Varsity Insider

I’m glad to see some back-and-forth in the comments section. Keep debating.

Here’s our Week 8 hockey power rankings (through games played 1/30):

Boys hockey

1. Essex (13-2-1): Did you know Essex has blanked its opponent in half of its games this season? We mentioned in a December post that the Hornets, with their blue-line nucleus back, would be stingy. Last week: 1.

2. Burlington (9-4-3): We wrote last week that the Seahorses, searching for consistency in the wins department, could be off and running after dispatching North Country in Newport. Well, BHS earned two more wins last week, upping its string to a modest, but season-high three-game streak. Last week: 4.

3. South Burlington (10-6): Yes, the Rebels blew a 5-0 lead to North Country in a game SBHS eventually won in overtime. But then the Rebels won a defensive game, 2-1, over an uneven BFA-St. Albans squad. This team has the talent and firepower to beat anybody in the state. Last week: Bubble.

4. North Country (11-4-1): The Falcons nearly shocked SBHS with a furious rally, only to fall short in overtime. Then North Country used Joey Rushford’s goal late in regulation to top rising Harwood. Last week: 5.

5. Harwood (8-4-4): Although they lost a close one to North Country, Harwood’s previous game was a 3-2 triumph over Champlain Valley. We could’ve placed a number of teams in the fifth spot, but the Highlanders, for the first time since Week 2’s’ rankings, earned the selection. Last week: Bubble.

On the outside looking in:
Spaulding (10-3-2) is still second in the index points – and they may very well make a deep playoff run – but last week wasn’t a good one for the Tide: 0-1-2, including a loss to a sub-.500 Burr Burton squad. … Stowe (13-2-1) nearly beat Champlain Valley on the road, settling for a 3-3 tie. Speaking of the Redhawks (8-5-2), their recent slump – 0-2-2 since Jan. 16 – pushes them out of the rankings. Still a dangerous team though.

Girls hockey

1. Spaulding (13-1): Two more impressive – and close – victories for the Crimson Tide. They edged South Burlington and BFA-St. Albans, improving their hold as the index points leader and the top-ranked team in our list. Last week: 1.

2. Missisquoi (10-5): Rolling to a 10-1 win over a middle-of-the-pack Division II team (Stowe), isn’t going to move you up our rankings. Defeating the team ahead you in the rankings is. The Thunderbirds topped Essex, 3-2. With six straight wins, MVU deserves its quick ascent in our rankings. Last week: 3.

3. Champlain Valley (12-3-1): A big jump from on the bubble to third. But CVU has four straight wins since back-to-back losses in the middle of last month. This week, the Redhawks face Missisquoi and Essex.

4. Essex (11-3-2):The Hornets haven’t suffered back-to-back losses this season. After losing to Missisquoi on Saturday, Essex faces BFA-St. Albans and CVU this week. Last week: 2.

5. BFA-St. Albans (9-4-3): No shame in losing to Spaulding, especially just 2-1. BFA bounced back from that with a 4-0 win over Colchester. Last week: 4.

On the outside looking in:
Fans of Hartford (10-5), don’t worry. The Hurricanes are still on our radar. … Still like U-32 (14-1-1), even after its 1-0 loss to Rutland (13-4) – so both teams make the bubble.

Just a reminder for this week: We are taking into account all games played since our last posted rankings.

Debate, criticize and offer your view of the best five teams in the comments section.

Here’s our Week 7 basketball rankings (through games played 1/25):

Boys basketball

1. Essex (11-1): The Hornets, currently on a 10-game game roll, haven’t played since Jan. 14. Fear not Essex fans, a lull in the schedule won’t sway our opinion on the state’s top team. Last ranking: 1.

2. Burlington (11-1): The Seahorses routed three teams in the lower half of the Division I standings. They’re locked into the No. 2 spot for now. Last ranking: 2.

3. Rutland (11-3): Wins over Hartford and Mill River – both from Division II – are not impressive for Rutland. However, topping Brattleboro to stretch is winning streak to 10 games is. Last ranking: 4.

4. Mount Anthony (10-2): The Patriots have one in-state loss (Rutland) and blew past a Burr and Burton squad that is ranked fifth in the index points. While Mount Anthony’s scheduled opponents are a bit of an unknown (like Massachusetts’ Drury and Wahconah), they still deserve inclusion in our rankings at this point. Last ranking: Not ranked.

