Last season, the Bay State Conference sent seven of its 10 girls hockey programs to the state tournament, but only one team, Milton, made a run all the way to TD Garden for the Div. II title before falling short to Medfield.
This season, Milton returns with many of its key contributors from last year’s team, looking primed to make another run at the Herget Division title. In the Carey Division, expect Natick to continue to produce on the ice with a talented squad returning for the Red Hawks.
Check out how the rest of the conference is shaping up for the 2025-26 season.
1. Milton
After coming up short in TD Garden last season, the goal for Milton is pretty clear.
“We would be lying if our goal wasn’t to get back there and finish the job this time,” Milton coach Matt Lodi said. “But we also want to continue to build the program how we want it to be built.”
The Wildcats are coming off one of their most successful seasons in history, winning 16 games while reaching the Division II final. This season, while mixing in nine freshmen, Milton will be looking to play a fast brand of hockey.
“We really want to play an up-tempo style game, heavy forecheck, utilize that speed that we have to try to create as many offensive opportunities as possible,” Lodi said.
Leading the attack on offense will be 2025 Herget Division MVP, Sabrina Stone. The senior forward notched 27 goals last season, and needs 39 points this season to cross the 100 point mark.
The Wildcats will also be led on defense by senior Mairin Hart, who is returning for her fourth year as a varsity starter. Lodi will count on Hart to lead a younger defensive core this season.
2. Natick
Natick joins Milton as another state title contender from the Bay State. Last season, the Redhawks rattled off 17 wins before slipping up in the first round of the tournament to Shawsheen Valley Tech.
Last year’s early exit should provide all the motivation necessary for a Natick team returning a lot of talent all over the ice.
The Red Hawks will be led by junior goaltender Sophia Luoni, who earned the Carey Division MVP last year as a sophomore. They also return fellow Bay State All-Star Jordan DiGiandomencio as well as forward Ava Kelly
3. Needham
There are a lot of question marks for Needham heading into the season — and for good reason. The Rockets are coming off a 10 win season, but have lost all three of their Bay State All-Stars from last season.
A senior heavy group from last season will make way for a younger squad this season in search of talent. Needham does return two double digit goal scorers from last season in sophomore Cassie Ling (17 goals) and junior Bella D’Amelio (10 goals).
Another hurdle facing the Rockets will be the fact that they will have a whole new coaching staff behind the bench for the first time in 27 years. Mike Jewkes is set to replace Allysin Furano-Foster as Needham’s head coach.
4. Newton North/South
The Newton North/South co-op had its most successful season in years last winter, winning 10 games and earning a spot in the state tournament. After three straight seasons where it couldn’t crack five wins, the Crush seem to be building something.
The biggest challenge for Newton this season will be maintaining last year’s success, proving it wasn’t just a flash in the pan. It should have a pretty good chance to prove themselves with the pieces it is bringing back.
The Crush will be returning 2025 Bay State All-Star, Lexi Blanchfield to its lineup. The senior defender will provide some good experience along the blue line to help junior net minder Ellie Martinez.
Newton also brings back some forward depth in senior Audrey Welstead and junior Gabby Staz.
5. Wellesley
This season will look a little different for Wellesley, as the Raiders will be partnering with Lincoln-Sudbury to form a co-op. Coach Chris Heaney will team up with Lincoln-Sudbury coach Paul Hardy as the two programs combine.
Wellesley will be hosting the co-op.
Despite the low roster numbers, there are still plenty of pieces on the ice for Wellesley to be successful this winter. Last season, the Raiders won six games and saw their season end with a 7-0 loss to top-ranked Hingham in the tournament.
The biggest returning piece will be Mia Prall. The senior forward has been one of the top players in the conference throughout her entire high school career, winning the Carey Division MVP following her sophomore season. Prall will once again be a contender for that crown this winter.
Seniors Caitlin Hamburger and Kristina Garcia-Miller will also provide some scoring for Wellesley.
6. Brookline
After narrowly missing out on the state tournament in 2024, the Warriors got over the hump in 2025. Brookline would later fall to Archbishop Williams 5-1 in the first round, but it once again will have another solid chance to appear in the tournament this winter.
The Warriors will return a valuable scoring threat in former Bay State All-Star, Caroline Hughes, who will lead the offensive charge this season.
Brookline performed well in conference play last season, if it can contend with the upper-echelon of the Bay State, the Warriors could take another step as a program.
7. Weymouth
Post 2020, the Wildcats have slowly but surely been building up to a double digit win program. While last season saw a slight step back with eight wins, Weymouth is once again right on the doorstep of the tournament in 2025.
Senior forward Casey Buccigross should be a valuable scoring threat for the Wildcats. Senior goaltender Alex Hajjar returns to her post between the pipes, and should limit scoring on the other side.
8. Walpole
Walpole will have the chance to improve on a seven win season in 2025, and there’s one big reason why — continuity. The Timberwolves will return its top scoring line in Kate Schneider, Kaylee Walsh and Nora Kelley this season. The seniors should hit the ground running in December.
Walpole will also return senior goaltender Nadia Michienzi who was the starter in net last season.
After falling in the first round of the tournament last year, expect the Timberwolves to make a strong attempt to return to the dance.
9. Braintree
After a 2-18 2024 season, Braintree is primed to see an improvement on the ice as the Wamps continue to mature. Last season, Braintree rostered no seniors, and a young roster meant some bumps along the way.
But last year’s bumps should make for a smoother road in 2025.
The Wamps will be led by senior defender Bridget Walsh, who was named a Bay State All-Star last season. Walsh will hold down the blue line for Braintree, but the senior can also move the puck up and down the ice, and is expected to also make a big impact offensively.
Braintree also touts a strong goaltending tandem in junior Julia Pizzi and freshman Sienna Cadigan, both are expected to make the Wamps a tough team to score on.
10. Framingham
Framingham has had a tough go at it on the ice in its last two seasons, combining to win just five games.
That said, the Flyers aren’t too far removed from a 2023 season in which they won nine games and earned a win in the state tournament. So a winning identity is there, they just need to find it again.
Much of the winning identity will lie with goaltender Echo Yale. The junior has been stellar between the pipes since earning the job as a freshman. Yale was also named a Bay State All-Star last season. Yale has already crossed the 1000 saves mark, doing so in just 28 career games.
Framingham already has one piece of the puzzle solved — and an important one at that — and if it can put together a few more, the Flyers could climb up the ranks of the Bay State.
