What a crazy evening of hockey.
The 2026 NEPSAC girls quarterfinals have come and gone, and they were not short on drama. Thrilling comebacks. Overtimes. Big-time upsets. Back-and-forth games. Wednesday had it all.
Here’s how it all shook out.
Elite 8
- No. 1 Nobles 5, No. 8 St. Paul’s 4 (OT)
- No. 7 Tabor 2, No. 2 Phillips Andover 1 (OT)
- No. 6 Deerfield 3, No. 3 Williston Northampton 2
- No. 5 Loomis Chaffee 7, No. 4 Dexter Southfield 3
Large School
- No. 1 Phillips Exeter 4, No. 8 Middlesex 3 (OT)
- No. 2 Choate 3, No. 7 Kent 2 (OT)
- No. 3 Taft 4, No. 6 Berkshire 1
- No. 4 BB&N 3, No. 5 Thayer 1
Small School
- No. 1 Groton 2, No. 8 Frederick Gunn 1 (OT)
- No. 7 New Hampton 3, No. 2 Rivers 1
- No. 3 Cushing 2, No. 6 Portsmouth Abbey 1 (OT)
- No. 5 St. Mark’s 5, No. 4 Governor’s 0
What a crazy evening of hockey.
The 2026 NEPSAC girls quarterfinals have come and gone, and they were not short on drama. Thrilling comebacks. Overtimes. Big-time upsets. Back-and-forth games. Wednesday had it all.
Three of the top four seeds in the Elite 8 went down, while the Large School went chalk. The Small School field had a pair of upsets, too.
Here's how it all shook out.
Elite 8
- No. 1 Nobles 5, No. 8 St. Paul's 4 (OT)
- No. 7 Tabor 2, No. 2 Phillips Andover 1 (OT)
- No. 6 Deerfield 3, No. 3 Williston Northampton 2
- No. 5 Loomis Chaffee 7, No. 4 Dexter Southfield 3
Large School
- No. 1 Phillips Exeter 4, No. 8 Middlesex 3 (OT)
- No. 2 Choate 3, No. 7 Kent 2 (OT)
- No. 3 Taft 4, No. 6 Berkshire 1
- No. 4 BB&N 3, No. 5 Thayer 1
Small School
- No. 1 Groton 2, No. 8 Frederick Gunn 1 (OT)
- No. 7 New Hampton 3, No. 2 Rivers 1
- No. 3 Cushing 2, No. 6 Portsmouth Abbey 1 (OT)
- No. 5 St. Mark's 5, No. 4 Governor's 0
I did my best to keep tabs on everything going on, but I only have so many screens and the bandwidth for so many streams at once.
For those keeping score at home. It was a mixed bag for my predictions tonight. I went just 2-for-4 in the Elite 8 and Small School, while going 3-for-4 in the Large School. Not great.
We’ll unpack the semifinal matchups across all three tournaments and my bounce-back predictions in the coming days. For now, let’s dive into our takeaways from the quarterfinals.
No. 1 Nobles 5, No. 8 St. Paul's 4 (OT)
1. Ashley Loeber is the hero in OT: On a team with as many big-time producers as Nobles has, it was one of the Bulldogs' unsung heroes, Loeber (Weston, Mass.), coming through in overtime to stave off an upset. The dependable senior got a drop-pass from Gretta Hulbig (Foxboro, Mass.) in the neutral zone, wheeled into the attacking end, cut middle and scored. It came after Catherine McCool (West Roxbury, Mass.) made a big play along the boards to chip the puck out to Hulbig.
2. Flaherty's line leads the charge: Chelsea Bell (Barre, Vt.), Erin Flaherty (Boston, Mass.) and Kelsey MacPherson (Hopkinton, Mass.) dragged St. Paul's into the game, coming through in every situation. Flaherty finished with a hat trick, cutting Nobles' leads to 2-1 and then 4-2 before tying it, 4-4, in the third. MacPherson made it 4-3 with a shorthanded beauty in the second. She also made a tremendous effort to set up Flaherty's equalizer. The trio was hard on the forecheck, created chaos around the net and finished their chances. If St. Paul's was going to have a shot, that line needed to step up. It did and then some.
