTON (6-15-1) With some experience returning in the front lines, the Black Knights could be in line to improve on last year's six-win season. Junior center Mark Sheehan (21 pts) spearheads things offensively for veteran coach Dan Mark. Junior Adam Potter will have a bigger role. Seniors Ryan McSweeney and Drew DiStefano, along with junior Eoin Doherty are back on defense, which will be a plus. New senior Ethan Rawl inherits the starting goaltender's job.

19 Back For Taunton

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Manganaro New Nauset Coach ATLANTIC COAST PREVIEW (2-18-0) Senior Leadership Fuels Clippers This program has undergoneNAuSeT a complete overhaul, with a new coaching fAlMouTH (13-9-2) Second-year coach Paul P. Moore anticipates another strong campaign by the Clippers, due in large part to the leadership provided by the seniors. The core of the defense returns and there is experience at forward. Defensemen Andrew Parkinson, a senior, and Thomas Tobey, a jun-

ior, are the primary protectors in front of returning junior goalie Nick Cline. Offense will come from senior center Arlin Moore (96-15), junior wing Same Walker (10 points) and sophomores Patrick Coyne and Jake Miller. New sophomore Matt Schreiner should set right into a regular role.

Rams Lose 16 To Graduation MArSHfIeld (15-8-0) The Rams lost heavily to graduation with 16 players gone from a year ago. Coach Dan Connolly says how quickly the new players get up to speed will determine the season’s direction. Top returnees include senior Will Cole (8-6-14), juniors Chris Bertone (9-4-13), Hunter McCauley (12 points) and Nevan Connors (8-3-11), and sophomore Andrew Fithian at forward; and seniors Matt Doyle and Gus Conway on defense. Junior forwards Isiah Jackson and Kyle Bowman take the step up from the JV squad.

Youngsters Key For Dolphins deNNIS-YArMouTH (5-11-5) With only three seniors in the lineup, younger players will be asked to play key roles both offensively and defensively. All three seniors will be up in the forward lines and Tom Slovak (20 pts), Tyler Gleason (12 pts) and Tyler Baker will need to produce on a consistent basis. Looking to help out are senior Jason Finn, juniors Kevin Reid, Ryan Benoit, Kyle Morley and Alex Gierej, sophomores Patrick McDowell and Ryley Medeiros, and freshman Matt Mancini. On defense, sophomore Jack Harney and freshmen Brandon Dunn, Billy Egan and Kevin Ralston all will be given the opportunity to show what they can do. In goal, junior Justin Servidori and junior Spencer Post will need to hold down the fort.

Sandwich Eyes Tourney Berth SANdWICH (8-9-3) The Blue Knights just missed post-season play by a point last winter and will look to defense and goaltending in the early going to be a team strength. Juniors Brady Doherty and Matt Brooks will be keys offensively for coach Jordan Mohre. A pair of seniors - Patrick Tierney and Tim Milliken - will handle things defensively. Sandwich possesses a pair of senior goaltenders in Matt Long and Craig Hatfield.

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staff at both the varsity and junior varsity levels, led by new head coach Sal Manganaro, a former Hockey East player at BC and UMass-Amherst. Manganaro says he will stress hard work, commitment and a team first attitude. Goaltender Hunter Ohmesis and Taylor Saffer will be key Warriors in the team's transition to the new coaching staff.

GREATER BOSTON PREVIEW Returning Core Group Leads Mustangs Medford (13-6-3) The Mustangs bowed to North finalist Wilmington in double OT in the Sectional quarterfinals last year, capping a stellar debut campaign under Shawn Bates. Repeating that success will be a challenge as graduation thinned the ranks. Bates will count on a core group of returnees to lead the way. As many as eight freshmen could take regular shift in a year Bates says will involve “a lot of coaching and teaching.” Senior Brendan Hussey is the leader of a forward unit that includes junior Max Porrazzo and sophomores Brendan Ciarlone and Gino Ramasci. Seniors Ryan O’Keefe and Justin McDonald return on the back line. Three players are competing for the goaltending job.

New Management At Everett eVereTT (8-11-1) Former Boston University star Jason Lawrence takes over the fortunes of the Crimson Tide and will look to heighten the compete level of his squad right away. Goal scoring will need to come from the likes of senior James Liberge, and sophomores Marc Faia and Ray Suppa. Senior Chris Durkin will be important to the Everett blue line.

Marc Faia Everett

* Somerville alSo haS a new coach in max Gratchev. no information on the team waS available aS of preSS time.

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DecemBer 17, 2014

EMass Division iii HockEy By Dom Nicastro • HNIB News

anover looked like a team of destiny as it roared through the EMass Division 3 South tourney last winter en route to a win over Bishop Stang in the title matchup. It blanked North champ Wayland, 3-0, in the Eastern Mass. final. Then, it met Shrewsbury in the TD Garden, and the party was over. Shrewsbury won, 7-1. Hanover has earned a spot in our Top 15 preseason poll, no doubt. But it’s not on top. We’re going with Newton South, the runner-up in the North division whose overtime loss to Wayland in last year’s North final prevented them from a crack at Hanover. Coach Chris Ryberg’s team is deep in scoring with returnees, and it’s got its starting goalie back. “Newton South did not lose much in the way of graduation and returns dynamic scorers Griffin Connolly and Thomas Tresca,” Wayland coach Rian Murray said. “They will look to build on last year's strong playoff run to the D3 North Finals and should be considered the team to beat in the league this year.”

EMASS DIV. III Top 15 Poll W 1. Newton So. 15 2. Hanover 18 3. Wayland 15 4. Watertown 14 5. Bishop Stang15 6. Dracut 13 7. Shawsheen 12 8. Diman Voke 17 9. Abington 11 10.Lynn 13 11. Middle./Hull 13 12. Cohasset 15 13. Northeast 15 14. Lowell Cath.12 15. Rockland 13 hnibnews.com

L 7 8 6 3 9 8 10 5 8 7 8 7 7 8 7

T 1 0 3 5 1 2 0 2 5 1 0 0 1 2 4

• EMass III Top 15 Pre-Season Poll •

Newton South, Hanover Lead Respective Regions Wayland, Watertown Must Be Watched

HANOVER GOALIE Noah Clapp makes save in last year’s MIAA DIvision 3 state final game against Shrewsbury. He returns to backbone the Indians again this winter. (Gary Demopoulos photo).

We will go with Hanover for No. 2 since they, too, are bringing back a lot of strength. “Hanover has to be the favorite to come out of the South again with the returnees they have,” Wareham/Carver coach Bryan BLUE HILLS (10-7-3) New coach Jerimiah Bonham steps into a team that finished just above .500 last season. Avon and Holbrook join with Blue Hills for a co-op arrangement. The Warriors bring back senior goalie Andy Slack along with classmates - defenders Nick Prisco and Mark Travers. Juniors Robbie Scott and Jason Grant and sophomore Will Forte will help scoring. “Hopefully that (co-op) will add some depth to the team,” Bonham said. “We'll have a young team and lost a majority of the team’s scoring to graduation. Bonham spent 14 years as an assistant at Marshfield High School.

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Erikson said. Murray’s Wayland crew has some proving to do on the blue line and in net, where graduation hurt them, but we’ll go with them for No. 3 until someone knocks them off.

The team that everyone had pegged as Eastern Mass. champs last year, Watertown, takes No. 4. They have a lot to prove as well because they are depleted, but we see last year’s breakout season giving them momentum. Bishop Stang rounds out our top five. They will be one of the best defenses in the South but need some answers offensively. The final 10 spots are perfectly interchangeable. We’re going with last year’s merit since these final 10 all seem to be have a mix of solid returnees meshed with a few key graduation losses. Dracut, Shawsheen, Diman, Abington, Lynn, Hull/Middleboro, Cohasset, Northeast, Lowell Catholic and Rockland were all tourney teams last winter, and, respectively, they fill out slots No. 6 through No. 15.

MAYFLOWER LEAGUE PREVIEW

Blue Hills Has New Coach No Seniors at Sacred Heart SACRED HEART (14-6-1) Sacred Heart returns to the ice with coach Thomas MacDonald still at the helm. Key returning players include junior forward Colin Gillis, junior forward John Quinn and junior goalie Ian Fillion, all captains. Junior defenseman Tom D'Amillio, sophomore defenseman Stephen Fehrm, sophomore forward Sebastian MacMillin, junior forward Brendan MacNeil, freshman forward Dan Lincoln and freshman goalie Conor Bitterman are all ones to watch. “We are very aggressive in all three zones,” MacDonald said. “We have a great mix of veteran players and young players. We don't have one senior on the team.” * More Mayflower league Page 41

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DecemBer 17, 2014

EMass Division iii HockEy

Good Mix Of Young, Old At Medway MEDWAY (15-5-2) Youth will be served this winter for the Mustangs, although the team does return some of the premier players in the Tri-Valley League, which will be instrumental for leadership and keep the club as a league challenger. Seniors Cam Fisher (32 pts) and Mike Boldy (31 pts) lead the attack for coach Chris Ross. Lending ample help will be senior Jared Reynolds (23 pts) and sophomores Cole Fisher (10 pts) Adam Dwyer (10 pts) and Andrew Diebus (10 pts). Freshman Kevin Anderson hopes to crack the lineup. Senior rock Kevin Kaufman (18 pts) is the defensive rock; a returning first team league all star. Newcomers ready to open some eyes are juniors Matt Leland and Vinny Parlato, sophomore Ben Steinhoff and freshman Colin Curley. Medway will have one of the top goalies in the state with senior Mike Purnell (1.01 gaa last season).

Blackhawks In Rebulding Mode BELLingHAM (4-15-1) Coach Kenny Bertoni’s Blackhawks enter play this winter looking to make up a lot of ground from last winter. The team returns senior forward Brandon Bertoni (4-16-20), junior defenseman Matt Alexander (1-56) and junior goalie Josh Morse (3.55 GAA). Bertoni is calling this season a rebuilding one.

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Hillers Want A Tourney Return

TRI-VALLEY LEAGUE PREVIEW

Cam Finlayson Hopkinton

Devan Sheth Ashland

Adam Dwyer Medway

Medfield Ready For Another Run MEDFiELD (18-4-3) The Warriors had quite a first season in Division II last winter, coming one goal short of winning the state title. If they can fill some key spots lost to graduation, this club will be right in the mix again. The offense will be built around senior Jack Scannell (24 pts), junior Matt Trieber (28 pts) and junior John MacLean (24 pts), all key members of last year's D2 South champion club. Senior Pat Conners and junior Kyle Gately look to have increased roles up front. Seniors Will Murphy (11 pts) and Justin Hirschfeld will be blue line anchors for coach Toby Carlow. A new starting goalie will emerge from pre-season workouts.

Westwood A Formidable Foe WEStWooD (16-5-1) Expect the Wolverines to be right in the middle of the TVL title chase, as they usually are. Focusing on playing well in their own end first will be a key to success. Senior tri-captain Ken Mackin (27 pts) will headline things up front for coach Mike Welby. Junior John Clancy, senior Chris Eldridge and sophomore Sam Murphy should figure more prominently in the offense. On defense, book-end senior captains Joe Reissfelder (15 pts) and Jim Conway (12 pts) will return as blue line leaders.

Ashland Returns Some Key Pieces ASHLAnD (12-6-2) The Ashland Clockers were a South tourney team last winter. Key returning players include: senior forward Devan Sheth (22 pts), senior forward Nick Boccelli (10 pts), senior forward Kyle Mespelli (9 pts), senior forward Richard Ferrazzi, jorward forward Filip Cooper and junior defenseman Mike McGoff (8 pts). Sophomore forward George Boccelli is a solid two-way player who should have an impact on the team this year. Junior forward Eric Anderson is a quick offensive forward who should have a solid offensive season this year.

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Hopkinton (12-8-1) Coach Chris MacPherson’s Hopkinton Hillers come into Tri Valley League play after making the playoffs last winter. “We’re looking to build off of last year's great team chemistry that led to the Hillers' first tourney appearance in seven years,” MacPherson said. Senior Jordan Carroll(24 ps), and junior Cam Finlayson,(34 pt), return after fine 2013-2014 seasons. Brendan O'Leary (senior forward, 11 ps), Mike Messier (senior forward, six points) and Alex Kosheff (junior forward, seven points) are back to provide offensive spark. Defenders juniors Billy Allen and Dan Delaney and sophomore Will Pickens hit the ice again. Will Karpenski, a junior defenseman, is back from prep school. Nikolai Saporoshetz, a junior forward, returns from injury. DovEr-SHErBorn (6-13-1) Jeff Moore’s club wants back in the postseason. They were 6-13-1 last winter. Senior forward Sam Schroeder (9-16-25), senior defenseman Jack Henderson (5-12-17), Chris Williams (3-9-12), Charlie Patriquin (5-5-10) and Joe Paolatto are expected to be regular contributors. Moore’s looking for more scoring, strong goaltending and team defense. HoLLiSton Holliston wants to get back to the tourney, and will rely on the play of returning Tri Valley League Player of the Year, Brad Arvanitis. He returns along with Preston Trudeau and Matt Dracoules Coach Rick Leblanc said the key to the season will be good team defense.

