What a week in girls prep.
If the past seven days were any indication, the final two weeks of the regular season should have more than their fair share of excitement.
There were several top-10 matchups to keep tabs on, headlined by Williston's dramatic overtime win at Phillips Andover. Meanwhile, BB&N picked up key wins, including an overtime win at Cushing, to jump several spots.
While the top five teams remain on relatively solid footing, it's an all-out battle from No. 6 through No. 10 as teams try to make a last push to lock up their spots.
Let's dive in.
1. Williston Northampton (18-0-1)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Christa Talbot Syfu
Next game: vs. Mount Saint Charles, Feb. 19, 2 p.m.
The Wildcats' undefeated season continued last week with two one-goal wins. They outlasted Choate in a 5-4 boat race before escaping Phillips Andover in an overtime thriller, 1-0. Zola Piekarski (Concord, Mass.) was the hero in OT at Andover, while Olivia Ferebee was sensational in net with 39 saves. Meanwhile, Violet Carroll (Milton, Mass.) had four points (two goals) versus Choate. The wins only strengthened Williston's grip on the No. 1 seed in the Elite 8. After hosting Mount Saint Charles on Wednesday, the Wildcats will host No. 3 Loomis Chaffee in a big-time matchup.
GAME OF THE YEAR: 13 standouts, takeaways from Williston's overtime win at Phillips Andover
2. Dexter Southfield (16-0-4)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Maggie Taverna
Next game: vs. New Hampton, Feb. 19, 4:45 p.m.Â
Dexter took home a pair of shutout wins in a weekend trip to Lawrenceville, winning 4-0 and 3-0. Evelyn Doyle (Needham, Mass.) was among four different goal-scorers on Saturday before leading the way with a goal and an assist on Sunday. Addie Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.) made 28 saves for the shutout on Saturday, and Annabelle Aitken (Winchester, Mass.) kept a clean sheet with 15 saves on Sunday. Dexter remains in the No. 2 seed in the Elite 8. They visit New Hampton Wednesday before hosting No. 8 Cushing on Saturday.
3. Loomis Chaffee (19-1-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Liz Leyden
Next game: vs. Lawrenceville, Feb 19, 5 p.m.
The Pelicans picked up a pair of wins last week, beating No. 8 Cushing, 4-1, on the road before picking up a 3-2 overtime win at Choate. Annie Schwarz (Fairfield, Conn.) was among four different skaters to find the back of the net versus Cushing, finishing with a goal and an assist. She also had two assists against Choate. Megan Duplantie scored in both wins, making for goals in three straight. Loomis remains unbeaten in 20 straight, and they've won 14 in a row. They still hold the No. 3 seed in the Elite 8, but they're projected to finish fourth, according to USHR. The Pelicans will host Lawrenceville on Wednesday before visiting Williston for a top-three matchup on Saturday.
4. Nobles (21-3-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Tom Resor
Next game: at Phillips Andover, Feb. 19, 4:45 p.m.
The Bulldogs took care of business last week, taking down No. 10 Groton, 4-0, No. 6 BB&N, 4-0, and Hill School, 5-1. Against Groton, Catherine McCool (West Roxbury, Mass.) had three points (two goals), and Gretta Hulbig (Foxboro, Mass.) had three helpers. Rachel Zhao (Westwood, Mass.) had two goals against BB&N before adding another against Hill. Nobles would be the fourth seed in the Elite 8, but USHR projects them to take over the No. 3 seed. Three high-stakes matchups lie ahead this week, with visits to No. 5 Phillips Andover and Tabor bookending a home game with No. 7 Thayer.
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5. Phillips Andover (14-3-2)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Martha Fenton
Next game: vs. Nobles, Feb. 19, 4:45 p.m.
Andover stayed put after going 2-1-0 last week. They picked up high-scoring wins over Austin Prep, 7-1, and Milton Academy, 5-0, before dropping a 1-0 nail-biter in overtime with Williston. The loss to Williston truly could have gone either way. Freshman Marie Lee (Southboro, Mass.) only faced 19 shots against Williston, but nearly each of her 18 saves was high-quality, including a Save of the Year candidate against Nora Curtis. It was all about the Averills against AP as Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) had five points, including a hat trick, and Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.) had four points (three assists). The Big Blue currently hold and are projected to finish as the No. 5 seed in the Elite 8. They'll host No. 4 Nobles on Wednesday before Worcester Academy on Saturday. Next Wednesday's matchup with No. 3 Loomis is circled on the calendar.
