Anything can happen in the girls MIAA hockey tournament.
You can always count on an upset (or several) or even some Cinderella runs in the postseason each year.
Last season epitomized that.
Milton was one of the sleepers we highlighted entering the 2025 Division 2 tournament. The No. 6 Wildcats made it to the Div. 2 title game, where they lost to No. 13 Medfield. The Warriors, meanwhile, upset No. 1 Westwood in the semis.
Even though top-seeded Hingham won the Division 1 title, the Harborwomen had to go through No. 15 Bishop Stang. The Spartans took down the Nos. 2, 6 and 7 seeds en route to a championship appearance. In Division 2, No. 13 Medfield defeated No. 6 Milton. The Warriors upset No. 1 Westwood in the semis.
So, who are this year's sleepers to watch?
Here are four teams outside of the top-five seeds in each division who could be well-positioned to make noise in the tournament.
Let’s dive in.
Division 1
No. 10 Reading (13-2-5)
It's hard to call a team with only two losses a sleeper, but the Rockets have a chance to do damage as the 10th seed. They got the job done all season in a formidable Middlesex League and earned key results against other contenders. Among the notable wins, the Rockets beat No. 2 St. Mary's this past week before tying No. 15 Natick. They also beat No. 9 HPNA earlier this month. Other key results include a pair of ties with No. 16 Belmont, a tie with No. 12 Billerica-Chelmsford and wins over No. 11 Woburn and No. 18 Winchester. You want to be playing your best hockey at the right time, too. The Rockets are unbeaten in nine straight (6-0-3) and winners in four of their last five.
Reading has been stingy, too, surrendering more than two goals just twice this season. They've allowed fewer than two in five straight. Much of that is thanks to goalie junior Rylee Middleton. Offensively, the Rockets will look to the likes of sophomore Payton Curran, junior Jacki Shimansky and seniors Danielle Bowers and Sam Toomey to continue to come through with timely offense.
MIAA BRACKETS: Division 1 girls | Division 2 girlsÂ
No. 15 Natick (12-7-3)
Natick hung around the teams in the hunt in our rankings for much of the season. The Redhawks finished atop the Bay State Conference (Carey), despite a seven-game winless skid (0-5-2) from Jan. 17 to Feb. 2. They snapped out of it with a five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) to close the season, which included a tie (and shootout win) against Reading to win the Malden Catholic Showcase. This latest streak, plus ending the regular season with some hardware, could be a key boost at the right time.
One of the biggest reasons Natick could make a run is goaltending. Sophia Luoni should give them an edge in net in a lot of matchups. The junior has nine shutouts this season and has given up just three goals over the last five games. Her last two outings included 29 saves against MC and 30 against Reading. Offensively, juniors Caylee Lynch, Jordan DiGiandomenico and Olivia Desautels have been heating up.
No. 20 Acton-Boxboro (13-5-3)
The Revolution are young with 20 underclassmen. 20! But don't tell that to freshmen Riley Bergeron and Aleesa Coskren, both Valley Junior Warriors standouts in the club scene. The pair plays well beyond their years. Bergeron had already established herself as a top producer in the state, eclipsing the 100-point milestone earlier this season. She has over 20 goals and 40 points on the year. Coskren, meanwhile, has over 15 goals and 30 points. That's not to mention other key producers like sophomores Vivian Randolph, Elise Penney and Alexis Marasnian, plus eighth-grader Laila Randolph.
Although A-B ended the regular season with three straight losses, it's hard to ignore their potential for offensive explosions, putting up five or more goals on 10 occasions this season. A young, potent attack is exactly the type of team that could catch a team by surprise.
BOYS BRACKETS: Division 1 boys | Division 2 boys | Division 3 boys | Division 4 boys
No. 26 Waltham (11-8-1)
Speaking of playing beyond their years, Waltham freshman Molly Whittier knows all about that. The forward also eclipsed 100 career points earlier this season, and she's powered an offense that has won four straight and six of its last seven to conclude the regular season. The Hawks put up four or more goals in all six of those wins.
