Winchendon hockey draws young hopefuls in search of a season

Four Boston students keep goals alive

These are the four local kids who are playing at Winchendon. Left to right: Joe Bova, Nolan McDonough, Mac Casper, Jack Matthews. Photo by Brian Troy

This story first appeared in the Boston Herald and is reposted here with permission.

By TOM FARGO
February 2, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

The 70-mile trip from Boston to a small Central Mass. town on the New Hampshire border has become a popular one for local hockey players.

The hockey pipeline to Winchendon School continues to pay dividends as a quartet of city kids will take the ice for the prep school this winter — South Boston’s Jack Matthews and Mac Casper, Dorchester’s Nolan McDonough and Joe Bova of the North End.

Brian Troy has had several Boston natives in his seven seasons as head coach of the boys hockey team, but his experience with city players goes back to his days at rival Cushing Academy.

“Back in the 90s, (Winchendon) had a lot of boys from Charlestown and Southie,” said Troy. “I can remember coming over with my dad to watch those guys and they were always tough and a lot of fun to watch. We love our Boston boys.”

The foursome have yet to formally suit up together as they have been limited to practices and intra-squad scrimmages so far this season. Troy said the school is working on putting together a schedule of anywhere from six to 15 games against like-minded programs that would provide critical exposure from the many on the roster looking to grab the attention of college coaches.

McDonough is the Winchendon veteran of the group. While the others are new to the school as postgraduate students, this will be his fourth season, and second as a captain.

He caught the eye of Troy as a seventh-grader at the Cunniff Hockey Camp at Cushing, impressing with his inquisitive nature and hockey IQ. The decision to head west has been a beneficial one for McDonough, who got the opportunity as a sophomore to play with his older brother when Andrew spent a postgraduate year at Winchendon. Hockey is just one element of the allure.

“I really like how they have small class sizes and I feel 100%engaged and productive,” said McDonough. “Academically and athletically, it’s a good fit.”

Matthews and Casper grew up playing together in Southie and are roommates — all four are boarders at Winchendon. Casper was a Catholic Conference All-Star last year for Catholic Memorial, helping the Knights to their first league title in nearly a decade and scoring a game-winning goal in the Super 8.

Matthews arrived from BC High but chose not to play for the perennial power Eagles, skating for the South Shore Kings instead.

He knows well that the PG route can pay dividends as he has a pair of uncles who spent a year at Avon Old Farms and eventually went on to play Division I hockey. Having trained with McDonough, he visited Winchendon a couple times and decided it was the right place.

“It was the environment and the overall vibe that the school gave off,” said Matthews. “Coach Troy seemed like a guy who wanted his kids to be the best players and best people possible, so I kind of knew that it was something I was looking for. It’s been awesome. It’s tough not knowing what’s going to happen with our season, but coach Troy has said to stay positive and stay ready for when our number gets called.”

Bova is a bit of a different case as, unlike the other three, hockey is not his main sport. The former Boston Latin star is a standout on the diamond and his college plans are already set, having committed to play baseball at Southern Maine, but he felt like there was still some unfinished business in his high school career.

He’ll get the opportunity to play for highly regarded Winchendon baseball coach John Toffey, a Barnstable native who knows a little something about playing both sports as he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Lightning out of St. Sebastian’s.

“I didn’t have a (senior) baseball season, so that was a part of why I wanted to take a grad year, and I talked to coach Troy and coach Toffey and I liked it,” said Bova.

Having a group from the same background has provided a comfort level for the Boston contingent at Winchendon, which draws students from all over the country and internationally.

“It’s always good to have guys that know where you came from and whose origins are pretty similar,” said McDonough, who said he was helped by the presence of fellow Dorchester native Travis Heap on the team as a freshman.

Earning your way onto a college hockey roster is an especially difficult and laborious process most years and will get even tougher for those like McDonough, Matthews and Casper attempting to break through as the NCAA has given all current players an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, creating a recruiting logjam.

Winchendon has sent a number of players to college programs — current Boston College sophomore Mike Hardman of Hanover is among the recent success stories — and hopes to continue that trend with this year’s crop despite COVID-19 restrictions with the help of some technology, utilizing a PlaySight digital tracking system that livestreams games and gives students access to the portal to edit highlight tapes to pass along to coaches.

“That’s been huge for getting these guys into an area where they can get seen by the guys at the next level,” said Troy. “We have been able to get some guys some interest already, but these next few games are going to definitely be instrumental when we are talking about the next level for a lot of these guys who are hoping to go on to play college or even some top level junior.”
Winchendon hockey draws young hopefuls in search of a season
Four Boston students keep goals alive

These are the four local kids who are playing at Winchendon. Left to right: Joe Bova, Nolan McDonough, Mac Casper, Jack Matthews. Photo by Brian Troy
By TOM FARGO |
February 2, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.
The 70-mile trip from Boston to a small Central Mass. town on the New Hampshire border has become a popular one for local hockey players.

Brian Troy has had several Boston natives in his seven seasons as head coach of the boys hockey team, but his experience with city players goes back to his days at rival Cushing Academy.