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Heavyweight title bout on tap: Girls hockey Top 10 ranking

eric mchugh, the patriot ledger
·8 min read

The day after Valentine's Day, you gotta love this.

Duxbury girls hockey (the defending Division 2 state champion) will host Notre Dame Academy (a Division 1 semifinalist a year ago) at The Bog in Kingston on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. We'll refrain from calling it the "Game of the Century," but it's at least the game of the 2023-24 regular season so far around here.

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In the latest MIAA power rankings that came out Tuesday morning, Duxbury was ranked No. 1 in Division 2 and NDA was ranked No. 2 in Division 1. Spoiler alert: Those two are also 1-2 in the third edition of our Patriot Ledger/Enterprise Top 10 ranking of the season.

You can find the previous one, from Jan. 18, right here. Our first ranking, from Dec. 22, is here.

As was the case with our last boys hockey top 10, we've tweaked the format and now will count down from 10-1. Records (as of Tuesday, Feb. 13) and previous ranking are in parentheses.

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We'll kick it off with some of the teams that just missed the cut.

On the bubble: Plymouth North/South (6-8-3), Norwell/Scituate/Abington (6-10-1), Hanover (7-8-1), Mansfield/Oliver Ames/Foxboro (6-8-3), Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake (6-10-1)

Weymouth goalie Alyssa O'Connor, shown here as a freshman in 2022, has been sharp for the Wildcats this season.
Weymouth goalie Alyssa O'Connor, shown here as a freshman in 2022, has been sharp for the Wildcats this season.

10. Weymouth (8-9-3, NR)

Latest MIAA power ranking: No. 30 in Division 1

The Wildcats are coming off back-to-back shutout losses to Bay State Conference rivals Braintree and Milton, but they were flying before that with a nine-game unbeaten streak (7-0-2). Weymouth allowed only seven goals during that run. Goals have been scarce overall on the schedule – the Wildcats have played a pair of scoreless ties, have posted three shutout wins and have been blanked seven times. Goalie Alyssa O'Connor has been sharp with help from a solid blue line led by Anna Rice, Issy Hajjar and Angie Palmer. From the Good Cause Department: Rice has organized a Morgan's Message fundraiser game Wednesday night at Connell Rink at 7 p.m.

Bishop forward Emily Fleming breaks away from the pack with the puck. Hingham girls hockey hosted Archbishop Williams at Pilgrim Arena on Wednesday Jan. 10, 2024
Bishop forward Emily Fleming breaks away from the pack with the puck. Hingham girls hockey hosted Archbishop Williams at Pilgrim Arena on Wednesday Jan. 10, 2024

9. Archbishop Williams (6-9-2, NR)

Latest MIAA power ranking: No. 15 in Division 1

The Bishops' record is deceiving as their opponents' rating in the MIAA power ranking formula (1.22) is the third-highest in Division 1. That's a measure of strength of schedule, and Archies gets an A-plus for effort there with losses to the likes of Duxbury, NDA (twice), Hingham (twice), St. Mary's (16-1-1, No. 1 in Division 1) and Falmouth (16-2-1, No. 2 in Division 2). The Bishops are starting to hit their stride – 4-2-2 over their last eight games with the losses to Falmouth and NDA. Their next three opponents: Pope Francis (11-5-1, No. 8 in Division 1), Braintree and Duxbury.

8. Braintree (8-7-2, 7)

Latest MIAA power ranking: No. 16 in Division 1

The Wamps are 5-2-1 over their last eight, and both losses came in overtime. Six of Braintree's seven losses overall have been by a goal with four of them in OT. Bella Corcoran and Eva Surette have been a solid 1-2 combination in goal, while sophomore Catherine Freeman (2 goals in a comeback win over Needham last time out) and freshman Nora Shea (3 goals in the last four games) have provided timely offense. The Wamps will take a two-game win streak into Wednesday's showdown with Milton (6 p.m. at Zapustas Arena) with town rival Archbishop Williams looming on Saturday.

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Marshfield's Kayla Leonard looks to make a move on her Plymouth defender during first period action of their game at Hobomock Ice Arena on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022.
Marshfield's Kayla Leonard looks to make a move on her Plymouth defender during first period action of their game at Hobomock Ice Arena on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022.

7. Marshfield (11-7-0, 8)

Latest MIAA power ranking: No. 11 in Division 2

Cracking the top six on this list is a chore, but the Rams are giving it their best shot. Winners of seven straight heading into Wednesday's clash with Norwell/Scituate/Abington, coach Tom Greland's gang has punched a playoff ticket for the first time in over a decade. Sophomore goalie Morgan Murphy sports a 1.92 goals-against average, and the Rams are playing "fantastic team defense," according to Greland. Sophomore Sarah McIntyre (12 goals, 13 assists, 25 points), junior Kayla Leonard (11-10–21) and freshman Julia Lemire (8-12–20) lead the way on offense.

Pembroke's Jen Birolini during a game against Duxbury at Hobomock Arena in Pembroke on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
Pembroke's Jen Birolini during a game against Duxbury at Hobomock Arena in Pembroke on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.

