Central Mass. Top 10 Poll
| Rank | Team | [tooltip text="PR*" gravity="ne"]Previous Ranking[/tooltip] | W | L | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shrewsbury | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Wachusett | 2 | 13 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | North Middlesex | 3 | 10 | 3 | 1 |
| 4 | Algonquin | 4 | 9 | 6 | 1 |
| 5 | Auburn | NR | 8 | 6 | 1 |
| 6 | Groton-Dunstable | 5 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 7 | Nashoba | 7 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| 8 | Marlboro | NR | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 9 | Littleton | 10 | 12 | 2 | 2 |
| 10 | Oakmont | NR | 9 | 4 | 3 |
No. 1 Shrewsbury is atop the the HNIB News Central Mass. Top 10 poll thanks in part for its ability to play shutdown defense. Add great goaltending and a balanced scoring attack to the mix and it’s easy to see why the Colonials are undefeated.
Defense and goaltending took center stage in a recent 4-0 win over No. 8 Marlboro, which entered the weekly poll this week. The defense was so stingy that goalie Pat Shaughnessey needed to make only 14 saves to earn the shutout. Most of Marlboro’s shots came from the outside and strong forechecking aided the effort.
Wachusett
Matt Ward (16-15-31) led the attack with one goal and two assists. Anthony Quinlivan and Jack Tepper also scored. Marlboro is 8-8 and needs a strong finish to qualify for postseason after losing three of four games.
No. 2 Wachusett earned a 5-2 victory over Marlboro, a 3-1 decision over Acton-Boxboro and dropped a 2-1 decision to Hudson. Shane Sullivan (14-21-35) scored two goals and set up another against Marlboro.
Against Acton-Boxboro, Liam Comeau had a goal and one assist. He set up Kevin Skagerlind’s game-winner at 1:20 in the third period. However, Drew Jackson and Tom Sansone scored during the final 120 seconds of the game to help Hudson spring an upset.
Nashoba Regional
Second-period goals by Andrew Berube, Joe Zinkann, Blake Lacombe and Keegan Penney lifted No. 5 Groton-Dunstable to a 5-2 triumph over Westboro.
No. 7 Nashoba continued its late push to secure a tournament berth with a 6-2 win over Hudson. Bryce Chaput (21-14-35) had a hat trick.
No. 9 Littleton got shutout goaltending from Ben Litchman in its 4-0 verdict over St. Bernard’s. Justin Montepeluso, Joseph Mitchell and Simon Rosenbaum scored.
No. 10 Oakmont tied Lunenburg, 4-4.
