It’s time for the second edition of The Patriot Ledger/Enterprise Girls Soccer Top 10 ranking. We have a new Number 1 as well as five newcomers who have elbowed their way onto the list since our first ranking came out on Sept. 14.
But before we dive into who made it, let’s take a moment to salute a few teams that missed the cut. In a nod to the depth of talent on the South Shore — you might recall that we had four state champions in 2022 — our Next 10 (after the Top 10) are loaded with talent, too.
Speaking of which …
Defending Division 1 champ Hingham, which went wire-to-wire atop last year’s rankings and was No. 1 back in September, slides out of the Top 10 after a 4-4 start. Senior forward/midfielder Claire Murray missing three games with an illness didn’t help — she’s a University of Illinois commit, after all — but expect the Harborwomen to figure things out soon.
Some other notable teams that just missed the cut:
— Defending Div. 2 champ Silver Lake, which started 3-3-3. Dismiss the Lakers’ chances of a repeat at your own peril, though. Remember they were 1-2-3 after six games last season.
— Whitman-Hanson (5-4-1) already owns big wins over Duxbury, Hingham (a 5-4 thriller) and Silver Lake and seems to be hitting its stride.
— Blue Hills (8-0-1) has dominated Mayflower Athletic Conference competition, and even though the Warriors’ strength of schedule has them sitting 29th in the Div. 4 power rankings, junior Kathleen Murphy (13 goals) and company could make a deep playoff run.
Now on to the Top 10. Current records (as of Thursday morning) and previous rankings are in parentheses:
1. Hanover (10-0, 2)
The Hawks, defending Div. 3 state champs, were No. 22 in the country (No. 2 in Massachusetts, behind only No. 12 Hopkinton) in this week’s United Soccer Coaches Association ranking. Hard to argue, given that Hanover has allowed a single goal so far. You could see this coming with All-State midfielder Sophia Foley (15 goals) picking up where she left off last year and new goalkeeper Natalie Mutschler showing why she’s headed to Div. 1 Villanova. But don’t overlook the contributions of midfielders Sophie Schiller and Abigail Kajunski, who were immense in a 1-0 win over Hingham last week. The Hawks own other high-quality wins over Whitman-Hanson, Norwell, Silver Lake and Marshfield.
More: Goal machine: Hanover’s Foley strikes again as Hawks edge Hingham in girls soccer showdown
2. Norwell (9-1-1, 5)
Business as usual for the Clippers, who won the Div. 3 crown two years ago, made it to the Round of 16 last year and appear to be a strong title contender again this fall. Norwell has outscored opponents 35-3 with seven shutouts, and coach Kara Connerty says her defense — led by Smilla Spasic, Audrey Loring and goalie Belle Pettit — has been “tremendous.” Freshmen Hannah Morse (10 goals, 3 assists) and Kelsy Tuttle (6 goals, 4 assists) rank 1-2 in points, and Paige Flanders (4 goals, 5 assists) and Anya Johnson are locking down midfield. The Clippers have scored wins over Cohasset (twice), Weymouth and Notre Dame Academy and played Hanover tough in a 1-0 loss.
3. Cardinal Spellman (6-0, NR)
The Cardinals made one appearance on our Top 10 list a year ago, at No. 10, when they got off to a 6-1-2 start en route to a 9-6-4 finish and a first-round playoff loss in Div. 3. This quick start might be more sustainable. Spellman, which played only once before Sept. 20 thanks to rainouts, is up to No. 6 in the latest Div. 3 power rankings. Senior Emma Pero has poured in 14 goals, backed by Grace Foster (4) and Abbie Clark (3), while junior center back Clare Varano, a three-year starter, has anchored the defense. The Cardinals own solid wins over Div. 4 West Bridgewater and Div. 2 Bishop Stang. Back-to-back games vs. Archbishop Williams (4-1-4) on Oct. 20 (away) and Oct. 23 (home) loom large.
More: Strength in numbers: 12 senior captains anchor undefeated Cardinal Spellman girls soccer
4. Notre Dame Academy (7-2-1, 3)
The Cougars have been on a tear recently, winning their last two games by scores of 9-0 (Malden Catholic) and 7-0 (Martha’s Vineyard). More impressive, though, was 4-1 season-opening win over a Duxbury team that has dropped just one other game so far. Sydney Comeau, a Holy Cross commit, has not lost her scoring touch from last season when she struck for 28 goals en route to being an All-New England pick. She’s at 16 goals this fall. NDA’s back four — center backs Lola Griffin and Caroline Sacco and outside backs Abby Tucker and Taylor Watts — has been sharp in front of goalkeeper Emelia DaPonte. NDA gets a rematch with Norwell next Tuesday; the Clippers won the first meeting, 2-0.
More: ‘She’s a scoring a machine’: NDA striker Sydney Comeau a nightmare for opposing defenses
5. Milton (6-1-2, NR)
The Wildcats never got close to our Top 10 last year when they finished 3-13-2. But first-year coach Kevin Gorham has turned things around, with an assist to his daughter Noelle, a dynamic sophomore midfielder who transferred from Dexter Southfield. She scored one goal in Tuesday’s 2-2 tie with Framingham. Freshman Sahana Zauls had the other; she’s scored eight times, including the lone goals in 1-0 wins over Braintree, Weymouth and Needham (a team Milton hadn’t beaten in 20 years). Senior goalkeeper Christina McA’Nulty has authored four shutouts, and juniors Sadie Ruth, Victoria Lundeen, Phoebe Panucci and Molly King are also off to strong starts.
