We're in the dog days of the girls prep hockey season now.
The excitement and the buzz of the holidays and mid-season tournaments are well behind us now, and the postseason remains at arm's length.
Even in the muck of the schedule, we've seen our share of fireworks lately. The last week saw some big-time matchups, whether it be Deerfield's wins over Choate and New Hampton, Thayer knocking off Tabor, Loomis Chaffee downing Tabor or Williston taking care of Kent.
With all of that, a lot changed in our top 10 from last week, including Westminster's return. Nobles and Williston have set themselves apart as the top two frontrunners right now, while Deerfield and Loomis are starting to cement themselves in the upper tier, too. Outside of the top four, though, is where things get very interesting.
My usual reminder, there's still so much hockey left. The next several weeks will feature some huge games.
Let's dive into this week's rankings.
1. Nobles (14-0-1)
Previous rank: 1
Head coach: Tom Resor
Next game: vs. Lawrence Academy, Jan. 24, 4:30 p.m.
Nobles kept it up this week, picking up their 13th and 14th straight wins. The Bulldogs had a pair of tough matchups, too, first knocking off a pesky Austin Prep team, 4-2, before shutting out Exeter, 2-0. Sophomore Maddie Krepelka (Arlington, Mass.) kept up her recent hot streak with goals in both games, while sophomore Ashley Loeber (Weston, Mass.) had a big day with a pair against AP, including the game-winner. Nobles leads the NEPSAC with a ridiculous plus-58 differential (68-10). Lawrence Academy is up next before a rematch with St. Paul's this weekend.
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2. Williston Northampton (11-1-1)
Previous rank: 2
Head coach: Christa Talbot Syfu
Next game: at Westminster, Jan. 24, 2:45 p.m.
Williston is up to six straight wins after a 3-1 victory over Dexter Southfield and a 5-2 win in a huge tilt with Kent last week. Freshman Mia Daley (Lynnfield, Mass.) and senior Monique Lyons (Bedford, Mass.) had strong weeks with a goal and an assist each in both games. Junior Liv Ferebee had another strong week in net, too. The Wildcats took control as the game wore on against Kent, scoring three unanswered goals across the second and third periods to pull away. No team in girls prep hockey has scored more goals than Williston (69). A big rematch with Westminster is on tap this week, and Hotchkiss awaits on Saturday.
3. Deerfield (14-1-1)
Previous rank: 4
Head coach: Brooke Fernandez
Next game: at Pomfret, Jan. 24, 4:30 p.m.
Deerfield is rolling right along after a three-win week to extend their run to 11 in a row. It was a tough slate, too, but the Big Green took care of business against Choate, 4-2, New Hampton, 4-2, and Taft, 2-0. Annie Dinges (Woodstock, Conn.) had a massive week with five points (four goals) in three games. She leads the NEPSAC with 18 goals in 16 games, while her 27 points are second. Campbell Krotee (Stamford, Conn.) has been rock solid in net, too. They face Pomfret this week before a tough test with Andover on Saturday.
4. Loomis Chaffee (11-3-0)
Previous rank: 3
Head coach: Liz Leyden
Next game: vs. BB&N, Jan. 24, 5:30 p.m.
Loomis took care of business against Taft, 2-0, before outlasting Tabor in overtime, 2-1. The Pelicans are up to 10 straight wins. They've given up more than two goals just once this season, and they've allowed fewer than two in eight of their 10 consecutive wins, including five shutouts. Sophomore Annie Schwarz (Fairfield, Conn.) was the hero against the Seawolves, burying a shot in the top-right corner to win it. A busy end to the month lies ahead with five games in the next eight days. BB&N, Greenwich Academy and Exeter are on deck this week before matchups with Westminster and Frederick Gunn early next week.
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5. Phillips Andover (7-3-1)
Previous rank: 8
Head coach: Martha Fenton
Next game: at Cushing, Jan. 24, 4:15 p.m.
Andover had a resounding bounce-back from their loss to St. Paul's, which had marked their third in five games entering last week. The Big Blue rolled right past Lawrence, 5-0, and St. Mark's, 7-0. With Molly Boyle (Scituate, Mass.), Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.) and Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) back in the fold, Andover's roster could be primed for what is a tough stretch to close out the season. Cushing, BB&N and Deerfield await this week. Things continue to kick into high gear the rest of the way with Tabor, New Hampton, Williston, Nobles, Loomis and more all on the horizon.
