In March, Caroline Doherty put the cherry on top of a decorated career at Hingham with an MIAA Division 1 state championship.
Along the way, Doherty authoritatively stamped her name into the record books. A natural hat trick in the title game gave her 152 career goals and 234 points, furthering her lead as the Harborwomen’s all-time leading scorer.
She also secured a Division 1 commitment to Holy Cross, where she'll head after a postgraduate season at Williston Northampton.
It left me wondering, what if more players followed Doherty's path? Or what if there were no NEPSAC hockey, full-season academy hockey or private Catholic schools, and elite players stayed and played high school hockey for their hometowns?
Now, I can't take all the credit for this idea. New England Hockey Journal editor Evan Marinofsky did a similar piece for boys hockey back in January, examining the same things. What if prep hockey didn't exist? Which towns would be loaded?
Before we get into it, I want to start all of this with some disclaimers.
First, none of this is real. It's an interesting, bizarro world exercise we've come up with to have some fun during a quiet time in the hockey calendar. I made the rules and decided my process.
Second, players from the classes of 2028 through 2025 were eligible, so essentially most 2006s through 2010s. One catch was I excluded '06s already playing collegiately or 2010s still in eighth grade (and not already playing high school hockey) as of last season. With that, I also rewound the clock to the start of 2024-25, basing things off of last year's rosters. In this exercise, Doherty would still be in her senior year at Hingham.
Third, private schools like Notre Dame (Hingham) and Malden Catholic don't exist in this upside-down world. It’s impossible to put players at those schools since it’s not based on where they’re from. Players on those rosters were put in their hometown high school. I also did my best to sort through co-ops and who would play where in those scenarios.
Lastly, this doesn't invalidate any accomplishments of MIAA teams or players. I'm not kicking anyone off any rosters in favor of prep or academy players. We're simply looking at who else would be available. This is all supposed to be fun and hypothetical!
We'd also have a ridiculous word count if we tried to go over every player and every town. So, we'll only look at the schools that would be impacted the most.
With all of that in mind, let's dive in.
Sheesh, Hingham gets even better
The Harborwomen were already one of the best rosters in the MIAA last season, with the MIAA's best player in Doherty, others like forwards Hannah Lasch, Callie Crean and Addy Garrity and defenders CC Flynn and Shea Richardson. Goalies Izzi Puleo and Izzy McGarr were both strong, too.
But Hingham would get even deeper in this world, especially up front.
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Dexter Southfield's Sawyer Merrill, a Yale commit, would bring size and skill. She had 14 points (seven goals) last winter. Thayer's Kate Sullivan, committed to UNH, and Veronica Taylor, a Sacred Heart commit, also enter the fold. Sullivan had 43 points (14 goals) in 28 games, while Taylor had 17 points (seven goals). BB&N's Mary Murray, who had 11 points (three goals) as a sophomore, would also be in the mix.
Add in one of the best 2009 prospects in the entire country in Lovell Academy's Annabelle Lovell, who had 57 goals and 158 points in 83 games for the 16Us last season. She recently committed to Minnesota.
It's safe to say Hingham would remain the favorite.
Wayland/Weston adds some of the region's best
Last season, Wayland/Weston was the No. 29 seed in the Division 2 bracket, losing to No. 4 Algonquin in the Round of 32. In this world, the Warcats would instantly be a favorite.
Up front, Wayland/Weston would notably add Phillips Andover's Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.) as well as Rivers' Lindsay Morin (Weston, Mass.), Brooke Bartlett (Wayland, Mass.) and Chloe Chitkara (Wayland, Mass.). Nobles forward Ashley Loeber (Weston, Mass.) would enter the fold, too.
Averill, a Princeton commit, is a well-rounded, consistent forward. She had 17 points (five goals) as a junior for the Big Blue last season. Morin, a Georgetown field hockey commit, has led Rivers in scoring the last two seasons, including 26 points (15 goals) as a senior last winter. Bartlett, meanwhile, recently committed to Harvard after 21 points (nine goals) for the Red Wings as a sophomore. Chitkara, a strong two-way forward, had nine points (six goals) as a junior. Loeber had eight goals and 12 points as a junior in a depth role for Nobles.
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On defense, Princeton commit Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) would be a headliner. She's eclipsed double-digit goals on the blue line in back-to-back seasons, coming off a 12-goal, 22-point sophomore year.
