Wed. 2/12/19
Prep Highlights of Wed. Feb. 12, 2020
Deerfield's Harrington Stuns #9 Loomis
Lapsley OT Goal Saves #7 Nobles
#5 Hotchkiss Rolls, Wins 7th Straight
New Hampton Rocks #4 Dexter, 7-4
Hoggers' Solomine: A Hat Trick & 2 Assists
#5 Hotchkiss 4 @ Westminster 2 -- #5 Hotchkiss won its 7th in a row. Senior F Jeremy Abraham scored a pair of goals, and juniors Brian Haywood and D Jon Horne each had a pair of assists. Senior G Henry Wilder (1.77/.941) kicked out 21 of 22. With the win, Hotchkiss improves to 14-4-1. Two years ago, the Bearcats finished 4-16-5, and last year they improved to 11-11-2. Now, the core of that group is at 14 wins and counting. The last time Hotchkiss won 14 games in a season? Eleven years ago, in '08-'09.
@ #2 Avon Old Farms 9, Gunnery 0 -- Junior G Connor Callaghan (1.49/.936) notched his 5th shutout of the season as the Winged Beavers, now 18-2-0, rolled to their 5th straight win. JP Turner had two goals, and Nick Cyprian, Liam Verdoni, PJ Neal, Tabor Heaslip, and D Drew Tsakounis each had a goal and an assist.
@ Berkshire 3, Kent 0 -- Berkshire had an 0-5-0 slump that started at the Avon Tournament and lasted until January 11th. Since then, the Bears have gone 8-1-1, losing only to #5 Hotchkiss. As of this writing, Berkshire (13-7-2) is #15 in the RPI, making them a Team Under Consideration (TUC). Today, PG Gunnar Granito, junior Jack Marottolo, and senior Aidan Thompson, a Denver recruit, each had a goal for the Bears; and junior G Jed Baliotti (1.80/.935) stopped all 15 shots he faced, posting his second shutout of the season. (Kent's fortunes thus far have been the opposite of Berkshire's. The Lions were hot in December, winning the Avon Tournament, but have stumbled in January and February, going 3-6-0).
@ Groton 7, BB&N 0 -- Luke Beckstein (1g,3a) had 4 points, Ronan Doherty had a hat trick, and Marc Borghi had 3 assists to lead the Zebras' attack. Groton outshot BB&N, 49-9. With the win, Groton improves to 17-5-0; BB&N falls to 1-18-0.
@ Deerfield 3, #9 Loomis 2 -- Loomis and Deerfield traded goals all game until, with 1:14 remaining in regulation, Big Green senior F Jarod Harrington scored the game-winner, with an assist going to senior D Eamon Doheny. Exactly 8 minutes earlier, Harrington scored the goal to tie at 2-2. Doheny had an assist on that one, too, to finish the day with 3 assists. Loomis senior F Alex Krause (1g,1a) figured in both of the Pelicans' goals. The win puts Deerfield a game over .500 at 8-7-4. Loomis is 11-4-4 but has stumbled, going 1-2-2 over its last 5 games. Deerfield has beaten them twice this season.
@ #3 Salisbury 2, Taft 1 -- Salisbury senior Matt DeBoer's goal at 11:54 of the second turned out to be the game-winner here today. Senior Cole Vallese had put Salisbury up 1-0 in the first. Taft senior Zack Tonelli tied things at 1-1 at 4:45 of the second. It was the 20th point of the season for Tonelli, the Rhinos' leading scorer, and it came in his 20th game. Salisbury junior G Max Donoso (1.76/.918) kicked out 18 shots for the win. Taft senior James Donaldson (40/42) took the hard-luck loss. With the win, Salisbury avenged its Dec. 4th season-opening loss at Taft, a 3-2 decision. (Tonelli had 2 goals in that one, including the GWG. DeBoer had one of Salisbury's goals, and Donaldson kicked out 39 of 41 for the win.)
NMH 7 @ Williston 3 -- Junior F Joe Solimine, the Hoggers' leading scorer, had a hat trick and added a pair of assists to lead NMH. Right there with him was Nicholas LeClaire (2g,2a). Connor Hasley (2.07/.941) kicked out 30 of 33 to pick up the win.
St. Paul's 4, Brewster 2 -- Brewster held a 2-0 lead after one, but St. Paul's scored 3 in the second -- all with the man advantage -- and added one in the third period. Sophomore F Cooper Flinton (1g,2a) led the SPS attack. Joe Schubert, Clayton Malone, and Owen Stadheim each added a goal. SPS senior Charlie Murphy (30/32) earned the win; Brewster junior Sam Livecchi (37/41) took the loss.
