One thing for sure, there will be a new champ in D3 field hockey

Last season saw the St. Thomas Aquinas High School field hockey team go on a run to win its first title in 22 years and then leave Division III.

While the Saints have marched out of the division, there is no shortage of teams that believe they have the best squad to be the ones left standing on Halloween.

Gilford, which had won the three previous titles, along with Mascenic, last year's runner-up, and Hopkinton, a final four team a year ago, all have rosters back that will put them among the top teams.

Berlin, Mascoma Valley and Newfound always seem to find a way to be in the mix more often than not, while Stevens and Kearsarge could take a step forward.

Although St. Thomas left the division, and Bishop Brady had to cancel its season due to numbers, three teams moved down from Division II. Derryfield opted to not petition up for this two-year cycle, while Laconia and Pelham are in the division based on enrollment.

That means the season started with 16 teams in the division, meaning there should be 11 that make the postseason.

Favorites

Gilford (10-7-1, lost in quarterfinals)

Returning starters: Catherin Fay, sr., midfield; Grace Southworth, sr., forward; Riley Coutts, sr., forward; Madi Breton, jr., goalie; Brynn Blackwelder, jr., defense; Susanna Tilley, jr., defense; Kierra Walker, so., midfield.

Other returners: Emma Legro, sr., forward; Addy LeMien, jr., midfield; Avah Mason, jr., forward; Amelia Banks, so., defense.

Promising newcomers: Addi Hodsdon, so., forward; Ads Montminy, fr., goalie; Addie Baron, fr., forward; Kaitlyn Jacques, fr., defense; Abi Lyman, fr., forward; Molly McClare, fr., defense.

Mascenic (13-4, lost in final)

Returning players: Kiahna Farrey, sr., forward; Iris Traffie, jr., forward; Hailey Saari, jr., forward; Lily Alix, sr., midfield; Madison Farrey, jr., midfield; Scarlet Neilson, jr., midfield; Eleanor Haavisto, jr., defense; Mallee Aho, jr., defense; Evelyn Shippee, jr., goalie.

Other returners: Grace Matson, so., forward; Silvana Manzi, jr., midfield; Ashlynn Blood, jr., defense; Olivia O'Connor, sr., defense; Emery Saari, so., midfield; Mia Saari, so., defense; Brielle Bergeron, so., midfield; Kyra Rodriguez, so., defense.

Promising newcomers: Eden Traffire, fr., forward; Reese Alix, fr., forward; Olivia Klebes, fr., forward.

Hopkinton (14-2-1, lost in semifinals)

Returning players: Ryan Barrett, sr., midfield; Autumn Meier, sr., forward; Mary Maughan, sr., defense; Lauren Vetter, sr., midfield; Aurelia Salce, sr., forward; Gigi Upton, jr., defense; Dahlia Perry, jr., forward; Carlie Leino, so., defense; Sophia Swett, so., defense; Alyson Doffing, so., forward; Evelyn Read, so., goalie.

Promising newcomers: Nora Donlan, so.; Elidi Clough-Garvin, fr., midfield; Lyla Reindeau, fr., defense; Alexis Dimick, fr., forward; Lila Nemeth, fr., defense; Sophie Severance, fr., goalie.

Title Contenders

Berlin (14-2-1, lost in semifinals)

Returning starters: Rose Kelley, sr., forward; Brooke Laflamme, jr., defense; Caitlyn Kelley, jr., forward; Willow Brouillette, jr., forward; Lola Aristegui-Burke, sr., forward.

Other returners: Marlee Wedge, sr., forward; Harmony Horne, sr., midfield; Peyton King, jr., forward.

Derryfield (8-10, lost in D2 quarterfinals)

Returning starters: Caitlin Lande, jr., midfield; Katie Stonaker, jr., forward; Titi Latinwo, jr., midfield; Juliana Cataldo, jr., defense; Rosie Blake, so., midfield.

Other returners: Maddy Solso, sr., midfield; Maya Collymore, so., defense; Cassie Wright, so., defense; Aikat Tournas, so., defense; Noelanni Hunter, so., goalie; Neha Veeranna, so., forward.

Promising newcomers: Yasmina Abdalla, fr., defense; Lily Garnett, fr., forward.

Playoff Contenders

Mascoma Valley (11-4-1, lost in quarterfinals)

Returning starters: Tori Petty, jr., forward; Sophie Smith, so., forward/midfield; Patent Clement, so., forward; Avery Peck, so., forward/midfield; Abby Harkins, so., defense/midfield.