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DecemBer 17, 2014

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EMass Divison iii HockEy

Patriot League Preview

Tom Martin Hanover

Alex O’Dowd Hanover

EMass Champ Hanover Strong In The Back HANOVER (18-8-0) The defending Eastern Mass. champion Hanover Indians are back this year after an 18win season one year ago. They lost six, including the state-title matchup against Shrewsbury. Key returnees include: senior forwards Tom Martin, Tyler Powers, Joe Maguire, Ernie Meads, Alex O’Dowd and Andrew Zwart, juniors Landon Hansenfus and Trevor Doucette, junior goalie Noah Clapp, and defensemen Mike McGlame (sophomore) and Shane Fallon (senior). “We need to find our scoring touch early on,” Hanover coach Jonathan Abban said. “We should be solid in net and defense.” WHITMAN-HANSON (6-11-3) Only three seniors graduated for the Panthers, although even with their experience, will still be a young team. Two forwards to be leaned on heavily for production by coach Joe Bina will be senior Zach Burke (14 pts) and senior Ryan Duclos (9 pts). Freshman Korey Howard could contribute right away. On defense, senior Nick Villanouava (12 pts) and junior Liam Sweeney (13 pts) will be anchors. Junior Dylan Thomas and sophomore David Perry will be in the goaltending mix. QUINCY (11-9-2) The Presidents were post-season players last winter, and with some hard work, could find themselves tourney bound again. It helps to return your top two scorers, which Quincy does in senior Pat Freeman (30 pts) and junior Brian O'Callaghan (28 pts). Another key player for coach Ted Walsh will be senior rearguard Brandon Beal.

Pat Freeman Quincy

Cullin Cosgrove Plymouth North

Chris Lovell Plymouth North

Plymouth North, South Join Patriot PLYMOUTH NORTH (2-11-7) There will be new leadership here with Tim Drew taking over the head coaching duties. The team has a nice amount of seniors and "I am looking for some great leadership from them," the coach said. Up front, seniors include Chris Lovell, Brian

Fanning, Cory Caraher, Cullin Cosgrove, Sean Colb, Joe Durand and Darren Fleet. Defensively, Andy Serino and Tyler Russell will have key roles. The team also has a senior goalie is Steven Murphy. Newcomers Phil Cronin and Nate Fleet hope to contribute.

PLYMOUTH SOUTH (16-6-1) Like their counterparts from North, the Panthers join forces with the Patriot League. They will have several holes to fill in their line-

up. "We need to have a good defence," said coach Mike McCosh. "Coming into a new league will be tough for a young team."

Pembroke Will Be In Thick Of Things PEMBROKE (11-11-2) A lot of new faces will be have to be put in position in order for the Titans to compete for a league title. There is still a decent returning nucleus with which to build. Coach Mark Duffy has last year's leading scorer back in senior captain Adam Tripp (28 pts). Seniors Conor Gallagaher (13 pts) and Tom Waterfield, junior Joe Birolini and sophomores

Cam Judkins (12 pts) and Zach Simpson all have varsity experience. Senior Nick Devitto, juniors Dan Bowen and Billy Hickey, and sophomore Conor Pijanowksi are back on defense. Senior Mark Indelicato has returned from the Bay State Breakers. A starting goaltender will emerge from senior Cam Deegan and sophomore Justin Pijanowski.

Red Raiders Can’t Be Overlooked NORTH QUINCY (10-8-4) If the team's younger players can generate some more offense, and the Red Raiders play their usual strong team defense, a return trip to the post-season could be in the cards. Up front, coach Matt Gibbons will expect * Scituate

decent production from senior co-captain Mike Finn and junior Timmy Glynn (15 pts). Senior co-captain Matt Monahan and junior Matt McDonald will anchor the defense in front of new goalie Kevin Doherty, who will replace two-time league all star Nolan Greene.

patriot league. no SailorS aS of preSS time.

iS alSo competing in the

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EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PREVIEW Islanders To Focus On Defense

Kyle Lane Coyle Cassidy

Will Jacques Coylc Cassidy

Robbie Holyoke Coyle Cassidy

Strong Nucleus Back At Coyle COyLE CASSIDy (8-12-2) New head coach Darrell Borges inherits a club that could be ready to make a move, as it returns a strong nucleus from last winter's outfit. Forwards ready to make a big jump up include senior co-captain Connor Flynn, senior Billy Pacheco (11 goals) and juniors Robbie Holyoke (13 pts) and Cody Perry (16 pts). Newcomers Brian Panasuk (senior) and Kyle Lothrop (junior) hope to have big roles. Defensively, the Warriors will look to senior co-captain Will Jacques and junior Hunter Jones to be cornerstones. Sophomores Joe Gill and Cam Patota look for increased roles, while freshmen Tom Lorden and Brian Hill have great potential. A returning starter in goal for Coyle is senior Kyle Lane.

Patriot League Preview

Different Look For Duxbury Duxbury (16-4-3) The Green Dragons will have a decidedly different look this season. Eleven seniors graduated from last year’s 1A squad and only four players return that took a regular varsity shift. Coach John Blake’s club will have to learn on the fly. Senior captain Jack Griffin (13 pts) and junior forward Kevin Corcoran (16 pts) will lead the offense. The defense will be built around senior captain Shawn Errasti (10 pts) and senior captain Tucker Kelly (2.1 gaa) in net. As the only D1 team in the league, the Dragons have always sought out a competitive non-league schedule. This year is no different with dates against Xaverian, Hingham, Braintree and Marshfield. Duxbury will also seek to defend its Buddy Ferreira Classic title in February. SILVEr LAkE Brandon Hall’s Silver Lake club is looking to lean on the shoulders of senior forward Brendan Guilderson, junior forward Tyler Gillen, senior defenseman Jon McClintic and Adam Gay and senior goalies Kyle McDonald and Alex Crone. Freshman defender Eric Travers looks to make an immediate impact. “We have a lot of returning forwards and defense,” Hall said. “We’re a veteran team from front to back. The team is looking to rebound back to the tournament. We have 12 seniors hungry and determined. It’s a hardworking, talented group of kids.”

MArTHA'S VINEyArD (14-6-2) A lot of offensive production has moved on, so the Islanders will need to focus on their defensive game as it looks to develop some scorers. Junior Emerson Mahoney (17 pts) is back up front and will be a key for coach Matt Mincone, along with seniors Andrew Wiley (20 pts) and Austin Morley (11 pts) and junior Joshua Forend. Sophomore Tristan Araujo (11 pts) is adept on the blue line as well as up front. Junior Nick Vukota will be a key blueliner. Senior transfer Nicklaus Kent is a goalie candidate, while fellow senior transfer Dorian Johnson will look to help on defense.

Emerson Mahoney Martha’s Vineyard

Nick Vukota Martha’s Vineyard

Brandon Anderson Somerset/Berkley

SOMErSET/bErkLEy (9-10-1) The Raiders return this winter senior defenseman Brandon Anderson (4-8-12), senior forward Zach Arruda (11-9-20), junior forward Logan Santos (15-18-33), junior forward Brian Shea (5-11-16), sophomore forward Chris Padulla (7-7-14) and senior defenseman Ryan Kelley (1-4-5). Newcomers include two sophomore goalies -- Lucas Souza and Zach Pickering. “We have to bond early as a group and do all the right things,” Coach Kevin Synder said. “This makes for good chemistry. We also need to be better in all three zones.” bISHOP FEEHAN (12-7-1) Keep an eye on the Shamrocks, who return 13 skaters and a starting goalie from last winter's tournament-bound club. Offensively, leaders for coach Phil Hulbig will be senior co-captains Jack Hanson (27 pts) and Jake D'Ercole (19 pts). Others returning with key varsity experience include seniors Matt Jesser and Cam Wilkins, juniors Mke Geraghty (21 pts) and Brendan Barrera and sophomores Kyle Browne (16 pts) and Jack Callahan. Senior Brett Piotti (13 pts) will anchor the Feehan blue line, a group that also features seniors

Andy Blomstedt and Josh Fortier, and sophomores Sean Dunphy (8 pts) and Josh Nelson. In goal, junior Mike Capprini has been the starter since freshman year.

Mike Capprini Bishop Feehan

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NORTHEAST CONFERENCE SOUTH PREVIEW Swampscott Ready To Bounce Back sWAMpsCOTT (4-15-1) The Big Blue had a letdown season after winning the Eastern Mass. title in 2013. Coach Gino Faia said the team was rebuilding last winter and looks forward to a better season. Senior Ryan Cresta (8-10-18), sophomore Ryan Donnelly (12-11-23) sophomore Mike Johnson (9-13-22) and sophomore Louis Olivieri (7-4-11) are the top returnees. Senior Joey Faia and Dante Ceccarelli return on defense, and senior goalie Trent Gallagher is back. Freshman goalie Dan Johnson should see some time in net sALEM (9-9-2) Salem, in a cooperative program with Hamilton-Wenham, had its best year in the short history of the coop with a 9-9-2 mark one year ago. Coach Ted Hanley’s Witches will be looking for leadership from senior forward Sam Petri (8-12-20). Senior Eli Spector (16 pts) was clutch with a pair of goals and 14 assists, and senior Derick Zwerican 16 pts) returns as well. Defensemen junior Eamon Williamson (12 pts) and sophomore forward Cam Twoomey (12 pts) return as well. Sophomore blue liner Nathan Rumson had a great freshman year and has put on some size this off-season. Senior forward Jake Quarles is a transfer from Peabody. Senior goalie Nick Holt is a “huge” addition to the team. LYnn (13-6-1) The Lynn Jets return to the ice under coach Joe Conlon. They finished 13-6-1 last winter and bring back senior forward Mark Brazell and senior forward Corey Wojewodezic. Goalie Jack Stafford is in his second year. Brett Molea and Ryan Clark are youngsters to watch. REVERE (11-6-2) The Patriots welcome Malden in a co-op agreement that should get this program more depth. Still, there are some holes to fill after the team lost many experienced players. Key forwards project to be seniors Richard Polignone and John Galatis, juniors Steve Noel and Joe Ristino and sophomore Anthony Cecca. Coach Joe Ciccarello will rely on junior Kevin Chiles to play well defensively. * Gloucester

has joined the

nec south. no

info was available as of press time.

• Eastern Athletic Conference • BIsHOp sTAng Coach Ken Gouveia’s team welcomes back senior Ryan Hubert (goalie), senior Tucker Mendonca (defenseman), senior Josh St. Martin (defenseman), junior Mike Skarbek (defenseman), junior Kade Kaminski (forward), senior Jack McCarthy (forward) and senior Tristin Costa (forward). Freshman Matt Tetreault can be a spark. “Defense and goaltending should be solid,” Gouveia said. “Offensive firepower is a question mark.”

CATHOLIC CENTRAL SMALL PREVIEW

Mike Guay Lowell Catholic

Thomas Willegal Lowell Catholic

Dylan Poirier Lowell Catholic

Crusaders Blessed With Depth LOWELL CATHOLIC (13-8-2) The Crusaders are back for Catholic Central action. Mike Guay had 27 points last year. Jesse Caisse scored 24 points. Thomas Willegal added 18, and Dylan Poirier and Shane Silva with 27 and 14 points, respectively, are also back. Senior newcomer Corey Vaillancourt and sophomore newcomer Stevie D'Urso will compete for goalie time. Goaltending will be the big question. “This is the deepest team we have ever had up front and on defense,” Lowell Catholic coach Tom Curran said. “If the goaltending is at least solid, not spectacular, we'll be fine.” MARIAn (7-13-0) Marian first-year boss Adam Sinewitz hopes to lead the Mustangs to success after the team had a 7-13 mark last winter. Senior forward Dan Tedesco and newcomer junior forward Darren Gurney should be ones to watch. “We’re a young team eager to learn,” the coach said. “Hard work and good conditioning will pay off.”

sT. JOsEpH’s pREp (3-16-2) New coach Rob Dwyer and the St. Joseph’s Prep team come into the season with heavy hearts. They tragically lost senior defenseman Ryan Morrissey who died in November. The team, will have a co-op arrangement with St. Clement’s again., The team returns senior forward Alex Afanasiev, senior forward Alex Watson and junior forward Matt Dighton.

Murray Takes Charge At St. Bernard’s sT. BERnARD's (4-15-0) The Bernardians are yet another team with a new head coach, with Gerry Murray assuming the role. He says getting good goaltending and first line scoring will be keys for a successful season. Returning players ready to get going include seniors Justin Richardson and Ryan Ambrozy, and juniors Zack Bingham, John Leli, Pat Vachon and Ethan Abitz. Newcomers ready to show what they can do are junior Zack Zarrella and freshmen Charlie Morris and Paul Couture.

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Cambridge Joins Loop

MVC/DUAL III PREVIEW Wayland Has Scoring Punch WAYLAnD (15-6-3) The defending North champions return to action after losing to Hanover in the Eastern Mass. title game. The Warriors, led by coach Rian Murray, bring back a boatload of scoring. Nick Morgan had a 27-16-43 season, and fellow senior Lucas Bastarache registered in with 13 goals and 21 assists. Junior Jake Brady can score -- 14 goals last season with 15 assists -- and Scott Carvalho (senior) and Joe Christakis combined for 47 points. Nick Greenwood, senior defenseman, is reliable. Unproven, but promising sophomore goaltender Andrew Ludwig will look to fill the big shoes left by the graduation of all-star goaltender and two-time D3 North Champion Ben Boschetto.

