Not much changed in our first in-season girls prep rankings last week.
That certainly wasn't the case this week.
For the second time this season, there's a new No. 1 team as part of a top-three shuffle. There was plenty of turnover from Nos. 5 through 10 as well, with plenty of movement and a new team in the top 10, St. Paul's.
There will undoubtedly be more change after this week's holiday tournaments. With deep fields across the board, there will be plenty of terrific head-to-head matchups to catch. We'll get a glimpse at who may or may not be for real this season.
As always, the Patsy K. Odden and Harrington Invitationals are among the top slates to watch. I've also got my eye on the Edward G. Watkins Invitational and the Dexter Southfield Holiday Tournament, in particular.
In the meantime, we've got a lot to get to in this week's top 10.
Let's dive in.
1. Williston Northampton (2-0-0)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Christa Talbot Syfu
Next game: vs. St. Mark's, Dec. 19, 3:30 p.m. (Harrington Invitational)
Williston moved up to the top spot after picking up a top-five win against Cushing last Wednesday. Senior Brenna Ziter (Williston, Vt.), sophomore Ava Carr (Medway, Mass.) and senior Yasmine McKenzie (Holden, Mass.) each scored in the 3-0 win over the then-No. 5 Penguins, while freshman Olivia Arsenault pitched a shutout in her first start. The Wildcats' last tune-up before they defend their Harrington Tournament title was a scrimmage against Northwood, a 4-1 loss. Senior Zola Piekarski (Concord, Mass.) scored. Williston will face St. Mark's, St. Paul's and Milton Academy during group play at the Harrington.
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Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Tom Resor
Next game: vs. BB&N, Dec. 19, 9:30 a.m. (Harrington Invitational)
Nobles slid up one spot after a 3-0-0 week, outscoring opponents 20-2 across three games. The Bulldogs took down St. Mark's, 6-1, behind two goals apiece for senior Rachel Zhao (Westwood, Mass.) and sophomore Francie Ames (Brookline, Mass.). Nobles followed it up with a dominant, 12-0 showing against Mount St. Charles. Zhao had a hat trick and senior Julia Krepelka (Arlington, Mass.) had a pair as the Bulldogs had nine different goal-scorers. They followed it up with a 2-1 win at Choate, erasing a 1-0 hole, thanks to Zhao and junior Ava Decourcey (Rockland, Mass.). The Bulldogs are rolling as they enter the Harrington, where they'll face BB&N, Westminster and Lawrence Academy in group play.
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Martha Fenton
Next game: vs. Austin Prep, Dec. 16, 4 p.m.
Andover slid two spots after settling for a 2-2 draw with then-No. 6 Dexter Southfield on Saturday. Seniors Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Lilly McInerney (North Reading, Mass.) each scored in the tie as the Big Blue came back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. Andover will host Austin Prep before taking on Choate, Taft and No. 5 Tabor in the Round Robin portion of the Patsy K. Odden Invitational. The Big Blue have made it to three straight championship games at the PKO, winning in 2022 and 2023.
4. Loomis Chaffee (3-1-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Liz Leyden
Next game: vs. Lawrenceville, Dec. 18, 11:15 a.m. (Patsy K. Odden Invitational)
Loomis stayed put at No. 4, bouncing back from a tough loss to Nobles with a trio of wins. The Pelicans took down then-No. 7 Deerfield in a 3-1 win before a resounding 10-0 thumping of Canterbury. They also shut out Westminster, 6-0, on Monday. Senior Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) had three points (two goals) against Deerfield before a four-point showing, including a hat trick, at Canterbury. Freshman Scarlett Robertson (Fairfield, Conn.) scored her first two prep goals against Canterbury, and junior Alexine Beaulieu (Hudson, N.H.) had a pair as well. Loomis will look to defend its PKO tournament title this week, facing Lawrenceville, Kent and Hotchkiss in the Round Robin.
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5. Tabor (4-0-0)
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: Eric Long
Next game: at Taft, Dec. 18, 9:30 a.m. (Patsy K. Odden Invitational)
The Seawolves jumped into the top five after picking up a trio of quality wins. Sophomore Dawson Styles (South Hamilton, Mass.) was the hero in a 3-2 overtime win over then-No. 9 Rivers, scoring the game-winner as part of a two-goal effort. After a 3-0 shutout at Lawrence Academy, Tabor benefitted from four different goal-scorers in a 4-1 win over Groton, including senior Jen Birolini (Pembroke, Mass.) and sophomore Sofia Nardelli (Cranston, R.I.). The Seawolves will have a big opportunity to make noise at the PKO tournament, facing Taft, Choate and Andover in Round Robin action.
