Basketball, hockey pairings are released
Tewksbury boys hockey team earns No. 1 seed in Div. 2
LOWELL >> Buckle in high school sports fans. It’s state tournament time in Massachusetts.
The MIAA released tournament pairings for boys and girls basketball, and boys and girls hockey on Saturday.
A total of 39 area teams — 21 basketball teams and 18 hockey squads — will begin their pursuits for state championships next week.
Locally, one team earned a No. 1 seed, the Tewksbury boys hockey team. Led by veteran coach Derek Doherty, the Redmen are the top seed in Division 2.
Two teams are seeded second — the Tyngsboro girls basketball team in Division 4, and the Shawsheen Tech boys hockey team in Division 3.
Boys hockey
DIVISION 1 >> In the 33-team field, set to get going is No. 9 Westford Academy and No. 20 Central Catholic.
Both teams drew preliminary round byes and will open in the round of 32. Westford (14-3-1) will host No. 24 Braintree (8-11-1) on Thursday (7:10 p.m.) at Skate 3 in Tyngsboro.
Central (7-13-2) will play at No. 13 Saint John’s (108-2) on Wednesday (6 p.m.) at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro.
St. John’s Prep (17-3) is the top seed.
DIVISION 2 >> There figures to be plenty of local interest in this 33-team field as Tewksbury, Billerica and Lowell Catholic all qualified.
All will open play in the round of 32.
Leading the pack is No. 1 Tewksbury (17-3), which is looking to atone for last season’s early exit. The Redmen have 100-point scorers in Matt Cooke and Jeremy Insogna. They will host the winner of No. 32 Agawam (11-8) and No. 33 Minnechaug (11-9) on Thursday (7:10 p.m.) at the Breakaway Ice Center in Tewksbury.
No. 6 Billerica (9-7-2) will host No. 27 Westfield (11-11) on Wednesday (7 p.m.) at the Hallenborg Pavillion in Billerica. No. 29 Lowell Catholic (9-8-3) has a tough challenge at No. 4 Woburn (12-5-1) on Wednesday (7:15 p.m.) at O’brien Ice Rink in Woburn.
DIVISION 3 >> Four local squads — Shawsheen Tech, North Middlesex, Dracut/ Tyngsboro and Nashoba Tech — are in the 40-team field.
No. 39 Nashoba Tech (128-1) will play a prelim at No. 26 Middleboro (13-7), the details to be announced. Shawsheen, North Middlesex and Dracut/tyngsboro drew preliminary round byes into the round of 32.
No. 2 Shawsheen (19-10) will host the winner of No. 34 Somerville (10-82) and No. 31 Hopedale (513-2) on Thursday (7 p.m.) at the Hallenborg Pavillion in Billerica. No. 18 North Middlesex (11-9) will visit No. 15 Blackstone Valley (17-3-0) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m.) at the Ice Plex in Hopedale. No. 22 Dracut/tyngsboro (13-5-2) will play at No. 11 Methuen (153-2) on Wednesday (7 p.m.) at Methuen High.
Nauset Regional (18-1-1) grabbed the top seed. DIVISION 4 >> Making the 32team field were Wilmington, Lunenburg/ayer Shirley, Littleton/bromfield and Groton-dunstable. All advance to the round of 32.
No. 7 Wilmington (6-12-2) will host No. 26 Fitchburg (11-9) on Wednesday (7:15 p.m.) at the Breakaway Ice Center in Tewksbury. No. 14 Lunenburg/ayer Shirley (15-4-1) will host No. 19 Littleton/bromfield (11-9-0) on Wednesday (6:30 p.m.) at the Wallace Civic Center in Fitchburg.
No. 30 Groton-dunstable (1-18-1) will try to pull a major upset at No. 3 Norwell (15-5-1) on Wednesday (7:20 p.m.) at The Bog in Kingston.
Winthrop (15-3-2) is the team to beat.
Girls hockey
DIVISION 1 >> Four of the 32 teams in the field hail from the area — Methuen/tewksbury, Billerica/chelmsford, Westford Academy and
Shawsheen Tech/bedford. All advance to the round of 32 action.
No. 6 Methuen/tewksbury (14-4-2) will host No. 27 Wellesley (8-9-3) on Wednesday (5 p.m.) at Methuen High. No. 19 Billerica/chelmsford (6-9-5) will visit No. 14 Belmont (13-2-3) on Thursday, time to be announced, at John Ryan Rink in Watertown.
No. 20 Westford (7-103) will play at No. 13 Winthrop (13-3-2) on Tuesday (6:10 p.m.) at Larsen Rink in Winthrop. No. 28 Shawsheen/bedford (13-6-0) will travel to No. 5 Hingham (165-1) on Wednesday (6 p.m.) at Pilgrim Arena in Hingham.
