The fall hockey season only started a few weeks ago, but it's never too early to look ahead to prep hockey. Before we know it, Thanksgiving, the Mass. state tournament and the New England district tournament will be in the rearview, and it'll be time for another run of NEPSAC hockey. So, it's a perfect...
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The fall hockey season only started a few weeks ago, but it's never too early to look ahead to prep hockey.
Before we know it, Thanksgiving, the Mass. state tournament and the New England district tournament will be in the rearview, and it'll be time for another run of NEPSAC hockey.
So, it's a perfect time to take an early look at how the 2026-27 girls prep hockey season could shape up.
Last winter, it was all about Loomis Chaffee again, as the Pelicans rolled to a repeat Elite 8 title, but that doesn't mean the road was easy during the season. Nobles was a juggernaut once again, while Dexter Southfield was a strong contender, too. You even had lower seeds like Tabor, St. Mark's and New Hampton make runs in their respective playoff fields.
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Will we be talking about those teams down the stretch once again? Who else could be in the mix?
Let's dive into some early sleepers and contenders to watch in girls prep hockey this winter. Teams in each category are listed alphabetically.
Contenders
Cushing
After reaching the Elite 8 in 2025, the Penguins had their ups and downs with poor injury luck last winter, but they still reached the Small School tournament. While they graduated a handful of key skaters, plus goalie Sadie Bellissimo, Brandy Fisher-Bailey's deep group of seniors and juniors has the talent to remain a force in 2026-27.
Junior Yale commit Bella Freitas (Everett, Mass.) headlines a forward group that also includes seniors Molly Bardol (Walpole, Mass.), Brooke Fallon (Bedford, N.H.; Yale) and Violet Dittman (Colby). The Penguins are also adding postgrad forward Janie Martin (Burlington, Mass.; Assumption), who was a top goal-scorer at Middlesex.
Perhaps the most important factor is that Cushing didn't graduate a single defender from last season's squad. A rising crop of juniors in Caroline Harrington, Emersyn Fisher-Bailey (Duxbury, Mass.; UNH), Blake Metcalf (Scarborough, Maine), Natalia Maserati and Jaclyn King (Hanover, Mass.) should ascend alongside seniors Hayden Printz and Stella Hunter (Auburndale, Mass.). Senior goalies Ines Khamis and Lucy Holliday have experience, too.
Dexter Southfield
Dexter reached the Elite 8 for the second consecutive season in 2025-26. While some high-end skaters graduated, including top two-way center Evelyn Doyle (Needham, Mass.), plenty of talent is back in the mix for Maggie Taverna's squad.
Senior forwards Devon Moore (Milton, Mass.; Holy Cross) and Maggie Lovering (Scituate, Mass.) broke out last season, along with junior forward Leah Hafer (Winchester, Mass.; Dartmouth). Sophomore forward Teagan Beigel (Natick, Mass.) could play her natural position after carving out a role on defense as a freshman. Junior Elena Gordon (Weston, Mass.) could be a key part of the depth as well. Among potential breakout candidates is freshman forward Abby Loring (Wellesley, Mass.).
On the blue line, junior Maggie Chudzinski (Needham, Mass.; Harvard) will be heavily relied upon in all three zones. Sophomore Chloe Rabazzi (Burlington, Mass.) will be key, too. In the crease, senior Middlebury commit Annabelle Aitken (Winchester, Mass.) has proven herself over the past three seasons.
Nobles
Stop me if you've heard this before, but Nobles may be the team to beat in girls prep this season. The Bulldogs cruised to the top seed last season before falling to Loomis in a thriller in the Elite 8 semis. Tom Resor's group is reloaded and in a strong position once again.
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There's a case to be made that Nobles might have the best player at every position in the NEPSAC. There's senior Yale commit Ava Decourcey (Rockland, Mass.) on defense. Up front, you've got junior Princeton commit Francie Ames (Brookline, Mass.), who's committed for both hockey and lacrosse. She led prep in scoring last season. In net, there's senior Yale commit Annika Jonas (Weston, Mass.).