The Warcats would also get one of the best goalies in New England with Nobles sophomore Annika Jonas (Weston, Mass.). The Yale commit posted a .950 save percentage in her first season as the starter last winter.
Concord/Carlisle has big improvements
The Patriots struggled last season, going 1-16-1 and missing the state tournament. In this scenario, they'd be right back in the mix.
Concord-Carlisle adds a slew of productive forwards like Nobles' Lily Bromley (Carlisle, Mass.), Rivers' Nora Swaim (Concord, Mass.), St. Paul's Caroline Humber (Concord, Mass.), New Hampton's Kelsey Baker (Concord, Mass.)
Bromley was a force for Nobles as a sophomore last season. The Princeton commit had 23 points (seven goals). Meanwhile, Swaim was a key piece as a freshman at Rivers with 20 points (14 goals). Humber, a Wesleyan commit, had 20 points (12 goals) as a senior at SPS, while Baker, a Colby commit, helped lead New Hampton to a third straight Small School title, putting up 30 points (nine goals) in 31 games as a junior.
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On defense, the Patriots add the likes of St. Paul's youngster Maddy Humber (Concord, Mass.), who had 15 points (three goals) on SPS' blue line as a freshman. She had 33 goals and 41 points for Concord-Carlisle in 2023-24. Mairead Campbell (Concord, Mass.), a Wesleyan commit, also re-enters the mix after nine points (three goals) on Berkshire's blue line.
The Patriots would also add Nobles goalie Annie Spring (Concord, Mass.). Committed to Middlebury for lacrosse, Spring was primarily a backup at Nobles during her four years, but performed well with a .965 save percentage over her career.
Braintree gets elite talent
The Wamps pick up a handful of high-end skaters at both forward and defense, including one of New England's best prospects in Morgan McGathey.
A Harvard commit, McGathey had one of the best prep seasons in recent history with 39 goals and 58 points in 28 games as a senior at Thayer. She led the NEPSAC in both categories and finished her prep career as Thayer's all-time leading goal-scorer with 116 tallies.
BB&N's Savana Littlewood, a Williams commit, and Lovell Academy's Madeline Carey would enter the fold, too. Carey had 46 points (25 goals) in 83 games for the Lovell 16U's, while Littlewood had 26 points (16 goals) as a senior at BB&N.
Archbishop Williams' Caroline Batchelder would add scoring punch as well. Archies' all-time leading scorer, Batchelder finished her MIAA career with over 100 points. She'll play at Salve Regina this winter.
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On defense, Nobles' Nora Shea and St. Paul's Emma Burke would be two strong left shots on the back end. Shea was a standout at Braintree two seasons ago before making the jump to prep this past season. She had nine points on Nobles' blue line. Burke, meanwhile, will join St. Paul's in 2025-26 after skating with Notre Dame (Hingham) the last two seasons. Both are rangy and strong puck-movers.
There's also goalie Evelyn Lacey, one of the best in the NEPSAC last winter. She posted a .956 save percentage for Tilton while making the most saves (1,114) on the most shots (1,165) of any NEPSAC goalie. Lacey will reclassify to the class of 2027 and play at Tabor this coming winter.
Mansfield/Oliver Ames/Foxboro adds top-flight forwards
A trio of Nobles products out of Foxboro would enter the mix here between Yale commit Gretta Hulbig, Amherst College commit Calleigh Brown and Alexa Georgantas.
Georgantas was one of the most productive skaters in prep last winter, leading Nobles with 21 goals and 41 points in 30 games as a freshman. She's headed to Shattuck-St. Mary's this winter.
Hulbig and Bown weren't too far off the pace. Hulbig, a dominant three-zone presence, had 38 points (17 goals). Brown had her second-straight 30-plus-point season with 34 (13 goals) as a senior.
St. George's forward Maddie Lahah (North Attleboro, Mass.) would make a big impact, too. The Yale commit is a powerful forward with a strong 200-foot acumen. She had 34 points (17 goals) in 23 games as a junior, following 37 points (19 goals) as a sophomore.
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Thayer goalie Madison Hayes (Foxboro, Mass.) would be a factor, too. She had a .928 save percentage, splitting the net last season.
