NZ Prep Poll Week #2

While 14 of the 15 teams remain in the poll from last week, the positions they occupy changed dramatically. Kent and Gunnery both had two losses on the week which saw them move from Top 3 to Bottom 2 teams in the poll. Thayer and Tilton also feel from #4 and #6 down to #11 and #12. Cushing was the lone new team in this weeks poll debuting at #13 and the climbers of the week were Berkshire who climbed 10 spots and Lawrence Academy who climbed 8 spots.

Next week’s poll will be done Monday morning after all the Holiday Tournaments are finished and we suspect a lot more changes will be made as most teams are going to play 3-4 games this upcoming weekend.

1. Dexter (5-0-0)

Last Week: #1 Dexter did what they had to do to stay atop of the heap beating two quality teams in Exeter and Nobles by a margin of 10-2. Dexter has the best scoring margin of any team in the league with an average 6.2 goals for per game and only 1.4 goals against. They face a gutsy Proctor team on Thursday night at the LA-Groton Holiday Tournament and depending on how they do will face either Culver or Groton in the semi-final. If they can make it to the finals which they’ll be expected to do, they’ll likely face ranked opponents Cushing Academy or Lawrence Academy which will be their biggest test of the season. Next Up: LA-Groton Holiday Tournament

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

Last Week: #5 Avon climbs three spots this week to grab the #2 ranking after another strong week defeating Taft 7-4 and then Trinity-Pawling 3-1. They’ll faceoff against Deerfield (tonight) and then head into their holiday Tournament which will be the most competitive field it has had in recent memory with 5 of the 8 teams being ranked within the top 15 teams in the league. Not only that but 3 of those teams are undefeated (Loomis, Avon, Berkshire) so it’ll be quite a test for Avon to run the table and win their tournament; but they have the skill, the depth and the goaltending that makes them the team to beat. Next Up: vs. Deerfield; Avon Christmas Tournament

3. Berkshire (4-0-0)

Last Week: #13 Berkshire had the highest climb of any team in this weeks poll after beating an undefeated Gunnery squad 5-1 and following it up with a convincing win against Canterbury. They are now 4-0-0 led by Aidan Thompson and Briggs Gamill, but getting contributions from all three lines, solid defense that have size and are tough to play against and excellent goaltending. They have a difficult road in the Avon Christmas Tournament against Loomis, Gunnery and Trinity-Pawling but a good showing there would cement they are among the top teams in the league. We’ll learn a lot about Berkshire in the coming week. Next Up: Avon Christmas Tournament

4. Lawrence Academy (3-0-0)

Last Week: #12 Lawrence took a big step forward after several undefeated teams lost this week and Lawrence continued their dominate run beating Milton 6-0 on the road and defeating Belmont Hill 8-2 at home. They are now 3-0-0 and have beaten teams by a 18-2 margin showing that nobody has been able to stay with this team. With that being said they haven’t played a team over .500 and that will change as they’ll faceoff against Cushing Thursday night at home for the first round of the LA-Groton Tournament. After that game they’ll face either undefeated Holderness or a one-loss Pomfret team who are both improved from last season. If Lawrence can win them both; they could end up playing #1 Dexter in the LA Groton Championship which would determine who is truly the top team in prep hockey. Next Up: LA-Groton Tournament

5. Loomis Chaffee (5-0-0)

Last Week: #9 Loomis Chaffee is a great story this year as they were not highly touted going into the season but sit 5-0-0 before the Avon Christmas Tournament. They don’t have a ton of high-end prospects and they’re not a big team; but they are deep, they have a veteran roster with speed and skill. They aren’t blowing teams away like some others here but they have beaten quality teams and this week went on the road and knocked off an undefeated Pomfret team and then went to Canterbury and beat them 3-2. They play Choate on Monday and then head into a loaded Avon Christmas Tournament to faceoff against undefeated #3 Berkshire, Trinity Pawling and #15 ranked Gunnery. This tournament will be a measuring stick for just how good this Loomis team is. Next Up: vs. Choate; Avon Christmas Tournament.

6. Kimball Union (3-1-0)

Last Week: #7 KUA rebounded nicely after their loss against Kent at the Exeter Invitational with two convincing wins against Lakes Region rivals in Proctor and Tilton by a margin of 14-3. Both Tilton and Proctor are better teams than they were last year and will be in the playoff hunt, so those dominate wins show just how deep KUA’s roster is. They head into the Flood Marr Tournament, which has been the top Holiday Tournament in the East hosting 6 of the last 7 NE Prep Champions, and will look to reclaim their title after an underwhelming performance last year. KUA will faceoff against Salisbury on Friday for a re-match of the past two prep championships and then play Milton and Deerfield. If they can win another Flood Marr title, which they are certainly good enough to do, they’ll be considered one of the top (if not the top) teams in the land. Next Up: Flood Marr Tournament