The top seed is Notre Dame of Hingham (14-4-2). DIVISION 2 >> The lone local representative in the 32team field is No. 20 Stoneham/wilmington (11-81), which will play at No. 13 Sandwich (10-10-2) on Wednesday (5:30 p.m.) at Gallo Arena in Bourne.
Boys basketball
DIVISION 1 >> Not surprisingly, the powerful Merrimack Valley Conference is represented by four teams in the top 10 in the 42-team bracket.
No. 7 Central Catholic, No. 8 Andover, No. 9 Lowell and No. 10 Lawrence have all had outstanding seasons.
Lowell (14-6) will play the winner of No. 41 Beverly (10-10) and No. 24 Durfee (13-7) in a round of 32 game, the details to be announced.
Undefeated North (19-0) is the No. 1 seed.
DIVISION 2 >> There are no local squads in the 41-team bracket, but there is interest in No. 12 Burlington (146) and No. 14 Bedford (16-3). The favorite in the field is No. 1 Malden Catholic (11-9). DIVISION 3 >> In a 40-team field, the team to beat is Boston City League champion Charlestown (18-2), the top seed.
Among those in the bracket are local teams Shawsheen Tech and Lowell Catholic. No. 26 Lowell Catholic (9-11) will host a preliminary round game against No. 39 Monty Tech (15-5), details to be announced. No. 12 Shawsheen (14-6) and big man Matt Breen will play at No. 14 Watertown (13-7), details to be announced.
DIVISION 4 >> Making the 48team field were Tyngsboro, Littleton and Ayer Shirley. Playing preliminary round games are Littleton and
Ayer Shirley.
No. 31 Littleton (10-10) will host No. 34 Roxbury Prep Charter (14-5), details to be announced. No. 35 Ayer Shirley (16-4) will play at No. 30 Uxbridge (128), details to be announced. Advancing to the round of 32 is No. 12 Tyngsboro (128).
The Tigers will host the winner of No. 44 Bromfield (11-7) and No. 21 Greenfield (14-6), details to be announced.
The top seed is Wareham (18-3)
DIVISION 5 >> Representing the area in the 46-team field are Innovation Academy of Tyngsboro and Collegiate Charter of Lowell (8-8).
Both will play preliminary round games. No. 25 Innovation (14-6) and 1,000-point scorer Derrick Twum will host No. 40 North Brookfield (13-5), details to be announced. No. 38 Collegiate Charter (8-8) will play at No. 27 Salem Academy (11-9), details to be announced.
Hoosac Valley (18-2) is the No. 1 seed.
Girls basketball
DIVISION 1 >> Two local squads are in the talented 39-team field, Central Catholic and Chelmsford.
Both will open in the round of 32. No. 6 Central (16-4) will host the winner of No. 38 Malden (13-7) and No. 27 King Philip (9-11), details to be announced. No. 18 Chelmsford (12-8) will play at No. 15 Braintree (10-10), details to be announced.
The top seed is undefeated Bishop Feehan (200).
DIVISION 2 >> Billerica and Tewksbury of the MVC qualified for the 38-team field. No. 35 Tewksbury (10-10) will play a prelim at No. 30 Westwood (6-14), details to be announced. No. 8 Billerica (18-2) will host a round of 32 game against No. 25 Middleboro (11-9), details to be announced.
Medfield (18-2) earned the top seed.
DIVISION 3 >> Qualifying for the 40-team field were Wilmington and Lowell Catholic. No. 39 Lowell Catholic (11-9) will play at No. 26 Hudson (12-8), details to be announced. In a round of 32 game, No. 17 Wilmington (10-10) will visit No. 16 Fontbonne (128), details to be announced.
Powerful Foxboro (19-2) is the No. 1 seed.
DIVISION 4 >> Making the 49team bracket were Tyngsboro, Littleton, Ayer Shirley and Nashoba Tech.
No. 27 Ayer Shirley (10-10) will host a prelim against No. 38 Blackstone-millsville (10-10), details to be announced. No. 42 Nashoba Tech (9-9) will play a prelim at No. 23 Mashpee (8-11), details to be announced.
In round of 32 games, No. 2 Tyngsboro (19-1) will host the winner of No. 34 Mystic Valley (14-6) and No. 31 Leicester (10-10), while No. 5 Littleton (15-5) will entertain the winner of No. 37 Bromfield (9-9) and No. 28 New Heights (9-3), details to be announced.
Cathedral (14-5) is the team to beat.
DIVISION 5 >> The lone local squad in the 45-team field is No. 39 Collegiate Charter of Lowell (9-8), which will play a prelim at No. 26 Holbrook (13-7), details to be announced.