The NEPSAC postseason was as competitive as ever this past spring, and there will be plenty of teams and players to follow when the puck drops this winter. From the top returners to teams primed to vie for championships, here are some of the top storylines for the upcoming NEPSAC season.
Austin Prep in NEPSAC
Fresh off an undefeated season and an MIAA Division 1 state title, the Cougars will join NEPSAC as an independent school. The program enjoyed recent success at the high-school level, winning a state championship in 2016 and sharing the title in 2020.
Coming off a 27-0 campaign, Austin Prep might need time to find its footing at the prep level. The Cougars graduated nine seniors, including NEHJ Player of the Year Kathryn Karo and standout goalie Lauryn Hanafin. There’s still plenty of returning talent, including sophomore defender Bree Anderson and senior forward McKenzie Cerrato. Coach Stephanie Wood’s team will learn on the fly, but it shouldn’t be long until the Cougars show that they belong.
Julia Pellerin
A Boston College commit, Pellerin is arguably NEPSAC’s top returner. She tallied 17 goals and 37 points last season, earning her NEPSAC Small School Player of the Year honors. Pellerin guided New Hampton to the Small Schools championship game, highlighted by a two-goal performance in the quarterfinal round.
The daughter of former University of Maine standout Scott Pellerin, the 5-foot-7 forward surely will eclipse the 100-point mark in her senior year. What other milestones Pellerin can reach before joining the Eagles is anyone’s guess. A three-zone star with elite skating skills, Pellerin is a must-watch playmaker eager to win a title with the Huskies.
Noble & Greenough
Per usual, the Bulldogs will have a target on their back this season. They went 26-1-3, repeated as ISL champs and reached the Elite 8 final in 2021-22. In total, Nobles has won five NEPSAC championships since 2010 and will be gunning for its second title in four years.
NEPSAC Large Schools Player of the Year Emma O’Leary is off to Princeton, but the Bulldogs still have ample firepower. All-NEPSAC senior Ellie Mabardy (Northeastern) recorded 45 points last season, and junior Anya Zupkofska posted a .969 save percentage in net. Keep an eye on junior Oliva Maffeo, who notched 19 goals and scored the game-winner in the Elite 8 semifinals.
Williston Northampton
It was a magical 2021-22 season for the Wildcats, who went 24-1 and won their first NEPSAC Elite 8 championship. It might be tough for Williston Northampton to repeat, however, considering its graduated talent.
Defenders Jules Constantinople (Northeastern) and Emma Merrill (Bowdoin) and goaltender Natalie Stott (Amherst) all made All-NEPSAC teams, and forwards Maeve Reynolds (Amherst) and Teaghan Hall (Endicott) combined for 67 points. All five of those skaters graduated, but that doesn’t mean Williston will be a pushover. The Wildcats’ top returner is junior Monique Lyons, who tallied 42 points last season. Ava Decoste (Brown), Emily Hamann, Emily Crovo and Nora Curtis will power what should be an explosive Wildcats offense.
Underclassmen breakout candidates
There’s a surplus of talent in NEPSAC, meaning there are budding stars ready to shine at the start of each season. So who are some rising sophomores and juniors who might break out this winter?
Forward Meghan Britt earned All-ISL honorable mention and helped Buckingham Browne & Nichols win the NEPSAC Large Schools tournament. Her Knights classmate, Alexsa Caron, stopped 28 shots in the Large Schools final, earning tournament MVP. Hazel Hughes was one of Worcester Academy’s top scorers as a freshman and was named team MVP. Groton goalie Veronika Hadamovsky also received All-ISL honorable mention and participated in USA Hockey’s U-16/U-17 development camp. Lastly, Nobles forward Molly MacCurtain is coming off an impressive 26-goal freshman season.
Of course, there are plenty of other underclassmen who can burst onto the scene next season. These are just a handful of NEPSAC names to keep an eye on.
Defenders to watch
Similarly, there will be some fresh faces on the blue line who will garner attention. Thirteen of the 16 2022 All-NEPSAC defenders graduated, and Molly Jordan transferred to Selects Academy BK from Loomis Chaffee. Groton’s Keira Ley and Canterbury’s Erin Flaherty are the lone returning defenders coming off an All-Conference season.
So, who are some new defenders likely to turn heads in 2023? Nobles boasts two strong returners in Cali Cerruti (Providence) and Clare O’Connor. The All-ISL duo combined for 29 points and played every game last season. Milton’s Makena Monahan and St. Mark’s Carlisle Brush also are All-League seniors who will anchor their respective blue lines. The 2022 class of defenders was impressive, but there are numerous skaters ready to step up.
EIL
In the EIL championship game in February, Portsmouth Abbey and Berwick put on a show, with the Bulldogs winning in a shootout for their fifth conference title in nine years. The Ravens have won three EIL titles themselves since 2017, including defeating Berwick in overtime in 2020.
Expect both teams to dominate the EIL again this winter. Berwick returns the majority of its roster, led by EIL Player of the Year Julia Cabral. The New Hampshire commit set a school record with 27 goals and added eight assists. Goalie Bella Pomarico and forward Kimi Hurer are Berwick’s other All-League seniors.
The Ravens bring back All-EIL blueliner Isabella DiReda, who co-captained Portsmouth Abbey as a junior. The team’s other All-Leaguer, forward Danielle Longuemare, recently committed to Plattsburgh. Goaltender Sofia Cerbero will bring experience in net as a senior.
Rivers
A regular top seed in the NEPSAC tournament, Rivers played a bit of an underdog role in 2022, winning the Small Schools championship as the fifth seed. After an inconsistent start to the season, coach Courtney Sheary got the most out of her program as the year ended. The Red Wings won seven of their last nine games to secure their third NEPSAC title since 2015.
Tradition suggests Rivers can compete for another championship. Forward Stella Mullen is a name to watch after the senior scored against New Hampton in the tournament final. Cailyn Murphy should power the defensive unit, though the Red Wings will need to replace All-NEPSAC goalie Eve Stone, who’s off to Stonehill.
Tabor
The Seawolves are a team that should compete for some hardware this season. Head coach Eric Long’s squad finished second in the ISL behind Noble & Greenough, the same program that knocked Tabor out of the Elite 8 semifinals.
Led by All-ISL upperclassmen Rebecca Murphy and Whitney Dacko, the Seawolves will be well-positioned to win their first ISL title since 2018. Forwards Ava and Kayla McGaffigan picked up All-League honorable mentions and can score in bunches, while junior Kaitlin Sullivan is a name to watch on defense. Tabor showed its potential at the end of the 2021-22 regular season, losing just once in its last 13 contests.
Founders League
The Founders League should be as competitive as ever with Choate, Taft and Deerfield battling for a league title. But Loomis Chaffee and Kent are the co-favorites this winter after each team went 4-1. Loomis beat Kent 5-4 in overtime in January to win the Founders League outright.
The loss of Boston College commit Molly Jordan stings, but the Pelicans still will be a top team. Princeton commit Maggie Johnson is the top returning forward, while blueliner Annie Sun is committed to Harvard. Goaltender Leila Fournier had strong showings as a sophomore last season.
Kent returns Aylah Cioffi, an All-NEPSAC honorable mention defenseman who tallied 13 goals and 21 points. Forward Megan Duplantie and defender Sophie Rousseau combined for 26 points and will be key pieces if the Lions are to win the league this winter.
