Photo credit: Zach Morrissey ’27

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When the postseason lights come on, everything changes. After months of early mornings, long bus rides, and relentless preparation, five Pomfret teams earned the right to extend their seasons into NEPSAC tournament play. From commanding shutouts to hard-fought sweeps, the Griffins met the moment with grit, composure, and pride.

This winter was not defined by final scores alone. It is defined by resilience — by teams that fought back when trailing, competed shorthanded without complaint, and embraced the pressure of tournament play. Across ice, mats, and courts, Pomfret athletes showed what it means to represent the Hilltop: commitment to one another, belief in their preparation, and pride in the Griffin crest. With returning talent, valuable postseason experience, and the hunger that only close battles can create, the foundation for next winter is already in place.

Boys Hockey
In a rematch of last year’s semifinal, eighth-seeded Pomfret traveled to face top-seeded Holderness in the quarterfinals of the NEPSAC Boys’ Ice Hockey Piatelli/Simmons Tournament. The 1–8 seeding told one story — but anyone who followed this team knew it would be far more competitive than the numbers suggested.

The Griffins entered the tilt battle-tested. Earlier this winter, they fell narrowly to the Blue Bulls in the Lawrence/Groton Holiday Tournament, and throughout the season they proved they could skate with the best. Pomfret secured key overtime wins against top-tier opponents and most recently tied Avon Old Farms and defeated Williston Northampton — both Elite 8 programs. With momentum building and confidence growing, the Griffins once again embraced the underdog role on the postseason stage.

They delivered offensively, scoring six goals against Holderness — no small feat. James Hayward ’27 opened the scoring off feeds from Cam Peltz ’26 and Logan Venne ’26, and Frank Fan ’27 finished a setup from Rich Cavanagh ’26 and Sean Farrell ’26. Cam added a goal of his own, assisted by James and Max Gerum ’28, while TJ Swinson ’26 found the back of the net unassisted. 

Trailing 8–4 entering the third period, Pomfret refused to fade. Will Norton ’26 converted a play from TJ and Ian Sherman ’26, and Rich capped the effort with a goal assisted by Ian and Frank. A shorthanded Holderness goal put the game out of reach, and the Griffins fell to the Blue Bulls 9–6. In net, Joey Mitchell ’26 turned aside 22 of 30 shots, while Ben Schwarz ’27 stopped 9 of 10 in relief, combining for 31 saves in a resilient defensive effort.

Girls Hockey
The girls hockey team made a strong run in the Vailancourt Conference Tournament. Seeded third, Pomfret hosted sixth-seeded Northfield Mount Hermon in the quarterfinals and delivered a statement performance.

The Griffins built an early lead, dictated the pace, and controlled play throughout the second and third periods. McCaffrey Tuttle ’28 recorded the shutout in a dominant 8–0 victory, backstopped by disciplined team defense. The offense was a true collective effort: Brooklynn Romaniello ’29, Charlotte Peltz ’28, Maeve Molloy ’26, Ava Boyea ’29, Charlotte Zembruski ’28, Elle Hersman ’28, Megan Miller ’29, and Angela LaRoche ’29 each found the back of the net. Notably, Elle and Megan tallied their first goals in a Pomfret jersey.

Brooklynn, Charlotte, and Maeve each added an assist. Liv Bissell ’28 dished out four, Claire Desrosiers ’28 and Colby D’Arcy ’29 each added two, and Rylee Welch ’26, Sophia Matusevich ’26, and Mady Davies ’28 contributed one apiece.

In the semifinals, Pomfret faced second-seeded Austin Prep in a rematch just five days after a thrilling overtime victory secured by Mady. This time, the Cougars capitalized on their opportunity, edging the Griffins 1–0 in a tightly contested battle.

Boys Squash
After a 12–3 regular season, the boys squash team qualified for the NEPSAC Class C Tournament for the first time in over a decade — marking a significant milestone for the program.

Competing against Milton Academy, Middlesex School, and Dexter Southfield, the Griffins finished sixth overall. In the win over Middlesex, #4 Lucas Lu ’26 swept his opponent in three sets. #1 Adiel Nelson ’26, #5 Billy Shang ’26, and #6 Clive Cormier ’28 each earned four-set victories, while #3 Mark Yang ’26 rallied from behind in a five-game thriller to help secure the match.

Against Dexter, Lucas once again delivered, grinding out a hard-fought, four-game win.

Girls Squash
The girls squash team entered the NEPSAC Class D Tournament shorthanded, competing with only five players. Despite competing shorthanded against Tabor, Millbrook, and Suffield, the Griffins represented Pomfret with resilience throughout the tournament. In matches against Millbrook and Suffield, #1 Milanna Lamontagne ’26 swept both of her opponents, setting the tone with composed, confident play.

Wrestling
The wrestling team had two postseason opportunities to showcase its growth and determination.

At the WEINSWA (East) Tournament, thirteen Griffins competed. Doyun Kim ’27, Gurt Vu ’26, Taz Mudde ’29, and Zach Kocienda ’28 each earned match victories, with Zach securing a fourth-place finish. Will Leary ’26 won two matches and also placed fourth in his weight class.

Seven wrestlers advanced to represent Pomfret at the New England Championships. Will added two more match wins in his final time wearing a Pomfret singlet, and Fiona Roustan ’28 earned a victory against strong competition.

 

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