New England Prep Report
Heading into the final four weeks of the New England Prep School season, the playoff races are starting to heat up. We catch you up on the Elite 8 watch list, some of the top teams, players to watch and the New England Prep Stars that have identified by the NHL Central Scouting.Â
Elite 8 WatchÂ
Essential Locks
Avon Old Farms
Nobles and Greenough
Cushing Academy
Close to Clinching
Kimball Union
Taft
Last 3 In Prediction
Milton Academy
Gunnery School
Belmont Hill
Bubble
St Marks
St Sebastians
Loomis Chaffee
Brunswick School
Holderness School
Tilton School
Top Team - Eberhart Conference
St. Marks 13-3-0 - Coming up short to The Hill School at their Christmas Tournament does not help their resume of getting into the Elite 8. They had a great opportunity to rebound vs Belmont Hill on January 8 but fell short 4-1. Sophomore Forward Richard Gallant has been on absolute tear this season with 28 points and will have to continue his scoring pace over the next few weeks as St. Marks plays St. Sebs, Cushing, Groton and Rivers. St. Marks will need to find a way to at least go 2-2 if not 3-1 to get into the Elite 8.
Top Team - Housatonic
Avon Old Farms 15-2-1 - After dropping two in a row Coach Gardner got his team on track as they have rattled off a 5-0-1 record in their last 6 since their last loss. Avon sits comfortably in an Elite 8 spot and will just need to gear up for a New England Championship run. Febuary 8th will feautre a potential playoff battle as rival Gunnery School will host Avon.Â
Top Team - KellerÂ
Nobles and Greenough 15-1-2 - A perfect 5-0-1 division record is a further proof why Nobles has been a top team in New England all season. Their only loss of the season came back during the Flood Marr tournament vs a pesky Hotchkiss team. They play a fast transitional game and they are very strong in their own end with Goaltender Thatcher Bernstein between the pipes. Bernstein, despite his younger age has proven to be one of the most reliable netminders in New England posting a 92.76 save percentage.
Top Team - Lakes
Kimball Union 17-4-0 - Showcase hockey has not been kind to Coach Tim Whiteheads team as 3 of their 4 losses have come through the Flood Marr tournament and the True Cup at Merrimack. Overall, KUA has positioned themselves nicely for an Elite 8 run however they can not afford to go into cruise control with a few good Holderness, Andover and New Hampton teams on deck. Senior Forward Jackson Kyrkostas (RPI Commit) has proven to be one of the most dynamic forwards in all of prep hockey accumulating 35 points so far this season.
Top Team - Holt
Pingree 8-6-4 - After a hot start to the year, Pingree struggled through much of January. Speedy junior Forward Ryan Kavanagh has been a bright spot for his program with 21 points thus far and is on pace to surpass last season totals. Overall, Pingree is sitting with a 3-0-2 record and if they defeat Berwik on Feb 3rd they clinch the Holt regular season title.Â
Top Teams - Independents
Gunnery 14-6-3 - The top small school team currently sits on the bubble for an Elite 8 trip and will have the platform the next ten days to make or break Elite 8 bid. Coach Badgers team faceoffs vs Taft, Avon and another bubble team the Brunswick school, if Gunnery comes out 2-1 they should have a strong case to be in the Elite 8. Gunnery is a well-balanced team and they have the depth to skate with any team in New England. Junior Forward Jacob Rothman is one of many Juniors to step up this season for Gunnery, Rothman has accumulated 22 points this year and is a major part of the Gunnery offensive attack.
Cushing Academy 15-1-4 - All but securing a spot in the Elite 8, Coach Paul Pearls group has the argument as the top team in New England. Some critics believe Cushing's schedule has been very subpar this year and they can get exposed coming down the stretch. This team is loaded with skill and play a smart structured game that is hard to compete with. Junior Forwards Ethan Gradula (28 pts) and Landan Resendes (32 pts) have been two of the most dangerous players in New England this winter and have been a major part of the Cushing Academy success.Â
Players of the Year Watch
Forward
Jackson Kyrokostas - SR Forward (Kimball Union) - NCAA Commit : RPI
Joe Connor - SR Forward (Avon Old Farms) - NCAA Commit : Northeastern
Richard Gallant - SO Forward (St Marks) - NCAA Commit : Uncommitted 07
Landan Resendes - JR Forward (Cushing Academy) - NCAA Commit : Boston College
Ethan Gardula - JR Forward (Cushing Academy) - NCAA Commit : UConn
Defense
Sean Keohane - SR Defensemen (Dexter School) - NCAA Commit : Harvard
Alex Zakrzewski - SR Defensemen (Salisbury) - NCAA Commit : Brown
James Mackey - JR Defensemen (Hotchkiss) - NCAA Commit : Holy Cross
Matthew Biotti - SR Defensemen (Belmont Hill) - NCAA Commit : HarvardÂ
Goaltender
Stephen Peck -SR Goaltender (Avon Old Farms) - NCAA : UncommittedÂ
Rudy Guimond - JR Goaltender (Taft School) - NCAA : Yale
Gus Ackerman - SR Goaltender (Tabor School) - NCAA : Uncommitted
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