It's prediction time.
The NEPSAC boys playoffs begin on Wednesday, which means the Large School Tournament games will be well underway.
The Large School is the most difficult to predict of all three fields. Every matchup feels like it could go either way. All eight teams had paths to the Elite 8 in the final half of the season.
Let's dive into predicting the quarterfinal matchups.
No. 1 Nobles vs. No. 8 Berkshire
These two teams played each other on Dec. 29, with Nobles winning, 3-0. The most interesting part of that game, however, was Nobles goalie Tyler Bloomfield having to make 39 saves for the shutout.
Nobles is a solid No. 1 seed, with big-time offensive players like juniors Kyle O'Leary (Medfield, Mass.), Teddy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) and Dennis Davidson (Newton, Mass.), as well as sophomore Billy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.). While the Bulldogs aren't flashy on defense, they get the job done. And then in net, head coach Brian Day is fortunate to have Bloomfield.
But Berkshire matches that with its top scorers, who helped boost the Bears to being a top-10 offense. Senior Antoine Gauthier has 20 goals and 46 points, while junior Duncan Thompson has 23 goals and 41 points. Junior Evan Regan (Acton, Mass.) is right behind them with 36 points. Senior defenseman Jack Turowsky (East Longmeadow, Mass.) has been a big help offensively, almost averaging a point per game.
COMPLETE BRACKETS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
Senior Tommy Adams (Fairfield, Conn.) and junior Kyle Bolduc (Bolton, Conn.) have split the net for Berkshire, with both posting solid seasons.
It's time for a hot take.
Prediction:Â Berkshire wins, 4-3, in overtime.
No. 2 Lawrence Academy vs. No. 7 Phillips Andover
Phillips Andover was one of the surprise teams of the first half, but dipped midseason, going 2-7-1 from Jan. 20 to Feb. 17. Fortunately for the Big Blue, they turned it around by winning their final three games of the season.
Head coach Paul Tortorella's team undoubtedly has some impactful players up front like seniors Ethan Skowonek, Sam Myles (Westborough, Mass.) and Jake LeDoux, as well as junior Grayden Robertson-Palmer.
But Lawrence Academy plays the perfect style for playoff hockey. The Spartans are fast and physical, with the kind of seniors like Owen Leahy (Warwick, R.I.), Brendan Hirsch (Arlington, Mass.), Spencer Hirsch and Shawn Leary (Dorchester, Mass.) that a team needs to win games this time of year. Most of this same group also won the Small School championship last season.
Prediction:Â Lawrence Academy wins, 5-2.
No. 3 Dexter Southfield vs. No. 6 Belmont Hill
These two teams just played each other on Friday with Dexter taking that one, 4-1.
Dexter is a bit deeper up front, boasting seniors Cullen Emery (Reading, Mass.), Henry Butte (Belmont, Mass.) and Ben Morgan (Chelmsford, Mass.), juniors Sean Leetch (Boston, Mass.), Tyler Hamilton (Framingham, Mass.) and Nate Porter (Hingham, Mass.), sophomore Joe Marchi (Foxboro, Mass.) and freshman Noah Survilas (Winthrop, Mass.). In net, sophomore Colin Davis (Canton, Mass.) has been steady and reliable.
GIRLS BRACKETS:Â Elite 8Â |Â Large School |Â Small School
But you guys know how I feel about teams playing each other at the end of the regular season and then in the playoffs. That losing team from the regular season is always out for revenge. Belmont Hill did this same thing last season with Milton Academy in the Elite 8. Also, take a look at Belmont Hill's X (formerly Twitter) account. The Sextants want it.
Belmont Hill's top line of senior Jake McManus (Winthrop, Mass.), sophomore Jake Tavares (Belmont, Mass.) and freshman David Bosco (Winchester, Mass.) have a big day en route to...
Prediction:Â Belmont Hill wins, 4-1.
No. 4 Deerfield vs. No. 5 Kent
And look what we have here. Two teams that played each other less than a week ago. Deerfield took that game, 5-3. It's also been a great stretch of late for the Big Green, winning their last four games of the regular season. They're 6-1-1 dating back to Jan. 31 with the only loss coming in overtime to Avon Old Farms.
Seniors Tom Molson and Jakub Kohn, and junior Justin Tavares have been vital to Deerfield's scoring punch. Molson has 43 points, while Tavares has 39 and Kohn leads the team with 16 goals. In net, senior John Tolve (Duxbury, Mass.) has been strong down the stretch.
PREVIEWING EACH TOURNAMENT: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
Kent, however, has some more depth, which is why it was considered a team with Elite 8 hopes early in the season. The Lions are 10th in the region in scoring and it's easy to see why with seniors Gio DiGiulian (South Burlington, Vt.), Owen Mahar, Jack Roberts, Patrick Walsh, and juniors Stefano Pietratonio and Michael Fieddorczuk. Kent also boasts a strong defensive group.
While Kent's goaltending has been inconsistent between senior Aidan Hopewell and junior Keegan Waldo, the Lions' offense will be high-flying in this game.
Prediction:Â Kent wins, 6-4.
