
Holderness School defenseman Mac O’Neill was one of the first players in the 2023 class to announce his commitment. O’Neill is bound for Dartmouth, and three other Holderness players followed his lead into the D-1 ranks in the waning days of September.
Jackson Ehwa (Harvard, Mass.), a face-off man who plays his club ball for 3D New England, pledged his fealty to UMass on Saturday. Several other schools were also interested in Ehwa’s services, but the Eisenberg School of Business and the team dynamic of the Minutemen were the deciding factors for him.
Being a dual-sport athlete -- he’s an excellent hockey player at Holderness -- and an in-state native fits right into the UMass mold.
“He’s the real deal,” said Holderness coach Justin Simon. “Greg (Gurenlian) and Corey (Bulken) from the Face Off Academy think he’s one of the best kids they have seen at the 2023 level. He’s 5-foot-8, but stocky like a bulldog. If he’s losing a face-off, he’s winning it back on brute strength. He knocked it out of the park for us last year.”