The holidays are behind us, and prep hockey is about to be back in full swing.
We learned quite a bit from the holiday tournaments before the break, particularly the Patsy K. Odden and Harrington invitationals. Through one month, several contenders have emerged, while one is beginning to separate itself from the pack.
The overall parity has made it challenging to flesh out our weekly top 10 rankings. There are many teams inside the top 10 and even those knocking on the door that are sure to be in the mix down the stretch.
Of course, there's a lot of hockey left to be played. Some storylines will continue to sort themselves out, while more questions and narratives will develop as we get deeper into the season.
As we begin to wade into the heart of the schedule, let's dive into some of the storylines that will continue to define the season.
1. Who is the best team?
Nobles has been the best team in girls prep hockey up to this point. Off to an 8-0-1 start, Tom Resor's group has flat-out been a buzzsaw.
The Bulldogs have won eight straight, including wins over contenders like St. Paul's in the Harrington championship, Loomis Chaffee and Westminster. Through nine games, they hold a 36-6 differential. Nobles has six shutouts on the season, ripping off three straight and five in their last six. They kicked off the New Year with a 7-0 drubbing of Dexter Southfield on Wednesday.
Quite simply, nobody has been close to their level so far, and a lot of that is due to their dogged forecheck. Meanwhile, Anya Zupkofska (Braintree, Mass.) has been a rock in goal, and the forwards have had balanced production. On the back end Sophia Levering (Westwood, Mass.), Olivia Maffeo (Canton, Mass.), Ainsley Gray (Wellesley, Mass.) and Jaime Griswold (Concord, Mass.) make up a murderer's row on defense.
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It's hard to count out the usual suspects like Williston, Tabor, Andover as well as Kent and St. Paul's, though. The latter four all remain on the docket for Nobles, whose schedule toughens up in short order and toward the end of the regular season, especially. Those matchups will be huge proving grounds for each team. Williston has some tough asks, too, but the rest of their schedule aligns nicely for the Wildcats to make a push of their own.
2. How will the race for the Elite 8 shake out?
Each of the previously mentioned teams is firmly in the hunt for the Elite 8. Only St. Paul's and Westminster are on the outside looking in if the tournament were to start now, according to U.S. Hockey Report's projections. Nobles sure seems like a lock, while Williston, Tabor, Andover and Kent are all strong favorites, barring any sort of disaster.
Behind those five is where things truly get interesting. There has been a ton of parity this season. Anybody can beat anybody, and we've already seen that, whether it was Loomis Chaffee over Andover in the Odden championship or St. Paul's over Williston in the Harrington.
To me, the contenders have broken into two main tiers, so far. There's that top grouping I just mentioned – Nobles might even be in its own tier, at least right now. Behind it is a crowded group of teams looking to separate themselves from one another. Be it St. Paul's, Westminster, Loomis Chaffee, Thayer, New Hampton or Groton, the end of the season will be fascinating. Even Deerfield and Phillips Exeter have planted themselves in the mix after terrific starts.
I'll take a stab at predicting the Elite 8 bracket. As Evan Marinofsky reminded everyone in his boys prep forecast, we do not select the Elite 8 or influence the algorithm. Of course, there is a ton of hockey left to play, and plenty is sure to change in the next two months. Here's what I got as I write this on Jan. 5:
- Nobles
- Williston Northampton
- Phillips Andover
- Tabor
- Kent
- St. Paul's
- Loomis Chaffee
- New Hampton
3. Can Williston defend its back-to-back titles?
This was a predominant storyline entering the season, and it's sure to be a question we keep asking down the stretch.
If the playoffs started at the time of writing this, the Wildcats would be the fifth seed in the Elite 8, according to USHR's projection. St. Paul's handed them their first loss since Dec. 19, 2021, before Westminster took them to a tie the next day.
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The sticker shock of Williston having a weekend like that for the first time in ages was certainly jarring. But it seemed to be more of a reflection of the competitiveness across the board this season. As I wrote in my last rankings before the break, Williston will be just fine.
There's just too much depth and talent on the roster, whether it's senior stars like Monique Lyons (Bedford, Mass.), Emily Hamann (Marlborough, Mass.); Caroline Aufiero (Belmont, Mass.), goaltender Olivia Ferebee; or some younger foundational players in junior Violet Carroll (Milton, Mass.) — who has been phenomenal when asked to slot in on the blue line — junior Nora Curtis and sophomore Zola Piekarski (Concord, Mass.).