Needham becomes a contender
The Rockets would add some serious talent throughout the lineup, starting with a pair of Dexter Southfield stars.
On defense, Maggie Chudzinski showed a lot of potential as a freshman blue-liner for the Shields, impressing in big moments and impacting play in all three zones. She had eight points (three goals) on the blue line. Up front, Yale commit Evelyn Doyle would add a dominant, dependable 200-foot presence. She had 21 points (11 goals) as a junior after 26 points (14 goals) the year prior.
Thayer blue-liner Abby DeAnzeris would bring a productive presence on defense. A strong power play quarterback, DeAnzeris had a career-high 30 points (five goals) on defense as a junior after 19 points (seven goals) as a sophomore. She recently committed to Saint Anselm.
Lovell Academy forward Joely Wexler would enter the fold as well. Although undersized, Wexler plays with a high motor and a lot of speed. She recently committed to Union after putting up 34 points (13 goals) in 16U.
The Rockets would also retain Cassie Ling, who is headed to Brooks this upcoming season. Ling had 16 points (15 goals) as an eighth-grader in the MIAA last season, and she was key to the Boston Jr. Eagles winning USA Hockey's 14U Tier 1 national championship this past spring, scoring the shootout-winner.
St. Mark's forward Hadley Gibbons would bring good production as well after 18 points (five goals) as a senior.
Boston Latin gets a boost at all three positions
Remember when I said I made the rules? I'm assuming all players living in Boston got into Boston Latin. None of this is real, so we'll never know whether or not it would actually happen!
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The Wolfpack would add plenty, including forwards like St. Paul's Erin Flaherty (Boston, Mass.), Phillips Andover's Keira Bruen, Nobles' Catherine McCool (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Lovell Academy's Maddy Minucci (South Boston, Mass.).
Bruen, a Cornell commit, is a hulking presence up front, standing at 5-foot-10. Her production slipped to six points at Andover last season, following 14 (six goals) the year before, but the right-shot is a big factor around the net and on the power play. Flaherty, meanwhile, is one of the better uncommitted forwards in the region. She's been a consistent producer for St. Paul's with 25 points (11 goals) last season, following 17 points (three goals) as a freshman.
McCool, who will be eligible to commit next June, is on the rise for Nobles. She had 27 points (10 goals) as a freshman last season, which followed 22 points (12 goals) as an eighth-grader. Meanwhile, Minucci, who recently committed to Lindenwood, can play both forward and defense. She had 22 points (10 goals) for the Lovell 16U's in 2024-25.
On the blue line, BLS would add Dexter Southfield standouts Maddie Murphy (Dorchester, Mass.) and Mackenzie Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.) as well as Rivers' Calleigh Bellow (Brighton, Mass.).
Murphy, headed to Boston College this season, was one of the top defenders in the region during her time at Dexter. She had a career season with 31 points (10 goals) on the blue line. Sutherland, meanwhile, recently committed to Stonehill. She had 12 points (six goals) as a junior last year. Bellow was also productive at Rivers as a junior with 12 points (11 assists).
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In net, the Wolfpack would have two starting-caliber goalies with Dexter's Addie Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Middlesex's Niamh Tobin (Dorchester, Mass.). Sutherland had a .909 save percentage as a sophomore before improving to a .932 as a junior. Tobin had a .924 save percentage as she faced a high shot volume at Middlesex last season.
Winchester adds at all three positions, too
The Red and Black would instantly emerge as a contender with some serious additions throughout the lineup, including twins Emily and Lexi Mara.
Emily is a dual commit to Boston College for hockey and soccer after standing out at Phillips Andover. The forward led the Big Blue with 27 points (14 goals) as a senior, coming off 23 points (10 goals) as a junior. Lexi, meanwhile, is off to Northeastern after standing out on BB&N's blue line. The strong, rangy defender broke out for 12 points (two goals) as a senior.
Another dynamic sister duo of Simone and Joelle Burns would provide a big boost. Simone is a speedy, skilled prospect who is exciting to watch. The forward had 23 points (nine goals) as a freshman at Rivers after 12 points (seven goals) as an eighth-grader. Joelle showed promise as an eighth-grade defender at Rivers and was a key piece to the Jr. Eagles' 14U Tier 1 national title.