6. Pembroke (13-4-0, 3)

Latest MIAA power ranking: No. 7 in Division 2

The Titans' 10-game winning streak came to an end in a 1-0 loss to Duxbury in a big Jan. 24 showdown. Two more losses – to Plymouth North/South and Hingham – followed before Pembroke righted the ship with a 7-2 win over Quincy/North Quincy last week. The Titans will have been off for 10 days when they face Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake on Saturday. Junior center Jen Birolini (27-12–29) continues to be one of the state's most dangerous players, and she gets a lot of help from the likes of Ella Skeiber (14-12–26) and Hannah D’Angelo (10-6–16).

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Canton's Izzy Cusack handles the puck as a blur of motion during the Sweet 16 game against Milton in the Div. 2 state tournament at Canton Ice House on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
Canton's Izzy Cusack handles the puck as a blur of motion during the Sweet 16 game against Milton in the Div. 2 state tournament at Canton Ice House on Saturday, March 4, 2023.

5. Canton (16-3-1, 5)

Latest MIAA power ranking: No. 9 in Division 2

If defense wins championships, the Bulldogs are trending in the right direction with five straight shutout wins. Canton, which lost last year's Division 2 state final to Duxbury, once again has punched above its weight, facing each of the top three teams in Division 1 (based on the current rankings). The Bulldogs handed No. 1 St. Mary's (Lynn) its only loss and fell to No. 2 NDA (3-0) and No. 3 Malden Catholic (3-1). Canton won a fifth straight Hockomock League crown and has gotten fine seasons out of goalie Kate Budway, forward Izzy Cusack and defensemen Devan Spinale and Tori Carr.

4. Milton (15-3-0, 6)

Latest MIAA power ranking: No. 6 in Division 2

It's 11 straight wins for the Wildcats, who recently clinched a second straight Bay State Conference Herget Division crown. Milton is 12-0 in league play heading into Wednesday's league finale against Braintree. Goalie Lila Chamoun has been excellent (1.23 GAA, 8 shutouts) and just recorded her 1,700th career save. Molly Murphy (14-11–25) and Sabrina Stone (8-6–14) lead the offense, which has been boosted by the return of Mary Lovett (4-10–14) from an injury. A deep Division 2 playoff run seems inevitable; Milton made the Round of 16 last year in its first playoff appearance since 2017-18.

3. Hingham (13-5-1, 4)

Latest MIAA power ranking: No. 6 in Division 1

Salute to junior forward Caroline Doherty, who recently scored her 100th career goal. She's up to 18 goals and 9 assists this season and has been getting help from Addy Garrity (13-11‒24), Hannah Lasch (13-5–18) and Callie Crean (6-10–16). Lasch, by the way, has a pair of OT goals this winter. Shea Richardson (5-8–13) and CC Flynn (3-12–15) provide some scoring punch from the blue line, and goaltender Izzy McGarr is having a fine season. Hingham's only losses are to Duxbury (twice), NDA and Burlington (14-1-2, No. 3 in Division 2). The Harborwomen will host their Hingham Hockey Showcase next week at Pilgrim Arena to conclude the regular season.

2. Notre Dame Academy (10-3-2, 2)

Latest MIAA power ranking: No. 2 in Division 1

The Cougars' list of wins is impressive – Canton, Pembroke, Milton, Braintree, Hingham and Malden Catholic (10-3-3, ranked No. 3 in Division 1). NDA can add to that list Thursday against Duxbury. The Cougars' only losses have come against St. Mary's-Lynn (16-1-1, No. 1 in Division 1), Boston Latin (14-3-2, No. 20 in Division 1) and Malden Catholic, and coach John Findley's team had a big edge in shots in all three of those games. "We just could not score" in the losses, Findley said. "No puck luck at all." NDA has been winning with defense, as goalies Ava Larkin and Erin Kral have allowed just 12 goals combined all season.

Duxbury's Addison Metzler catches the puck in mid-air, in front of goaltender Anna McGinty during a game at Hobomock Arena in Pembroke on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
Duxbury's Addison Metzler catches the puck in mid-air, in front of goaltender Anna McGinty during a game at Hobomock Arena in Pembroke on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.

1. Duxbury (15-3-0, 1)

Latest MIAA power ranking: No. 1 in Division 2

Salute to goalie Anna McGinty, who made her 1,000th career save in the Dragons' most recent game – a 2-1 loss to Pope Francis (11-5-1, ranked No. 8 in Division 1). Duxbury actually has lost back-to-back games, falling 2-1 to Malden Catholic (10-3-3, ranked No. 3 in Division 1). Things don't get any easier with NDA coming to town on Thursday, but the Dragons have won plenty of high-profile games this winter, beating the likes of Hingham (twice), Pembroke and Falmouth (16-2-1, No. 2 in Division 2). Juniors Maddie Greenwood (16-10–26) and Zoey Madigan (5-14–19) lead an offense that will return almost everyone next season.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore high school girls hockey Top 10 ranking