What a week it was in girls prep hockey.
Williston Northampton and Dexter Southfield battled in one of the games of the year, which went down as a scoreless tie, leaving little doubt about either's top standing. Dexter then staged a miraculous comeback against Thayer in a top-10 clash, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win 4-3.
Elsewhere, Rivers dropped out of the rankings after losing to BB&N and Groton. You also had Nobles beating Phillips Exeter in a top-10 matchup.
Toward the backend of the top 10, Deerfield re-entered after a week that included key wins, including one at New Hampton.
There was a lot of chalk over the past seven days, so there wasn't a ton of movement in the rankings, particularly around the top five. Still, there's a lot to unpack.
Let's dive in.
1. Williston Northampton (13-0-1)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Christa Talbot Syfu
Next game: vs. Westminster, Jan. 29, 2:45 p.m.
Williston nearly took its first loss of the season in the exciting tie at Dexter where Olivia Ferebee stood tall in a shutout. After the draw marked their first blemish on their record this season, the Wildcats stormed right back over the weekend in a 3-1 win over Kent on the road. River Grady (Bedford, N.H.) picked up the win in net, while Mia Daley (Lynnfield, Mass.) scored a pair to extend her team lead in goals (12). The Wildcats remain the projected No. 1 seed if the Elite 8 were to start today, according to USHR. A busy three-game week is on tap as Williston hosts Westminster, Austin Prep and Hotchkiss.
2. Dexter Southfield (10-0-4)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Maggie Taverna
Next game: at Tabor, Jan. 31, 5 p.m.
Dexter came oh-so-close to a massive upset of Williston last Wednesday, hitting multiple posts and catching a tough break when the officials missed Maggie Chudzinski's (Needham, Mass.) shot finding the back of the net on a third-period power play. Annabelle Aitken (Winchester, Mass.) was fantastic in the draw, too, with 26 saves. Dexter's undefeated run continued to live on the edge as they nearly fell to Thayer but staged a big comeback to hand the Tigers their first loss. Chudzinski found the back of the net for real in that win with her first career goal. Dexter would be No. 2 in the Elite 8 if the tournament began today. The Shields get another tough test when they visit Tabor on Friday before hosting Brooks on Saturday.
HUGE MATCHUP:Â 15 standouts, takeaways from a dramatic tie between No. 1 Williston and No. 2 Dexter
3. Loomis Chaffee (12-1-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Liz Leyden
Next game: at BB&N, Jan. 29, 5 p.m.
The Pelicans extended their win streak to six games with a pair of shutout wins last week. They first knocked off Taft, 5-0, before outlasting Tabor in a tight, 1-0 win on the road. Annie Schwarz (Fairfield, Conn.) helped lead the way versus Taft with a goal and an assist. After scoring against Taft, Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) was the hero with the lone goal against Tabor. Adeline Roper (Kennebunkport, Maine) was key against Tabor with 18 saves in the shutout. If the playoffs started today, Loomis would be the No. 5 seed in the Elite 8. They'll visit BB&N this week before facing Greenwich Academy and Phillips Exeter.
4. Cushing (18-2-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Valerie Bono-Bunker
Next game: at Andover, Jan. 29, 4:10 p.m.
The Penguins picked up three more wins last week, extending their streak to eight straight victories. They beat St. Paul's, 6-3, before taking care of Middlesex, 6-2, and taking down a tough Berkshire team, 4-1, on the road. Julia Lambert (Wilmington, Mass.) had a hat trick against Middlesex after she added a goal versus SPS. Brooke Fallon (Bedford, NH) and Bella Freitas (Everett, Mass.) each had a goal and an assist versus Berkshire. Cushing's offense continues to set the standard in prep. They've scored four or more goals in all but three games this season, including both losses. They've hit the mark in eight straight. The Penguins also boast three of the top-10 leading scorers in the NEPSAC between Freitas, Lambert and Madi Soderquist (Woburn, Mass.), including the top two scorers in Freitas and Soderquist. Freitas leads the region in goals and points, and Soderquist is second in points.
If the playoffs started today, Cushing would be the third seed in the Elite 8. Their schedule will ramp up in a big way over the final month-plus of the season. They'll face Andover and BB&N this week before New Hampton and Nobles await the following week. More key matchups lie ahead beyond the next two weeks, too.
5. Nobles (12-3-0)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Tom Resor
Next game: at Lawrence Academy, Jan. 29, 4:45 p.m.
