Every game in the contender-loaded MVC/Dual County League Large is a rock fight, but against Andover’s league-leading attack (3.5 goals per game) on Jan. 11, the surging Billerica/Chelmsford girls hockey team’s defense faced its toughest challenge.

The game was tight, and a penalty-kill arose. Lindians head coach Ray Monroe was focused on shutting down Williams-bound Grace Johnson. Billerica/Chelmsford did a good job of restricting her, too. But doing so allowed Andover to walk in a bit for uncontested side elbow shots, and Monroe considered a change.

He asked star senior goalie Hailey Graybeal if the third-year starter could handle it, or if he should change the penalty kill to let Johnson go and take away that open look.

“She said ‘Oh, I can handle that elbow shot all day,’ ” Monroe said. “(Graybeal is) lights out. She’s arguably one of the best goalies in the state. … She’s just different level.”

Much of the pre-season conversation outside of the Lindians locker room centered around HPNA and Methuen/Tewksbury as the league’s main powers.

Elite goaltending sparked it, as HPNA’s Julianna Taylor and the Red Rangers’ Lydia Barnes – deservedly – receive plenty of hype. Before them, it was Shrewsbury’s two-time All-Scholastic Risa Montoya, who posted a 1.32 goals allowed average and a 0.939 save percentage as a senior last year. Taylor, an All-Scholastic last year too, had a 1.65 GAA and a 0.938 save percentage.

Well, through eight starts this year, Graybeal’s save percentage is 0.980. The shutout over Andover was her third of the year to give her the program’s all-time record (nine), and a 2-1 win over previously unbeaten HPNA on Wednesday pushed the Lindians’ record to 9-1 for just the second time in the co-op’s eight-year history.

Graybeal has a 0.75 GAA with 37.5 saves per game through it all, with the team’s only real blemish a 1-0 overtime loss to Methuen/Tewksbury.

“(Graybeal is) the backbone,” Monroe said. “No matter what the situation is, the confidence level is contagious on the team. … Everybody can finally just play their game because they know if they make a mistake, which is going to happen in high school hockey, (Graybeal) has their back in the net.”

Monroe likes being an underdog, even though the team hasn’t felt like one. A Div. 1 state title is very much in the Lindians’ line of sight.

After reaching the state semifinals in 2022 despite an 8-11-1 regular-season record, where it pushed St. Mary’s of Lynn to the brink before losing on a three-goal flurry in the third period, Billerica/Chelmsford knew last year’s 6-10-5 season would be a rebuild.

But eight of those losses were by two or less goals, and much of the team returned for high expectations this year.

“We were expecting this (start),” Graybeal said. “We’ve all played together, the majority of the team. … That loss (in the state semifinals) hurt, but we know we played our game that game. And it wasn’t a bad game. We knew we were going to be a stronger team the following years. We got so close, that we’re just – we’re going to get there. We know what we’ve been through before and we know how to get there again.”

Much of last year focused on establishing a top line the team could depend on in those one-goal losses. Senior Giovanna Gulinello, sophomore Kara Gambale and freshman Payton Fitzgerald are clicking on all cylinders with 50 combined points in 10 games, anchored by 10 goals and 11 assists from Gambale.

The depth behind them, led by Mia Amato, has made high-quality contributions as well.

“The mindset last year was mostly trying to find a top line, like, who’s going to be the top (players) that can kind of lead the way for us,” Monroe said. “(The top line), they have over a year of playing together now. They’re all good buddies, which I feel is a huge thing. Their chemistry in the O-zone, I think, is untouched.”

On defense, seniors Katherine Morin and Caroline Pitts provide veteran experience, while senior Alyson Roark and freshman Lauren Sullivan round out a solid top-four. Billerica/Chelmford and Westwood are the only teams in the state with less than 10 goals allowed over at least 10 games played.

“Personally, I take pride in that,” Graybeal said. “I have to give a lot to my defense this year. They really have my back.”

Altogether, chemistry has been a major factor.

“We (all) have this bond together that is really strong,” Graybeal said. “I think that’s why we work so well together. Everything is kind of smooth. … I’m forever grateful, and I think it’s a goalie’s dream, to have three strong offensive lines and three incredibly strong defensive lines.”

The special feeling to this season runs deep for Monroe, whose team is competitive every year in a league of giants. It just hasn’t showed in the win column, with only two seasons above .500 before this one.

The latest was a 10-1 record in 2020-21, which didn’t have a state tournament because of COVID.

“That year, it felt the same way in the beginning, but then you realize you’re not playing for anything,” Monroe said. “The excitement of winning games, that compete level is so high and it’s contagious. Now, you actually get to look further, in terms of you’re actually trying to play to get to (TD Garden). … It’s just a lot of fun. You kind of see everything we put into it kind of come to fruition. It’s a great group of kids.”

The special feeling also runs deep for Graybeal, but for another reason.

By tearing her ACL in March, she was projected to miss at least a month of the season. But she was aggressive with her rehabilitation, spending countless time on activities she was cleared for at every stage of her recovery. She was cleared for action in just seven months with support from Monroe, and the whole experience has given her a perspective that’s vastly increased her impact.

“I was miserable, the only thing I wanted to do (during rehab) was get on the ice,” Graybeal said. “If (Monroe) is going to skate us one practice, I’m not going to complain about that because this is what I worked hard to do. … I went through all of that strength and work and everything, it’s just – I have to put out what I can do.”