Even though the season is months away, Williston’s celebrated Girls Varsity Hockey team is already gearing up for this year’s season.
The team, lead by Head Coach Christa Talbot Syfu and Assistant Coach Alex Tancrell-Fontaine, is already hitting the ice and practicing with college coaches Talbot brings in.
Williston was one of the first prep schools to offer girls ice hockey, which started in 1983. The team plays in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Division 1 against the best prep programs in New England, including Deerfield Academy and the Berkshire School. The team has sent girls to compete in the Division 1 and Division 3 level at college, including Monique Lyons, a freshman on the hockey team at Brown University, Harvard freshman Emily Hamann, and Natalie Stott and Maeve Reynolds, currently juniors on the Amherst College hockey team.
The team won the championship in 2022 and 2023. Last season they were finalists but fell short in a 3-1 loss against the Noble & Greenough School on March 3, 2024.
Coach Talbot Syfu has been coaching ice hockey for 22 seasons.
“I came to Williston to work in Admissions, coach, be an advisor and dorm parent,” she said. “I had such a positive experience here [and] I wanted to give back and provide the same experience for others.” Talbot graduated from Williston in 1998.
Assistant Coach Tancrell-Fontaine, known as “TF,” enjoys the Williston community and also the ability to stay connected with hockey while growing as an educator.
“Williston has such a great community and Ms. Talbot has been such a great mentor to me,” she said. “I wanted to stay involved with hockey after college, and working at Williston allowed me to continue that while developing my skills as an educator, something I was also passionate about.” TF graduated from Union College.
TF expressed that the girls are very close and stay close because of how much time they spend with each other.
“The team bonds in many ways,” she said. “It can be from day-to-day practices, lifts, and film. Also, more fun things like tournaments, family meals, activities, friendship bracelets, hat swaps and so much more.”
There’s another reason TF values her role as a coach and mentor so strongly.
“Growing up, I did not have many female coaches, so I hope to be to the girls the coach I always wished I had,” she said.
Riley Stocker, a sophomore, plays center on the team. She chose Williston to play ice hockey because she felt at home with the coaches and players.
“I decided to come to Williston for ice hockey because of the team culture,” she said. “We are all here for the same reason, to get better each and everyday and play the sport we love.”
The other schools she visited didn’t feel the same as when she came to visit Williston.
“The second I got on campus it felt very homie, and Coach Talbot, the girls on the team that were giving me the tour, and everyone on the campus just seemed so genuine and nice,” Riley said.
To get ready for the season and stay in good physical shape, the girls start practicing in the fall, including team workouts twice a week.
“And once a week, Talbot, brings in college coaches to run the practices,” she said.
River Grady, a sophomore boarding student, is the one of the team’s goalies. Like Riley, she said that the energy at Williston influenced her decision to come.
“Both TF and Talbot,” she said, “are amazing people that care about you both on and off the ice.”
River explained that the team is a very close-knit group.
“The team does a ton of bonding activities and exercises, also traditions like wearing hats and jackets. But we mostly bond because of how much time we spend with each other.”