There's a lot to unpack this week.
We're in the dog days of the high school hockey season with just over a month to go before playoff brackets are released. Soon enough, we'll constantly be checking the MIAA power rankings as teams continue to jockey for position.
Since the last round of rankings, there have been some massive results to keep track of in girls MIAA hockey. You had Hingham taking down Malden Catholic for the second time this season. Notre Dame (Hingham) fell to Archbishop Williams, who has been on fire of late, in a big-time upset. You also had Billerica/Chelmsford upsetting Haverhill/Pentucket/North Andover on Wednesday night. The list goes on.
It all led to plenty of movement in the top 10, be it another shakeup in the top five or two new teams entering the rankings.
Let's dive in.
1. Hingham (10-0-0)
Previous rank: 1
Head coach: Courtney Turner
Next game: at Plymouth, Jan. 18, 10 a.m.
The Harborwomen continued their dominance, picking up four wins since our last top 10. Offense hasn't been a problem for Hingham, which is averaging over four goals per game in their last four wins. They took down Marshfield, 4-3, before outlasting Malden Catholic in a back-and-forth shootout, coming away with a 5-4 win. They followed it up with a 7-1 blowout of Norwell/Scituate/Abington on Monday before a huge 3-2 win at Duxbury on Wednesday. Caroline Doherty entered exclusive company when she eclipsed the 200-point milestone against NSA. She added another goal against Duxbury, bringing her totals to 21 goals and nine helpers in 10 games. Callie Crean's hot streak has kept up, while Addy Garrity has come alive of late, too. What's most impressive about Hingham's success this season is how strong their schedule has been. They'll get a reprieve over this next stretch, save for a rematch with Notre Dame (Hingham).
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2. Malden Catholic (7-2-0)
Previous rank: 3
Head coach: Alexa Hingston
Next game: vs. HPNA, Jan. 20, 12 p.m.
The Lancers moved into the No. 2 spot after going 2-1-0 in their last four since our most recent rankings. A 3-0 shutout of Pope Francis and a 3-1 win over St. Mary's bookended a raucous loss to Hingham. The Lancers led 3-2 at one point in the loss to Hingham and had a 4-4 tie in hand late before Doherty scored the game-winner with three minutes left in regulation. Alyssa Jankowski (Medford, Mass.), Brianna Donegan (Wakefield, Mass.) and Abbie Poole (Wakefield, Mass.) have been the hot hands of late. MC's tough schedule will continue when they host HPNA on Monday before visiting Archbishop Williams and NDA.
3. Notre Dame (Hingham) (5-2-1)
Previous rank: 2
Head coach: John Findley
Next game: vs. Natick, Jan. 17, 7:40 p.m.
NDA tumbled out of the No. 2 spot after going 2-1-1 since our last rankings, making for a 2-2-1 run over their last five games. The Cougars settled for a 1-1 tie with Nauset/Monomoy before storming back with a 7-0 shutout at Canton and a 2-0 shutout over Sandwich. Last time out, they fell to Archbishop Williams, 4-1. NDA had an early lead against Nauset, thanks to Jocelyn Gray (Hanover, Mass.) but couldn't build on the lead. Gray also scored against Canton and Sandwich, while Sarah White (Hanover, Mass.) had a hat trick against Canton. The Cougars will look to get back on track when they host Natick on Friday. They'll also host Needham on Saturday before things pick back up against Hingham and MC.
4. Methuen/Tewksbury (8-0-1)
Previous rank: 6
Head coach: David O’Hearn
Next game: vs. Andover, Jan. 18, 4 p.m.
The Red Rangers cracked the top five after rattling off four straight wins since the last top 10 as part of a six-game winning streak. They took a huge 1-0 win over Billerica/Chelmsford in which Lyla Chapman (Methuen, Mass.) was the hero in overtime. Methuen/Tewksbury also picked up a 4-2 win over Shrewsbury, a 2-0 shutout of Lincoln-Sudbury and a 3-2 win over Boston Latin. Sarah Marano (Tewksbury, Mass.) scored against LS and Boston Latin, while MJ Petisce (Methuen, Mass.) and Emily Barbosa (Methuen, Mass.) were among the goal-scorers against Shrewsbury and Latin. The schedule picks back up for the Red Rangers when they host Andover and visit Winthrop before facing Westford, HPNA and Waltham.
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5. Duxbury (6-3-1)
Previous rank: 4
Head coach: Dan Najarian
Next game: at Archbishop Williams, Jan. 17, 3 p.m.
Duxbury slipped to No. 5 after falling to Hingham last time out. They're 3-1-1 in five games since the last round of rankings, picking up a 4-0 win over Pembroke, a 6-0 win over Sandwich and a 5-1 win over Pope Francis. They also tied Marshfield, 2-2. Shae Martin factored in on all four goals against Pembroke with a goal and three assists, while Addy Harrington had a goal and three helpers against Pope. Zoey Madigan, Maeve Gallagher and Meg Carney continued to drive offense as well. The schedule remains strong going forward, starting with a huge tilt at a red-hot Archbishop Williams on Friday. The Dragons will also face Hanover, Marshfield, Quincy/North Quincy and NSA.