@ New Hampton 7, #4 Dexter 4 -- Dexter scored the game's first goal, but New Hampton came back with 5 straight to take a 5-1 lead. Dexter scored 3 straight in the second to cut New Hampton's lead to one goal at 5-4. But in the 3rd, New Hampton senior Jack Ring stuck the dagger in, completing his hat trick to give New Hampton a 6-4 lead. Ring's 4th goal of the game was an empty-netter to make it a 7-4 final. With the win, the Huskies avenged the 3-0 loss they suffered Jan. 18th at Dexter. Since then, New Hampton has gone 5-1-1, and has scored 19 goals over its last 3 games. For New Hampton, Ring (4g,1a) was joined by senior Marcus Joughin (3a), junior Cole Hipkin (2g), and senior D Stephen Ardagna (2a). For Dexter, senior John McElaney (1g,2a) and junior Matt Copponi (2g) were the top scorers. With the win, and depending on the other scores tonight, New Hampton (18-7-2) sneaks into the #16 slot in RPI, thus becoming a TUC. Dexter has 3 losses in its last 7 games -- to Thayer, LA, and, today, New Hampton. They are 19-4-0.
Worcester Academy 5, Portsmouth Abbey 3 -- Worcester got goals from 5 different scorers. Same goes for the Abbey. WA senior Henry DiNapoli (23/26) got the win; PA junior Nate Hopkins's effort -- 47 saves on 51 shots -- goes for naught. WA is two games over .500 at 12-10-1. PA falls to 2-16-1.
Tilton 5 @ Holderness 0 -- Tilton got goals from 5 different scorers and senior G Justin Lee (23/23) posted the shutout. Tilton outshot Holderness, 42-23. The Rams improve to 12-5-4.
@ St. Mark's 8, Brooks 2 -- Brendan Gibbons (1g,3a), Von Mabbs (1g,2a), Danny Ciccarello (1g,2a), and junior d-man Ian Moore (2g) led the Lions attack. Senior Charlie Alcorn scored both Brooks goals, and Parker Sondag had an assist on both of them. St. Mark's improves to 16-3-1. Their losses have come to Dexter, Belmont Hill, and Rivers, and, as of the moment, they are #13 in RPI.
@ Millbrook 5, Albany Academy 2 -- Senior Andrew Kimball (2g), junior Jake Percival (1g,1a), junior Shane Albert (2a), and senior D Bauer Morrissey (2a) provided the offense. Sophomore G Jake Hugessen (17/19) got the win. Millbrook is 6-0-1 over its last seven, 17-7-1 on the season and #11 in RPI.
#7 Nobles 3 @ Governor's 2 (OT) -- An OT goal from senior F Robert Lapsley, assisted by Roman Tacelli and Aidan Lyons, lifted Nobles to the road win. Casey Severo scored in the first for the Bulldogs, but Gov's came back in the second with goals from Jack Pascucci and Drew Chase. Jack Cronin got a crucial PPG in the third, from David Jacobs and Severo, to tie it at 2-2 and send it to OT. Both goalies, Nobles' senior Marc Smith (40/42) and Gov's senior Drake Wheelden (30/33), had strong games. Nobles has had only one loss since the Flood-Marr, and that came at Lawrence on Jan. 15th. The following week, they avenged that with a 3-2 win at home. They also have a couple of ties in that span, to KUA and St. Seb's.
Roxbury Latin 4 @ Middlesex 2 -- Junior Bobby Luca had 2 goals, and sophomore JoJo Dable and senior Joey Ryan one apiece. Senior Mikey Jones (23/25) took care of business between the pipes.
@ #6 KUA 6, Andover 0 -- Seniors Sullivan Mack (2g), Zach Whitehead (1g,1a), and Tomas Mazura (2a), as well as defensemen Nick Bernardo (2a), and Andy Noel (2a) led the KUA scorers. Junior Zak Brice (16/16) earned the shutout. The Wildcats fired 51 shots at Andover senior G Charlie Archer. KUA (19-4-1) has won 7 in a row since a Jan. 22nd loss at Deerfield. Mack's two goals give him 34 on the season, and Mazura's assists give him 47.
Rivers 3 @ St. George's 2 -- Sophomore Mel Mortarelli's third period goal turned out to be the game-winner. Rivers senior G Casen Janko (22/24) earned the win; St. George's junior G Owen Hipple (20/23) took the loss. With the win, Rivers moves to a game above .500 at 10-9-1.
Tabor 5 @ Milton 3 -- Seawolves' sophomore G Matthew Gover came up with 42 saves, while Jake Cady (2g,1a) and Morgan Winters (1g,2a) led the offense. Cady's second goal was an ENG.
@ Canterbury 6, Trinity-Pawling 2 -- Junior G Peter Papadopoulos (45/47) came up with a huge game to lead the Saints to their third win of the season. Andrew Mancini (2g), Kenny Maxwell (1g,1a), Matt Boczar (1g,1a) led Canterbury's offense. T-P had the edge in shots, 47-37.
@ #10 St. Sebastian's 4, Belmont Hill 0 -- Seb's got 4 goals, all in the second period, and all from different skaters. Senior G Luke Garrity (18/18) earned his fourth shutout of the season. The Arrows improve to 14-5-1.
