We’re starting the previews with a look at League 1. I think Mamaroneck is the clear favorite, with Pelham and Suffern the most likely to challenge for the title. At this point, I could see four teams finishing in fourth (you can share your thoughts in the poll on the right, and of course the comments below), so it should be a very competitive year. Away we go, in alphabetical order (note: John Jay has been added).
Mahopac (6-17-2 last year, 1-12-1 in League 1)
Last year: After starting out 3-1-1, the Indians suffered through a 0-13-1 stretch before finishing 3-3, losing to Suffern in the Division I semis.
Fowards: The team’s three top scorers all return. Tyler Perrelle (39 points) missed 10 games with a knee injury and still led the team in scoring, which shows how valuable he was. The three-sport star is powerful, anticipates well and has great hands. Chris Mastrocola, who had a great year as sophomore (38 points), is a dynamic player with a lot of speed, and Tyler Gyscek (24 points as a freshman) is now bigger and stronger.
Defense: After being converted from forward to defense last year, Joey Griskin has some experience and should lead this unit. Senior Chris Kelly, sophomore Nick Alexander and junior Rich Barletta are also returning and should play big roles.
Goalies: Bobby Fatone played about 1/3 of the minutes last year and is in his third year on varsity. Kevin Canedo, who missed last year with a back injury, will also push for playing time if he stays healthy.
Outlook: The Indians graduated only two seniors last year, so the core group returns with another year of experience. The Indians have plenty of speed and depth at forward, where they can go 9-10 deep, and if they can actually stay healthy this year, it should be a very improved team.
Mamaroneck (23-4-1, 12-2)
Last year: After avenging its only two Section 1 losses by beating Suffern 2-1 in the sectional final, the Tigers lost in the state quarterfinals in overtime to eventual state champion Massena.
Forwards: Brett Jackson, Christian Glaser and Robert Fine form one of the best first lines in the section. Glaser and Fine combined for 29 goals and 88 points last season, while Jackson, who was injured for most of last season, is one of the smallest players, but is capable of making unbelievable plays with his ability to create space for himself. The second line of Matt Conner, Matt Marr and Will Thompson/Robbie Gardiner (Gardiner is expected back around New Year’s after breaking his leg six weeks ago) all played valuable minutes in the sectional title run last season.
Defense: At 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, first-team all-state defenseman Sean Hagan is one of the area’s most imposing players. A fourth-year varsity player with a rocket slapshot, he controls play with his reach and passing ability. He will likely play with fellow big man Sam Christiansen (6-2, 205). Adam Zweig is another quality defenseman who can hit people and sees the ice well.
Goalies: Luke Glaser posted a 1.74 goals-against average, with seven shutouts, against the county’s toughest schedule. He comes up huge in big spots and has great reflexes, controls rebounds well and is excellent on breakaways.
Outlook: Despite winning the section, the Tigers should still be hungry after losing to Massena on a disputed goal, and then seeing that team win the state title. Westchester/Putnam Player of the Year Brian Conner will be tough to replace, but the Tigers have more returning talent than any other team, The question will be how they respond to their new role as the favorite.
Pelham (17-9-1, 9-5)
Last year: After a strong third-place finish in League 1, the Pelicans fell to Rye 2-1 in the sectional final.
Forwards: Leading goal scorer Marc Flory (24 goals) and distributor Andrew Emerson (23 assists) both return, and Michael Mamone, an outstanding passer with size and speed, is moving up from defense to the center position. Adrian Rivera brings unbelievable speed, Michael Duffy is a big body up front, and Adrian Rivera and Matt Hernandez also logged significant minutes last year. Overall a very talented and experienced group.
Defense: Victor Dzenis and Gus Harms are boht coming off great seasons. They can shoot, are outstanding skaters, are great in both 1-on-1 and odd-man situations, and really understand and work well in the Pelham system. Juniors Nick Perrorazio and Billy Maselli are veterans, while freshman Graham Lambdin and Matt Landis are big, strong freshman who should see significant time.
Goalies: Canterbury transfer Gavin Lambdin returns to Pelham, where he will compete with Skyler Veselis, who had a 2.917 GAA in parts of nine games last year, and freshman Jason Silverstein.
Outlook: The team lost just three players, and while they were all major contributors on offense, the Pelicans return more skill and experience than any other team in Division II, including a strong group of seniors that played on the Final Four team three years ago. Sidenote: coach Ed Witz is one way away from No. 300.
Rye (17-9-2, 6-9-1)
Last year: After a 2-5 start, the Garnets won their second straight sectional championship and were the only team to tie Suffern in the regular season. They lost in the state quarterfinals.
Forwards: Juniors Paul Mundinger and Taka Katsuta will be asked to carry the scoring load. They bring a lot of speed and agility, shoot well, see the ice and handle the puck. Ellis Beber scored 13 goals last season, and Nick Rosenfield is returning off a great year. Senior Chris Fulenwider brings experience and sophomores Robert Holmes and Matt Moran have size and should contribute.
Defense: Senior veterans Paul Skanga and Kris Talgo are real defenseman’s defenseman and should anchor this unit. Sophomores Tommy Sullivan and Alfredo Hulguin have also looked good in the preseason and are expected to step up.
