BB&N will have a new look this season.
Jori Balsam (Newton, Mass.) will take over behind the bench after Ed Bourget, who coached the Knights since 2013, took on a new role as the school's director of hockey operations.
Balsam, a 2019 graduate of BB&N, spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with St. George's, following a playing career at Wesleyan.
"It's really exciting to be back at my alma mater," Balsam said. "It's a place that I really cherish, and it's nice to see all the faculty who were here when I was in high school and maintaining those relationships. It means a lot when you get to coach the team you played for."
The Knights went 19-9-2 last season, reaching the Elite 8 semifinals as the No. 6 seed and falling to eventual champion No. 2 Loomis Chaffee. BB&N also won the Large School title in 2024.
What will it take for a return trip to the postseason?
Relying on upperclassmen
The Knights graduated 11 seniors from last season's squad, including six currently playing college hockey.
The 10 returning upperclassmen, including three seniors, will be vital for Balsam as she sets the standard in Year 1.
"We will have a big group of uncerclassmen, and it's going to be a very different team," Balsam said. "Graduating 11 seniors is a very big group, so it's going to be critical for both the senior captains and the juniors to really lead this team."
Among the key returners is senior forward Anika Singh (Lexington, Mass.), along with junior forwards Kate Glantz (Burlington, Mass.), Molly Halloran (Belmont, Mass.) and Mary Murray (Hingham, Mass.).
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Singh, a co-captain and Brown commit, is the Knights' top scoring returner, coming off a career-high 22 points (six goals) last winter. Glantz, Halloran and Murray also broke out for career bests. Glantz (six goals), who is also a Brown commit, and Halloran (10 goals) each had 13 points, while Murray put up 11 (three goals).
"They are our top forwards," Balsam said. "Goal-scoring and playmaking are really what they are going to bring to the team, along with energy when they're on the ice. They're good playmakers. They're goal-scorers. That tone they set for the rest of the team will be critical.
Co-captains Zoe Beck (Lincoln, Mass.) and Aggie Grant (Brookline, Mass.) will provide experience on the back end, alongside junior defender Aislin VanVliet (Belmont, Mass.).
Beck had four assists last season, while VanVliet put up eight points (three goals) on the blue line.
Balsam hopes that with more time, the three will help account for some of the offensive punch on the blue line that was lost to graduations.
"We really need to fill that role," Balsam said. "Having their hands, jumping up into the rush, but also maintaining strong 'D' foundations."
One area BB&N can confidently rely on is in net.
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Junior goalie Barbara Ma (Cambridge, Mass.) is back in the fold after a strong sophomore season. She posted a .941 save percentage in a timeshare with Eva Mai Whyte (Natick, Mass.), who is now a postgrad at Phillips Exeter.
"Because there's so much change, it's nice that we're maintaining (consistency) with Barbara in net," Balsam said.
Opportunities for younger players
After icing an older squad last season, there will be even more ice time available for underclassmen.
Among those to watch is defender Serena Mohsen (Newton, Mass.), who had seven assists as an eighth-grader last season. Balsam expects her to be a key part of the new-look blue line.
"She got significant time as an eighth-grader and will be a really critical piece," Balsam said.
BB&N also has its eyes on a trio of exciting eighth-graders in forwards Janvi Singh (Lexington, Mass.) and Cali Littlewood (Braintree, Mass.), as well as goalie Heidi Jonas (Weston, Mass.).
Their prep hockey roots run deep already, as Janvi Singh is the younger sister of Anika, while Littelwood's older sister, Savana, graduated from BB&N in 2025 after a productive career. Jonas' older sister, Annika, is the starting goalie at Nobles.
Balsam expects the youngsters to challenge for playing time.
"I think those three will bring really good, youthful energy, and they're skilled players," Balsam said. "They will push the upperclassmen in ways they need to be pushed to make us successful."
Establishing an identity
The Knights would love to return to the Elite 8 and compete for a championship. Balsam knows that.
Balsam also knows the importance of establishing the team's culture early on in the season. She wants her teams to be aggressive, yet disciplined.
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"I want my teams to really hone in on our systems and play our game, not just reacting off of what the other team is doing," she said.
The leadership group's motto for 2025-26 is "All-in." Balsam wants it to constantly be top-of-mind for BB&N.
"What can we do to be all-in?" she said. "What does it look like for you individually when you're all-in, and what does that look like for the team when we're all-in. Really revolving around that motto, I think, will help."
If the Knights are checking those boxes, then the rest will fall into place, be it wins, postseason seeding or especially player development.
"Developmentally, if you are the same player you are today and at the end of the season, I wasn't a successful coach," Balsam said. "I want to see our players grow both as hockey players but also as people and leaders, especially those underclassmen. It will just put our program in position for success in future years."
