The postseason is officially upon us.
The all-out sprint that is the NEPSAC playoffs is about to kick off with quarterfinal action on Wednesday, the semifinals on Saturday and championships at Dexter Southfield on Sunday.
One thing that's typically true in the tournaments: anything can happen.
Several formidable contenders headline this season's girls Large School tournament field, but can any underdogs pull off an upset or two?
You have Phillips Exeter, which was in the Elite 8 mix for most of the season. Meanwhile, Choate, Taft and BB&N were in the picture at different points, too. Others, like Thayer and Berkshire, have plenty of upside, too, while Kent and Middlesex have given strong opponents issues.
Here's what you need to know about all eight teams in the field.
Let's dive in.
1. Phillips Exeter (16-7-2)
Record against teams in the Large School tournament: 1-0-0
Why they could win: Exeter has one of the best first lines in all of prep between junior Paisley Meyer (Greenland, N.H./Yale), senior Maria Gray (Vermont) and senior Erin Sears (Cornwall, Vt./Northeastern). The trio is capable of putting up gaudy performances in any given game, and Exeter will likely go as far as it takes them. Gray (47 points) and Meyer (46) ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in NEPSAC scoring. Meyer's 24 goals tied for the second-most, while Gray's 23 tied for the third-most. Sears, meanwhile, was among the assist leaders with 25 as part of 32 points. Senior defender Grace Riley (UConn) is a high-end complement to the top line, while postgrad Connecticut College commit Eva Mai Whyte (Natick, Mass.) can steal a game in net. It'll be key that forwards like sophomore Dominique Reiher, freshman Rylie Choi and seniors Mia Griffith (Trinity) and Emma Shu step up as well. Exeter's only matchup against Large School competition was a 2-1 win over BB&N on Feb. 7.
GIRLS BRACKETS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
2. Choate (12-9-1)
Record against teams in the Large School tournament: 4-1-0
Why they could win: The Wild Boars are structured and strong at all three positions, and they made it through one of the better schedules in the field. Up front, senior Annie Forker (Stratford, Conn./Assumption) broke out with 27 points (17 goals) in 22 games, while senior Maggie Swanson (Fairfield, Conn./Williams), senior Natalie Beach (Darien, Conn./Hamilton) and sophomore Lexi Berger (Simsbury, Conn.) have been strong, too. On the back end, senior Ohio State rowing commit Kate Tortorella (Westport, Conn.) and junior Harvard commit Sophia Lind (Madison, Conn.) lead a steady blue line that includes junior Juliana Iannace and sophomore Karli Charron (Darien, Conn.), too. Hamilton commit Noel Schaab (Sherman, Conn.) is one of the strongest goalies in the field, giving Choate a leg up in that department. The Wild Boars have also beaten quarterfinal opponent Kent, as well as Taft (twice) and Berkshire. Choate has also surrendered the fewest goals (35) in the field, 10 clear of Middlesex and 12 clear of Berkshire, the next closest teams.
3. Taft (13-9-1)
Record against teams in the Large School tournament: 4-2-0
Why they could win: Taft has a strong blend of young and experienced contributors, and they've gotten production throughout the lineup. Senior Ella Bates (Weymouth, Mass./Bowdoin) and sophomore Lindsay Kunzelmann (Avon, Conn.) have led the way with at least 20 points apiece, while seven others have hit double-digit points, including freshman Sophie Um, senior Brooke McLaughlin and sophomore Selkie Brown. Freshman Kami Moors (Simsbury, Conn.) has emerged as a productive presence on the blue line, too. Senior Salve Regina commit Julianna Picard (Madison, Conn.) is a key piece up front as well. Sophomore goalies Alex Tombaugh (New Haven, Conn.) and Anousheh Mohebbi have carried most of the work in net. Each put up strong seasons. Taft split its season series with first-round opponent Berkshire, skating to a 3-1 loss before a 3-2 win. The Rhinos also have wins over Choate and Kent.