Akashian New Coach At Lowell LoWeLL (7-9-4) First-year coach Brian Akashian takes over behind the bench for the Red Raiders and hopes to lead them into the postseason. The team was 7-9-4 last year. Senior co-captain defensemen Aidan Conlon and Ryan Ames return along with junior goalie Jake Hickey and sophomore forward Connor Barter. Freshman forward Zachary Zdon and sophomore forward Casey Sheehy have shown promise. Lowell lost its five leading point scorers from last season. “We want to be exceptional defensively,” said Akashian, who returns to his alma mater, where he graduated in 1996 and is a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. BeDfoRD (10-7-3) The Buccaneers were a one-and-done in the North tourney, losing to Shawsheen. The team does have scoring coming back -- namely, senior forward Brendan Flynn. who had 27 points on 13 goals. Senior forward Jake Citrano (3-11-14), senior forward Ethan Miller (9-5-14), sophomore forward David Bartkus (7-3-10), senior defenseman Tom Bartkus (1-4-5), senior defenseman Jeff Burke (0-2-2), senior defenseman Kevin Cowles (1-6-7) and senior goalie Matt Judge (9-73). Senior goalie Andrew Spaulding is returning from a torn meniscus injury last season. Senior forward Josh Berenson is looking to make more of impact this year along with senior forward Dylan Cobb and junior forward Mike Barr. DRACut (13-8-3) Mike Marshall’s Middies had a solid campaign last winter. Jack Brown, Nick Hayward, Brian Smith, Reed Bourgeois, Kyle Maxim, Steve Maxim, Brandon Bishop, Pat Carney and Brian Goolishian are the core group of returnees. Steve Hillson, Curtis Akins, Kyle Diaz, Corey Galloway, Troy Thurkell and Chris Mellen are new faces. “We need to play good defensive hockey, control neutral zone and minimize turnovers,” Marshall said.

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WAYLAND’s Lucas Bastarache celebrates goal in D3 North Final last March.

Weston Tabs Rich As New Coach Weston New coach Kevin Rich hopes to steer his program back into the postseason. Returning defenseman, junior Ben Hamblett, is a key. Four forwards are back on the ice: Max Grundy, senior; Bryce Grundy, sophomore; James Sacco, senior; and Mark DeBenedictis, junior. Newcomers Thomas Burke, Theo DelGizzi and Evan Roan, all freshmen, could contribute along with sophomore rookie Calvin Jakubowski. “After allowing a league worst last year in goals against, our goaltending and defense needs to be stronger,” Rich said. “Our top goalie was injured last season and we didn't have a stable situation in need. Our core four of defense returns this year stronger and smarter. Offense is strongest part of our team so there needs to be a commitment to defense to ensure we make the most of our strongest asset.”

the action all season long!

CAMBRIDGe (8-9-3) The MVC/Dual County III league will be the new home this winter for the Falcons, who will still participate in the D-2 tournament if they qualify. Seniors Joe Traversy and Collin Mullen and junior Liam Doran will be counted on in the scoring department. Hoping to help out are freshmen Freddie Gould and Max Ingersoll. Junior Zack Alves and sophomore Sky Heller return on the blue line for coach Chris Watson. Freshman Casey Rideout will look to have an impact. Sophomore Trevor Danilliuk returns in goal.

Newton South In The Hunt neWton south (15-7-1) The North runners-up are looking to continue on their success from one year ago, where they lost to Wayland in the sectional final in overtime. Junior forward Thomas Tresca and senior forward Griffin Connolly are a solid 1-2 punch for scoring, and junior defenseman Andrew Wales and senior goalie Chris Olsson will anchor the back line. Senior transfer Hampus Samuelsson will help the offense. “We are real strong up front and shouldn’t have a problem scoring goals,” Newton South coach Chris Ryberg said. “We need to win our league games, having a pretty tough non-league schedule highlighted by (defending state champ) Shrewsbury and Barnstable.”

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Middleboro/Hull Wants More MiDDLEBORO/HuLL (13-8-0) The Sachems had a strong 20132014. But they want to do better. Senior Kevin Perry had 13 goals and 16 assists, and junior Pat Richardson had seven goals and 17 assists. Senior Tommy Bellew clocked in with 14 points, and sophomore Kevin Donohoe in his rookie season added 11. Defenseman Matt Hambly, a junior, returns. Developing team chemistry between the two towns’ players and the need to play good team

defense and out work more skilled opponents, will be key.

Lot Of New Faces At Norwell nORwELL (13-8-3) The Norwell Clippers finished 13-8-3 one year ago. They made the semifinals of the South division tourney and were seeded 12th, knocking off No. 5 Dighton-Rehoboth. Coach Jim Casagrande’s team skated 12 seniors last year, so look for a lot of new faces this season.

SOUTH COAST CONFERENCE PREVIEW Kevin Perry Middleboro/Hull

Should Be Good Year For Rockland ROCkLAnD (13-7-4) Coach Mike Flaherty’s team made the South quarterfinals last winter. Colin Sheehan, a senior forward, is back, along with classmate Matt Ryan and junior forwards Dan Leary and AJ Clark. Sophomore defenseman Chris McHugh will anchor the blue liners. “We are young so we need to work hard, create opportunities and get strong goaltending,” Flaherty said. “We need production from Colin Sheehan (78 points for his career) as well as Dan Leary and AJ Clark. Defensively we are strong with seniors Luke McCullough and Rich Walls and sophomore Chris McHugh. They will be counted on to play a lot of minutes for us.”

Skippers Welcome Mahoney At Helm COHASSET (15-7-0) The Skippers welcome new coach Phil Mahoney this season. Mahoney likes the potential of returnees Jeff Powers, senior winger, Mike Lund, senior center, Adam Benson, senior winger, Cole Joslin, sophomore center, Matt Legge, junior defender, Mike

SOUTH SHORE LEAGUE PREVIEW

Cohen, sophomore defender, and junior goalie Liam McHugh. Kyle Ferreira, returning from private school, will add depth. Mahoney said balance on the top two lines and better accountability in their own end will be the keys to success.

East Bridgewater Looks To Challenge EAST BRiDgEwATER (10-11-0) Head Coach Dave Surette’s South Shore Vikings come back this winter after a 10-11-0 mark. Junior forward Mike Werra (10-7-17), senior forward Cam Connolly (7-8-15), senior defenseman captain Austin Lundbohm (4-8-12) and senior goalie Nick Rose (3.04 GAA) lead the cast of returnees. Bob Bumpus, a freshman, and sophomore Alex Rose are newcomers to watch. “Our top line needs to score consistently and we need the underclassmen to step up and play big minutes,” Surette said.

Chemistry Key At Bourne BOuRnE (12-8-1) The Canalmen, who sported a 12-8-1 for the 2013-2014 season, are back and looking for contributions from Austin Braley, Mitchell Eldrige, Jared Butler and Jacob Davis. Good team chemistry will be the key for Bourne this year. Its coach, Tom Welch, expects another tight year in SCC.

Mitchell Eldridge Bourne

OLD ROCHESTER (13-10-0) Coach Eric Labonte is looking forward to the steady play of returnees like senior forwards Jeremy Lawton, Mike Lygren, Shane Matthews, Zak Peterson, and Kam Silvia, junior right winger, Sam Henri, sophomore left winger, Mason Evich, senior defenseman, Landon Goguen, sophomore defenseman Jacob Duroches and Chris Nadeau, a junior goalie. Newcomers Harold Terpeny, a junior winger, Ryan Labonte, a sophomore forward, Tayber Labonte, a freshman center, and Zak Labonte, a freshman defender, are ones to watch. Labonte said the team's keys for success are good senior leadership with solid goaltending. AppOnEquET/BiSHOp COnnELLy (3-18-0) The Apponequet Lakers, under new coach Craig Correia, head into the South Coast Conference after posting a last-winter mark of 3-18. Zach Smith put home 12 goals and 15 assists last season. He’s paired on the first line potentially with Jack Storms (12-13-25), who is a junior this season. Team leader Marc Turcotte is a senior forward/defenseman. Senior forwards David Reed and Joe Porello also return. Jake Hryzan is a junior forward poised for a big year with a strong defensive forward mindset. Holly Turner, a junior defenseman, had eight points last winter and is “great with moving the puck and can play the body with the boys,” her coach said. Sophomore Kyle Oliveira is primed for a breakout year and Sam Fellows, a junior is the best stay at home defenseman on the team. Junior goalie Jake Branco is returning after his first year back to hockey last year.

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Rockport Looks To Improve rOckpOrT (6-12-0) Rockport, in a cooperative program with players from Manchester Essex and Ipswich, finished a disappointing 6-12 last season. Senior defenseman Kyle Nelson (8-12-20) of Rockport is back, along with senior defenseman Marc Castonguay of Ipswich. Manchester Essex’s Alex Tognazzi, a senior goalie, returns, along with Manchester Essex’s junior forward Anthony Lange. Freshman forward Christian Fabbri of Ipswich is a strong skater with great hands, and freshman forward Patrick Guinee of Manchester/Essex is big and strong and “should make an immediate impact,” Papalegis said. “We have young players that must step up and play big roles this year,” Papalegis said. “There will be lots of competition for spots.”

Commonwealth Conference Preview

Ryan Collins Shawsheen

Hunter Sawicki Shawsheen

Ryan Barnard Shawsheen

Rams Want More Prominence SHAWSHEEN (12-10-0) The Rams are looking to get back to their North Sectional prominence this year after going 12-10 last winter. Shawsheen coach Chuck Baker welcomes back senior center Ryan Collins, senior forward Hunter Sawicki, senior winger Dan Huckins, senior goalie Ryan Barnard and senior blue liner Tom Avtgis. They will be team leaders. “Hard work and playing solid team defense,” Baker said when asked for the keys to success. “Get off to a quick start early in the season.” MiNuTEMAN rEGiONAl (2-17-1) Coach Ed McDonald’s team, finishing at 2-17-1 last winter, is looking for big contributions from Woburn’s Drew Pica, a senior defenseman who notched 14 points on 12 assists.

Mystic Valley Breaks In New Coach MySTic VAllEy New coach Roland Buoncuore takes over the Malden charter school, a job he earned just before this Thanksgiving. He’s getting to know the boys in the early part of the season. The team had 26 skaters show up for tryouts -- nine freshmen, seven sophomores, one junior and six seniors. The team also has two eighth graders and a seventh grader practicing with the team. This team is a combination of Mystic Valley Charter School and Essex Tech. Key returning players are Nathan Gerard, senior defenseman and captain, and senior goalie Matt Brown.

The keys to success for the team will be hard work, strong defense and good goaltending. “As always we aim to make the tournament,” Coach McDonald said.

BOSTON CITY LEAGUE East Boston Has Good Team Chemistry Kyle Nelson Rockport

NOrTHEAST rEGiONAl (15-5-1) Northeast Regional out of Wakefield went an impressive 155-1 last season. Seniors Steve Czarnota and Shawn Curry are expected to be valuable contributors. Discipline and team defense will carry the team.

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EAST BOSTON (8-11-1) Robert Anthony’s Jets are hoping to soar. They didn’t quite do so at 8-11-1 last season. John Lockhead (12-15-27), Kenneth Lockhead (7-1118) and Steven Considine (8-11-19) should power the engine on offense. Meanwhile, Steven Tauro, a senior goalie, is back in nets. Newcomers Ryan Tusco and Thomas Gurino could contribute right off the bat. O’BryANT Joseph Natola’s O’Bryan Tigers of the Boston City League didn’t win a game last year or the year before. They are looking for steady improvement. Asked to cite players from his team, Natola said the team is going to be young.

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the action all season long!

“This team will learn from some of more experienced players and have developed some great chemistry as most of the players play youth hockey and have developed their games with some great coaching at the youth hockey level,” Anthony said. “Our goals this years are to hold a lead and keep the puck out of the defensive zone and limit the amount of shots on our goalie.” Anthony said he’s looking forward to teaching his players the game and good sportsmanship. “This year our team has dedicated the season to coach Anthony Albano who passed away from cancer in October,” he said. “We will be hosting our annual cancer tourney and all money raised will be put toward the Albano Scholarship given out at East Boston High School.”

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Southeastern Regional Returns Many Players SOUTHeaSTeRN Reg. (10-12-0) Southeastern returns a cast of characters that makes them hopeful to get over the .500 mark, including senior forward captains Casey McCloud and David Burns and senior forwards Trevor McDonald and Dylan Tocchio. Sophomore forwards Justin Lavoie, CJ Doucette and Peter Costa return, as do junior defenseman Mike DeMaesschalck and sophomore blue liner Mike Prendergast. Senior goalie Ryan Pereira returns. Freshman forward Ryan Kuzmich played as an eighth grader with Norton, and freshman goalie Joey Fregoe may challenge Pereira for starting goaltender duties. Coach Mark Cabral says keys will be veteran leadership, balanced scoring and underclassmen. After a 4-10 start, the Hawks won six out of seven before being eliminated on the last game of the season. They return seven out of their top eight scorers and their top four defensemen from a season ago.

MAYFLOWER LEAGUE PREVIEW TRI-COUNTY (11-9-0) Tri-County storms into 2014 after winning 11 out of 20 games last season playing out of the Mayflower League. Senior center Jake Ducharme (five goals), senior center Conor Harrington (six goals) and sophomore right winger Justin Most (10 goals) are key returnees along with junior defender Mike Goss. Sophomore goalie Joe Brown “has what it takes to be a great goalie,” Tri-County coach Mark Spillane said. “The team’s success will depend on them playing together as a team and playing solid defense in our zone,” Spillane said.