GIRLS BRACKETS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
3. A wake-up call for Nobles: The top-seeded Bulldogs had been rolling to start the postseason, winning 18 straight since Jan. 9. With a 4-1 lead, they gave St. Paul's an inch, and the Big Red nearly took a mile. It was the first time all season that Nobles gave up four goals, and just the second time they gave up three or more. If any offense were going to do it, though, it would've been St. Paul's. What's certainly good news for Nobles is that their top skaters kept producing. Hulbig and Lily Bromley (Carlisle, Mass.) each scored, and Francie Ames (Brookline, Mass.) had a goal and an assist.
No. 7 Tabor 2, No. 2 Phillips Andover 1 (OT)
1. Polcari showed up when the lights were brightest: Give it up for Giuliana Polcari (Marshfield, Mass.), who set up the No. 7 Seawolves' opening goal and scored the game-winner in overtime. The sophomore made a terrific play to shield from a defender, wait a split second and slip a pass to send Grace Hildebrandt (Norwell, Mass.) in on a breakaway to open the scoring. It came after Jen Birolini (Pembroke, Mass.) broke up a seam pass at center ice. In OT, Polcari got rewarded when she banged in the rebound off Mirella Martinelli's one-timer from the top of the power-play umbrella. It capped a strong game for the Polcari-Hildebrandt-Birolini line. Birolini had a terrific chance of her own early in OT, stepping around a defender at the blue line for a lane to the net.
2. Tabor weathered the storm: Andover tried its best to jump on Tabor the way it has with other opponents, moving the puck quickly north-south, stretching the ice and trying to catch the Seawolves up ice. It led to back-and-forth action and some great looks for Andover, especially in the first, when the Big Blue sprung a 2-on-1 for Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.). Whether it was that chance or others, like a clean lane to the net for Keira Bruen (West Roxbury, Mass.) off a counter rush in OT, Evelyn Lacey (Braintree, Mass.) was unfazed in net, making key stops. Tabor also had a huge defensive stand on a penalty kill late in the second after Andover tied it, giving the Big Blue power play almost nothing.
No. 6 Deerfield 3, No. 3 Williston Northampton 2
1. A perfect start for Deerfield: The Big Green cashed in on the power play less than five minutes into the game when Alessandra Picard (Madison, Conn.) buried Peyton Wierl's centering feed to the slot. It was a massive tone-setter for a team that had lost at Williston, 5-1, just a week ago. They continued the momentum when Chloe Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.) got on the board less than a minute into the second period. Even though Williston clawed back to tie it, things never seemed to get away from Deerfield, though (at least watching from afar). Sure enough, Picard came through again with 1:49 left in the second. She made a great effort to get her stick free in a net-front battle, jamming in Cleaves' rebound and reclaiming the lead.
2. Williston ran out of time: The Wildcats' power play got them back into the game with two goals in the second. Catie Putt (Norfolk, Mass.) got them on the board with a long-range wrister before Yasmine McKenzie's (Holden, Mass.) long-range shot went in off Riley Stocker. The advantage had another golden opportunity with time winding down in regulation. It was a frantic final two minutes of the third period, and Williston made a strong push. They generated a ton of pressure in the attacking zone, funneling pucks to the net and getting chances around the crease. The clock just wasn't on their side.
BOYS BRACKETS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
3. Izzy Kirby stands tall at the end: Give Izzy Kirby her due, too. The senior Hobart & William Smith commit has had a strong second half, and she carried it into the postseason. She finished with 25 saves, and she was tremendous on that final penalty kill, standing tall amid a barrage of pressure around the net.
No. 5 Loomis Chaffee 7, No. 4 Dexter Southfield 3
1. What a wild, wild hockey game:Â For a while, that was as back-and-forth a game as you'll find. Talk about momentum swings. Dexter ripped off three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead after Loomis led, 2-0, early on. It didn't matter, though, as the Pelicans scored twice to close the second and take a 4-3 lead into the third. They added three more in the opening minutes of the third to put the game out of reach quickly. It was a wild swing after the way the first two periods went.