@ Pomfret 2, Choate 2 -- Senior Tyler Mitchell scored both Pomfret goals. Junior Zach Vandale and senior John Russo scored for the Wild Boars. The goalies, Choate's Tyler McDermott (33/35) and Pomfret's Andrew Shearson (24/26), both had strong games.
Berwick 5 @ Hebron 2 -- Senior Tyler Gaulin (1g,2a) led Berwick's scorers, and senior G Alex Ramsay kicked out 29 of 31 shots. Berwick is 12-10-1.
MAHL PLAYOFFS (semifinal): Lawrenceville 2, The Hun School 1-- Senior G TJ Semptimphelter (28/29) picked up the win, and senior D Lachlan Getz and senior F Trey Croddick supplied all the offense needed -- and not a bit more. Next Wednesday, L'ville will play Hill, a 6-2 winner over Portledge in tonight's other semi, for the MAHL championship.
MAHL PLAYOFFS (semifinal): Hill 6, Portledge 2 -- Hill got 2 goals from Ross Morrison and 3 assists from Jack McLaughlin. Sean Parker (21/23) earned the win.
Sat. 2/29/20
New England Girls' Quarterfinals Schedule
The regular season is complete, and here is the official schedule for the girls' quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 4th. The winners will move on to the semifinals, which are at campus sites on Saturday, March 7th. And the winners of that will move on to the championships on Sunday, March 8th at the Fidelity Bank Ice Center in Worcester, Mass.
In addition to the quarterfinals schedule, which the NEPSGIHA tournament committee will be updating with starting times, you will find brackets for the semis and the game times for Championship Sunday.
Best of luck to all!
NEPSGIHA Quarterfinals Schedule for Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Thurs. 2/27/20
Playoff Seedings Explained
Since the New England Prep School Girls Ice Hockey Association (NEPSGIHA) came into being, playoff seedings have been decided at the end of the regular season by the selection committee. This year, things have changed.
NEPSGIHA has adopted an algorithm developed here at USHR that automatically determines playoff seedings for the three major end-of-season tournaments. The methodology, which we will explain shortly, has been in use by NEPSIHA (the boys' equivalent of NEPSGIHA) for the last decade. This season the boys and girls will, for the first time, use the same system for determining playoff seedings. We at USHR are happy to provide this service to the prep hockey community.
So how does it work?
The starting point is RPI (Rating Percentage Index), which measures the strength of schedule of NEPSGIHA teams based on their W-L-T record against each other.
The first portion of the calculation is based on a team’s winning percentage. Simply put, this is how well a team performs in its own games. This is important because a team needs a strong winning percentage regardless of whom they play. A team’s winning percentage is calculated by adding the number of wins plus 1/2 the number of ties and dividing the total by the number of games played. Winning percentage accounts for 25% of the total RPI calculation.
The second portion of the RPI is a calculation of each team’s opponents' winning percentage. In other words, how good are the teams that you are playing during the year in question? Winning percentage is calculated the same way as above, but this time the mathematics is based on the total number of your opponents' wins, plus half the number of their ties. Next, divide that total by the number of games played by your opponents. This category is worth 21% of the RPI calculation because how you play (your own winning percentage) should be worth a bit more than how your opponents fare (the second category).
The third portion of the RPI takes things a step further, and is based on your opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage. This is, basically, a ‘strength of schedule’ component, and is an attempt to eliminate much of the variation that can happen to teams on a yearly basis in terms of wins and losses. This helps eliminate the need/desire to change schedules because one team may be stronger or weaker from one year to the next. It also eliminates the possibility that, by defeating another team, your own RPI could actually decrease. This third category is worth 54% of the total RPI calculation.
Once RPI has been calculated, the next and final phase is JSPR, a methodology that extends RPI in a manner similar to the Pairwise Rankings algorithm used for determining NCAA Div. I hockey tournament seedings. JSPR (an acronym for the Jeremy S. Philipson Rating System) measures the strength of the top 16 teams by RPI ("teams under consideration" or “TUC” for short). TUCs are compared to each other using the following four criteria:
1. Head-to-head result(s)
2. RPI comparison
3. Record against common opponents
4. Record against teams under consideration
For each comparison win in the above criteria, a JSPR point is awarded. The eight teams with the most JSPR points make it into the Elite 8. (Tiebreakers go to the winner of the JSPR comparison between the two tied teams, and, in the event of a JSPR comparison tie, the winner of the head-to-head match-up takes the point. If the two teams are still tied, RPI is used.) That takes care of the Elite 8. The remaining teams are placed into the large and small school tournaments based solely on RPI ranking.
A concrete example would be the current battle (at the time of writing) for the #8 seed in the Elite 8. Both Rivers and Westminster are tied in JSPR points, but Rivers, a team with the lower RPI, sits in the #8 spot. Why is that?