Other returners: Charlotte Adams, sr., defense; Emma Drexler, so., midfield/defense; Addie Irwin, so., goalie; Penny Roman, so., defense/midfield.

Conant (5-10, lost in prelims)

Returning starters: Brianne Dupuis, sr., forward; Mia Lambert, sr., defense; Nakaya Muhonen, sr., midfield; Mabel Bergeron, jr., midfield; Caroline Weinhold, jr., forward; Gretchen Somero, jr., goalie; Reagan Boudreau, so., midfield; Harlow Muhonen, so., midfield; Evelyn Desmarais, so., defense; Autumn Burgoyne, so., forward; Siiri Sulin, so., defense.

Promising newcomers: Jenna Charron, jr., midfield; Kathryn Urwiller, fr., defense.

Sanborn (4-10)

Returning starters: Kayleigh Preston, sr., midfield; Alexa Rosa, sr., forward; McKenna Muskrat, sr., forward; Cece Wentworth, sr., defense; Ally Rogers, jr., forward; Kiera Mahoney, jr., forward.

Other returners: Kaleigh Obert, jr., goalie; Sierra Dutton, so., defense.

Promising newcomers: Reese Rogers, fr., goalie; Skye Overberg, fr., midfield; Savannah Bonjour, 8th grade, midfield.

Stevens (11-6, lost in quarterfinals)

No information was submitted.

Kearsarge (7-8-1, lost in quarterfinals)

No information was submitted.

Newfound (4-10)

No information was submitted.

Rest of the Field

Monadnock (5-10, lost in prelims)

Returning starters: Jolene Boudette, sr., forward; Brooklyn Kidney, so., forward; Mati Parson, jr., midfield; Jillian Ellis, sr., midfield; Teaghan Bohannon, jr., midfield; Olivia Jacobson, jr., defense; Ava Caron, jr., defense; Violet Jackson, sr., defense; Ema Contnoir, sr., defense;

Other returners: Jillian Lane, so., goalie; Hailey Fisk, sr., forward; Lucy DeMas, so., defense.

Promising newcomers: Kendall Page, fr., forward; Tulley Faulkner, fr., goalie; Rylee Plante, fr., forward; Elly Macke, jr., forward.

Newport (0-14)

Returning starters: Hailey Hill, sr., defense; Hanna Hellows, sr., forward; Lynden Crease, sr., midfield; Megan Maynard, sr., defense; MJ Niesiobedzki, sr., defense/midfield; Finnley Mekus, jr., forward; Lexy Ash, jr., midfield; Harper Smith, so., goalie.

Promising newcomers: AJ Sprague, fr., goalie; Taylor Russell, fr., midfield.

Pelham (0-15 in D2)

Returning starters: Mya Dion, jr., midfield; Lyla Prince, jr., midfield; Kylie McDonald, jr., midfield; Cailyn Macintyre, jr., midfield; Hayden Scribner, sr., defense; Caitlin Detellis, so., defense; Bella Spillane, so., forward; Emma Loonie, jr., goalie.

Other returners: Katie Bernard, sr., forward; Ryleigh Fiore, jr., forward; Kayleigh Huberty, jr., forward.

Promising newcomers: Sam Sauvigne, fr., forward; Maggie Estell, fr., defense; Ava Connolly, fr., defense; Kelsie McDonald, fr., goalie.

Winnisquam (0-14)

Returning starters: Iris Vieira, sr., midfield; Brooke Gammon, jr., midfield; Brianna Gammon, jr., defense.

Other returners: Kayda Brady, so., defense; Layla Gloody, so., forward; Mylie Keith, so., midfield; Kaylin Liesner, jr., midfield; Gracie Makely, so., defense; Addition Todt, jr., defense.

Promising newcomers: Eliza Allen, so., forward; Harper Desrochers, fr.; Olivia Power, fr., goalie.

Laconia (1-15 in D2)

No information was submitted.

Playoff Predictions

Teams (11): Berlin, Conant, Derryfield, Gilford, Hopkinton, Kearsarge, Mascenic, Mascoma Valley, Newfound, Sanborn, Stevens.

Final four: Berlin, Gilford, Hopkinton, Mascenic.

Championship: Hopkinton over Mascenic.

Offensive POY: Autumn Meier, Hopkinton.

Defensive POY: Evelyn Shippee, Mascenic.