That's not even getting into the rest of the supporting cast. The forward group also includes junior Princeton commit Lily Bromley (Carlisle, Mass.) and junior Penn State commit Catherine McCool (West Roxbury, Mass.), who will be a factor at full health. On the back end, there are juniors like Princeton commit Reese Engel (Westwood, Mass.) and Dartmouth commit Nora Shea (Braintree, Mass.).
Young players like forward Ayla Moore (Walpole, Mass.) and defenders Elizabeth Levering (Westwood, Mass.), Parker Kathan (Medfield, Mass.) and Annie Parks (Sudbury, Mass.) add to the strong depth.
St. Paul's
The Big Red reached the Elite 8 for the second time in three seasons in 2025-26, and Kelli Mackey's group had one of the most potent outputs in prep. SPS should be able to score with the best of them again.
St. Paul's has high-end skill at every position.
Up front, senior Boston University commit Erin Flaherty (Boston, Mass.) is one of the most complete players in prep. Add in powerful scorers like sophomore Kelsey MacPherson (Hopkinton, Mass.) and junior Brown commit Maddy Allen, and the top end of St. Paul's forward group can hang with the best of them. There's also critical depth in juniors like Merrimack commit Cadence Crowley (North Reading, Mass.), Liza Demain (Wolfeboro, N.H.) and Maealie Glanzer, as well as seniors Grace White and Alexis Rodriguez.
On the back end, junior Yale commit Maddy Humber (Concord, Mass.) was one of the highest-scoring defenders last season. She'll lead a young blue line that also includes sophomores Malin Wilde (Shelburne, Vt.) and Emma Burke (Braintree, Mass.). Senior goalie Paige MacPhee is a terrific option in net, and sophomore Julia Alessandro provided quality minutes last season, too.
Tabor
The Seawolves stunned Phillips Andover in the Elite 8 quarterfinals a season ago. Although Eric Long's group graduated key pieces like Jen Birolini (Pembroke, Mass.; St. Michael's) and Lilly Shaughnessy (Medfield, Mass.; Colby), a strong group of returners has Tabor in position to make another run.
The most important piece of the puzzle is in net with Brown commit Evelyn Lacey (Braintree, Mass.). The senior has as good a case as anyone to be the best NEPSAC goalie this winter.
Up front, Giuliana Polcari (Marshfield, Mass.; Northeastern), Sofia Nardelli (Cranston, R.I.; Merrimack), Grace Hildebrandt (Norwell, Mass.) and Dawson Styles (South Hamilton, Mass.) make for a deep, formidable crop of juniors. Former MIAA standout Georgia Murray (North Attleboro, Mass.) will enter the mix, while sophomore Genevieve Smart showed promise as a freshman.
On the back end, the Seawolves boast one of the most dynamic defenders in prep in senior Providence commit Mirella Martinelli (North Providence, R.I.). Seniors Lindsay Fox (Franklin, Mass.) and Adeline Wiesel (Needham, Mass.) add reliable presences, while junior Riley Pike (Topsfield, Mass.) is difficult to play against. Sophomore Layla Smart should continue to rise, too.
Sleepers
BB&N
After graduating six college commits from 2024-25, BB&N had a young, new-look group last season under first-year coach Jori Balsam. The Knights hardly missed a beat, reaching the Large School semifinals.
This time around, BB&N lost only three seniors, including Anika Singh (Lexington, Mass.; Brown), but most of last season's top contributors are back in the fold.
The Knights have a good blend of young promise and established experience both up front and on the back end. Among the forwards, Holy Cross commit Molly Halloran (Belmont, Mass.), Brown commit Kate Glantz (Burlington, Mass.) and Middlebury commit Mary Murray (Hingham, Mass.) will be critical as seniors. Cali Littlewood (Braintree, Mass.) showed strong flashes as an eighth-grader, too. Molly Whittier (Waltham, Mass.) will enter the fold, too, after lighting up the MIAA as an underclassman.
On the blue line, senior Aislin VanVliet (Belmont, Mass.) and junior Chloe Crabtree (Saugus, Mass.) will complement young risers like Janvi Singh (Lexington, Mass.) and Serena Mohsen (Newton, Mass.). The biggest piece of all, though, might just be senior goalie Barbara Ma (Cambridge, Mass.), who was one of the best netminders in prep last winter.
