In 1983, Williston Northampton was among the first prep schools to offer girls’ hockey, and over the next 39 years they earned many individual and team accomplishments.
But they had never won a championship.
That changed in March when the Wildcats captured their first NEPSAC Chuck Vernon Elite 8 Girls’ Hockey championship at their home arena, Lossone Rink, on the beautiful Easthampton, Mass., campus.
They avenged their lone loss to Nobles earlier in the season, and won 2-0 to finish a 24-1 campaign — the best record in program history.
The championship had even more significance for Williston because Chuck Vernon, the longtime Loomis Chaffee coach after whom the Elite 8 tournament is named, is a 1962 graduate of Williston. During his senior year, a victory bell was anonymously donated in Vernon’s name for his leadership and sportsmanship. Sixty years later, the bell still remains on campus, and with Williston hosting, they were determined to ring it in victory.
After Vernon handed the championship trophy to the Wildcats' captains, he followed the team to the bell and joined in ringing it.
“Having Chuck Vernon there to present the award and join the girls in ringing the bell made it even more special,” Williston head coach Christa Talbot-Syfu said.
Talbot-Syfu, a 1998 Williston graduate and 20-year coach at her alma mater who also played at Providence College, had gone 139-39-16 over the previous 10 years. But that championship kept alluding them.
Then things changed last year at the Harrington Christmas Tournament.
“We played a very good game against Nobles in the finals, but just could not bury our chances. The kids were happy with their effort, but disappointed in the 2-0 loss," said Talbot-Syfu.
“When we came back from break in January, our focus turned to better team defense and commitment in our own end."
It worked, as Williston never lost again, finishing on an 18-game winning streak.
In the championship game against a Nobles team Williston had only beaten once before, Williston scored on the first shift.
“I feel (like we) took the wind out of the sails of Nobles and gave us that confidence boost we really needed," Talbot-Syfu said. "When you don’t beat a team in many games, there is that level that everybody’s always the underdog. But our kids, with seven remarkable four-year seniors, said it’s our time and we are going to do this."
TRYING TO GET BACK: How Nobles looks heading into the 2022-23 season
Williston graduated a lot of talent: Jules Constantinople (Northeastern), Emma Merrill (Bowdoin), and goalie Natalie Stott (Amherst), as well as Teaghan Hall (Endicott) and Maeve Reynolds (Amherst). But they will return 12 girls from last year’s squad.
“It will be a different group, and I think there is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm about getting started," Talbot-Syfu said. “We have a good group of juniors and seniors that will be our leaders. We will have seven new players, and I am really looking forward to getting them ready for a really competitive year.”
Williston relies heavily on their seniors and this year will be no different.
Emily Crovo (Melrose, Mass.), is a senior center committed to Holy Cross and will be the captain. Ava DeCoste (Marshfield, Mass.) is a senior forward committed to Brown and will be one of the assistant captains.
“She has worked really hard developing her defensive game and will be a key member of the offense,” Talbot-Syfu said.
Katherine Kang (Amherst, Mass.), is a senior defender committed to Williams and the other assistant captain.
Two new transfer seniors will be Miranda Calderone (Bethesda, Md.), a senior defenseman committed to Brown from Selects Academy Hockey, and Jenna Guglielmi (Branford, Conn.), a senior goalie committed to Wesleyan from the Taft School.
Two juniors who will also be key contributors are Caroline Aufiero (Belmont, Mass), a three-year player committed to Harvard, and center Emily Hamann (Marlboro, Mass.), who is also a three-year player committed to Harvard.
The expectations are high this year for Williston as it defends its championship, and the team knows it.
“We know it will be a different season, but the goal will be to hit the ground running and take it one day and one game at a time," Talbot-Syfu said.
“I think we will absolutely see everyone’s best any time we walk into the rink, and that will be a new feeling for us to manage. But I think with key returnees coming back, particularly our juniors and seniors who are ready to lead us, I think we will be ready.”
