With the New England prep and high school hockey seasons looming, Massachusetts held it’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 Youth State/District Championship last weekend, with both split- and full-season teams competing for state bragging rights and the opportunity to advance to USA Hockey Nationals in April.

Massachusetts champions and National Championship berths were decided for the Youth 15O, 16U and 18U age groups at the Tier 1 level and the 16U and 18U age groups at the Tier 2 level. Sixty boys’ teams descended upon the massive New England Sports Center in Marlboro to compete in single-elimination tournaments from Friday through Sunday.

Many states and districts around the U.S. wait until spring to determine their champions and Nationals qualifiers, but with high school and prep hockey being so popular in Massachusetts and Minnesota, most of the club programs in those areas play a fall “half” or “split” season schedule and compete for the state and district titles in late October or early November just prior to the start of the various school seasons.

Congratulations to the teams that skated away with the Massachusetts championship hardware and earned the right to compete for USA Hockey national championships next spring:

 

18U Youth Tier 1 Champions – Boston Jr. Eagles

18U Tier 2 Champions – Walpole Express

16U Tier 1 Champions – Boston Jr. Eagles

16U Tier 2 Champions – Boston Jr. Terriers

15O Tier 1 Champions – Neponset Valley River Rats

 

A summary of the Massachusetts Championship can be found further down in this document, including competing teams, scores and some game summaries. Immediately below are recaps of some of the past weekend’s other important North American hockey events.

 

Connecticut Youth Tier 1 State Tournament

Connecticut crowned its Tier 1 Youth state champions at the 15O, 16U and 18U age levels over the weekend at Northford Ice Pavilion. These teams will compete in the New England District Tournament in March in hopes of advancing to USA Hockey Nationals in April.

 

18U Youth Tier 1 Champions – #2 Yale Jr. Bulldogs

def. #81 West Haven Blue Devils, 11-2

def. #6 Avon Regals, 4-1

 

16U Youth Tier 1 Champions – #8 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers

def. #78 Hartford Jr. Wolfpack, 11-1

def. #50 Avon Regals, 6-1

 

15O Youth Tier 1 Champions – #8 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers

def. #67 Yale Jr. Bulldogs, 6-2

def. #59 Connecticut Jr. Rangers, 4-0

 

Canada Women’s U18 National Championship

The Hockey Canada Women’s U18 National Championship, which was held in Dawson Creek, B.C. and featured all-star teams representing various provinces, districts and regions of Canada, wrapped up play Nov. 11 as Ontario Red – one of two teams representing Ontario – captured it’s sixth-consecutive gold medal with a 3-2 overtime victory against Quebec at the Ovintiv Events Centre.

Ontario Red has captured 13 of the 14 gold medals awarded since the tournament was first held in 2001. Quebec received the silver medal for the eighth time.

Mackenzie Alexander scored the championship-winning goal, her second of the game, 25 seconds into the extra session. She concluded the tournament tied for the overall lead in goals with five and points with nine.

Eight teams competed in the championship, with the two representing Ontario; one each representing Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia and Manitoba; and one representing the Atlantic (Maritime) Region. 

British Columbia defeated Alberta, 3-1, to capture its third bronze medal in the last four tournaments. It was B.C.’s fourth overall bronze since 2001.

 

Canada U18 Women's National Championship All-Tournament Team

Most Valuable Player

Sara Manness (Manitoba/Burlington Barracudas U22)

 

Top Forward

Morgan Jackson (British Columbia/Shawnigan Lake School)

 

Top Defense

Rosalie Breton (Quebec/Limoilou Titans)

 

Top Goalie

Hannah Clark (Ontario Red/Etobicoke Dolphins U22)

 

Most Sportsmanlike

Mackenzie Alexander (Ontario Red/Etobicoke Dolphins U22)

 

CLICK HERE for the tournament schedule and scores.

CLICK HERE for the final standings.

 

CCM Girls World Invite Detroit

Eighty-gfve girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams from the United States and Canada competed in nine different age levels over the weekend at the CCM Girls World Invite in the Detroit area. Teams from both sides of the border competed at the 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and 19U age levels.

