We’ve just passed the halfway point of the girls prep hockey season.
The rush of the holiday tournaments is now in the rearview, but the excitement of the playoff push is still a ways off. It might be the dog days of the season, but there’s still plenty at stake.
There isn’t one clear favorite so far. Several teams have strong cases to make. Many of the holiday tournament winners weren’t overly surprising. As such, it’s no shock to see many of the usual suspects are among the top contenders.
Meanwhile, the next group of teams pushing to make the Elite 8 is jam-packed. On an individual level, there are plenty of breakout seasons to track, from both older and younger players.
Here’s a look at what we’ve learned so far this season, and what we’ll be looking for before champions are crowned on March 8.
As good as advertised
1. The contenders: Williston Northampton (14-1-0), Nobles (14-1-0), Dexter Southfield (11-1-2), Phillips Andover (12-1-1) and Loomis Chaffee (13-2-0) make up the top five in the JSPR rankings, which determines the Elite 8 field. Entering the season, we ranked Dexter sixth, while the rest were in our top four.
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So far this season, each team has lived up to the preseason hype, picking up quality wins amid tough schedules. Loomis won the Patsy K. Odden Invitational, Nobles won the Harrington and Dexter won its own holiday tournament. Andover (PKO) and Williston (Harrington) were runners-up. Loomis, Andover, Williston and Nobles make up four of the top offenses in prep, too.
2. Loomis Chaffee’s one-two punch: Few teams in prep have the luxury of rolling out two bona fide No. 1 centers like Loomis Chaffee can. The Pelicans’ one-two punch of seniors Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) and Annie Schwarz (Fairfield, Conn.) has found another level in their final act as they defend an Elite 8 title, ranking among the NEPSAC’s top scorers.
Schwarz, a Yale commit, is fourth among prep players with nearly two points per game, totaling 28 points in 15 contests. Her 16 goals are second. She opened the season on a 10-game point streak, and she has goals in three straight. Stepnowski, a Harvard commit, has put up 20 points (10 goals) in nine games. She has eight straight multi-point outings.
3. Phillips Exeter’s top line: If Phillips Exeter (9-2-2) was going to make an Elite 8 push this season, the Big Red’s top line was going to be at the forefront. So far, that has been the case as Exeter is No. 8 in the JSPR. The trio of senior Maria Gray, junior Paisley Meyer (Greenland, N.H.) and senior Erin Sears (Cornwall, Vt.) has been a matchup nightmare for the Big Red’s opponents. Gray (Vermont) and Meyer (Yale) rank among the top 10 scorers in prep, while Sears (Northeastern) is 14th.
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Meyer is tied for second in the NEPSAC with 16 goals in 13 games as part of her 23 points, while Gray has 24 points (10 goals). Sears, meanwhile, has 22 points (four goals). They impact every situation, and each is capable of filling the box score on a given night.
Three surprises
1. Governor’s Academy: We knew Gov’s would be a factor, ranking them 18th entering the season. But at 9-3-4, they are firmly in the hunt for the Elite 8, sitting 12th in the JSPR. The offensive contributions have been spread out with Brooke Carlson (North Andover, Mass.) leading the way. She’s one of the top goal scorers in prep with 14 (20 points) in 16 games. Lana Hardin (Tyngsboro, Mass.), Megan Carlson (North Andover, Mass.) and Lexi Durant have been key producers, too.
Gov’s has given good teams like Exeter and Cushing trouble, and they’ve played stingy defense at times, especially early in the season. Goalie Liz Luong (Framingham, Mass.) has been a big part of that with a .948 save percentage.
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2. Choate: The Wild Boars’ record might not jump off the page at 6-5-1, but Choate has held its own through one of the toughest schedules in prep so far this season. After we ranked them No. 24 in the preseason, the Wild Boars find themselves in the Elite 8 conversation, ranking 13th in the JSPR. Choate has been solid against quality teams, with tight, one-goal losses to Nobles and Andover, plus a tie with Tabor and another competitive loss to Andover.
Annie Forker (Stratford, Conn.), Maggie Swanson (Fairfield, Conn.) and Kate Tortorella have been especially key, along with goalie Noel Schaab (Sherman, Conn.) While the schedule hardly gets any easier, there are chances to stack up wins. It could be the difference between sneaking into the Elite 8 or earning a high seed in the Large School field.