Let’s take a look. Rivers wins the common opponents comparison with Westminster, and therefore gains a point in the tiebreaker tally. Next, Rivers also wins the TUC comparison, giving them two tiebreaker points. At this point, in order for there to be a JSPR comparison tie, Westminster would have to win both the RPI and head-to-head comparisons, which they do for the former, but not the latter, as the teams did not play each other this season.
The end of the regular season is imminent. If you want to see what the playoff seedings might look like after Saturday’s results are in, check out the main navigation Playoffs > Season Projection menu options. All playoff-related screens are calculated in real time, so keep an eye on game results as they come in. There could be some interesting shifts occurring on Friday and Saturday.
A couple of important caveats worth mentioning here:
1) Only games between NEPSGIHA teams count toward RPI and JSPR. However, unlike with the boys, affiliate and associate games against each other are included.
2) Games in holiday tournaments decided after the first five minutes of overtime count as ties for both teams involved.
And that's it. Best of luck to all.
-- NC
Sun. 2/23/20 Last updated: Wed. 2/26, 12:15 pm
Prep Girls' Composite Schedule, Week of Feb. 24, 2020
St. George's @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Canterbury, 5:15 pm
Wed. Feb. 26, 2020
Gunnery @ Kent, 1:30 pm
Berkshire @ Taft, 2:30 pm
Deerfield @ Williston Northampton, 2:30 pm
New Hampton @ Kimball Union, 2:30 pm
Cushing @ North Yarmouth Academy, 3:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Proctor, 3:00 pm
St. George's @ Tabor, 3:00 pm
Vermont Academy @ Brewster Academy, 4:00 pm
Kents Hill @ Holderness, 4:00 pm
Milton @ Pomfret, 4:00 pm
Winchendon @ Exeter, 4:00 pm
Thayer @ Groton, 4:00 pm
Andover @ Loomis Chaffee, 4:15 pm
Brooks @ St. Mark's, 4:30 pm -- new start time is 3:00 pm
Greenwich @ Canterbury, 4:30 pm
Tilton @ Hebron, 4:30 pm
Choate @ Hotchkiss, 4:30 pm
Southfield @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 4:45 pm
Middlesex @ BB&N, 5:00 pm
Rivers @ Lawrence Academy, 5:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Governor's, 5:15 pm
Lawrenceville @ Westminster, 5:30 pm
Fri. Feb. 28, 2020
Beaver Country Day @ Dana Hall, 3:30 pm
Kents Hill @ Hebron, 4:00 pm
Thayer @ BB&N, 5:00 pm
Southfield @ Rivers, 5:00 pm
Williston Northampton @ Winchendon, 6:00 pm
Greenwich @ Worcester Academy, 6:15 pm
Sat. Feb. 29, 2020
Southfield @ Lawrence Academy, 1:00 pm
Canterbury @ Worcester Academy, 1:15 pm -- moved back to 5:30 pm
Tabor @ Berkshire, 2:00 pm
Governor's @ Brooks, 2:00 pm
Middlesex @ St. George's, 2:00 pm
Groton @ St. Mark's, 2:00 pm
Cushing @ Choate, 2:00 pm
Exeter @ Andover, 2:00 pm
BB&N @ Williston Northampton, 2:30 pm
Taft @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Westminster @ Kent, 2:30 pm
Pomfret @ Winchendon, 2:30 pm
Hoosac @ Millbrook, 2:30 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Deerfield, 4:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Milton, 4:15 pm
Gunnery @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 4:30 pm
*** END OF REGULAR SEASON ***
Sat. 2/22/20
#1 Nobles Edges #2 Tabor, 1-0, in OT
Dedham, Mass. – Nobles junior forward Ellie Bayard scored the game's lone goal just over a minute into overtime to give the #1 Bulldogs a 1-0 win over #2 Tabor here Saturday afternoon. Nobles’ junior goalie Taylor Hyland and Tabor’s senior goalie Christine Steege were both incredible in what was one of the best prep hockey games we have covered.
Both the Bulldogs and Seawolves are filled with serious talent. For Nobles, it was juniors Ellie Bayard and Katie Pyne who generated most of the Bulldogs' chances. For Tabor, it was juniors Skylar Irving and Abigail Newhook. It is exciting for girls' prep hockey that all four players will be back again next year.
Tabor controlled play for much of the first period, and Newhook was arguably the best player -- other than the two goalies -- on the ice. Her creativity and stick-handling skills singlehandedly created a handful of opportunities for Tabor to get on the scoreboard. It seemed that if Tabor was going to score, it was going to come from Newhook.
Throughout the second period, both teams had multiple chances on the powerplay to open up the scoring, but, once again, it was Hyland's and Steege's superb netminding that kept the game deadlocked at zero heading into the final period.