6. BB&N (14-7-2)
Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Ed Bourget
Next game: at Tabor, Feb. 19, 5:45 p.m.
The Knights made a big jump. Not only did they go 2-1-0 against three quality games, but they picked up a head-to-head win over No. 8 Cushing, who lost twice last week, while Thayer lost to Lawrence Academy. After taking down St. George's, 4-2, on the road, BB&N fell to No. 4 Nobles, 4-0, but bounced back with a big 5-4 overtime win at Cushing. Hannah Weyerhaeuser (Cambridge, Mass.) stayed hot with two goals at St. George's, and Izzy King (Bedford, Mass.) was among five different goal-scorers at Cushing, posting a goal and an assist. Currently, BB&N holds the No. 8 seed in the Elite 8, but they're projected to finish No. 6. It won't get easier this week for the Knights. They'll face two teams capable of playing spoiler when they visit Tabor on Wednesday and host Lawrence on Friday.
7. Thayer (16-3-2)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Michael Flynn
Next game: vs. St. Mark's, Feb. 19, 5:30 p.m.
The Tigers dropped a spot after splitting their games last week, beating Governor's, 5-1, on the road before losing an 8-6 barn-burner at Lawrence Academy. They've now lost two of their last three. Morgan McGathey's (Braintree, Mass.) big senior season continued with four points in both games. She had a hat trick and an assist versus Gov's and two goals and two assists against Lawrence. Kate Sullivan (Hingham, Mass.) had two three-point games, and Wren Abboud (Weymouth, Mass.) had two two-point outings. Right now, the Tigers sit No. 7 in the Elite 8 picture, but they're projected to finish as the No. 1 seed in the Large School tournament. They'll have a chance to get back on track when they host St. Mark's on Wednesday. A Friday visit with Nobles poses a major litmus test before a home tilt against Pomfret on Saturday.
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8. Cushing (20-6-1)
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Valerie Bono-Bunker
Next game: vs. Deerfield, Feb. 19, 3 p.m.
It was a tough week for the Penguins, who dropped a spot after going 1-2-0. After beating Lawrence Academy, 4-1, on the road, Cushing dropped two home games, falling to No. 3 Loomis Chaffee, 4-1, before No. 6 BB&N, 5-4, in overtime. The Penguins are now 2-4-1 since Jan. 29. Madi Soderquist (Woburn, Mass.) led the way against Lawrence with three points (two goals), while Brooke Harb (Atkinson, N.H.) and Lily Winckler each had two versus BB&N. Currently, Cushing holds the No. 6 seed in the Elite 8, and they're projected to finish seventh. They are by no means out of the woods yet. They'll host Deerfield on Wednesday before a visit with Dexter Southfield on Saturday.
9. Deerfield (14-4-2)
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: Brooke Fernandez
Next game: at Cushing, Feb. 19, 3 p.m.
The Big Green fell one spot after splitting their games last week. After rolling to a 6-0 win against Westminster, they fell to Berkshire, 3-1. The loss ended a seven-game winning streak as well as an 11-game unbeaten streak, which went back to Dec. 20. Brady Wierl set the pace against Westminster with four points (three assists), while Sophie Frost had three points (two assists). Right now, Deerfield is on the outside looking in. They're currently No. 1 in the Large bracket, and they're projected to finish with the second seed. The next week is pivotal to the Big Green's Elite 8 hopes. They'll visit Cushing on Wednesday before hosting Kent and visiting Hotchkiss over the weekend. Next week, they'll face Williston and Loomis.
10. Groton (13-4-2)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Tim LeRoy
Next game: vs. Brooks, Feb. 19, 3:30 p.m.
Groton slipped to 10th after dropping their lone game last week, a 4-0 defeat at No. 4 Nobles. The loss snapped a seven-game win streak. While the Zebras currently sit in the No. 1 seed in the Small School tournament, they're projected to finish with the No. 8 seed in the Elite 8. They'll host Brooks and St. George's this week. The following week features a pivotal matchup at Thayer.
In the hunt: Berkshire (11-6-2), Tabor (11-9-1), New Hampton (13-6-4), Rivers (13-9-1), Phillip Exeter (11-7-1)