While the remaining schedule presents plenty of opportunity, the Wildcats still have some difficult games left. Tabor is up next on Saturday, while Kent, Westminster, Andover and Loomis Chaffee all await.
If there's one thing we know, it's that depth and experience reign supreme. Christa Talbot Syfu's team has both in spades. Save for those tough matchups, they could be hitting their stride just in time for playoffs.
4. Which players will continue to have breakout seasons?
A huge piece to Nobles' success so far this season has been Calleigh Brown (Foxboro, Mass.). Brown has been fantastic with almost a goal per game, scoring eight goals and 14 points in nine contests. She's already topped her previous career high from last season (seven) and is well on her way to shattering her high of 17 points, which also came last year. The uncommitted junior makes an impact on every shift with her size, relentless effort and a strong shot. She should absolutely be hearing from schools.
Brown's teammate, Gretta Hulbig (Foxboro, Mass.), is also enjoying a breakout sophomore season for a lot of the same reasons as Brown. With four goals and eight points. She's already tied last season's goal total and will undoubtedly best her point total (12). Both have been tremendously impactful for a Nobles attack that had some question marks entering the season in terms of who would step up. They should continue to help lead the way.
It's hard to ignore what some NEPSAC rookies out of the MIAA like former Notre Dame (Hingham) standout Morgan Brady (Middleboro, Mass.) and former Burlington High star Lexi MacKinnon have done to this point in the season. Brady has six points in nine games for Tilton, but perhaps most impressive, five goals. Meanwhile, MacKinnon has five goals and 11 points in 10 games for Austin Prep.
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A pair of freshmen in Mia Daley (Lynnfield, Mass.; Williston) and Bella Zapata (Westminster) have turned heads, too. The latter is a slippery, skilled producer on Westminster's top line with eight points (four goals) in eight games. Daley, formerly at Berwick, has shown terrific offensive instincts and playmaking ability on Williston's top line with 10 points (two goals) in eight contests.
Maude Niemann (Weston, Conn.) is someone St. Paul's was expecting a jump from this season. Through nine games she has six goals and seven points. She's set to obliterate the highs she set last season (three goals and eight points). Senior captain and Yale commit Cami Bell (Barre, Vt.) has shouldered a ton of offensive responsibility for the Big Red with 10 goals in nine games. If Niemann can continue to contribute, it'll go a long way for St. Paul's.
Along those lines, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Thayer's Abby DeAnzeris (Needham, Mass.). The junior defender has sparked a lot of offense from the blue line with five goals and 11 points in nine games. She had three goals and 10 points last season. That type of ancillary production provides another viable weapon for the Tigers to complement Morgan McGathey (Braintree, Mass.).
5. Which under-the-radar teams can keep it up?
A lot of the teams mentioned above that are making it a jam-packed race for tournament seedings fell under my radar in the preseason. But they've certainly caught my attention through the first month.
Defending Small School tournament champion New Hampton came out firing with a 5-2-2 record to head into the break. Some of their most impressive results were a 2-2 tie with Nobles, a 4-2 win over SPS and a 3-3 tie with Thayer. The Huskies have dropped two of their last three, and have stiff tests with BB&N and Tabor on tap to come out of the break. But their schedule offers a reprieve the rest of the way, save for Andover and then St. Paul's back-to-back to start February. New Hampton would be the eighth seed if the tournament started today, per USHR. They've set themselves up nicely going into the semester.
One of New Hampton's recent losses came at the hands of Deerfield, who's off to a 6-1-1 start. The Big Green also boast a win over Loomis Chaffee. They'd be seventh if the tournament started today. They might have one of, if not the toughest remaining schedules the rest of the way. There's St. Paul's (twice), New Hampton, Andover, Westminster, Taft, Williston and Loomis on tap. Like New Hampton, Deerfield will have to make the most of their marquee matchups.
Westminster's firmly in the mix, too, sitting at 5-2-1, which includes a win over Loomis and the tie with Williston. The Martlets have gotten great goaltending and have a strong top line, which will need to be sharp to push them into the Elite 8. They end January with games against Williston, Tabor and Loomis, which should tell us a lot about the Martlets.
Lastly, I'll wrap up with Phillips Exeter (6-1-0), sitting sixth in USHR's projection. The Big Red have had no trouble filling the net so far. But their schedule strengthens significantly this semester, leaving a slim margin for error.