Defensively, Nobles seemed to be slightly weaker than Tabor, but was consistently bailed out by Hyland's play in net. Tabor senior captain Julia Shaunessy is a key part of the Seawolves' defense, and she lived up to the billing. However, a mistake by the Seawolves' defense in OT left Nobles' Bayard alone in front to take the shot that would win the game for the Bulldogs, and almost certainly give them both the ISL title and the #1 seed heading into the post-season.
Tabor will now look to end its regular season on a winning note with games in the final week against St. George’s (Wed. Feb. 26) and on the road at Berkshire (Sat. Feb. 29). With Saturday's loss, the Seawolves now have two on their resume, both of them coming in overtime to teams in the Elite 8 picture -- #6 Loomis and, now, #1 Nobles. Last year, Tabor was missing Newhook for the playoff run due to her involvement in the Canadian Games. This year, Tabor will have her -- and will be in full force for a shot at winning it all.
Nobles continues its 28-game unbeaten run into the final week of the season with games on the road against Governor’s (Wed. Feb. 26) and Milton (Sat. Feb. 29). Nobles' only 'blemish' on the year came Wednesday with a 1-1 tie against #7 Andover, a team continuing to make a case for an Elite 8 berth.
A postseason matchup between these teams would be great to see. If it is going to happen, it will most likely be in the championship game on Sunday, March 8th. Getting there, however, will not be an easy task. Any of the other teams in the Top 8 is more than capable of upsetting either team and making it to Worcester for the finals.
-- GH
Sun. 2/16/20 --
Please send updates/corrections to news@ushr.com. Thank you.
Prep Girls' Composite Schedule, Week of Feb. 17, 2020
Mon. Feb. 17, 2020
Greenwich @ Gunnery, 4:15 pm
Brewster Academy @ Holderness, 5:00 pm
Wed. Feb. 19, 2020
Canterbury @ Millbrook, 2:30 pm
Kimball Union @ Tilton, 2:30 pm
Middlesex @ Lawrence Academy, 2:30 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Williston Northampton, 2:30 pm
Kent @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Cushing @ Deerfield, 3:00 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Pomfret, 3:00 pm
North Yarmouth Academy @ Pingree, 3:00 pm
Exeter @ St. Paul's, 3:00 pm
Governor's @ Rivers, 3:15 pm
Andover @ Noble & Greenough, 3:15 pm
St. George's @ Milton, 3:30 pm
Taft @ Westminster, 3:30 pm
Darien HS @ Greenwich, 3:30 pm
Choate @ Berkshire, 4:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ Kents Hill, 4:00 pm
Winchendon @ Worcester Academy, 4:00 pm
Thayer @ St. Mark's, 4:15 pm
Newton Country Day @ Winsor, 4:15 pm
Groton @ Brooks, 4:30 pm
Vermont Academy @ Gunnery, 4:30 pm
Holderness @ Proctor, 4:30 pm
New Hampton @ Southfield, 4:45 pm
Tabor @ BB&N, 5:00 pm
Fri. Feb. 21, 2020
Hebron @ North Yarmouth Academy, 3:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ Pingree, 4:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Thayer, 4:15 pm
Beaver Country Day @ Winsor, 4:15 pm
Vermont Academy @ Kimball Union, 4:30 pm
Southfield @ Cushing, 4:45 pm
BB&N @ Lawrence Academy, 5:00 pm
Newton Country Day @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Tilton, 5:00 pm
Hill School vs. Shady Side Academy, 5:00 pm
Brooks @ Middlesex, 5:30 pm
Choate @ Gunnery, 6:00 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ New Hampton, 6:00 pm
Culver Academy vs. Hoosac, 7:00 pm
Sat. Feb. 22, 2020
Hill School vs. Hoosac, 10:00 am
Greenwich vs. Newton Country Day, 12:00 pm -- at Pomfret
St. Mark's @ BB&N, 1:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Governor's, 1:00 pm
Andover @ Worcester Academy, 1:15 pm
Gunnery @ Canterbury, 2:00 pm
Choate @ Taft, 2:00 pm
Rivers @ Proctor, 2:15 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Exeter, 2:30 pm
Holderness @ Middlesex, 3:00 pm
Thayer @ North Yarmouth Academy, 3:15 pm
Hotchkiss @ Deerfield, 3:30 pm
Groton @ St. George's, 3:30 pm
Tabor @ Noble & Greenough, 3:30 pm
Milton @ Brooks, 3:45 pm
Tilton @ Berwick, 4:00 pm
Winchendon @ St. Paul's, 4:00 pm
Cushing @ Pomfret, 4:00 pm
Williston Northampton @ Loomis Chaffee, 4:15 pm
Millbrook @ Lawrenceville, 4:30 pm
Berkshire @ Westminster, 5:30 pm
Kimball Union @ Hebron, 5:30 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Vermont Academy, 6:30 pm
Culver Academy vs. Hill School, 7:30 pm
Mon. Feb. 24, 2020
St. George's @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Canterbury, 5:15 pm
Fri. 2/13/20
Tabor Scores 3 in the Third, Wins 4-2
Marion, Mass. – #2 Tabor escaped with a solid 4-2 win over #8 St. Paul’s by scoring three unanswered goals in the middle of the third period. The Seawolves were led by senior goalie Christine Steege, who will be a key component of success for Tabor should they make a playoff run.
