Boys’ Varsity Hockey

 A year after winning just five games, Boys’ Varsity Hockey more than doubled its victories and rebuilt its identity, finishing 12–15 in its strongest season in over a decade.

 Co-Captain and defenseman Ryan Clay ’26 observed a change in the team.

 “The culture has been so much better this year,” he said. “It’s a winning culture now. We went into every game thinking we could win it. We’ve gotten our most wins in a season since 2013. It’s just a good group of guys to be around.”

 Finding the team’s personality has been an important factor.

 “We started the season without an identity,” Ryan said. “At a tournament at Middlesex, we started working hard and dumping the puck. That’s when we found our identity. And the games that we’ve won this year have been when we played like this.”

 Defenseman Tiger Tang ’29 said the team developed camaraderie.

 “We played as a team,” Tiger said. “We didn’t play selfish, and we were like a family. The captains encouraged us on the ice and from the bench to cheer for our teammates. It was a great atmosphere.” —Alex Berk ’29

Varsity Fencing

 The only fencing team in the Independent School League, Varsity Fencing boasts three state championships in the last five years. The boys’ team finished with a 6-1 record, and the girls’ team went 6-0. Both teams placed second at the Feb. 21 Massachusetts State High School Fencing Championship.

 Captain Troy Song ’26 focused on creating a cohesive environment.

 “I really wanted to create a community where people, regardless of prior fencing experience, could come together and just have this shared space,” he said. “I encouraged the older and more competitive fencers to help out the younger fencers, and that helped make a strong team dynamic.”

 Though the team works with coaches from the Boston Fencing Club, Troy had a lot of influence as a senior captain.

 “I had more independence and influence over the way that I ran practices this year,” he said. “Seeing the impact of my decisions was incredibly rewarding and helped me grow as a leader.”

 Eric Shao ’27 has takeaways from his experience on the team.

 “It’s taught me life lessons,” he said. “For example, strength is not always about pushing forward, but sometimes it’s about taking a step back. Our community shares the same goal of excellence, and we all try to improve and help each other out.” —Alex Berk ’29

Boys’ Varsity Squash

 After a winless winter last year, Boys’ Varsity Squash headed into this season with a simple goal, Co-Captain Evren Khan ’26 said: Win one match.

 The team did more than that, finishing with a 5-10 record and advancing to the semifinals of the U.S. High School Team Championships in Philadelphia.

 “In last year’s regular season, we went defeated, so we did not win a single game,” Evren said. “This year, we didn’t do that, which was the goal. We actually smashed it.”

 Team members worked to create a more competitive environment during practices.

 “We had a lot of younger players and not too many older ones, so we worked to instill knowledge, and the younger players were taking it in,” Evren said. “The guys were really nice, but we did tend to lose a lot of games. We had some close ones, so we strived to improve during practices.”

 Robbie Lally ’28 said the team’s defining moments didn’t happen during matches.

 “Spending time with the team, especially considering some of them won’t be there soon enough, was really fun,” he said. “All the bus rides to the games and back were some of the best parts of the season.” —Rachel Goldberg ’28

Girls’ Varsity Hockey

 Facing the departure of 11 seniors last June, a change in leadership and high expectations after winning the Independent School League (ISL) championship, Girls’ Varsity Hockey finished the regular season with an 11-11-3 record.

 Co-Captain Zoe Beck ’26 said the team’s energy has increased.

 “We set a new motto this year, which was ‘all in.’ That means everybody’s showing up every day and working hard, not just on the ice but off the ice, as well.”

 Zoe and Co-Captains Aggie Grant and Anika Singh (both ’26) developed their leadership.

 “It was sometimes difficult because there were three voices to be heard, but all three of us were able to communicate over the course of the season,” Zoe said. “We’re hoping that our team dynamic and culture can stay strong even after we leave.”

 Forward Verity Guo ’28 credited much of the team’s success to its culture.

 “It’s a very close-knit group,” she said. “Some of these people are going to be my best friends, and it’s a really fun group. Even when we had a 6 a.m. morning practice, everybody was always laughing in the locker room, and we always had music on.” —Rachel Goldberg ’28

Girls’ Varsity Squash

 The Girls’ Varsity Squash team may not have a home court, but Captain Viena Desai ’26 said the team’s community makes the late nights and long bus rides worthwhile.