5. South Burlington (8-4): How important is Tyler Kaczor to the Rebels? Well, they lost to CVU and Spaulding without him. With him, South Burlington rolled over Colchester 79-38, and Kaczor poured in 27 points. Last ranking: 3.

Teams on the outside looking in:

It was tough leaving Champlain Valley out of the mix, but you can’t lose to a rebuilding Rice squad and need a second-half burst to edge a sub.500 MMU squad. … Brattleboro and Division I newbie Burr and Burton are on the bubble, as is Division II’s Harwood, thanks to its 11-1 record.

Girls basketball

1. Burlington (13-2): There’s a new No. 1 team. The Seahorses have played a ton of games – six total – and won them all since our last rankings. It’s tough to argue when BHS beats Rice, Spaulding and Essex during its current 7-game winning streak. Last ranking: 4.

2. Rutland (13-2): So the Raiders are back in our rankings. It only took an eight-game winning streak that has pulled them even with Burlington atop the index points. Last ranking: Not ranked.

3. Milton (13-0): You can’t almost lose to Division II’s Mount Abraham and a middle-of-the road Division I Mount Mansfield squad and expect to hold the top spot in our rankings. Credit still must be given for pulling out the wins – the Yellowjackets needed a fourth-quarter surge to overcome a deficit to Mount Abraham – and that’s why they only drop two spots. Last ranking: 1.

4. Rice (11-4): The Green Knights responded to a streak-ending loss to BHS with wins over St. Johnsbury, BFA-St. Albans and Champlain Valley. It was the second time this season Rice has beaten CVU. I would expect a move up the rankings for the Green Knights in the near future. Last ranking: 2.

5. Champlain Valley (12-3): If only the Redhawks could find a way to beat Rice… Perhaps in the playoffs. Still like this team for a deep tournament run, too. Last ranking: 3.

Teams on the outside looking in:
Hartford, Brattleboro and Burr and Burton are southern powers that shouldn’t be overlooked. … Lamoille is undefeated and fighting Milton for the top seed in Division II.

OK, I’m back from a week of vacation. And I know everyone’s waiting for updated power rankings. Let’s start with hockey.

As always, your comments and opinions are encouraged.

Here’s our Week 7 hockey power rankings (through games played 1/23):

Boys hockey

1. Essex (12-2-1): Since their two-game slide earlier this season, the Hornets have gone 4-0-1 with three shutouts. And they earned a bit of revenge this past Saturday, upending CVU. The Redhawks gave Essex its first loss of the season on Dec. 30. Last ranking: 1.

2. Spaulding (10-2-1): The Tide earned a pair of 3-1 wins over Colchester and Rutland since our last rankings. In a second meeting with the resurgent Lakers, Spaulding needed a late goal to salvage a tie on the road. Last ranking: 2.

3. Champlain Valley (8-4-1): Aside from getting blanked by Essex on Saturday, the Redhawks scored eight times in a win over SBHS and a tie against Burlington. Last ranking: 5.

4. Burlington (7-4-3): The Seahorses went to Stanstead on Saturday and collected a 4-1 victory. For a team that hasn’t strung together a win streak of more than two games this season, Saturday’s win may be the start of something. Last ranking: Not ranked.

5. North Country (10-3-1): The Falcons went 2-1 since our last rankings. But a home loss to a rising BHS squad – a three-goal margin as well – doesn’t help North Country’s recent hold on the fourth spot. Last ranking: 4.

On the outside looking in:

Harwood tied Essex on Jan. 16 and is currently fourth in the index points. … South Burlington is a dangerous team, but they have six losses – including two in its last three games. … Don’t look now but BFA-St. Albans is on a four-game winning streak.

Girls hockey

1. Spaulding (11-1): Another two wins for the Crimson Tide since our rankings. The best team in the state closes its season with several challenges, including Wednesday’s home date against BFA-St. Albans Last ranking: 1.

2. Essex (10-2-2):After three wins – with 16 goals and four goals yielded – I’d say the Hornets are back on track. Last ranking: 3.

3. Missisquoi (8-5): Matt Laroche’s team is starting to heat up. MVU is on a four-game winning streak, highlighted by a 3-0 triumph over BFA-St. Albans. Last ranking: Not ranked.

4. BFA-St. Albans (8-3-3): The Comets ended Hartford’s long winning streak on Saturday. But an earlier loss to the Thunderbirds can’t move BFA any higher in this ranking. Last ranking: 4.

