Hockomock hockey competition is underway and we have a local high school expert weighing in on this season. This time around, The Boston Herald's Jim Clark and Bruce Lerch talked Hockomock hockey.
What's the team to watch in the Hock this year and why?
Jim Clark, The Boston Herald: As always in the Hockomock, you have to start with Franklin and Canton, and both teams should be right at the top in their respective divisions again. But Mansfield has some good young players back and a solid goalie in Rich Shipman, and Oliver Ames has an outstanding goalie with Jimmy Tierney back for his sophomore year.
Bruce Lerch, The Boston Herald: After back-to-back trips to TD Garden to compete for the Division 2 state championship, it's hard to pick against Franklin as the team to beat in the Kelley Rex Division. Goalies Mike Donadio and Devon Maloof had sub 2.00 goals against averages last year and Maloof pitched a shutout in the Panthers first game. Senior captain Cam Curley (19 goals, 7 assists, 26 points) is the top returning scorer and look for Mike Patjane (7-6-13) and Dennis Pisani (5-7-12) to be right there. The Panthers lost 12 players off of last year's squad, including five defensemen, so finding players comfortable in coach Chris Spillane's system will be the key to that unit excelling again.
Mansfield has joined the ranks of the "Hock Elite" with sustained success the last few years under coach Rick Anastos and will challenge Franklin every step of the way (and maybe again to the South sectional finals, as they did a year ago). Look for big things from the top line trio of Brendan Murphy (12-6-18), Kevin Flynn (0-5-5) and Adam Blackman (2-5-7). Stability in goal is no issue with senior Rich Shipman (2.39 GAA), who is one the league's best playing behind talented blue-line duo Brian Hurley and sophomore Will Kelleher.
In the Davenport Division, Canton is definitely the team to beat. The Bulldogs will be plenty strong in their own end with goalie Rich Nee (1.75 GAA) and defensemen Steve Mullaney and Kurt Leavitt. Brian Brooks and Pat Ward each topped 20 points last season and Michael Denehey wasn't far behind with 16. Look for that trio to pace the offense.
While there may not be a Hockomock League for the girls, Canton, Franklin, King Philip and the Mansfield/Oliver Ames co-op all compete in the Southeastern Mass. Girls Hockey league (SEMGHL) West. The Bulldogs should compete with Westwood and the Medway/Ashland co-op for that league's title behind talented senior forwards Meghan Lennon (13-20-33) and Meaghan McKenna (9-19-28).
Which team is going to surprise people?
Clark: North Attleboro was the surprise team last season, making the tournament for the first time. So I'm not sure you can call them a "surprise" again, but I can see them taking the next step with a lot of players back from that team. I'm also curious to see how Milford makes the transition to the Hock from Central Mass. Division 3A. The Scarlet Hawks had eight wins last season, their most ever, but they have some good players returning.
Lerch: KELLEY REX - North Attleboro. The Red Rocketeers reached the postseason for the first time last year - it's fifth as a varsity program - and won its first playoff game against Dedham. NA graduated most of its starters but does return a ton of points as last year's second line of senior center Tim Joyce (6-7-13) and sophomore wingers Sean Young (13-11-24) and Marshall Blackman (11-9-20).
DAVENPORT - Oliver Ames. The Tigers stunned everyone by beating and tying Canton during the regular season a year ago. Sophomore goalie Jimmy Tierney is a threat to steal any game he plays in and David Nolan has three of the team's seven goals in the first two games but what is going to make OA a threat to knock off the top teams and make a deeper run in the tournament is depth with three lines featuring talented players.
Who’s going to be the face of the Hockomock?
Clark: I don't see any real standout players in the Hock this season, but just a lot of solid all-around talents at all positions. Some very good goalies -- I mentioned Shipman and Tierney, but also Mike Donadio at Franklin and Rich Nee for Canton. I also like Cam Curley (Franklin) and Pat Ward (Canton) at forward, and Kurt Leavitt (Canton) on defense. North's Ryan Burns is an excellent two-way player.
Lerch: Franklin's Cam Curley was one of the best players in the league last year, so I expect to see him as the frontrunner for the Hockomock's MVP Award.
What player is going to surprise people?
Clark: Sean Young and Marshall Blackman from North might not surprise, because they were pretty good scorers as freshmen last season, but I can easily see them becoming top players in the league. I would also keep an eye on Milford's Jared Balzarini, who had double-digit goals a year ago. Also, Foxboro goalie Melissa Almeida bears mentioning.
Lerch: Foxboro goalie Melissa Almeida. Yes, that's right, I said Melissa. And no, Foxboro doesn't field a girls team. Now a junior, Almeida has been the Warriors primary netminder for the better part of the last two years and should get plenty of the ice time this year after sparking the team to a late-season push for the postseason last winter.
Based on the schedule now, what game are you circling for game of the year?
Clark: It's hard to go wrong with any Canton-Franklin game. The one on Jan. 12 at Canton is the key one, because that one counts for the league standings. I do like how the coaches and ADs went with teams playing each opponent only once for league purposes -- that allows the league's iron to toughen their schedules a bit and gives teams like Attleboro, Foxboro, Milford and Stoughton some good opportunities to schedule different teams.
Lerch: Take your pick between round two between Franklin and Canton (Jan. 12 in Canton) or either of the two matchups between the Panthers and Mansfield. Franklin beat Canton, 3-0, Wednesday night but that was a "nonleague" game. The next one counts. And when Mansfield hosted Franklin last year, the line of cars parked on the street outside the Foxboro Sports Center (parking lot was more than full) stretched a mile in each direction. And I'm not exaggerating...in fact, I may be underselling it.
Will there be any hardware raised by a Hockomock team this year?
Clark: It's a good bet the eventual Div. 2 South champion comes out of the Hockomock. It's been that way each of the past four seasons, but I couldn't tell you now which team it might be. I will be curious to see if Mansfield or Oliver Ames can finally break through, or if Chris Spillane can somehow reload Franklin again for another run. And never count out Canton, of course.
Lerch: Difficult to say yes, but mainly because of the quality of opponents the Hock teams will face in the postseason.
Whichever club escapes Division 2 South (likely after battling each other) will be looking at the prospect of facing such outstanding competition from the North such as Wilmington, Beverly, Boston Latin and Danvers, just to name a few.
The teams competing in Division 3 will have a tough challenge just getting out of the South sectional. Preseason favorite Medway leads a pack of talented squads that includes Medfield, Pembroke and Scituate. Waiting in the wings at TD Garden will be one of the perennial North powers such as Marblehead or Rockport.
Even the Canton girls will contend, and are my pick to win the SEMGHL West title, but are stuck with the unfortunate prospect of having to contend with perhaps the state's best overall girls team - Duxbury - in the Division 2 tournament.