St. Paul’s started the game pressuring Tabor, and dominated the first period. The Pelicans took the lead just under four minutes in with a beautiful odd-man rush that had senior Gaby Roy perfectly set up fellow senior Natalie Tulchinski for a tap-in. The Pelicans' play in the first period matched the best hockey we have seen by any team this year. It was organized and fast. And it was surprising that they took only a one-goal lead into the locker room after the first.
Both teams traded punches in the second period. With just under two minutes to play, St. Paul’s had a great 3-on-1 opportunity to take a 2-0 lead but was unable to convert. Quickly, Tabor was able to stretch the ice and found themselves on an odd-man rush, capped off by junior Ashley Clark's snipe high to the glove side to level the game at 1-1 just before the end of the second.
In the final period, Tabor and St. Paul’s traded chances, but ultimately Tabor freshman Kayla McGaffigan broke the tie, finding herself an open spot in a crowded space, and putting home a loose puck to give the Seawolves a 2-1 lead with 8:20 to go in the game. Just under 20 seconds later, it was senior Skylar Irving, on another 2-on-1, who put one past the SPS goalie to give Tabor a 3-1 advantage. The Seawolves would go on to net their third goal in four minutes when senior Julia Shaunessy sniped one high near side to put Tabor ahead, 4-1.
SPS's Tulchinski would assist Roy on a powerplay goal with 23 seconds remaining to bring the score to 4-2, but it was too little too late for the Big Red.
The difference in the game was the goaltending. Tabor's Steege made some key saves to limit the Pelicans' lead to just one goal throughout the first and second periods. St. Paul’s -- when they needed it -- was unable to get those same crucial saves from sophomore Abby Matusovich . Matusovich played well for the first half of the game, but, once Tabor got on the board, her confidence clearly lacked as the game progressed.
St. Paul’s now finds itself in some serious trouble for a spot in the Elite 8 Tournament. They have lost their last three and have no games remaining against teams above .500. They do have the Lakes Region Tournament left to play, which could give them some help and a chance to avenge their recent loss to New Hampton, but most likely they will need outside help to get back into the Top 8.
Tabor continues to dominate but faces a couple of extreme tests this week with games on the road against #3 BB&N on Wednesday and #1 Nobles on Saturday. If anybody can derail Nobles from its quest for an undefeated season, it's likely to be one of those two teams. On top of that, should the Seawolves come out of Cambridge with a win on Wednesday, then Saturday at Nobles will be the de facto ISL championship game.
- GH
Sun. 2/9/20 -- Please send updates/corrections to news@ushr.com. Thank you.
Prep Girls' Composite Schedule, Week of Feb. 10, 2020
Mon. Feb. 10, 2020
Concord-Carlisle Reg. HS @ Newton Country Day, 4:30 pm
Groton @ Rivers, 4:30 pm
Greenwich CD @ Rye Country Day, 4:45 pm
Brewster Academy @ Tilton, 4:45 pm
Vermont Academy @ Pingree, 4:45 pm
Princeton Day School @ Portledge, 5:30 pm
St. George's @ Thayer, 5:30 pm
Wed. Feb. 12, 2020
Proctor @ Brewster Academy, 2:30 pm
St. Paul's @ New Hampton, 2:30 pm
Tabor @ Middlesex, 3:00 pm
Vermont Academy @ Tilton, 3:00 pm
Portledge vs. Hoosac, 3:00 pm -- at Brewster (NY) Ice Arena
Governor's @ Thayer, 3:15 pm
Berkshire @ Pomfret, 3:30 pm
Holderness @ Brooks, 3:30 pm
Kimball Union @ Exeter, 3:30 pm
St. Mark's @ Milton, 3:30 pm
Taft @ Greenwich, 3:30 pm
Williston Northampton @ Choate, 3:30 pm
Lawrenceville @ Hill School, 4:00 pm
North Yarmouth Academy @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:00 pm
Winchendon @ Southfield, 4:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Loomis Chaffee, 4:00 pm
St. George's @ BB&N, 4:15 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Groton, 4:15 pm
Deerfield @ Westminster, 4:30 pm
Millbrook @ Gunnery, 4:30 pm
Kent @ Canterbury, 4:45 pm