5. Hartford (8-5): There needs to be a spot in these rankings for the Hurricanes. Although their 7-game win streak (with six shutouts) just ended, the Hurricanes clobbered CVU and blanked Lebanon since our last rankings were posted. Last ranking: 2.

On the outside looking in:
It’s tough for an undefeated team to drop out of the rankings, but Division II’s U-32 is still one of the best teams in the state – and they keep winning. … Champlain Valley has 10 wins, and the team bounced back from a brutal loss to Hartford by doubling up Colchester and Burr and Burton.

Here’s our Week 5 hockey power rankings (through games played 1/11):

Boys hockey

1. Essex (10-2): The Hornets appear out of their mini-slump. A 6-0 win over Burr and Burton and a 4-2 triumph over Spaulding, offsets a previous two-game losing streak. Last week: 2.

2. Spaulding (8-2): Doubling up BFA-St. Albans and then edging North Country were impressive wins for the Crimson Tide. Good enough to slide up to the second spot, despite Monday’s home loss to Essex. Last week: 3.

3. South Burlington (7-4): 10 goals in the last two games resulted in wins over Essex and Harwood. It also resulted in the Rebels rejoining our rankings. Last week: Not ranked.

4. North Country (8-2-1): No shame in losing a 2-1 game to Spaulding, especially when you already had two wins last week. Last week: 4.

5. Champlain Valley (7-3): The overtime loss to Colchester was a stunner. Perhaps too much of slide down our rankings – CVU is certainly a team to beat come tourney time – but the four teams ahead fared better last week. Last week: 1.

Girls hockey

1. Spaulding (9-1): The Crimson Tide bounced back from falling to Essex with a 4-0 blanking of CVU. Last week: 1.

2. Hartford (6-4): So a team with four losses is No. 2? Yes, the Hurricanes are because of a five-game winning streak , during which they’re given up zero goals while scoring 25 times.Last week: Unranked.

3. Essex (7-2-2): The Hornets had one the season’s strongest wins, topping Spaulding 3-1 last week. But then were blanked by a charging Hartford squad. Last week: 3.

4. BFA-St. Albans (6-2-3): A tie with CVU and a strong win over a hot SBHS team is enough to keep the Comets at No. 4 for another week. Last week: 4.

5. U-32 (10-0-1): A 14-1 goals advantage in two wins last week for the top team in Division II. Raiders have a firm grip on the fifth position – four straight weeks now. Last week: 5.

Plenty of shifts and movements in this week’s edition for us to chat about. Hockey rankings will be posted tomorrow.

Here’s our Week 5 basketball rankings (through games played 1/09):

Boys basketball

1. Essex (9-1): During its current eight-game winning streak, Essex is averaging 75 points per game, while yielding just 57. Oh, and the Hornets halted BHS’ long regular-season unbeaten streak. There’s no question that Essex deserves the top spot. Also beat CVU. Last week: 2.

2. Burlington (8-1): Although their 58-game regular-season winning streak ended, the Seahorses are still right in the thick of things. They bounced back from the loss to Essex with a rout of Colchester. Last week: 1.

3. South Burlington (7-2): We said last week that SBHS has too much talent to stay down in the rankings. They confirmed our prediction with sound victories over Rice and North Country. In the win over the Falcons, the Rebels scored 60 second-half points, further proving their explosive nature. Last week: 5.

4. Rutland (8-3): Don’t look now but the Red Raiders are on a seven-game winning streak after edging previously unbeaten Mount Anthony in a classic battle. Last week: Not ranked.

5. Champlain Valley (7-3): A 1-2 week — with losses to Essex and Spaulding — drop the Redhawks in our rankings. Last week: 3.

Girls basketball

1. Milton (10-0): Can a Division II team earn the top spot in our rankings? Well, our rankings’ debut had the Yellowjackets in the top spot, and now they make a return. Strong, double-digit wins over lower-ranked D-I squads South Burlington and Colchester — plus a 40-point rout of BFA-Fairfax — are solid reasons for Milton’s jump. At this moment, who’s playing better? Last week: 2.

2. Rice (8-3): Can’t ignore a seven-game winning streak — not when the Green Knights knock off streaking Essex and defending champion Spaulding in a span of a few days. With the Knights’ quickness, are they a team nobody wants to face? Last week: Not ranked.

