What a whirlwind 2025 and 2026 have been. Just a year ago, we were talking about the inevitable collision course between Plymouth State and Anna Maria for a MASCAC title before MCLA and Fitchburg State had other ideas. With Plymouth and UMass Dartmouth moving onto the LEC, nature has healed for the conference, as familiar favorites in Fitchburg and Salem State are positioned to add to their trophy case, while second year member Anna Maria has title ambitions of their own.

The Bye Teams

1.)  Anna Maria 12-1-1 (18-5-2 Overall)

Anna Maria won the games they were supposed to, and in their mind, that was virtually all of them. In MASCAC play, their only defeat came on the road against 2^nd ranked (MASCAC) Fitchburg State Falcons 2-1.

As our collaborator Mat Gover (Former MCLA Goalie) said in our MASCAC primer back in October, this team plays a heavy defensive game that punishes their opponents in all three zones. When you defend well and get top end scoring like they have from the likes of Braeden McKinnon (27p), Owen Barrow (26p), Brandon Della Paolera (22p), and Pearce Baker (20p), it’s not surprising they’re in the driver’s seat for this tournament. Perhaps this biggest factor in their success, and the key to taking home a conference championship is Matt Hennessey. 2024-25 was a down year for him, and their heartbreaking loss to MCLA felt like a diminished octave chord for his season. Any doubts about Hennessey have been absolved behind his 94.1% save percentage. I would be shocked if Anna Maria isn’t hosting the MASCAC Championship game this season.

2.) Fitchburg State 10-4-0 (17-8-0 Overall)

Fitchburg State felt like a hurricane force at the winter break, carrying a six-game winning streak, including a three-game shutout streak, into the new year. The Falcons carried their dominance into 2026, routinely demolishing opponents by three to five goals. However, when benchmarked against Anna Maria, Fitchburg’s last road two losses are either a warning sign of a short postseason, or a wake-up call to lock in. Their 7-3 defeat to Anna Maria was a shock, but consecutive shut out losses to MCLA (4-0) and Westfield State (2-0) to end the season feels like a crossroads for the reigning MASCAC Champions.

As gloomy as my analysis sounds, Fitchburg not only has the playoff experience to lock-in next weekend, but they also have the roster talent to do it. After a challenging 2024-25, Freddy Soderberg is at the top of his game with a 93.4% save percentage this season and will look to replicate Max Macchioni’s dominance from last postseason. Alexei Filimonov (38p), Devin Niles (37p), Tye Battipaglia (29p), Hunter Dunn (29p), and Christian Halbig (27p) are the most productive five-man unit in MASCAC, and it isn’t close. If Soderberg can keep the net clean, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Falcons skater group overwhelmed opposing defenses to win this conference in the end.

The Quarterfinals

3. Westfield State vs 6. Worcester State

3.) Westfield State 9-3-2 (16-7-2 Overall)

Westfield State lives up to their ranking in MASCAC play: Always reliable to beat the teams below them while closing the gap to the top. Two losses to Anna Maria and splitting the season series with Fitchburg State held this team back from a first-round bye, but it’s impossible to fall to fourth when you go undefeated against the teams below you.

Aiden Winslow hasn’t been as dominant as he was in 2024-25, as his save percentage has regressed from 92.7% to 91.4%, but his decrease in GAA (2.71 to 2.57) showcases an remarked improvement in team defense in front of him, and we’ve seen that he’s capable of rising to the opponent (88 stops on 92 shots against Plymouth State last season). Up front, the names haven’t changed since last season. Émile Pichette (26p), Louis Ouellet (25p), Cooper Board (20p), and Raphaël Séguin (19p) set the pace for the Owls, while the middle of the line-up provides scoring support.

6.) Worcester State 3-8-3 (10-11-4 Overall)

Worcester State is a mixed bag from night to night. They opened the season by winning the Woo Cup, defeating Anna Maria in a non-conference game 4-1, and it looked like this was going to be a program defining season. The Lancers have hung around in games above their weight class, with a 1-1-1 record against Anna Maria (They have a +2 Goal Diff in that series) and a thrilling, 6-5, overtime loss to Fitchburg State, but have otherwise been largely unable to win games in the MASCAC.

Donovan Alfama’s 92.5% save percentage has been a key factor for the Lancers to both stay in and win games this season, and they’ll need his best to make a splash in the postseason. Bryce Grandbois (20p), Sean Tyree (20p), and Shane Prifrel (19p) set the pace for the scoring this season and will need to be Worcester’s best players if they’re going to extend their season.

Head-to-Head

In two contests this season, Westfield was the victor both times. Before the break, the Owls won 4-2 in a game where Worcester dominated possession, but Winslow stood tall, stopping 40 shots, while Ouellet and Board combined for 4 points. In the rematch, Westfield was the stronger possession team, but special teams was the deciding factor. Pichette’s PPG and Board’s SHG doomed the Lancers, despite Grandbois scoring the only even strength goal of the game.

Overall, the Owls are highly likely to win this game. Worcester State has been unable to solve Winslow down the stretch this season, and as well as Alfama has played, if the team in front of him can’t solve the other goalie, it’s almost impossible to win.

4. Salem State vs 5. MCLA

4.) Salem State 6-5-3 (8-13-4 Overall)

Salem State has been the most perplexing team in the MASCAC this season, and it isn’t particularly close. They entered the winter break with zero conference wins, and only one victory overall, getting blown out in four non-conference games by at least 5 goals. In 2026, they’re 6-2-2, with a key win over Fitchburg State and two ties against Westfield State, which has allowed them to climb back into the upper half of the conference.

Statistics don’t mean much for the Vikings at this point due to the calamitous start to the season, but William Nepveu’s regression to a 91.2% save percentage from last season’s 93.4% isn’t pretty on paper. Tatro (17p), Greatorex (16p), and Francis (15p) are among the MASCAC’s lowest top scorers, a massive drop off from their high output scoring in 2024-2025. The only saving grace heading into the playoffs is that Salem State has been very good against the MASCAC recently, and no one in the MASCAC has a SOS anywhere close to their 50.455. It might be overly optimistic to bank on this team playing up to their competition, but having played four games against two opponents in the NPI top 7 means this team has tested its mettle national title contenders.

5.) MCLA 5-8-1 (7-15-3 Overall)

Death, taxes, and MCLA figuring out how to win games once the calendar flips to February. It’s frankly unbelievable a program with 20 total wins (29% pts percentage) has 11 wins (55% pts percentage) in games played after January 31^st. Despite the usual slumps in the middle of the season, MCLA picked up a 4-0 statement win over Fitchburg State, showcasing that they are more than capable of repeating their Cinderella run from 2024-25.

Goaltending is once again a key storyline as Rocco Stolz’s 93.3% save percentage has been instrumental for the Trailblazes this season. Another great season from Cade Herrera (22p), Easton Moore (20p), and Quinn Murphy (16p) has the Trailblazers scoring at their highest clip since joining the MASCAC in 2023-24. MCLA can seemingly beat anyone on any given night, so it’s hard to place where this team will place in this tournament. They could just as easily stun their way to a conference championship as they could bow out against Salem State in the first round. They’ve earned a reputation as a much watch program in do-or-die contests.

 

• Christian