Girls Prep Hockey – Lakes Region Team Previews: St. Paul’s, New Hampton Will Be Tough

The Lakes Region will feature two new head coaches this winter, with Hunter Churchill taking over at Proctor and John Ettore the new bench boss at Vermont Academy. A look at the teams:

BREWSTER ACADEMY

Coach: Jamie Smith

With the majority of the roster back, the Bobcats look to be a factor in the Lakes Region race.

Sophomore defenseman Miranda Stilwell will be a key performer on the blue line for coach Smith. New junior Noelle De Magistris will be an added plus.

Brewster has pair of tested netminders in senior Lauren Ward (a Fairfield University lacrosse commit), and sophomore Rhyan Pitari.

HOLDERNESS

Coach: Nicole Bartlett

The Bulls have nice group of experienced players returning. With a team strength being on the defensive side, the team is working to find the right combination of players up front to generate more offensive chances.

Pacing the offensive attack for coach Bartlett are seniors Sage Amaliksen and Ahneka Noyes, junior Ella Cedrone and sophomores Grace Adams and Marissa Lafferty.

Senior Grace Murphy, junior Phoebe Fisher and sophomore Caitlin Slider are back on defense to form the defensive nucleus. Newcomers adding even more depth are junior Maddy Monahan and sophomore Lily Spooner.

New freshman Mia Gonsalves joins junior Morgan Cunningham as goalies for Holderness this winter.

KIMBALL UNION

Coach: Sam Ftorek

With some solid veteran leadership, the Wildcats are excited to get going. “They are so pumped to get back into the groove, and so are we as coaches,” said coach Ftorek. “Last year was great development with all of the coaching, but it is time to play. We are going to need our younger players to step up their game and round out our team.”

Offensive production is slated to come from seniors Abby Flanagan (Nazareth commit) and Lucie Turcotte (Stonehill commit), and junior returners Ainsley Lonczak and Kate French.

The KUA defense features senior Gretchen Dann (Amherst commit), senior Sophie Coehlo, senior Audrey Donahue (Nazareth commit) and sophomore Julia Chedel.

Ftorek believes he will have an impressive goaltending tandem in returning senior Shannon Moran and sophomore Sydnie Oliva.

NEW HAMPTON

Coach: Craig Churchill

Leadership and experience will be the keys heading into thet season for the Huskies, who are excited to play games outside of the Lakes Region this year.

“We have a solid core group of kids that will be back and looking to pick up where they left off after freshman year,” Churchill said. “Making sure our compete level is high for each game will be very valuable after so much time off.”

A strong returning forward contingent is led by junior Julia Pellerin, a Boston College commit. Post-grad Emma Robertson, senior Casey Chesner and junior Jansen Lucas, Lilli Bills and Isa Healey will be offensive standouts as well. Freshman Kennedy Walker looks to contribute.

On the blue line, seniors Jo Tattersall and Ava Gosnell, and junior Lucie Legro bring a wealth of experience. A pair of freshmen fighting for minutes are Reagan Comora and Teagan Hurley.

Merrimack College commit Sophia Hausberger will be joined in the nets by junior Avery Callison.

PROCTOR ACADEMY

Coach: Hunter Churchill

Former assistant Churchill ascends to the head coaching position this winter and will have some spots to fill after the team had a large graduating class last season.

The cupboard isn’t totally bare. A good group of forwards return in senior captain Natalie Daniels (a William Hobart Smith lacrosse commit), senior Violet Sperry, and juniors Bridget Everett, Ella Maher and Mia McNamara. Joining the group are junior Reilly Desmond and sophomore Lucy Girouard.

Endicott College commit Allie Cimis, a senior, will backbone the Hornets defense, which will be bolstered with the arrival of new juniors Caroline Pekkala, Emma LaRiviere and Lola Randolph.

In goal, look for junior Kelly Smock.

ST. PAUL’S

Coach: Heather Farrell

The Big Red will have a younger team this winter, but will be very talented as they have been over the last several seasons.

The team has just six seniors on the roster and all will be key in the success of the club with their leadership and strong play. Kristina Allard (Northeastern commit) and Jade Arnone (Harvard commit) will be cornerstones on the blue line, along with fellow senior Claire Murphy.

Seniors Lily Cassidy and Lilly Truchon will be key forwards, while senior Abby Matusovich is a veteran presence in goal.

Some underclassmen to watch are sophomore forward Charlotte Wensley and sophomore defenseman Gabbie Martiniello.

TILTON

Coach: Keith McLean

The Rams also have a new coach in McLean, a former assistant at Nobles. He thinks things are looking up for the program.

“We have a tough, hard-working group of forwards who are relentless on the forecheck,” McLean said. “The team is very excited to have a chance to compete.”

The forward braintrust will have senior Sarah Schoote (Castleton commit), senior Isabella Marzano and junior Sophia Brea. New junior Samantha Babbitt should have an impact right away. Freshman Mary Kelley hopes to be a regular contributor.

Senior Diana Poland (Johnson & Wales commit) will be a defensive anchor. Juniors Conley Ladabouche and Evelyn Irizarry are two more experienced blueliners for the Rams. Senior veteran Sydney Baxter gives Tilton a solid presence between the pipes.

VERMONT ACADEMY

Coach: John Ettore

New coach Ettore reports his club will be inexperienced on the defensive side, so strong goaltending will be a key as the unit develops over the course of the season.

Counted on to provide some scoring punch will be senior Danielle McCarthy, senior Riley Walsh, senior Megan Spring and junior Emma Laroche. Post-grad Julia Mesplede, from France, will be in the offensive mix.

Post-grad Emma Morel, also from France, will be a key on defense in front of returning senior goalie Maika Paquin.