Diman Regional Hopes To Defend Title DImaN RegIONal Mayflower League defending champs Diman Regional is back with confidence in returning players Jason Silva (senior), Brett Jardin (senior), Tyler Gillet (sophomore), Tyler Nestor (sophomore) and Alex Lepage (sophomore). New players from the junior varsity include Zack Mackenzie (senior goaltender) and Jordan Reis (sophomore goalie). “The key for the team’s success would be a lot of hard work and playing as a team,” Dutra said.

NaNTUCkeT Nantucket returns to the ice this season under coach Jack Moran. The key returning players for the team are forwards Ryan Holdgate and Noah Davidson and defensemen Ethan Fey and Natty Davidson. The keys to the season will be possession and aggressive offensive-zone play. The team will also want to take advantage of its power-play opportunities, Moran said.

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EMass Division iii HockEy NoRToN (5-14-1) The Norton Lancers look to make some noise. Senior defenseman Troy Parker will be joined with junior Matt Loranger and sophomore Cam Trudeau on the back line. Jake Palin, Bob Trudeau and Jack Loranger should provide scoring. We lost four key players from last year’s team. We need to figure out where our goal production is going to come from.” Heganey said. mashpee/moNomoy Sean Chicoine brings back his team under a new cooperative program. The team was Mashpee/Upper Cape one year ago. Seniors Aidan Sullivan (F), Collin Fader (F), James Hinesly (F), Pat Kampersal (D) and Josh Handler (G) are the team leaders. Juniors Ben Daigneault (F), Nick Simkins (F) and Andrew Vinitsky (D) also return, along with sophomores Pete Lucarelli (F), Joe Mackie (F) and Ari Purdy (D). Freshmen Josh Vinitsky (F), Will Wahtola (F), Cole Currie (D) and Michael Bartolomey (G) could make some noise this season.

EMass III INDependents

Upper Cape, Mashpee Start Anew UppeR Cape RegioNal Upper Cape, breaking away from its cooperative program with Mashpee, comes into the season with a fresh start. That fresh start includes new coach Peter Hathaway, who welcomes eight seniors, four juniors, nine sophomores and five freshmen to the program. Sophomore goalie veteran Cam Johnson and freshman goalie Evan Dallacosta should each see time.

Seniors Robert Fluke, Cam Ventre, Matt Kelly, Eric Garrison, Patrick Burke, Nick White and Madison Reily are the bread and butter of the program. Coach Hathaway is still feeling out his team but said he likes the senior leadership so far. Last year, the team had a losing record and showed need for much improvement in several areas.

Cape Cod TeCh/ Cape Cod aCademy Coach Jay Dalterio’s team last winter drew the No. 1 seed in the South with a 15-4-1 regular-season record. But it was a short stint. The team lost to Abington in the first round, 7-1. This year, Dalterio welcomes back sophomore forwards Dan Crossen and Cole Therrien,

who their coach expects to lead the offense. Senior defensemen David Carty and Mike Hinckley and junior Matt Hinckley will anchor blue line. Newcomer junior Owen McCoubrey will get start in net. The team's key for success will be discipline, Dalterio said.

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Hockey NigHt iN BostoN News

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DecemBer 17, 2014

Central Mass HoCkey

by Fran sypek • HnIb news

alk to any high school hockey coach in Central Massachusetts and the forecast for the 2014-2015 season can be summed up in one word: Parity. "It should be wide open,'' Grafton coach Brian Lehtinen said. "A lot of teams should be in the mix.'' Reigning state Division 3 champion shrewsbury looks like the team to beat. The No. 1 Colonials won last season with experience and return some of the top players in the region including Dan and Jack Quinlivan. No. 2 wachusett could be a threat to recapture the title it lost last season. The key will be how quickly its young players improve No. 3 Groton-dunstable has adjusted quite well to its move to Division 3 and should be among the contenders again. Matt Tozeski will be a senior captain and leader No. 4 Algonquin. No. 5 Marlboro will count on its cast of returning veterans to compete for the title. Senior forward Eric Bastarche returns. Dan Baldino who reached 100 points last season, is back for No. 6 Lunenburg. No 7 westborough should continue to improve. Coach Chet Hallice will count on his team's defense to step up. Coach Glen Bombard will count on leadership for No. 8 Auburn. Replacing graduated goalie Devyn Levesque will be the priorty for No. 9 nashoba, which also brings back a good group of experienced players. No. 10 Leominster will look to make a move as new head coach Casey Beaulac takes over.

CENTRAL MASS.

Top Ten Poll TEAM 1. Shrewsbury 2. Wachusett 3. Groton-Dunst. 4. Algonquin 5. Marlboro 6. Lunenberg 7. Westboro 8. Auburn/Mill. 9. Nashoba Reg. 10. Leominster

WLT 21 2 1 16 5 2 16 5 0 10 9 2 8 9 3 16 3 2 9 11 1 2 18 1 7 11 1 12 8 2

Defending State Champ Shrewsbury Starts New Season In Driver’s Seat

SHREWSBURY CAPTAINS with MIAA Division III state title plaque after beating Hanover last March at TD Garden. (Gary Demopoulos photo)

QUINN CONFERENCE PREVIEW Colonials Do Have Holes To Fill, Though sHrewsbury (21-2-1) The Colonials are coming off a state Division 3 championship. The returning players gained valuable experience playing in a pressurepacked tournament, although over half the team will be new faces. Seniors Jack Quinlivan and Dan Quinlivan

will captain the squad for coach Steven Turnblom and lead the offensive attack, along with assistant captains – seniors Tyler O’Keefe and Joe Buduo. Shrewsbury suffered several key losses on defense, including leading scorer Matt Dillon’s move to prep school.

Hudson Looks To Rebound After Rare Off-Season

Jack Quinlivan Shrewsbury

Hudson (2-13-5) It was a rare off-season for the Hawks who were stung by graduation. Mike Nanatowich will look for a balanced scoring attack. Fowards Rocco Malloy, Drew Jackson, defenseman Bryce Hawes and goalie Adam Devlin return for the Hawks. They key or the Hawks will be how they finish games. Hudson held a third period lead in seven games it either lost or tied.

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Page 45

Central Mass HoCkey

QUINN CONFERENCE PREVIEW marLboro (8-9-3) The Bulldogs are looking to return to the playoffs after last season's near miss. Erik Bastarache is an experienced goal-scoring and solid special teams player. Graduation hit the Bulldogs hard on defense and Marlboro will rely on youngsters to step up. Andrew Carter Wachusett

Adam Clark Auburn

Wachusett Should Be Balanced Wachusett (16-5-2) Senior captain Connor Bernard is expected to lead a balanced scoring attack. Bernard is also a strong penalty-killer. Sam Pridatkas and Toayon Vontses are also back, but the program lost three players to prep schools. Andrew Carter, who had a .954 save percentage in seven plus games. Brian Beoette AJ Iacaboni and Paul Happy should improve with experience. "We're young,'' coach Matt Lane said.

auburn/miLLbury (2-18-1) After graduation cost the team 11 experienced players the Rockets took their lumps last season. Coach Glen Bombard's team will look for a bounce back season. The Rockets return a stellar goaltender in senior Evan Lockwood. Also back are junior forwards Adam Clark, Paul O'Leary and defenseman Matt Sully. "This year will depend on our junior class,'' Bombard said.

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Beaulac Back At Leominster Leominster (12-8-2) Coach Casey Beaulac returns to the program after a three-year hiatus. He has a team with two solid lines. Captain Matt Williams, John Duffy and Tyler Cuddahy form the first unit. Cam Moran, Brandon Lefebvre and Noah Crotty compose the second line."Cam Moran is a pure goal-scorer,' Beaulac said. Brian Ledger, KJ Dowling and St. John's transfer Derek Houde will lead what should be a strong defense. Nick Kearney and Jack Cordio will handle the goaltending. Groton-DunstabLe (16-5-0) Coach Phil Rowley likes to play at an up-tempo pace and the Crusaders hope to continue their recent success with a team build around quickness. Back for the Crusaders are seniors Brad Garside and Nate Rabbit who both had good speed. Also back are Eric Niemoller, Pat Keating and Chris Lattini. The Crusaders have only one senior and Rowley will look for newcomers to step up. WestborouGh (9-11-1) Westborough will look to youngsters to replaced the scoring punch coach Chet Halllce lost to graduation. It should all start with defense. After winning only four games in 2013-2014, Westborough won nine games and just missed qualifying for the tournament.

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DecemBer 17, 2014

Central Mass .â&#x20AC;&#x2C6;HoCkey

COUGHLIN CONFERENCE PREVIEW fitchBurg/monty (7-11-2) A strong junior class has been on the rise since the group were freshmen and this should be their time to excel. Noah Harrison, Tony Hossman, Kyle Johnson, Sam Colcord and Rico Peralta are strong up front. Zach Cormier will anchor a defense that includes Michael Koren, Sam Miln and SJ Sors. Zach Haphey will be in goal. grafton/BVt (8-8-5) Defense will be the team's calling card. James Moran and Kyle Roy return. So does goalie Lewis McKay. Matt David, Kevin Koloski Michael Majncy and Nick Hart are expected to lead the offense.

ROY CONFERENCE PREVIEW

Kyle Roy Grafton

Defense Key For Nashoba naShoBa (7-11-1) Defense will be the key for Nashoba, which should be involved in a lot of low-scoring games. Brad Colvin returns to anchor the defense. "He's one of the best defensemen in Division 3A,'' new coach Trevor Short said. "He has good size.'' Luke Gilchrest returns in goal. Up front, Kevin Gilchrest, Hunter Boudreau and Jack Charbonneau were key contributors last season. "We'll be competitive in all games,'' Short said. "Our players will work hard and play within the system.''

LunenBurg/ayer (16-3-2) It never hurts to have a career 100-point scorer back and the team will count on Dan Baldino to provide scoring punch and senior leadership. Ryan Young is also back up front. Nick Martone and Brent Vacanelo will lead the defense.

RUSSELL CONFERENCE PREVIEW Play Of Younger Guys Key For Littleton

Josh Miller North Middlesex

Marc Frederick North Middlesex

North Middlesex Ready north middLeSex (19-3-2) Coach Mike McCarthy will count on Josh Miller and Ryan McCarthy to provide scoring punch. The defense will be anchored by Jay Cobleigh. Marc Frederick and Ben Wharram will handle the goaltending. "We hope to be a tough team to play against,'' coach McCarthy said. aLgonquin (10-9-2) Another year, another challenge for coach Andy McGowan, who lost two captains to graduation. But captain Matt Tozeski returns and will lead the offense. Paul Luongo is back on defense. Brian Ward will be expected to contribute offensively. "We've got a good amount of juniors and we will look for young guys to step up,'' McGowan said.

Litteton/BromfieLd (9-8-4) Junior goalies John Seymour and J.J. Stadler will guard the goal for Howie Schneider's squad. Both gained valuable experience last season. Other returning players include, senior forwards David Peterson, Joe DeVellis and juniors Ethan Fultz and Ritchie Planchett. Newcomers include, junior forward Nate Dutkewych, senior Forward Sam Paxton, junior

forward Matt Banker, junior Defensemen Brian Johnson and Joey DeCoste, in addition to sophomores Griffin Shoemaker, Kris Cecere, Nick Evans and Erik Rauker. "We are a young team with only four seniors,'' Schneider said. "The key will be for the sophomores and juniors from JV who got a lot of varsity experience last year to step up. We are also expecting good goaltending from our two juniors.â&#x20AC;?

Keep An Eye On Worcester northBridge/nipmuc/Sutton (9-10-2) Greg Ostopowich stepped down as coach. Ken Callabro is the new bench boss. Joe Briggs and Nick Dame, both juniors, return. So do defensemen Sam Janosh, Jesse Averka and Tyler Costello. Sam Luukko and Cam Sullivan are expected to contribute. WorceSter/LeiceSter (15-5-2) The team figures to improve thanks to its depth. "Depth is rare for us,'' coach Mike Vaughn said. Top returnees include center Seamus O'Connor, wing James Sharry and defenseman Sean Moran. Tyler Spalding and Kyle Farrell will handle the goaltending chores. "We have some experience,'' Vaughn said.

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Western Mass . Hockey

Depth Separates #1 Westfield From Rest Of The Pack By fran sypek • hniB news

trong in goal. Deep on defense. Four solid lines. That's what has made westfield the top Division 3 team in Western Massachusetts for most of the past decade. Things should not be different this season. Even though the Bombers were hit hard by graduation, especially in goal and on defense, few if any, teams in the region can match their depth. Longmeadow was the last team to beat Westfield in a sectional final. That happened in 2012. No. 2 agawam managed to give Westfield fits during the sectional final, but the Bombers prevailed.