Worcester Academy @ Rivers, 4:45 pm
Hebron @ Berwick, 5:00 pm
Dana Hall @ Nobles JV, 5:00 pm
Beaver Country Day @ Pingree, 5:30 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Cushing, 6:00 pm
Fri. Feb. 14, 2020
Northwood School @ Vermont Academy, 3:45 pm
Kents Hill @ Newton Country Day, 4:00 pm
Beaver Country Day @ Milton J.V., 4:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ New Hampton, 4:30 pm
Winsor @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Berwick, 6:00 pm
Cushing @ Loomis Chaffee, 6:00 pm
Worcester Academy @ Pingree, 6:00 pm
Milton @ Andover, 6:15 pm
BB&N @ Noble & Greenough, 6:30 pm
St. Paul's @ Tabor, 6:30 pm
Pomfret @ St. Mark's, 7:00 pm
Sat. Feb. 15, 2020
Worcester Academy @ Holderness, 1:00 pm
Kents Hill @ Winchendon, 1:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Westminster, 1:00 pm
Governor's @ Tabor, 1:00 pm
Milton @ Middlesex, 2:00 pm
BB&N @ Groton, 2:00 pm
Hill School vs. Northwood School, 2:15 pm -- at Vermont Academy
New Hampton @ Exeter, 2:30 pm
Hotchkiss @ Taft, 2:30 pm
Choate @ Loomis Chaffee, 3:00 pm
Andover @ Williston Northampton, 3:15 pm
Berwick @ Portsmouth Abbey, 3:30 pm
Brooks @ St. George's, 3:30 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Thayer, 3:30 pm
Pomfret @ St. Paul's, 4:00 pm
Cushing @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 4:00 pm
Deerfield @ Berkshire, 4:30 pm
Canterbury vs. Hebron, 4:30 pm -- at Phillips Exeter
St. Mark's @ Rivers, 4:30 pm
Millbrook @ Kent, 4:30 pm
Southfield @ Proctor, 4:45 pm
Hill School @ Vermont Academy, 6:45 pm
Sun. Feb. 16, 2020
Hill School @ Berkshire, 12:00 pm
Hebron @ Winchendon, 12:00 pm
Lawrenceville @ Hotchkiss, 1:00 pm
Mon. Feb. 17, 2020
Greenwich @ Gunnery, 4:15 pm
Brewster Academy @ Holderness, 5:00 pm
Sat. 2/8/20
#1 Nobles Overwhelms Brooks
Dedham, Mass. -- #1 Nobles showed why they are the top-ranked team in New England with a 10-1 win over Brooks here Saturday. The Bulldogs' depth was apparent as over half the team registered points in the win. Sophomores Sophie Ensley and Kate Ham, and freshman Annie Dinges topped the list, as all had multipoint games.
Brooks's lack of depth, on the other hand, was equally clear. The team does have some impressive individual talent up front in junior Brianna O’Neill, freshman Molly Driscoll, and sophomore Brooke Rogers but, with only 13 dressed skaters, could not match up with Nobles’ depth. The aforementioned players created the bulk of Brooks’s limited chances against the Bulldogs. Their lone goal came halfway through the second period on a tip-in by senior Quin Healy on a shot from the point by senior Isabela Miller. Freshman goalie Eleanor Rogers had a tough day in net. She'll have better days ahead.
It was clear from the opening puck drop that Nobles was the better team. The line of Ensley, sophomore Emerson O’Leary, and junior Ellie Bayard was fun to watch. Nearly every time they were on the ice, Nobles had a scoring chance. On top of their offensive talent, junior goaltender Taylor Hyland was near perfect in net and will be a key to Nobles keeping its unbeaten streak going
Nobles has now won 22 straight games this season, which makes it their best start since 2013-14 when they won the first 24 games of the season. The Bulldogs have a busy week ahead with games at Groton Wednesday, vs. #3 BB&N Friday, and at #7 Westminster on Saturday. Their biggest game of the year is looming on Saturday, February 22 -- a matchup against #2 Tabor that will likely determine the ISL champion.
Brooks will look to regroup after its worst defeat since a 9-0 loss to Nobles in 2015. This is the first time since USHR began recording girls' results in 2003-04 that Brooks has given up 10 goals in a game. Currently, Brooks sits as the #2 seed in the Dorothy Howard Tournament (Small School). They will look to get back into the win column this week with contests vs. Holderness Wednesday and at St. George’s Saturday.
-- GH
Sun. 1/2/20 -- Latest Update: Fri. 2/7 @ 1:55 pm. Please send updates/corrections to news@ushr.com. Thank you.