Congratulations to the following teams on their tournament championships:

 

19U Supertacks Division – Little Caesars Tier 1

19U Jetspeed Division – Little Ceasars Tier 2

16U Supertacks Division – Florida Alliance Tier 1

16U Jetspeed Division – Coeur d’Alene Lady Thunder Green

14U Supertacks Division – Cambridge Roadrunners

14U Jetspeed Division – Steel City Selects 

12U Supertacks Division – Little Caesars

12U Jetspeed Division – Ancaster Avalanche

10U Division – Naperville Sabres

 

Here is a closer look at our Week 8 featured games:

 

MHR WEEK 8 GAMES OF THE WEEK

Massachusetts State/District Tier 1 & Tier 2 Youth Championship

New England Sports Center – Marlboro, Mass.

Streamed on LiveBarn

Sixty Massachusetts-based boys Tier 1 and Tier 2 hockey teams invaded New England Sports Center last weekend in hopes of capturing championships and advancing to the USA Hockey National Championship in April. Tier 1 champions were crowned in the Youth 18U, 16U and 15O divisions, while Youth 18U and 16U champs also were determined at the Tier 2 level. 

Each age-group championship featured 12 teams competing in a single-elimination format at NESC starting Friday afternoon and running through Sunday evening. The top-four seeds in each tournament received byes into the quarterfinals, while the fifth-through-12^th seeds faced off in opening-round matchups Friday. 

 

Massachusetts Youth 18U Tier 1 Championship

The 18U Tier 1 Youth championship tournament included 12 of the nation’s top-56 USA Boys teams, according to the most recent MHR rankings. 

Competing teams included:

 

#5 Central Mass. Penguins

#10 Boston Jr. Eagles

#11 Neponset Valley River Rats

#21 Islanders Hockey Club

#24 Cape Cod Whalers

#25 Boston Little Bruins

#36 Top Gun

#39 Valley Jr. Warriors

#44 American Hockey Academy

#46 Lovell Academy

#49 East Coast Wizards

#56 Springfield Jr. Thunderbirds

 

CLICK HERE for the Massachusetts 18U Youth Tier 1 tournament schedule and results.

The tournament started with first-round matchups featuring seeds 5 through 12 on Friday at 8:10 p.m.

Quarterfinals were played at 3:30 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 4:50 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. Saturday. 

Semifinals were held at 9:20 a.m. Sunday, and the championship game faced off at 4:50 p.m. Sunday.

 

18U Youth Tier 1 First Round Matchups

#56 Springfield Thunderbirds 7, #24 Cape Cod Whalers 6

#36 Top Gun 5, #46 Lovell Academy 2

#49 East Coast Wizards 2, #25 Boston Jr. Bruins 3

#44 American Hockey Academy 3, #39 Valley Jr. Warriors 2

 

Quarterfinals

#5 Central Mass Penguins 4, #44 American Hockey Academy 1

#21 Islanders Hockey Club 7, #56 Springfield Jr. Thunderbirds 3

#10 Boston Jr. Eagles 9, 36 Top Gun 5

#25 Boston Little Bruins 4, #11 Neponset Valley River Rats 1

 

Semifinals

#25 Boston Little Bruins 4, #10 Boston Junior Eagles 6

#21 Islanders Hockey Club 1, #5 Central Mass Penguins 4 

 

Championship

#10 Boston Jr. Eagles 6, #5 Central Mass Penguins 4

Central Mass rallied from two goals down to tie the game at three heading into the final period, but the Jr. Eagles scored three straight goals in the opening 16 minutes of the period to push the game out of reach. Connor Fryberger started the final-period explosion with his second of the game and then Shawn Leary and Tyler Hamilton followed suit. Hamilton’s goal also was his second of the day. William Cannata also scored for Boston. Emerson Marshall, Bronson Hunt and Maxwell Dinneen tallied for the Penguins. Liam Keefe paced all scorers with three assists for the Jr. Eagles, with Cannata, Hamilton, Fryberger and O’Leary notching two points apiece. Samuel Caufield got the win in goal. Philippe Aube dished out a pair of assists for Central Mass.

Boston Jr. Eagles win the Massachusetts championship and advance to USA Hockey Nationals.

 

Massachusetts Youth 16U Tier 1 Championship

The 16U Tier 1 Youth championship tournament included 12 of the nation’s top-75 USA Boys teams, according to the most recent MHR rankings.

