We are just a quarter of the way through the Season and there are some changes to my Pre Seasons rankings as the Season unfolds. I knew as I was writing my original rankings not putting Malden Catholic at the top was going to bite me. Coach McLean is used to his team not being ranked #1 in the Pre Season Polls. It has been the case for him even after winning a Super Eight title or four! This could have been enough for them to earn the Pre Season nod but I picked Springfield Cathedral to be at the top of the standings at seasons end and thought they would be having their own Garden Party in March!

Coach Foley has the Panthers rolling but their two ties is why I give the nod to MC. The Panthers tied BC High 2-2 at the end of December and Tuesday night Malden Catholic went into BC's Barn and Skated away with a 2-0 win. That game can be seen in its entirety @MyHockeyLive.com. It was a very physical game from the start and MC showed good discipline by not getting drawn into early penalties. Coach McLean's Team did not engage in every battle they were invited to and simply played good, smart, old school hockey! Malden Catholic is as good as always, they easily play the toughest Schedule in the state as they will travel up and down the east coast playing the best teams New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey has to offer. Those games Malden Catholic has on tap creates a very similar atmosphere that you would find at a State Championship game. The experience the Lancers will gain in playing those games Win or Lose are only going to make them that much tougher to beat come Tournament time. That is going to be what makes Malden Catholic the Team to beat. Every team comes at them with their best efforts hoping to be the one to say "We beat Malden Catholic" but as I see it there is not a team in Massachusetts that can compete with them for three periods.

Xaverian should be right in the mix having beaten last years Division 1 State Champion Reading Rockets in early season action, St. John's Prep and Marshfield already this Season. With 10 seniors and six juniors leading the way and the physical style they play make them a very formidable opponent their only blemish on their record is a 4-0 loss to you guessed it Malden Catholic on the road.

St Johns Prep has also surprised many this season. In what many thought was a rebuilding year the Eagles have come out of the gate flying with big wins over Central Catholic and just a one goal loss to Xaverian has put the Prep on the radar as the season rolls along.

Austin Prep has lost a lot of firepower and goaltending from a year ago but the only blemish on this season came at the hands of Malden Catholic 3-0 back in late December. A big win over St Mary's and Central Catholic is proof that Austin Prep should be able to extend their Season if they continue to develop the youngsters they will not go down easy in the Tournament.

Central Catholic is another team that has stumbled sporting a 5-3 record the Raiders losses were to Springfield, St Johns Prep and Austin Prep all very tough teams to play but Central needs to find a way to turn those losses into wins the second time around if they hope to advance in the tourney.

Duxbury is looking good sporting a 4-1-1 record with their only loss coming at the hands of a tough Xaverian team 2-0. They have the firepower and the goaltending necessary for making it deep in March.

Braintree with a big win over St Mary's early in the Season and a tough 3-2 loss to Duxbury shows Braintree has the ability to compete and surprise some of the big boys. They lost a boat load of seniors from a year ago and the underclassmen are now gaining confidence which may allow them to pull out some big wins they should be tough down the stretch.

Arlington Catholic is sporting an undefeated record to this point in the season. Coach Shine has his team playing well in every zone. They have a tenacious forecheck in the offensive zone and their D will pinch almost every time. This eliminates their opponents from having the time and space they are accustomed to and this tactic is very effective in creating turn overs and great scoring opportunities.

Reading is the best one win team in the State! The loses piled up early but then the Rockets captured the title in their holiday tournament which has given this young team the confidence it will need to finish strong. Another team making some noise in the Middlesex League is Arlington The Spy Ponders came out strong with big league wins over the Woburn Tanners, Melrose Red Raiders and defending champ Reading. Woburn so far with wins over Burlington and Wilmington and a 1-1 tie with Winchester Coach Duran has his team cranked up to make a run at a title this season. Melrose and Burlington squared off Wednesday at Kasabuski in Saugus. This game was a battle from start to finish and Burlington was able to hold off Melrose in the final minutes to secure the 4-3 victory away from home. This league is going to come down to the final week of the season to determine a champion as the parity allows for some great games and rivalries.

Winchester has struggled to start the season 2-1-2 with some tough games early Coach Spang knows his team is much better than their record indicates and as he has throughout his career he will have his team back on track soon. Playing fast, physical and intense hockey which is their trademark!

In this first quarter of the season only Malden Catholic and Springfield Cathedral have separated themselves from the pack. Two truly elite programs that should be squaring off for the Super Eight Title in March in the Garden.

Top 10 rankings thus far
1. Malden Catholic
2. Springfield Cathedral
3. Xaverian
4. BC High
5. Austin Prep
6. St Mary's
7. St. John's Prep
9. Duxbury
10. Arlington Catholic