BFA-St. Albans girls hockey returns to glory in emphatic fashion for D-I crown

No. 1 BFA-St. Albans entered the Division I girls hockey championship game on a 20-game unbeaten streak and had not lost to an in-state team all year long.

The Comets made sure the championship game would not be their first loss to a Vermont team. BFA-St. Albans dominated No. 3 Essex earning a 3-1 win that was a rematch of the 2025 Division I girls hockey championship game at Gutterson Fieldhouse on Sunday, March 15.

BFA captured its first title since 2022 after coming up short in the 2024 and 2025 championship games.

“It’s our depth and the number of kids we have,” Comets coach Luke Cioffi said on how BFA went undefeated against Vermont teams. “We have a commitment to each other. They have played all year long playing for each other. It didn’t matter what combinations we threw out there.”

Freshman Reina Spaulding was the star for the Comets. Spaulding had a hand on all three Comet goals, scoring twice and dishing out an assist. The freshman was in the right spot on both her goals, helping deflect the shots into the net. BFA took the lead at the 11:46 mark in the first period on a power play. Spaulding was positioned on the left side of the net and deflected Marah McGinn’s shot into the net.

“It was a really nice flow between everyone out there,” Spaulding said. “Somehow I found the back of the net.”

BFA-St. Albans (20-1-2) finished the season on an 18-game winning streak and showcased its depth outshooting the Hornets 24-15. The Comets held Essex to just eight total shots during the first two periods.

McGinn also contributed three points on one goal and two assists. The junior’s goal came after the Comets intercepted an Essex pass in the Hornets defensive zone. Spaulding sent a short pass to McGinn who hammered the puck past Hornets goalie Morgan Hughart who finished with 21 saves.

The Comets’ forward line featuring Spaulding, McGinn and Kali Cushing proved to be the difference maker.

“All season long they had a knack for finding each other with great communication,” Cioffi said. “They found a way to find the open man and get to the open ice. As a trio of players they just clicked from day one.”

Dahlia Steele recorded 14 saves in the win for the Comets. BFA swept the regular season series 3-0 including a pair of 1-0 wins and continued its dominance over its rival in the championship.

Essex (14-8-1) avoided a shutout with Lucille Mehaffey scoring a goal one-on-one with 1:55 remaining, but the Hornets struggled to muster much offense throughout the contest.

“We played a good game, but they just played a better game,” Hornets coach Jerry Gernander said. “Sometimes you run into a buzzsaw and I think that’s what happened to us.”

When the final horn sounded the entire Comets bench spilled onto the ice to celebrate their season of dominance and program’s 12th title, the most i the entire state.

“It’s such a huge honor with all the legacy Comets hockey brings to this community it means so much that we can be a part of it and have something to show for it,” McGinn said.

Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.