It's time for everyone's favorite: predictions.
The girls Elite 8 begins on Wednesday. Each team has a shot this season.
There's Loomis Chaffee, ready to begin its title defense, while Nobles is gunning for its second title in three seasons. You've also got perennial contenders like Phillips Andover and Williston firmly in the hunt, too. That's not to mention Dexter Southfield, Deerfield, Tabor or St. Paul's.
Two years ago, I went a perfect 7-for-7 in my Elite 8 predictions. Last year went fine, as I went 5-for-7. I missed picking against Andover in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. This year, I'm ready to bat 1.000 again.
The quarterfinals could go chalk just as easily as they could feature some upsets. I went back and forth on some matchups.
So what’ll it be? Let’s get into the predictions.
No. 1 Nobles vs. No. 8 St. Paul's
A No. 1 vs. 8 matchup shouldn't feel this close, but bear with me. You've got the two top offenses in prep with Nobles posting 130 total goals and St. Paul's following with 124. There's no shortage of scoring threats on either side, and both have reliable goaltending, whether it's Yale commit Annika Jonas (Weston, Mass.) for Nobles or Paige MacPhee for St. Paul's.
Nobles boasts the most productive player in prep in Francie Ames (Brookline, Mass.), who put up 61 points and 25 goals in the regular season. That's not to mention linemates like Princeton commit Lily Bromley (Carlisle, Mass.) and Rachel Zhao (Westwood, Mass.), plus Catherine McCool (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Yale commit Gretta Hulbig (Foxboro, Mass.). Yale commit Ava Decourcey (Rockland, Mass.) and Nora Shea (Braintree, Mass.) are capable of driving offense from the back end, too.
GIRLS BRACKET BREAKDOWNS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
For the Big Red, Boston University commit Erin Flaherty (Boston, Mass.) leads a stable of producers up front with 31 points (23 goals), along with Middlebury commit Chelsea Bell (Barre, Vt.), Kelsey MacPherson (Hopkinton, Mass.), Maddy Allen and SUNY Plattsburgh commit Tess Mulkerron (Concord, N.H.). Maddy Humber (Concord, Mass.) and Brown commit Maggie Berleth (Manchester, N.H.) can also provide offense from the blue line.
The edge for Nobles likely comes down to depth and experience. The Bulldogs have 11 holdovers from 2024's championship run. They also execute an overwhelming forecheck that could pose trouble for SPS' young blue-liners. Plus, Nobles beat St. Paul's, 3-1, on Jan. 31.
Prediction:Â Nobles wins, 4-2
No. 2 Phillips Andover vs. No. 7 Tabor
You'd be hard-pressed to find two teams more familiar with each other than Andover and Tabor, who've met twice already this season. The Big Blue got it done in both matchups, winning 2-0 and 3-2 in overtime.
Tabor had a chance in both matchups, thanks to structure and goaltending from Evelyn Lacey (Braintree, Mass.). The Brown commit made 33 saves in the first matchup before 59 in the rematch. The Seawolves will need to play to their identity, slowing Andover down in the neutral zone, and they'll need Lacey to replicate the form she had in the previous matchup. She'll be up to the task.
In the end, it comes down to the offensive upside. Andover's 114 total goals dwarf Tabor's 74. The Big Blue have the second and third-leading scorers in prep, respectively, with Boston College commit Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Princeton commit Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.). Princeton commit Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) is one of the highest-scoring blue-liners in the NEPSAC, leading a deep defensive core that includes Delaware commit Kimee Duplessis (Framingham, Mass.). Cornell commit Keira Bruen (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Northeastern commit Lilly McInerney (North Reading, Mass.) are also high-end threats up front. Marie Lee (Southboro, Mass.) is stout in net, too.
GIRLS BRACKETS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
Tabor has strong offensive threats, too, whether it's Saint Michael's commit Jen Birolini (Pembroke, Mass.), Colby commit Lilly Shaughnessy (Medfield, Mass.), or sophomore sensations like Sofia Nardelli (Cranston, R.I.) or Giuliana Polcari (Marshfield, Mass.). Providence commit Mirella Martinelli (North Providence, R.I.) is a game-breaker on defense, too.
In the end, Andover's ceiling is just too high, and despite a late-season loss to Nobles, the Big Blue have been playing at an incredible level of late.