7. Salisbury (4-1-0)

Last Week: #8 Salisbury started the season with a loss on the road at Taft but rebounded nicely with four straight wins allowing just 1 goal or less in three of those games. Their win over Kent is their best of the season thus far showing they can beat a ranked team and they outshot them by a 38-15 margin. They head into the Flood Marr Tournament with momentum and a repeat as champions would go a long way for this team in the polls. The rematch game against KUA on Friday is one for all scouts, coaches and fans to circle as this game has been the deciding game in back to back NE Prep Finals. After KUA they’ll face Deerfield and Milton. This a deep, balanced team that has all the makings of an Elite 8 contender. Next Up: @ Albany Academy; Flood Marr Tournament

8. St. Sebastian’s (4-0-0)

Last Week: #10 St. Sebastian’s is a team quietly making a run up the rankings given their undefeated record with wins over a solid Rivers team and an older, hard to play against Exeter team. Their scoring is more spread out this season and have been getting quality goaltending from Luke Garrity. They’ll have a real chance to repeat as St. Seb’s Holiday Tournament Champions as they knocked off Northwood in the finals last season. They have an easier road on paper than the teams ranked above them so if they all beat up on each other this weekend and the Arrows take care of business they could cruise to the top of the poll. Next Up: vs. Brooks; St. Sebastian’s Holiday Tournament

9. St. Marks (5-0-0)

Last Week: #11 It’s hard to put St. Mark’s at #9 with an undefeated record through the first 5 games of the season and having the leagues best offense with 34 goals scored in 5 games (6.8 goals per game average). However, they haven’t faced a team with a winning record except Groton which was a one-goal game. They will head to the Barber Tournament and faceoff against Portsmouth Abbey and will be favored to win it all. With many of the teams ranked above them playing each other in the upcoming Holiday Tournaments, St. Mark’s has a chance to be next weeks biggest climber if they can continue their winning streak. Next Up: Barber Tournament

10. Holderness (5-0-0)

Last Week: #14 The Holderness Bulls grab the #10 spot after remaining undefeated through the first 5 games of the season. With that being said they have not played .500 or better squad yet so their game Thursday night against Pomfret will be telling. They’ll face tough competition throughout the LA-Groton tournament as there are no layups in this field so coming out of that will say a lot about where this team stands. Next Up: LA-Groton Tournament

11. Tilton (3-1-1)

Last Week: #6 Tilton fell in the polls after a winless weak going 0-1-1 against Lakes Region teams KUA and New Hampton. One of Tilton’s strengths is they can roll three lines, they are older and have consistent goaltending so it’s concerning to see them give up 14 goals in the past 2 games. However, they have an easier schedule ahead of them and will be favored to win the Brooks-Pingree Tournament; so a strong weekend could put them right back in the hunt. Up Next: Brooks-Pingree Tournament

12. Thayer (3-1-0)

Last Week: #4 Thayer saw quite a dip in the rankings after a loss at home against Andover. They don’t have enough resume to jump the one-loss teams above them. Unfortunately for Thayer, they are not in a pre-Christmas tournament this weekend so after a game against Canterbury on the 20th they won’t play again until EG Watkins Tournament after the new year. Still very early and this is a talented roster; but the road only gets tougher for Thayer and to date they don’t have a win against a team over .500. Next Up: vs. Canterbury

13. Cushing (4-1-1)

Last Week: NR Cushing had a really tough start to the season getting dominated by #1 ranked Dexter but since then have wins over Hill School, Williston and Winchendon and a tie against Stanstead; not bad for 4 games in 9 days. Cushing is starting to get their offense going scoring 4 or more in every game since the Dexter loss and they’ll head into a competitive LA-Groton Tournament with some momentum. They’ll have a great opportunity to prove themselves against #4 ranked Lawrence Academy, a great rivalry which will be packed with NHL/NCAA/Junior coaches and scouts. Don’t count them out; they have enough pieces to win the LA-Groton but it’ll be a stiff challenge. Next Up: LA-Groton Tournament

14. Kent (4-2-0)

Last Week: #3 Coming off a big win over talented KUA and undefeated start to the season Kent was ranked 3rd in the first poll. Then they had to go back to Connecticut and play three talented teams in Gunnery, Brunswick and Salisbury where they went 1-2-0 but were tied going into the third period against Salisbury. Kent has a good team and remains in the poll despite two losses because they came against good teams and they were able to beat a talented Gunnery squad showing they can play with anyone. They head to Avon Christmas Tournament with a chip on their shoulder and have as good a chance as any of the teams ranked above them. Next Up: Avon Christmas Tournament

15. Gunnery (4-2-0)

Last Week: #2 Gunnery took the biggest dive in the poll after losing 2 straight games against #3 Berkshire and #14 Kent before beating Williston. Gunnery has a lot going for them with their size, speed and depth but the fashion in which they lost to the only ranked teams they’ve played is concerning losing by a 13-2 margin. Gunnery will have a chance to prove themselves again at the Avon Christmas Tournament playing two teams ranked in the top 5 in the poll in Loomis and Berkshire; they are good enough to win it but are a team searching for consistency. Next Up: Avon Christmas Tournament

Just Out: Pomfret (4-1-0), Roxbury Latin (3-0-0) and NMH (3-2-1)

Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images