We're essentially still at the start of the offseason in girls prep hockey.
Sure, the 2024-25 campaign feels like a distant thought, still months away. We're hardly two months from the end of last season, after all.
So, naturally, it's a perfect time to look ahead to next winter.
We'll look at teams with strong cores of returners who could be primed to make some noise in 2024-25. If we did this last year, Williston Northampton, this year's Elite 8 runner-up, would have surely been in the mix, coming off back-to-back titles and returning one of the most productive forward groups in the NEPSAC, headlined by Monique Lyons (Bedford, Mass.). Nobles, this year's champion, would have been up there as well.
There are some usual suspects below, but I also left out Nobles and Williston. Tom Resor and Christa Talbot Syfu's teams always find a way. They'll be in the mix once again next year, for sure.
Let's dive in.
Phillips Andover
Few teams were as hot as Andover (18-3-2) was in the second half of this past season, finishing as the third seed in the Elite 8. If anybody toppled Nobles or Williston, it would likely have been the Big Blue.
Martha Fenton's team will only lose three seniors — forwards Gabby Batchen, Cat Buckley (Pembroke, Mass.) and Shea Freda (Lexington, Mass.), a Boston University commit. Andover will return its top eight returning scorers and nine of its top 10.
There's an incredibly strong forward core in place between the likes of rising juniors Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.) and Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.), as well as rising seniors Peyton Kennedy (Sudbury, Mass.) and Emily Mara (Winchester, Mass.), a Boston College commit. Powers and Kennedy each had breakout seasons with the former leading the Big Blue in goals (15) and the latter leading in points (26). Lilly McInerney (North Reading, Mass.) and Keira Bruen (West Roxbury, Mass.) each had strong sophomore seasons to build on, too.
FINAL 40: Here's who made Mass. Hockey's girls Final 40
On defense, there may not be a 1-2 punch in the NEPSAC next season quite like Molly Boyle (Scituate, Mass.) and Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.). Boyle, a rising senior committed to Yale, has the chance to be the best all-around defender in the NEPSAC. Averill, meanwhile, is one of the most intriguing prospects among 2008's. She finished her freshman season with 10 goals and 18 points from the blue line. Kimee Duplessis (Framingham, Mass.) showed well as a freshman, too.
In net both goalies, rising senior Avery Rodeheffer (New Haven, Conn.) and rising sophomore Codi Pickering (Falmouth, Mass.) are slated to be back. Rodeheffer posted a .941 save percentage as the starter last season, and Pickering was strong with a .938 in a small sample.
Between everything they have coming back, Andover is likely one of the early favorites.
Dexter Southfield
Dexter caught fire in the second half of last season as well. They went 11-4-1, reaching the girls Large School championship game after starting the season 3-6-0. Dexter came close to winning it all, too, but couldn't solve BB&N in a 1-0 result.
Maggie Taverna's squad will lose only one senior, co-captain Grace Lynch (West Roxbury, Mass.), who tied for fourth in team scoring with 15 points (nine goals) in 27 games.
Up front, leading scorer Evelyn Doyle (Needham, Mass.) returns. The rising junior put up 26 points (14 goals). Behind her rising juniors Alex Mitsakis (Winchester, Mass.), Maddie Funk (Duxbury, Mass.) and Sawyer Merrill (Hingham, Mass.) each had at least eight goals and 15 points last season. Merrill and Funk saw massive leaps from their freshman seasons, while Mitsakis and Doyle have steadily produced more in each of their three seasons at Dexter.
A pair of true difference-makers are on defense in BC commits Alaina Dunn (Walpole, Mass.) and Maddie Murphy (Dorchester, Mass.). Murphy is an especially exciting prospect because of her size, reach, ability in transition and steady offensive output (16 points last season).
All three goalies are slated to be back in the fold as well. Annabelle Aitken (Winchester, Mass.) posted a .939 save percentage as a freshman last season, taking over the crease down the stretch. Addie Sutherland (West Roxbury, Mass.) had a .909 save percentage as a sophomore, and freshman Niamh Tobin (Dorchester, Mass.) had a .957 marker in limited action.
Dexter reached the Elite 8 just a year ago in 2023, and they could be primed for a return.
Loomis Chaffee
The Pelicans were consistently in the upper echelon of our top 10 rankings last season. Liz Leyden's group looked like it could have had a chance to upset Nobles in the Elite 8, but fell in the semifinals, 1-0.
