On to the next challenge

It was historic season for the Dedham High boys hockey team last winter. The Marauders ripped off four straight wins out of the No. 6 seed in the Division 4 tournament to earn the program’s first state final berth, falling just short of their ultimate goal with a 1-0 loss to Winthrop at the TD Garden.

Dedham coach Dan Panciocco has made it clear to his team this year that as memorable an accomplishment as that run was, it’s in the past.

“We’ve moved on.” said Panciocco. “We celebrated, and we talked the first day of practice about last year. But since then, we have moved on. It’s a whole different team. We have moved up a division — we are in Division 3 now, not 4. It’s a whole different game, so we can’t look back.”

Repeating that success was always going to be difficult considering the personnel the Marauders lost, even without bumping up a division with MIAA realignment, which will bring its own set of new challenges in the postseason.

Dedham graduated eight players from that squad, including all three of its Tri-Valley League All-Stars in forward Timmy Holton, defenseman Brian Dunne and goalie Noel Adams, with the latter’s departure leaving the Marauders searching for an answer in net.

But by no means is the cupboard bare. Panciocco is high on this year’s group of seniors as well and the Marauders are anticipating a boost from a couple of players returning from the Catholic ranks.

“(The kids) we lost from last year, they were studs,” said Panciocco. “Everyone has to step up this year. They know it’s not the same team so every kid has to come prepared, ready to go. And this senior class is a good class, too. We have a lot of talent in the seniors.”

Sam MacDougall, Cam Keane, Dylan O’Connell and Steven FitzPatrick make up the quartet of senior captains. MacDougall, Keane and O’Connell project to skate together on an experienced top line. FitzPatrick is still recovering from ACL surgery but is due back in the few weeks and will be thrown into the forward mix.

Senior Parker Williard will be joined by a pair of sophomores in Nate Morse and Will Zolkowski on the second line. The third line is unsettled, with junior Matthew Mahoney a strong candidate and some freshmen perhaps looking to emerge.

“Our top two lines are looking pretty good,” said Keane. “(The seniors) are definitely taking on a bigger role this year. The seniors last year, they were amazing. We are trying to be like them and go back to the Garden.

Dedham should be able to put together two solid defensive pairings. Senior Gavin Secord and junior Owen Adams are back, while the Marauders have added juniors Chris Adams and Liam Maguire, who will play for their hometown squad this year after being at Xaverian.

“They are really good players,” said Panciocco of the ex-Hawks. “They are going to help out a lot.”

The biggest question mark entering the season is who replaces Noel Adams, who posted shutouts in three of the Marauders’ four postseason wins during their magical journey. Adams’ backup last year, Eamon Stephens, also graduated and Dedham does not have another true goalie in the program, so the Marauders will turn to freshman Jake Bradford, a natural defenseman who volunteered to convert to the position.

The Marauders have been able to get him plenty of work in the preseason as Dedham already has three scrimmages under its belt, having taken on Mansfield, Brookline and Newton South. Dedham kicks off the regular season with a pair on the road, a nonleaguer at North Attleboro on Saturday, followed by the Tri-Valley League opener at Hopkinton on Wednesday.

One new wrinkle to the Marauder program this winter was the approval of a waiver for eighth-grade participation, which will allow seven players to compete at the junior varsity level.

“It helps us with the J.V. and gives them some ice time with the varsity kids and gets them into the program,” said Panciocco. “I think it’s a win-win situation, and hopefully we can keep them in Dedham.”