Whittier, a Boston Junior Eagles standout, is a top prospect to watch in the tournament. She has over 20 goals and 30 points this season, while senior defender Ava Anderson is an X-factor on the back end with over 20 points. Senior forward Sophia LaFauci has put up over 25 points, too. Sophomore Meredith Guden, freshman Taylor Losier and juniors Antonina Joannidis and Avery Landry have been key as well. Those four straight wins have all been shutouts, too. Senior goalie Miyana Bahl is capable of stealing any game.
Division 2
No. 9 Medfield (13-8-0)
If any team knows a thing or two about making a run as a dark horse, it's Medfield. The Warriors returned 14 holdovers from last season's championship run, including starting goalie Kamryn Perachi and forward Genna MacDonald. MacDonald scored in the 2025 title game, while Perachi posted a 34-save shutout. That key experience goes a long way in having the belief needed for a deep run.
Medfield lost two in a row to conclude the regular season, but the Warriors were humming with five straight wins before the skid. As we've seen, Perachi can get hot between the pipes. MacDonald, freshman Leah Carlson and eighth-grader Abby Cucchiara are among those capable of boosting a potent offense.
RANKINGS: Here's the final regular-season girls MIAA top 10
No. 10 N0rwell/Scituate/Abington (11-6-3)
NSA is battle-tested, holding its own in a deep Patriot League this season, regularly facing the likes of Hingham, Duxbury, Pembroke, Hanover and Marshfield. The Clippers opened the season on a 7-2-1 heater, which included wins over Duxbury, Hanover and Marshfield, plus a loss to Pembroke. Since, they're 4-4-1, although unbeaten in three straight (2-0-1) entering the tournament. The Duxbury win, a 1-0 shutout, was the first time in seven years that either of the three schools in the co-op beat Duxbury. That's a win that instills confidence when the games matter most.
The Clippers are young with 13 underclassmen. Freshmen goalies Kaitlin Burke and Cadence Dionne have each given NSA quality minutes. Most importantly, NSA has a game-breaker on its side. Junior Maddie Cantor has been on a tear this season. The forward has over 30 goals and 45 points this season, including seven hat tricks. She eclipsed the 100-point milestone on Feb. 14. Junior Ally Kelley and freshman Caroline Gibbons have been key on the top line, too. An experienced blue line with seniors Natasha Mikus, Liz Dow and Libby Booras could go a long way, too.
GOLDEN GOAL: New England well-represented as Keller’s winner lifts Team USA to Olympic gold over Canada
No. 11 Falmouth (14-7-0)
Few can match the one-two punch the Clippers have on offense. Falmouth boasts two 25-plus goal-getters and 50-point scorers in junior Maeve Turner and sophomore Violet Cox. Add in capable goaltending in junior Raelynn Spellman — plus depth producers like juniors Hadley Vieira, Molly Lorusso and Caroline Shearer, as well as sophomore Elizabeth Bennett — and you could have an upset (or two) on your hands.
The Clippers boast one of the top offenses in Division 2 with 79 total goals on the season, and it's led to 12 games with four or more goals this season. Falmouth may be only 6-4-0 in its last 10 entering the tournament, but they have the offensive stars to get it done in a one-game, winner-take-all scenario.
No. 17 Martha's Vineyard (9-10-1)
You want to talk about playing well at the right time? Martha's Vineyard enters the tournament on a three-game winning streak and four-game unbeaten run, including a 2-1 win over Medfield in the finale. After a 2-6-0 start to the season, the Vineyarders have gone 7-4-1 since Jan. 17. They're also 5-2-1 since Jan. 31. A team with momentum and growing confidence is always a dangerous one at this time of year. MV also boasts wins over the likes of NSA, No. 7 Dennis-Yarmouth, No. 14 Sandwich and No. 15 Marshfield (twice).
The Vineyarders, who have a good balance of youth and experience, will need their top guns to be at their best, though. Senior Eleanor Mone, junior Abigail Geary and sophomore Mackenna Metell have set the pace offensively.