Loomis loses a couple of key seniors. First and foremost, starting goalie Leila Fournier (West Kingston, R.I.) is set to graduate, along with defender Emma Hannah (Newtown, Conn.), a Middlebury commit. Forward Luisa Thomsen (Waterbury Center, Vt.) and defender Brigitte Aube (Avon, Conn.) are also among the expected departures.
Despite the departures, the Pelicans should still feature one of the NEPSAC's deepest blue lines. Rising senior Catie Collins (South Burlington, Vt.), a Princeton commit, and rising juniors Carly Dann (Hanover, NH) and Megan Hosman will headline the returners.
With the forwards, there's plenty of firepower expected back. Ellie Lachance (West Hartford, Conn.) took a big step this year, leading Loomis in scoring with 19 points (six goals). Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) enjoyed a breakout 18-point season as well. Annie Shwarz (Fairfield, Conn.) had career highs in goals (10) and points (14). Grace Morin and Chloe Obser were limited to 19 and 20 games, respectively, last year, but each managed 17 points.
Between the pipes, junior Adeline Roper (Kennebunk, Maine) has seen a decent amount of playing time in each of her seasons at Loomis. She posted a .925 save percentage as a freshman before a .933 this season. Barring any changes, she's set up well to potentially step into the starting role.
Despite key departures, the Pelicans have a lot coming back next season. They could be a potential way-too-early favorite, too.
BB&N
The Knights, like Dexter, got hot at the right time last season. They went 9-4-2 after starting the season 4-6-2, riding momentum to a 1-0 Large School title win over Dexter.
CHAMPS: How BB&N turned its season around en route to a title
BB&N will lose some key players, though, most notably goalie Alexsa Caron (Dracut, Mass.). The tournament MVP is off to Stonehill after posting a .947 save percentage. Leading scorer Meg Britt (Arlington, Mass.), a Bowdoin commit, is also set to graduate, along with defender Cailey Larouco (Rockland, Mass.) and goalie Annabelle Najarian (Duxbury, Mass.).
Even with the key losses, there are reasons for optimism for the Knights next season. First and foremost is Yale commit Hannah Weyerhaeuser (Cambridge, Mass.). The dynamic forward missed nearly the entire season with a broken collarbone. She returned down the stretch, making an immediate impact with 11 points in nine games.
Also among important returners up front are Anika Singh (Lexington, Mass.) and Savana Littlewood (Braintree, Mass.). Singh and Littlewood were strong in the postseason, and the latter scored the line goal of the championship. Each has been a strong contributor in two seasons at BB&N.
Harvard commit Emi Biotti (Cambridge, Mass) will headline the blue line. The rangy defender has posted back-to-back seasons with at least five goals and 14 points.
The true uncertainty will be in net.
New Hampton
After back-to-back Small School titles and three-straight trips to the Small School championship, New Hampton has its sights set even higher in 2024-25.
The Huskies will lose four seniors, most notably goaltender Vera Lee, a New Hampshire commit, who had a career-high .920 save percentage last year amid a heavy workload. She won tournament MVP. Among the departures are co-captains and defenders Isabelle Prentiss (Needham, Mass.) and Abby Tattersall, a Colby commit, as well as forward Taylor Settles (Newton, Mass.).
New Hampton saw six players put up over 20 points last season, and each is back. There's UConn commit True Thompson on defense, who led the Huskies in scoring with 35 points (27 assists) in 30 games. Top goal-getter Julia Loughlin (Scituate, Mass.), a UNH commit who had 14 goals and 31 points, should be in line for another strong season as well. Yale commit Kennedy Walker was a strong threat all season with 27 points (13 goals).
Kelsey Baker (Concord, Mass.), Caroline Thomas and Kayleigh Michaud-Nolan (Wells, Maine) were strong contributors as well. Reese Luber (Norwood, Mass.) is back on the blue line, too.
TWO IN A ROW: How New Hampton repeated as Small School Champs
First-liner Trinity Walsh missed last season with a torn ACL as well. A clean bill of health for her would be a big boost to an already stacked returning group.
The big question lies in net with Lee's departure. Rising junior Cara Kuczek (Lowell, Mass.) is the only returner. She had a .927 save percentage in a very small sample last season.
But Craig Churchill is confident if that position comes together, New Hampton has the team to make noise in the Elite 8.
