When he entered the room for the final set of postgame interviews after a protracted day of state finals at TD Garden, Shrewsbury ladies hockey coach Frank Panarelli didn’t want greater than 5 seconds to level out who picked in opposition to his crew within the Div. 1 recreation, and thank them for the motivation. Not many backed it in opposition to a St. Mary’s (L) crew favored from the preseason to win all of it, however the star-studded Colonials dominated defensively to safe this system’s first state title.
As we mirror on one other thrilling yr, it appears solely becoming for that Div. 1 ladies closing to be the final recreation of the MIAA girls and boys hockey season. It embodies a few of the main storylines that developed throughout the board.
Vengeance at TD Garden
Alongside Shrewsbury’s run to show the doubters incorrect, the whole set of six state finals noticed the winners avenge some degree of “disrespect” or earlier hardships.
Pope Francis, which didn’t get the prospect to play within the state closing again within the 2019-20 COVID co-championship event end, noticed star senior Josh Iby depart one closing mark by delivering the title-winning objective within the closing minute of the Div. 1 boys recreation. Eleventh-seeded Nashoba scoffed on the energy rankings within the Div. 3 event, all the way in which till beating top-seeded Scituate for the title. The Canton boys avenged final yr’s loss within the closing by beating Hopkinton in Div. 2, Norwell exacted revenge from final yr’s semifinal, double-overtime loss to reigning-champion Sandwich by successful the Div. 4 crown in time beyond regulation, and the Duxbury ladies shattered their latest Bulldogs-kryptonite with a win over Canton for the Div. 2 championship.
Those Canton ladies might have misplaced within the state closing for a second straight season, however did get revenge on reigning-champion Algonquin with a win over it in a quarterfinal bout. Xaverian suffered the identical destiny in Div. 1, however outlasted its Catholic Conference counterparts to succeed in the ultimate once more regardless of dropping 16 seniors from the yr prior.
Statewide tourney insanity
For probably the most half, the final two years have proven the brand new energy rankings components works, and there’s by no means been this a lot consolation in predicting the brackets right down to chalk.
Yet, with rankings changing successful percentages to find out seeding, there’s additionally much more pleasure that swirls round a decrease seed successful. And there was loads of that this yr.
Just a season after the boys’ Final Fours featured simply three of 16 groups seeded exterior of the divisions’ top-four, there have been seven such groups that made it this time round. The ladies flipped within the inverse, going from 6-of-8 to simply 1-of-8, but in addition had a equally thrilling show of parity.
For the boys, Reading and Braintree turned heads because the 14 and 11 seeds, respectively, to down title threats Hingham and Arlington, and face one another within the quarterfinals to make sure a double-digit seed would make the Div. 1 semis. No. 17 Norwood upset top-seeded Tewksbury in Div. 2 within the second spherical, and No. 10 Triton beat No. 2 Lynnfield in Div. 3 to make the Final Four. No. 19 Amesbury outlasted No. 3 Winthrop after the Vikings edged No. 30 Belchertown in double time beyond regulation. Dedham, Westwood, Auburn and Arlington Catholic additionally beat groups seeded at the least seven spots larger than them, and a big choice of groups got here shut.
No. 13 Billerica/Chelmsford and No. 21 Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake had been the one groups that actually turned heads as vital underdogs on the ladies aspect, although B/C wasn’t so stunning out of one other loaded yr for the MVC/DCL. Still a bevy of thrilling matchups with 33 video games determined by two or much less objectives throughout the 2 divisions.
Grand new heights
Norwell didn’t disappoint in its first journey to the state closing, with Timmy Ward dashing finish to finish for the time beyond regulation title-winner. It was joined by the Shrewsbury ladies and Nashoba boys in successful their first journeys to TD Garden, although the Wolves had gained the Div. 3A state title twice earlier than.
Pope Francis, winner in 2009 as beforehand named Springfield Cathedral, gained its first state title as the brand new college.
Making first appearances within the state semifinals had been the Billerica/Chelmsford ladies and the Nantucket (Div. 4) boys. Grafton’s 22 wins to succeed in the Div. 4 boys semifinal was a program file, and the Essex Tech boys’ journey to a quarterfinal recreation was the furthest its gone. The Winthrop ladies are actually 35-0-1 over the past two common seasons, by far its longest undefeated stretch.
Revisiting the Super 8
The Catholics-versus-publics rivalry solely strengthened additional this yr, so the subject of the Super 8 naturally arises.
There’s positively one thing to be stated about three of the 4 Final Four groups in Div. 1 being non-public colleges that will’ve made the Div. 1A event, in addition to Canton successful its third Div. 2 title in 4 tournaments. There’s additionally one thing to be stated about alternative.
Had there been a Super 8, Braintree and Reading possible would have missed it and wouldn’t have had the prospect to beat qualifying groups Hingham and Arlington. Westford Academy wouldn’t have taken Arlington to time beyond regulation, Wellesley wouldn’t have been three minutes away from beating Pope Francis and Franklin wouldn’t have taken Marshfield to a defensive showdown. It’s not all blowouts.
It’ll be onerous to proceed justifying the dearth of want, although, if Catholic colleges hold successful. Between St. John’s Prep and Pope Francis, they’re 2-for-2.
Milestones
Over 20 gamers achieved vital profession milestones this yr, highlighted by Maggie Lynch (Archbishop Williams) and Jenna Chaplain (St. Mary’s) every scoring their two hundredth factors. Very comparable success got here from coaches, highlighted by Hingham’s Tony Messina accruing his 600th win.
Source: www.bostonherald.com