It's been a little over four months since the girls prep hockey season ended.
The last action we saw in the NEPSAC featured a thrilling Elite 8 championship win for Loomis Chaffee over Phillips Andover. Deerfield took down Tabor in the Large School championship, and New Hampton three-peated as Small School champs.
Last season, only one player eclipsed 50 points and 30 goals. Seven others reached 40 or more points, and nine others reached the 20-goal threshold. Comparatively, four skaters had at least 50 points in 2023-24, two reached 30 goals and five others eclipsed 20 goals.
With the dog days of the offseason upon us, it's a perfect time to take the temperature of the New England girls prep hockey coaches.
We surveyed coaches across the NEPSAC to get their thoughts on everything prep hockey. From the best players this season, to who they think the best teams will be next season, to where prep hockey is headed and more.Â
We hurled plenty of questions toward the coaches, and we greatly appreciate all who participated.
All coaches were granted anonymity in their answers, too.
This story will be focused specifically on these topics from this season:
- Best overall player
- Best goalie
- Best newcomer this season
- Unsung heroes
- Hardest team to play against
There will be future stories on different topics we asked the coaches about. This is Part 1.
Who was the best prep player this past season?
One player in particular was a popular response among coaches.
Thayer standout Morgan McGathey (Braintree, Mass.) garnered the most responses among coaches.
"She was the best player by a long shot," one coach said. "She was the only girl in the league you truly had to game plan for, and she'd still burn you. She's an incredible player, but I also appreciated the example she provided for all the younger (top players) in the league. The league's best player may well have been the league's hardest-working player. She is relentless in all situations on the ice."
PREMIER PREP LEAGUE: 13 standouts from Week 1 of the PPL
McGathey, NEHJ's girls prep Player of the Year, put up 58 points, which were 13 clear of the next-closest skater. Her 39 goals were also well ahead of the field. She scored the most goals in a single season since Kristýna Kaltounková scored 45 at Vermont Academy in 2019-20. Kaltounková, a Colgate product, went first overall in last week's PWHL Draft.
McGathey, who will be a freshman at Harvard this coming season, helped Thayer to a 20-6-2 season. The Tigers were in the Elite 8 hunt all season and made the Large School tournament for a second straight season.
Another coach put it simply, "Just better than everyone else."
A pair of Phillips Andover skaters also earned votes with Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Molly Boyle (Scituate, Mass.) garnering attention.
Powers, a tenacious forward committed to Boston College, had 14 goals and 26 points for the Big Blue. Boyle, a defender who will play at Yale this season, was a do-it-all presence on the blue line with 13 points (four goals).
"(Boyle) is just the total package," one coach said. "Excellent defensive play, uses her long reach to break up plays and just pressures with such physicality. Her skating is elite, and with her frame, once she gets going, she is damn near impossible to stop."
New Hampton's True Thompson earned a nod as well. The UConn-bound blue-liner led all prep defenders with 38 points (11 goals) and was a pivotal piece of the Huskies' three-peat.
"Elite level skill," one coach said. "Sees the ice better than anyone, makes those around her better, consistently puts up points and shuts down opposing teams best players. As professional as they come in the girls game."
Frederick Gunn's Maria Gilshannon (Woodbridge, Conn.) and Kent Hill's Kaylyn Bourque (Benton, Maine) were also mentioned. Gilshannon led Gunn with 21 points (11 goals).
"She is driven to be a great player," a coach said of Gilshannon.
WIZARDS SHOWCASE:Â 11 uncommitted U19 standouts | 13 standout U16s
Bourque led Kents Hill with 17 points (13 goals).
"She is a tenacious player, always battling and getting the puck to the net," one coach said of Bourque.
Who was the best goalie in prep hockey?
A handful of goalies were mentioned, but two in particular were popular among coaches as Cushing's Sadie Bellissimo and former Tilton goalie Evelyn Lacey (Braintree, Mass.) each earned attention.
Bellissimo, an RPI commit, helped Cushing reach the Elite 8 after the Penguins missed the postseason in 2024.
"Hardest goalie to score on, makes all saves look easy and never has a bad day," one coach said.
Bellissimo posted a .933 save percentage, facing the third-most shots (928) and making the most saves (866) of anyone in prep.
"A lot of good goalies throughout the league, but the best we say — Sadie Bellissimo," another coach said. "Big, strong and solid overall game."
Lacey, who will play at Tabor this winter, faced the most shots of anyone in prep (1,165) and made the most saves (1,114).
