A tale of two crowns and more: Girls soccer final top 10 ranking

It was another banner year for the South Shore in girls soccer.

Although Patriot Ledger and Enterprise teams couldn't match 2022's record haul of four state championships, they got halfway there as Notre Dame Academy ruled Division 2 and Norwell won it all in Division 3.

Hanover was the Division 3 runner-up, Hull made it to the Division 5 semifinals, and the area had quarterfinalists in Division 2 (Hingham and Canton) and Division 4 (Cohasset and West Bridgewater).

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As you might expect, local players earned individual accolades with Sophia Foley (Hanover), Claire Murray (Hingham), Sydney Comeau (NDA) and Tess Barrett (Cohasset) being named All-New England by the Eastern Mass. Girls Soccer Coaches Association. Comeau (Division 2), Foley (Division 3) and Barrett (Division 4) were named Players of the Year, and Hull's Stew Bell was the Division 5 Coach of the Year.

With the season finally in the books, it's time for our final Top 10 ranking of 2023. Before we get to that, though, let's take a moment to salute a few teams that just missed the cut:

Canton: The Bulldogs (10-8-2) made it to the Division 2 quarterfinals, led by Emma Cahill (16 goals, 6 assists) and Mekhala Costello (12 goals, 9 assists).

Blue Hills: The Warriors (17-1-2) set a program record for most wins in a single season, the last one coming in a preliminary-round game in Division 4. Blue Hills won a voke championship and a Mayflower Athletic Conference crown. Kathleen Murphy had 24 goals, and goalkeeper Ally Johnson set a new single-season program mark with 12 shutouts.

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Weymouth: The Wildcats (8-8-4) played one of the most challenging schedules around and made it to the Division 1 Round of 16, led by Bay State Conference Herget Division MVP Ella Scalisi (15 goals, 5 assists).

Now on to the final Top 10. Records and previous ranking are in parentheses:

1. Norwell (23-1-1, 2)

The Clippers stormed to a second Division 3 state crown in three seasons, again doing a double with the Norwell boys. They avenged their lone loss – 1-0 to Hanover back in September ‒ with a 1-0 win in the final. Defenders Smilla Spasic, Audrey Loring and Eden Wheeler and Mairin Blake were outstanding all year. If you're wondering about the chances of a repeat in 2024, they appear high. Spasic, Loring and standout goalie Belle Pettit will be gone, but Norwell's top four goal-scorers ‒ freshman Hannah Morse (21), sophomore Anja Johnson (12) and freshmen Kelsey Tuttle (10) and Allyson Kelley (10) ‒ have plenty of time left to swipe another crown or two.

More: Doubling up: Norwell boys, girls soccer teams claim Div. 3 state crowns, just like in 2021

2. Notre Dame Academy (16-6-3, 4)

The Cougars scaled the Division 2 mountain for the first time since 2013, beating Mansfield, 1-0, in the final on a goal by ‒ who else? ‒ All-New England forward Sydney Comeau, who's headed off to Holy Cross after a sterling high school career that saw her score 106 goals (32 this season). Five of NDA's six losses came against teams that competed in state finals ‒ Division 1 champ Natick, Division 3 champ Norwell (twice), Division 1 finalist Bishop Feehan and Division 3 finalist Hanover. That regular-season gauntlet served the Cougars well as they outscored their first three playoff opponents 13-0 before winning nail-biters against Masconomet (on penalty kicks in the semis) and Mansfield.

More: 'She's a superstar': NDA soccer's Sydney Comeau caps career with title-clinching goal

3. Hanover (21-1-1, 1)

The Hawks had a magnificent run, falling one win short of claiming back-to-back Division 3 state championships. The defeat to Norwell in the final snapped a 30-game unbeaten streak (29-0-1) dating back to a regular-season loss to Notre Dame Academy on Oct. 24, 2022. Graduation will hit hard with UMass-bound midfielder Sophia Foley (32 goals) and Villanova-bound goalkeeper Natalie Mutschler (0.41 goals-against average, 14 shutouts), among others, moving on. However, the pipeline is brimming with talent, including junior Sophie Schiller (13 goals, 15 assists) and sophomore Maelyn Foley (4 goals, 7 assists). Said coach Mary Cullity: "The girls respond really well to a high bar."

4. Hull (16-3-2, 9)

The Pirates authored one of the South Shore's biggest turnarounds ‒ from a sub-.500 finish in 2022 to a spot in the Division 5 semifinals this fall. A 4-1 loss to eventual champ Monson in the semis snapped a 16-game unbeaten run (14-0-2) that included draws with Division 3 champ Norwell and Division 4 powerhouse Cohasset. The best news is that so much talent is returning. Junior striker Elly Thomas poured in 33 goals (five in the playoff run), prompting coach Stew Bell to say, "She took her game to the next level." Junior midfielder Fallon Ryan (16 goals) also will be back. Senior midfielder Veronica Fleming (14 goals) and senior forward Sarah Duran (13 goals) will be missed.