The Brownies lost 11 seniors from that team, but may have the best chance of unseating Westfield. With a strong junior class No. 3 Longmeadow should improve. The big question is how good will the Lancers' goaltending be? No. 4 East Longmeadow was hit hard by graduation the past two seasons. But the Spartans will be competitive enough to be in the hunt. For the first time since 1968, No. 5 Chicopee reached the Western Mass. final. But the Pacers saw their title hopes dashed by Wahconah. The Pacers will be an experienced team and could reach the final again. Coach John Houle will have big

Bombers Think Defense First wEstfiELd (16-3-3) Tradition runs deep in Westfield. The advent of the Amelia Park Arena has helped the youth program, which has been a steady feeder system for the varsity. Coach C.B. "Moose'' Matthews demands discipline from his team and usually gets it. The Bombers are a think-defense-first team and they return solid blueliners in Colin Lacey (14 assists) and Sam Evans (2-5-7). Up front, Chris and Connor Sullivan will spearhead the attack. Chris had 18 goals and 15 assists, while Connor had 13 goals and nine assists. Garrett Matthews is expected to replace graduated Matt Blascak in goal and could be the third goalie in three seasons to backstop the Bombers to a sectional title.

south hadLEy (6-11-4) The Tigers were hit hard by graduation and had a tough transition into the Berry Division. They will need to find a goalie to replace fouryear starter Devin Hoagland. Evan Sullivan (11-13-24) leads the offense along with Ben Kass (16-13-29) and Brian Bak (1-5-6).

holes to fill as No. 6 south hadley will look to rebound from a six-win season. wahconah will still lack depth, but that hasn't hurt the No. 7 Warriors the past few seasons. No. 8 minnechaug has been building for several season and could reap the rewards this season. Coach Paul Rivest lost some key players to graduation, but No. 9 Ludlow has some solid players returning. No. 10 Belchertown hopes to build off last season's success. Gil Doe, who has coached West Springfield since 1986, will not be back. Brian Tremble will take over the Terriers.

BERRY DIVISION PREVIEW

Connor Sullivan Westfield

Ben Wosky East Longmeadow

EL Hopes To Challenge East LongmEadow (10-8-4) The Spartans lost in the sectional final in 2013 and still have some veterans off that squad. Coach Dan Reid has never been afraid to schedule top teams for independent games and that should help the Spartans in the long run. The Spartans return Ben Wosky a junior forward, who had 42 points last season. "He is certainly among the top three players in Western Mass.,'' coach Dan Reid said. Matt Gasparini, ,a senior goaltender, is also back. "Matt is a three-year starter and will need to have a good year for us to be successful,'' Reid said. One player who could have a breakout season is junior forward Joe Saracino,.

WESTERN MASS.

Top Ten Poll TEAM

WL T

1. Westfield 16 3 2. Agawam 16 3 3. Longmeadow 11 8 4. E. Longmeadow 10 8 5. Chicopee 14 8 6. South Hadley 6 11 7. Wahconah 10 7 8. Minnechaug 9 8 9. Ludlow 7 8 10. Belchertown 11 8

3 3 3 4 1 4 1 1 6 3

Brownies Hardly Rebuilding agawam (16-3-3) The Brownies lost 11 seniors and an all-star freshman defenseman from that team, but are hardly in a rebuilding mode. Cam Rivest (1217-29) will spark the offense. Seamus Curran (10-11-21) will lead the defense along with seniors Cory and Mike Pfau. T wo former players return to the team after they played junior hockey for the Springfield 'Pics last season. Joe Mercadante and Chris Breault Agawam graduated goalie Chris Walles, who posted four shutouts and a .949 save percentage. Freshman Zach Fiedler and sophomores Nick Askins and Connor McAnanama will compete for the starting job. Askins and McAnanama saw time at the varsity level last season LongmEadow (11-8-3) The Lancers will go as far as their goaltending takes them. With Omar Natour graduated, Longmeadow has a huge hole to fill. Coach Jim Joyce will need to rely on newcomers to step up. The Lancers return forwards Matt Pierson (10-6-16) and Jude Bonavita (6-9-15). Last season the Lancers had nine sophomores play regular shifts and now that they are juniors, more will be expected of them.

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DecemBer 17, 2014

W estern Mass. Hockey

Overall Depth Could Be A Factor At Ludlow ludlow (7-8-6) The Lions will be led by Tyler Diotalevi (28-22-50). Brad Garete (11-18-29) and Austin Blair (9-4-13) can

also score, but depth could be a factor. The Lions do have depth on defense, which will be anchored by John Arisczewski, along with newcomer Ryan Martin.

Anthony Piteo Minnechaug

MinneChaug (9-8-1) The improving Falcons return a pair of 36-point scorers. Dominic Falco (18-18-36) and Anthony Piteo (10-26-36) will lead the attack. west springfield (1-15-3) Despite winning only one game last season, the Terriers will get a fresh start. They could be the region's most improved team. New coach Brian Tremble inherits a young team, which will be asked to adapt to his system.

FAY-WRIGHT ChiCopee (14-8-1) Al Stykiewicz, who has guided the Pacers since 1984, is the longest serving coach in the region. The Pacers reached the sectional final last season and this year, they have set their sights on a championship. Chicopee has a strong 1-2 scoring punch in Devin Lontin (30-30-60) and Christian Salamon (21-22-43). John Santos has been solid in goal and Hannah Elmer plays smart defense. BelChertown (11-8-3) Matt Crutch earned the region's Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Orioles from one win to 11 and a tourney berth. Alex Bachand (24-17-41), Tommy Daley (12-11-23) and Ryan Dupont (8-4-12) are experienced scorers. Kyle Green returns in goal. For More WMass Coverage Go to hnibnews.com

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Page 49

Massachusetts Girls hs hockey

MASS GIRLS DIVISION I POLL TEAM

WLT

1. Arlington Cath.20 2. Duxbury 17 3. Reading 14 4. Acton-Boxboro21 5. Barnstable 14 6. Austin Prep 14 7. Watertown/Bel. 17 8. Beverly/Dan. 18 9. Woburn 15 10. St. Mary’s 10

3 1 4 3 4 6 3 3 6 7

2 6 3 0 4 3 2 1 2 6

By Gary Demopoulos • HNIB News

hree years. Three trips to the state final. It's been a good run for Arlington Catholic, a run that has an excellent chance to continue. The HNIB News has tabbed Arlington Catholic (20-3-2) as the pre-season #1 team in the Massachusetts Girls Division I Top 10 poll. The Cougars will be led by the prolific senior scoring trio of veterans Adrieanna Rossini, Jessica Piracini and Jackie Sindoris, and be sure they want to end their high school careers with some championship hardware. It remains to be seen if the Cougars can do it, as to do so, they will have to get through defending state champ Duxbury, which has won an impressive four straight state titles counting its time in Division II. The Dragons (17-1-6) will start in the #2 spot, the main reason being the fact that goalie Rachel Myette has finally graduated after backboning all four crowns. #3 Reading (14-4-3) has been building for this season and the Rockets have the ability and talent to be in the championship hunt. Ali O'Leary is the returning Middlesex Liberty MVP and Reading also has a veteran leader on the blue line in Caroline Seibold.

• Division I Pre-Season Top 10 •

Can The Duxbury Express Be Derailed? Arlington Catholic, Reading Will Give It A Shot A semifinalist last season, #4 Acton-Boxboro (21-3-0) must be in the conversation. The Colonials possess a big first line as well in Leah Cardarelli, Olivia Keefe and Megan Barrett, as well as experience between the pipes. The #5 spot goes to the SEMGHL's Barnstable (14-4-4) which returns the bulk of its club that reached the quarterfinals last season. The Red Raiders have a boatload of depth which will be a plus in the big games. #6 Austin Prep (14-6-3) had a nice year, and an even better tournament run last season, ending in an overtime semifinal loss to (Continued On Page 63)

Duxbury’s D-1 state title last year was its fourth straight crown.

• Division II Pre-Season Top 10 •

Falmouth, Wellesley Feature Veteran Clubs By Gary Demopoulos • HNIB News

ith two state finals appearances in the last three seasons, Falmouth (15-3-4) has established itself as a premier program in Mass. Girls Division II hockey. This could be the year they finally make it all the way. The Clippers lost just one senior from last season. Coach Erin Hunt's club has talented forwards like Kelly Ferreira and Madison Haberl back in the fold, a big-time goaltender in Madison Scavotto, and some experienced defensemen. Falmouth gets the nod as HNIB News' #1 team in the Girls Division II pre-season top ten. That selection comes just ahead of #2 Wellesley (20-2-1). A state finalist last season, the Raiders lost no seniors from that team, so it

stands to reason to rank them high. The Raiders have bona fide scorers in Cecily Docktor and Keely Corscadden and an anchor defenseman in Sarah Goss. Just a hunch, but Burlington (15-5-1) starts the season at #3. The Devils have one of the division's more electrifying forwards in Kelly Browne and a veteran in goal in Cassidy Smith. Keep an eye on coach Marty Conley's club. #4 Fontbonne Academy (14-62) will have as much depth as any team in Division II and that alone will make the Ducks a contender. #5 Dedham (14-5-1) enjoyed a solid campaign in the rugged Herget Division and they could be ready to make the next step into serious contender. Senior Sam Girard will be one of the division's top forwards.

#6 Tewksbury/Methuen (19-20) was the top seed last March and returns standout senior forward Amanda Conway, who broke the state scoring record with 66 goals. The Red Rangers will need to develop a new goaltender.

MASS GIRLS DIVISION II POLL TEAM

W LT

1. Falmouth 15 2. Wellesley 20 3. Burlington 15 4. Fontbonne 14 5. Dedham 14 6. Tewks./Meth. 19 7. Arch. Will. 13 8. Westwood 17 9. Norwood 11 10. Winchester 12

3 2 5 6 5 2 5 2 6 7

4 1 1 2 1 0 4 5 3 2

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Massachusetts G irls hs hockey

Austin Prep A Tough Out AUSTIN PREP (14-6-3) The Cougars look to have another stellar campaign and make a nice run in the post-season. Sufficient talents exists for that to happen. Offensively, seniors Maddie Ricci (13 pts), Meghan Hanlon and Rachael Utegg (10 pts) will be key for coach Stephanie Wood. Look for freshman Olivia Finnochiaro (10 pts) to have a breakthrough season. Newcomers Kylie Currier and Kendra Currier will add muchneeded depth. Junior Jaimee Cooke will be a blue line stalwart. Senior Rebecca Raphael is another top defenseman back. In goal, junior Caty Flagg returns after a banner 2013-2014 season. Joining her in the goalie ranks is newcomer Noelle Giroux.

CATHOLIC CENTRAL PREVIEW

Jessica Piracini Arlington Catholic

Adrieanna Rossini Arlington Catholic

Jackie Sindoris Arlington Catholic

Meg Hallaran Arlington Catholic

Veteran Cast Will Propel Arlington Catholic ARLINGTON CATHOLIC (20-3-2) Perenially one of the top teams in the state, this year will not be an exception for the Cougars, who are bolstered by an impressive group of seniors that will lead the way. Up front, senior veterans Adrieanna Rossini (39 pts) and Jessica Piracini (26 pts) form one of the top offensive duos in the state. Senior Jackie Sindoris (21 pts) is also dangerous. This trio was the team's top three

scorers last year. Newcomers Polina Bolgareva and Margaret Sullivan hope to chip in. Coach Maggie Taverna has a deep blue line crew as well, anchored by seniors Ally Cunningham, Meg Hallaran and Kathleen McLaughlin. Tia Martignetti and Erin Kelley are two new players to add to the defensive mix. The Cougars also return a seasoned starting goaltender in senior Katherine Crane.

St. Mary’s Hoping To Be A Serious Playoff Contender ST. MARY'S (10-7-6) Finishing scoring opportunities and a commitment to team defense will be keys this winter for the Lady Spartans, who look to be a serious player come post-season time after falling in a preliminary round game last March. Coach Frank Pagliuca does have a nice nucleus of forwards to build around in juniors Samantha Callahan (18 pts), Katie Terban (15 pts) and Maggie Flaherty, and sophomore Sarah Ryan. On defense, junior Vanessa VanBuskirk (10 pts) will be a general. Sophomore Ashley Wojewodzic is another key returning blue liner. Someone has to emerge to replace the graduated Lauren Skinnion between the pipes.

Maddie Ricci Austin Prep

hnibnews.com

Caty Flagg Austin Prep

Meghan Hanlon Austin Prep

hnibnews.com • Follow

Samantha Callahan St. Mary’s

Ashley Wojewodzic St. Mary’s

Katie Terban St. Mary’s

Sarah Ryan St. Mary’s

the action all season long!

Maggie Flaherty St. Mary’s

• hnibnews.com

Vanessa VanBuskirk St. Mary’s

Katie Meehan Arch. Williams

hnibnews.com

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Massachusetts Girls hs hockey

Colonials Strong In All Facets ACTON-BOXBORO (21-3-0) With solid goaltending and a good defensive core, the Colonials will be able to play an aggressive style in the offensive end of the ice, which could spell problems for their opponents. Coach Brian Fontas will have one of the state’s top lines in senior captain Leah Cardarelli (43 pts/ a UMichigan recruit for field hockey), and juniors Olivia Keefe (42 pts) and Megan Barrett (55 pts). On defense, senior captain Alex Loblundo and sophomore Alex Macrides will be the cornerstones. The Colonials also return two seasoned varsity goalies in juniors Cali Loblundo and Melissa Bambery.

MVC/DUAL LARGE PREVIEW

Olivia Keefe Acton-Boxboro

Megan Barrett Acton-Boxboro

Alex Loblundo Acton-Boxboro

Amanda Fantasia Billerica

Julianne Sheehan Chelmsford

Rachel Bossi Chelmsford

Billerica A Bit Short On Numbers BILLERICA (10-8-4) Numbers are a bit of a problem for the Indians, but coach Tina Carrabba says that her players are hard-working and with talent and will can win on any given day. The team is also young. Junior Macy Vercellini will be a vital cog in the offensive attack, a group that will include junior Samantha Ginsburg, freshmen Kayleigh O'Mahoney, Alyssa Burgos and Clare Conway, and eighth-grader Samantha Lawler. On the blue line, junior Amanda Fantasia is a rock. Sophomore Madison Dechristoforo brings key varsity experience. In goal, junior Amanda Burns is a returning starter.

