OT: HS Hockey NJ versus Mass

[DarthGrumpy]

Usually, Mass high schools are tops in northeast Hockey. Don Bosco, one of the top 3 teams in Jersey right now (each has 1 loss so far with Don Bosco losing to CBA who lost to Delbarton who lost to Don Bosco) took a road trip up to the Bay State this weekend. On Friday, the Ironmen beat pre-season #1 in the Eagle's first game of the season 4-2 and then trashed traditional power Catholic Memorial 6-2 on Saturday. Bragging rights.

 

[pepband99]

NJ has always had very good hockey, especially the top parochial schools (Don Bosco, Bergen Catholic). Your statement with "Usually" is just commonly-held nonsense

 

[DarthGrumpy]

NJ has always had very good hockey, especially the top parochial schools (Don Bosco, Bergen Catholic). Your statement with "Usually" is just commonly-held nonsense

Not in recent histroy as far as I can recall. There have been very few NJ Non-Public versus Mass Catholic Large matches that I can remember seeing. I have seen the Non-Publics take on some Connecticut schools, especially Fairfield Prep, but those have gone 50/50 in terms of who wins. At the same time, I have also seen the Mass schools smoke the CT schools. Lastly, I know of some local families whose pre-high school kids play on the local Jersey hockey clubs and more times than not, they lose to the Mass clubs. Thus, on paper, it appeared that Mass hockey is better than Jersey hockey; but, I am glad to see it sorted on the ice instead of paper. Of course, its also cyclical.

 

[kibblesnbits]

Mass high school hockey is not what it used to be. Players used to go from Catholic Memorial, Matignon, etc. straight to D-I schools. Players these days tend to go to prep schools or to Tier II/III hockey during the high school years (or at least the Jr/Sr years) followed by one or two Tier I/II post-grad years. NJ HS hockey had come a long way but in recent years its better players have started to follow similar paths to college as described above. The net result is that high schools in both states are probably competitive with one another but neither really represent the best the states have to offer.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

NJ has always had very good hockey, especially the top parochial schools (Don Bosco, Bergen Catholic). Your statement with "Usually" is just commonly-held nonsense

A few Jersey high schools, including your examples, have had good hockey. However, Jersey high school hockey, especially public schools, generally has not been great relative to MA and CT.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

A few Jersey high schools, including your examples, have had good hockey. However, Jersey high school hockey, especially public schools, generally has not been great relative to MA and CT.

I would agree. Though, Kiddlesnbits does make a good point. The Preps/Boarding Schools in Mass and CT have been major players and thoroughly raid the Publics and Catholics for talent every year - nearly every good HS hockey my town produced was at Avon Old Farms by his Junior year. Jersey does not have that pressure as the Preps are not interested in hockey (yet).

 

[kibblesnbits]

The preps and junior hockey have definitely discovered NJ and even the mid-Atlantic states. Two of the top recruits for my D-I alma mater are an '01 from Virginia that's now at Northwood and an '02 from NJ that is at Salisbury. Both will undoubtedly finish their prep careers and spend a year or two in the USHL before enrolling. It's insane that kids are committing (and in many cases, decommitting) four or more years before they are likely to enroll. Such is the state of hockey recruiting.........

 

[upstater]

Western NY high schools tend to compete in Canadian college leagues, so it's hard to say which schools in the northeast are best, but judging by the NHL talent they produce I'd say these high schools that compete in Canada are just as good as any from Mass.