Middlesex forward Louisa Ferrari and defender Isla Ferrari would add to the family dynamic.
A trio of promising Dexter Southfield forwards would enter the fold as well — Leah Hafer, Alex Mitsakis and Hadley Austin, in addition to Lawrence Academy's Georgia Costello.
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Dexter goalie Annabelle Aitken would be a key factor as well. Aitken had a .947 save percentage as a sophomore, which followed a .934 as a freshman.
Walpole adds some serious talent on defense and in net
A plethora of high-end blue-liners would enter the mix for the Wolverines, starting with former Dexter Southfield standout Alaina Dunn, who will play at Boston College this season. Dunn is a steady, strong shutdown defender.
Rivers' Mia MacDonald would add skill and speed to the back end. She's a strong puck-mover with a big shot on the blue line, finishing with 18 points (six goals) as a freshman last winter.
Walpole would also bring in NAHA defender Olivia Bonarrigo. The strong uncommitted prospect is a good three-zone presence who reads the ice well. She finished with 10 points (one goal) for NAHA last season.
In the crease, former St. Mark's standout goalie Jackie Wright would be a big boost. Wright, who is off to Boston University this season, had a .946 save percentage as a senior, leading the Lions to the Small School title game with a heroic playoff run. It capped a career season for the netminder.
Up front, a handful of solid contributors would enter the forward group between Cushing's Molly Bardol, Lawrence Academy's Kayla Rice and St. George's Sophie Procaccini.
Peabody/Lynnfield/North Reading fills out up front
The Tanners would add a trio of high-end Division 1 commits to their forward core with Williston Northampton's Mia Daley (Lynnfield, Mass.) as well as Phillips Andover's Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Lilly McInerney (North Reading, Mass.).
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Daley, a Yale commit, has been an impact player in two seasons at Williston. After 24 points (eight goals) as a freshman, she had a big jump as a sophomore with 34 points (17 goals).
Powers, a Boston College commit, is a lot of fun to watch. She plays with pace and emotion, and has the talent to back it up, posting 26 points (14 goals) in 2024-25 after 24 points (15 goals) the year prior.
McInerney's numbers didn't jump off the page as a junior at Andover with eight points (four goals), following 14 points (seven goals), but she consistently impacts shifts. She's committed to Northeastern.
St. Paul's forward Cadence Crowley (North Reading, Mass.) would be an interesting youngster to watch. She had seven points (three goals) in her debut prep season. She's a skilled, slippery forward.
St. Mary's forward Alyssa Norden (Peabody, Mass.) is coming off standout freshman and sophomore seasons in the MIAA. She had 25 points (19 goals) as a sophomore and was a major piece on the top line as a freshman, winning a state title.
Former Malden Catholic standout defender Ava Baker (North Reading, Mass.), who has a knack for coming up in the clutch, would bring dependability to the blue line, too. She had 71 points in her MIAA career, including 21 as a senior. She's headed to Endicott this fall.
Pembroke adds scoring punch
It wasn't all that long ago that Jen Birolini was lighting it up for Pembroke.
That would be the case once again in our bizarro world. Birolini, who became Pembroke's all-time leading goal-scorer with 113 in three years, repeated her junior year at Tabor last winter. The uncommitted forward led the Seawolves in scoring with 24 points (14 goals) in 28 games, leading them to the Large School title game.
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The Titans would also have Milton Academy's Mary and Sadie Quatrale enter the mix. Mary, a Holy Cross commit, is a sizable power forward with a knack for getting into the scoring areas.
Williston Northampton's Ella Skeiber would be an interesting youngster to watch, too. She had nine points as a freshman on an older, experienced squad last season, but showed well at Mass. Hockey Festival this spring.
Medfield gets Jane Daley
The Warriors finished at the top of the class in Division 2 last season when they upset Milton at TD Garden for the state title.
In this world, they'd have just as strong a case to take home the trophy, adding Shattuck-St. Mary's Jane Daley, a top '09.
Daley is an electrifying talent with all the traits of an elite player at Division 1 and beyond. She put up 38 goals and 89 points in 37 games for Shattuck's 16U squad last season, following 82 points (26 goals) in 57 games the year before.
Medfield would also have Tabor's Lilly Shaughnessy and Tilton's Katherine Flippo enter the fold.
