Western Mass. Preseason Top 10 Poll
| Rank | Team | [tooltip text="PR*" gravity="ne"]Previous Ranking[/tooltip] | W | L | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Longmeadow | 17 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2 | Westfield | 17 | 6 | 0 | |
| 3 | Minnechaug | 14 | 7 | 0 | |
| 4 | E. Longmeadow | 9 | 12 | 0 | |
| 5 | West Springfield | 9 | 11 | 0 | |
| 6 | Amherst | 14 | 5 | 2 | |
| 7 | South Hadley/Holyoke | 12 | 8 | 3 | |
| 8 | Wahconah | 4 | 12 | 1 | |
| 9 | Ludlow | 4 | 15 | 1 | |
| 10 | Chicopee | 19 | 2 | 1 |
With a solid returning cast, Longmeadow enters the season as Western Mass. Division 3 favorite.
The Lancers have the best scoring punch in the division. They are solid in goal.
Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Agawam, Minnechaug, West Springfield and Westfield are the only Division 3 teams in Western Mass. and will play in the Berry Division. The Fay and Wright consist of Division 3A teams.
“The Berry Division will be very competitive with Longmeadow and Westfield being the teams to beat,’’ said Minnechaug coach Greg Palm. “Every game should be tough and competitive and any team could beat anyone on any given night.’’
The Wright Division is composed of Belchertown, Easthampton, Greenfield, St. Mary and Berkshire newcomers Drury and Mount Everett.
The Fay has Amherst-Pelham, Chicopee, Chicopee Comp, Ludlow, South Hadley and Berkshire newcomer Wahconah.
Wahconah has been the best of the Berkshires the past several seasons. Now that Pittsfield and Taconic are part of the co-op team, the Warriors should be even stronger.
That means the two largest cities in Western Mass., Springfield and Pittsfield now no longer have high school hockey teams within their city limits (Division 1 Pope Francis is located in Chicopee).
Amherst will again be a team to watch as will reigning D3A champion South Hadley
Longmeadow
LONGMEADOW (17-4-1)
The Lancers are a hard-working group with dedication and commitment, according to coach Jim Joyce. A strong corps of forwards return, but Longmeadow is young and inexperienced on defense.
Spencer Robbins (30-30-60, plus 50) heads the list of returning forwards. Jack Barron (27-28-45, plus 44) also returns.
Max Loyuk came into his own as a goalie as a sophomore last season and should be even better. He had a 1.85 goals against average and .912 save percentage.
MINNECHAUG (14-7-0)
The Falcons lost some serious scoring punch and will need to rely on a veteran defense.
Tyler Rose, Zach Varney, Austin Kareta, Jordan Torres and Joe Manning return on defense.
Bill Gosselin, Patric O’Brien, Brandon Vreeland, Matt Kowal, Ed Wurst and Frankie Soares are back up front.
The key will be finding a goaltender.
WESTFIELD (17-6-1)
The reigning sectional champs will again rely on defense and goaltending. Being involved in a lot of low-scoring games last season, prepared the Bombers for a strong tournament run.
Nate Boucher (2-5-7) returns as a shutdown defenseman. Goalie Cam Parent (1.74 GAA) has been solid.
Senior Max Maggipinto (14-15-29) will provide offense, along with senior Connor Cottengim, junior Spencer Cloutier and sophomore Ryan Moorhouse for coach C.B. Matthews
EAST LONGMEADOW (9-12-0)
The Spartans look to battle for the fourth playoff spot in the Berry Division. Coach Dan Reid expects to play as many as seven sophomores.
Senior Angelo Morace (27 pts) will spark the offense, with help from senior Zac Martin. Senior Connor Piecuch (12 pts) will anchor the defense.
LUDLOW (4-15-1)
Moving from the Berry to the Fay should help the Lions and coach Paul Rivest be more competitive.
Senior Ryan Martin and junior Aidan McBride will be cornerstone defensemen. Junior Brennan Madru is a key forward and junior Michael Young looks to be the guy between the pipes.
AMHERST/PELHAM (14-5-2)
The Hurricanes bring back a strong nucleus and could reclaim the championship that eluded them last season.
Nico Cardaropoli is a gifted goal-scorer and will lead the offense. Brandon Feldman, Richard McIntire and Jake Riels also return.
But the strength of the Hurricanes lies in their defense, which features Jarrett Tripp, Eli Slovin and newcomer Justin Masteralexis. The forwards also have defensive responsibilities.
Promising newcomer John Hansom will handle the goaltending chores.
MT. EVERETT (5-10-3)
Defenseman Jake Corcoran, who is also a gifted forward, returns for the Eagles and coach Aidan Gilligan. He also plays defense. Corcoran had 19 goals, 25 assists last season and has 132 career points. A key to success will be to play fundamental defense.
GREENFIELD (8-9-1)
The Green Wave are looking to return to the post-season. It has shown great chemisty during the pre-season, reports coach Adam Bouchard.
Senior captain Evan Simmons (40 pts) is a solid, two-way threat from his defensive position. Cam Barnes will be the other Greenfield captain. Sophomore Booie Harris (13 pts) will see a lot of time on defense as well. Sophomore Sean O’Sullivan will be a key forward. Sophomore Riley Drew saw the majority of time in the Green Wave nets last year.
Others looking to have an impact are Doug Hanieski, Ethan Lafluer, Bryan Baumann, Cassidy Wozniak, Chris Urgiel, Aurel Pydych, Mason Whiteman, Mike McGoldrick, Jacob Bryant, Alex Jordan Bryce Jordan and Cam Rice.
BELCHERTOWN (8-7-2)
Defenseman Nate Pacheco (4-9-13) will lead the Orioles. Sophomore Chris Buffone (6-6-12) leads the attack, along with senior Zack Rajpold. Matt Crutch’s Orioles will need newcomers to step up and provide offense.
Newcomer senior forward David Fredenburgh should help. Ethan Rajpold, Jake Delaney and Colby Masse will vie for playing time in goal.