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Maggie Taverna
Next game: vs. Nichols School, Dec. 19, 12 p.m. (Dexter Southfield Holiday Tournament)
Dexter stayed put at No. 6 after going 1-0-1 on the week. They took down Pomfret, 3-0, before settling for the tie with Andover. Freshman Finley Kolaric (Quincy, Mass.) scored in both games, giving herself two on the season after scoring once in her seventh and eighth-grade seasons. Maggie Lovering (Scituate, Mass.) also scored versus Andover, while eighth-grader Abby Loring and senior Sawyer Merrill (Hingham, Mass.) each scored versus Pomfret. Dexter will have a tough road in group play of its holiday tournament, facing Nichols on Friday before taking on Thayer and Deerfield on Saturday.
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Brandy Fisher-Bailey
Next game: vs. Worcester Academy, Dec. 18, 4:30 p.m. (Watkins Invitational)
The Penguins slid two spots after splitting their games last week. After being shut out by Williston, Cushing responded with a 2-1 win over a tough Governor's team on the road. Sophomore Bella Freitas (Everett, Mass.) and junior Lyla Rahn (Stratham, N.H.) scored against Gov's. The Penguins will host the Edward G. Watkins Invitational this week, kicking things off against Worcester Academy on Thursday.
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Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Brooke Fernandez
Next game: vs. Thayer, Dec. 19, 6 p.m. (Dexter Southfield Holiday Tournament)
The Big Green dropped one spot after taking their first loss of the season in a 2-1-0 week. After falling to No. 4 Loomis Chaffee, Deerfield bounced back with a 3-1 win at Millbrook and a 3-1 win against BB&N. Seniors Peyton Wierl and Chloe Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.) each had a goal and an assist versus BB&N. Wierl was also among three different goal-scorers versus Millbrook, along with sophomore Nicole Sciarretta and junior Olivia Austen (Darien, Conn.). The Big Green will have its hands full against Thayer, Nichols and Dexter in group play at the Dexter Southfield Holiday Tournament.
Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Sally Komarek
Next game: at Lawrence Academy, Dec. 17, 3:30 p.m.
Exeter moved back to No. 9 after a 2-0-1 week at the Exeter Invitational. The Big Red took care of Brewster, 4-2, and Kimball Union, 5-0, before tying Hill School, 1-1. The top line continued its ridiculous pace as senior Maria Gray had a hat trick against KUA before scoring against Hill School, while junior Paisley Meyer (Greenland, N.H.) had two goals against Brewster and four points (one goal) against KUA. Senior Erin Sears (Cornwall, Vt.) had a five-assist weekend, including two each against Brewster and KUA. Exeter will head to Lawrence Academy on Wednesday for one final matchup before the holiday break.
10. St. Paul's (4-0-1)
Previous rankings: NR
Head coach: Kelli Mackey
Next game: vs. Milton Academy, Dec. 19, 1:30 p.m. (Harrington Invitational)
The Big Red cracked the top 10 for the first time this season after a three-shutout week. They bounced back from a 4-2 loss to then-No. 3 Williston in their second game of the season on Dec. 6, which followed a 10-3 win over Brewster on Dec. 3.
SPS got it done last week with a 7-0 win over Lawrence Academy, a 1-0 win at Middlesex and a 5-0 win over Holderness. Sophomore Maddie Allen scored twice against Holderness, while senior Chelsea Bell (Barre, Vt.) had a goal and an assist. Sophomore Maddy Humber (Concord, Mass.) was the hero against Middlesex after scoring versus Lawrence, while freshman Kelsey MacPherson (Hopkinton, Mass.) had a goal and an assist against LA before adding assists against Middlesex and Holderness. Junior Erin Flaherty (Boston, Mass.) also had a pair against Lawrence. Senior Tess Mulkerron also scored against Holderness and Lawrence.
The Big Red's offense is humming right now, sitting second in prep with 25 total goals. They'll look to keep rolling at the Harrington, facing Milton, Williston and St. Mark's in group play.
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Dropped out: Rivers (1-1-0)
In the hunt: Rivers, Governor's (4-1-1), Thayer (2-1-1), Groton (2-2-0), New Hampton (2-3-0), Taft (2-1-0), Choate (1-1-0), Frederick Gunn (4-2-1), Berkshire (1-1-0), Kent (1-1-0)