Prediction:Â Andover wins, 4-1
No. 3 Williston Northampton vs. No. 6 Deerfield
Williston and Deerfield met just last week, and it did not go well for the Big Green in a 5-1 loss. Deerfield will need a short memory entering the quarterfinals.
On paper, it's a fairly even offensive matchup on paper. Deerfield has 93 total goals this season to Williston's 88. Both sides have rotated goalies throughout the season, too. Both have viable depth.
Yale commit Mia Daley (Lynnfield, Mass.), who has 30 points (11 goals), and Zola Piekarski (Concord, Mass.) lead a Wildcats core that's benefited from breakout seasons for Riley Stocker and Ava Carr (Medway, Mass.). Senior Colby commit Brenna Ziter (Williston, Vt.) and UNH commit Catie Putt (Norfolk, Mass.) can get it done, too.
BOYS BRACKETS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
For Deerfield, Yale commit Sophie Frost's 25 points (16 goals) lead the Big Green, along with Williams commit Gia Thompson. There's also Dartmouth commit Ava Giroux (St. Albans, Vt.), Brown commit Olivia Austen, Alessandra Picard (Madison, Conn.) and Middlebury commits Peyton and Brady Wierl. Yale commit Chloe Claeves (Riverside, Conn.), Brown commit Keira Austen (Darien, Conn.) and Nicole Sciarretta are strong puck-movers, too.
Williston could be ripe for an upset, too, dealing with some key injuries. But I look at the Wildcats' ability to defend and transition quickly on the back end with Holy Cross commit Nina Coffee (Old Lyme, Conn.), Keira Gould and Amherst commit Yasmine McKenzie (Holden, Mass.). Williston has also surrendered the fewest goals of anyone in prep (17) to Deerfield's 40.
It's close, but I think Williston gets the extra save or the extra defensive play.
Prediction: Williston wins, 4-3
No. 4 Dexter Southfield vs. No. 5 Loomis Chaffee
Naturally, the No. 4 versus No. 5 seed is the hardest matchup to pick in the slate. Loomis Chaffee, the reigning champ, will have its hands full with Dexter in the quarterfinals.
This is another one that's even on paper. Dexter has 91 total goals this season, compared to Loomis' 98. Dexter has allowed 23 goals this season to 22 for Loomis.
Both have strong goaltending. Williams commit Adeline Roper (Kennebunkport, Maine) has followed last season's title run with a stellar senior season for Loomis. Both Annabelle Aitken (Winchester, Mass.) and Assumption commit Addie Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.) have been strong once again for Dexter in a timeshare.
Both have strong forward cores. The Shields have an excellent top six. You've got Yale commit Evelyn Doyle (Needham, Mass.) centering Holy Cross commit Devon Moore (Milton, Mass.) and UNH commit Elizabeth Allen (Brookline, Mass.), as well as Yale commit Sawyer Merrill (Hingham, Mass.) centering breakout producers Maggie Lovering (Scituate, Mass.) and Leah Hafer (Winchester, Mass.). Each of Dexter's forward lines executes on the forecheck, too.
 BOYS BRACKET BREAKDOWNS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
The Pelicans, meanwhile, boast a potent top line with Harvard commit Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.), Yale commit Annie Schwarz (Fairfield, Conn.) and Cornell commit Carly Dann (Hanover, N.H.). Schwarz was among the leaders in goals and points in prep. Dexter will also have to account for others like Easton Pramuka and Lexi Buco (North Providence, R.I.). Brooke Murphy makes life hard on opponents, too.
It comes down to defense and experience. Loomis returned 17 players from last season's championship run, including Penn State commit Megan Hosman and Wesleyan commit Hattie Willard on the back end. That's not to mention the likes of RPI commit Alexine Beaulieu (Bedford, N.H.) and Lizzie Orszulak (Longmeadow, Mass.). Dexter's young blue line, led by Maggie Chudzinski (Needham, Mass.), Chloe Rabazzi (Burlington, Mass.) and Teagan Beigel (Natick, Mass.), is more than capable in its own right, too.
Dexter has a deeper forward group, but I've got to lean toward Loomis' high-end experience. It's really close.
Prediction:Â Loomis Chaffee wins, 2-1, in overtime