Prep Girls' Composite Schedule, Week of Feb. 3, 2020
Mon. Feb. 3, 2020
Tilton @ New Hampton, 4:30 pm
Rye Country Day @ Portledge, 5:30 pm
Wed. Feb. 5, 2020
Proctor @ Vermont Academy, 2:00 pm
Westminster @ Pomfret, 2:30 pm
Governor's @ BB&N, 3:15 pm
New Canaan HS @ Greenwich, 3:30 pm
Beaver Country Day @ Dana Hall, 3:30 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Milton, 3:45 pm
Thayer @ Brooks, 4:00 pm
New Hampton @ Cushing, 4:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Worcester Academy, 4:00 pm
Andover @ Tabor, 4:00 pm
Canterbury @ Hoosac, 4:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Berkshire, 4:30 pm
Winchendon @ Deerfield, 4:30 pm
Hebron @ Holderness, 4:30 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Pingree, 4:30 pm
Noble & Greenough @ St. George's, 4:30 pm
Taft @ Williston Northampton, 4:30 pm
Southfield @ Exeter, 4:45 pm
Portledge @ Morristown Beard, 4:45 pm
Rivers @ Berwick, 5:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ Kimball Union, 5:00 pm
Loomis Chaffee @ Gunnery, 5:00 pm
Kents Hill @ North Yarmouth Academy, 5:00 pm
Northfield Mt. Hermon @ Choate, 5:15 pm
Groton @ Middlesex, 5:30 pm
Thurs. Feb. 6, 2020
Portledge @ Lawrenceville, 5:00 pm
Fri. Feb. 7, 2020
St. Paul's @ New Hampton, 2:30 pm -- ppd. to Wed. 2/12 @ 2:30 pm
Rye Country Day @ Greenwich, 3:30 pm
Winsor @ Pingree, 4:45 pm
Rivers @ St. George's, 5:00 pm
North Yarmouth Academy @ Holderness, 5:30 pm -- ppd; makeup date TBD
Hebron @ Middlesex, 5:30 pm -- ppd; makeup date TBD
St. Mark's @ Southfield, 5:30 pm
Tilton @ Thayer, 6:00 pm -- cancelled
Millbrook @ Choate, 6:00 pm
Governor's @ Kimball Union, 6:30 pm -- ppd; makeup date TBD
Milton @ BB&N, 7:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Tabor, 7:00 pm
Sat. Feb. 8, 2020
Hill School @ Millbrook, 2:00 pm
Middlesex @ Southfield, 2:00 pm
Brooks @ Noble & Greenough, 3:00 pm
Pingree @ Tilton, 3:00 pm
Tabor @ St. Mark's, 3:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ North Yarmouth Academy, 3:15 pm
Washington Pride @ Lawrenceville, 3:15 pm
Exeter @ BB&N, 3:30 pm
Worcester Academy @ Governor's, 3:30 pm
Berwick @ St. George's, 4:00 pm
NAHA White Team @ Rivers, 4:15 pm (S)
Proctor @ Kimball Union, 4:30 pm
Vermont Academy @ Northfield Mt. Hermon, 4:30 pm
Thayer @ Kents Hill, 5:00 pm
New Hampton @ Andover, 5:15 pm
Sun. Feb. 9, 2020
Hill School @ Choate, 11:30 am
Kents Hill vs. Rothesay-Netherwood, 12:00 pm -- at St. Paul's School
Mon. Feb. 10, 2020
Groton @ Rivers, 4:30 pm
Greenwich CD @ Rye Country Day, 4:45 pm
Brewster Academy @ Tilton, 4:45 pm
Princeton Day School @ Portledge, 5:30 pm
St. George's @ Thayer, 5:30 pm
Sat. 2/1/20
Tabor Scores 2 Goals in 10 Seconds, Wins 3-1
Marion, Mass. -- It felt like playoff hockey Saturday in Marion as #2 Tabor overcame a slow start and scored two goals in just under 10 seconds to beat #7 Westminster, 3-1, in what could be a preview of a first-round playoff matchup come March.
Westminster was able to put serious moments of pressure on the Seawolves for much of the contest. Senior standout Taylor Adams scored on a beautiful shot from the circle to give the Martlets a lead just four minutes into the contest. Adams was one of the best players on the ice today and really helped Westminster stay competitive against a very talented Tabor squad.
The win put Tabor, now 14-1-0 with its only loss a 3-2 OT decision to Loomis on Jan. 25th, back in the conversation for the top team in New England. Their top line of Skylar Irving, Ashley Clark, and Abigail Newhook was the key to the game. With three minutes to go in the first period and facing a 1-0 deficit, it was Ashley Clark who set up Juliette Piersol to tie the game. Just seconds later, it was Abigail Newhook who found the back of the net to give the Seawolves a 2-1 lead.
Westminster continued to press throughout the third period. With five minutes remaining, Tabor was on its heels and forced to call a timeout to regroup with the score still at 2-1. The Seawolves were able to stay composed and seal the win with an empty net goal from senior captain Julia Shaunessy with just under 30 seconds remaining.
All eyes are now on the February 22nd matchup between #2 Tabor and #1 Nobles. That should be a good one, perhaps a great one, but Tabor still faces some serious tasks with games against #7 Andover (2/5), #8 St. Paul’s (2/14), and #3 BB&N (2/19) before their date at Nobles.
Westminster now sits just outside the Elite 8 in the playoff seedings, but still has games remaining -- including big one against Nobles and Kent -- in which they can seriously move themselves back into a position to play for the Chuck Vernon Trophy in March.
-- GH
