Rivers’ Four Playoff Teams advance to NEPSAC Semifinals

It is a busy week for the Red Wings! Rivers is one of only three schools in all of New England to have all four varsity teams–boys’ and girls’ hockey and basketball–qualify for NEPSAC postseason play!

Girls’ Hockey has secured a ticket to the playoffs for the second straight season under head coach Keith McLean. Wrapping up the regular season at 17-9-1, culminating with a huge 3-2 win over Dexter. The team has been keyed by some strong goaltending between the duo of Serafina Applegate ’25 (Colby) and Ellie Beigel ’26, while the offense has been paced by a balanced attack. Eight skaters secured double-digit points, and five have surpassed 20. Senior Captain Lindsay Morin ’25 (Georgetown) leads the way with 13 goals and 10 assists, followed closely by fourth-year varsity player Brooke Bartlett ’27 (9G, 12A). The freshman trio of Simone Burns ’28, Nora McLean ’28, and Nora Swaim ’28 have all made a significant impact with over 20 points each. The Red Wings host Mount Saint Charles on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. (a rematch of the December 18 meeting between the two teams down in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, which saw the Red Wings come away with a 7-2 victory.)

In their first season under head coach Kenny Small, Girls' Basketball posted a 16-8 record and earned the #3 seed in the Class B Tournament. Returning to Class B in a restructured girls' basketball landscape, Rivers has posted big wins over fellow playoff teams Dexter, Choate, Thayer, and Milton. The team is determined to make a playoff run in the final season for four of their five starters. The senior trio of Chase Anderson ’25 (Amherst), Natalia Hall-Rosa ’25 (Seton Hall), and Grace O’Sullivan ’25 (Princeton) were all named New England Prep School Girls Basketball All-Stars, and point guard Rissi Smith ’25 (Stonehill) recently returned from an ankle injury to bolster the squad for the playoffs. The team is determined to have a successful playoff run in the final season for four of the five starters on the squad–starting with a home game against Greens Farms Academy on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m., the first matchup between the programs in school history.

Returning to the playoffs for the third time in four years under head coach Freddy Meyer, Boys’ Hockey rode a dominant 12-game winning streak to win the ISL Eberhart Championship and finish the regular season 20-5-1. The team earned the third Elite 8 appearance in school history and the first since 2018. The highest-scoring team in the field, averaging over five goals a game, the Red Wings are led by three of the top 10 scorers in all of New England. Carter Meyer ’28 continues to lead the entire region with 40 goals and 28 assists, while Justin Graf ’26 (Merrimack) leads New England in assists and sits in sixth overall with 12 goals and 42 assists. Finn Sears ’28 is ranked ninth with 22 goals and 29 assists. The Red Wings will travel to ISL Eberhart rival St. Mark’s on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. for their third meeting of the season. (Rivers' last loss of the season came to St. Mark’s in a home game on January 18 before the Red Wings returned the favor in a victory on February 19 at St. Mark’s.)

After a tumultuous beginning to the season for Boys’ Basketball–featuring an array of injuries and an 0-6 start–the three-time reigning NEPSAC champion team finished the regular season 17-8. Their late-season surge was capped off by celebrating Coach Keith Zalaski’s 200th win–a milestone moment during the regular season finale against Thayer. Spearheaded by the senior All-League trio of Ryan Altman ’25 (Penn), Andrew Alekseyenko ’25 (Colgate), and Robby Fiore ’25 (Babson), the Red Wings will travel to Governor’s Academy on Wednesday at 5:45 pm, looking to avenge a 64-58 loss against Govs on February 5.