DANVERS — The St. John’s Prep hockey team was one of the most veteran teams in the state last year, and that experience paid off with a thrilling run through the Division 1A “Super 8” tournament. But now, after graduating 14 seniors, the Eagles are forced to reload and build things back up in 2020-2021.
“We had a great run last year with a very experienced group,” said coach Kristian Hanson, who is now in his 14th year at the helm. “That was a hardened group that made multiple runs in the Super 8 and battled the whole way. Obviously losing such a large volume of seniors is tough, and it’s forcing us to change our expectations a bit, especially in such a strange season.”
Last year’s Eagles went 11-4-5 and earned the No. 4 seed in the Super 8, battling to wins over Catholic Memorial and BC High to earn a spot in the semifinal round. St. John’s Prep came up a bit short in the semifinal, falling in a 3-2 overtime heartbreaker to eventual Super 8 co-champion Pope Francis.
Gone from that roster are players like star goalie Noah Dorsey-Sorofman — who was an All-Item selection last season — and key contributors Jack Gilligan, Patrick Moran and Ned Malolepszy, who were all Item All-Stars. Guys like Ryan Bradley, Ryan Hart, Will Perry, Ryan Webb, Josiah Brown and Evan Moore have also graduated.
“We’ve lost a significant portion of our team from last year,” said Hanson. “There are a lot of holes that we need to fill, but we always have guys who are capable of stepping up. This will allow our younger guys to earn their place on the ice.”
Leading the way for this year’s Eagles will be a pair of senior captains in forwards Jake DiNapoli and Zach McKenelley. With a lot of minutes under their belts to go along with a host of talent, the duo is going to play a big role for the Prep this season.
“It’s great to have those guys at the top of the roster leading the way,” Hanson said of DiNapoli and McKenelley. “Jake is a talented guy whose motor never stops and Zach is a guy who has been a four-year starter for us. The younger guys really benefit from seeing those guys in practice working hard on every drill, and that’s what you want out of your leaders.”
In terms of the work that the Eagles have put in so far, Hanson has acknowledged the challenge of getting back out on the ice while dealing with a pandemic. The Eagles are currently practicing in separate “pods,” with the roster split in half to limit numbers.
“It’s been a real challenge,” said Hanson. “Like most other teams, we started things up on Dec. 14 so we’ve only been at it for a week now. We’re still in the middle of tryouts and early practice drills, and we haven’t even touched on the things we need to be ready for a game.”
Luckily for the Prep, the first game of the season isn’t right around the corner. The Eagles are currently set to open their season Jan. 10 (3:50) on the road at St. John’s (Shrewsbury), meaning they’ll be able to get in just over two more weeks worth of practices before the opening puck drop.
“It’s good that we still have time, but there’s a lot of work we need to do,” said Hanson. “The key for us at this point is to try and build up some chemistry, work hard every day and have fun out there. We’re all really happy to be playing hockey at this point and we know we’re not alone in figuring out how to play safely this season, so we’re just going to take it one day at a time.”