The latest rankings of the nation’s top high school girls soccer prospects left several standout athletes from the South Shore just outside the coveted top ten. Despite earning All‑American and All‑New England honors, these players fell just short of the national top‑10 list that ultimately defined the year’s most celebrated prospects.
A Talent Pool That Keeps Growing
Among them, Tess Barrett of Cohasset distinguished herself as a three‑time All‑New England selection and a 2024 All‑American, while Lauren Bonavita of Whitman‑Harrison closed her high school career as the Panthers’ all‑time leading scorer with 113 goals. Jackie Vickers from Norwell amassed 108 goals, the most in South Shore League history, and Mackenzie Vlachos of East Bridgewater set program records with 124 goals, 74 assists and 198 total points.
Other notable names include Drew Dempsey of Weymouth, who contributed 51 goals and 27 assists in her final two seasons, and Brittany Raphino of Thayer Academy, who tallied 30 goals as a junior and helped her team capture its first Class B New England title. Sophie Reale of Hingham was crowned the 2022 Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year and led her squad to a Division 1 state championship, while Samantha Smith of Whitman‑Harrison went on to play professionally in Iceland and for the Boston Legacy.
The reach of these athletes extends beyond high school. Several have committed to Division I programs such as Boston College, UMass‑Amherst, Providence College and Northeastern University, while others have pursued opportunities abroad, including stints with Sporting CP and Charlton Athletic. Their journeys illustrate how narrowly missing a top‑10 ranking does not diminish the impact of their contributions to the sport.