Competing teams included:

 

#6 Boston Jr. Eagles

#27 East Coast Militia

#28 Neponset Valley River Rats

#29 Cape Cod Whalers

#35 American Hockey Academy

#43 Top Gun

#49 East Coast Wizards

#54 Lovell Academy

#55 Boston Little Bruins

#58 North Shore Academy

#60 95 Giants

#75 Assabet Valley Patriot Hockey

 

CLICK HERE for the Massachusetts 16U Youth Tier 1 tournament schedule at results. 

The tournament started with first-round matchups featuring seeds 5 through 12 on Friday at 6:10 p.m.

Quarterfinals were played at 2:00 p.m., 2:10 p.m., 2:40 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. Saturday.

Semifinals took place at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, and the championship game faced off at 5:00 p.m. Sunday.

 

16U Youth Tier 1 First Round Scores

#35 American Hockey Academy 6, #75 Assabet Patriot Hockey 2

#60 95 Giants 3, #55 Boston Little Bruins 2

#54 Lovell Academy 6, #49 East Coast Wizards 2

#43 Top Gun 6, #58 North Shore Academy 4

  

Quarterfinals

#6 Boston Jr. Eagles 8, #60 95 Giants 0

35 American Hockey Academy 5 #29 Cape Cod Whalers 4

#27 East Coast Militia 3, #54 Lovell Academy 2

#28 Neponset Valley River Rats 9, #43 Top Gun 1

 

Semifinals

#35 American Hockey Academy 1, #6 Boston Jr. Eagles 5

#28 Neponset Valley River Rats 5, #27 East Coast Militia 2

 

Championship

#6 Boston Jr. Eagles 2, #28 Neponset Valley River Rats 0

Edward Mutryn potted a first-period goal and Billy MacAusland provided the insurance early in the third period as Boston skated to 16U Tier 1 championship.

Boston Jr. Eagles win the Massachusetts championship and advance to USA Hockey Nationals.

 

Massachusetts Youth 15O Tier 1 Championship

The 15O Tier 1 Youth championship tournament included 12 of the nation’s top-80 USA Boys teams, according to the most recent MHR rankings.

Competing teams included:

 

#6 Boston Jr. Eagles

#14 Neponset Valley River Rats

#28 Cape Cod Whalers

#29 Assabet Valley Patriot Hockey

#42 East Coast Militia

#65 American Hockey Academy

#66 Boston Jr. Terriers

#68 North Suburban Wings

#69 Valley Jr. Warriors

#74 Minuteman Flames

#78 Boston Advantage

#80 Top Gun

 

CLICK HERE for the Massachusetts 15O Youth Tier 1 tournament schedule at results. 

The tournament started with first-round matchups featuring seeds 5 through 12 on Friday at 4:10 p.m.

Quarterfinals were played at 8:50 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 9:20 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

Semifinals took place at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Saturday, and the championship game faced off at 2:00 p.m. Sunday.

 

15O Youth Tier 1 First Round Scores

#42 East Coast Militia 6, #80 Top Gun 0

#69 Valley Jr. Warriors 4, #68 North Suburban Wings 1 

#66 Boston Jr. Terriers 3, #74 Minuteman Flames 1

#78 Boston Advantage 3, #65 American Hockey Academy 2

 

Quarterfinals

#7 Boston Jr. Eagles 11, #69 Valley Jr. Warriors 1

#14 Neponset Valley River Rats 5, #66 Boston Jr. Terriers 3

#29 Assabet Valley Patriots 5, #42 East Coast Militia 4 

#28 Cape Cod Whalers 3, #78 Boston Advantage 2

 

Semifinals

#7 Boston Jr. Eagles 4, #29 Assabet Valley Patriots 2 

#24 Neponset Valley River Rats 4, Cape Cod Whalers 1

 

Championship

#7 Boston Jr. Eagles 1, #24 Neponset Valley River Rats 3

The River Rats tallied once in each period to knock off the Jr. Eagles and capture the 15O Tier 1 Youth title. Boston scored with 1:32 left in the second period to pull within 2-1, but Chase Field buried the insurance goal with 2:03 remaining in the third period to ice the win. Stevie Rousell and Michael Federico also scored for Neponset Valley, with Nicholas McManus providing the only Jr. Eagle score. Rousell added a helper on Federico’s second-period game-winner to help make a winner out of netminder Vincenzo Durso, who stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced. Thomas Saulnier had 23 saves for Boston.

Neponset Valley River Rats win the Massachusetts championship and advance to USA Hockey Nationals.

