Marblehead-Swampscott girls’ hockey ready to bounce back

The combined Marblehead-Swampscott girls? hockey team will be looking to find its way back to the postseason this year after a two-year absence.
The Magicians are coming off a 7-11-3 season and although they only graduated one player, it was a huge loss. Brittany Smith is now playing Division I hockey at Sacred Heart University. As a senior last year, she scored 29 goals and had 12 assists for the Magicians. Smith, from Manchester-Essex High, which is part of the co-op team, finished her high school career with 106 points.
The Magicians also lost several other players, including ninth-graders Emma Brophy and Rose Callahan. Callahan is now at St. Mary?s of Lynn, while Brophy is at Proctor Academy in Andover, N.H.
But, coach Emily Hudak, who is entering her 10thyear with the program, has a solid group of returning players beginning with her three captains — Caroline Hughes, Aly Hopkins and Hadley Woodfin. Hughes is a senior defenseman who has been in the program since she was in the seventh grade. Hopkins is entering her third season as the team?s goalie. Woodfin is a junior forward. All three are from Marblehead.
?They’ve been here for a long time,” said Hudak, who played hockey at Cushing Academy and Ohio State.
The coach is also counting on a couple of other returning players — Brooke Keough and Emmarose Winder — to be big contributors this year. Hudak said Keough was very impressive in a jamboree last weekend at Pingree. Winder is a junior forward. Both had regular shifts last year.
?They should have big seasons for us this year,” Hudak said.
Eighth-grade defenseman Amanda Monahan should give the Magicians a big lift on defense while Sydney Cresta, an eighth-grader from Swampscott who has been playing since she was in the sixth grade, has shown she can put the puck in the net.
?After losing Brittany, we need some forwards to step up,” Hudak said.
Alanna Burke, also of Swampscott, is a sophomore defenseman who saw some time last year. Hudak had 17 players show up for tryouts. She said there are several new players on the team.Marblehead will open its season Dec. 20 against Bishop Fenwick.