Now that the holiday tournaments have wrapped up, save for the New Year's Prep Puck Drop, the busiest point in the girls prep regular season is in the rearview. There's no NEPSAC action this week, which means no new top 10 rankings. With that, it's a great time to take another look at the next...
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Now that the holiday tournaments have wrapped up, save for the New Year's Prep Puck Drop, the busiest point in the girls prep regular season is in the rearview.
There's no NEPSAC action this week, which means no new top 10 rankings.
With that, it's a great time to take another look at the next 15 teams, like we did entering the season.
Plenty has changed since the preseason. Some teams have had sluggish starts, others have been inconsistent and others have exceeded expectations.
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As Evan Marinofsky wrote in his boys Next 15, this was a lot harder than the top 10.
There were two main tiers that teams fell into for me: bubble Elite 8 contenders and teams pushing for Large or Small School tournament berths. The latter of the two categories is packed right now, and there are only so many spots to go around.
I tried to weigh overall results, head-to-head matchups and rosters. Strength of schedule was big, too.
Let's dive in.
11. Cushing (5-2-1)
Preseason rank: 5 Head coach: Brandy Fisher-Bailey
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Although Cushing barely fell out of our last top 10, I still believe they will be an Elite 8 team by season's end. The Penguins have all the makings of a contender. They can score at a high level, they have strong goaltending and, although they're young on the blue line, they have potential on defense. Five skaters are scoring at a point per game or better, led by Brooke Harb (14 points), Lily Winckler (12) and Julia Lambert (11). Each has four goals, while Bella Freitas's six goals lead the way. Emersyn Fisher-Bailey has had a productive start on the blue line as well, while Sadie Bellissimo and Ines Khamis are each capable of coming through in net.
The offense has gone quiet outside of their wins, falling to Williston, 3-0, and Groton, 4-1, on top of a 0-0 tie with Frederick Gunn. Otherwise, the Penguins have been clicking with four or more goals in four of their five wins, in addition to outlasting Governor's for a tidy, 2-1 win. One of their more notable results was a 4-2 win over Thayer.
Exeter, like Cushing, barely slipped outside of the top 10 after the Big Red were idle during the holiday tournament weekend. So far, though, they've lived up to expectations as a team that will push for an Elite 8 spot. They're also just one of three undefeated teams remaining in prep, joining No. 1 Nobles and No. 5 Dexter Southfield. We knew Exeter's top line would produce, and so far, it's put up more than its fair share of points. Erin Sears is one of prep's top scorers with 15 points in six games, as are Paisley Meyer (13) and Maria Gray (11). The Big Red have scored four or more goals in five of six games this season, including a 4-4 tie with Gov's, a 5-0 win over Kimball Union and a 4-0 win over Lawrence Academy.
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The all-important question of depth remains, although Emma Shu and Rylie Choi are among those chipping in. Eva Mai Whyte has been terrific when called upon in the crease, too. It'd be fair to expect the Big Red to lean on her in 2026 as the schedule gets tougher.
13. Governor's Academy (7-1-1)
Preseason rank: 18 Head coach: Claudia Barcomb
Gov's might be the team I'm most interested in entering the new year. They've taken care of business against a light schedule to this point, while hanging tough against Exeter and Cushing. They've also beaten New Hampton, and they put up three straight shutouts entering the break. Gov's has given up more than one goal just twice this season, too. Barcomb's team has gotten balanced production throughout the lineup, with Brooke Carlson scoring a goal per game with nine as part of her 12 points. Lana Hardin is also a point-per-game producer on the top line, while several others, like Lexi Durant and Megan Carlson, have been solid as well. The schedule gets tougher in 2026, but Gov's has positioned itself well thus far.
14. Berkshire (3-2-0)
Preseason rank: 14 Head coach: Lisa Marshall
Berkshire is more or less where I thought they'd be. The Bears have played tight games, save for an 8-0 blowout of Frederick Gunn to finish off their Watkins Tournament slate. They also picked up 2-0 wins over Kent and North Yarmouth Academy, in addition to a 1-0 loss to Lawrenceville and a 2-1 overtime loss to Groton. Cora Davidson has had a strong, point-per-game start, while Nadia Smith, Addie Lang and Mak Komanecky have been good as well. Berkshire has the goaltending to prevail in tight games, too. They'll need the timely offense to continue when the schedule picks up in the new year. Matchups with Loomis Chaffee (Jan. 10) and Williston Northampton (Jan. 14) loom large.