 “Our team, in one word, is connection,” Viena said. “It’s really a great place to grow with the people around you, and I got to know people I wouldn’t have known otherwise on a much deeper level. Across grade levels, we’ve become really close because we’re on court together a lot.”

 The team finished the season with a record of 4-10. One of the team’s standout moments was achieving seven victories in eight matches against Brookline High School.

 “Regardless of the outcome of each game, you get the opportunity to watch your teammates and cheer them on,” Viena said. “It really helps with the dynamic of the team when everyone is super supportive of one another.”

 Players learned to come into their matches with goals.

 “We thought about something that we want to do in our game,” Viena said. “It’s getting a certain amount of points or trying a new shot, which is something we didn’t start with at the beginning of the season.”

 JJ Lally ’28 said Viena’s leadership helped set the tone.

 “She made it such a positive environment, and I really appreciated that. It lifted us all up. Almost everybody was brand-new to the sport, but by loving the game, learning as we go and continuing our team bonding, I’m very excited to see where we can go.” —Kate Tregay ’28

Varsity Wrestling

 “We had a great team and a great community in the wrestling room,” Varsity Wrestling Co-Captain Colin Hoffman ’27 said. “Head Coach Henry Kasdon has really good humor and a great personality, so he was able to help us bond together.”

 The team improved their wrestling strategies during the season.

 “We had a slim lineup this year, and it was tough getting a person in each weight class,” Colin said. “We had older wrestlers who joined later and were still learning.”

 A highlight was the Northern New England Wrestling Championship on Jan. 31 at the Hyde School in Maine, where Co-Captain Matthias Paulson, Leo Albee, Ethan Ortega, Shirley Zhu (all ’26), Erin Yu ’27 and Colin won medals.

 The team finished with a 2-18 record.

 “Individually, all of the wrestlers were doing pretty well,” Leo said. “The record doesn’t really reflect what we’ve achieved.”

 The team also struggled with injuries.

 “We had some rough spots this year, but overall, the individuals, like me, got way better at what they do,” he said. “Everyone worked their tails off.” —Phineas Clarke-Talhouni ’29

Girls’ Varsity Basketball

 The close-knit culture of Girls Varsity Basketball (GVBB) contributed to the team’s success in facing formidable opponents this season. GVBB ended with an 8-14 record.

 Amari Kouame ’29 said the players, many of whom received ISL Honorable Mentions, maintained a strong bond and learned to play well together.

 “I didn’t think we would get along as well as we did. We had our own little groups, but everyone talked, no one was excluded and the team gelled really well.”

 The annual Dec. 19-20 Deerfield tournament, where the team went 3-0, was a highlight.

 “We found out that Co-Captain Lucy Song ’26 got into Harvard, so we were all really excited,” Amari said. “We all went into one room and played games, and we had a lot of fun.”

 Lucy agreed.

 “The Deerfield tournament was a really good chance for all of us to get to know each other off the courts,” she said. “We definitely got more comfortable with each other’s playing. We started moving a lot better together, we knew where everyone was going to be and we talked a lot more.”

 Lucy foresees success for GVBB.

 “We worked really hard, and we were in some games against some hard teams,” she said. “We just need to work together more to really push ourselves at the end when we’re down.” —Phineas Clarke-Talhouni ’29

Boys’ Varsity Basketball

 “Even though we didn’t have the best record, we had a lot of fun as a team,” Boys’ Varsity Basketball (BVBB) forward Andrew Green ’28 said. “We had really good chemistry, and that translated into the game.”

 Led by Co-Captains Rohan Patel and Ben Narasimhan (both ’26), BVBB finished the season with a 7-16 record. Andrew said the team started the season with a bang, defeating Phillips Exeter Academy — the second-ranked team in the nation — 70-69.

 Rohan and Ben played a key role throughout the season.

 “Both captains have had a very positive impact on the team,” Andrew said. “They both led in different ways. They were kind and provided motivation to us when we needed it most.”

 Ben said the team has developed together.

 “Year after year, it’s not just the captain’s job to grow as a leader: It’s about every player. We have grown so much as a group.”

 BVBB players cultivated a strong sense of community.

 “Our locker room has been a highlight of the year,” Ben said. “It has been fun being around each other, hanging out before games, after practices and whenever we can. Overall, it reflected a team that liked being around each other.” —Scarlett Hawkins ’27