HNIB News High School Hockey's Best Coverage | Est. 1972
Vermont Division 1 Top 5
| Rank | Team | PR* | W | L | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essex | 2 | 19 | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | BFA/St. Alban's | 1 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Spaulding | 4 | 16 | 7 | 0 |
| 4 | South Burlington | NR | 7 | 12 | 2 |
| 5 | Champlain Valley Union | NR | 9 | 12 | 0 |
Reigning State Champion No. 1 Essex (19-3-0) begins this season where it finished last season. Coach Chris Line guided the Hornets to their 15th title a year ago and his fellow coaches have tabbed Essex as the team to beat once again.
Following a stellar regular season No. 2 BFA/St. Albans (17-2-1) suffered a shocking quarterfinal post-season loss to end last year. That’s not likely to happen again. The Bobwhites will be especially strong in the defensive end.
Coach Chad Burke and his staff have some notable holes to fill for No. 3 Spaulding (16-7-0), a finalist each of the past two years. Burke is encouraged by a freshman-sophomore group that seems ready to step in.
Can No. 4 South Burlington (7-12-2) build off that quarterfinal upset of BFA? An experienced senior group leads the way for the Wolves.
The same question can be asked of No. 5 Champlain Valley Union (9-12-0), another team looking to make a move behind a deep senior class.
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A new hockey point index is in place for this season. A Division 1 win counts for three points and Division 2 win counts for two. Division 1 ties are worth two points and Division 2 ties worth 1.
Jerry Tarrant is the division’s only new coach, taking over at Rice Memorial following a successful tenure as head of the school’s girls program.
Kevin Doyle