Thayer is also right about where I thought they'd be, despite some ups and downs. In the two games I've seen the Tigers play, a 3-3 tie with Milton Academy and a 4-3 loss to No. 7 Deerfield, they played well enough to win. They've also taken care of business against St. George's (5-3) and New Hampton (3-1), while a 4-0 loss to Dexter and a 2-1 loss to New Hampton leave a sour taste.
Lydia Kealty, who has eight goals and 10 points, and Maddy Call, who has nine points (three goals), have stepped in seamlessly as the new offensive leaders. Meanwhile, Jenna Henley has impressed as a rookie with five points (four goals). Elliana Tabor has started well, too. Thayer will have a chance to build momentum coming out of the break, but a four-game stretch of Tabor, Dexter, Andover and Rivers from Jan. 21-28 will tell us a lot about the Tigers.
16. Frederick Gunn (5-3-2)
Preseason rank: 19 Head coach: Daniel Allen
After a 2-2-1 start, Gunn got on a roll with a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) before an 8-0 loss to Berkshire to cap off December. They've gotten it done against Millbrook, Pomfret, Brewster, Greenwich Country Day and Vermont Academy, on top of a tie with Cushing. The Highlanders have the goaltending and offensive talent to get hot. Moira Landsverk has been solid between the pipes, while Raven Bennett, Maria Gilshannon and Izzy Blake have been productive. Gunn's gotten some depth production from several others, like Maddie Caramante, too. Choate and Kent will offer litmus tests coming out of the break, as will Portsmouth Abbey and Williston.
17. BB&N (4-4-0)
Preseason rank: 17 Head coach: Jori Balsam
The Knights have had their ups and downs. The wins have come against Pomfret, Brooks, Westminster and St. Mark's, while the losses have been against quality opponents, like Nobles, Dexter, Deerfield and Lawrence Academy. They snapped a three-game skid with two wins in a row to end the semester on a high note. Unsurprisingly, BB&N's top upperclassmen have led the way, be it Anika Singh, Molly Halloran, Kate Glantz and Mary Murray. Freshman Sydney Young has had a strong start as well. The Knights play tough and forecheck hard, and Barbara Ma could be an X-factor in the crease. The schedule doesn't get any easier, but I could easily see BB&N playing spoiler.
Although offense has been tough to come by at times, Choate has hung in there against one of the stronger schedules in prep to begin the season. Their opponents' winning percentage (.641) is the fourth-highest of anyone in prep. They've lost to Nobles and Andover, beaten Taft and Lawrence and tied Tabor. The Wild Boars play with structure and have stout goaltending, as they've allowed two or fewer goals in every game this season. They've only scored more than two goals once, though. Kate Tortorella, Natalie Beach, Annie Forker and Hanna Balmuth are leading the way. With Frederick Gunn and Andover on deck coming out of the break, Choate will need them, plus goalie Noel Schaab, at their best.
19. New Hampton (4-5-0)
Preseason rank: 13 Head coach: Craig Churchill
The Huskies are riding the rollercoaster of growing pains that comes with as much turnover as they had. Wins against Milton, Tilton, Brooks and Thayer have been offset by losses to Nobles, Rivers, Gov's, Thayer and Hill School. Emma MacPherson leads New Hampton in goals (five) and points (seven), while defenders Roxie Merrick and Addy Peel have been good facilitators from the back end. Several others, like Merritt Fitch, Katie Usilton, Avery Lucier and Lily Thomas, have put up decent production to this point as well. The Huskies know they can lean on MacPherson's line and goalie Elizabeth Vincent as they look to string wins together and build consistency in 2026.
20. Austin Prep (7-1-0)
Preseason rank: NR Head coach: Kerry Brennan
The Cougars haven't played the toughest schedule in prep. In fact, their opponents' winning percentage (.3507) is the third-lowest. But you can't ignore the results and production.
