Prior to the season, expectations for teams do not always end up being the reality.
Sometimes, this means teams do not live up to expectations, but other times, it means they exceed them. Here are a few of the early surprises on the eastern Massachusetts scholastic hockey scene this season.
Boxers on the ascent
The Brockton High Boxers are coming off a few rebuilding seasons where they struggled to win games outside of their league, but they might finally be rewarded for their effort. The program’s numbers have improved to the point where Brockton is fielding a JV team once again, giving it depth on what was already an experienced varsity roster. Last season, the Boxers, who won the Big 3, went 5-13-4 and were bounced in the first round of the Div. 1 South playoffs.
Things are looking up for the Boxers this season, however, with 13 returning players including senior captains Zack Sylvia and Justin Cruickshank on defense and co-captain Frank Aten on the attack, all of whom are experienced varsity players. Defense is expected to be an asset for the Boxers this season.
To prep for the season, the Boxers played a vigorous preseason schedule that included Billerica, Duxbury, Marshfield, Franklin and Westford Academy. The team gained confidence from a 4-4 tie with Duxbury, and that confidence seemed to pay off in the first two games of the regular season.
First, the Boxers fell in a one-score game against Falmouth, 5-4. After that, Brockton topped North Quincy, 8-0, on Saturday, Dec. 23.
If that is any early indication, the Boxers program appears to be moving in a positive direction.
New in net
It appeared as though the Pentucket boys hockey team would need someone to flip positions so it would have a body in net this season. Instead, the team got an unlikely boost it was not expecting.
Senior Connor Melone, who had never played organized hockey, came out for the team this season to fill in the void, and currently, he is playing without a backup.
Through three games prior to Christmas break, Melone had yielded 11 goals (3.67 goals-against average), helping keep the Sachems afloat.
Although his emergence as a goaltender is surprising, Melone is an experienced varsity athlete. He also competes on the Sachems golf and lacrosse teams and already had multiple varsity letters prior to this winter season.
Firepower in D-2 girls
Headed into the season, the contenders in the Division 2 girls hockey bracket seemed obvious with schools like Notre Dame Academy, Canton and Tewksbury/Methuen returning talent. Here is one more name to keep in mind: Milton.
The Wildcats were a playoff team last season, going 13-8-3. It was a productive year for them, but returning senior forwards Julia Scannell and Kat Buchanan might just give the team the firepower its offense would need to make a deep tournament run.
Scannell, who has been on varsity since she was in eighth grade, notched her 200th career point in the first week of the regular season. Through the team’s first four games, she had 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) while Buchanan had 16 (10 goals, six assists).
The Wildcats started this season at 3-1 prior to winter break and in that span outscored opponents 23-6.
One more to watch in D-3 boys
The Hanover Indians fell in the Div. 3 South quarterfinals last season, 1-0, in a shootout against Rockland, but Hanover’s highly experienced squad has potential to do damage in the tournament this time around.
As a member of the Patriot League, Hanover has the benefit of primarily playing Division 1 and 2 teams during its regular-season schedule — and the team was unbeaten in its first five games (4-0-1). The Indians showed everyone just how good they could be this season with a 2-1 upset win over Rockland on Dec. 14 where depth was the biggest difference maker.
The Indians, who won the Div. 3 state title two seasons ago, lost only four players from last season to graduation and returned experienced forwards Zach Taylor and Connor Morris as well as two of their top defensemen, Paul McCabe and Drew Cratty.
Because the program has a winning history, the Indians have to be a team to watch this season.
