Handful of teams once again eyeing a run in D1 field hockey

On the one hand, the 2025 Division I field hockey season was unlike many that came before it.

On the other hand ... the eventual champion knocked off the defending champ to win the program's first title for the second year in a row.

A team ended a long playoff drought and then pulled off an upset in the first round, again for the second year in row, and nine of 11 playoff games were decided by one goal.

Bedford's win over Keene in the championship game was a first for the Bulldogs, and continued a trend. For the third year in a row, a team that had never won, or hadn't won for a long time, did just that.

And a year after Salem ended lengthy run without a playoff appearance, Merrimack did the same and grabbed a first-round win, just like the Blue Devils did in 2025.

There weren't any crazy tiebreakers to determine who got the final playoff spot, but who got in came down to a handful of games on the final day.

This year, there will be changes, with Manchester petitioning down to Division II for the NHIAA's new two-year cycle. That means, with 17 teams in the division, 11 of them will make the postseason.

Favorites

Winnacunnet (13-3-2, lost in semifinals)

Returing starters: Fiona McAfee, sr., forward/midfield; Sofia Donatelli, sr., forward; McKinley Fowler, sr., forward; Mary Koulheras, jr., defense; Kelly Curtin, jr., midfield.

Other returners: Zoe Tania, sr., defense; Riley Gagalis, so., goalie; Marley Eaton, sr., defense; Annabelle Palm, so., midfield; Meg Kelly, sr., forward.

Promising newcomers: Emily Arlington, jr., forward; Julia Koulheras, so., forward.

Pinkerton (13-5, lost in quarterfinals)

Returning starters: Molly Kuncik, jr., goalie; Gwen Lee, sr., forward; Cayden Madeiros, sr., forward; Jordyn Schreiber, so., midfield; Meaghan Shea, sr., midfield; Cora Udina, sr., defense.

Other returners: Ashley Clouthier, sr., forward; Lauren Kingsley, sr., forward; Violet Lloyd, so., goalie; Kara McIntrye, jr., defense; Brynn McKenna, jr., midfield; Lauren Sherry, sr., forward.

Promising newcomers: Sophia Beck, so., defense; Cora Blanchette, fr., defense; Lea Michelinie, so., midfield; Grace Morrow, so., defense; Maya Patel, jr., forward.

Title Contenders

Londonderry (14-4, lost in semifinals)

Returning starters: Annika Lewis, sr., defense; Molly Tharrington, sr., goalie; Gemma Murray, sr., midfield; Morgan Ayotte, jr., forward; Hannah Linscott, jr., defense.

Other returners: Avery Callahan, sr., midfield/forward; Madison Couture, sr., defense; Emma Karvielis, so., defense; Ashleigh Minahan, jr., foward; Sadie Moore, jr., forward; Sofia Petkus, jr., defense; Lexi Padykula, sr., forward (inj.).

Promising newcomers: Abby Chambers, fr., defense/midfield; Cora Rogers, sr., forward; Brooklyn Schulz, so., defense/midfield.

Dover (10-5-2, lost in prelims)

Returning starters: Scarlett Gray, sr., goalie; Hannah Calhoun, sr., defense; Molly Angers, jr., midfield/defense; Ella Deroy, jr., forward; Ella Carter, jr., defense; Rylie Philips, jr., midfield; Maiya Marte, so., defense.

Other returners: Mya Kageleiry, jr., forward; Autumn Bernier, sr., midfield; Mairead Aspell, jr., forward; Zoe Gosselin, jr., midfield; Lauren Lagasse, so., forward.

Promising newcomers: Kate Lavoie, fr., forward/defense; Kate Zbikowski, fr., foward.

Timberlane (9-7-1, lost in prelims)

Returning starters: Aubrey Fitzgerald, sr., defense; Kayla Apitz, sr., defense; Brooke Salafia, jr., forward; Aria Lobao, sr., midfield; Lexi Dorrow, sr., defense; Maeve Hayes, sr., forward; Danica Travers, so., forward; Rylee O'Connor, so., midfield.

Other returners: Izzy Chartier, so., forward; Gianna Diem, so., midfield; Liv Miller, sr., midfield; Anita Scibelli, sr., defense.

Promising newcomers: Lily Miloro, fr., defense; Jenna Alperin, fr., midfield; Lylah Eggleston, fr., defense; Nora Dufresne, fr., goalie.

Keene (16-2-1, lost in final)

No information was submitted.

Playoff Contenders

Merrimack (8-9-1, lost in quarterfinals)

Returning players: Annabelle Cassetty, sr., goalie; Jocelyn Theriault, jr., midfield; Sydnee Capen, jr., defense/midfield; Allie Wyand, jr., forward; Izzy Callahan, sr., midfield; Avery Gauthier, sr., defense/midfield; Audrey Hatfield, jr., forward; Josephine Swisher, jr., midfield/defense; Sophia Richard, jr., goalie; Ava Woods, jr., forward/midfield; Bree Hilyard, jr., forward/midfield; Grace Massey, so., forward; Genevieve Hill, so., midfield; Addie Sharp, so., defense.

Promising newcomers: Emma Chase, so.; Natalie Gagnon, so; Liv Dine, so.; Jordan Burns, fr.; Keely Gwinn, fr.; Sydney Winkler, fr.

Exeter (10-8, lost in quarterfinals)

Returning starters: Amalia Gloss, sr., goalie; Dylan Valade, sr., defense.

Other returners: Rowan Decew, so.; Olivia Amarosa, sr.; Emma Amarosa, so.; Maisie Meyers, sr.; Callen Meyers, sr.

