“It’s just another game,” Girls’ Varsity Hockey (GVH) Coach Ed Bourget ’96 said, huddled with his team in the Noble and Greenough School hockey rink before the Large School Championship game against Dexter Southfield.

Despite Coach Bourget’s words of reassurance, tensions were high. It was the last game of the season for GVH’s four senior captains, as well as Associate Director of Athletics Kathy Newell, who founded the GVH program and helped create a team capable of winning multiple New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class B championships.

Although GVH had a winning record of 12-5-4, three of their five starting players were injured at the beginning of the season. Younger players on the team, Mary Murray, Kate Glantz (both ’27), and Anika Singh ’26, had to fill the void in the starting line left by Co-Captain Meghan Britt ’24, Hannah Weyerhaeuser, and Izzy King (both ’25).

The team’s undying support for each other as players, despite facing injuries, allowed GVH to return for another year as an Independent School League (ISL) champion contender, Anika said.

Going into the first game of the NEPSAC Championship tournament, GVH faced off against Thayer Academy and won 3-2. Their next opponent was Choate Rosemary Hall, the first non-ISL team they would face in the tournament.

Anika observed that the captains’ composure influenced the outcome of the semi-final game significantly, she said.

“It was really important that once we had that lead, we stayed calm and continued to play and compete for every 50-50.”

The team’s collective love for each other and hockey enabled their success, Anika said.

“We were out there playing the game we love with the people we love.”

The team won 1-0 against Choate, qualifying GVH for the championship. Going into their last game, the seniors were the heart of the team, and the rest of the players were determined to uphold their legacy, Savana Littlewood ’25 said.

“We were nervous because, no matter what, this would be the last time we all played together, and we wanted to do it for each other, but mostly our seniors. They have worked hard every day for the last four years, and we wanted them to leave GVH on a high note.”

Savana scored early on in the first period, putting GVH up 1-0. “It was four minutes into my line’s second shift. We dumped the puck in and went to work. I started it off by cycling it down low to Kate, and she did the same to Anika. Then, I just popped out of the slot, and Anika made a great pass out front. It was so early on in the game that I just wanted a shot on the net, so I backhanded it and saw it go over the goalie’s shoulder.”

From there, the game stalled: the score remained at 1-0 until the final few minutes. GVH Co-Captain and Stonehill Women’s Hockey commit Alexsa Caron ’24 recognized on the ice that this game would be the last of her high school career, she said. “The last couple minutes of the third, I realized that time was ticking down, and my high school career was coming to an end, but [I had] to stay calm and composed. It became a different game, and it was all about defense and making sure we secured the win.”
As the game played through to the final two minutes, tensions remained high when Dexter Southfield pulled their goalie in order to secure a better chance at a tie. However, the intensity and fierceness with which the girls played from start to finish never once diminished, Alexsa said.

GVH held the lead to win the Patsy Odden Large School Tournament with a final score of 1-0. After the game, Alexsa reflected upon her five years with GVH, saying the players’ commitment was never once in question.

“The support the team has given me and seeing that our hard work and dedication have paid off is what has made being a captain of this team so special,” she said. “Everyone wanted to prove to the coaches, the captains, and really themselves why they deserved to be there and on this team.”

GVH will always have a very special place in Alexsa’s heart, and the future of the program has her unwavering confi dence, she said. “We will have great leaders next year, and I feel confident leaving the team knowing that the 11 juniors will continue to live up to the huge amount of potential we have. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to go out as a senior.”

Kathy Newell reflected on her time with the program as her time at the Upper School comes to an end.

“I will miss the daily camaraderie of the GVH program that has been a huge part of my 41-year journey while I’ve been at BB&N. I know the girls have the heart and competitiveness essential for continued successes.”