Nauset Boys Hockey Hopes To Build On Last Year’s State Final Appearance

ORLEANS – Before the Nauset boys hockey team had departed from TD Garden following a 1-0 loss to Marblehead in the Division 3 state final in March, the Warriors coaches and players were already looking forward to avenging the loss during the 2024-25 season. 

 As Nauset coach Connor Brickley prepares for his third season leading the program, he said the expectations are that the Warriors should have an opportunity to be right back on the Garden ice competing in another state championship next March. 

 “We’re not going to be harping on [last year] too much,” Brickley said. “Obviously, we’re not afraid to say those are the expectations, but it’s a long season and I made the schedule a lot tougher. We’re really going to be focusing on our daily approach and making sure we get to be the team we want to be every single night. 

 “Hopefully if we focus on our daily approach, the results will speak for themselves.”

 Brickley and the Warriors have the luxury of returning key contributors from last year’s team throughout the lineup, including Zach Coelho and Matthew Swanson, a pair of senior goaltenders who will lead the defensive efforts between the pipes. 

 “I’m going to give Zach a little more of the reins to have a little more game experience, but Swan’s going to be competing to challenge Zach every single night as well,” Brickley said. “[Swanson] is a very reliable player, so we’re very fortunate in that regard.”

In front of the netminders will be a seasoned crop of defensemen. The unit returns five players from a year ago after losing Joe McManus and Sean Kipperman to graduation. Seniors Jack Martin and Andrew Bohannon will anchor the blueline alongside juniors Oscar Escher, Logan Miller and Max Lanzetta. 

“With those two [goaltenders] and the defensemen returning, they’re going to be a pretty tough team to score against,” Brickley said. 

Up front, Nauset returns nine forwards, including last year’s Cape and Islands League Most Valuable Player, Logan Poulin, who recently signed his letter of intent to finalize his commitment to the University of Vermont men’s lacrosse program. 

“I went to UVM, so it’s cool to see him going to my old stomping grounds,” Brickley said. “He’s going to have a great experience there. He’s a competitor more than anything, no matter what sport he is playing, and that’s why he’s such a valuable asset to our team. He’s a guy that wants to win at everything and wants to be the best at everything he does. 

“Whether it’s lacrosse or hockey, we’re expecting big things and he personally wants big things for this team.”

While Brickley had few open spots with such a strong returning core of players, he did add Frank O’Connor to join his older brother, Brendan, and Al Cutts on the Warriors coaching staff. 

“We’ve known Frank for a long time,” Brickley said. “He most recently was coaching at Mount Saint Charles, and he just recently moved down here to the Cape. He kind of fell into our lap, which is awesome. We’ve been longtime friends and he’s been coaching for a long time and played high-level hockey himself. 

 “We’re really fortunate that he has the availability to want to come on and coach with us this year and to help us achieve what we wanted to last season.”

 Making it to the Garden won’t be an easy task after a grueling regular season slate that Brickley designed to test the Warriors on a nightly basis. 

“We’re looking for the competition and the experience to make sure that every single game the guys have to play is an honest game and to make sure that we’re sharp,” he said. “If we’re not sharp, we have the opportunity to lose. We want that feeling that if we’re not prepared and we’re not doing the right things then we might not be on the winning end of each game.”

 Nauset opens its season against Triton Monday at 7:10 p.m. at Charles Moore Arena.