Groton is looking to take the next step.
The Zebras are coming off a second straight season of 17 wins and a repeat Small School championship appearance.
They're also coming off a repeat loss to New Hampton in the final game of the season.
"[New Hampton coach] Greg Churchill's kind of got us two years in a row with that group," Groton coach Tim LeRoy said. "We've learned a lot."
But momentum is on the program's side as it enters its fifth year with LeRoy at the helm. Without a 2021 season due to COVID, the Zebras went 8-5-5 in LeRoy's first campaign in 2022, following a 4-17-0 record in 2020. Since that first season, Groton has become a rising NEPSAC force.
There have been runs at the Small School tournament crown, and they pushed for an Elite 8 spot last season.
"We started four or five years ago kind of at the bottom, and we had to work our way up," LeRoy said. "That first run where we had a good season, we knew we had the kids in place to get us pretty far, but we didn't know how far we'd go. Last year, we had similar expectations but even higher goals. That disappointment hit harder last year, losing that game, but the realization was also like, 'We can do this. We can compete with the best and be in this situation every year.'"
Those losses are serving as learning experiences for the Zebras entering this season.
"I think this is going to be one of our toughest years because we're going to push the kids to be above where they even were last year," LeRoy said "They're hungry for it. They want a different outcome when it comes to March.
"The past couple years, Groton has been that up-and-coming team. Now, teams are going to be prepared for us every single time we step in the rink. We have to have that different focus, and we can't just show up and win games. Teams are going to come play hard against us."
Strong core leads up front
Few teams have the luxury of running it back with the same top line from the previous season. The Zebras, however, are one of those teams.
Leading the way for LeRoy's squad will be the trio of Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.), Maddie Cronan (Ashland, Mass.) and Jaelyn Trudell (Andover, Mass.).
"I think any coach is always happy when your core group comes back," LeRoy said. "They have experience. They've played in some high-level, big games for us."
Cronan, a Colgate commit, is a tenacious, hard-nosed forward entering her senior season, but she's got plenty of skill as well, coming off back-to-back point-per-game campaigns under her belt. She's coming off a 15-goal, 45-point season as a junior.
Trudell, meanwhile, set career highs across the board in 26 games as a sophomore last season with 10 goals and 22 points.
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Centering the pair is Scalese, who recently committed to Princeton. The shifty junior has been a point-per-game player and led Groton in scoring in each of her previous three seasons. She's coming off her best showing yet with 51 points (25 goals) in 26 games, good enough for third in the NEPSAC in points and fourth in goals.
"They're ready, they're prepared and they like to play with each other," LeRoy said. "So, I think it makes things a bit easier. It's exciting to think about."
The Zebras graduated just one of their forwards from last season. The depth remains in place for LeRoy's group. Among the supporting cast is Hazel Hughes (Lancaster, Mass.), a recent Hamilton commit, who arrived at Groton last season after a stop at Worcester Academy. She had 14 points and set a new high with seven tallies in 2023-24.
"She's taken some huge steps forward," LeRoy said.
Opportunity in net and on defense
The biggest losses Groton must account for are those of No. 1 defender Keira Ley (Wayland, Mass.), who is beginning her freshman season at Harvard, and stout goaltender Veronika Hadamovsky (Groton, Mass.), the reigning NEPSAC Small School Co-Player of the Year.
Much of the responsibility in net is expected to fall to Nora Wilson (Weybridge, Vt.). The sophomore spent the last two seasons backing up Hadamovsky. In a very limited sample last season, she posted a .950 save percentage, stopping 21 of 22 shots.
Safe to say, it'll be a big step up for Wilson.
"Nora's filling a big hole for Veronika, but she's ready for the net," LeRoy said. "She's getting good experience with the East Coast Wizards right now, so she's going to be in a good spot to help us.
"She understood her role the past couple of years. Veronika never really had any letdown, so it was kind of her net the whole time. But Nora competed in practices, and she worked hard. ... She's tough, she wants to compete, she wants those big games and she's going to get them this year. She's ready, and she's playing at a high level right now."
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Accounting for Ley, the Zebras bring back three of their top four defenders, including Sydney Nelson (Lowell, Mass.) and Jamie Noonan (East Bridgewater, Mass.). Each will be coming off strong offseasons — Noonan with the Mass. Spitfires U16s and Nelson with the Boston Americans U19s.
Noonan made USA Hockey's Select 16/17 camp. A speedy puck-mover, LeRoy believes her stock is on the rise.
"Her skating is some of the best on our team," LeRoy said. "She's such a smooth skater with the puck, and she can escape pretty well from tough situations. She's gaining that confidence and just getting better and better."
Meanwhile, Nelson, who skated on a pair with Ley the last few seasons, will take on a bigger role. LeRoy said he expects her to step up and lead the defense.
"Syd is so consistent," he said "She wins battles, makes the right plays in the defensive zone. She's getting better with her confidence. For me, I'm a big fan of defenders who keep it easy and limit their mistakes. Syd is one of those kids ."
Friedholm headlines newcomers
Tasked with slotting into Ley's do-it-all role is Tatum Friedholm (Sudbury, Mass.).
The rangy left-shot defender enters the fold after putting up 22 points (eight goals) in 22 MIAA games as a freshman blue-liner at Lincoln-Sudbury last season. Groton has high expectations for Friedholm, a 2009 who stands at 5-foot-9, currently playing with the Assabet Valley U16s. She's tabbed to quarterback the top power play and take on high-level minutes.
"I think with her size and her strength — that's such a key piece to our blue line — it's an easy transition for her," LeRoy said. "She loves those high-level games. I think that's what she really thrives in. Her presence is going to be strong. ... There are a lot of key attributes between her and Keira with how they play and how they compete. From a coaching side of things, it's a nice transition to get her in the locker room and on the ice.
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Entering the mix up front is another Assabet prospect, Ella DeAngelis-Gray (Longmeadow, Mass.), the only forward Groton brings in this season. LeRoy has high hopes for her ability to contribute in a checking role right away, which will add some competition further down the lineup.
"She's going to be a good one," he said. "She works hard and is a very defensive-minded forward who competes. I think she's going to help pull that third line up a little bit and give that line skill but also toughness."
Another newcomer to keep an eye on is netminder Maggie Whelden (Sandwich, Mass.), who arrives to Groton after skating with Sandwich High last season. Whelden, who will back up Wilson, has impressed with the Bay State Breakers U16s.
"I love having good goalies in our program," LeRoy said. "I think they're going to push each other in a really good way. It's what you want. You want a good goalie competition on your team. Nora is gonna be the front-runner, but it's nice to have Maggie there to learn from her and also to kind of develop as well over the next couple of years."
