The MIAA girls hockey tournaments are here.
So, it’s a perfect time to get a head start on the “bracketology” that will be at the front of everyone’s minds in just a few weeks during March Madness.
This is the part of the hockey season where unpredictability thrives. In a win-or-go-home, one-game-for-the-rest-of-your-life scenario, anything can happen. Lower seeds can catch fire. Higher seeds try to put the finishing touches on strong seasons.
Just look at last season's final. It came down to No. 6 Milton and No. 13 Medfield. The latter won it all.
Every possibility is on the table when the puck drops in these games.
Attached below is the Division 2 bracket, along with my picks and a little bit about my thought process. You can find my Division 1 picks here.
Feel free to use these picks as bulletin board material, although I doubt any of these will be wrong. Like I've said in the past, picking brackets 100 percent correctly is pretty easy, right? Right?
Let’s dive in.
No. 1 Westwood quadrant
Division 2 feels a little more top-heavy than D1 this season. Although top-seeded Westwood could have its hands full getting through its quadrant.
I have the Wolverines skating past Stoneham before taking care of Martha's Vineyard, who will have beaten Dedham. The Vineyarders could pose upset potential, playing good hockey as the postseason begins. They've won three in a row and five of eight since Jan. 31. Nevertheless, Westwood is too good. They'll move on to the quarterfinals.
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Moving down, give me Nauset/Monomoy over Burlington and Medfield over Wayland/Weston. I'll take the reigning D2 champs over Nauset/Monomoy in the Round of 16. The Warriors returned a ton of experience, including forward Genna MacDonald and goalie Kamryn Perachi. They'll take care of the Warriors.
Things get interesting in a quarterfinal matchup between Westwood and Medfield. The Warriors upset the Wolverines last season. Westwood was the No. 1 seed then, too. I believe Westwood exercises the demons this time around, though. The Wolverines swept the season series over the Warriors, and it wasn't close, winning 4-1 and 5-1. It's hard to beat a team three times, but with offensive threats like Maggie Ash, Bridget Lewis, Justine Connelly, Abby Pressley and Erin Gannon, plus Jennifer Lin in net, I'll lean toward Westwood. Lin also has 10 shutouts this season.
No. 2 Milton quadrant
This quadrant feels like Milton's to lose, although there are potential tough tests.
I expect the Wildcats to take care of Ashland/Medway and Marshfield to reach the Round of 8, assuming Marshfield takes down Wakefield/Wilmington in the first round. Milton beat Marshfield, 3-2, in the regular-season finale.
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Next up, I'll take Dennis-Yarmouth over Norwood and Norwell/Scituate/Abington over Gloucester. D-Y and NSA would be a hell of a matchup between two teams with upset potential. The Dolphins have won seven of nine since Jan. 24. I'll give the edge to NSA, though, which is battle-tested coming out of the Patriot League. Maddie Cantor is one of the top players in the bracket. She has seven hat tricks this season.
Milton's depth will be enough to put them over the top against NSA, though. They can match the starpower with the likes of Sabrina Stone. That's before you even get into other producers like Nayeli Thayer, Noelle Gorham, Lindsay Butt and Mia Catarazulo. Plus, Caera Hart is an X-factor in the crease.
No. 3 Duxbury quadrant
This is another quadrant that feels fairly chalky.
Give me Duxbury over Marblehead and Sandwich over Melrose. I'll take the Dragons over Sandwich, too. The Dragons and Blue Knights met once this season in a 6-1 win for Duxbury on Dec. 27. Duxbury's depth shone as Gabby Sundstrom and Brooke Hanley had two goals, while star Addy Harrington had a goal and an assist.
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Further down, I'll go with Auburn over Masconomet and Falmouth over Leominster. I'll take the Clippers in a No. 11 over No. 6 upset against Auburn, too. It's hard to pick against two 25-goal and 50-point getters like Falmouth's Maeve Turner and Violet Cox.
In the quarterfinals, I'll go with Duxbury. The young Dragons still have key experience as they vie for their third title in four years, and freshman Brooklyn Metzler has proven herself this season. Harrington, Shea Martin, Ceci Tremante and Hanley are strong answers to Falmouth's one-two punch.
