New Hampshire Boys D1 Top 10
| Rank | Team | W | L | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concord | 22 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2 | Bishop Guertin | 18 | 6 | 0 | |
| 3 | Keene | 17 | 6 | 0 | |
| 4 | Hanover | 13 | 7 | 3 | |
| 5 | Salem | 12 | 7 | 1 | |
| 6 | Exeter | 13 | 9 | 1 | |
| 7 | Windham | 9 | 10 | 0 | |
| 8 | Trinity | 7 | 11 | 0 | |
| 9 | Pinkerton | 8 | 10 | 1 | |
| 10 | Bow | 8 | 13 | 1 | |
Division 1 is by far the hardest to rank because there’s so much depth top to bottom in the now 15 team league with the new Nashua Co-op and the arrival of Portsmouth-Newmarket-Sanborn. Here’s the HNIB News Division 1 preseason rankings.
Expect the good times to keep rolling in Concord (22-2-0) as the Crimson Tide are the #1 team heading into the season. Legendary coach Dunc Walsh has a host of guys coming back who now have championship experience.
You can say the same for #2 Bishop Guertin (18-6-0) who also have a veteran coach and several players who went toe-to-toe with Concord for four overtimes in that epic Championship game.
#3 Keene (17-6-0) had a tremendous year last year finishing third in the regular season before losing to Exeter in the playoffs. The Blackbirds have some key pieces back and bring in a very good freshman class expected to contribute right away.
Coach Dick Dodds has Hanover (13-7-3) back in contention as usual. The Bears check in at #4 to start the season thanks to a solid group of returners and a fourth year goaltender.
There’s a new coach and a lot of optimism in Salem (12-7-1) as the #5 Blue Devils welcome in head coach Peter DiMarino who has multiple veteran scorers back from a team that was the 4 seed last year.
Exeter (13-9-1) checks in at #6 in the rankings. The Blue Hawks need to find some offense to replace what they’ve lost the last couple of years, but the program’s depth is very good overall.
We’re giving Windham (9-10) the #7 spot based on some high-end returners at multiple positions. This is the area of the division which is so hard rank because of the parity between the teams outside the top two and above the bottom of the standings.
#8 Trinity (7-11-0) is a team we expect to make one of the biggest jumps, from out of the playoffs, to firmly in the tournament. A solid returning cast, along with a pair of impact new additions should propel the Pioneers back into contention.
Defense will be key for Bow (8-13-2) who will be looking to find scoring for the #9 Falcons. Coach Tim Walsh has a beefed up back end with some new talent in front of a senior goalie.
Pinkerton (8-10-1) gets the nod at #10 for the final spot in the rankings, narrowly beating out a quality Manchester (10-10) team.
