The 2025-26 MIAA girls hockey season was not short on contenders or star players.
There was plenty of parity, too. Just look at the postseason.
In one of the deeper Division 1 fields in recent memory, it came down to No. 5 Archbishop Williams and No. 6 Methuen/Tewksbury, as the latter went on to complete an undefeated season with a title. In Division 2, it was all about No. 2 Milton, as the Wildcats took care of No. 5 King Philip.
There were upsets along the way, too. Methuen/Tewksbury toppled the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds en route to the Div. 1 final. You had No. 26 Waltham make a run to the quarterfinals after an upset of No. 7 Hingham, then the defending champs. In Div. 2, a year removed from a Cinderella run, then defending champ No. 9 Medfield reached the semis after upsetting top-seeded Westwood.
One common denominator from it all was standout individual performances when it mattered most.
Here's who took home our 2025-26 MIAA girls hockey awards.
2026 AWARDS: Men’s college hockey | Women’s college hockey | Girls prep hockey | Boys prep hockey
Player of the Year: Sabrina Stone, Milton
A year after heartbreak in the Division 2 state final, Stone helped lead Milton to their first state title in program history this season. The senior had 22 goals and 22 assists for 44 points in 22 games, including a goal in the state final. The two-time Bay State Conference (Herget) MVP caps her high school career with 107 points.
Defenseman of the Year: Kendyl Nolan, Archbishop Williams
Nolan, who will attend Penn State after graduating, was a huge part of one of the state’s stingiest defenses as the Bishops allowed just 1.07 goals-against per game. She had four goals and 13 assists on the back end, co-captaining Archies to its first-ever state final appearance. After a 4-5-0 start to the season, the Bishops went 14-3-1 the rest of the way.
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Goalie of the Year: Lydia Barnes, Methuen/Tewksbury
Barnes was other-worldly for the Red Rangers as they took home the Division 1 state title in an undefeated 23-0-2 season. The senior racked up 14 shutouts to go along with a 0.48 goals-against average and a .968 save percentage. The UMass Boston commit was named the Merrimack Valley/Dual County League Player of the Year.
Coach of the Year: Ryan Sheehy, Methuen/Tewksbury
Sheehy took over the Red Rangers after the passing of Dave O’Hearn, whom Sheehy served under as an assistant coach for four seasons. With Sheehy at the helm, Methuen/Tewksbury went undefeated and won their first title since 2019. The Red Rangers allowed the fewest goals of any team in the state, boys or girls, giving up just 12 in 25 games.
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