 

Massachusetts Youth 18U Tier 2 Championship

The 18U Tier 2 Youth championship tournament included 12 of the nation’s top-69 USA Boys teams, according to the most recent MHR rankings. 

Competing teams included:

 

#11 Boston Jr. Terriers

#14 Neponset Valley River Rats

#24 Walpole Express

#26 Bay State Breakers

#27 Assabet Valley Patriot Hockey

#28 Worcester Jr. Railers

#33 Boch Blazers

#43 East Coast Militia

#57 Boch Blazers South

#61 Boston Jr. Rangers

#62 North Suburban Wings

#69 Boston Jr. Huskies

 

Semifinals

#24 Walpole Express 5, #14 Neponset Valley River Rats 3

#27 Assabet Valley Patriots, 4 #11 Boston Jr. Terriers 5

 

Championship

#25 Walpole Express 4, Boston Jr. Terriers 3

The Jr. Terriers opened the scoring five minutes into the game on a goal by Charles Wilkinson, but they may have been better off letting a sleeping dog lie. Walpole responded with four goals over the final 13:16 of the opening frame and never looked back in skating to the 18U Youth Tier 2 championship. A second-period goal by David Cooper and a third-period tally from Sean Murphy made for an exciting final 13 minutes of the game, but the Express held on for the win. Justin Watson dished out a pair of assists for Boston. Jake Sieczkowsi, Timothy Molloy, Dylan McEvoy and Spencer Clark participated to the Walpole first-period goal-scoring explosion. McEvoy also assisted on Clark’s tally for a two-point performance.

Walpole Express win the Massachusetts championship and advance to USA Hockey Nationals.

 

CLICK HERE for the Massachusetts 18U Youth Tier 2 tournament schedule at results.

 

Massachusetts Youth 16U Tier 2 Championship

The 16U Tier 2 Youth championship tournament included 12 of the nation’s top-134 USA Boys teams, according to the most recent MHR rankings.

Competing teams included:

 

#12 Islanders Hockey Club West

#26 Bay State Breakers

#39 Boston Jr. Huskies

#42 Boston Jr. Terriers

#68 Boston Jr. Terriers Platinum

#74 New England Bulldogs

#77 Boston Jr. Eagles

#92 Boch Blazers

#98 Boston Imperials

#110 Walpole Express

#121 Cape Cod Lightning

#154 South Shore Kings

 

Semifinals 

#77 Boston Jr. Eagles 2, #74 New England Bulldogs 2

#42 Boston Jr. Terriers 3, #12 Islanders Hockey Club West 2

 

Championship 

#77 Boston Jr. Eagles 2, #42 Boston Jr. Terriers 7 

This game was tied at 2 heading into the final period. Five goals later the Boston Jr. Terriers were the Massachusetts 16U Tier 2 Youth champions. Patrick Hampton broke the tie with a pair of goals less than a minute apart to push the Jr. Terriers in front with 11:46 remaining, and his tallies were followed up by goals from Sam Rudenko and Brody Kabillian, who scored twice to seal the victory and make a winner out of goaltender James King. Rudenko opened the scoring in the first period before assisting on John Haley’s second-period goal. Jeffrey Howard and Brian Pezzulich tallied for the Jr. Eagles.

Boston Jr. Terriers win the Massachusetts championship and advance to USA Hockey Nationals.

 

About Games of the Week

Games of the Week previews will be posted every Thursday, Friday or Saturday through the end of the regular season. Game summaries, along with occasional video highlights, will be posted no later than Wednesday of the following week. 

With more than 20,000 teams in our database by season’s end, it’s impossible to be aware of all the great games that are scheduled throughout North America each week, so if you know of any upcoming games between highly ranked teams please feel free to email the details a week in advance if possible to scott@myhockeyrankings.com.

Include in your email:

• Team names, location, league affiliations and age group
• Current team rankings (national, state, provincial, etc.)
• Day, time and location of the game or games
• Any other details – past history, statistical info/team leaders, college commitments playing or other interesting information
• Quotes from players or coaches are great, too, but not required
• If the game or games are available on LiveBarn or via another streaming service, please send the link

We will be partnering with Clanko Media throughout the season to bring our readers and followers video highlights of selected Games of the Week, and we also are open to posting highlights of any other games we feature if someone can provide them for us.