The stretch run is here.
Less than a month remains in the girls prep hockey regular season. Before we know it, the regular season will be over on Feb. 28, and the brackets will be out on March 1. Elite 8, Large School and Small School champs will be crowned on March 8 after the all-out sprint that is the prep playoffs.
But we've still got a lot of hockey to play before then. Even more pressing, we've got new rankings to unpack, and there were some big moves this week.
The top four remained unchanged as they continue to solidify their footing, but outside of those is where things get interesting. Tabor made a big move after upsetting former No. 3 Dexter Southfield over the weekend. Elsewhere, Phillips Exeter also climbed, and Groton re-entered the mix.
Let’s dive in.
1. Williston Northampton (15-1-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Head coach: Christa Talbot Syfu
Next game: vs. Taft, Feb. 4, 4:45 p.m.
The Wildcats continued to hum right along, picking up three more wins (two in NEPSAC play) last week. Shutouts of Westminster (3-0) and Hotchkiss (8-0) bookended a 6-3 win against Winchendon. Mia Daley (Lynnfield, Mass.), Zola Piekarski (Concord, Mass.), Riley Stocker and Brooke Schlutter each had six points on the week. Ava Carr (Medway, Mass.) had points in all three games as well. A light week is ahead for Williston with just one game on deck, but a home tilt with Taft should not be overlooked. The Wildcats are still No. 1 in the JSPR rankings, too. They've won 11 straight.
TOP PERFORMERS: The best of the best in girls prep from Jan. 21-27
Previous ranking: 2
Head coach: Martha Fenton
Next game: at Tabor, Feb. 4, 3:45 p.m.
The Big Blue also kept rolling with a trio of 4-1 victories against quality opponents, extending their winning streak to 11 in a row. Andover, which is second in the JSPR, knocked off Cushing and then-No. 8 BB&N on the road before taking care of then-No. 6 Deerfield. Keira Bruen (West Roxbury, Mass.) scored in all three games, including a pair against BB&N. Maggie Averill's (Wayland, Mass.) three assists helped power the win at Cushing, while Sienna Glass (Andover, Mass.) scored twice against Deerfield. Marie Lee (Southborough, Mass.) posted a .935 save percentage across the three games as well. Andover will have its hands full again this week, heading to Tabor on Wednesday before hosting New Hampton on Friday. The Big Blue shut out Tabor, 2-0, at the Patsy K. Odden Invitational on Dec. 19.
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Tom Resor
Next game: at St. George's, Feb. 4, 4:30 p.m.
Nobles stayed put at No. 3 with a pair of wins, extending its winning streak to seven games. The Bulldogs took down Lawrence Academy, 3-0, before knocking off then-No. 7 St. Paul's, 3-1. Rachel Zhao (Westwood, Mass.) scored in both wins. Lily Bromley (Carlisle, Mass.) and Francie Ames (Brookline, Mass.) had points in each game as well. A busy week is on tap for the Bulldogs, who are No. 3 in the JSPR. Nobles will head to St. George's on Wednesday before hosting Cushing on Friday. They'll also face Brooks on the road on Saturday.
4. Loomis Chaffee (15-2-0)
Previous ranking: 4
Head coach: Liz Leyden
Next game: at Frederick Gunn, Feb. 4, 5 p.m.
The Pelicans picked up a trio of key wins at home last week with a 2-1 victory over BB&N, a 4-0 shutout of Cushing and a 5-0 shutout of Westminster. Annie Schwarz (Fairfield, Conn.) scored against BB&N and Cushing, and Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) also scored against BB&N. Megan Hosman had two assists against BB&N and two goals against Cushing, too. Lexi Buco (North Providence, R.I.) had a pair against Westminster as well. Loomis is No. 4 in the JSPR. They'll head to Frederick Gunn on Wednesday.
MIDSEASON REPORT:Â Taking stock of a deep field ahead of the stretch run
5. Tabor (11-3-2)
Previous ranking: 9
Head coach: Eric Long
Next game: vs. Phillips Andover, Feb. 4, 3:45 p.m.
