Last season, the two leading scorers in New England were in the Lakes Region. Of the top 11 scorers, seven came from the Lakes.
Yes, Kimball Union and Holderness dominated and were Elite 8 teams. But other schools loaded up on talent to challenge those two squads.
There are some players with high production potential on these first and second teams.
So, let's dive in.
First team
F: Corwith Simmers, Kimball Union
Simmers put up a whopping 25 goals and 54 points in between Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.) and Sam LeDrew last season. While Sadowski and LeDrew are off in junior hockey, Simmers will be the lead man for KUA’s offense. He’s a two-way force at center who had the potential to put up similarly big numbers.
F: CJ Watroba, Kimball Union
Watroba was on Kimball Union’s second line last season and posted a respectable 15 goals and 31 points. He has a killer shot and high-end skill. So long as he can stay consistent as KUA’s top-line left wing, he should be making a big jump from last season’s numbers. Remember: head coach Tim Whitehead is big on relying on seniors. Watroba will be one of the main cogs.
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F: Jacob Duval, Holderness
Duval’s numbers have steadily increased throughout his time at Holderness. As a sophomore, he posted 23 points. He followed that up with 31 last year. The Bulls lost a whole lot of scoring, so Duval will be thrust into a more prominent role, which should lead to more production.
D: Nick Evans, Kimball Union
Evans’ numbers last season weren’t eye-popping: one goal and 15 points. Now a senior, he will be relied on much more to produce offensively and shut down opposing forwards in his own zone. The Malden, Mass., native has been terrific with the Fall Prep Wildcats and looks poised for an impactful final year at KUA.
D: Jeremy Poirier, Holderness
Holderness had some gaudy numbers last season and Poirier quietly notched eight goals and 20 points. With Caeden Herrington (Manchester, Vt.) gone, he will be tasked with important offensive zone starts and steady puck-moving abilities. He should have no problem with either.
G: Blake McMeniman, Kimball Union
Fresh off an Elite 8 title win, McMeniman took prep hockey by storm last season. The 5-foot-8, 150-pound goalie grabbed the crease last season and wouldn’t let it go, posting a 2.49 GAA and a .912 save percentage. Impressive performances against St. George’s, Salisbury and Cushing en route to the Elite 8 title will never be forgotten.
Second team
F: Iain Olsen, Kimball Union
Olsen missed parts of last season, but was still over a point per game player with 23 in 21. He projects to play alongside Simmers and Watroba, which should net him a whole lot of goals. He looks to be on track to produce a lot more than 23 points this season with his ability to get to high-danger areas.
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F: Viktor Samal, Holderness
Samal enters Holderness from Czechia. This summer, he played for Czechia at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. He put up impressive numbers with HC Slavia Praha U17 last season, scoring 32 goals and posting 68 points in 47 games. He entered the season on NHL Central Scouting’s preseason watch list. The only thing with Samal will be how long it takes him to adjust to the North American game.
F: Kayden Yeaman, Tilton
Finally — someone not from Kimball Union or Holderness. Yeaman was Tilton’s leading scorer last season as a junior ‘07, scoring 15 goals and posting 34 points. It was his first year at Tilton and he looks poised for even more of an impact this winter as a senior.
D: Quinn Brandell, St. Paul’s
St. Paul’s was a young team last season with some underclassmen getting important experience. One of those players was Brandell, who notched one goal and eight points from the blue line. The ‘07, who stands at 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, will be tasked with producing while also shutting down high-end forwards in the Lakes Region. He looks ready to do so.
D: Kevin Delaney, Proctor
Delaney was highly productive for Proctor last season, scoring eight goals and finishing with 22 points. As the leader on defense entering this season, that production should continue to grow.
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G: Cole Pouliot-Porter, New Hampton
Pouliot-Porter enters New Hampton after two standout seasons at Xaverian, elevating himself into one of the top ‘06 goalies in Massachusetts. It will be a bit of an adjustment for him to transition to prep, but he was one of the best goalies at USA Hockey’s Select 17 Camp in 2023. He will also face a plethora of high-end talent in the Lakes, strengthening his game.