New Hampton
The Huskies very nearly completed a four-peat in the Small School tournament, even after losing a bevy of critical skaters from previous title runs. While they again graduated some pivotal pieces, New Hampton's returners showed plenty of gumption down the stretch last season to warrant attention entering 2026-27.
Leading scorers Emma MacPherson (Scituate, Mass.; Williams) and Kiara Drake (Ridgefield, Conn.) will lead the way once again, along with other contributors like Audra Custance (Campton, N.H.), Merritt Fitch (Winchester, Mass.) and Avery Lucier (Manchester, N.H.). On the blue line, Roxie Merrick and Emilie Poirier (Salem, N.H.) have the chance to step into premier roles.
Consistency between the pipes is a crucial advantage for New Hampton, too, as Elizabeth Vincent returns for her senior year. If last season showed us anything, it's that you shouldn't doubt Craig Churchill's squad.
St. Mark's
The Lions are coming off strong runs in back-to-back Small School tournaments, reaching the finals in 2025 and the semifinals in 2026. Could they do it again, or even push for the Elite 8 this season?
What's most exciting about Kerstin Matthews' group is not only how many underclassmen emerged as key pieces last season, but how many of them followed it up with big springs and summers.
The Lions' top four scorers last season were underclassmen: then-sophomores Allie Sauls, Caroline Kreuz (Worcester, Mass.) and Sammi Ruzzo (North Smithfield, R.I.), as well as freshman Jocelyn Gray (Hanover, Mass.). That should remain the case. Senior Katie Barrett (Sandwich, Mass.) helps round out the supporting cast up front. Sophomore goalies Erin Drew (Methuen, Mass.) and Melanie Allen (Norwood, Mass.) were each outstanding last winter, too.
On defense, seniors Kayleigh Koen (Canton, Mass.) and Shae Webber (Mendon, Mass.) are dependable options, while junior Abbey Deroeve (Charlestown, Mass.) should be a physical, effective presence at both ends. Who else steps up is something to watch.
Taft
The Rhinos took a big step last season, reaching the Large School tournament and finishing above .500 for the first time in two seasons. There's no reason why that ascension can't continue for Shannon Turner's group this winter.
A strong young core only got better with newcomers like defenders Cam Katapodis (Halifax, Mass.) and Raven Bennett (Morris, Conn.). Katapodis was a standout in the MIAA with Archbishop Williams, while Bennett had 24 points on Frederick Gunn's blue line. They'll join a defensive group that already includes standouts Kami Moors (Simsbury, Conn.) and Phoebe Weisman.
Many key forwards are expected back, too. Lindsey Kunzelmann (Avon, Conn.) and Selkie Brown were key producers as sophomores, as was Sophie Um as a freshman. Sophia Locklear (Orange, Conn.) could be a factor, too. Junior goalies Alex Tombaugh (New Haven, Conn.) and Anousheh Mohebbi also showed promise last season.
Thayer
Any conversation about which team could take the next step this season has to include Thayer.
After reaching the Large School tournament, the Tigers graduated just two seniors from last year's squad — defenders Abby DeAnzeris (Needham, Mass.; Merrimack) and Riley Devlin (Marshfield, Mass.). Otherwise, a strong core remains in place for coach Michael Flynn.
Maddy Call (Dedham, Mass.) leads a deep returning group. The Harvard commit tied for second among NEPSAC skaters in goals last season with 24 as part of a breakout, 43-point season. Fellow junior Lydia Kealty (Norfolk, Mass.) broke out, too, with 37 points (18 goals). Behind Call and Kealty, Jenna Henley (Whitman, Mass.), Abby Macauley (Avon, Mass.) and Elliana Tabor (Pembroke, Mass.) could each be big factors, too. Thayer's also adding Maddie Perkins (Milton, Mass.) to the mix.
Seniors Lily Busconi (Milton, Mass.), Shea Richardson (Hingham, Mass.; Middlebury) and Charlotte Haig (Wellesley, Mass.) will lead the back end, alongside Emery Deroeve (Charlestown, Mass.). In the crease, Madison Hayes (Foxboro, Mass.) and Coleen Wallace (Duxbury, Mass.) have provided quality minutes in previous seasons.
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