More: Wait 'til next year: Hull girls soccer hopes to use Div. 5 semifinal loss as fuel for '24

5. Hingham (11-7-3, 7)

Life as the defending Division 1 state champ wasn't always easy for the Harborwomen, who struggled to a 3-4 start before finding their footing. Having dropped down to Division 2 this year, Hingham eventually made it to the quarterfinals, losing by a goal to top-seeded Masconomet, which fell to eventual champ Notre Dame Academy on penalties in the semis. Senior Claire Murray, who missed time early in the season, still managed 24 goals. Coach Mary-Frances Monroe calls her "one of the best players in the country." Freshmen Taylor Bello (13 goals, 6 assists) and Hannah Lasch (5 goals, 7 assists) finished 2-3 on the team in scoring and provide a strong base for 2024.

More: Hingham girls soccer eliminates Silver Lake in Div. 2 battle of defending state champs

6. Oliver Ames (14-4-0, 6)

The Tigers couldn't make it back to the Division 2 state final (they lost last year's title game to Silver Lake), but they did get to the Round of 16 as a No. 10 seed before losing to No. 7 Melrose. Their only other setbacks came to Division 1 quarterfinalist Franklin, Division 2 finalist Mansfield and King Philip, which made the Division 1 Round of 16. OA outscored its opponents 46-14, pitched 12 shutouts and won a Hockomock division crown for a third straight year. Forward Lucinda Li Cotter will be a big graduation loss, but center back Taylor deVos, a Fairfield commit, hopefully will be healthy for her senior season in 2024 after missing the first 12 games this year with an injury.

7. Cardinal Spellman (16-2-2, 3)

The Cardinals didn't make our first top 10 ranking of the year, but they were a mainstay after that as they constructed a sterling 15-1-2 regular season record with the only blemish a loss to Division 1 finalist Bishop Feehan. They also notched a win and a draw in a key late-season home-and-home series with Catholic Central League rival Archbishop Williams. Seeded sixth in Division 3, Spellman made it to the Round of 16, losing to No. 11 Weston, which took eventual finalist Hanover to penalties in the next round. Senior forward Emma Pero (34 goals, 6 assists) was an All-State selection, and Isa McDonough contributed 10 goals and 11 assists.

More: Strength in numbers: 12 senior captains anchor undefeated Cardinal Spellman girls soccer

8. Cohasset (13-4-3, 5)

The Skippers' bid for a second straight Division 4 crown ended with a 1-0 loss to Littleton in the quarterfinals. Two of their four losses were to South Shore League rival/Division 3 state champ Norwell. Midfielder Tess Barrett was a machine with 43 goals and 29 assists, pushing her career scoring line to 97-67 – 164. Sophomore Ava Carcio (22 goals, 5 assists) figures to be the primary offensive threat next season, while freshmen Georgia Royston, Regan Carroll and Maddie Campbell should see their roles increase. Said coach Deb Beal: "It was disappointing to exit the tournament, but looking at the regrouping we did from last season it was a real fun ride."

More: Numbers game: Cohasset soccer star Tess Barrett hits scoring milestone in blowout win

9. West Bridgewater (14-6-1, NR)

Most programs are lucky to have one 100-goal scorer; the Wildcats had two this season as Rachel Geniuch, who will play at Assumption, and Kylie Fuller both reached the career plateau in the same week. They became just the second and third players in program history to accomplish the feat. WB got off to a sizzling 8-1 start and eventually made it to the Division 4 quarterfinals. As a No. 9 seed the Wildcats knocked off No. 25 Wahconah, 4-3, and No. 9 Millbury, 2-1, before falling to top-seeded South Hadley, 6-3. South Hadley ended up as the state finalist.

10. (tie) Duxbury (12-6-2, 8)

The Dragons reached the Division 2 Round of 16 for a second straight season. As a No. 12 seed they beat No. 21 Walpole, 1-0, before falling to No. 5 Grafton, 3-2. The regular season wasn't bad, either, as Duxbury outpaced the likes of Hingham, Marshfield and Whitman-Hanson to claim the program's first Patriot League Keenan Division title in more than a decade. Senior forward Josie Lee, who paced the attack with 20 goals and 9 assists, and senior back Morgan Cheverie were both All-State picks. The Dragons will look to a strong junior class to take charge next season.

10. (tie) Marshfield (11-5-5, NR)

The Rams kicked off their season with a statement win over Hingham and then beat the Harborwomen again later. As a No. 20 seed in the Division 1 tournament they upset No. 13 Newton North on penalties after a scoreless draw before falling to No. 4 Wellesley in the second round. Ryann Doyle led the offense with 10 goals and 10 assists, and Kayla DiPasquale, Camryn Picard and Marissa Medeiros also starred for first-year coach Perry Gaffoor. "Definitely an exciting time to be a Ram," Gaffoor noted.

On the bench: Canton (10-8-2), Blue Hills (17-1-2), Weymouth (8-8-4), Milton (8-8-3), Whitman-Hanson (8-9-3), Archbishop Williams (9-8-6), Bridgewater-Raynham (12-4-3), Scituate (8-7-5), Rockland (9-9-2), East Bridgewater (9-10-3), Abington (10-9)

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