Last winter marked the first postseason in three years that went on without Cushing.
The Penguins, who are only three seasons removed from a Small School title, went 2-6-1 before January. Valerie Bono-Bunker's team improved after the holidays, going 12-8-0 the rest of the way, but barely missed out on the tournament by one spot.
Rivers' 0.5276 RPI rating put them in as the No. 6 seed ahead of Cushing's 0.5268. Bono-Bunker believes that missed opportunity will fuel Cushing this season.
"None of us were happy, missing the tournament by .008, right?" Bono-Bunker said. "We were probably the best non-tournament team that was sitting there, watching from the outside, and probably had a chance to win because we were playing our best hockey. ... I always say it's not how you start. It's how you finish. We just started a little too late."
The Penguins are set to run it back with nearly the same squad as last season, returning nine of their top 10 leading scorers.
"These core kids that are returning, it's so exciting because we sort of flew under the radar for the last couple of years because we've had a lot of big names that were D1 and D3 commits," Bono-Bunker said. "The attention had been on them for a lot of years, so these kids flew under the radar as freshmen and sophomores. Now, this is their team."
Bono-Bunker likes entering the season under the radar. She feels this group has a chance to catch some teams off guard and take that next step.
"When you marry the excitement of the returners, the culture and community that we've created over time here, and then you bring in the timing [of this core] ... it's a recipe for a great season ahead," she said. "If anybody has a chance to surprise some people, it's definitely going to be us."
It starts with Bellissimo in net
Cushing graduated Lily Prendergast (Hanover, Mass.), now a freshman goalie at Vermont, who posted a .940 save percentage as the "1A."
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But last year's "1B," Sadie Bellissimo, saw plenty of action in the timeshare, posting a .921 save percentage. The junior projects as the starter this season, and Bono-Bunker "100 percent" believes the Littleton, Colo., native is ready to take the reins.
It's an opportunity Bono-Bunker had in mind since initially recruiting Bellissimo several years ago.
"I flew out to a showcase in Colorado specifically for her because she had been somebody I was watching closely when she was younger," Bono-Bunker said. "So, I spent time with her and her family and saw that Cushing was a good fit for her, not just from a hockey perspective and the opportunity that I could forecast out.
"I told her, 'Listen, you're gonna fight for time. You're gonna get the opportunity to develop, and your junior year is gonna be your year to own that net.' And here we are three years later having that conversation, we're on target."
Bono-Bunker likes to build her teams from the net on out. She feels Bellissimo has the chance to be one of the best goalies in prep hockey this season, providing that critical foundation for the Penguins.
Bellissimo, who skates with a stacked U19 East Coast Wizards squad, gained crucial confidence from her time alongside Prendergast, pushing each other and celebrating the other's success.
"I've noticed Sadie's maturity and development when it comes to her mental game improve so much," Bono-Bunker said. "She's always been a good goalie, always been able to stop the puck, always been big, strong, tenacious, gritty and aggressive in net. Couple that with more consistent play and a more reliable role ... she's going to rise to the occasion. She wants nothing more than to perform for us and bring home a championship for her team."
Forwards ready for next step
Cushing returns five forwards that reached double-digit points last season, including top-scorers in senior Brooke Harb (Atkinson, N.H.) and junior Stonehill commit Julia Lambert (Wilmington, Mass.; 17 points, 11 goals).
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Bono-Bunker expects Lambert to take an additional step as a power forward after working on her strength and speed this offseason. She's also eager to see what Harb can do with a full season. She missed the first nine games of last season due to illness but still led the Penguins with 22 points (11 goals).
"She's a four-year, 12-varsity-letter athlete and a three-sport captain here, so she's a leader in every definition," Bono-Bunker said. "Being that she missed so many games last year, there's no doubt with her training and offseason development, I have all the confidence in her to continue to lead our team. She's just so strong, committed and focused."
Junior Madi Soderquist (Woburn, Mass.) is also back in the fold. Her 16 points ranked third on the team, while her 10 goals were second. Soderquist is now clear of an injury she sustained in the spring, and Bono-Bunker is confident she'll land a Division 1 commitment, especially where she plays well above her size.
"Once we check that box of where she's headed, I think that will settle her down as well," Bono-Bunker said. "People pay attention to her on the ice because she's just gritty and fiery in front of the net. We got so many goals off of her just putting her body on the line and playing bigger than she is."
Brooke Fallon (Bedford, NH) and Molly Bardol (Walpole, Mass.) made solid contributions as freshmen, too. Bono-Bunker is excited about both being a year older, bigger, faster and stronger.
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Bardol will repeat her freshman year after putting up five goals and nine points. Fallon, who posted five goals and 11 points, stepped up as the top-line center in Harb's absence at the start of last season.
Experience on defense
The Penguins will rely on four college commits on defense. St. Anselm commit Taylor Buckley (Woburn, Mass.) and Endicott commit Lilly Tewksbury (Barre, Vt.) are "foundational pieces" in Bono-Bunker's eyes.
"They're just good, solid, reliable defenders," she said. "Taylor has come into her own since committing to St. A's. She has a little bit of peace now that she knows where she's going and the role she needs to play. Lilly's not under the pressure either. ... That helps the focus. Both of them are going to lead our defensive core. They've both grown over time."
UMass Boston commit Gabby Woods (Maynard, Mass.) and Keene State commit Kenzley Goode (Nashua, N.H.) will see plenty of minutes as well. With commitments secured for all four, Bono-Bunker believes it will only elevate the confidence of each.
"That really does set a tone of just being able to focus on the now. Going into the season, that brings a lot of confidence for me as a coach because we can focus on the details and not have to worry so much about getting into college."
Key newcomers
The Penguins' four senior defenders will be vital to bringing along a slew of newcomers on the blue line.
Cushing brings in freshmen blue-liners in 2009s Caroline Harrington, Jackie King (Hanover, Mass.) and Blake Metcalf (Scarborough, Maine). They also add repeat sophomore Lauren Collins, an '08 out of Florida.
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"She's really exceeded my expectations," Bono-Bunker said.
Metcalf's father, Peter (Pembroke, Mass.), played at Maine and had a long career in the ECHL and AHL after he was a top scorer at Cushing in 1998. Bono-Bunker expects Metcalf, who skates with the Assabet Valley U16s, to lead that next wave of blue-liners for the Penguins.
"She has the potential to play at a high level and at the next level," Bono-Bunker said. "She works hard and has good talent. Purple is in her blood."
Cushing also adds a headliner to the forward group in Bella Freitas (Everett, Mass.). She led St. Mary's to an MIAA Division 1 championship last season as a freshman, posting 48 goals and over 60 points.
She was one of the most electrifying players in the MIAA last season, scoring twice in the championship and setting up the winner in triple overtime.
"The thing I love about her is she's such a talented forward, but she's not lazy," Bono-Bunker said. "Sometimes you see kids with so much skill and offensive firepower that are lazy on the back check or don't have those second and third efforts, but she never stops hunting the puck. Her body language is so positive, and she's visible for all the right seasons.
Freitas will bolster the Penguins' depth and should provide a boost to their offensive output as well, even if she won't be asked to carry the load as much as she did in the MIAA last season.
"I'm just excited to have another offensive powerhouse in our lineup with Lambert, Soderquist and Harb," Bono-Bunker said. "We're three to four lines deep of kids who can put the puck in the net. I don't have to put the pressure on a 15-year-old to lead the team in goals, so I'm excited to see her play in different capacities under zero pressure."