"She uses her size and athleticism so well," one coach said. "It honestly looked like she was seeing beach balls out there. She is extremely hard to beat and will be a huge boost for Tabor next season."
Lacey finished with a .956 save percentage at Tilton. One coach mentioned her alongside Brooks' Kyleigh Matola (Coventry, R.I.), a University of New England commit. Matola was Brooks' only goalie after the team lost Ella Puleo (Newburyport, Mass.) to an ACL before the season. Matola posted a .913 save percentage, facing a heavy workload before going down with an MCL in February.
"They didn't have the luxury of top teams in front of them but would routinely make 40 and even 50-plus saves per game," that coach said. "They kept their teams competitive, which required tremendous physical and mental ability."
INSIDE THE PROCESS: What it’s like to be recruited in women’s college hockey
A handful of other netminders earned recognition, including Dexter Southfield's Addie Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.), who posted a .932 save percentage as she shared the crease with Annabelle Aitken (Winchester, Mass.).
Pomfret freshman Sydney Kelm earned a nod, putting up a .942 save percentage as she faced the fourth-most shots (915) of prep goalies.
"She stood on her head against us and only had 10 skaters in front of her," one coach said.
Another coach mentioned Eline Gillodes, who had a .939 save percentage at Kents Hill. Another named Tabor's Avery Olson (Rockport, Mass.). The Connecticut College commit saved her best for her senior season, putting up a .931 save percentage and leading Tabor to the Large School final.
"Took an average team and carried them to the Large School final," that coach said of Olson.
Who was the best newcomer in prep hockey?
Every year, there's an exciting influx of talent into the girls prep hockey scene. This season was no different.
Tabor's Giuliana Polcari (Marshfield, Mass.) and Cushing's Bella Freitas (Everett, Mass.) got the most votes.
After lighting up the MIAA at St. Mary's, Freitas stepped right into a premier role as a freshman at Cushing.
"She made an immediate impact for her team, an Elite 8 group," one coach said.
Freitas finished fourth in NEPSAC scoring with 43 points in 33 games and second in goals with 25.
"She is a lethal goalscorer and knows how to capitalize when given the opportunity," another coach said. "She is going to be an exciting player to watch in the next three seasons."
Polcari, meanwhile, was a key producer as a freshman at Tabor. The left-shot forward had 16 points (11 goals) for the Seawolves.
"She is fast, dynamic and can score goals," one coach said.
PWHL DRAFT: Milton’s Casey O’Brien headlines local contingent selected
A pair of goalies garnered attention as well between Phillips Andover's Marie Lee (Southborough, Mass.) and New Hampton's Elizabeth Vincent.
Vincent quickly took over the starting role for the Huskies as an incoming sophomore. She posted a .922 save percentage and helped the Huskies to another Small School title.
"She was a game-changer at the toughest position," one coach said. "Many goalies take a year to get acclimated, and she took a week. She put up elite numbers and helped them to a championship in her first season."
Lee, meanwhile, was thrust into the spotlight on a Big Blue squad with high expectations. She finished with a .924 save percentage and has perhaps the Save of the Year on her resume.
"Stepped in and played tremendously at the most important position," one coach said. "(Andover) doesn't have the season they did without her."
A handful of others were mentioned, too, including Thayer's Abby Macauley (Avon, Mass.). The eighth-grader has six points (four goals) as the Tigers' third-line center. Kents Hill forward Marissa Payne (Casco, Maine) got a nod. She had seven points (five goals) as a new junior.
"She quickly transitioned to the pace of prep and was a threat all over the ice," one coach said. "Her puck management, game sense and grit make her a fantastic player."
Who was one player you feel deserved more recognition for their unheralded but great play?
Throughout the season, we featured top performers from a given week. Naturally, those pieces focused on players filling the stat sheets, which made it easy to overlook other players making key impacts. Sometimes, those don't always show up in box scores. Other times, some production may get overshadowed.
There was an array of players mentioned among the coaches here.
Thayer had a pair of forwards mentioned between Wren Abboud (Weymouth, Mass.) and Maddy Call (Norfolk, Mass.). Abboud, who will play Division 1 hockey at Delaware next winter, is consistently praised for her well-rounded game. Her 26 points (13 goals) were fourth among Tigers skaters. Call, meanwhile, posted 22 points (nine goals) as a freshman, enjoying a nice boost from her eighth-grade output.