6. Peabody/Lynnfield/North Reading (6-1-1)
Previous rank: 5
Head coach: Michelle Roach
Next game:Â vs. Newburyport, Jan. 17, 5:15 p.m.
The Tanners dropped one spot after dropping their most recent game, a 2-0 defeat to Longmeadow, who was 0-9-1 entering the game. It followed a 1-0 shutout of Winthrop in which Alyse Mutti (North Reading, Mass.) was fantastic, making 23 saves, 12 of which were in the third. PLNR also picked up a 7-1 win at Marblehead in which Ava Buckley (Peabody, Mass.) posted a goal and four assists. Shirley Whitmore (North Reading, Mass.) and Eleni Spack (Peabody, Mass.) had two goals each. The Tanners will look to return to the win column when they host Newburyport and Falmouth before visiting Medford, Beverly/Danvers and Winthrop.
7. Haverhill/Pentucket/North Andover (7-1-2)
Previous rank: 8
Head coach: Gary Kane
Next game: at Lincoln-Sudbury, Jan. 18, 6:20 p.m.
Although they took their first loss of the season on Wednesday in a tight, 2-1 result at Billerica/Chelmsford, which ended their five-game winning streak, HPNA slid up one spot to No. 7 after picking up quality wins over Andover, 3-1, and Westford, 7-1, in addition to a 3-1 win over Shrewsbury. Paige Nottingham scored in all four games since our last top 10. She was one of seven different goal-scorers against Westford, which included Gabi Locke and Quinn Bennett. Bennett had goals in four straight before the loss to Billerica/Chelmsford. HPNA will look to bounce back when they visit Lincoln-Sudbury this weekend before visiting Malden Catholic on Monday. They also have Boston Latin, a rematch with Methuen/Tewksbury, Reading and LS again on tap over the next two weeks.
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8. Billerica/Chelmsford (9-1-0)
Previous rank: NR
Head coach: Ray Monroe
Next game: at Shrewsbury, Jan. 18, 6:45 p.m.
The Lindians made their debut in the rankings this season, checking in at No. 8 after a statement win over HPNA last time out. Hailey Graybeal (Chelmsford, Mass.) was sensational with a 52-save effort, and Payton Fitzgerald (Billerica, Mass.) and Greta Tucker (Billerica, Mass.) came through with the goals. Fitzgerald also scored in their 3-1 win over Boston Latin. Kara Gambale (Billerica, Mass.) scored against Latin as well as in a 2-0 shutout over Andover. Their only blemish this season came in a 1-0 defeat to a strong Methuen/Tewksbury squad. Since, they've won three straight. They face Shrewsbury, Wayland/Weston, Lincoln-Sudbury, Westford and East/West Bridgewater over the next two weeks.
9. Bishop Feehan (6-1-2)
Previous rank: 9
Head coach: Mike Cripps
Next game: at Archbishop Williams, Jan. 18, 5:40 p.m.
The Shamrocks stayed put at No. 9 after going 2-1-1 in their last four games. They took care of Bishop Fenwick, 6-0, before escaping Bishop Stang with a 1-0 shutout. Feehan then settled for a 3-3 tie with a red-hot Auburn team before losing to a pesky Arlington Catholic group, 4-3. Chloe Bryda (Cumberland, R.I.) had two goals and a helper against Fenwick, while Kailee O'Brien (Medway, Mass.) was the hero against Stang. Aviva Olitsky (Cumberland, R.I.) stood tall with 32 saves against Stang as well. Feehan has a chance to get back on track, but it won't be easy when they visit Archbishop Williams on Saturday. They'll also face Barnstable, Brookline, Fenwick and La Salle (R.I.) over the next two weeks.
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10. Archbishop Williams (6-3-0)
Previous rank: NR
Head coach: Doug Nolan
Next game: vs. Duxbury, Jan. 17, 3 p.m.
Few teams are as hot as the Bishops right now. They re-entered the top 10 after rattling off five straight wins. They have three shutouts over that stretch and have allowed just two goals. There was a 7-1 win over Milton, a 3-0 shutout of Arlington Catholic, a 2-0 shutout of St. Mary's, a 5-0 shutout of ADK United and a massive 4-1 upset of NDA. Caroline Batchelder (Braintree, Mass.) scored a pair in the win over NDA. Several skaters are hitting their stride for Archies right now, including Izzy O'Brien (Holbrook, Mass.), Julie Murphy (Canton, Mass.), Emily Fleming (Hull, Mass.) and Shea and Kendyll Nolan (Quincy, Mass.). The Bishops will hit a huge stretch in their schedule, hosting Duxbury, Bishop Feehan, MC and Arlington Catholic before visiting Bishop Stang over the next two weeks.
Dropped out: Winthrop (6-1-1), Nauset/Monomoy (6-3-1)
In the hunt:Â Winthrop, Westwood (9-0-1), Billerica/Chelmsford (9-1-0), Natick (9-1-1), Bishop Stang (8-2-0), King Philip (7-2-0), Canton (6-2-1), Falmouth (5-3-0)