CHELMSFORD (8-8-4) Former assistant Jason Fletcher takes over the head coaching position for the Lions, and inherits a talented team that could mean business if certain things fall into place. The offense could be explosive with the return of seniors Julianne Sheehan (53 pts) and Rachel Bossi (47 pts). Seniors Sara Squeri and Shannon Nagle, juniors Erin Doonan and Devon Livingston, and sophomore Julie Squeri also return up front. Defensively, senior Caitlin McCabe and junior Siobhan Bowser are solid in their own end. Juniors Sophie Eppolito, Rachel Hopkins and Ellie Farrel, and sophomores Cortney McCann and Allison Beals all return as well. In goal, sophomore Jessica Hopkins is ready to take the job.

Central Moves Up To Large Lexi Stanisewski Central Catholic

• Catholic Central •

Tough Schedule Awaits Archies ARCHBISHOP WILLIAMS (13-5-4) Playing perhaps their hardest schedule ever, the Bishops eagerly await the challenge to have as much success as last year's club. Sophomore Katie Meehan is coming off an impressive 35-point freshman campaign and will lead the Bishops offense along with senior Kiera Dwyer (27 pts). Junior Meghan Kerins will have a key role. Impressive freshmen Kelly Matthews, Holly Silva, Hanna Bell and Chelsea Taxter will look to get on the scoresheet. Williams will miss the services of Emma Crocker, out for the season with an injury. Coach Mark McHale will lean on senior Jen Grasso and sophomore Kyleigh O'Donnell in the defensive end. Keep an eye on freshman blueliner Bridget Cornell. The goaltending chores will fall on either Emily Smith or Jenn Bosse, both sophomores.

Lions Possess Explosive Attack

Emly Frocione Central Catholic

More MVC/Dual large CoVerage - page 52

CENTRAL CATHOLIC (3-16-1) The Raiders program continues to grow, so much so that they have bumped up to the MVC/Dual Large division this winter. Coach Jeff Marggraf is hoping his club can surprise some teams this year. There is some talent up front. Juniors Emily Forcione and Lexi Stanisewski are both coming off solid years, as is sophomore Mary Lambert. They will be joined by new junior Meggan Rodriguez to lead the offense. On the blue line, senior Julia August and junior Lillie Bibeau are key holdovers. Expect new freshman Mikala Magner to have a key role. Battling for playing time in the goal will be new junior Carissa Gordon and sophomore Nicole Brennan.

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DecemBer 17, 2014

Massachusetts G irls hs hockey

• MVC/Dual Large •

Andover Will Be Ready Under New Coach Drew

ANDOVER (11-7-4) New head coach Kevin Drew takes over a team that was pretty solid last winter. Although it suffered some key departures, this club is still a legitimate threat in the league. The Warriors will look to seniors captains Jessica Leone and Caroline Hughes, and senior Joanna Olson to power the offensive attack. Brianny Deloury, Caroline Curtin, Hayley Driscoll and Emma Ploude are also back. Defensively, juniors Jillian Hughes and Brenna Keefe will be cornerstones. Sophomore Katherine Devaney is back as well. Senior Megan Johnson is a returning starter in goal.

Jessica Leone Andover

Caroline Hughes Andover

Westford Academy Ready To Challenge WESTFORD ACADEMY (12-8-2) The Grey Ghosts certainly look forward to the challenge the upcoming season presents in the tough MVC/Dual Count Large Division. A go-to player up front for coach Todd Fletcher projects to be senior Kathryn Walker (22 pts). Also back amongst the forwards are senior Bridget Schofield, senior Rebecca Legro, junior Alayna Serpa and sophomores Katie Hargrave (6 pts). Juniors Alison Benedict and Roselyn Reagan return on the blue line, along with sophomore Kelly DeMarco (7 pts). Back between the pipes is senior Kerry Pouliot. As many as six freshmen could see time: forwards Katie Popp, Kylie Gray and Hannah Keefe, and defensemen Erin DeMarco, Kerri Bolivar and Taylor Pacifico.

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MVC/DUAL SMALL PREVIEW Conway Back To Lead Tewksbury/Methuen TEWKSBURY/METHUEN (19-2-0) The Red Rangers had a stupendous season last winter, a year cut short by an early-playoff exit. This year they have a new head coach in Ariana Rigano. Tewksbury/Methuen also has one of the premier offensive talents in the state in senior forward Amanda Conway, who set the record last winter with an amazing 66-goal season. She will get help from the likes of seniors Hayley McCarthy and Kelly Blackwell, sophomore Amanda Mambro, and eighth-grader Carolyn Curley, coming off a 19-point season as a seventh grader. Junior Kathleen LeFebre (20 pts) is a key on defense. Sophomore Niamh Cote is another solid blueliner back. The team will have a new goaltender with the graduation of Taylor Lirakis.

Boston Latin Pointing Torward .500 Season BOSTON LATIN (4-16-0) Former St Joseph Prep coach Tom McGrath joins the staff as co-coach with Mary Balaconis. The team is pointing toward a .500 season. The Wolfpack will be led by senior tri-captains Brenna Galvin, Hannah Silva and Amanda Stefura, all forwards. CAMBRIDGE (3-15-2) It will be new digs this winter for the Falcons, who move into the MVC/Dual County Small division. They hope to make an immediate impact. Key contributors for coach Katelyn Greene will be junior forward Katelin McCallum (10 pts), sophomore defenseman Kaleigh Conte, and sophomore goaltender Bella Jaffe.

* HaverHill/NortH aNdover capsule oN page 60

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Amanda Conway Tewksbury/Methuen

Carmen Braceras Concord-Carlisle

Warriors Hope To Be In The Mix LINCOLN-SUDBURY (10-6-2) A playoff team a year ago, the Warriors will need to find a replacement for graduated goaltender Sarah Provost. Coach Paul Hardy listed “sound positional play and a willingness to take chances on offense” as keys to success. Two senior forwards that will lead L-S into battle are Julia Reinhold (18 pts) and Julia Provost (11 pts). A couple of eighth-graders to keep an eye on up front are Danni Lu and Kerri Maron. WALTHAM (6-8-2) The Hawks expect to be in the thick of things in the MVC/Dual County Small race, as long as they can play well defensively. Coach Ryan Foley will count on the likes of senior Ashley Sampson, and freshmen Karly Aguirre, Rachael Pouliot and Emma Doherty to be key performers up front. Junior Jennie Cicconi will have a role. Eighth-grader Sydney MacPherson could see key time on the blue line, where Sampson, Aguire and Pouliot could also play. Senior Alie Longmoore gives the Hawks a veteran presence in the nets. CONCORD-CARLISLE (3-9-4) Coach Barbara Southcote fully expects her club to improve this winter and a key to that will be strong team chemistry. Junior Carmen Braceras returns as the Patriots leading scorer and will spearhead the offense along with fellow juniors Audrey Hunt and Bethany Colleran. The C-C offense will be anchored by senior Avalon O’Shaughnessy.

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NORTHEAST HOCKEY LEAGUE PREVIEW Magicians Young But Fast Kristen McCarthy Beverly/Danvers

Caitlin McBride Beverly/Danvers

Panthers Focus Turns To Defense BEVERLY/DANVERS (18-3-1) With two-thirds of one of the state's most prolific lines having moved on (one graduated, one transferred to prep), the Panthers this year will focus on their defensive core, from the net out, until scoring punch can be developed on a consistent basis. The remaining member of the big line - junior Kristen McCarthy (62 pts) - will be the focal point offensively for coach Brian Seabury. Junior Anna O'Neill (15 pts) will have a much larger role. Two new sophomores to keep an eye on are McKinley Karpa and Izzy Primack. Beverly/Danvers will also possess one of the state's top blueliners in senior Caitlin McBride (35 pts). Freshman Madison Jalbert saw a lot of time last winter as an eighth-grader.

Medford Must Replace Scoring MEDFORD (9-9-1) Having graduated his top two scorers from last year, Mustangs coach Dave McCarthy knows full well he will have to develop some scoring for his club to have a successful season. Up front, senior Kayle Lanzilli (18 pts), senior Nicole Martell and sophomores Mia Price (14 pts) and Ailish Fallon will be the primary offense producers. Senior Adrienne Porrazzo (12 pts) is a veteran defenseman that will see a bunch of minutes. Senior Marykate Cullinane also has loads of experience. Medford also returns both goalies in senior Ashley Rodriguez and sophomore Trisha MacLean.

Peabody Expects To Improve PEABODY (2-18-0) Coach Larry Minehan expects his club to be improved this season with the maturing of the team's younger players and the addition of some key new players. The Tanners will be looking for production and leadership from returning players like Kaydi Purcell, Elise Murphy, Lauren Hennessey, Hannie Aylward, Bella Piscatelli, Laura Miele and Hanna Travers. Newcomers to the Peabody lineup include Katherine DiGulio, Mae Norton, Molly Pifko and Cassie Mirasolo. * MasconoMet

capsule

- page 54

MARBLEHEAD (7-11-3) The Magicians will be young but have some speed, reports head coach Emily Hudak Ries. Juniors Hadley Woodfin (11 pts) and Emmarose Winder, and eighthgraders Brooke Keough (19 pts) and Sydney Cresta (13 pts) will handle the offensive chores. Senior Caroline Hughes is the defensive anchor. Eighth-grader Amanda Monahan will have a role. In goal, senior Aly Hopkins will handle the job.

Hadley Woodfin Marblehead

Caroline Hughes Marblehead

Caroline McKinnon Winthrop/Lynn

Winthrop/Lynn Will Challenge WINTHROP/LYNN (15-4-1) If the Bulldawgs have a season similar to last winter's, you can bet it will be because of the club's overall team defense. "Goaltending and defense are and always have been the strength of our program," said coach Butch Martucci. Sophomore goalie Gretchen Howard is coming off a solid freshman season (1.74 gaa). On the blue line, senior tri-captain Kasey Harris (15 pts), junior

Flora English Winthrop/Lynn

Gabby Kenniston (14 pts) and sophomore Meghan Chavis form a more-than-steady troika. Senior veteran Caroline McKinnon (30 pts), a tri-captain, will be a catalyst up front. She needs 18 points to become the third player in team history to eclipse 100 career points. Senior tri-captain Annie Mahoney and junior Olivia Shkliew (18 pts) will be key contributors as well. New sophomore Flora English should contribute right away.

Maddy Werner Masconomet

Meagan Aponas Masconomet

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Always-Strong Woburn Will Be Very Young WOBURN (15-6-2) The Tanners lost some firepower and a fouryear starting goalie in Courtney Davis. Coach Bob MacCurtain says his team will be very young and a key will be to get them on the same page. Two key holdovers that will be team leaders and put up some points are senior forwards Erica Lissner and Hannah Sullivan. The bulk of Woburn’s defense, a young group last year, is expected back.

MIDDLESEX LEAGUE LIBERTY PREVIEW

Erica Lissner Woburn

Hannah Sullivan Woburn

Ali O’Leary Reading

Strong Nucleus Buoys Reading Title Quest

Arlington Must Do The Little Things ARLINGTON (7-13-0) It was a rare non-tournament season for the Spy Ponders last winter. Coach Jeff Mead says this year’s edition must “do the little things in order to win hockey games in hopes of getting back to tournament play.” Two players ready to lead the charge will be forward Holly Russell and junior defenseman Courtney Kelly.

Jensena Moner Masconomet

Dana Valletti Masconomet

MASCONOMET (8-8-4) Depth won’t be a problem for new head coach Ryan Wood, as the Chieftains graduated just one player from last winter’s club. Senior co-captains Jensena Moner and Dana Valletti will power the Masco offense with junior Maddy Werner. Freshman Charisse Flanagan and Lexi Rosenbaum will have an impact. On defense, senior Meagan Aponas and juniors Meghan Hubbard, Sydney Sheerin and Lily Dow will do the job in front of returning senior goalie Molly Kelley. Freshman Kate Irons looks to contribute.

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Tori Grimmer Reading

Andrea Uglietta Reading

Caroline Seibold Reading

Defensive Strength Key For Sachems WINCHESTER (12-7-2) Young but talented up front, the Sachems will rely on the strength of their defense. They hope to hit their stride toward the end of the season come tournament time. Junior Melissa Zavez (25 pts) headlines the offensive attack for coach Craig Seabury. Senior Sarah Donovan is a key piece to the puzzle. Senior Anna O'Brien and junior Elizabeth Wilson are two strong returners on defense. Senior Julia Olson is back with the club after spending a year playing junior hockey and she will be a big help. LEXINGTON (4-12-4) With a strong foundation and core of players returning, the Minutemen hope to be a factor in the league race. Coach Amanda Ciarletta is hoping some of the returning players can step it up offensively. Junior captain Olivia Bryant will be a force on the blue line, while sophomore Emily Devine, another top returner, could see time at either forward or defense.

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READING (14-4-3) With the nucleus of last season’s successful squad back, the Rockets will be a serious challenger for the ML Liberty crown, and have the potential to be one of top teams in the state. Juniors Ali O’Leary (41 pts) and Tori Grimmer (33 pts) will be tough to stop up front for coach Mike Golden. Seniors Rachel Thomson (16 pts) and Emma McDonagh (15 pts) are two more weapons that must be watched. The anchor of Reading’s defense is junior Caroline Seibold (14 pts). Senior Andrea Uglietta is also back. In goal, last year’s starter, Kayla St. Pierre (.923 save %), is back for her junior campaign.