"(Abboud) played behind two phenomenal forwards (McGathey and Kate Sullivan), but she's an outstanding 200-foot player," one coach said.
Groton's Maddie Cronan (Ashland, Mass.) earned a nod after another productive season with 35 points (15 goals). Cronan, who will play at Colgate next season, had been a consistent force on the Zebras' top line alongside Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.) the last few seasons.
"(Cronan) sometimes gets overshadowed by her linemate, but her game and impact is tremendous," one coach said. "That's why she's heading to Colgate next year."
LOCAL HERO: Why Taylor Senecal’s move home could pay dividends for Vermont girls hockey
One coach tabbed Andover's Emily Mara (Winchester, Mass.), who will play soccer at Boston College this fall. Mara led a deep Big Blue core with 14 goals and 27 points this past winter, capping a productive career.
"She is a fast, smart and great hockey player," that coach said. "She sometimes falls under the other very strong Andover kids."
New Hampton's Kelsey Baker got a shoutout, too. The Huskies had a deep squad full of college commits, and Baker was among their strongest producers with 31 points (10 goals) as an uncommitted junior, earning All-NEPSAC First Team honors. She also scored in the Small School title game.
"A starter for New Hampton since a freshman and has averaged over a point per game for three years," one coach said. "Has led them in game-winning goals the past two years."
Tabor's Lilly Shaughnessy (Medfield, Mass.) was mentioned after a career-high 14 points as a junior. The uncommitted forward boosted her stock with a clutch playoff run, scoring three goals and an assist in three playoff games. St. George's Maddie Lahah (North Attleboro, Mass.) earned a nod as well. The Yale commit had another productive season with 34 points (17 goals). Kents Hill defender Avery Ross got some love as well. She had six points as a junior.
"She's a very solid D who always has great poise with the puck, makes smart plays and never backs down from a battle," one coach said.
A trio of goalies were mentioned as well. Governor's junior Liz Luong (Framingham, Mass.) got a nod after posting a .931 save percentage. Meanwhile, Holderness' tandem of Mia Gonsalves (Billerica, Mass.) and Songdy Assoume was mentioned after each split the net evenly. Gonsalves, a Nazareth commit, had a .943 save percentage as a senior, and Assoume posted a .965 as a junior.
Who was the hardest team to play against?
One team was head and shoulders above the rest in terms of the respect it earned from coaches in the survey: Phillips Andover.
"Fast, relentless and very skilled," one coach said. "Their power play was excellent."
The Big Blue went 17-5-4 and reached the Elite 8 championship. They beat No. 1 seed Williston Northampton in the Elite 8 semis and beat defending champ Nobles in the quarterfinals. Andover nearly mounted a heroic comeback against Loomis in the championship.
"They are deep top to bottom," one coach said. Another noted their size and skill.
Another coach said, "So much talent. So much speed. So much depth. They just kept coming, and there were no breaks."
Williston (22-2-1) earned a nod because of its "pace and skill." The Wildcats were prep's best team in the regular season, taking just one loss before falling in the Elite 8 semis. Williston also had the best goal differential in New England at plus-94.
BB&N was mentioned, thanks to its depth, reaching the Elite 8 and going 19-9-2.
New Hampton (22-6-4) was mentioned, too, with one coach calling the Huskies, "tough, gritty and well-coached." New Hampton's up-and-down start kept them on the Elite 8 bubble, but a second-half surge set them up well as the favorites in the Small School field once again.
COACHING CHANGES: Brandy Fisher-Bailey takes over at Cushing | Ed Bourget’s new role at BB&N
The Elite 8 champs, Loomis Chaffee, were mentioned as well. The Pelicans (25-2-1) were one of the best all-around teams in prep with a plus-85 differential. Harvard commit Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) had a career season as a junior with 44 points (25 goals), being named Player of the Year by the coaches. Three other skaters had 30 or more points, while three others had 20 or more.
"Skilled, big, strong and well-coached," one coach said.
Nobles, fresh off an Elite 8 championship and undefeated season in 2023-24, also earned a nod. The Bulldogs went 23-6-1, falling to Andover in the Elite 8 quarterfinals. Seven players topped 20 points, including three with over 30 and another with over 40. Nobles also featured one of prep's top goalies in Annika Jonas (Weston, Mass.) as well as the second-most goals of any team in prep with 122. They finished with a plus-85 differential.
"So much depth," one coach said. "Every line produces and keeps coming at you. So strong and relentless."
