Everything went about as expected in girls prep hockey last week.
It was the status quo as most of the top teams continued their strong performances, with Williston, Loomis Chaffee, Cushing, Nobles, and Phillips Andover running the table in the past seven days. Notably, BB&N struggled last week, including a key loss to New Hampton.
While no new teams did enough to crack the top 10, there was still some jockeying to keep track of in the rankings. The week ahead also offers several high-stakes matchups that will surely influence next week's rankings.
Let's dive in.
1. Williston Northampton (12-0-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Christa Talbot Syfu
Next game:Â at Dexter Southfield, Jan. 22, 4:45 p.m.
The Wildcats' run of perfection continued in a pair of wins. They outlasted Berkshire in a tight, 2-1 win before an 8-0 outburst against Frederick Gunn. Brenna Ziter (Williston, Vt.) found the back of the net in both wins, while Violet Carroll (Milton, Mass.) also scored against Berkshire. Mia Daley (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Nora Curtis each had a pair against Gunn, while Brooke Schlutter's breakout season continued with a hat trick. As I've mentioned before, the most impressive part about Williston's season so far is how easy the Wildcats are making it look against good, solid teams. Williston is also currently first in the RPI. They'll look to keep it up in a highly-anticipated matchup at Dexter Southfield on Wednesday before visiting Kent over the weekend.
2. Dexter Southfield (9-0-3)
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Maggie Taverna
Next game: vs. Williston Northampton, Jan. 22, 4:45 p.m.
The Shields stayed put at No. 2 after a 1-0-1 week kept them undefeated. Dexter settled for a tight, 2-2 draw at St. Paul's on Wednesday after leading 1-0 and 2-1, but they had a big response against Governor's over the weekend in a 5-0 win. Mackenzie Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.) was among the goalscorers against SPS, and she added a pair against Gov's. Before that win, the Shields had flirted with their first losses of the season between two overtime wins and a tie. With Evelyn Doyle (Needham, Mass.) and Alaina Dunn (Walpole, Mass.) back up to speed after the U18 Women's Worlds, Dexter is back at full strength, sitting No. 4 in the RPI. They'll be put to the test in a huge matchup when they host Williston on Wednesday before another difficult test against Thayer on Friday.
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3. Loomis Chaffee (10-1-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Liz Leyden
Next game: vs. Taft, Jan. 22, 2:30 p.m.
The Pelicans remained in the third spot after a pair of high-scoring wins. Loomis rolled to an 8-1 win on the road at Kent before returning home for a 7-1 triumph over Hotchkiss. Chloe Obser and Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) each had five-point games against Kent, and Obser and Megan Hosman each had three-point outings versus Hotchkiss. Loomis is currently No. 5 in the RPI. The Pelicans have a chance to keep the momentum going when they host Taft on Wednesday before a tough test at Tabor on Saturday.
4. Cushing (15-2-0)
Previous ranking: 5
Head coach: Valerie Bono-Bunker
Next game: vs. St. Paul's, Jan. 22, 4:45 p.m.
The Penguins picked up three more high-scoring wins over the last seven days, beating Austin Prep, 5-2, Hoosac, 9-3, and St. Mark's, 4-0. They're up to 82 total goals on the season with a plus-50 differential. The next closest team in total goals is Nobles at 61. Bella Freitas (Everett, Mass.) has taken over the NEPSAC scoring lead with 27 points (17 goals; tied first) in 17 games as Cushing's top line continues to hum right along. Brook Fallon (Bedford, N.H.) and Brooke Harb (Atkinson, N.H.) each had multi-point outings against Hoosac, too. The Penguins, who are third in the RPI, will face St. Paul's on Wednesday before Middlesex and Berkshire this weekend.
5. Nobles (10-3-0)
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Tom Resor
Next game: at Austin Prep, Jan. 22, 3:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs re-entered the top five after two more high-flying wins between an 11-1 drubbing of Middlesex and a 9-0 shutout of Mount Saint Charles before Monday's contest with Rivers was canceled. Nobles has put up nine or more goals in three of its last four games. Alexa Georgantas' (Foxboro, Mass.) big season continued with a five-point outing against Middlesex before she and Molly MacCurtain (Reading, Mass.) each had three points against Mount. Gretta Hulbig (Foxboro, Mass.) also had four points against Middlesex, while Calleigh Brown (Foxboro, Mass.) had four versus Mount. Nobles' depth has been on full display as six skaters have at least 16 points this season, while eight have at least five goals. Currently eighth in the RPI, they'll visit AP on Wednesday before hosting Phillips Exeter on Saturday.
