HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS HOCKEY TEAM CAPSULES
Can the Oyster River/Portsmouth girls hockey team get back to the Division I state championship game this season? Can St. Thomas Aquinas/Winnacunnet/ Dover, despite losing 11 players to graduation, qualify for post-season play? Here’s a team-by-team look at the upcoming high school girls hockey season for Seacoast area schools in New Hampshire and Maine.
NEW HAMPSHIRE DIVISION I EXETER
Head coach: Andrea Nichols, second year 2022-23 result: 8-10. Lost in Division I first round
Top returning players: Maddie Mann, soph., forward; Lilyan Blood, sr., forward Other key players: Nora Hanlon, fresh., forward/defense; Amelia Bonafede, fresh., defense; Kaelyn Cooper, fresh., forward; Keegan Donohue, soph., forward; Riley Donohue, sr., defense
Season outlook: The Blue Hawks, coming off a year where they made their way back into the playoffs, look to continue building with some young talent complementing returning leaders. “I think our success this year will come from our offense, and playing solid team defense, especially in the defensive zone,” said Nichols. Mann and Blood will be key offensive cogs, while a trio of freshmen defenders in Hanlon, Bonafede and Cooper look to make a mark defensively. Exeter opens its 18-game regular season at Con-Val on Saturday, Dec. 16.
AL PIKE/SPECIAL TO PORTSMOUTH HERALD
Oyster River/Portsmouth
Head coach: Jamie Long, 16th year 2022-23 result: 14-3-1. Lost to Bishop Guertin in Division I state championship Top returning players: Kyra Jakobs, jr., forward; Eliza Farwell, soph., forward; Mallory DeSantis, jr., forward; Maeve Harney,
jr., forward; Sienna Metcalf, sr., forward; Meaghan Rinko sr., defense; Emma Sahr, jr., defense; Sage Bussiere, soph., defense; Hannah Henderson, jr., defense Other key players: Anna DeSantis, fresh., forward; Bella Kane, fresh., forward Season outlook: After coming up short in last year’s state championship, Oyster River/Portsmouth looks to win one more game this season. Long said he has a strong core of players returning, and has high expectations. “It will be up to our defensive play and our goalkeeping,” Long said. “We have a really good group of players coming back, and I think we should be pretty good.” The ClipperCats look for big offensive contributions from the duo of Jakobs and Farwell, while Rinko will anchor the young defense. The ClipperCats open their 18-game regular season at home on Thursday against Kingswood.
St. Thomas/Winnacunnet/Dover
Head coach: Al Oliveira, 11th year 2022-23 result: 12-6-2. Lost in Division I quarterfinals
Top returning players: Julianna Grella, sr., forward/defense; Christi Trudel, sr., forward; Brielle Kelly, jr., defense; Kensley Harris, jr., goalie
Other key players: Elise Frenette, jr., defense; Isabel Lilly, soph., defense
Season outlook: The Saints lost 10 players to graduation and another transferred, but Oliveira believes the team will reach
York/Traip/Marshwood/Noble
Head coach: Sadie Wright-Ward, fourth year
2022-23 result: 11-7. Lost in Class A quarterfinals
Top returning players: Kiera Alessi, jr., forward; Chloe Fallon, sr., forward
Other key players: Marina Friedman, sr., forward; Eliza Woods, jr., forward; Shea Johnson, fresh., defense; Kiera Durgin, fresh., goalie
Season Outlook: The Wildcats sport a young team entering the season, but Wright-Ward expects the team to gel and grow as the season goes on. “I know as the season progresses the team will begin to come together and our young/newer players will gain confidence,” she said. “The keys to our success will be how well our young players can adapt to the speed of the high school level, and if we can capitalize on offensive chances to put the puck in the net.” The Wildcats will be led by captains Alessi (Traip), and Fallon (Noble). The team was bolstered by the additions of transfers Marina Friedman (Marshwood) and Eliza Woods (York). The Wildcats are off to an 0-5 start, and will play their next game on Thursday against Biddeford/Thornton/Wells/Kennebunk.