Olivia Bryant Lexington

Melissa Zavez Winchester

Hockey Night In Boston Mass/NE GIrls Festival June 5-7, 2015 Valley Forum • Haverhill, MA For Registration/Info: Go To: hnibonline.com

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MIDDLESEX LEAGUE FREEDOM PREVIEW Burlington Will Cause A Fuss Emily Loprete Watertown/Belmont

Rachel DiFraia Melrose

Keep An Eye On Watertown/Belmont WATERTOWN/BELMONT (17-3-2) The defending Freedom Division champs return almost intact, which means this club that went two rounds into the post-season could be troublesome again. The Maraiders will be led up front by senior Emily Loprete, one of the premier offensive players in the state, coming off a 40-goal season. She will have lots of help up front with senior Erin McLaughlin (22 pts), senior Pauline Ayer, senior Karina McAdam, senior Casey Shea and sophomores Anna Alibrandi (16 pts) and Aurora Fidler (14 pts). Coach Steve Russo welcomes back three regulars on the blue line as well in senior Suzanne Noone, junior Sarena Nally and sophomore Sidney Poulin. In the nets, freshman Jonna Kennedy started last winter as an eighthgrader and has key varsity experience.

Wilmington Chooses Gautreau As Coach WILMINGTON (7-11-2) Mike Gautreau has taken over the head coaching duties for the Wildcats, who will need to pick things up on offense to have a successful year. Defense and goaltending look to be strong points. Between the pipes, senior Shelby McHugh is a returning starter. Senior rearguard Lauren Fitch is rock-solid on the blue line. Freshmen Danielle Silva and Olivia Wingate will be asked to provide some scoring punch. Newcomers hoping to impact right away include freshmen Jill Miele, Lauren D'Angelo, Avery Andersen, Mia O'Connell, Hailey Dusablon and Emily Hayden. STONEHAM (1-14-1) The Spartans are hoping to show some improvement this winter. Players coach Sara Swett will count on include Rachael Richmond, Sara Carucci, Dominique Delvecchio and Ashley Doherty. * Wakefield

is also in the

freedom division. no

avalable as of press time.

information Was

BURLINGTON (15-5-1) The Lady Devils made a big splash last season and with a host of young talent back, will definitely be in the thick of the league race, and perhaps beyond. Up front, freshman Kelly Browne returns after a 49-point season. Freshman Kat Nikolopoulos contributed 24 pts. Juniors Martina Scott and Julia Swarbrick, and freshmen Erin Browne and Alisa Canney are also back up front. New sophomore Laura Schissler will help out. Juniors Caroline Ackerly and Jillian Rigby are a pair of bookend defensemen for coach Marty Conley.

Burlington also welcomes back standout junior goalie Cassidy Smith, a starter for the last two seasons.

Kelly Browne • Burlington

Melrose Will Be Ready MELROSE (11-10-0) The day after last season ended, this team was already working toward this year. Expect the Raiders to be ready from day one. They too will be young. The forward contingent for coach Samatha Tetreau is led by sophomores Julia McLaughlin and Emma Pinault, and freshmen Rachel DiFraia (24 pts) and Sam Kroon (17 pts). A pair of juniors – Katie Perry and Alyssa Gorman – are defensive anchors, as is freshman Jill Mercer.

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SEMGHL COASTAL PREVIEW Potent Clippers Lose Just 1 Senior FALMOUTH (15-3-4) The Clippers have established themselves as one of the premier D-2 clubs in the state. A good group returns, just one senior lost, from last year and should be able to provide the consistent performance needed to be successful. Seniors Kelly Ferreira (34 pts), Madison Haberl (31 pts) and Maggie McDonald (21 pts) should provide the bulk of the offensive punch, along with sophomore Ericka Meissner (13 pts) and junior Emily Sanidas. The forward lines also welcome back seniors Olivia Hough, Jessica Winiarski and Elizabeth Palmer. Senior Kendall Stouffer and junior Hannah Callahan are blue line cornerstones for coach Erin Hunt. Senior Callan Small, senior Abby Peterson and sophomore Brooke Bowman are back as well. In goal, senior Madison Scavotto has already established herself as one of the state's top goalies. She is backed up by Margaret Palmer.

Kelly Ferreira Falmouth

Hannah Callahan Falmouth

Jane Dudley Duxbury

Marissa Fichter Duxbury

Payton Donato Duxbury

High Five For Duxbury? DUXBURY (17-1-6) It will be the Drive for Five in the town of Duxbury this season, as the Dragons embark on a quest to win a fifth consecutive state title. As usual, there is loads of talent, but for the first time in four years, the team will have a new face in goal, as four-year starter Rachel Myette has graduated. Co-captain seniors Jane Dudley (25 pts) and Marissa Fichter (25 pts) will be the leaders up front for coach Friend Weiler. Junior Julia Nolan (15 pts) can score goals. Also back are seniors Olivia Crowley and Charlotte Wahle, and sophomore Kate Griffin. As many as seven freshmen could make the roster at forward. All but one defensemen is back, and the crew of senior Kayley Rudicus, juniors Payton Donato and Nicole Quinlan, and sophomores Elizabeth Connolly and Emily van der Veen will be stingy once again. The new Duxbury goalie will be either senior Kathleen Donato or junior Catherine Jordan.

Madison Scavotto Falmouth

No Seniors On Hingham Roster HINGHAM (14-8-1) The Harborwomen go into this season with the youngest team that coach Tom Findley has had in Hingham, one that will feature no seniors. So, defense will be very important for any success. The offense will be spearheaded by the junior duo of Alissa Sullivan and Kenzie Hunt. Three varsity-tested defensemen to bank on are junior Olivia Messina, junior Emily Eagan and sophomore Catherine Wilk. In goal, sophomore Julianna Lynch is primed to take over.

Newcomers looking for roles include Maura Holden, Julianna Gong, Quinn McGuire and Anna Reaman. Amanda Picknick Barnstable

Meg Moore Barnstable

Danielle Desrosier Barnstable

Barnstable Will Be A Force

Alyssa Sullivan Hingham

BARNSTABLE (14-4-4) With as much depth as anyone, the Red Raiders should be a force to be reckoned with this season. Coach Peter Nugnes feels he has four lines that can all play. A whole host of forwards are capable of putting the puck in the net, led by senior Lindsey Phelan (31 pts). Helping the cause are juniors Callie Rogorzenski (20 pts) and Amanda Picknick (13 pts) and sophomores Meg Moore (12 pts) and Danielle Desrosier (11 pts). Defensively, seniors Morgan Richard and Kylie Hallam are a pair of veteran blue liners that can be counted on. Freshman Shannon Roycroft already has logged key varsity minutes. And in goal, freshman Olivia Sollows was Barnstable's starter as an eighth-grader.

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Plymouth Co-op Joins League

SEMGHL SOUTHEAST PREVIEW

PLYMOUTH NORTH/SOUTH This new co-op makes its varsity debut this winter in the SEMGHL. The team will be coached by Sadie Wright-Ward. The team will feature six seniors to lead the way in year one, including goaltender Ashley Zaniboni. Plymouth South sends forwards Sam McPhee and Madisyn Doonan, defenseman Bri Gallagher, and Allison Rogers and Erin Donovan. They look to be competitive in year one. PEMBROKE A co-op partner with WhitmanHanson last winter, the Titans strike out on their own this winter and are excited to get things going. The team will have a lot of new faces, but two key holdovers coach Bill Flynn can count on to lead the way are junior forward Shea Coady (17 pts) and sophomore forward Jackie DiPietro (26 pts).

Katie Donohue

Nicole Martin Sandwich

Natalie Reid

Mannon Ceravone

New Coach Shaw Wants More Goals

Jackie DiPietro Pembroke

SEMGHL COASTAL PREVIEW

Sandwich Will Miss Offense

Sam Shastany

SANDWICH (15-10-1) The Lady Knights advanced all the way to the state semifinals a year ago, but lost most of that team's offensive punch. So, team defense will be a main focus this winter. One defenseman, senior Nicole Martin, had 32 points last year, so she will be involved offensively. Seniors Alex Glynn, Colleen Macdonald and Annabelle White are also back. Up front for coach Steve Noll, senior Tara McElhinney will be a key. In goal, senior Allison Hill returns.

CANTON (3-16-1) The Bulldogs have the unenviable task of competing in what may be the best division top-to-bottom in the state. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Canton club should have some good team chemistry with the mix of experience and youth throughout the lineup. Coach Dennis Aldrich will look to a quartet of senior forwards to drive the team. They are Jackie Martin, Mary McNeil, Abbey Mitcheroney and Kelsey Trerice. New freshman defenseman Mary Thompson will help out. The Bulldogs have a solid goaltending tandem in returning junior Lindsey Nolte and freshman Colleen Kelleher.

DENNIS-YARMOUTH (9-9-0) The Dolphins are coming off an appearance in the state tournament and have named a new head coach in John Shaw, who feels more scoring will be a key for this season. Seniors Katie Donohue (26 pts) and Samantha Shastany (21 pts) will power the offense, along with junior Natalie Reid and freshman Tara Stocker. Freshman Olivia Crowell and eighth-grader Sarah Abrahamson look to contribute. On the blue line, senior Nicole Oberlander, junior Taylor McDowell and sophomore Mannon Ceravone are solid returners. Freshman Summer Walsh adds to the mix. Eighth-grader Lucy Reid will be in the battle for the starting goaltender's job. BISHOP STANG (3-14-0) It's year two of varsity status for the Spartans, who turn things over to new coach Bill Theodore. "We are looking forward to building on each previous year and are starting to attract more experienced players as we continue to grow the program" he said. Senior captain Kyleigh Good, a league all-star a year ago, will be instrumental in any success the team has. Sophomore forwards Sara Cruise and Lizzie Blanchard are back, as are sophomores Sarah Ahaesy and goalie Victoria Poland. Newcomers looking to impact include freshmen Samantha Ahaesy, Abigail Arguin, Margaux Berthiaume and Victoria Pereira. MARSHFIELD (7-10-3) New head coach Don McNeil takes over the fortunes of the Rams, who look to get back over the .500 mark. The roster will get a boost from a number of freshmen and McNeil is to the point on what it will take to see some improvement. "Getting the team to believe in themselves, play hard every night and good things will happen," he said. BOURNE/MASHPEE/WAREHAM (9-8-1) This co-op is coming off a highly-competitive season in the SEMGHL Southeast Division and coach Kristyn Alexander feels the club will be in the same boat again this winter. Once again the team will be young, especially up front, where freshmen Marissa Fitzgerald, Carly Lacasse and Leah Hidenfelter will have key roles, along with sophomore Tannah O'Brian. Junior Natalie Gordon and sophomore Jess Ballard will be crucial to the BMW defense. In goal, senior Ariel St. Germaine returns.

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Massachusetts G irls hs hockey MANSFIELD/ OLIVER AMES (10-10-0) This team lost nine players from last winter's playoff club, but there has been an influx of new talent, thanks in part to the addition of Foxboro to the co-op. Junior captain Jamie Gottwald will spearhead the offensive attack for the Warriors, ably assisted by returning junior Kaylee O'Hara and sophomore Brynne Levine. On defense, look for junior Shannon Griffin to be a key on defense for coach Greg Arnold. Juniors Jennifer Dooley and Taylor Frasier, from Foxboro, add much-needed depth. Junior Hayley Dalton will be counted on between the pipes. Look for newcomers Catherine Luciano, Kayla Dalton, Madison Haughey, Emily Ierardo, Kristina O'Connell, Annie Waters, Courtney Dean (all freshmen), senior Heather Bubencik and Jillian Peppard to supplement the lineup.

SEMGHL WEST PREVIEW Defending State Champs Start Fresh WESTWOOD (17-2-5) What a difference a year makes. Gone is the major nucleus of last winter's club that went all the way to a Division II state title, including its head coach. The Wolverines new head coach is Eric Grasso and he knows this club will have to work hard. Up front, senior co-captain Kay Heidelberger, junior captain Jamie Burke and sophomore Caroline Fitzgerald will be relied on to put the puck in the net. Defensive cornestones for the Wolverines should be senior Taylor Sweeney and junior Emily Keith. Sophomore goalie Erin Fallon returns; she was in a back-up role last winter. No less than six freshmen made the varsity roster. MEDFIELD (11-10-0) The Warriors will be competitive as long as they come to play for all three periods. The team will be young, skating 12 freshmen this winter. Seniors Lindsay Brown (31 pts) and Lauren Tschirch will lead things offensively for coach Molly Norton. On the blue line, senior Michelle Beggan will have a major role.

Lindsay Brown Medfield

FRANKLIN (8-9-3) The Panthers had more players tryout for the team than any other year in the program's history, and coach Margie Burke is hoping the new, young talent can mesh with the experience of the upperclassmen. A key will be a strong and veteran defensive crew, led by Michaella Taddeo, Kathleen Kilroe, Brianna Bailey and Kate Cashman. They will play in front of goalie Katelyn Pokorny, in her second season in goal. DOVER-SHERBORN/ HOPKINTON (2-18-0) The Raiders are hoping to build on last year's co-op arrangement, now in its second year with Hopkinton. Coach Nick Grout, looking for stronger defensive play from his team, will rely on senior forwards Sophie Grossbaum, Talia Grossbaum, and Sarah Jane Graham for production and leadership. Senior Katie Caruso is a returning netminder.

