The quarterfinals have come and gone.
Each of the top four seeds advanced to the NEPSAC girls Elite 8 semifinals, leaving us with two very intriguing matchups on Saturday.
On one side of the card is No. 1 Nobles vs. No. 4 Loomis Chaffee in a regular-season rematch. Meanwhile, the other side sees No. 2 Williston Northampton against No. 3 Phillips Andover in not only a regular season rematch but also another rubber match of last year's Elite 8 title game.
If you'll allow me to pat myself on the back one more time, I went 4-for-4 in my Elite 8 quarterfinal picks, and I'm 7-for-8 across all three girls tournaments. Call it beginner's luck.
GIRLS BRACKETS: Elite 8 Tournament | Large School Tournament | Small School Tournament
So, it's time for me to put my money where my mouth is with another round of predictions ahead of Saturday's semifinals. Will there be upsets? Or will it go chalk once again?
Let's dive in.
No. 1 Nobles vs. No. 4 Loomis Chaffee
The Bulldogs and Pelicans met at the very start of the season. Nobles won, 3-0, in it's first win of the season which started a 19-game win streak. For Loomis, it was the beginning of a 1-3-0 start to their season before going on a 10-game heater themselves.
In that game, Nobles played to the identity that it has played to all season long, executing a dogged, physical forecheck. But Loomis did a good job of matching physicality and keeping the Bulldogs to the outside. Nobles was just opportunistic, funneling pucks on net from the point and through traffic and capitalizing on second-chance opportunities.
Olivia Maffeo (Canton, Mass.) had a hat trick in a high-flying 4-3 win for Nobles over St. Paul's in the quarterfinals, but I don't see this being a shootout. These are two of the deepest teams in the Elite 8 both up front and on defense, while both goalies have been great.
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This could come down to the goaltenders, and who can cash in around the crease and dirty areas on second and third chances. Anya Zupkofska (Braintree, Mass.) made some huge saves to fend off SPS in the quarterfinals, while Leila Fournier (West Kingston, R.I.) was the bedrock of Loomis' 1-0 shutout of Kent.
Nobles will need the likes of Calleigh Brown (Foxboro, Mass.), Gretta Hulbig (Foxboro, Mass.) and Maddie Krepelka (Arlington, Mass.) to step up and do damage around the net, like they have all season. Ellie Lachance (West Hartford, Conn.), Lyndsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) and Louisa Thomsen (Waterbury Center, Vt.) have excelled in that area of late, especially Thomsen in the quarterfinals.
It's close, and Nobles has proven to be human lately. But right now, I'll lean...
Prediction: Nobles wins, 2-1, in overtime.
No. 2 Williston vs. No. 3 Phillips Andover
This is the rematch everyone will be watching on Saturday.
It's two teams that have a history with each other, meeting with a chance to advance to the championship. What's not to love? The Wildcats have had Andover's number in the playoffs the last few seasons. They beat them for the championship last year and knocked them out in overtime of the 2022 semifinals. The Big Blue got some revenge, 1-0, in February. Maybe that's bulletin board material for Williston.
As long as Williston can trot out Monique Lyons (Bedford, Mass.), Nora Curtis and Violet Carroll (Milton, Mass.), it's hard to ever count them out. That line cooked against Tabor in their 8-1 quarterfinals win, and Lyons was sensational. The Wildcats also got contributions throughout the lineup, which is what could give them the edge over Andover.
Andover will need its top players up front to step up, too, whether it's Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.), Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.), Peyton Kennedy (Sudbury, Mass.) or Emily Mara (Winchester, Mass.). They could help the Big Blue cancel out Williston's big three. Powers came through with the lone goal in the win over Williston this season, too.
The Big Blue have been scorching in the second half, but the Wildcats showed a lot of resolve against Tabor on Wednesday. It all could come down to whether or not Andover's depth can come through or if Williston's second and third lines can cash in again.
TAKEAWAYS: 13 observations from the NEPSAC girls Elite 8 quarterfinals
So, who will have the last laugh this year?
It's another very tough call. Unlike the regular-season meeting, I'm expecting fireworks in this one.
Prediction:Â Williston wins, 5-4.