Tabor bounced back in a big way last week, going 3-0-0. The highlight was a 3-0 upset at then-No. 3 Dexter Southfield. Jen Birolini (Pembroke, Mass.) powered the win with a pair of goals, while Sofia Nardelli (Cranston, R.I.) scored, too. Birolini also scored in a 7-2 win over Milton Academy and a 3-1 win over Westminster. Nardelli had a goal and an assist against Milton, too. The big week bumped the Seawolves to No. 7 in the JSPR. They'll face another huge test when they host Andover on Wednesday. Tabor will also host St. Mark's on Saturday.
Previous ranking: 3
Head coach: Maggie Taverna
Next game: at Phillips Exeter, Feb. 4, 5:15 p.m.
The Shields tumbled out of the top five after falling to then-No. 9 Tabor. Dexter bounced back with a 6-1 win at Brooks, though. Evelyn Doyle (Needham, Mass.) led the way with a hat trick in the win, and Leah Hafer (Winchester, Mass.) scored twice. Elizabeth Allen (Brookline, Mass.) had three assists. The Shields are fifth in the JSPR. Two more tough matchups lie ahead as they'll visit Exeter on Wednesday before hosting Groton on Saturday.
Previous ranking: 6
Head coach: Brooke Fernandez
Next game: vs. St. Paul's, Feb. 4, 4:30 p.m.
Deerfield slipped one spot after splitting its games last week. The Big Green took care of Pomfret on the road, 3-1, but fell at No. 2 Andover, 4-1. Sophie Frost stayed hot with a goal against Pomfret, while Gia Thompson and Peyton Wierl scored in the win, too. Reagan Deery (Darien, Conn.) had the lone goal against Andover. Deerfield is No. 6 in the JSPR, and it'll look to get back into the win column in its lone game this week. The Big Green will host St. Paul's on Wednesday, which is also in search of a bounce-back.
GIRLS MIAA RANKINGS: Milton takes over No. 1 spot; Algonquin enters
Previous ranking: 10
Head coach: Sally Komarek
Next game: vs. Dexter Southfield, Feb. 4, 5:15 p.m.
Exeter improved two spots after an undefeated, 3-0-0 week. The Big Red took care of Tilton (4-1), Rivers (3-0) and St. George's (6-2). Maria Grey scored in each game, including twice against STG. Erin Sears (Cornwall, Vt.) scored a pair against Tilton, and Mia Griffith scored against Rivers and Tilton. Exeter, which is eighth in the JSPR, will have its hands full this week. The Big Red will host Dexter on Wednesday and BB&N on Saturday.
9. Groton
Previous rankings: NR
Head coach: Tim LeRoy
Next game: at Middlesex, Feb. 4, 5:30 p.m.
The Zebras re-entered the rankings with a 2-0-1 week, as wins over Governor's (2-1) and Holderness (2-1) bookended a scoreless draw with St. Paul's. Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.) had a goal and an assist against Gov's, and Ava Barbour scored as well. Scalese helped power the comeback against Holderness, tying it in the second before assisting Caroline Matusovich's (New Gloucester, Maine) game-winner. Nora Wilson (Weybridge, Vt.) was outstanding with 20 saves against Gov's and 54 for the shutout against SPS. A busy week is on tap for Groton (No. 9 in the JSPR). They'll visit Middlesex on Wednesday, Lawrence Academy on Friday and Dexter on Saturday.
Previous rankings: 7
Head coach: Kelli Mackey
Next game: at Deerfield, Feb. 4, 4:30 p.m.
The Big Red slipped to No. 10 after a winless week. After generating plenty of pressure in the 0-0 tie with Groton, St. Paul's came up short at Nobles. Paige MacPhee turned aside 29 shots against Groton, and Emma Burke (Braintree, Mass.) notched her first career goal in the loss to Nobles. It won't get easier for SPS this week as it'll head to Deerfield on Wednesday before hosting Thayer on Friday. The Big Red are No. 10 in the JSPR.
MIDSEASON REPORT: Where do things stand in girls MIAA hockey before the stretch run?
Dropped out:Â BB&N (7-6-1; 8)
In the hunt: BB&N, Governor’s (11-4-4), Rivers (9-6-3), Choate (8-6-1), Berkshire (8-5-1), Taft (9-6-0), Cushing (8-6-2), Thayer (8-7-3), St. Mark's (7-6-2), Frederick Gunn (9-6-2)
