We're just two weeks from the postseason in girls prep hockey.
The last week featured some massive results, whether it be Phillips Andover's win over Williston, BB&N and Groton battling Nobles to ties, Tabor beating St. Paul's or Choate beating Loomis.
It all led to Andover re-entering the top 3 for the first time since before the holidays, and Tabor returned to the top 10 for the first time since last month. Meanwhile, the top two teams, Nobles and Williston remain the same.
Some big-time matchups remain over the next week, especially as teams continue to jockey for seeding and push for the Elite 8.
Let's dive into this week's rankings.
1. Nobles (20-0-3)
Previous rank: 1
Head coach: Tom Resor
Next game: vs. Phillips Andover, Feb. 14, 3:15 p.m.
Nobles remains undefeated, but not after a couple of close calls. The Bulldogs fought to a scoreless tie with Groton last week, came back to tie BB&N, 1-1, and took care of Hill School with a 4-1 win. Olivia Maffeo (Canton, Mass.) continued her hot streak with the equalizer against BB&N before a pair of goals against Hill. Nobles' track record as the top team this season speaks for itself, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy on them heading into the tournament. This week they face Andover, Thayer and Tabor, with each looking to hand them their first loss.
2. Williston (16-2-1)
Previous rank: 2
Head coach: Christa Talbot Syfu
Next game: vs. Worcester, Feb. 14, 4 p.m.
Williston sustained just its second loss of the season, falling to Andover, 1-0, in a rematch of last year's Elite 8 championship. The loss came in back-breaking fashion, giving up the game-winner with two minutes left in regulation. The Wildcats still picked up a big 3-0 win over Choate last week, though. Caroline Aufiero (Belmont, Mass.) was among three different goal-scorers against the Wild Boars. Williston has a chance to get back on track against Worcester before a big tilt with Loomis Chaffee.
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3. Phillips Andover (15-3-1)
Previous rank: 4
Head coach: Martha Fenton
Next game: at Nobles, Feb. 14, 3:15 p.m.
Andover is the hottest team in the NEPSAC right now. The Big Blue have ripped off 10 straight wins, including victories over BB&N, Deerfield, Tabor and New Hampton in that stretch. Their most impressive result of this run came this weekend in a 1-0 revenge win over Williston. Sarah Powers' (Lynnfield, Mass.) excellent season continued when she scored the winner against Williston on a strong drive to the net off the rush. She's tied her goal total (nine) from last season and surpassed her points total (16), now up to 18 in 19 games this season. Andover gets its biggest test yet when it visits Nobles this week.
4. Loomis Chaffee (16-4-1)
Previous rank: 3
Head coach: Liz Leyden
Next game: vs. Lawrenceville, Feb. 14, 5 p.m.
The Pelicans took down Cushing, 2-1, but fell in a rematch with Choate, 2-1. The loss ended their five-game win streak and 16-game unbeaten streak (15-0-1). It won't get any easier for Loomis, either. After they try to right the ship against Lawrenceville, they'll host Williston. The regular season wraps up with visits to Andover and Deerfield, too.
5. Deerfield (16-3-2)
Previous rank: 5
Head coach: Brooke Fernandez
Next game: vs. Cushing, Feb. 14, 3 p.m.
Deerfield tied Westminster, 2-2, before getting back on track with a 3-1 win over Berkshire. It snapped a three-game winless streak (0-2-1) for the Big Green. Sophomore forward Peyton Wierl scored a pair of goals in the win, her third and fourth of the season to tie her total from last year. Deerfield faces a pesky Cushing team this week before hosting Hotchkiss over the weekend.
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6. Kent (9-3-2)
Previous rank: 8
Head coach: Sam Ftorek
Next game: at Hotchkiss, Feb. 14, 4 p.m.
Kent is firmly out of their skid with four straight wins. They took care of business against Canterbury, 6-2, and Millbrook, 4-3, last week. After a dry spell offensively, the Lions have scored at least four goals in each of these last four games, averaging five per game during the streak. Kent's biggest names had huge weeks, between Mia Montanari's (East Hampton, Conn.) three goals, Renee Bishop's five points and Megan Duplantie's three points. The Lions will visit Hotchkiss before finishing the regular season next week.
7. Choate (14-6-0)
Previous rank: 6
Head coach: Laura DiCarlo
Next game: at Berkshire, Feb. 14, 4 p.m.
Choate fell to Williston, 3-0, but bounced back in a huge way with a 2-1 win over Loomis. Maggie Swanson (Fairfield, Conn.) and Alison Giebler came through with goals against the Pelicans. The Wild Boars' schedule over these next two weeks offers a chance to build momentum heading into the tournaments. They'll visit Berkshire, Taft and Hotchkiss before hosting Cushing.
8. St. Paul's (13-7-0)
Previous rank: 7
Head coach: Kelli Mackey
Next game: vs. Exeter, Feb. 14, 3 p.m.
St. Paul's outlasted New Hampton in a 1-0 win, thanks in part to goalie Ally Martiniello (Salem, NH) before falling to Tabor, 2-0, last week. Cami Bell (Barre, Vt.) came through in the third period against New Hampton, scoring top-shelf for her 19th goal of the season. The Big Red have a busy week ahead as they search for a bounce-back win. They'll host Exeter before visiting Tilton.
9. Tabor (13-6-3)
Previous rank: NR
Head coach: Eric Long
Next game: at BB&N, Feb. 14, 5 p.m.
Tabor is picking up steam with four straight wins and six in their last seven (6-0-1). They bookended the 2-0 win against SPS with a pair of 6-1 wins, one at Middlesex and the other over Governor's. Senior Ayla Abban (Duxbury, Mass.) is enjoying a career season, she leads the way offensively with 16 goals and 24 points in 22 games. Lizzy Greeley (Hyde Park, Mass.; eight goals) and Adeline Paskowski (Plymouth, Mass.; five goals) also have at least 20 points, too.
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10. Groton (13-5-2)
Previous rank: 10
Head coach: Tim LeRoy
Next game: at Brooks, Feb. 14, 3:30 p.m.
The Zebras skated to a scoreless tie with Nobles in their lone game this week. Veronika Hadamovsky (Groton, Mass.) was stellar, making 40 saves against the Bulldogs. Groton visits Brooks and St. George's this week before wrapping the regular season against Thayer and St. Mark's next week.
Dropped out: Westminster (14-7-2)
Previous rank: 9
Head coach: Sara Ugalde
Next game: vs. Taft, Feb. 14, 2:30 p.m.
Westminster went 1-1-1 on the week, tying Deerfield, losing to Canterbury and beating Frederick Gunn. They'd still be in the top 10 if not for Tabor's heater. Olivia Gordon (Avon, Conn.) led the bounceback against Gun with a hat trick. The Martlets can build momentum with home games against Taft, Berkshire and Lawrenceville on the horizon. They'll visit Kent in the regular season finale next week.
In the hunt: Westminster, New Hampton (12-5-5), Thayer (14-6-2), BB&N (10-7-2)