Goalies: Matt Benincasa, who won the starting job around Christmas last year and turned into a real attribute (2.147 GAA), is returning. So are backups James Goodenough and Billy Kawas.
Outlook: The Garnets certainly have the track record, and the talent and system is there for a three-peat. And unlike last year, when Rye didn’t enter the season with a clear starter in goal and struggled to find chemistry early because so many players were winning a football state championship, this year there is only one hockey/football conflict, junior defenseman Brian Powers, so Rye shouldn’t have to recover from a bad start.
Rye Town/Harrison (13-9, 8-6)
Last year: The Titans surprised a lot of people (re: me) by finishing fourth in their first year in League 1. They lost to White Plains in the quarterfinals.
Forwards: Adam Urban (37 points) is one of the top forwards in the league. He’s one of the fastest kids the program has ever had, has a rocket shot and is tenacious on the puck. Mike Finiguerra, Matt Jacobson and Arran Walsh also played on the top two lines last year, while freshman Dean Brancucci and Sal Jiacomo should see minutes and Connor Strozza moved up from defense. Overall, there are three solid lines here.
Defense: Senior Matt O’Shea and Tyler Ketchabaw are a good pair. O’Shea is offensive-minded with a good shot and good skating ability, while Ketchabaw is a stay-at-home defenseman. Sophomore Nate Berman was playing good minutes last year and should lead the second line.
Goalies: Paul Nadasi is a junior in his third year on the team. He’s tall and knows what to expect after playing some minutes last year.
Outlook: The Titans have improved rapidly in each of the last four years, moving from the lower leagues into the top half of the power league. Now, can they replace their top two scorers, top defenseman and four-year starting goalie? They’ve proven the doubters wrong before.
Suffern (24-1-2, 13-0-1)
Last year: The Mounties entered the playoffs as the top-ranked team in the state. Unfortunately for them, their only loss came in the Division I championship to Mamaroneck.
Forwards: Zac Hiller and Johnny Hill will be the leaders of this unit. Hiller was tied for the most assists in Section 1 (44) and has more points than any returning player (65), while Hill is a physical, hustling player with a tremendous shot. First-line forward Jake Jaeger and senior Joe Modica are the other veterans of this unit.
Defense: Greg McCarron, a third-year veteran, and Kevin Norwin, an Empire State Games alternate, are the backbone of the defense. Both are incredibly solid players and should log a majority of the minutes.
Goalies: Who will replace first-team all-state “Natoli the Goalie”? It’s between Paul Gabriel and Brandon Rice. Though both played a total of 43 minutes last year, they have had a lot of travel experience. Coach Rob Schelling is hoping for another Tom Anthony Vertullo situation—he only started his senior year, but earned second-team all-state honors.
Outlook: The Mounties have a total of six skaters who saw ice time last year, so it’s hard to predict what will happen. Going by past experience, there’s no rebuilding at Suffern, only reloading. It’s just a matter of who will step up.
White Plains (23-4, 10-0 in League 2)
Last year: The Tigers had their best season in 15 years—their only Section 1 losses were to Suffern and Mamaroneck (4-3 in the sectional semifinals).
Forwards: Steve McCarrick, Matt Altieri, Dan Broderick and Jeremy Lindh were all on the top two lines last year. McCarrick and Altieri are big, solid players with good hands and good speed and a combined five yetars of experience, while Broderick and Lindh work really well on the second line, where Broderick’s grittiness and Lindh’s finesse compliment each other.
Defense: Junior Ryan McGee and senior Harrison McCandless are smart, two-way defensemen who seldom get caught out of position and can contribute on the attack. Aaron Klimchuk, a transfer from RCDS, brings good size.
Goalies: Senior Mike Pavarini was 7-1 in his eight starts last year, with a 2.88 GAA. He’s a third-year player with really good quickness, and he should thrive knowing that the net is his.
Outlook: The Tigers might not have the star power like last year’s duo of Phil Sigona and Rui Encarnacao (153) points combined), but they have a bunch of solid players. It will be interesting to see how they deal with the a League 1 schedule, where every game is a battle.
John Jay (9-13-1, 4-9-1)
Last year: After a 1-7 slide to start 2008, followed by a late-season coaching change, the Indians won two straight and then fell to Rye in the Division II semis.
Forwards: Leading scorer Dave Rofosky (40 points) returns, as does Kyle Greenberg (23 points), the third-leading scorer. Rofosky is skilled and fast and plays with a chip on his shoulder, while Greenberg is a very talented senior who should pile up points. They will be joined on the first line by Scott Turecamo in an intelligent player who can pass and shoot well, while strong center Mike Skalaski leads the second line.
Defense: Louis Ricci is an experienced, physical defenseman and is paired with Nathaniel Kaplan, a good-skating junior with a lot of hockey smarts. Senior Alex Wohl and sophomore Alec Lalone provide depth, so Danny Wertz might be moved to forward.
Goalies: Mike Ott returns after a very steady sophomore season (3.25 GAA). He will be backed up by two younger goalies, Joe Webb and Jake Petrillo.
Outlook: The Indians graduated 10 seniors, and need a group of younger players to step into big roles. They’re not very big, but they are scrappy and could sneak up on anyone who overlooks them.