NZ Prep Poll Top 15: Week #1

Neutral Zone’s team of scouts have attended over 25 games/scrimmages through the first two weeks of the pre-season and regular season and has completed our Week #1 Prep Poll.

We release this poll with the understanding that these rankings are based on the most deserving teams and not the best teams. For example, the last three prep finals have been won by KUA and Salisbury has been back to back runner up and they are the two most talented and balanced teams we’ve seen so far. However, they both had losses in the opening week and therefore are much lower on our poll.

1.) Dexter (3-0-0)

Dexter opened the season with commanding victories against Hebron and Cushing outscoring them by a margin of 17-2. They just played a talented Stanstead team with 20 games under their belts and won 4-3 to stay undefeated. This team may not have a Ryan Donato or John Farinacci or Jack Rathbone; but they are deeper, bigger and more balanced in all phases than they have been in years past. Losing goaltender Derek Mullahy is a major loss but they are leaning on talented ’04 Dylan Silverstein and should be able to score plenty of goals this season to give him a cushion. This team has three lines that are all fast, are all skilled and can score goals including a powerplay that will likely rank among the leagues best when it’s all said and done. Next Up: @Exeter, @Nobles

2.) Gunnery (3-0-0)

Gunnery went into the Exeter Invitational this weekend with something to prove and did just that with a convincing wins over Exeter and New Hampton after a season opening win against Hotchkiss. Gunnery lost some key players from last years roster but has returned a core nucleus who play hard, play fast and have skill. They are a deep roster with a combination of size, speed, veteran leadership and young, emerging talent. They’ll need their blue line to step up against the top teams but they have three lines offensively who can score and a reliable netminder between the pipes. Alex Jeffries is one of the best in the league and will be a major factor in this teams success. Next Up: @Berkshire, @Kent, vs. Williston-Northampton

3.) Kent (3-0-0)

Kent is another team leaving the Exeter Invitational turning some heads after knocking off 2x defending NE Prep Champions KUA. They are a typical Kent team that may not have a litany of D1 prospects but play as a team, have good size and are tough to play against. The Lions are coming off a Large School Championship but lost 6 of their 8 scorers off that squad. Coach Dale Reinhardt replaced his seniors well with a mix of size and toughness on the blue line and hustle and skill combo forwards. Goaltender Joey Purtell is stopping over 95% of the shots he faces. They’ll play two of prep’s best teams this upcoming week which will tell where this team belongs in the rankings. Next Up: vs. Brunswick, vs. Gunnery, @Salisbury

4.) Thayer (3-0-0)

Tony Amonte’s Thayer squad kicks off the season with 3 straight wins including a gutsy road win against Rivers School. This is one of the most talented rosters in prep hockey but what separates them from other top contenders is their size and grit with power forwards like Roukounakis, Stenberg and Kramer to compliment speedy, skilled forwards in Teleguine, Monturio and Tattia. They have a quality goaltending and an underrated blue line who can move pucks and make plays up ice. They are younger than the teams ranked above them but have enough depth this season to be a contender. Next Up: vs. Andover

5.) Avon Old Farms (2-0-0)

Avon Old Farms has had a strong start to the season winning a pair of games against Williston Northampton and Hoosac. The Winged Beavers have over 10 D1 prospects on their team and are a year older and more experienced from being a young but inconsistent squad last year. Offensively they have the depth to roll three lines and the high end skill to exploit teams on the power play. They have three D1 committed defenders who all bring a different skill set to the team but are among the top blue liners in the league. Their goaltender Callaghan is stopping over 95% of the shots he’s faced through the first two games of the season. Next Up: vs. Taft, @ Trinity Pawling, vs. Deerfield.

6.) Tilton (3-0-0)

Tilton is a balanced veteran team with a nice mix of returners and incoming players (many of which are PG’s). They have an experience netminder in Justin Lee who is coming off a strong season and having a great start. They are not as deep as some of the teams ranked above them but their top two lines can skate with anyone and they have talent spread out between offense, defense and goaltending. The Rams won their first game 5-4 but then won 2 games by a margin of 8-2 to quality teams in Proctor and St. Paul’s. Next Up: @ New Hampton, vs. KUA.

