Phillips Andover was right there last season.
After toppling defending champion No. 4 Nobles in the Elite 8 quarterfinals and top-seeded Williston in the semis, the No. 5 Big Blue came oh-so-close against No. 2 Loomis Chaffee in the championship, falling 5-3 to finish 17-5-4.
"I felt like our team competed at every level last year," Andover coach Martha Fenton said. "They won some really big games in really big moments, and while we did fall short in that final game, they put themselves in a position all year to be competitive with the way that they played. I was super proud of last season."
While Andover graduated some vital skaters, including defender Molly Boyle (Scituate, Mass.) and forwards Peyton Kennedy (Sudbury, Mass.) and Emily Mara (Winchester, Mass.), the Big Blue remain well-positioned to compete at a high level once again with a strong crop of returning upperclassmen.
"There's no question that those girls leave really big gaps," Fenton said. "I feel like the kids, who have played with them and benefitted from that example that they set, are now in a really good position to fill in, both leadership-wise and production-wise."
So, what is the Big Blue's path to another season of Elite 8 contention?
An experienced blue line
Of the seven seniors that Andover graduated, Boyle was the lone defender. She's now starring as a first-year on Yale's blue line.
"We're pretty solid on the blue line, for sure," Fenton said.
Junior defender Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) remains one of the headliners on the back end. The 5-foot-11 Princeton commit had 22 points (12 goals) on the blue line last winter. She'll be in the spotlight even more this season.
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"We'll look to Maggie for her physical play and her game sense," Fenton said. "Her experience is unmatched."
Critical, too, is the experience of senior Sarah Lackley (Andover, Mass.), a Colby commit. She posted five assists last season.
"She's ready to step into more time," Fenton said.
The Big Blue also have high hopes for a sizable core of junior defenders aside from Averill. Juniors Kimee Duplessis (Framingham, Mass.) and Sienna Glass (Andover, Mass.) saw increased responsibilities last season, and likely will again this year. Duplessis posted 14 points (five goals) last season. Glass had four points (two goals).
Andover is also adding dynamic junior Sienna DeAngelis to the mix. A former standout at Trinity Hall in New Jersey, DeAngelis currently skates with the 19U East Coast Wizards.
"I expect she'll really help us," Fenton said. "With that crew, I think we're going to be in a good place."
Several young players will have even greater opportunities to prove themselves, too, like sophomores Vanessa Hall (Saugus, Mass.), Al Hartmann and Maya Kou.
The defensive experience will be key for the Big Blue as they look to see who separates themselves in the crease.
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When starting goalie Avery Rodeheffer (New Haven, Conn.) got injured and junior Codi Pickering (Falmouth, Mass.) took a leave from the team last season, Andover was left with two freshmen controlling the crease in Marie Lee (Southborough, Mass.) and Lauren Kennedy (Sudbury, Mass.).
Both Lee and Kennedy saw key playing time, especially the former, who led the postseason run and finished with a .924 save percentage.
With Pickering, Lee and Kennedy all back in the fold this season, Fenton expects plenty of competition for the net.
"(Lee and Kennedy) were both ready for it and fired up for it (last season). That was a great thing for us," Fenton said. "I expect all of them to battle for it. It's definitely anybody's net to win, so I'm not predicting anything there. I'm grateful that we have that depth, and they'll be able to push each other."
High-end talent remains up front
Andover graduated five forwards, including two top-six stalwarts in Kennedy, now a freshman with Middlebury, and Mara, a freshman at Boston College.
But four of the Big Blue's skaters from their top six last season are back in the mix.
At the forefront of that group is BC commit Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Princeton commit Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.). Powers tied for the team lead in goals last season (14) as part of a 26-point campaign. Averill had 17 points (five goals).
Northeastern commit Lilly McInerney (North Reading, Mass.) and Cornell commit Keira Bruen (West Roxbury, Mass.) are part of that continuity up front, too.
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Fenton expects the four skilled seniors to pick up right where they left off as they take on even more leadership.
"They've all had significant playing time for the last few years, so I'm confident that those kids and the supporting cast around them will be able to step into that," Fenton said. "Our senior class who graduated ... the compete level that those kids brought to every practice, not just games, but the level that they demanded of themselves and each other in practice, that's what these girls are stepping into."
Fenton believes they're up to the task, along with Lackley on the back end, as well as other senior forwards like Maddie Greenwood (Duxbury, Mass.) and Carly Greer.
"I definitely think they're ready for it," Fenton said. "It's that group of seven that, combined, brings a lot to this team. This senior class will be really important to our success this year."
The ultimate goal
Andover is perennially a premier contender in New England girls prep hockey. This winter, the expectation remains the same.
"It's obviously such a strong league, and the parity I feel like just keeps getting better and better," Fenton said. "We play a really strong schedule throughout. We've added Groton and Thayer this year, so those are good adds for us with more competitive games.
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"So, any time we can be putting ourselves in a position to be playing in March, that's a successful season."
But Fenton knows, at the end of the day, success is measured by more than just the wins and losses.
"For me, it's always going to be about the experience that the kids have," she said. "It's always going to be about, can they look back on the season, be proud of what they did, be able to say that we got better every day and be able to say that they had fun? That's huge for me."