2. Lindsay Stepnowski and Annie Schwarz take over: The Pelicans' top two MVP candidates showed just why they're in the conversation with two goals apiece. It was part of a four-point game for Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.). Her first goal was an end-to-end beauty, getting the puck after supporting a battle down low, blowing by two defenders at the other end and going five-hole. Schwarz's first goal tied it, 3-3, regaining some key momentum before Stepnowski added the go-ahead tally. The two combined on the first goal of the third. They showed up in a big way when it mattered most.
3. Loomis depth pitches in: It wasn't all about Loomis' top guns, though. Lexi Buco (North Providence, R.I.) cashed in with a power-play redirect from Amaya McNeil (Fairfield, Conn.) in the first. In the third, Lizzie Orszulak (Longmeadow, Mass.) and Sophie DiGioia (Milford, Conn.) added key insurance. It's got to be encouraging to see role players stepping up on the scoresheet, too, at this time of year.
Large School quarterfinals thoughts...
1. Top guns lead Exeter in miraculous comeback: It was no surprise at all to see the No. 1 Big Red's top line of Paisley Meyer (Greenland, N.H.), Maria Gray and Erin Sears (Cornwall, Vt.), along with defender Grace Riley, fuel the comeback from a 3-0 deficit. Once they got one, they took over. Riley started it all with a power-play goal from the slot off a slick move out high. Meyer cut it to 3-2 when Mia Griffith's shot from the left circle pin-balled off her and in. Meyers, Sears and Gray dominated possession in the cycle with the goalie pulled and time winding down. Gray sent a cross-ice feed to Riley at the back door for an easy equalizer. In overtime, Riley kept a play alive in the high slot before Meyer closed and scored the game-winner.
MIAA BRACKETS: Division 1 girls | Division 2 girlsÂ
2. Middlesex had Exeter right where they wanted them: The No. 8 Zebras were following a perfect path to an upset with timely offense and stout goaltending. Alison Fiedler (Westboro, Mass.) scored with under a minute to go in the first, burying a rebound in the slot. Cassidy Bruno (Andover, Mass.) doubled the lead in the second on a rebound from Janie Martin's (Burlington, Mass.) breakaway moments after Exeter rang the post. Fiedler cashed in again less than five minutes into the third to make it 3-0. It came after Niamh Tobin stoned Sears' breakaway in the opening minute of the third. It briefly looked like everything was aligning for Middlesex.
3. Taft rides big second period: The No. 3 Rhinos nabbed all the momentum with three goals in short order in the second period, making No. 6 Berkshire pay for turnovers. Phoebe Weisman opened the scoring with a wrister as she drove to the slot after Taft's forecheckers forced a turnover out high. She cashed in again with a long-range wrister two minutes later. Sophie Um made it 3-0 moments later after stealing the puck at the blue line, driving in on a 1-on-1 and scoring glove-side. The Rhinos were in cruise control from there. Weisman added an empty-netter late for the hat trick.
4. Choate's best step up: The No. 2 Wild Boars narrowly avoided an upset at the hands of No. 7 Kent, and it's thanks to some of their most dependable players making big plays when it mattered most. Sophia Lind's (Madison, Conn.) fingerprints were all over the win. She set up Natalie Beach's (Darien, Conn.) first-period goal on the power play with a quality shot from the point. After Noel Schaab (Sherman, Conn.) made some huge saves late in the second and early in the third, Lind came through with the equalizer late in regulation. She picked up the loose puck on a regroup, speeding the other way and scoring as she cut into the slot. She nearly scored a buzzer-beater to win it off a feed from Annie Forker (Stratford, Conn.), but time expired. In OT, Forker was the hero, cutting to the slot and backhanding one home.
