Threepeat, anyone?

That expectation might make Bishop Guertin High School girls basketball coach Brad Kreick cringe, but you can be guaranteed that’s something he’s beginning to hear.

The Cardinals own consecutive Division I title wins over Bedford by a combined total of seven points, and although they lost a lot of experience to graduation, they have a pipeline that keeps producing players.

The mainstays this year will be senior forward Caroline Hoffer and sophmore point guard Erin Carney, who played a lot a year ago as a freshman.

So why shouldn’t they be considered contenders?

“BG returns impact players with an additional year of experience,” Merrimack coach Courtney Cheetham said, “and have won back-to-back titles.”

“The key,” Kreick said, “will be how quickly the underclassmen mature during a very tough early season schedule that includes four games against quality out of state programs.”

Don’t count out Cheetham’s Tomahawks, either. They have all five starters back from a year ago, led by senior guard Jolie Jacoby.

Nashua North has four starters back as well, led by senior guard Alana Choate. Nashua South hopes to bounce back from a tough year, with interim coach Dave Hogan leading the way and three starters back led by junior guard Kendall Bush. Alvirne, conversely, has no starters back under new coach Chris Cheetham after making the semis a year ago.

They all will have to contend with the likes of non-area powers like the Bulldogs as well as Pinkerton, which have a couple of key players back from a semifinal team.

MERRIMACK

COACH: Courtney Cheetham (fifth season).

LAST SEASON: 11-9, lost to Pinkerton in quarterfinals.

RETURNING STARTERS: Jolie Jacoby, 5-7 sr. guard; Sabrina Johnson, 5-9 sr. forward; Abby Yuan, 5-7 sr. forward; Sara Wozniak, 5-5 sr. guard; Jenna Chambers, 5-6 sr. guard.

OTHER RETURNING PLAYERS: Riley Crampton, 5-7 so. Guard; Sam Page, 5-8 so.forward; Makenna Desfosses, 5-6 so.guard; Heather Rohr, 5-9 so.forward.

PROMISING NEWCOMERS: Theresa Twardosky, 5-5 fr.guard.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “We return nine of last year’s 10 varsity players, and our senior class contains three players that have started since they were freshman,” Cheetham said. “It could be an exciting season.”