Few things compare to the intensity and passion of high school hockey.
That’s especially true of the MIAA state tournament, one of the most exciting spectacles the region has to offer each winter.
Last season featured plenty of fireworks and high-level high school prospects. While some of those players left early for either prep schools or academies, there is still plenty of exciting talent to watch.
Here are 12 players to watch in the MIAA this winter.
Ava Baker, sr., D, Malden Catholic
Baker (North Reading, Mass.) was one of the heartbeats for the Lancers in their first season in Division 1, helping them reach the tournament semifinals and finish with their best record yet (16-4-4). The captain posted 15 points as a steady presence on the blue line and came through with some clutch goals.
Milana Shuman, so., F, Longmeadow
Shuman had a prolific freshman season in western Mass. She led Longmeadow in every category with 11 goals, 10 assists and 21 points. After helping Longmeadow nab the No. 6 seed in the D-2 tournament, Shuman reached Mass. Hockey’s Final 40 in the spring.
Sophia Luoni, so., G, Natick
Luoni stepped up in a big way as a freshman at Natick last season. She put up a 1.39 goals-against average and four shutouts in the regular season, leading the Redhawks to the Division 1 state tournament for the first time in program history.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPS: St. Mary’s outlasts NDA (Hingham) in 3OT thriller | Duxbury dominates to repeat as D2 champions
Alyssa Norden, so., F, St. Mary’s
Norden (Peabody, Mass.) was a critical piece of St. Mary’s run to the D-1 title. She scored the game-winning goal in triple overtime of the championship, finishing her freshman season with 17 goals and 34 points in 26 games. She’ll be a vital building block for the Spartans this season.
Emma Burke, fr., D, Notre Dame (Hingham)
Burke (Braintree, Mass.) had a strong season as an eighth-grader at NDA. She saw solid minutes on defense and put up 11 points (nine assists), including the game-tying goal late in the D-1 state championship. The Cougars graduated key seniors on defense, meaning Burke will take on a heavier workload.
Zoey Madigan, sr., F, Duxbury
Madigan was an integral part of Duxbury’s run to a repeat Division 2 title. She led the Dragons in scoring with 34 points (12 goals). Coach Dan Najarian will count on Madigan and junior Addy Harrington (31 points) again as they look for a three-peat.
Casey Roth, sr., F, Falmouth
Roth helped lift a potent Falmouth offense to the D-2 title game. As a junior, she led the Clippers with 25 goals (49 points). Roth also eclipsed the 100-point milestone during the tournament. She and Riley Devlin (50 points) will look to run it back offensively.
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Caroline Batchelder, sr., F, Archbishop Williams
The Bishops will count on Batchelder (Braintree, Mass.), the program’s all-time leader in goals with 62, once again. She powered Archies’ Cinderella run to the D-1 semifinals as the No. 11 seed, coming through with five goals in the postseason. She headlines a deep, young team alongside Julie Murphy (Canton, Mass.), Shea Nolan (Quincy, Mass.) and Aliya Greenwood (Dedham, Mass.).
Caroline Doherty, sr., F, Hingham
Doherty, an ’06, has been one of the state’s premier scorers for a while. She’s coming off a 27-goal junior season, which followed 47 goals as a junior. She enters her senior year with 109 career goals and a shot at 200 points. Doherty recently committed to Holy Cross.
MJ Petisce, sr., D, Methuen/Tewksbury
Petisce (Methuen, Mass.) has been a productive blueliner for the Red Rangers, already surpassing 50 points in her career. She’s coming off a 22-point (11 goals) junior season and helped Methuen/Tewksbury maintain one of the state's stingiest defenses, giving up just 22 goals.
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Alyse Mutti, sr., G, Peabody/Lynnfield/North Reading
Mutti (North Reading, Mass.) has been the backbone for the Tanners throughout her career. She was at her best as a junior, helping PLNR reach the D-1 quarterfinals, playing every minute of every game. She set single-season program records with 18 wins and 10 shutouts to go along with a 1.05 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage.
Gaby Bassett, jr., F, Nauset/Monomoy
Bassett (Nauset, Mass.) has established herself as one of the most productive players on the South Shore. She’s already eclipsed 115 career points, following a 29-goal, 46-point sophomore season in which she helped lead the Warriors to a top-four seed and the quarterfinals in Division 2.
