We are just under a month into the Maine girls high school hockey season, and our preseason rankings have already been thrown into a blender.
As expected, parity has riddled the landscape, with surprises Biddeford/Thornton/Kennebunk/Wells and Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland/Oxford Hills taking the scene by storm.
Perhaps the biggest storyline out of the gate so far is how Cheverus/Old Orchard Beach/Windham has fared in its quest for a fourth straight state championship, which has thrown a handful of challenges at the preseason favorite.
A newly ranked squad has cracked the top 10, and some predicted heavyweights have slid down the list as the heart of the season gets underway. And even though it is still early, a clear pack is emerging at the top of the rankings as teams to keep an eye on in the looming title chase.
But there are certainly a handful of surprises, memorable moments and top performances still to come. Here is where things currently stand in our first in-season edition of our top 10 rankings.
1. Yarmouth/Freeport
Previous rank: 2
North
Record: 4-0-1
Coach: David Intraversato
Next: vs Falmouth/Scarborough, Dec. 16, 7 p.m.
Yarmouth/Freeport has come out of the gate in midseason form, leaping to the No. 1 spot. Maya Nasveschuk (6-2-8) and Adelaide Strout (5-3-8) have spearheaded Intraversato’s team to a 4-0-1 record, highlighted by big wins over Brunswick (2-1) and Biddeford/Thornton/Kennebunk/Wells (3-0). In the overtime decision over Brunswick, it was Nasveschuk who played hero and potted the game-winning tally. Yarmouth/Freeport’s only hiccup thus far has come in a tie to Cheverus/Old Orchard Beach/Windham, who entered the season as the No. 1 team on the heels of a dynasty.
2. Biddeford/Thornton/Kennebunk/Wells
Previous rank: 7
South
Record: 5-2-0
Coach: Joshua Williams
Next: @ Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland/Oxford Hills, Dec. 17, 6:40 p.m.
Biddeford Co-op could not be off to a better start under Williams. In what has been a statement opening weeks of play, Williams’ group has only lost to the top-ranked Yarmouth/Freeport on two occasions, the first a 3-0 decision before coming up just short in a 2-1 defeat. Corinne Ramunno has played a big role in the red-hot start, recording 7-7-14 through the first seven games this winter. Biddeford will be tested in its next game against the Red Hornets, another team that has impressed.
3. Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland/Oxford Hills
Previous rank: 6
North
Record: 5-1-0
Coach: Dana Berube
Next: vs Biddeford/Thornton/Kennebunk/Wells, Dec. 17, 6:40 p.m.
The Red Hornets have only lost to Biddeford/Thornton/Kennebunk/Wells amid a 5-1-0 start. Perhaps their biggest victory in the early goings of the season came in a 3-0 blanking over Cheverus, a contest in which Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland/Oxford Hills dominated from start to finish. Khloe Nadeau lit the lamp twice in the romp and has already totaled 6-3-9 this season. Leading in the scoring department is the talented Leksi Langevin, who has amassed an eye-popping 11-6-17 through six games. She leads all of Maine girls hockey in points.
4. Cheverus/Old Orchard Beach/Windham
Previous rank: 1
South
Record: 3-1-2
Coach: Scott Rousseau
Next: vs Brunswick, Dec. 18, 4:20 p.m.
Cheverus Co-op is looking to capture its fourth straight state title this winter and has the makings to be in the hunt. But with teams on the rise across both divisions, it certainly won’t be easy to pull off the four-peat. After going winless in a three-game stretch that yielded a pair of ties, Rousseau’s team got back into the win column in a convincing 6-1 triumph over Portland Co-op. Joey Pompeo (4-7-11) and Logan Curry (6-9-1) have led Cheverus Co-op so far and will look to keep its momentum going this week against Brunswick.
5. Gorham
Previous rank: 10
South
Record: 4-3-0
Coach: Dave Grant
Next: @ Falmouth/Scarborough, Dec. 20, 12 p.m.
Making the biggest jump from our preseason poll is Gorham, which has found its stride this winter with a 4-3-0 start. Its only losses have come against the teams that have emerged as frontrunners, including at the hands of Cheverus/Old Orchard Beach/Windham, Brunswick and Biddeford/Thornton/Kennebunk/Wells. But Gorham has earned hard-fought victories over a slew of strong competition, headlined by a 7-1 thumping over Penobscot on Saturday. Gorham is responsible for three of the top four scorers in the league, including Carlin Galligan (9-7-16), Azalea Grant (4-12-16) and Lia Collins (11-4-15).
6. Brunswick
Previous rank: 3
North
Record: 4-2-0
Coach: Chris Ledwick
Next: vs Lewiston, Dec. 15, 7 p.m.
Brunswick has won three straight and made its case to be a strong contender in the North field. It threw a scare into Yarmouth/Freeport in the season opener on Nov. 21, falling 2-1 in overtime. Since then, Brunswick has experienced a few highs and lows but has settled in over the last week with three wins in which it outscored its opposition by a 14-0 margin. Amid the offensive outburst, returning stalwart Solveig Ledwick has posted a league-leading 12 goals. Expect Brunswick to keep rising, backboned by elite play from Ledwick.
7. Penobscot
Previous rank: 8
North
Record: 3-3-0
Coach: Meghan MacDonald
Next: vs Yarmouth/Freeport, Dec. 20, 2 p.m.
Penobscot will seek revenge this week in what is no doubt its biggest test of the season. After falling to Yarmouth/Freeport in the semifinals last season, a hungry Penobscot squad has a chance at redemption on Saturday against the top team in the state. Penobscot suffered a 7-1 loss to Gorham but played to an impressive 6-0 win over Brunswick last month. Ella Davis (8-2-10) has been one of the league’s top goal scorers so far and will be a big part of Penobscot’s efforts moving forward. Saturday’s result should say a lot about MacDonald’s team at this point in the season.
8. Falmouth/Scarborough
Previous rank: NR
South
Record: 1-2-2
Coach: Rob Carrier
Next: @ Yarmouth/Freeport, Dec. 16, 7 p.m.
Falmouth/Scarborough has only produced one win so far, but managed a tie against Cheverus/Old Orchard Beach/Windham as it looks to get back on track after two straight losses. Carrier’s team has been headlined by Ella Yates (3-2-5) as Falmouth/Scarborough travels to battle Yarmouth/Freeport this week.
9. Portland/Deering/So. Portland/Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete
Previous rank: 4
South
Record: 3-4-0
Coach: Bob Mills
Next: vs York Co-op, Dec. 18, 8:20 p.m.
Portland Co-op has shown it has the firepower to contend in a highly competitive South division that has already revealed parity across the board. It has a talented forward in Mikaela Furt (9-4-13), but has struggled against some of the top teams in Cheverus Co-op and Biddeford Co-op. Mills and his group will look to tap into a more widespread scoring punch this week against York Co-op to get back on track.
10. Winslow/Gardiner/Cony/Lawrence/Messalonskee/Maranacook/Erskine
Previous rank: 5
North
Record: 2-3-1
Coach: Elliot Emberley
Next: @ Lewiston, Dec. 23, 5 p.m.
Winslow Co-op has a big win over Penobscot on its resume as it looks to climb the ladder in the North division. Its scoring front has been spread across the board but has been fronted by Josie Kelly (2-1-3) and Kayleigh Turner (3-0-3). The Black Tigers also tied Falmouth/Scarborough at the beginning of the month and have shown it can compete with the heavyweights. It will all come down to putting the puck in the net on a more consistent basis if Emberley’s team hopes to make a run.