3. Champlain Valley (8-2): The Redhawks had a nice win over Burlington, getting double-double efforts from Allison Gannon and Shae Hulbert. But then they lost to St. Johnsbury. CVU’s reign atop the rankings is over — for now. Last week: 1.

4. Burlington (7-2): Tonya Conley’s 21 points helped BHS bounce back from a tough loss to CVU. Tonight’s meeting against Rice is pivotal.Last week: 3.

5. Brattleboro (10-1): Wins over an out-of-state school and Mount Anthony puts the Colonels back on track. Last week: 5.

Merry Christmas!

Here’s our Week 3 hockey power rankings (through games played 12/23).

Boys hockey

1. Essex (6-0): After moving into the No. 1 slot last week, the Hornets solidified their ranking with a big-time win over St. Johns Prep — a highly-touted Massachusetts program — in the Doc Tulip tournament. Last week: 1.

2. Champlain Valley (5-2): After a couple of weeks of being on the bubble, the Redhawks rocket to the second spot. Since our last rankings, CVU has beaten BFA-St. Albans, Rutland and Hartford. Clearly, a deserving jump. Last week: Not ranked.

3. Spaulding (3-1): Although they have played the least amount of games of the ranked teams, the Crimson Tide’s 4-2 win over SBHS last week vaults them back into the mix. Last week: Not ranked.

4. South Burlington (5-3): The Rebels are sliding. Starting first in our rankings two weeks, SBHS has slipped each week, and now sits in fourth, after a last-minute loss to BFA. Last week: 3.

5. BFA-St. Albans (3-3): Finally. It took three weeks, but the powerhouse hockey program that is BFA-St. Albans nudges into our power rankings. A comeback win over SBHS was impressive. Last week: Not ranked.

Girls hockey

1. Essex (6-0-1): The champs remain unbeaten, earning wins of Colchester, South Burlington and Missisquoi. Last week: 1.

2. Spaulding (6-0): The Crimson Tide keep rolling along. A Jan. 6 home date against Essex looms. Last week: 4.

3. Champlain Valley (7-0): In a week’s time — Jan. 2 through 9 — CVU plays at Essex, BFA and then home to Spaulding. It’s a daunting task, but for a CVU squad that has outscored its opponents 53-10, it will likely be a welcomed challenge. Last week: 3.

4. BFA-St. Albans (5-2): One loss can make a team drop in these rankings. But the Comets, after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Spaulding last week, bounced back to blank Colchester on Wednesday. Last week: 2.

5. U-32 (7-0-1): Four wins since we released our last rankings, including Wednesday’s 4-2 win over Division II rival and previously unbeaten Stowe. Last week: 5.

Here’s our Week 3 basketball power rankings (through games played 12/21).

Hockey rankings to follow after Wednesday’s large slate of games.

Boys basketball

1. Burlington (5-0): Joe O’Shea’s stat line in BHS’ lone win last week says it all: 26 points, seven rebounds and six steals. Schedule alert: The BHS-Rice rivalry resumes Wednesday in South Burlington. Last week’s rank: 1.

2. Essex (4-1): The Hornets only played one game — a 93-57 win over BFA-St. Albans — but hold down No. 2 spot for the second straight week. Last week: 2.

3. South Burlington (5-0): It was milestone week for the Rebels. Tyler Kaczor set the program’s 3-pointers record (120 for his career) and coach Mike Kennedy earned his 100th career win. Last week: 3.

4. Champlain Valley (5-0): Jake Donnelly and Robert Russ combined for 71 of team’s 121 points during a pair of double-digit wins. Last week: 4.

5. Mount Anthony (4-0): The Patriots had two wins last week, including a 57-52 win over Rice. Last week: 5.

Girls basketball

1. Champlain Valley (5-0): Allison Gannon scored 16 and 20 points, respectively, in wins over North Country and Mount Mansfield. CVU notched its second win this season over MMU. The second time around was a 13-point win, opposed to the season-opening 55-51 triumph. Last week: 3.

2. Brattleboro (6-0): The Colonels jump to the second spot after another perfect week. One of their wins was over St. Johnsbury, the second time this month the Colonels beat SJA. Last week: 4.

3. Milton (5-0): The Yellowjackets won on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of last week, with their best win a 45-27 triumph over Vergennes. Brittaney Rice had 17 points in that win. Last week: 2.