Promising newcomer: May Atlee, jr.

Bishop Guertin (8-9, lost in prelims)

Returning starters: Sophia Harrington, sr., midfield; Addie Wilson, sr., midfield; Ava Brennan, sr., midfield; Grace Spengler, sr., defense; Mia Yakuboff, jr., forward; Danielle Kappa, sr., defense; Kaylee Cruikshank, so., midfield; Maris Bilodeau, so., midfield.

Other returners: Emma Smith, jr., goalie; Maris Bilodeau, so. forward/midfield; Shayne Amico, so., midfield; Mckenzie Ackley, sr., defense; Ayla Kempesty, so., midfield; Kaelyn Steward, sr., defense.

Promising newcomers: Devin Amico, fr., midfield; Emmerson McCarthy, fr., forward.

Bedford (17-1-1, won championship)

Returning starters: Mary Lenti, jr., forward; Abigail Allain, so., forward/midfield.

Other returners: Addie Putney, jr., forward; Morgan Weidner, jr., defense.

Promising newcomers: Lacey Browning, jr., midfield; Clare McGuinness, jr., midfield; Molly Muir, jr., midfield.

Windham (6-9-2, lost in prelim)

Returning starters: Meg Hallisey, jr., defense/midfield; Emme Mulrenan, jr., midfield/forward; Kiera Lee, sr., forward; Emma Adamske, so., defense/forward; Lyla Filadoro, jr., defense/midfield.

Other returners: Laikyn Reeners, sr., defense/midfield; Jadyn Vincent, sr., midfield; Bayla Peretz, sr., defense; Ali Pallaria, so., forward; Grace Mahoney, sr., forward; Sydney Rokel, so., goalie; Bree Venis, sr., defense.

Promising newcomers: Grace Corbett, fr., forward; Abby Tanso, jr., midfield/forward.

Goffstown (4-11-1)

Returning starters: Trinity Linn, sr., forward; Claire Brisiel, so., forward/midfield; Meredith Twomey, jr., midfield; Madigan Buckley, sr., midfield; Stella Endman, sr., midfield; Adele Yergeau, jr., midfield/defense; Addie Crossman, so., midfield/defense; Hope Moulton, jr., goalie.

Other returners: Sloane York, so., forward; Molly Tappin, jr., forward; Calleigh Quinn, sr., forward; Ainsley Mikolyski, jr., defense.

Promising newcomers: Lily Burke, so., defense; Maeve Hammond, so., forward; Mackenna Fisher, sr., forward; Ava Eastman, so., midfield; Khloe Veary, so., midfield/defense; Emma Bingham, jr., defense.

Salem (7-9)

Returning starters: Averie Bolduc, sr., midfield; Avery Concord, jr., defense; Nathalia Garcia, so., goalie; Dylan Linehand, jr., midfield; Brooke Morse, jr., forward; Bradley Thompson, sr., defense.

Other returners: Penny Ammon, sr., forward; Lia Bokuniewicz, so., forward; Kenzie Marino, so., forward; Addison Morgano, jr., midfield/defense; Aishu Rangarajan, sr., forward.

Promising newcomers: Molly Ammon, sr., forward; Alara Cakir, sr., forward/midfield; Kourtney Carroll, so., midfield; Chloe Chiasson, jr., midfield/defense; Kendall Halloran, sr., forward; Ava Mantia, jr., forward/midfield; Alayna McNamara, jr., defense; Brielle Murphy, so., midfield; Jackie Owaida, jr., midfield/defense.

Concord (7-8-3, lost in quarterfinals)

Returning starters: Emma Barry, jr., offense; Sydney Brown, sr., offense; Ella Chrabolowoski, jr., defense; Madison Duffy, sr., defense; Katelyn Fennlly, sr., defense; Brooke Nelson, sr., goalie; Elizabeth Thompson, sr., offense.

Promising newcomers: Elizabeth Noel, fr.; Julianna Scheffer, fr.; Maryanne Wood, fr.

Rest of the field

Nashua South (3-13)

Returning starters: Isabel Picanco, sr., forward; Emme Christian, sr., defense; Sofia Forti, jr., midfield; Maddie Langer, jr., midfield; Molly Mullaney, jr., midfield.

Other returners: Sophie Collins, sr., defense; Bella Hwalek, sr., forward; Riya Shroff, sr., midfield; Morgan Bakker, jr., forward; Lilly Hurd, jr., goalie; Aubrey Rose, jr., midfield; Jordan Peaster, so., defense.

Promising newcomers: Miranda Breen, jr., goalie; Caitlin Gallagher, fr., defense.

Nashua North (1-15)

Returning starters: Maddie Dratch, sr., midfield; Jordin Lopez, sr., forward; Sam Nardone, sr., defense.

Other returners: Kathryn Kieley, sr., forward/midfield; Lillie Davison, jr., forward; Olivia Boisvert, jr., defense; Lily Houston, so., forward; Sophia Wine, so., goalie; Lyra Plerhoples, so., defense.

Promising newcomers: Hannah O'Neil, fr., defense; Sammie Warshaw, so., midfield/forward; Aubree St. Aubin, so., forward.

Portsmouth (2-14)

No information was submitted.

Playoff Predictions

Teams (11): Bedford, Bishop Guertin, Dover, Exeter, Goffstown, Keene, Londonderry, Merrimack, Pinkerton, Windham, Winnacunnet.

Final four: Keene, Merrimack, Pinkerton, Winnacunnet

Championship: Pinkerton over Winnacunnet.

Offensive POY: Fiona McAfee, Winnacunnet.

Defensive POY: Scarlett Gray, Dover.