Wilmington Boys Hockey Proving it Belongs in First Year at Division 1

Wilmington won the state championship during its final two years at the Division 2 level. As the regular season winds down, the Wildcats find themselves in a familiar position now at the Division 1 level - as state title contenders.

Despite losing several key players to graduation and standout forward Brendan McDonough to the Manchester Jr. Monarchs, Wilmington is right in the thick of things during its first year as a Division 1 school.

The Wildcats boast a record of 10-3-7 overall, with an 8-2-6 mark in the Middlesex League, a stacked group of teams that will send 7 of its 12 leagues to postseason play.

While playing a long list of difficult foes, Wilmington has never lost multiple games in a row. As he has done in the past, head coach Steve Scanlon has his team battle tested during the regular season, in hopes of being ready when the playoffs come.

To get a sense of how Wilmington stacks up against the Division 1 competition, take the team's two meetings with Burlington. The Red Devils are on a quest for a third straight state championship of their own. The teams skated to a 1-1 draw on January 1, and tied, 3-3, on February 1.

Wilmington wraps up the regular season this week. The Wildcats skate against Acton-Boxborough on Wednesday in their home finale and wrap things up with the always entertaining rivalry game against Tewksbury, this one on the road Friday night.