No. 4 Pembroke quadrant
Pembroke and King Philip, two solid contenders, headline this part of the bracket.
I'll take high-flying Pembroke over Barnstable in the Round of 22. The Titans beat Barnstable, 3-1, on Feb. 16, behind goals from Siobhan Dever, Hannah D'Angelo and Peyton Sowersby. Give me Hanover over Walpole, too. The Hawks have found a groove offensively and won five in a row.
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That leaves Patriot League rivals Pembroke and Hanover in the Round of 16. The Titans won, 5-0, on Jan. 19 before Hanover won, 1-0, on Feb. 14. D'Angelo scored twice while Mia Dunphy earned the shutout in the first meeting. Vivienne Sommers stole the second meeting with 39 saves, while Olivia McCormick came through offensively. Pembroke has the fourth-highest scoring offense in Division 2 with 80 total goals this season. Things will go more like they did on Jan. 19 for the Titans.
Moving down, give me King Philip over Whitman-Hansn/Silver Lake. The Warriors have won eight in a row and have dominated all season, leading D2 with 101 total goals. Kiki Lynch is excellent between the pipes, too. I'll also take Canton over Quincy/North Quincy.
In the Round of 16, you have two Hockomock foes in KP and Canton. The Warriors took the first meeting on Dec. 13 with a 2-0 win, thanks to a 17-save shutout and goals from Erin Steck and Rylan McKillop. Lynch was much busier the second time around on Jan. 31, making 33 saves. It was no use for the Bulldogs, though, who settled for a scoreless draw. Lynch has Canton's number. Give me King Philip.
That leaves Pembroke and King Philip in the quarterfinals. If anyone can keep up with KP on the scoreboard, it's Pembroke. Both goalies are strong, too. It's close, but I'm leaning toward the Warriors.
Final 4: No. 1 Westwood vs. No. 5 King Philip | No. 2 Milton vs. No. 3 Duxbury
Unlike Division 1, we have two fairly chalky semifinal matchups with Westwood facing King Philip and Milton taking on Duxbury. The top three seeds all made it, plus the No. 5.
Few have been as consistently dominant this season as Westwood and King Philip. Both have strong goaltending. Both teams can score. The Wolverines have not lost since Jan. 1, winning 15 straight en route to the postseason. That streak included a 2-1 win over KP, in which Lewis scored twice.
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I think King Philip gets the last laugh, though. Lynch and the Warriors have proven themselves against top teams this year, and the top line of Annabelle Curran, Stephanie LeBlanc and Ella Morgan can pop at any moment. Grace Lehan-Allen and Emma Richard can play shutdown defense, too
Milton and Duxbury, meanwhile, split their two meetings this season. The Dragons executed a flawless game plan to win the Tenney Cup over the Wildcats, 3-1, on Jan. 31. Harrington, Tremante and Alannah Gallagher each scored in the win. Milton, meanwhile, stormed back with a 5-1 win last week. Cataruzolo had a hat trick, and Butt scored twice.
So, who gets the last laugh in this clash of the titans? I'll go with Milton. The Wildcats have dominated since their lone loss on Jan. 31, going on a 15-0-1 run and outscoring teams 58-19 in that span. I'm going to ride the hot hand as Milton looks to avenge last season's title loss.
Championship: No. 2 Milton vs. No. 5 King Philip
This would be a hell of a final, and it would be if it were any other combo out of that Final 4, too.
Nevertheless, you've got two of the most dominant teams in the state meeting for the title. From an entertainment perspective, it doesn't get much better.
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So, who will it be?
Lynch and Hart are both formidable in net. For me, this comes down to depth. As we know, KP's top line can score with anyone, but I'm leaning toward Milton.
Whether it's veterans like Stone, Gorham, Thayer or Mairin Hart, not to mention promising youngsters like Cataruzolo, Butt, Natalie Gallagher, Abby Coughlin or Elise Hinckle, Milton has the pieces to get it done up front and on defense. They know what it takes to get to this point, too.