4. Rutland (5-1): It’s tough to stay on top. Ranked first last week, the Raiders fell to defending champion Spaulding by 12 points at home last week. Last week: 1.

5. Burlington (3-1): Without three starters, who were suspended, BHS rolled over BFA-St. Albans. The depth is there for the Seahorses, and now they venture into our rankings. Last week: Not ranked.

Another week is in the books.

Here’s our Week 2 rankings through games played 12/12:

Boys basketball

1. Burlington (4-0): The Seahorses had to eke out a win over Rutland on Day 2 of the North-South Challenge. O’Shea was limited to eight points, but Brendan Corriveau sank the key, go-ahead three-pointer. Still the team to beat. Last week’s rank: 1.

2. Essex (3-1): Behind Demir Smajovic and Ben Ferris, the Hornets cruised to double-digit wins over southern powers (Rutland and Brattleboro) in the North/South Challenge. Last week: 3.

3. South Burlington (3-0): The Rebels have started well without Josh Varney. A quick glance at their schedule and they should be 6-0 by the time they meet Essex on December 30. Last week: 2.

4. Champlain Valley (3-0): The Redhawks have been consistent — never allowing more than 49 points nor scoring more than 65 — during their 3-0 start. Last week: 4.

5. Mount Anthony (2-0): So the Patriots have racked up wins of 79-21 (over Windsor) and 63-33 (over Massachusetts’ Mount Greylock). The jury is still out on how good the Pats are, but they certainly fit nicely at No. 5 at this point in the season. Last week: Not ranked.

Girls basketball

1. Rutland (4-0): They’re beaten a feisty Rice team twice thus far this season — and edged a very good BHS squad in overtime. Last week: 2.

2. Milton (2-0): The Yellowjackets didn’t play last week. Doesn’t help their cause to stay No. 1 – not with Rutland playing so well. Last week: 1.

3. Champlain Valley (3-0): The Redhawks are off to a good start. Allison Gannon’s 17 points led CVU’s comeback vs. SBHS last Tuesday. Last week: 4.

4. Brattleboro (3-0): A third-quarter surge lifted the Colonels past previously ranked Spaulding. Bratt also has wins over St. Johnsbuy and Windsor, but last Tuesday’s comeback win over Spaulding was a marquee triumph. Last week: Not ranked.

5. Burr and Burton (2-0): The defending D-II champs are now in D-I. So we will have to wait and see how they stack up against the higher-division opponents. For now, defeating Bellow Falls 72-9 is nothing to overlook — that’s impressive no matter what. Last week: Not ranked.

Boys hockey

1. Essex (2-0): The Hornets are buzzing: Nice wins over South Burlington and BFA-St. Albans gives us no reason not to place Essex in the No. 1 slot. In Saturday’s win over BFA, Essex converted power play chances. Coach Bill O’Neil must like that. Last week: 3.

2. South Burlington (3-1): The Rebels bounced back from a loss against Essex to edge Burlington. Tom Royer has scored in three straight games (four goals total) and Charlie Vallee has been solid in net. Last week: 1.

3. Harwood (3-0): The Highlanders have crushed Peoples on back-to-back Saturdays. Nik Laskaris has been a scoring machine. Will it continue against D-I competition? Last week: 2.

4. Rutland (2-0-1): How’s this for a turnaround: The Raiders tie the Lakers in the season-opener, then rout them for a 8-1 win 10 days later. It was the second straight game Rutland has scored eight goals, and Taylor Porrier has five of them. Last week: Not ranked.

5. Burlington (2-2): Although they lost to SBHS 3-2, the Seahorses stay in the top 5 on the strength of the previous week’s wins. Plus, no other team has a better resume to displace them. Last week: 5.

Girls hockey

1. Essex (3-0-1): The Hornets finished second in BFA’s tournament, claiming a 4-1 win over N.Y.’s Salmon River and falling to Hanover, N.H. in a shootout. (although, it goes down officially as a tie). Chelsea Normand scored twice during Day 2 of the tournament. The Hornets have scored 13 goals in four goals, while yielding just 2. Last week: 1.

2. BFA-St. Albans (3-1): The Comets were within a period of winning their tournament, before falling to Hanover, N.H., 3-2. That said, one-sided wins over Missisquoi and Salmon River, N.Y. put BFA near the top of this ranking Last week: 5.

