Matteo Alvarez will be a top forward for Deerfield this winter. (Brian Kelly/NEHJ)
Deerfield wasn’t in my New England boys prep hockey preseason top 10 last season, and finished as the No. 1 seed in the Elite 8.
The Big Green either came out of nowhere, or my rankings were rubbish. (I think it was a little bit of both). They got to the semifinals, where they lost to Cushing, 4-1.
It will take some work for Deerfield to pick up where it left off.
Head coach Tim McVaugh’s team lost its top four scorers from last season to graduation. They graduated five defensemen and were dealt a major blow recently when current senior Nate Watson, projected to be one of the better defenders this winter, broke his ankle and will likely be out for the season.
So, what’s in store for Deerfield this winter? Can it make it back to the Elite 8?