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I love that screwball original poster trying to sneak D2 teams in the top 20? Westwood, Medfield and Medway? Medway has a hockey program?
That's correct, they play split season and the season gets over before the high school season starts. Typically (but not always) if the kid has an O.K. high school team they try to make the local team as a freshmen and stay until sophomore and then move on to full season. Ironic because most early commits these days at least for quality forwards is at the U-16 level. Defensemen need to have grown (usually) before they get the commit.
The funny thing that I've picked up on over the years is when these kids who have skated for an outside program for 7-8-9 years and then show some potential after playing a season or two for the high school and go back to their program's full season team at 17 the high school coaches and fans claim the programs have 'stolen' their high school players! When in fact they created them!
Yeah for that season, but who is to say what the kid elects to do the following season. Play split season and go to your H.S. for your freshmen year see if you like it, see if the hockey is for you (too hard / too easy), see if you like the coaches and the schedule (early morning practices followed by a full school day) and then you have the next three years to go back to a full season team.
Im from north shore so I do not know much about south shore hockey. I do know that burlington and arlington will be the best two public teams from north. Arlington did not lose many good players and Burlington has a decent group. Reading will not be good. They lost their three stars, their goalie and the two forwards. One went to prep, one went to full season, and one was lost to lax. As for woburn and winchester, they both lost a lot. Winchester lost goalie and Woburn lost talented junior class to prep and seniors. It will be an off year for the ML this year
Knock AP out of top 10.
Defenseman all left, nothing coming up and forwards are all to small.
Every year you see the same names on this list at the beginning of the year and every year there are "sleeper" teams that make it in.
On a whole, north and south are down this year for division1. I think you will wee some sleepers in here from division 2. Agreed, Middlesex league is down this year. There were a few coaching changes that may impact not just that league, but the list as a whole.
Does anyone want to go out on a limb with some far outs?
That's tough to do. I think Canton should be more successful in D2. I think Natick will drop a bit in D1. I think Hingham will start to climb again, but none of this would be a surprise.
AP goalie is the best in New England and for that reason they will be #1
If he is so good then why is he there?