The lone loss was an 11-0 result against Andover. Otherwise, AP has had no trouble scoring with wins over Northfield Mount Hermon, Tilton, Worcester Academy, Pomfret, St. George's, Vermont Academy and Brewster. Three skaters, in particular, have driven the offense between Sarah Sampson (12 goals, 19 points), Adia Murphy (six goals, 16 points) and Kayleigh Norton (four goals, 13 points). Alex Herbert has been terrific in net as well. They'll be critical to AP continuing to make the most of its schedule in the new year, on top of key tests against the likes of Thayer, Cushing and Nobles in January.
Portsmouth Abbey is on a roll. The Ravens won five in a row to close December after being shut out by Groton and Tabor to begin the season. They've knocked off Worcester, St. Mark's, KUA, Tilton and Mount Saint Charles, putting up an 18-6 scoring margin in that span. Megan O'Connor and Kendra Michaels are scoring at or above a point per game pace, while Brigid Dowd is right there, too. Marguerite Cordahi has been one of the busiest (and best) goalies in prep with a .972 save percentage amid a heavy shot volume. Portsmouth Abbey will have a huge opportunity to separate from the pack in the Next 15, opening 2026 with matchups against Thayer, Berwick, St. George's, Frederick Gunn and Canterbury.
22. Kent (2-3-0)
Preseason rank: 16 Head coach: Elena Gualtieri
Kent has had its hands full against quality opponents, being shut out by Berkshire, Loomis Chaffee and Lawrenceville. The Lions' wins have come via a 3-1 victory over Westminster and a 3-0 win over Hotchkiss. Olivia Machan, Maddie Leonard and Ainsley Moffitt have had solid starts offensively. Kent's schedule won't get easier in the new year with Taft (twice), Nobles, Gunn, Loomis, Lawrenceville, Williston and Choate all on tap in January. Finding an offensive spark will be key.
23. St. George’s (3-3-0)
Preseason rank: 20 Head coach: Taylor Ham
The Dragons had some ups and downs in December, taking down Pomfret, Lawrence and Brewster with close losses against AP, Millbrook and Thayer. As expected, Maddie Lahah has been one of the region's top scorers with 11 points (four goals) in six games. Cora Buzzard and Carah Ford have produced, too. St. George's will have its hands full with Cushing and Hill School to kick off the NYPPD. They'll also have key head-to-heads against Portsmouth Abbey, Rivers, Canterbury, Gov's and St. Mark's in January.
Middlesex has dominated in its wins, beating Pingree (6-0), Kents Hill (7-2) and Proctor (7-1). They've also given quality opponents hell, falling to Dexter and St. Paul's by 1-0 scores. Janie Martin is scoring over a goal per game with seven, while Scarlett Gustafson, Libby Melly and Cassidy Bruno are each at a point per game or better. Niamh Tobin has been fantastic in net, too, with a .971 save percentage and 50-plus saves against both Dexter and SPS. If Middlesex can start to break through against those quality opponents, they could make some noise.
25. St. Mark's (3-6-0)
Preseason rank: 22 Head coach: Kerstin Matthews
The Lions are young, but skilled, although it hasn't necessarily translated into results, despite a tough schedule. They've taken care of Westminster, Milton and Pomfret but have struggled against Nobles, Williston, St. Paul's and BB&N. They also gave Deerfield trouble in a 3-2 overtime loss, as well as Portsmouth Abbey in a 3-2 loss. Not one player has dominated the offense, although Allie Sauls leads the way with six points (four goals), and Kayleigh Koen has five assists. Jocelyn Gray, Sammi Ruzzo and Caroline Kreuz have shown well at times, too. It doesn't get any easier for St. Mark's, but they've been able to play up to opponents.
In the hunt: Taft (2-4-0), Canterbury (4-2-0), Kimball Union (5-4-0), Berwick (5-3-0), Hoosac (4-2-0), Proctor (4-4-1), Lawrence Academy (2-7-0), Tilton (4-6-1)
RinkWise podcast: The biggest storylines from the holiday tournaments
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11. Cushing (5-2-1)
12. Phillips Exeter (4-0-2)
20. Austin Prep (7-1-0)
21. Portsmouth Abbey (5-2-0)
22. Kent (2-3-0)
24. Middlesex (3-2-0)