More: This freshman has Milton High girls soccer reaching new heights and wanting more
6. Cohasset (6-3, 4)
The defending Div. 4 state champs, who were 17-1-3 a year ago, have lost twice to Div. 3 Norwell and once to Div. 2 Bishop Stang and were No. 5 in the power rankings before Tuesday’s 5-2 road win over Sandwich. Tess Barrett (16 goals, 11 assists) and Ava Carcio (10 goals) are leading the charge on offense. Barrett, a University of Maryland commit, recently became the first player in program history to record 100 career points. Freshmen Georgia Royston, Regan Carroll and Maddie Campbell have provided a big spark for the Skippers, while senior Laney Larsen (who just joined the team this season) and Meghan Smith have steeled the defense.
More: Numbers game: Cohasset soccer star Tess Barrett hits scoring milestone in blowout win
7. Marshfield (6-2-2, 7)
The Rams started their season with a bang — a 1-0 win over defending Div. 1 state champ Hingham in new coach Perry Gaffoor’s debut. Gaffoor likes his team’s mentality (the Rams are 4-0 in one-goal games), and he raves about his midfield trio of Ryann Doyle (senior captain), Camryn Picard (junior) and Kat Kiziuk (sophomore). “They’re controlling games and contributing in every way,” he noted. Marshfield has a balanced attack led by Doyle (4 goals, 6 assists), Kayla DiPasquale (4 goals, 2 assists) and Camryn Picard (4 goals). Senior center back/captain Marissa Medeiros missed three games with a foot injury, but she’s on the mend.
More: Wins are stacking up for the Marshfield High girls soccer team
8. Oliver Ames (7-2, 8)
The Tigers, who lost to Silver Lake in last year’s Div. 2 state final as the No. 1 seed, scuffled a bit out of the gate this fall, losing two of their first three. The asterisk there was that the defeats came against Franklin and King Philip, who each are 7-1 and rank 11-12 in the latest Div. 1 power rankings. Now OA has hit it stride with six straight wins, the last five of them via shutout. Emma Gavin (4 goals, assist) and Siena Fabrizio (goal, 4 assists) starred in a 6-0 trouncing of North Attleboro last Thursday. Gavin (7 goals on the season), Greta Teravainen and Jolie Diaz found the net in Monday’s 3-0 win over Sharon, and Lucinda Li Cotter struck twice in Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Taunton.
More: Despite missing deVos for first month, OA girls soccer out to recapture 2022 title hopes
9. Bridgewater-Raynham (7-1-1, NR)
The Trojans had a fine season in 2022, finishing 12-5-2 with a loss in the Div. 1 preliminary round. They’re off to a fast start this fall, with the lone blemishes a 1-0 loss to Durfee and a 1-1 tie with East Bridgewater. Five of their wins have come via shutout. Junior Haylie Fortune (6 goals, 3 assists) powers the offense. Coach Tim Kaliff calls her “tenacious.” Sophomore Willow Forbes-Smith (6 goals, 2 assists), senior captain Lily Giurleo (2 goals, 2 assists) and freshman Taylor Lincoln (4 goals) also have contributed, and junior Isabella Johnson marshals the defense. Saturday’s road trip to Archbishop Williams will be a good test, and the rematch with Durfee looms on Oct. 24.
10. (tie) Abington (6-2, NR)
Like Milton, Abington has been a pleasant surprise this season. Although the Green Wave’s last outing was a 5-0 loss to East Bridgewater that snapped a six-game winning streak, the overall body of work has been strong. That’s welcome news for a program that was 3-13-2 last fall and hasn’t had a winning season since 2015. Senior Avery McCann is the team’s leading scorer with 9 goals and 3 assists — she had found the net in every game before being blanked by EB — and junior goalkeeper Molly Joyce has authored four shutouts. Abington has 10 seniors but also five productive freshmen. Upcoming games vs. Norwell, West Bridgewater, Hull and Cohasset will be challenging.
More: Abington High girls soccer is having its best season in years
10. (tie) Hull (6-2-1, NR)
The Pirates’ best performance this season might have come Tuesday, when they fought Norwell to a scoreless draw, taking a point off the Clippers for just the second time in program history, according to coach Stew Bell. Hull’s losses have come against Cohasset and Abington, and the Pirates had an edge in possession against the Green Wave. Junior striker Elly Thomas has 13 goals and 5 assists already. Junior Fallon Ryan (5 goals, 5 assists) orchestrates things in the midfield, and senior co-captains Veronica Fleming (5 goals, 6 assists) and Sarah Duran (3 goals, 3 assists) have been valuable contributors.
On the bench: Duxbury (7-2-1), Whitman-Hanson (5-4-1), Canton (5-3), Hingham (4-4), Silver Lake (3-3-3), West Bridgewater (6-1), Blue Hills (8-0-1), Archbishop Williams (4-1-4), Rockland (4-4-1), Brockton (5-3-1)
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore high school girls soccer top 10 rankings