BIG WIN: 12 standouts, takeaways from Loomis Chafee’s win over Kent
6. Thayer (10-0-2)
Previous ranking: 7
Head coach: Michael Flynn
Next game: at Tabor, Jan. 22, 5 p.m.
Thayer moved up to No. 6 after tying Milton Academy, 3-3, and beating Pingree, 7-1. Morgan McGathey (Braintree, Mass.) had a four-point game against Pingree, while Abby DeAnzeris (Needham, Mass.) and Kate Sullivan (Hingham, Mass.) each hat three points. Madeline Call (Dedham, Mass.) and Veronica Taylor (Hingham, Mass.) were among the goalscorers against Milton. The next three games offer tough tests for the Tigers, who are No. 2 in the RPI, be it trips to Tabor and Dexter this week or a home tilt against Rivers next Wednesday.
7. Phillips Andover (8-1-1)
Previous ranking: 8
Head coach: Martha Fenton
Next game: vs. Lawrence Academy, Jan. 22, 4:20 p.m.
Andover slid back up to No. 7 after rolling to an 11-0 win over Kimball Union and a 6-1 win over SPS. Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) helped author the offensive explosions with five points each against KUA, and both added a goal and an assist against St. Paul's. With Maggie and Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.) back in the mix after the U18 Women's Worlds, Andover has its full arsenal of weapons as it hits a pivotal stretch. The next three weeks will tell us a lot about the Big Blue, who sit seventh in the RPI, as they'll face tough challenges in Cushing, BB&N, Deerfield, Tabor and New Hampton over that span.
8. BB&N (7-2-1)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Ed Bourget
Next game: at Rivers, Jan. 22, 4 p.m.
The Knights tumbled out of the top five, all the way to No. 8. BB&N lost three straight last week in a 5-1 loss to New Hampton before dropping a pair of exhibitions at Stanstead College by way of 5-1 and 8-0 finals. Including the games at Stanstead, the Knights have scored fewer than two goals in four of their last five. They'll be thrown right back into the fire at Rivers on Wednesday before hosting St. Mark's on Saturday. BB&N is No. 9 in the RPI right now.
ANOTHER MEDAL: Strong showing for locals as Team USA earns silver at U18 Women’s Worlds
9. Phillips Exeter (8-1-1)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Sally Komarek
Next game: vs. Holderness, Jan. 22, 2:45 p.m.
Exeter remained at No. 9 after a 1-0-1 week. The Big Red took down Worcester Academy, 6-2, and tied Deerfield, 2-2. Maria Gray has come on strong of late with points in five straight and goals in four of five. She had four points (two goals) against Worcester before she and Erin Shu (Westwood, Mass.) each had a goal and an assist versus Deerfield. Paisley Meyer (Greenland, N.H.) scored a pair against Worcester, too. Exeter, who ranks sixth in the RPI, has a chance to return to the win column when they host Holderness on Wednesday before a key matchup at Nobles on Saturday.
10. Rivers (8-3-1)
Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Keith McLean
Next game: vs. BB&N, Jan. 22, 4 p.m.
Like Exeter, Rivers also stayed put after a 1-0-1 showing last week. They took care of Brooks, 4-0, before settling for a 1-1 tie against St. George's. Four different skaters found the back of the net against Brooks, including Nora Swaim (Concord, Mass.) and Lindsay Morin (Weston, Mass.), and Izzy Cusack (Canton, Mass.) had two assists. Kate Hayes (Wellesley, Mass.) scored the lone goal against St. George's. The Red Wings, currently No. 10 in the RPI, will hit a tough stretch to close out January when they host BB&N on Wednesday. They'll also face Groton, Thayer and Exeter over the next week-plus.
In the hunt: Groton (6-2-2), New Hampton (6-4-2), St. George’s (8-4-1), Deerfield (7-3-2), Frederick Gunn (9-4-0), Tabor (5-4-2), Berkshire (6-4-2)
