Few were better than Dexter Southfield last season.
Dexter was just one of two unbeaten teams remaining before a loss at New Hampton on Feb. 19, eventually entering the Elite 8 as the No. 3 seed and falling to No. 6 BB&N in the quarterfinals.
"The leadership we had last year was excellent, and the girls really did a tremendous job of working together and winning games," coach Maggie Taverna said.
Dexter graduated five seniors from last season's group, but Taverna's squad returns 12 upperclassmen, complemented by a skilled group of underclassmen.
"I have eight seniors this year, which is a lot," Taverna said. "That experience is really important for them to understand what's expected, and they're able to allow their experience to trickle down to those younger kids."
So, how can Dexter remain a strong contender for the Elite 8?
Leaning on veterans
With so much experience returning to the fold, Dexter plans to hit the ground running. Seven of the top 10 scorers from last winter are back.
A pair of senior Yale commits headline the forward group between Evelyn Doyle (Needham, Mass.) and Sawyer Merrill (Hingham, Mass.). Doyle had 21 points (11 goals) last season, while Merrill had 14 points (seven goals).
Also among key forwards are UNH commit Elizabeth Allen (Brookline, Mass.), Stonehill commit Alex Mistakis (Winchester, Mass.) and Maddie Funk (Duxbury, Mass.), a Northeastern field hockey commit. Each posted at least 11 points last season.
On the blue line, Stonehill commit Mackenzie Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Hobart and William Smith commit Hadley Austin (Winchester, Mass.) will be key as well. Sutherland had 12 points (six goals) last winter.
PREP PREVIEWS: Nobles | Exeter | Cushing | Tabor | Groton | New Hampton | Andover
"They have to be the leaders, right?" Taverna said. "When we need a goal, there's somebody who has to put the puck in the net. When you need a back check to happen, they're the ones that have to realize that and get back and work in the dirty areas, come out of the corner with the puck on their stick and make that heads-up play."
Taverna will also look to important juniors to step up as well, be it defender Julia Friedman (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) or forwards Maggie Lovering (Scituate, Mass.) and Devon Moore (Milton, Mass.). Moore, a Holy Cross commit, had 10 points (five goals), while Lovering (six goals) tied Funk for the third-most points among returners with 13.
In net, Dexter knows it can rely on two high-end netminders in junior Annabelle Aitken (Winchester, Mass.) and senior Addie Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.). Aitken posted a .947 save percentage last season, while Sutherland, an Assumption commit, had a .932.
The healthy competition between the two elevated their games and created a strong backbone for Dexter in the crease.
"I was very mindful about who we were playing and making sure I gave them both good, quality games. I think this year's going to be very similar to that because both of them are tremendous," Taverna said. "They're different types of goalies, but you can't go wrong with either of them. It's the best situation.
"It's like having (Jeremy) Swayman and (Linus) Ullmark with the Bruins a couple of years ago. They accept that sharing of the net, but they also support each other. To me, you can't find a better goalie pairing."
STREAMING WARS:Â Black Bear TV vs. LiveBarn has parents navigating an expensive landscape
Dexter is also eager to add an experienced newcomer to the mix in Elena Gordon (Weston, Mass.). The '09 forward, who reclassified to the class of 2028, is coming off a 22-point, 11-goal season as a sophomore at Governor's last winter.
"That kid loves hockey," Taverna said. "The kid can play."
Up-and-coming youngsters
Dexter had six underclassmen last season, with several seeing key minutes.
Among the returning group is sophomore forward Leah Hafer (Winchester, Mass.), who had six points (four goals) last season, and sophomore defender Maggie Chudzinski (Needham, Mass.), who had eight points (three goals).
Taverna threw Chudzinski into the fire in tough matchups last winter, and the youngster met the challenge. You could hardly tell the 2010-born blue-liner was one of the youngest players on the ice. Dexter feels the sky is the limit for her entering Year 2.
"She's gonna be logging minutes this year," Taverna said. "She has this maturity about her that's so interesting in a kid these days. She's purposeful in the things that she does. ... Last year, as a 14-year-old girl playing against some 18- or 19-year-old women, seeing her fail sometimes, it would never get her down.
"The coachability of her ... I think she just has 'it.' I'm so thrilled to have her for three more years, and I'm excited to see what comes out of next season and what her college process is like."
WOMEN’S RECRUITING: 2007 commitments | 2008 commitments | 2009 commitments
Who better for Chudzinski to learn from last season than top defenders Maddie Murphy (Dorchester, Mass.) and Alaina Dunn (Walpole, Mass.)? The two are now freshmen on Boston College's blue line.
"I think Maggie, coming in last year, being able to watch those two and how they played, it's only going to add to her game this year," Taverna said. "I don't think there could have been a better set of upperclassmen to watch and play with last year than those two."
Dexter is also adding a pair of talented young players in the mix between forward Teagan Beigel (Natick, Mass.) and defender Chloe Rabazzi (Burlington, Mass.). Each was on the 14U Boston Jr. Eagles team that won a national championship last spring, as was Chudzinski.
The three, now standouts with the 16U Jr. Eagles, skated at USA Hockey's National 15 Camp in July.
The bigger picture
Just like any other prep team, Dexter would love to return to the Elite 8.
"That's the end goal in the season because you're saying you're arguably in the top eight teams in all of New England, and that's a great feat to accomplish," Taverna said. "Is it an easy feat? No, but it's a wonderful thing. ... You'd like to win everything, but it's a hard thing to do, right? Only one team wins its last game of the season."
It's easy to look at 2024-25 as a measuring stick, be it the lengthy undefeated run, earning a high seed in the postseason or a strong 18-3-4 record.
BOYS PREVIEWS: Deerfield | St. George’s | Brunswick | Winchendon | Salisbury | Choate | Nobles | Kent | Holderness | Dexter Southfield | Berkshire
Dexter's focus is on the process. If it can continue to perfect its preparation, the wins will be there, in Taverna's eyes.
"These kids have so many things going on in their lives," Taverna said. "I always tell them retention and consistency are the most important pieces. If you can return the things that we learn and you can be consistent in what you produce on that ice, the success will come."
