Who is the midseason hockey Player of the Year?
Josh Perry – Canton hasn’t gotten its offense to click into gear quite yet, but the Bulldogs have only allowed 13 goals in 13 games through Monday and one of the main reasons for that stinginess is the continued development of junior defenseman Jackson Maffeo. The three-year starter is a beast on the blue line for Canton and has become one of the team’s leaders on the ice.
Maffeo reads plays well and has turned into a much more physical defender capable of battling in the boards when needed. He is quick and decisive and continues to add more offensive play to his game as well. With Maffeo, and transfer C.J. Martin, Canton has the defensive corps to compete with the top teams in the always competitive Div. 2 South bracket.
Ryan Lanigan – At the midway point, this is certainly one of the most competitive races for the top player in the Hockomock. I think Canton goalie Justin Slocum has really put together a nice season so far but historically our Player of the Year has been a skater (not that that won’t change). Taunton’s Tyler Pietrzyk has also put together a strong season this year and anytime you have nearly 40 points at the midway mark, that’s impressive.
But right now I’d say my pick is Canton senior forward Bobby Mullaney. He’s not an overly flashy player but he does a lot of things right and does them well. He’s emerged as a leader and a constant for Brian Shuman and Canton. He’s the Bulldogs’ leading scorer with 15 points (8G, 7A) and has helped Canton to a perfect league record so far.
Who is the midseason hockey Underclassman of the Year?
Perry – Once again there are a number of young players that are making instant contributions at the varsity level. Jeremy Miller and Kevin McKay have been solid for Franklin, Colin Cooke continues to emerge as a potential star at KP, and OA has several freshmen that are keeping the Tigers in the thick of the league title race, but right now my pick would be freshman goalie Ryan Warren of North Attleboro.
Warren has stepped right in between the pipes and helped North stay within a point of first place in the division. North has only allowed 19 goals in its first nine games this season and Warren had a goals against average of 2.36. He has already made 189 saves and has a save percentage just a hair under 90 percent while recording two shutouts. Goalie is a tough position and Warren has stepped right in and been solid.
Lanigan – Just like the Player of the Year race, there are a handful of real strong candidates for the top freshman or sophomore this season. Franklin’s Jeremy Miller, Stoughton’s Sean Doherty, KP’s Collin Cooke and Attleboro’s Jake Parker have all been impressive so far this year but my choice at the midway point is Oliver Ames’ Owen Gallagher.
Gallagher, just a sophomore, has been one of the Tigers’ best players this season while playing on the top line and has six goals and 10 assists. He’s a very unselfish player that can create a lot of things for teammates, and when he wants, he can create opportunities for himself. He seems to be in the right place at all the right times too. He showed he has no problem setting teammates up with a three assist game against KP and then showed he can score too by potting a hat trick the very next game against Taunton.
Midseason First Team
Perry
G – Justin Slocum, Canton
D – Jackson Maffeo, Canton
D – Tyler Oakes, Franklin
F – Mark Sheehan, Stoughton
F – Tyler Pietrzyk, Taunton
F – Bobby Mullaney, Canton
Lanigan
G – Justin Slocum, Canton
D – Jackson Maffeo, Canton
D – Clay Geuss, King Philip
F – Owen Gallagher, Oliver Ames
F – Tyler Pietrzyk, Taunton
F – Bobby Mullaney, Canton
What has been the biggest surprise this season?
Perry – The biggest surprise is that when looking at the league standings last week Mansfield was on the bottom of the Kelley-Rex. The Hornets, who have jumped up to fourth in the division, have consistently been among the top two in the league for years and have played several strong games this season including a 3-1 loss to Canton and a 2-2 tie with North Attleboro, but there was also a narrow 2-1 win over a much-improved Stoughton team and a 2-2 tie with Attleboro that raised some eyebrows and highlighted the Hornets’ struggles to score goals.
Mansfield needs to make a strong run in the final nine games of the season because second place in the league, which has been a way of getting into the playoffs in past seasons, is slipping away. Make no mistake, the Hornets have played a very difficult schedule that has included the likes of Franklin, Canton, Coyle, and Peabody and has not been blown out once, but it is still a shock to see Mansfield not among the Kelley-Rex leaders at this stage of the season.
Lanigan – I’d say the biggest surprise so far has been Taunton. I think everyone expected the Tigers to continue to head in the right direction, but so far this season they have taken a giant step forward and are closing in on a playoff berth. After narrowly missing out on the state tournament last season, the Tigers have meant business from Day 1 of this season. Tyler Pietrzyk has been on a tear offensively and the whole team is averaging just a shade under five goals a game. Although they haven’t been overly strong in Hockomock League play, the Tigers can still pick up some key league wins in a tight Kelley-Rex race.
At this point, which team will be going furthest in the tournament?
Perry – Right now, this sort of feels like a no brainer. Canton has the pedigree, having made it to the Div. 2 South final each of the last two years and at least the semifinal for the past three seasons, and also has the defensive strength to make a run and challenge the TVL trio of Westwood, Medfield, and Medway. The Bulldogs are among the favorites to win the South title and make a trip to the Garden and although playoff match-ups will determine a lot of who goes how far, the Bulldogs will be confident that they can compete with any of the teams that they may come up against.
Lanigan – It’s really tough to pick against Canton, so I won’t. I know coach Brian Shuman wants to see a more consistent offense and the Bulldogs will need it if they want to challenge the TVL for D2 South supremacy. Oliver Ames is another team I could see hitting a hot streak and if Zach Walsh plays like he did against Canton in the postseason, we could see a strong run for the Tigers. Don’t count North Attleboro in D2 South as well and of course, if Franklin can develop a consistent scoring threat, they will be a tough out in D1 South.
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