4. BB&N (11-11-3)
Record against teams in the Large School tournament: 1-1-1
Why they could win: BB&N makes life hard on its opponents, and they have quality goaltending. The young Knights play hard to a strong forechecking identity, led by senior Brown commit Anika Singh (Lexington, Mass.), plus juniors Molly Halloran (Belmont, Mass.), Mary Murray (Hingham, Mass.) and Kate Glantz (Burlington, Mass./Brown). Singh has 33 points (16 goals), while Murray has 19 (nine goals), Halloran's 17 (10 goals) and Glantz's 12 (three goals). Eighth-grader Cali Littlewood (Braintree, Mass.) has stepped up among the forwards, too. Freshmen Serena Mohsen (Newton, Mass.) and Sydney Young (Needham, Mass.) help headline the defense, alongside sophomore Chloe Crabtree (Saugus, Mass.) and junior Aislin VanVliet (Boston, Mass.). Junior Barbara Ma (Cambridge, Mass.) has been terrific in net with a .922 save percentage. The Knights tied Thayer just last Friday. BB&N also beat Middlesex last week, in addition to a tight loss at Exeter earlier in February.
BOYS BRACKETS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
5. Thayer (12-10-5)
Record against teams in the Large School tournament: 0-1-1
Why they could win: Aside from Exeter, no Large School team presents the type of offensive upside at the top of the lineup that Thayer does. The Tigers' 86 total goals are the most in the field, two ahead of Exeter and 20 ahead of Taft (third). Much of that is thanks to the one-two punch of sophomores Maddy Call (Dedham, Mass.) and Lydia Kealty (Norfolk, Mass.). Call was sixth in prep with 43 points and second with 24 goals. Kealty wasn't far behind with 36 points (18 goals). Freshman Jenna Henley (Whitman, Mass.), freshman Abby Macauley (Avon, Mass.) and sophomore Elliana Tabor (Pembroke, Mass.) have stepped up among the forwards as well. On defense, senior Abby DeAnzeris (Needham, Mass.) and junior Shea Richardson (Hingham, Mass.) are two strong puck-movers. DeAnzeris, a Saint Anselm commit, has 20 points (five goals). Junior Lilly Busconi (Milton, Mass.) and freshman Emery Deroeve (Charleston, Mass.) have been key on the blue line as well. Junior Madison Hayes (Foxboro, Mass.) is plenty tested in net, too.
6. Berkshire (10-11-2)
Record against teams in the Large School tournament: 2-1-0
Why they could win: Goaltending. The Bears have one of the best netminders in the bracket with junior St. Cloud State commit Katie Hurley.  They'll need her to be at her best. Junior defender Gabby Ogunnupe will be critical, too, with her blend of size and skill, in addition to sophomore Heather Gao. Ogunnupe, a Brown commit, has 14 points from the back end. Berkshire will need timely scoring, too. They'll look to experienced forwards, like seniors Alex Gregorek (North Attleboro, Mass.), Amherst commit Maddy McCready and Victoria Tesoro. Sophomores Cora Davidson (Newmarket, N.H.), Nadia Smith and Mak Komanecky have helped set the pace, too. The Bears have the split with Taft on their resume, plus a win over Kent.
7. Kent (7-11-2)
Record against teams in the Large School tournament: 0-4-0
Why they could win: The Lions are battle-tested, coming out of one of the strongest schedules in the field, and sophomore goalie Aspen Devlin (Falmouth, Mass.) has had a strong season between the pipes. She complements a deep blue line that includes senior Kate McKiernan (Glastonbury, Conn.), senior Nazareth commit Maddie Leonard (Millbury, Mass.) and junior Penelope Davies. Up front, Kent will need senior Endicott commit Chloe Pittinaro to lead the way. Keep an eye on senior Anika Berry, junior Ainsley Moffitt, sophomores Dakota Boyle and Olivia Machan, too. The Lions are familiar with first-round opponent Choate.
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8. Middlesex (9-10-2)
Record against teams in the Large School tournament: 1-1-0
Why they could win: Goaltending and a strong top line. Junior Niamh Tobin (Dorchester, Mass.) has thrived amid one of the heavier workloads in prep, posting a .939 save percentage. The Zebras will need her to shut Exeter down in the quarterfinals. Senior Assumption commit Janie Martin (Burlington, Mass.) gives Middlesex a premier goal-scoring threat, too. She has 19 goals (25 points) this season. Martin headlines a strong top unit alongside Cassidy Bruno (Andover, Mass.) and Libby Melly (Reading, Mass.). On defense, Lucy McGaraghan (Lexington, Mass.), Marin Gustafson (Wellesley, Mass.), Luisa Ferrari (Winchester, Mass.) and Lucy Drummey (Sudbury, Mass.) defend hard in their own end. The Zebras have a win over Thayer and a loss to BB&N on their resume.
