Shrewsbury heads up deep Div. 1
With the Division 1 girls hockey tournament expanding to a record 31 teams this season, never was it more important to post a good regular-season mark and secure a high seed.
That’s particularly the case at the top, where the Nos. 1-5 seeds had just two combined losses during the regular season. Topseed Shrewsbury earned the only bye out of the preliminary round, posting a 19-0-1 record led by dynamic junior Delaney Couture, who already has surpassed 200 points for her career.
Defending state champion Woburn (19-0-2) checked in at No. 2 and is unbeaten in its last 27 games dating back to last February. The Tanners ran away with the Middlesex League’s Liberty Division behind the strong play of seniors Georgie Santullo, Cassidy Connolly, Marissa Gregory and Maddie Russo.
While Woburn has the belt, No. 3 Austin Prep has been the consensus team to beat since the start of the season. The Cougars (18-0-2) have lived up to the hype by being one of the stingiest teams in the state, sparked by standout senior defenseman Kendra Currier and junior goalie Hannah Aveni.
Methuen/Tewksbury moved up to Div.1 this season and earned the No. 4 spot behind senior Kelly Golini, another 200-point career scorer. The Red Rangers (17-1-2) could be in good shape as long as they avoid No. 22 Andover (coach Sarah Oteri’s alma mater), which gave them their only loss as well as one of the two ties.
Fifth-seeded Barnstable (15-1-4) emerged as the top team in the newly aligned SEMGHL, while former league rival Duxbury will be a big factor in the tournament as the No.7 seed after winning the Patriot League. The rest of the deep field is loaded with teams capable of going on a run, including No. 6 Melrose, No. 8 St. Mary’s and No. 9 Masconomet. In addition to Andover, low seeds to watch include No. 23 Needham (last year’s runner-up) and No. 28 Billerica/Chelmsford, which is the only team to tie Shrewsbury and also handed Austin Prep one of its two ties.
Division 2
Wellesley (15-2-3) earned the top seed in the seed in the bracket and has been as strong as any team in the state, with both losses coming to Austin Prep in back-to-back games around New Year’s. The Raiders have given up one goal or less in 14 of their 20 games, led by senior defenseman Olivia Vernon in front of sophomore goalie Liddy Schultz.
No. 2 Canton would like to return to the state final at the Garden, where they lost last year to Notre Dame (Hingham). The Bulldogs, who won the first Hockomock League title, once again will be carried by All-Scholastic senior goalie Colleen Kelleher.
Of course, Notre Dame can’t be overlooked after winning the last two titles, and the Cougars loom dangerous as the No. 10 seed after playing a tough schedule. A tie against Austin Prep in last week’s Cougar Classic proves ND will be as competitive as ever, particularly with All-Scholastic sophomore Erin Murray in goal and a strong defense of senior captains Emma Duffey, Jillian Lyons and Merideth Stewart.
Seeds Nos. 3-8 (in order) Archbishop Williams, Milton, Dennis-Yarmouth, Natick, Westwood and Stoneham earned byes and all are capable of deep runs — as Westwood did last year before falling to Canton in the semis.
Winchester, which battled through the tough Middlesex Liberty, could be an intriguing and challenging first-round matchup for Wellesley as the No. 16 seed.