HNIB News High School Hockey's Best Coverage | Est. 1972
Western Mass.Top 10
| Rank | Team | PR* | W | L | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Longmeadow | 1 | 9 | 4 | 2 |
| 2 | Westfield | 2 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 3 | Minnechaug | 3 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| 4 | Amherst/Pelham | 4 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 5 | Greenfield | 5 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Belchertown | 6 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | South Hadley | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| 8 | Easthampton | 8 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| 9 | West Springfield | 10 | 6 | 7 | 1 |
| 10 | Ludlow | 9 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
Longmeadow has been playing its best hockey of the season and remains No. 1 in the Western Mass. weekly poll.
Longmeadow defeated Grorton-Dunstable, 3-0 Saturday in a non-league game. Max Loyuk had a 31-save shutout. Jack Baron scored one goal and set up another. Cole Guidrey and Joe Santaniello added single goals.
The Lancers are getting balanced scoring and great goaltending from Loyuk. They are one win away from clinching a tournament spot.
No. 2 Westfield played to a 0-0 tie with Division 1 Shrewsbury Saturday in a rematch of last season’s state Division 3 semifinal won by the Colonials.
No. 3 Minnechaug earned a 2-2 tie with Grafton. Matthew Kowal scored two goals for the Falcons. He has 20 goals and 10 assists this season.
Fran Sypek
Fran has covered hockey at all levels, NHL, AHL, junior, college and high school for the Springfield Republican from 1978-2013. His column "Hockey Talk'' appeared in the Sunday Republican. The hockey beat took him from Maine to Arizona in the United States and from Newfoundland to Alberta in Canada. Fran was the recipient of the Matthew Ryan Award for Outstanding Coverage of High School Hockey and the Janet McCormick Award from the Springfield Olympics. He then shifted from pros to college when the University of Massachusetts restored its program and joined Hockey East. Later, he continued covering the Boston Bruins and the Springfield Falcons. Fran's covered future NHL players from Western Massachusetts in Paul Fenton, Bob Kudelski, Rick Bennett and Bill Guerin. He is a member of the Bessone Award committee, which helps select the top high school hockey player in Western Mass. Fran was a goalie for Holyoke Community College in 1973-74 and graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1977. Fran is currently a free lance writer living in Bondsville, Mass and grew up in Chicopee, Mass, has visited all 50 states, and is an avid photographer.
Latest posts by Fran Sypek (see all)
- CMass/WMass Highlights: Littleton Ties Up Fitchburg - February 12, 2019
- Western Mass Top 10: Longmeadow, Westfield Meet Again Wednesday - February 11, 2019
- Central Mass Top 10: Wachusett Holds On To #1 Spot - February 11, 2019
