FINALLY some regular season action is included in this edition of the top 20! It is hard to keep up with all of the games, but it sure is entertaining to see who could have a big year this season. There will be plenty of movement in this edition. Enjoy!
1: BC High (1) – The Eagles stay at the top this week. They downed a very good Franklin team in their third scrimmage. They start the season against St. John’s (S) and then welcome Don Bosco Prep to their home rink at Umass Boston for an epic showdown.
2: Pope Francis (2) – Pope Francis is definitely one of the most talented teams in the state, but it has been hard to truly grasp what they are capable this year. They beat Xaverian in a scrimmage, then lost to Braintree in scrimmage. They entered the Rider Cup, a highly prestigious tournament, and lost their first two games. Their first MIAA game is against Framingham.
3: Hingham (3) – Hingham stays put at number three in the state as they have yet to open their regular season. They open against a good Andover team on December 18th.
4: Xaverian (4) – Xaverian enters the season with high hopes as they are set to face Barnstable in their regular season opener. This will be a good test for both teams as the Hawks look to prove they deserve to be at the top of the rankings.
5: Canton (6) – The Bulldogs are now all the way up to fifth in the state with their one-goal victory over a good Franklin team. Franklin is one of their top opponents, but Canton still has multiple good opportunities left to prove they’re one of the best out there.
6: St. Mary’s Lynn (5) – The Spartans have been dormant since their Garrett Reagan Summit win over Arlington. They open their season against Lowell Catholic on Wednesday.
7: St. Johns Prep (7) – The Eagles have not seen regular season action yet. They have to wait until December 21st, which they will then play Hingham in their opener.
8: Framingham (8) – The Flyers BARELY squeezed by Milton in their regular season opener 5-4. Next up for them is Newton North this Wednesday.
9: Duxbury (9) – No regular season games yet for Duxbury, but they can look forward to their regular season opener against Quincy this Wednesday.
10: Arlington (12) – The Spyponders started their regular season with a win over a good Melrose team. They play Wakefield and Pope Francis before Christmas.
11: Archbishop Williams (NR) – With a big 5-4 victory over Austin Prep, Archbishop Williams joins the rankings for the first time this season. They had a solid run last season and look to keep the good vibes going as they play a very good Bishop Fenwick team next.
12: Braintree (13) – Braintree is up one spot this week after winning their season opener against Brookline 2-0.
13: Austin Prep (10) – Austin Prep opened up their season with a loss to Archbishop Williams. They look to turn things around against a very good Xaverian team next.
14: Bishop Fenwick (NR) – Bishop Fenwick opened their regular season with a 6-2 victory over Arlington Catholic. They are new to the rankings, but things don’t get easy for them as they play Archbishop Williams next.
15: Marshfield (15) – No regular season games yet for Marshfield, but they can look forward to their season opener this Wednesday against Hanover.
16: Franklin (18) - Franklin opened their season with a loss, but they competed to a one-goal game against fifth ranked Canton. They look to get their first win of they year against a good Malden Catholic team this Thursday.
17: Winchester (17) – No games yet for Winchester, but they can look forward to their season opener against Burlington this Wednesday.
18: Reading (NR) – Reading opened their season against a good Wakefield team and won 4-2. This is their first time in the rankings this year, but it is not surprising to see them here based on recent years success.
19: Central Catholic (NR) – Central Catholic opened their season with a 2-0 shutout victory over Catholic Memorial. Their next opponent is Acton-Boxboro, who also won their season opener.
20: Catholic Memorial (11) – It has been a rough start to the season for Catholic Memorial as they have a -7 goal differential through their first two games. They look to start turning things around against a dominant Don Bosco Prep team next.
Best of the rest: Andover, Needham, Barnstable, Falmouth, Billerica, Walpole