While the New England prep school ranks get plenty of attention on the local scene, many players choose to step outside the region to further prepare for the Division 1 level.
A common destination? The United States Hockey League, a breeding ground for future NCAA stars.
More than 600 players on current college rosters have roots in the USHL, including UMass forward John Leonard (Amherst, Mass.), Harvard defenseman Reilly Walsh (Andover, N.H.), Northeastern defenseman Jeremy Davies and numerous other top players throughout the region.
Brian Chambers
Sioux Falls Stampede / F / Weymouth, Mass.
NCAA Commit: UMass Lowell
Chambers will head to the River Hawks in the fall after finishing this productive campaign for the Stampede. He's tied atop the USHL in shooting percentage with 14 goals, including three game-winners. His 33 points in 40 games ranks third on the team after breaking a four-game span without a goal on Feb. 16 at Muskegon.
Jayson Dobay
Youngstown Phantoms / D / Weymouth, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Massachusetts
Dobay ranks third among Phantoms defensemen in scoring this season with 16 points through 41 games. However, the Thayer Academy product has come on strong of late with nine points over his last seven contests, including his first goal of the season on Feb. 16 at Youngstown. He dished out three assists in the prior game prior, too.
Gunnarwolfe Fontaine
Chicago Steel / F / East Greenwich, R.I.
NCAA Commit: Rensselaer
Few rookies in the USHL have been as productive offensively as Fontaine, as his 16-16-32 line in 43 games ranks seventh among first-year players. He has scored five goals in his last six games, including two in a Feb. 2 win over Youngstown. The former Lawrence Academy forward is one of two USHL rookies with five game-winning goals and tops Chicago with his plus-14 rating.
Parker Ford
Sioux City Musketeers / F / Wakefield, R.I.
NCAA Commit: Providence
Ford, who was ranked 153rd among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings last month, has been an integral part of the offense during his second season in Sioux City. The future Friar’s 15 goals and 29 points rank third on the team after he scored his third game-winning goal of the season on Feb. 15 at Omaha.
Mike Kesselring
Fargo Force / D / New Hampton, N.H.
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
Kesselring began the season with Des Moines and has played in his last 15 games with Fargo. The longtime New Hampton School standout ranks 14th among USHL defensemen in scoring through 48 contests. He has marked the scoresheet in four straight and five of the last six games for the Force.
Aidan McDonough
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders / F / Milton, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
McDonough is another Thayer alum who has been a consistent presence in his USHL lineup. He ranks fourth on Cedar Rapids with 27 points, though his 37 games played are the fewer than each of the three players ahead. The future Northeastern Husky has scored nine of his 17 goals during this calendar year and has points in two of his last three games.
Harrison Roy
Omaha Lancers / F / Lakeville, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Maine
Roy has spent his last 15 games in Omaha after a 10-point stint over 24 games with Cedar Rapids. He’s in the midst of a recent scoring tear, with points in six of his last eight games. Across that span, the future Black Bear has scored four of the five goals for which he is responsible since joining the Lancers in December.
Tate Singleton
Central Illinois Flying Aces / F / West Lebanon, N.H.
NCAA Commit: Ohio State
Singleton has played in 42 of the Flying Aces’ 43 games this season and leads the team with 18 goals, including four in his last seven games and two game-winners. The 5-foot-8, 180-pounder last found the back of the net on Friday against Tri-City. Singleton, formerly of Proctor Academy, also has three multiple-goal games since the beginning of January.
Neil Shea
Chicago Steel / F / Marshfield, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
Shea, in his first full USHL season, is yet another Northeastern commit playing well. He has 11 goals and 30 points in his 37 games for one of the league’s top offensive teams. Last year, the former Lawrence Academy star played 11 games with Cedar Rapids.
TJ Walsh
Des Moines Buccaneers | F / Shrewsbury, Mass.
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
Walsh, who joined NEHJ for a Commitment Q&A back in December, is third on Des Moines with his 35 points in 37 games. Across two prior seasons with Cedar Rapids, Walsh only recorded 24 points through 79 games. Though Walsh hasn’t scored in his last three games, he notched goals in back-to-back games two weekends ago against Waterloo and Omaha.