The Bulldogs winning streak improved to six after a pair of wins. They took down Austin Prep, 4-0, before taking care of Exeter, 4-1, in a top-10 clash. Four different skaters scored versus Exeter, including Ava Decourcey (Rockland, Mass.) and Francie Ames. Meanwhile, Rachel Zhao (Westwood, Mass.) had two goals and an assist against AP. If the playoffs were to start right now, the defending champs would be No. 8 in the Elite 8 bracket. They'll face a pair of tough outs this week with trips to Lawrence Academy and St. Paul's.
TOP PERFORMERS: Top girls prep performers from Jan. 16-21
6. Phillips Andover (9-1-1)
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Martha Fenton
Next game: vs. Cushing Jan. 29, 4:10 p.m.
Andover played just once last week, taking down Lawrence Academy, 5-3. It was enough to move them up one spot after Thayer lost. The Big Blue's offense is clicking of late. They've scored five or more goals in four straight and five of their last six since the calendar flipped to 2025. If the tournaments began today, Andover would be the seventh seed in the Elite 8. They'll embark on a big stretch in their schedule as they'll host Cushing in a massive game on Wednesday before hosting BB&N and visiting Deerfield this weekend.
7. Thayer (11-1-2)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Michael Flynn
Next game: vs. Rivers, Jan. 29, 6 p.m.
Thayer slipped from sixth to seventh after a 1-1-0 week and taking their first loss of the season. After taking down Tabor in a close, 1-0 win, the Tigers were in control against Dexter, leading 3-1, but went on to fall, 4-3. Kate Sullivan had a big day against Thayer with a highlight-reel goal and an assist. Meanwhile, Lydia Kealty now has goals in four straight after she scored the lone goal versus Tabor and added another against Dexter. It won't get easier for Thayer as they'll host a Rivers team in search of a response on Wednesday before visiting a surging Tilton group on Friday. They'll also face Middlesex this weekend. If the Elite 8 were to begin right now, the Tigers would be No. 4.
8. BB&N (9-4-1)
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: Ed Bourget
Next game: vs. Loomis Chaffee, Jan. 29, 5 p.m.
BB&N snapped out of their funk with a pair of wins last week. They took down Rivers, 3-1, in a top-10 matchup before shutting out St. Mark's, 3-0. Hannah Weyerhaeuser (Cambridge, Mass.) had a big week with four points across the two games. She had a pair of assists versus Rivers and she was among three different goal-scorers against St. Mark's with a goal and an assist. If the playoffs began today, the Knights would be No. 6 in the Elite 8. They'll have to work to keep the good vibes going this week, with home tilts against Loomis Chaffee and Cushing bookending a visit with Andover.
MIDSEASON REPORT:Â Surprises, questions and more in girls prep hockey so far
9. Deerfield (10-3-2)
Previous ranking: NR
Head coach: Brooke Fernandez
Next game: vs. Pomfret, Jan. 29, 2 p.m.
Deerfield drew back into the top 10 for the first time since Dec. 10. The Big Green have won three straight and are unbeaten in their last seven (6-0-1), a streak that includes wins over New Hampton and Choate as well as a tie with Exeter. They picked up three wins last week with 2-1 results over New Hampton and Choate and a 5-0 shutout of Taft. Campbell Krotee (Darien, Conn.) has been strong in the crease of late, while several key skaters have found a groove, too. Chloe Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.) scored both goals against New Hampton, while Olivia Austen (Darien, Conn.) and Sophie Frost each had a goal and an assist against Taft. Austen also scored versus Choate. Deerfield would be the second seed in the Large School tournament if the playoffs began today. They'll have a chance to keep rolling when they host Pomfret on Wednesday before a big battle at home versus Andover on Saturday.
10. Phillips Exeter (9-2-1)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Sally Komarek
Next game: at Tilton, 4:30 p.m.
Exeter dropped one spot after a 1-1-0 showing last week. They snuck past Holderness, 2-1, before falling short in a big litmus test at Nobles, losing 4-1. Maria Gray stayed hot with a goal and an assist versus Holderness and another goal against Nobles. She has points in seven straight and goals in four straight. Paisley Meyer also scored against Holderness. Currently, Exeter is the projected No. 1 seed in the Large School tournament. The schedule won't get easier, either. They'll visit red-hot Tilton on Wednesday before visiting Rivers on Friday. They'll also host Loomis Chaffee on Saturday. The coming weeks also feature matchups at Dexter and BB&N.
Dropped out:Â Rivers (8-3-1)
In the hunt: Rivers, Groton (8-3-2), New Hampton (8-5-2), Tabor (5-6-1), St. Paul's (9-7-1)