3. Champlain Valley (3-0): Gotta like CVU’s resolve. Down 3-0 entering the third period, the Redhawks rallied past South Burlington for a 5-4 win. After winning a pair of blowouts earlier this season, CVU showed it can comeback and win a close game. Last week: 3.

4. Spaulding (3-0): Should the Crimson Tide be ranked higher? Their latest win — a 5-3 triumph over Hartford — saw the return of all-state goalie Kaitlyn Lague. Spaulding will be a force with her back. Last week: 4.

5. U-32 (3-0-1): The Raiders bumped off previously ranked Montpelier to capture the 11th annual Dr. Dick Butsch tournament. Other teams could — and likely will — knock U-32 from this list. But, for now, the Raiders earned some recognition. Last week: Not ranked.

The high school winter season is not a week old, but it’s never too early to take a stab at some rankings.

Throughout the season, we will rank the top five teams — regardless of division — in basketball (boys and girls) and hockey (boys and girls) on a weekly basis.

So without further ado, here are Varsity Insider’s Week 1 power rankings (through Dec. 7).

Boys basketball

1. Burlington (2-0): Some things never change, do they? The Seahorses are the top-ranked team at this point in the season thanks to Joe O’Shea’s latest milestone. The senior scored his 1,000th point in Monday’s win over Essex. BHS is 2-0 — the other win at Rutland — making the proud program the obvious choice for Week 1′s top spot.

2. South Burlington (2-0): The Rebels haven’t been challenged in two impressive wins. Mark Mallory, Tyler Kaczor and Eric Dubuque lead SBHS’s balanced and dangerous attack.

3. Rutland (1-1): The Raiders started with a loss to Burlington, but were impressive in a road win over Rice. The Raiders have key returnees back from last year’s final four appearance.

4.Champlain Valley (2-0): Backed by Jake Donnelly, the Redhawks have started the season with two wins, both by more than 10 points.

5. Spaulding (2-0): The Crimson Tide beat defending Division I champion Rice in the season opener, then beat Division II title contender Harwood by 14 on Monday night. Evan Tullar has been Spaulding’s top scorer.

Girls basketball

1. Milton (2-0): The Yellowjackets, D-II champs in 2008, are senior-heavy — led by SMC-bound Kaitlin Geary. Their two early wins are impressive and, with no clear-cut front runner in Division I yet, we give the top spot to a D-II team.

2. Rutland (2-0): The Raiders have wins over a pair of last year’s Division I semifinalists (Rice and BFA, who lost in the final).

3. Spaulding (1-0): The defending champs could very well move up to the top spot in the coming weeks, but one win over lower division Randolph isn’t enough this week.

4. Champlain Valley (1-0): The Redhawks slipped past MMU in the season-opener.

5. Montpelier (2-0): The Solons’ average margin of victory is 24.5 points. Their second win was over Division I Colchester.

Boys hockey

1. South Burlington (2-0): The Rebels topped defending Division I champion CVU in overtime in the season-opener (Matt Chickanosky goal). The SBHS rolled to a second win — a 7-0 triumph over MMU. For now, they are looking too good not to be in this spot.

2. Harwood (2-0): Coach Dave Morse has quite the program in Duxbury. And they are off to another solid start.

3. Essex (0-0): The Hornets haven’t played a game yet — they open vs. South Burlington on Wednesday — but reputation can’t be ignored in this ranking. By next week, Essex, which has 13 D-I titles, could be slotted for the top spot.

4. Spaulding (1-0): How good does the Tide’s 6-2 win over Burchard tournament winner Burlington look now?

5. Burlington (2-1): After getting trounced by Spaulding, BHS won its home Burchard tournament with wins over Colchester and Champlain Valley.

Girls hockey

1. Essex (1-0): The defending Division I champions are off to a fast start, beating D-II champ Burr and Burton in the season-opener.

2. Montpelier (2-0): The Solons have outscored opponents 9-3 in their two wins. Erin Banfield, who had a four-goal effort in Saturday’s win, is one of the state’s finest goal-scorers.

3. Champlain Valley (2-0): Plenty of goals — 15 in two games — led by Molly Howard’s five tallies for the Redhawks. Can the offensive production continue against the likes of tougher, more defense-oriented teams?

4. Spaulding (2-0): Division I finalist a season ago, the Crimson Tide should have thoughts have another contending season, especially after a OT win over SBHS on Saturday.

5. BFA-St. Albans (1-0): BFA’s tradition and an 11-goal outburst can’t be ignored.