SEMGHL SOUTHEAST PREVIEW

SEMGHL NORTHEAST PREVIEW

MARTHA'S VINEYARD (11-7-3) The SEMGHL Southeast defending champions hope to qualify for postseason play for the fourth consecutive year this winter. The Vineyarders don't have a lot of depth and the team wil rely on its seven seniors, including four 4-year players. Coach John Fiorito does return his top two scorers from last year in the senior duo of Ashley Ashmun (35 pts) and Sydney Davies (29 pts). Two veteran rearguards are back on defense in Erin Hegarty and Olivia Ogden. Both goalies - junior Jackie Hegarty and sophomore Julia Bettencourt - are back as well.

Scituate, KP Eye Post-Season

NAUSET/CAPE TECH (2-18-0) The Crusading Warriors return 18 players from last year and that, along with a healthy influx of experienced newcomers, will allow the program to get to the next level. Senior Amanda Rich, junior Tess MacDonald and sophomore Brianna Cowing (21 pts) will spearhead the attack for coach Scott Robello. New junior Brooke Steele and freshman Lauren Monger and Catherine Ready look to make their marks. Seniors Lexi Griffin and Darby Gavin are defensive cornerstones. Freshmen Blue Fancy and Elsa Lalone will be in the mix. Nauset/Cape Tech returns a senior goalie in Jessica Grindell.

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KING PHILIP (10-9-1) There is some optimism here. Coach Paul Lyons believes the Warriors will qualify for the tournament for the second consecutive season. Offense shouldn’t be a problem with the likes of returners senior Kat Jacobson (13 pts), senior Jamie Olean and junior Casey Curtin (26 pts). Expect bigger roles for juniors Sarah Glass and Hannah Carr. Junior Molly Alfond is the only returning defenseman. The senior goaltending tandem of Nicole Lyons and Molly Potts gives the Warriors experience at the position. SCITUATE (10-8-2) Coach Rob Rosata is looking forward to another season coaching the Sailors, who look to make it to the post-season once again. A major factor on offense will be senior Corey Murray (35 pts). Freshman Liv Haley could contribute. Senior Oriana McDonough and junior Kori Garland (13 pts) are cornerstones of the Scituate defense, that welcomes new sophomore Taylor Cunningham. A key will be the play of junior Julia Backer, a first-time goaltender for the team.

the action all season long!

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Ursuline Acad. Turns To New Coach Norton URSULINE ACADEMY The Bears are under new management, with Dan Norton taking over as coach. He inherits a club that graduated a good number of players, meaning there is a great opportunity for younger players to step up and get some meaningful minutes. Norton will expect a lot from senior co-captains Meghan Lawler and Kayla Anderson, who will lead the forward contigent. Junior Ivory Hestmark has good experience in goal and has the ability to steal games.

Fontbonne Good With Numbers

CATHOLIC CONFERENCE PREVIEW

Meghan Lawler Ursuline

Maggie Landers Fontbonne

Katie Nolan Fontbonne

Defense-First For Notre Dame NOTRE DAME ACADEMY (5-10-5) Second-year coach Jean-Yves Roy feels his club will challenge Fontbonne for league supremacy, if they can show a continued focus on a defense-first mentality. Key forwards for the Cougars will be senior Bridget Dilworth and juniors Caroline Hocking and Taylor Lyons. Junior Haley Marshall will be vital to the NDA blue line.

SEMGHL NORTHEAST PREVIEW

New Co-op, New Coach WHITMAN-HANSON/ SILVER LAKE A new co-op arrangement between these two schools also brings a new coach, as Kevin Cleary moves over from Wayland/Weston. Offensively, it will be sophomore Melanie McAleer (24 pts), sophomore Hannah Tracy (12 pts) and Mary Kate Webb leading the attack. Junior Emily Kelliher is the rock on defense, while freshman

Melissa Crone will be in charge of the goaltending.

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NORWELL Coach Steve Casagrande is looking forward to the season and feels his Clippers can contend for a SEMGHL Northeast division title. Seniors leading the way include co-captain Lilly Cleary, the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top scorer, co-captain Emily Brown, Emily Senatore, Caroline Joseph, Jessica Joseph and goalie Megan Quill. Juniors Caroline Nichols and Maggie Hennessey are also back and will have important roles. Sophomores Abbey Slekis, Addison Kent, Karissa Mitchell and Hailey Berglund all saw a lot of minutes last winter.

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FONTBONNE (14-6-2) It will be strength in numbers for the Ducks, who return almost everyone from last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outfit. Coach Bob Huxley has a host of forwards to turn to, including senior Noelle Sass (14 pts), juniors Katie Nolan (26 pts), Mary McLoughlin (9 pts), Meaghan Cahill, Elizabeth McNulty, Jess Phelan and Molly McKenna. Sophomores ready to contribute are Maggie Landers (11 pts), Patrice Guerard and Lilly Galvin. A strong defense consisting of senior co-captains Vicki Crowley and Brittany Cornell and juniors Emma Rudser and Erin Matthews will do the job in front of returning junior goalie Sam Moussalli.

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Braintree Has What It Takes BRAINTREE (13-7-4) The Wamps will be a bit light on numbers this winter, so conditioning will take on some added significance. In senior Haley Payne (42 pts), the Wamps will have one of the league’s top forwards, so that will be a plus. Complementing her up front will be sophomores Dierdre Burchill (24 pts) and Kate Yaxter (14 pts). Senior captain Emily Cadigan (9

pts) headlines things defensively for coach Kevin Burchill.

BAY STATE CAREY PREVIEW Tigers Will Compete Hard NEWTON NORTH (9-9-3) Coach Bob MacDougall feels his club, which qualified for the post-season last winter, needs to build on last season’s experience by having his younger players adapt quickly to new roles. Senior co-captain Nicole Quinn and junior Rachel Hamilton are back and will be crucial to the Tigers’ offensive success. Freshman Angelina Joyce hopes to chip in. Senior co-captain Caitlin O’Hanley and new freshman Dierdre Mullowney will be key on the blue line.

Haley Payne

Needham Wants Post-Season NEEDHAM (9-9-3) The Rockets returned to post-season play a year ago and hope to make a return trip this season. Coach Allisyn Furano-Foster will look for leadership from Needham's captains: senior goalie Dana Campbell and senior forward K.T. Belval.

New Bench Boss For Weymouth WEYMOUTH New head coach Dan McGlone will be looking for a 100% effort and positive attitude from his troops and they look to be a concern in the Carey Division. For production, look for senior Tamara Bowden and sophomores Nicole Cowen, Emily Skocik, Megan McNeil and Susan DiMatteo to be key cogs. New junior Olivia Noll will chip in as well. Sophomore defensemen Neive Doyle and Becca Heath will man the blue line in front ot senior captain Lisa Bonome in the nets.

• Bay State Herget • Natick Gives Reins to Ihloff NATICK (4-16-0) New head coach Bruce Ihloff will be looking to get the club headed back in the right direction in the tough Herget Division. Varsity holdovers like Leah White, Eve Lenson, Kristina Yee and Rebecca Horton will have huge roles in leading the club to improvement. New players hoping for a role are Anna Rausch, Sophie Burr and Sara Price.

• MVC/Dual County Small • All Back At Haverhill/North Andover HAVERHILL/NORTH ANDOVER (4-8-7) It was a pretty successful first varsity campaign last winter. The team didn’t lose anyone to graduation. Key returners for coach Gary Kane in the forward ranks include seniors Maggie Belanger and Alyson Ruzycky. Kim Carroll, Katherine Capobianco, Rebecca Harty and Jess Chicko are returning as well. Captain and league all star Alex Casale headlines the blue line group, while junior Michaela Kane is back to do the job between the pipes.

Michaela Kane Haverhill/NA

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Walpole Seeks Improvement WALPOLE (2-12-4) Increased offensive production will go a long way in getting the Rebels some improvement from last season's 2-win year. The job of getting some more scoring will fall on seniors Olivia Knight and Lauren Hirshom, and juniors Olivia Mcmillan and Kate Hamilton, all returners up front for coach Joe Verderber. Junior Brooke Carde and sophomore Cam Johnson have solid experience on the blue line in front of returning sophomore goalie Franky Bonano. Newcomers looking to have an impact are Amanda Janowicz, Sarah Feeley, Lauryn Hallet and Meghan Hamilton.

Defense A Key Focus For Norwood NORWOOD (11-6-3) With a defense group pretty much depleted, a key for the Mustangs this winter will be to play strong on the blue line. Offensively, coach Tim Coskren's club will be impressive. Senior Kacie Smith had 46 pts last year, including 32 goals. Fellow seniors Sammy Hayes (22 pts), Bella Aspinwall (19 pts) and Lisa Moynihan (14 pts) are all capable scorers as well. Senior Shannon Gillis (17 pts) will be the defensive cornerstone for the Mustangs, who must break in a new goaltender. A total of 12 freshmen came out to pre-season workouts.

BAY STATE HERGET PREVIEW

Loaded Cast Has Wellesley Excited WELLESLEY (20-2-1) Not one player graduated from last year's Red Raider outfit that made it to the D-2 state title game at the Boston Garden. Needless to say, there is a lot of optimism for this upcoming year. The offense could be scary with the return of seniors Cecily Docktor (41 pts) and Keely Corscadden (25 pts), and juniors Carly Boyle (25 pts) and Kiely Noonan (18 pts). New sophomore Amy Dore hopes to

Olivia Knight Walpole

Shannon Gillis Norwood

crack the lineup. Senior Sarah Goss (13 pts) will be amongst the state's premier rearguards. Senior Korinna Garfield will also be a defensive anchor for coach George Campbell. New sophomore Cat Donahue looks for time. And, the Raiders return a solid goaltender in senior Meghan King (1.44 gaa).

Sam Girard Dedham

Christina Maloof Dedham

Gloria Bilafer Dedham

Dedham Is In It For The Long Haul DEDHAM (14-5-1) Losing just two seniors, and one underclassman to transfer, Dedham has a real chance to make some noise again this winter. Senior veteran Sam Girard (31 goals) will be the igniter of the Marauders offense, a group that includes seniors Meg Corrado, Courtney Sullivan and Meg

Kacie Smith Norwood

Sammy Hayes Norwood

Simone, juniors Christina Maloof (13 pts) and Melissa Celata, and sophomore Sarah Stapleton. Senior Casey Donlon, junior Bridget Coakley and sophomore Sam Hickey form a nice defensive nucleus for coach Christine Gurskis. The Marauders also return both goalies in senior Bailey Mudge and sophomore Gloria Bilafer.

Siobhan Murtagh Milton

Hannah O’Leary Milton

Sarah Park Milton

Wildcats Primed To Make A Nice Run MILTON (10-9-4) With a good returning cast, the Wildcats believe they will be in the thick of the Herget Division race. Senior Siobhan Murtagh, along with Mackenzie Stanley, Elena Kapolis and Julia Scannell, will power

Milton’s offensive attack along with Laura Hill. The trio of Hannah O’Leary, Meaghan McDougall and Caroline Johnson will be the defensive nucleus in front of returning goaltender Sarah Park, who will be the team backbone according to coach Bob Dwan.

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Massachusetts G irl hs hockey

CENTRAL/WEST PREVIEW

GIRLS INDEPENDENTS

Shrewsbury Must Be Watched

SHAWSHEEN (11-8-2) The Rams were playoff bound last winter, and if they can overcome the loss of their top scorer and get a goaltender, they could be a tournament qualifier again. Coach Bob Roach will rely heavily on senior forward Kaitlyn O'Shea (35 pt), senior forward Rachel Stocker (17 pts) and junior defenseman Katie Stevens to lead the way.

SHREWSBURY (13-7-3) The Colonials reached the quarterfinal round of the D2 Tournament last winter and with just about everyone back, are poised to make some noise this year. Coach Frank Panarelli has some talent up front, led by senior Lauren Ineson (28 pts), sophomore Megan Moran (20 pts) and eighth-grader Delaney Couture (34 pts). Juniors Kelsey Fynn and Karlie McLear are back as well. The Colonials have a young but talented defensive crew, led by sophomore Peyton Brown, and freshmen Karlie Desouza, Kylian Kelly and Lilly McManus, all of whom were varsity regulars last winter. Senior Tiana Army and junior Delia O’Connor are both back between the pipes as well. SPRINGFIELD CATHEDRAL (6-9-4) A difficult independent schedule awaits the Panthers, in addition to their eight league games. Good team defense will be a key. Keys up front for coach John Hoar will be freshmen Katelyn Joyal (26 pts) and Brenna Hoar (14 pts). Defensive leaders for Cathedral will be sophomore Mackenzie Pellitier and sophomore Madison Pellitier.

OAKMONT/MONTY The newest girls varsity program in the co-op of Oakmont Regional and Monty Tech, which will play as an indepedent this season. "We have a dedicated team of girls who are prepared to work hard and represent their community on the ice," said coach Joelle Vautor, Key players in year one will be goalie Bridgette Martn, Sarah Craig, Rachel Leger and Cassidy Driscoll.

• Girls D-1 Top 10 Poll • (Continued From Page 49)

league rival Arlington Catholic. With Caty Flagg in goal, and a sound defensive style, the Cougars can beat anyone on a given night. #7 Watertown/Belmont (17-3-2) burst on the scene last season and made it to the quarterfinal round, and with the return of senior sniper Emily Loprete, this team will give opponents fits again this winter.

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