MIAA BRACKETS: Division 1 boys | Division 2 boys | Division 3 boys | Division 4 boys
5. The future is now for BB&N: Some of the No. 4 Knights' top youngsters stepped up in their 3-1 win over No. 5 Thayer. After a stalemate through the first two periods, sophomore blue-liner Chloe Crabtree (Saugus, Mass.) took over a shift early in the third, outmuscling Thayer's Jenna Henley (Whitman, Mass.) on a back-check to win the puck back and start the regroup. When Crabtree got the puck at the point off the entry, she danced around Henley, drove to the left dot and scored with a seeing-eye shot. Later, it was eighth-grade defender Janvi Singh (Lexington, Mass.) stepping up with the go-ahead goal after Thayer tied it. Mary Murray (Hingham, Mass.) found Singh at the point. Singh walked into the high slot and went top shelf for the lead.
Small School quarterfinals thoughts...
1. St. Mark's young guns step up: Much of the No. 4 Lions' success this season is owed to the skilled crop of youngsters that has taken the reins this season. Wednesday was no different in a 5-0 win over No. 5 Governor's. Freshman Jocelyn Gray (Hanover, Mass.) led the way with a hat trick and an assist, and sophomore Allie Sauls had a goal and three assists. Freshman Erin Drew (Methuen, Mass.) had the shutout in net. Each has gotten it done all season for St. Mark's, and it's encouraging to see the underclassmen meet the moment when the stakes are highest.
2. Emma MacPherson leads New Hampton in upset: New Hampton just finds ways to get it done in the postseason. The No. 7 Huskies trailed No. 2 Rivers, 1-0, early on, but never looked back after MacPherson (Scituate, Mass.) set up Lily Thomas' equalizer. MacPherson tacked the go-ahead goal and an empty-netter to power the win and continue her breakout junior season. The Huskies looked like they had been there before down the stretch (go figure, as they defend three straight titles). Elizabeth Vincent made a couple of key stops down the stretch, including a stop on Nora Swaim's (Concord, Mass.) backdoor one-timer on a third-period penalty kill. In the defensive zone, Roxie Merrick and Addy Peel (Scarborough, Maine) blocked shots and hounded puck carriers.
3. Groton survives: It wasn't easy, but the No. 1 Zebras got it done against No. 8 Frederick Gunn. It was no surprise to see Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.) come through the power-play equalizer in the first off a setup from Tatum Friedholm (Sudbury, Mass.). Scalese scored on a bullet from the right circle as she closed with speed. In overtime, it was two more of Groton's leaders getting it done. Oona Kathan (Arlington, Mass.) broke up a play in the slot and dished quickly to Ella Nannene (Acton, Mass.), who sped the other way. Kathan jumped into the play and drove hard to the net, getting into a perfect spot to backhand Nannene's rebound for the game-winner.
4. Props to Frederick Gunn: By my count, the Highlanders had just 12 skaters available against Groton in the quarterfinals. That's one gutsy performance to get to overtime against the Zebras. Gunn even got on the board first when Riley Puskar took advantage of a turnover behind the net, setting up Brianna Boulanger (Danbury, Conn.) in front less than a minute into the game.
5. Hats off to Marguerite Cordahi: The junior had a hell of a performance in No. 6 Portsmouth Abbey's 2-1 overtime loss to No. 3 Cushing. Cordahi was under siege in her own end all game, and she made save after save after save. Shots were 38-9 in favor of Cushing after regulation. The only shots that beat her were a backdoor one-timer by Brooke Harb (Atkinson, N.H.) and a seeing-eye wrister from Emersyn Fisher-Bailey (Duxbury, Mass.). Otherwise, Cordahi was spectacular, finishing with 43 saves. She had a couple of big stops on Bella Freitas (Everett, Mass.) in overtime.
6. Lambert makes her presence felt: Julia Lambert (Wilmington, Mass.) triumphantly returned to Cushing's lineup for the postseason, and the sparkplug's presence was immediately felt. The senior Stonehill commit made a big play on the forecheck in overtime, forcing a turnover along the boards. Lily Winckler picked up the puck and curled around the net, centering it for Fisher-Bailey for the game-winner.
