Spalding, Calvert Hall and MSJ will battle it out for MIAA A Conference ice hockey supremacy

by Nelson Coffin

Archbishop Spalding’s 1-0 victory over defending champion Calvert Hall in last season’s MIAA A Conference title game is reason enough to believe in the competitive nature of the A Conference.

The difference between the Cavaliers, Cardinals and Mount St. Joseph is likely to be thin again, with the rivals taking turns beating each other.

Early results favor Calvert Hall, which has already topped Spalding and St. Joe, although those victories are not absolute indicators of what lies ahead for the back-and-forth nature of league play. 

Calvert Hall coach Paul Kansler said that senior captain and four-year varsity player Tyler Chin will lead the way for the Cardinals, who also boast seniors Cross Cimino, Vincent Reiley, Seth Fisher, Nate Reynoso, Reilly Spielman, Jake Gontasz, Kyle Roepcke, Ben Hatcher and Connor Prowell.  

“A great mix of juniors, sophomores and freshmen will be key contributors to the team this year as well,” Kansler said.

Defending A Conference champion Archbishop Spalding boasts another strong squad this winter, one that is adjusting nicely to some early-season injuries.

To that end, senior Grant Wanner and sophomore Finn Pasko have made huge strides at center for the Cavaliers.

“They have really stepped up their game,” Spalding coach Rob Trantin said. “The kids have been very good about picking up the pieces. It’s been really good to see.”

Senior Bryan Rice, who Trantin said has the potential to play at the collegiate level, is the pace-setter on the blue line while freshman Grant Chritiansen has taken hold as the Cavs’ top defender in front of junior net minder Evan Snyder.

Junior Ezra Bowen leads the team in want-to, crashing the boards and igniting fast breaks despite being what Trantin said is “super-undersized.”

Senior wings Chris Sweeney and Andrew Reece have also been making major contributions for a team that is off to a 6-2-2 start.

“We’re dangerous this year,” said Trantin, who has guided his alma mater to four titles since 2014. “But we’ll be really dangerous next year.”

MSJ coach Mike Marley said that although he is fielding a young team, the Gaels are looking to make an impact in the MIAA this year.   

Captain Ryan Joyce, a fast and offensive two-way defenseman, is the Gaels’ top gun while the goal will be ably protected by returning junior starter Matthew Pistner.    

“We had a problem putting the puck in the net last year,” added Marley, a 2002 St. Joe grad who played wing on three A Conference title teams. “We’re hoping to score a little more this year to give our goalie and defense a break. We can run three — and sometimes four — lines out there.”

Sts. Peter & Paul coach Sam Gerdano maintains that “for us, goaltending and defense are areas of strength. Creating offense and steady improvement from our forward group will be critical to our success this season” in the B Conference.

“Maddie Maloney is a two-time All-Conference goaltender, back for her junior year,” Gerdano continued. “Freshman goalie Brennen Griffin has also been stellar early on this season. Both give us a great opportunity to win, and we are incredibly lucky to have two of the best goalies in the conference.”

St. Paul’s, which has split its first two games this season, has high hopes for garnering its second B Conference crown in three years with a solid core of returning players, including senior captain Jack D’Angelo, junior forwards Mason Kaplan and Casey Burkom and junior defenseman Brendan Townsend.

While the Crusaders focus on minimizing mistakes, they are adept at taking advantage of their opponents’ miscues by featuring a strong power play unit.

“We try to keep the game simple and limit mistakes,” said fourth-year St. Paul’s coach Sean Baker, who played for the Crusaders before playing club hockey at the University of Vermont.

With only four teams qualifying for the playoffs in a very competitive league, Baker said that “we’ve had a couple of really good years — the Crusaders captured the league title in ’22 and were runners-up to Gilman last season — and our goal is to win the championship.”

Boys’ Latin, which hasn’t won a B Conference crown since 2003, will have plenty of veteran leadership to attempt to end its two-decade title drought.

“We are returning all of our players this year, as we did not have any seniors last year,” BL coach Baptiste Vernieuwe said. 

After qualifying for the playoffs last year, the Lakers are adding many talented freshmen to the roster, the coach added. 

“We are returning a great group of seniors, including Nick Chan who was elected MIAA Player of the Year, and Drew Wehberg who made the All-Conference team,” Vernieuwe  said. “We have an ideal situation, as those guys will be able to guide our freshmen who will definitely have a big impact on our team this year.”

In addition, Cade Bruning, and Chase Wehberg “have already handled a lot of ice time, and will be a big part of our team this year and throughout their career at Boys' Latin. I think our success this year will have to come from them being able to come together as a group, and play for one another,” he continued

Noting the competitive nature of the B Conference, Vernieuwe said that “we're going into this year ready for a long and competitive season. It feels like a couple of teams have a real shot at going all the way, and we're looking to prove that we do as well.”

Loyola Blakefield coach Mike Lortie likes what his team is up to this season — a 4-1-1 start.

Even so, the Rochester, N.Y. native isn’t about to predict that the Dons will earn their first B Conference since 2018.

“I tell the kids all the time to not focus on the outcome,” he said. “I want them to focus on the process — on things they can control. I’m happy with where we are right now, but we have more work to do.”

Loyola’s Jimmy Albanesi leads the league in scoring with 10 goals and seven assists, three points better than fellow junior forward Jesse D’Alonzo (8 and 6). 

The defense has been stout with junior Ryder McClure, an outstanding skater, patrolling the ice in front of junior goalie Tommy Bunte, who has been “playing really, really well,” according to Lortie. 

“I think it’s a matter of maturity,” the coach said about his netminder. “He’s quicker, stronger and more flexible. He’s a stud in the net.”

Senior forward Brett Gately lends a veteran presence to a team that is on the rise.

“I’m really pleased how well we've come together,” Lortie added. “We’ve been getting progressively better each game by limiting our opponents’ shots. The boys have bought in and it’s paying dividends.”