Shaughnessy, a Colby commit, had a monster playoff run for the Seawolves, finishing with 14 points (four goals) as a junior last season. Flippo was second in scoring at Tilton with 18 points (nine goals) as a senior.
Norwell/Scituate/Abington gets elite experience
NSA would get three impact forwards and one of New England's best defensive prospects.
On the blue line, former Phillips Andover defender Molly Boyle (Scituate, Mass.) would bring the total package with an ability to take over games. Boyle, who is off to Yale this season, had 13 points (four goals) as a senior, following 18 points (five goals) as a junior. She had a career-best 21 points (seven goals) as a sophomore.
Former New Hampton forward Julia Loughlin (Scituate, Mass.) would add scoring punch and skill up front. Loughlin, who is headed to UNH this fall, had back-to-back 30-point seasons to close her prep career, including 30 points (13 goals) as a senior.
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A pair of strong Dexter Southfield forwards would be in the mix, too. Marion Legge (Cohasset, Mass.) reached double-digit points in the last three seasons at DXSF, earning a commitment to Coby. She had 10 points (five goals) as a senior. Maggie Lovering (Scituate, Mass.) is a key piece for the Shields after 13 points (six goals) as a sophomore. She had 10 points (four goals) as a freshman.
Other notables...
- Leominster gets Tina Scalese: West Boylston's girls hockey plays with Leominster, so the Blue Devils would have Scalese here. The Princeton commit has been one of the NEPSAC's top players over the last few seasons. She's been a point-per-game player for four seasons, including a 51-point season as a sophomore and a 42-point season as a freshman. She had 38 points (25 goals) as a junior at Groton last winter.
- Reading adds Molly MacCurtain: MacCurtain is off to Northeastern this upcoming season. At Nobles, she was a fixture at the top of the Bulldogs' lineup, posting back-to-back 30-plus-point seasons as a junior and senior. She had a career-high 38 points (12 goals) as a senior.
- Milton gets Violet Carroll: Carroll was a consistent, productive and versatile presence at Williston, and she's headed to Holy Cross this fall. She had 45 points (15 goals) as a senior, following 29 points (eight goals) as a junior when she spent much of the season on defense. She also eclipsed 30 points as a sophomore.
- Ashland adds Maddie Cronan and Cassidy Lobisser: If anyone was as vital to Groton's success the last few seasons as Scalese was, it was Cronan, who is headed to Colgate this fall. She had three straight 30-plus point seasons from her sophomore through senior years. As a senior, she had 35 points (15 goals), which followed 40 points (15 goals) as a junior. Lobisser (Bellingham, Mass.), meanwhile, has been a speedy force for NAHA. The Quinnipiac commit had 40 points (17 goals) in 19U this past season after 78 points (50 goals) in 16U the year prior. Chloe Lobisser (Bellingham, Mass.), a NAHA forward committed to Manhattanville, would be in the mix as well.
- Westford adds Kassidy Carmichael: Carmichael is a dual-sport force, committed to Ohio State for hockey and lacrosse. A standout at Westford Academy in lax in the spring, Carmichael's winters were spent filling the scoresheet for NAHA. She totaled 90 points (46 goals) as a senior after 95 points (56 goals) as a junior.
- Lincoln-Subdury gets Peyton Kennedy: Kennedy, who is off to Middlebury, has been a standout for Phillips Andover, thanks to her production, high compete and leadership. She had 26 points (10 goals) as a junior before 14 points (three goals) as a senior.
- Cambridge adds Emi Biotti and Hannah Weyerhaeuser: Cambridge Rindge & Latin would get a pair of former BB&N standouts off to the Ivy League. Biotti, who is headed to Harvard, is a big, strong defender who can also add meaningful production. She had 26 points (11 goals) on the blue line as a senior after 14 points as a junior and 15 as a sophomore. Weyerhaeuser, meanwhile, is headed to Yale. She had a 36-point, 16-goal senior season after missing most of her junior season with a broken collarbone. As a sophomore, she had 24 points (12 goals).
Above all else, remember...
None of this is real! It was all a fantasy we cooked up to have some fun during the dog days of the offseason. There are so many different options for high school hockey players these days — prep school, academies, the MIAA, club hockey and more. So many elite players frequently choose the prep and academy routes, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to wonder what the landscape would look like if they didn't.
