Four teams are left standing.
There was plenty of drama in Wednesday's NEPSAC girls Small School quarterfinals. You had No. 4 Millbrook edging No. 5 Tilton in a tight, 2-1 win, while No. 6 Rivers took No. 3 Frederick Gunn to overtime and won, 4-3.
No. 1 Groton and No. 2 New Hampton were idle, first-round byes in hand, watching it all unfold like the rest of us.
I went 1-for-2 in my Small School picks, which were both upsets. I had Rivers beating Gunn and Tilton beating Millbrook. Hey, nobody's perfect, although I'm pretty close, going 7-for-8 through all three tournaments so far.
That leaves us with a rematch between Groton and Millbrook, plus a battle between New Hampton and Rivers in Saturday's semifinals. Will there be more upsets? Or will Groton and New Hampton advance for a rematch of last year's title game?
Let's dive into some more predictions.
No. 1 Groton vs. No. 4 Millbrook
The Zebras and Mustangs met back on Dec. 16 in the Watkins Tournament championship, which Millbrook took, 4-1.
But the Zebras were none the worse for wear after the loss. They enter the playoffs on a 12-3-1 run, going unbeaten in their last seven (6-0-1). Meanwhile, Millbrook has won three in a row.
In the Watkins championship Lila Pannacciulli, Jasiel Shaye and Jillian Smith were among the goal scorers. In Wednesday's semifinals against Tilton, Pannacciulli came through with the game-winner with 12 minutes to go in the third. Piper Smith also scored.
GIRLS BRACKETS: Elite 8 Tournament | Large School Tournament | Small School Tournament
The Mustangs will need a repeat performance from Pannaciulli and Shaye against the Zebras. The latter earned Watkins tournament MVP. Jessica Trocchio, who sported an .86 save percentage entering the playoffs, will need to be at her absolute best once again, just as she was against Tilton and Groton the first time around.
With both offenses scoring at similar clips and Millbrook boasting more balanced production, Groton needs its elite playmakers in Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.) and Maddie Cronan (Ashland, Mass.) on the first line to be difference-makers. That shouldn't be a problem for Scalese, averaging two points per game.
The true advantage for Groton lies in net with Veronika Hadamovsky (Groton, Mass.), who holds a .95 save percentage. She has five shutouts in her last 10 games. The Zebras have given up just one goal per game in their last 10, too.
I expect Groton's big guns to rise to the occasion, while Hadamovsky has a better showing than she did the first time against Millbrook.
Prediction: Groton wins, 3-1.
No. 2 New Hampton vs. No. 6 Rivers
New Hampton has its hands full as it begins its Small School title defense against Rivers.
The young Red Wings have been scorching of late. They're 8-2-1 in their last 11, going back to Jan. 26, after upsetting Gunn in the quarterfinals.
Lead-scorer Lindsay Morin (Weston, Mass.) scored twice against Gunn, while two eighth-graders came through. Nora Swaim found the back of the net, and Simone Burns scored the game-winner in overtime. She finished a pretty backhand-forehand move at the net-front after a great keep-in at the blue line by Linsey Berlucchi.
If Rivers wants to pull off another upset they'll need to follow a similar script. Morin and goalie Serafina Applegate (Lexington, Mass.), who has a .95 save percentage, will have to lead the way. They'll need their youngsters to contribute, too, in order to overcome New Hampton's depth.
PREVIEW: Breaking down each team in the girls Small School Tournament
Meanwhile, the Huskies boast a potent and deep attack with six 20 or more point-getters and four skates with 10 or more goals.
New Hampton has scored 86 goals on the season, the sixth-most in the NEPSAC and the most of any Small School Tournament team. True Thompson, Julia Loughlin (Scituate, Mass.) and Kennedy Walker have led the offense all season.
It's close, and I really want to go with another upset for Rivers. But I just can't ignore New Hampton's offensive firepower and experience.
Prediction:Â New Hampton wins, 4-2.