6. Choate (11-4-0)
Previous rank: 10
Head coach: Laura DiCarlo
Next game: at Kent, Jan. 24, 6 p.m.
Choate slipped up in a stiff matchup with Deerfield, falling 4-2. They bounced right back with a 7-2 road win over Canterbury. The Wild Boars are up to five wins in their last six and seven in their last nine. Norah Morris and Caroline Holm (Cheshire, Conn.) each had solid weeks to continue their strong seasons, finishing with a goal and an assist each across the two games. A road matchup with Kent could have big ramifications on next week's rankings. The Wild Boars host Millbrook, this weekend, too. A bump up to No. 6 might be too big of a leap for Choate, but outside of the top four, it is truly anyone's game right now.
7. Westminster (10-3-1)
Previous rank: NR
Head coach: Sara Ugalde
Next game: vs. Williston Northampton, Jan. 24, 2:45 p.m.
I was probably too hard on Westminster when I put them outside of last week's top 10 after losing to a tough Choate team. They fired right back with four straight wins, three of which came last week. The Martlets showed some resilience, winning back-to-back games in overtime, a 4-3 win over Millbrook and a 1-0 result at Portsmouth Abbey. They capped off the week with a 3-1 win over Hotchkiss. Junior Talia Ondy (Newtown, Conn.) has come on strong of late. She was the hero in OT against Millbrook. Julia Matyas remains stout in the crease, too. The next seven days are absolutely massive for Westminster. First is a home rematch against Williston before trips to Tabor then Loomis Chaffee.
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8. Groton (9-3-1)
Previous rank: 9
Head coach: Tim LeRoy
Next game: at Governor's, Jan. 24, 4:45 p.m.
Groton has won four straight, including an 8-0 win over Proctor and a 3-1 win at Rivers last week. Sophomore Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.) showed out with four goals against Proctor, and junior Maddie Cronan (Ashland, Mass.) had a hat trick. It was very much a group effort against Rivers, though. Sophomores Jaelyn Trudell (Andover, Mass.) and Lauren Ash, as well as junior Hazel Hughes (Lancaster, Mass.), found the back of the net. It's a busy week ahead for the Zebras. They visit Governor's on Wednesday before a trip to St. Paul's on Friday. They host Holderness on Saturday as well.
9. St. Paul's (9-5-0)
Previous rank: 6
Head coach: Kelli Mackey
Next game: vs. Groton, Jan. 26, 5:30 p.m.
After an impressive win against Andover, SPS fell to Cushing, 1-0, which marked their third loss in four games. The Big Red responded with a pair of wins over the weekend, though. They knocked off Kimball Union, 3-2, before a 6-0 drubbing of Vermont Academy. Maude Niemann (Weston, Conn.) came through with a hat trick against Vermont, and Ingrid Cassidy picked up her first career goal. Niemann continues to break out, now up to 11 goals in 14 games. St. Paul's has a tall order this weekend with a home tilt against Groton on Friday before a trip to Nobles for a rematch with the Bulldogs on Saturday. It's part of an immensely tough and important stretch that will also feature Deerfield, Thayer, New Hampton, Tabor and Exeter over the next few weeks.
10. Kent (5-3-2)
Previous rank: 5
Head coach: Sam Ftorek
Next game: vs. Choate, Jan. 24, 6 p.m.
Kent's hit a rough stretch, dropping three straight and going winless in five of six (1-3-2). After falling to Loomis and Lawrenceville two weeks ago, the Lions lost at Williston, 5-2. Like Tabor, offense has been tough to come by of late. The Lions haven't scored more than two goals in six straight. Megan Duplantie is still scoring a point per game, now up to four goals and six assists in 10 games. The upcoming slate doesn't offer Kent a reprieve either as they host Choate and Taft this weekend. But the schedule in the coming weeks does provide a chance to regain momentum.
Dropped out: Tabor (7-4-3)
Tabor's struggles continued last week, falling to Thayer, 6-3, before a 2-1 overtime loss to Loomis. The Seawolves are winless in four straight (0-2-2), 1-3-2 in their last six games and 3-4-3 in their last 10. They're averaging two goals a game in their last 10, too. It's another tough week ahead with visits to Milton and Dexter before a home tilt with Westminster. They won't catch a break before the end of the month, either, hosting Andover next week.
In the hunt: Tabor, Thayer (9-4-1), New Hampton (7-3-4)
