Phillips Exeter is on the upswing.
The Big Red reached the Large School tournament for the second straight season in 2024-25, falling to eventual runner-up Tabor, 2-1, as the No. 4 seed in the quarterfinals to finish 14-9-2.
"I feel like last year was a really strong year for our program, just in terms of the level of play, but also really continuing to kind of have one of our core components be our team culture," head coach Sally Komarek said. "It was just a lot of fun and hard work. I think those two things kind of sum up last season for me."
It was a step forward from the previous season, which featured a 12-12-2 finish and a 4-0 loss to Dexter Southfield in the Large School quarterfinals. The 2023-24 postseason also marked the first time Exeter had made the playoffs since 2009.
This core now has two years of playoff hockey and vital experience down the stretch on its resume. It also means they have plenty of motivation.
"They also have two years of disappointment and a bitter taste in their mouths that they are not going to forget, and they're going to let that fuel them through the regular season and into the playoffs," Komarek said. "I feel really fortunate to have a strong group of returners that have that hunger but also that maturity and understanding of what it takes to be a playoff hockey team."
Last season marked the highest win total Exeter has finished with since Komarek took over in 2018. Since 2022, the Big Red have steadily improved season to season.
So, what will it take for Exeter to continue that trend this winter?
Plenty of high-end skill
Seven of Exeter's eight leading scorers return from last winter.
At the forefront of that list is a vaunted top line of Division 1 commits between Maria Gray, Paisley Meyer (Greenland, N.H.) and Erin Sears (Cornwall, Vt.). Gray, a Vermont commit, was one of prep's top scorers last season with 40 points (18 goals). Meyer, who is committed to Yale, finished with 31 points (12 goals), while Sears, a Northeastern commit, had 29 points (13 goals).
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"I absolutely think there's another level they can find," she said. "I kind of sat down with them as a trio at the start of this school year, and we talked about the possibilities that exist for them, but also the reality that it's going to take a lot of hard work and that I want to have in my back pocket the ability to split them up and have hopefully two super lines if we need to get to that point."
The line came away from that sit-down with some homework to help grow their game and collective hockey IQ as a unit.
"I told the three of them, 'I want you to watch college hockey together and really study and analyze the game,' because the skill level with the three of them is there, and they have this incredibly unique opportunity," Komarek said. "Sure, they're all Division 1 commits, but they have the possibility to play with each other for the third year in a row. You don't really see that in high school or college, really, for a trio to be that familiar with one another."
That skill, attention to detail and high-end sense, in turn, translates to the rest of the team.
"They make everyone better," Komarek said. "Seeing that skill and that strong hockey IQ helps rub off on younger players and helps them see this is what it takes in terms of the hard work, the discipline and the details. That part is really great to have with three very mature D1 commits at forward, and they're very excited to come bring everyone up with them. In practice, it makes you so much better to go against those three as a line."
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Not to be forgotten among the exciting Division 1 commits is defender Grace Riley.
The UConn commit had 14 points (four goals) on the blue line in her debut season at Exeter last year. The Valley Jr. Warriors standout has a chance to break out as a senior in prep.
"She's one of the strongest kids on campus, that's what our strength coaches say," Komarek said. "The dynamism she has as a player, both in terms of her excellent offense and shutdown defense, we're really ready for her to take it to the next level."
A heavy home schedule will give Exeter a leg up with having the last change, affording the Big Red the chance to deploy Riley in key spots along with the top line.
Komarek hopes Riley's two-way acumen will set a strong example for other blue-liners, too.
"She's an offensive threat whenever she's on the ice," Komarek said. "I think helping show our other defenders, like, 'Jump in the play. Go for it.' With Grace, she's happy to take it end-to-end, but she's also happy to jump into the rush as the third or fourth player. So, it's those kinds of things, leading by example."
Opportunity afoot
Outside of the headliners up front and on the blue line, Exeter has the luxury of bringing back a sizable group of returners.
Sophomores Dominique Reiher and Clara Cary (Danvers, Mass.) headline that list. Each scored three goals, while Cary had nine points and Reiher had eight points. They'll aim to hit the ground running after strong finishes to last season.
"They really came into their own in late February," Komarek said. "They're starting this season kind of where they ended their ninth-grade seasons, which I think is really exciting for our program, that they're finding their scoring touch but also playing well defensively."
The Big Red will also look to forwards like sophomore June Koh, junior Kiera Dowd (Concord, Mass.) and senior Bowdoin commit Charlotte Wright (Belmont, Mass.). Newcomers like Riley Choi and Katie Jin will enter the fold, too.
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"We're really excited for (Wright) to have a strong season for us. She's got such great length and physicality that can really make it hard for opposing teams," Komarek said. "(Dowd and Koh) are kids that absolutely forecheck hard and really pressure."
On the blue line, Komarek is eager to get Samantha Crowley back in the mix after she missed last season due to ACL surgery.
"She is such an elite player, kind of similar to (Riley), in her ability to also push the play offensively and always jamming up wings on the breakout," Komarek said. "She's very good at anticipating and using her body and her stick to break up those plays. I'm so thrilled to have her back in the lineup."
Others, like senior Trinity commit Mia Griffith and senior Laney Fortney, will be mature presences on the blue line, while sophomores Camryn Wild and Eliot McCarthy (Somerville, Mass.) will aim to build on key experience as freshmen. The Big Red will also welcome junior Olivia Lee as well as freshman Claudia Navrat (Falmouth, Maine).
One main question mark lies in net after graduating Allie Bell (Rowley, Mass.).
The Big Red, however, are confident in the three netminders they have entering the season between returning juniors Lily Sabol and Ellen Orr as well as postgrad Eva Mai Whyte (Natick, Mass.).
Sabol posted an .896 save percentage in limited minutes behind Bell last season, while Orr is returning from ACL surgery.
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"(Sabol) has been playing awesome hockey this summer and fall, and she's just really kind of elevated her play," Komarek said.
Whyte, meanwhile, was a force for BB&N last season, posting a .926 save percentage and helping the Knights reach the Elite 8 semifinals.
"She really showed what she was capable of last year down the stretch for BB&N," Komarek said.
All three goalies play different styles. You have a big presence in the 5-foot-10 Sabol, while the smaller Whyte brings athleticism and high compete. Meanwhile, Orr is "the most competitive, gritty kid you've ever met," in Komarek's eyes.
She wants each of them to push each other.
"I've told them and even college coaches that I want them to make me lose sleep at night," Komarek said. "I want them to make it so hard for me to figure out who we're going to play ... because I know they're all capable of being really impactful goaltenders in our league. That's a great opportunity to have as a program."
Staying hungry
Building on the success of the last two seasons is easier said than done. Komarek knows her group needs to continue to prove itself.
"I really want our team to have the same grit, hunger and underdog mentality," Komarek said. "Complacency is your biggest enemy, and that's something that we really hate in our program."
Exeter last won a NEPSAC title in 2000. It's been at least 16 years since the Big Red last won a playoff game (the NEPSAC's available online brackets do not extend beyond 2009).
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"We're going to expect a lot out of the kids," Komarek said. "I don't have certain expectations in terms of wins and losses, but I do think you if you do the work, you find success. ... Helping our kids stay committed to that process and know that it's going to pay off in late February and early March, that's the target we have.
"It's a long season, and there are a lot of great teams we're going to play. If we allow ourselves to play hard and learn from the experience of every single game, that's going to have some big payoffs for us in the end."
