Williston Northampton is a perennial powerhouse in girls prep.
The Wildcats lived up to that billing last winter.
They were undefeated until the second-to-last game of the regular season, snagging the top seed in the Elite 8. Ultimately, Williston finished 22-2-1, falling to No. 5 Phillips Andover, the eventual runner-up, in the semifinals.
"We had a great season," coach Christa Talbot Syfu said. "The tough part is, it's defined by what you do at the end. That is really tricky."
The bar remains high this season. The Wildcats are just two seasons removed from back-to-back Elite 8 titles in 2022 and 2023.
"Our final game was disappointing, and my hope is that it fuels our returning kids," Talbot Syfu said.
How does Williston plan to remain an Elite 8 favorite?
Plenty of offensive firepower
The Wildcats graduated their top two scorers last season in Violet Carroll (Milton, Mass.) and Nora Curtis. Two of the very best in prep last season, Carroll is now a freshman forward at Holy Cross, and Curtis is a freshman forward at Cornell.
Nevertheless, Williston still has plenty of high-end talent returning to the fold.
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A pair of juniors in Brooke Schlutter and Mia Daley (Lynnfield, Mass.) headline the forward group, alongside seniors Zola Piekarski (Concord, Mass.) and Brenna Ziter (Williston, Vt.).
Piekarski, a UPenn field hockey commit, posted 28 points (14 goals), while Ziter, a Colby commit, had 13 (six goals).
"Brenna and Zola are ready to take on what it means to be a senior and lead the group offensively," Talbot Syfu said.
Schlutter, a Cornell commit, tied for the team lead in goals last season with 18 as part of a 26-point campaign. Daley, who is committed to Yale, is the top returning scorer after putting up 34 points (17 goals). Junior forward Riley Stocker, who had 12 points (one goal), figures to be a key piece as well.
"The combination of Brooke, Riley and Mia, those three kids will complement our seniors really, really well," Talbot Syfu said. "They all bring something really different to the group, which I think is awesome on the ice and off the ice."
The Wildcats are also eager to add postgrad forward Caroline Doherty (Hingham, Mass.) to the mix. A standout with the 19U Massachusetts Spitfires, Doherty is coming off a historic MIAA career at Hingham High, where she graduated as the program's all-time leading scorer with 152 goals and 234 points.
The Holy Cross commit had 43 goals and 63 points as a senior, winning an MIAA Division 1 state title.
"She's very talented, and she can put the puck in the net," Talbot Syfu said. "The key for her will just be getting comfortable with who she's playing with and understanding that she can move the puck more, that she doesn't have to take it all on herself. I think she's really excited about that. ... It'll be great for her to be able to do that every day as she prepares for her college career at Holy Cross."
High, too, are the hopes for underclassmen who made strong contributions in smaller roles last season.
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Among that group are sophomores Ava Carr (Medway, Mass.), Ella Skeiber (Pembroke, Mass.) and Quinn Toll. Carr put up 10 points (two goals), while Skeiber had nine points (one goal). Toll finished with seven goals.
"I think all those kids want more," Talbot Syfu said. "They've worked really hard, and they know that every year there will be more opportunities. They've put in good work over the summer and are eager and ready to take on more."
Taking the next step defensively
After graduating a pair of defensive stalwarts – Malaya Anabe and Alyssa Frazier (Berlin, Vt.), who are now at Amherst and Middlebury, respectively – Williston will look to a trio of senior defenders to step up on the blue line.
Back in the mix is Holy Cross commit Nina Coffee (Old Lyme, Conn.), along with UNH commit Catie Putt (Norfolk, Mass.) and Amherst College commit Yasmine McKenzie (Holden, Mass.).
"We're so lucky to have the three of them," Talbot Syfu said. "They've played big minutes for us. ... All three of them are very valuable."
Coffee, who stands at 5-foot-8, had 14 points (four goals) last season.
"With Nina, you can't teach the size or the reach that she has," Talbot Syfu said. "I think she took a big jump last year, and I know this summer, she worked really hard. She's become more offensive, which will be a big help for us."
Putt, who can play both forward and defense, had 10 points (two goals), while McKenzie posted four assists.
"Catie plays fearless, she's got great speed, and she's a good special teams kid," Talbot Syfu said. "The great thing about Yasmine is that she's just so consistently good all the time. She's smart, plays tough and makes the simple play."
The Wildcats hope to see sophomore Keira Gould thrive with a bigger role as well. A standout with the Connecticut Polar Bears, she had four points (one goal) last season.
"She has made a really big jump over the last 6-8 months as well," Talbot Syfu said. "She had an exceptional showing at (USA Hockey) Nationals."
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Newcomers like freshman Alexa O'Neill and eighth-grader Addy Boczenowski are entering the mix as well. Boczenowski was a standout as a middle-schooler with Arlington Catholic's varsity last winter.
"Between the four (returners) and our two new kids, we'll be in good shape, defensively," Talbot Syfu said.
The defensive acumen will be key after Williston graduated longtime starting goalie Olivia Ferebee, who is now at Cornell.
The Wildcats will turn to returning junior River Grady (Bedford, N.H.), who has shown well in limited samples in recent seasons. She had a .953 save percentage as a sophomore, following a .911 as a freshman. She skates with the CPC's 19U Boston Americans. The junior is ready to take on a bigger role.
Eighth-grade goalie Olivia Arsenault is set to enter the fold, too.
"River has had a good fall with CPC," Talbot Syfu said. "She's had a great fall in net for our field hockey team, too."
Maintaining a high standard
There's a lot that goes into competing for a championship in any given season, let alone being firmly in the mix on an annual basis.
Williston has competed in three of the last four Elite 8 championships and four of the last eight. They've reached at least the semifinals in five straight seasons.
For the Wildcats, it all boils down to meeting expectations on a day-to-day basis.
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"I think the biggest piece is finding consistency, being consistent in our habits and the way we approach things," Talbot Syfu said. "That's always something we've done well."
Although just five holdovers remain from the most recent championship team in 2023, their experience remains invaluable for Williston as it aims for that consistency.
"Our senior class is the only class that's won a championship now," Talbot Syfu said. "I do think they remember what it takes and have helped the freshmen and sophomores along. Hopefully, that will prime us and help us be the best that we can."
