Last year, few teams brought the MIAA postseason fireworks quite like Whitman-Hanson.
The Panthers entered the Division 2 tournament as a No. 13 seed but pulled off a massive second-round upset by stunning fourth-seeded Dartmouth, 40-38, in overtime. Then they pushed fifth-seeded Oliver Ames to the brink in the quarterfinals, losing a gritty defensive contest 33-32. Whitman-Hanson accomplished all this without a single senior on the roster, nearly reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2022.
"To be able to get to within one game of getting back there — I think everybody you know is motivated and is really just looking forward to competing on that stage again," coach Michael Costa said.
The Panthers lost some key players before this year; 6-1 forward Jenna Mishou transferred to Archbishop Williams and Lillie MacKinnon's senior season is in jeopardy as she recovers from a torn ACL. But there's a lot to like from a Patriot League program teeming with upside.