3. Cushing’s ups and downs: The Penguins, our No. 5 in the preseason, are on the outside looking in at the Elite 8 picture at 8-4-2 and 14th in the JSPR. Their wins include Governor’s, Thayer and St. George's, and they have a runner-up finish to Williston at the New Year’s Prep Puck Drop. The losses have come against quality teams in Williston (twice), Exeter and Groton in the Watkins tournament final. There are also ties with St. Paul's and Frederick Gunn.
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Poor injury luck certainly hasn’t helped, as Cushing has been without key players at different points, including forward Brooke Fallon (Bedford, N.H.), who tore her ACL. Cushing has the talent to turn it around, though, especially up front and in net. They rank near the top in total goals, and Brooke Harb (Atkinson, N.H.), Bella Freitas (Everett, Mass.) and Julia Lambert (Wilmington, Mass.) are among NEPSAC’s most productive skaters.
Three questions for the stretch run
1. Who will continue their breakout seasons? One of the best storylines each year is tracking which players are having their best seasons. Nobles uncommitted senior Rachel Zhao (Westwood, Mass.) has bested her previous career highs, sitting at 28 points (13 goals) in 15 games. Sophomores Francie Ames (Brookline, Mass.) and Nora Shea (Braintree, Mass.) already have new bests, too. Ames is second in prep with 33 points (14 goals), and Shea has 17 (four goals) on defense.
Elsewhere, Brooks freshmen Shelby Buckler (Sherborn, Mass.) and Cassie Ling (Needham, Mass.) have stepped right into the prep level at nearly a point-per-game pace. Buckler has 14 points (nine goals), and Ling has 12 points (four goals) in 15 games. St. Paul’s sophomore Maddy Allen already matched her output from last season (12 points) with a new best in goals (eight) in 15 games.
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Meanwhile, Dexter junior Maggie Lovering (Scituate, Mass.) is well on her way to a career year with 16 points (four goals) in 14 games. Deerfield freshman Alessandra Picard (Madison, Conn.) has stepped in with 17 points (seven goals) in 15 contests. After one goal and six points in 28 games as a freshman, Thayer sophomore Elliana Tabor (Pembroke, Mass.) has nine points (four goals) in 15 contests. Freshman Sophie Um is one of Taft's best so far, sitting at eight points (four goals). After a productive junior year, Austin Prep senior Sarah Sampson (Wilmington, Mass.) is enjoying an explosive final act. One of prep’s top scorers, she has 25 points in 15 games. Her 13 goals match her previous career high. New Hampton sophomore defender Roxie Merrick has nearly doubled her output from her freshman year, sitting at nine points in 15 games this season.
2. Who are the Player of the Year favorites? Through the first half, there are plenty of players with cases to make. Schwarz and Meyer surely are among the frontrunners. Stepnowski (who won last year), Sears, Zhao, Ames and Grey are right in the mix, too.
St. Paul’s Erin Flaherty (Boston, Mass.) is also an early contender, as the Boston University commit has 21 points (13 goals) in 16 games. The same goes for Andover’s Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.). The BC commit leads prep with 34 points (12 goals) in 14 games. Keep Harb and Freitas in mind, sitting at 19 and 20 points, respectively, in 14 games. Freitas is tied for the most goals with 17. Others to keep an eye on include Andover’s Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.), who is tied with Freitas' 17 goals as part of her 32 points. Thayer’s Lydia Kealty (Norfolk, Mass.) and Maddy Call (Dedham, Mass.), St. George’s Maddie Lahah (North Attleboro, Mass.) and Williston’s Brooke Schlutter.
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3. Who will emerge in a packed race for the Elite 8? Outside of the top five contenders previously mentioned, there is no shortage of teams in the hunt for the Elite 8. Deerfield (13-2-0), Tabor (8-3-2) and Exeter (9-2-2) round out the projected Elite 8, while BB&N (7-4-1), Groton (9-4-0), St. Paul's (12-4-1), Governor's, Choate, Cushing, Rivers (8-5-2) and Berkshire (7-4-1) are all at least in the mix in the JSPR.
Among the teams on the outside, BB&N, St. Paul's and Groton are perhaps the most interesting. Very little separates them in the algorithm, right now. In fact, St. Paul's RPI rating is higher than the three teams ahead of them: Exeter, Groton and BB&N. Thayer (7-6-2) and Taft (7-6-0) aren't to be forgotten, either.
All it takes for any team, though, is a hot streak here or a cold streak there. It’s shaping up to be a photo finish in February.
Key dates:
- March 1: Tournament fields announced
- March 4: Quarterfinals
- March 7: Semifinals
- March 8: Finals at Dexter Southfield
