Mt. Blue’s Kali Judkins, right, and Mt. Ararat’s Audrey Marchildon go for the ball during a 2023 field hockey game in Farmington. (Rich Abrahamson/Staff Photographer)

1. Mt. Blue: The Cougars reached the Class A North semifinals last year and should be a favorite again. Start with continuity, with nearly 80% of the scoring production (39 of 49 goals) back in the fold. Kali Judkins, who has 19 career goals and six assists, is back after being named a unanimous first-team all-KVAC pick. Senior Lily Huntley is a talented stick handler at midfield and forward, senior Grace Allen resumes her role as the defensive stopper, and senior Morgan Hersey led the team with 10 goals a year ago. Two X-factors: junior goalie Gwen Lesperance, who has eight shutouts each of the past two years, and senior forward Brooklyn Webber, who stepped away from the game after middle school but has returned and could provide Mt. Blue with another finisher up front.

2. Winthrop: Yes, Madeline Wagner is gone, as are her 138 career goals — second all-time in Maine — but a Ramblers program that has won seven straight Class C South titles and four straight state championships should stay in the hunt for hardware. Olivia Huri, a first-team pick in the MVC who can control the offense and defense, becomes the central piece. Emily Kempton, a senior, is a smart, seasoned player and defensive linchpin at center back, and junior Cyara Harriman is back as the starting goalie. Junior Piper Clark and sophomores Gracelyn Folsom and Evelyn Mortimer, who was second on the team in goals, also return to starting spots. Scoring for the first time in years will be a question mark, but if it’s settled, Winthrop will still be a team to beat.

3. Lewiston: The sleeper team in Class A North? Perhaps. A total of 30 players are in the program, including senior midfielder Lauren Cote, a four-year starter who led the team in goals last year, and the result is a balanced team with a higher ceiling than in years past. Charlotte Crowley, an all-KVAC honorable mention in 2024, returns in the midfield and is one of the team’s most versatile players. Junior back Valerie Potvin and senior midfielder Ayannay Holloman were honorable mentions as well. Sophomore Paige Taylor, a field hockey newcomer last year, has improved considerably and could break out at forward or midfield. Junior Madeline Andrews, an impressive midfielder from St. Dominic Academy, could become one of the Blue Devils’ most impactful players.

4. Edward Little: After a down year, the Red Eddies have the pieces to return to the playoffs in Class A North. Where the scoring comes from could be an uncertainty, but coach Kim Joler said the team’s strengths on defense and in the midfield should lead to possession advantages and chances around the net. Meredith Delahanty, a senior back, should be one of the best defenders in KVAC Class A, and senior midfielder Mackenzie Joler was a second-team all-conference pick. With six seniors, including forwards Blake Hamel and Lola Bisson, midfielder Kaylie Heath and back Imani Dowling, the Red Eddies have a veteran core that can help them secure a ticket back to the postseason.

5. Spruce Mountain: The Phoenix return a strong team that should be a factor in Class C South. Senior Adell Pease and sophomore Aisla Armandi are back to lead the offense, with Pease coming off a first-team all-MVC selection, while junior Zoe Groomes and senior Grace Cuthbertson return to starting spots on the defensive side. Senior Ava Davis and sophomores Linda Lake and Alaina Kachnovich will also play prominent roles in an offense that should be potent and balanced, with speed and finishing skills. The question will be how the defense comes together, and how the team handles the loss of Maddie Grimaldi, another first-team all-conference selection who’s out because of a knee injury.