Who is the current hockey Player of the Year?
Ryan Lanigan - There are a handful of players that have emerged in the Player of the Year race but I think right now it’s Canton’s John Femia. Femia is tied for second in scoring in the entire Hockomock League with eight goals and a league-best 16 assists. Femia has been playing at a high level for the majority of his high school career and he’s been one of the best set up players in the Hockomock League, and nothing has changed this year. He’s a leader on the ice and does well with his back checking. There’s a reason Canton has had so much success, especially on Femia’s line, this season.
Josh Perry - Franklin is starting to get some statewide recognition after its tie with Super 8 favorite Springfield Cathedral, its play in the Mount St. Charles tournament, and the way that the Panthers have rolled through their Hock schedule. The key player on the top line for the Panthers has been Ryan Spillane. The senior was one of the league’s top returning scorers and has picked up where he left off last winter pairing with linemates Joe Bourque and Alec Borkowski on one of the league’s most prolific lines. Spillane, the son of Franklin coach Chris Spillane, has scored 15 goals and recorded 10 assists this season, while also providing the two-way play and willingness to battle in the corners that is a key to Franklin’s system. Spillane has also been effective on both the power play and penalty kill and as the best player on the best team is a front runner as Player of the Year.
What has been the biggest surprise this season?
RL - Milford continues to get better each season but after graduating Jared Balzarini and Brad White, it looked like the trend would stop. But the Scarlet Hawks are 8-3 so far and have one of the top scorers in the Hockomock League in senior Drew Wilde (15 goals, nine assists). After two straight playoff appearances since joining the Hockomock, it looks like the Scarlet Hawks are headed there again and could very well take the next step with a playoff win.
JP - The biggest surprise for me this season has been the play of North Attleboro. The Rocketeers lost several key pieces from last season’s team, especially on the defensive side of the ice and with Marshall Blackman choosing to play juniors it looked as though North was going to be short of the firepower needed to make a dent in the Hock. Most things revolve around senior Sean Young and his 10 goals and 10 assists, but freshman Jason McNeany has emerged as a strong forward and has already provided 11 goals this season. Defensively, the Rocketeers have recorded four shutouts and allowed more than two goals in a game just three times. Seniors Ryan Ma and Jake Crear have held together a young blue line corps and senior Brady Grunewald has stepped right in and has been solid in goal. At 7-4 and with an impressive comeback win over Mansfield, North looks set to make another D2 South appearance and once again be a tough out in the playoffs.
HockomockSports.com Midseason First Team
RL
F - John Femia, Canton
F - Ryan Spillane, Franklin
F - Drew Wilde, Milford
D - Kyle Filbert, Franklin
D - Evan Kershaw, Mansfield
G - Jimmy Tierney, Oliver Ames
JP
F - Ryan Spillane, Franklin
F - John Femia, Canton
F - Tim Doherty, Oliver Ames
D - Kyle Filbert, Franklin
D - Will Kelleher, Mansfield
G - Jimmy Tierney, Oliver Ames
At this point, which team will be going the furthest in the tournament?
RL - I think at this point, there are two teams that really stand above the rest: Franklin and Canton. The Panthers are doing so well that they’re inching close to the top 10 in ESPNBoston.com’s Rankings. If they are able to keep up their current pace and pick up an upset here or there at the end of the season, they’ll likely get some Super 8 talk before getting a top seed in D1. After showing well in their first year in D1 last season, it’s likely the Panthers will build on that once again this year.
JP - Of course matchups will play a huge part in which teams make long postseason runs and the usual suspects of Franklin, Canton, and Oliver Ames all seem poised to be contenders in their respective divisions. With Jimmy Tierney in goal, OA is always going to have a chance to go far and Franklin could be on the Super 8 watch list for the way it is playing this season, but in terms of how they match up with potential opponents and the firepower that they possess I’m going with the Bulldogs as the team that could go the furthest.
Canton will certainly be tested and a rematch with last year’s sectional final opponent Medfield or TVL co-leader Westwood, which beat the Bulldogs earlier this season, but Canton has the speed up front and two very strong scoring lines to match those opponents. The young defensemen continue to develop and Justin Slocum has become one of the league’s top goalies. Canton will once again be among the teams to beat in D2.