7.) KUA (2-1-0)

KUA had two dominate wins to start their season against Bishops College and Vermont Academy by a margin of 22-1. They looked poised for a repeat as arguably the most talented and deepest roster in prep hockey but ran into some adversity against Kent School at the Exeter Invitational where they fell 5-2 (two empty net goals). The Wildcats have all the makings of a championship team for a run at four-straight as they have size, they have speed, they are strong and can score. They have three lines that can skate with anyone and three sets of centers of Mazura, Fantili and Dore which is very difficult to match up against. On the backend they can skate, they can break pucks out quickly, they are effective on the power play and have the size and strength to keep teams outside of the scoring areas. In net they return Veeti Kohvakka who earned them a prep championship last season. They have a loss so had to move down the rankings but not sure there is a better team in prep than KUA. Next Up: vs. Proctor, vs. Brewstar, @Tilton

8.) Salisbury (1-1-0)

The Crimson Knights are built similar to KUA in that they are very deep, well-coached and have not only the skill but the size and strength to overpower teams. This years roster isn’t as star studded as years past but they have a lot of balance and can roll three lines all game and have playmakers on their blue line. Some of the teams ranked above them might be a touch faster or a touch more dynamic, but would be hard to find anyone in the league with as much depth and as much physicality. They can win games in a multitude of ways and have the balance and versatility to make another prep championship run. Arguably the toughest team to play against in the league. Next Up: vs. Millbrook, vs. Hotchkiss, vs. Kent

9.) Loomis Chaffee (3-0-0)

Loomis not only has won their first three games of the season but done so against three potential playoff bound teams. They have 13 seniors and are a team that returns the bulk of their scoring from last season, their starting goalie and most of their blue line. Loomis may not have much size on their lineup and could struggle against the bigger teams, but they are fast, they are gritty and have a lot of prep experience in that locker room. Next Up: @Pomfret, @Canterbury

10.) St. Sebastian’s (2-0-0)

The word this offseason was that the Arrows would be re-building a bit after losing top prospects like Jayden Struble to Northeastern and Jack Hughes to the US National Program. However, there is still a strong returning group complimented by younger, talented forwards who will make this team a contender down the stretch. Depth and goaltending will be the question marks as they play the better teams but their top line is as good as anyone. Big week upcoming to test their medal for the Holiday Tournament. Next Up: @BBN, vs. Exeter

11.) St. Mark’s (2-0-0)

St. Mark’s is a talented squad who returns all five of their leading scorers last year. They aren’t quite as deep as some of the teams ranked above them but their top two lines can skate with anyone and they have add some size and are tougher to play against. They have two wins over Winchendon and Groton and scored 11 goals in the process. They’ll be favored to win in every game until mid-January against Dexter. Next Up: @Worcester, vs. BB&N, @Brooks

12.) Lawrence Academy (1-0-0)

Lawrence Academy, like KUA and Salisbury, will likely be ranked much higher when its all said and done but they’ve only had 1 game thus far and it was a win against prep affiliate team Wyoming Seminary. This is a big, physical team who has the depth and toughness to grind opponents down. They lost a lot off last years squad but did a nice job in recruiting, especially on the blue line, to give this team a shot at the Elite 8. Next Up: @Milton, vs. Belmont Hill

13.) Berkshire School (2-0-0)

Berkshire has taken a real step forward this season with an older team with 10 seniors and only 5 players who are ’03s or younger. They return most their best players off of last years team and added a few upperclassmen that will contribute right away. They beat Albany and a Taft team who was coming off a win against Salisbury. They’ll have a tough task this upcoming week against #2 Gunnery but they are a well-coached, well-balanced team. Next Up: vs. Gunnery, @Canterbury

14.) Holderness School (3-0-0)

The Bulls have won their first three games of the season but find themselves at #14 due to the relatively weaker schedule thus far. After making it to the Small School finals last season, they have shown they can find ways to win and despite losing their starting goalie to juniors. They have a good chance of going into the Lawrence-Groton tournament undefeated which will be a good measuring stick for where this team is. Next Up: vs. Brewster, vs. Vermont Academy

15.) Pomfret School (2-0-0)

Pomfret is quietly turning some heads after a tough opening schedule with quality wins over Nobles and Tabor. They were not at the Berkshire Jamboree this year due to weather so we haven’t seen this squad play yet, but they return their entire top line which accounted for over 50% of their teams goals. Goaltender Andrew Shearson is sporting a 93.6 Save % which could be the difference maker as they head into the Lawrence-Groton Tournament. Next Up: vs. Loomis, @Pingree, @Worcester

Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hicking Images