BOYS BASKETBALL
No. 34 Lynnfield at No. 31 East Boston (5:30)
If there’s one thing about the Pioneers, it’s that they have weapons. Led by Cape Ann League Large MVP Alex Gentile – who has averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, and four steals – and conference All-Star Gavin Deluties, who knows if Lynnfield is actually an underdog?
Lynnfield finished the regular season 14-6, while East Boston performed similarly at 13-7. To make things even trickier – East Boston is 9-4 at home, while Lynnfield is 6-4 on the road. It truly is a jump-ball.
No. 52 Rising Tide at No. 13 KIPP (6:30)
Another team with lots of weapons: KIPP. Led by Commonwealth Large Coach of the Year Moody Bey – in the midst of his debut season – the Panthers have momentum on their side. Having Trosky Pena (15 points per game) and Vic Mafo (14.5 points, 8 rebounds) doesn’t hurt, either.
All that said, both teams have reached the 10-win threshold this season, so Rising Tide has its fair share of winning experience. KIPP, which has won 10 of its last 15, looks to keep its winning ways going in the first round of Division V action.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
No. 37 Southeastern RVT at No. 28 Lynnfield (3)
Believe it or not, there was a time when Lynnfield’s girls basketball team was winless in its first four games. Fast forward a few months later, and the Pioneers are hosting a tournament game and cracked the top-30 in Division III.
Led by Bella George, who can do it all on the offensive end, Lynnfield has all kinds of momentum on its side heading into the opening round. Despite a difference in schedules, Southeastern RVT actually picked one more win compared to Lynnfield this season (10 to 9), so you never know.
No. 42 Marblehead at No. 23 Masco (5:30)
The Magicians may be ranked 19 spots behind Masco, but their star players won’t go down easy. Led by upperclassmen Samantha Dormer and Sara Bosio, as well as a slew of promising freshmen, Marblehead takes its 10-7 record into the matchup with hopes of an upset.
But it won’t be easy. Masco finished 13-7 this season, and the two teams have played twice since the New Year. Masco won the two matchups by seven and 19 points.
No. 33 Lynn Tech at No. 32 Hampshire Regional (6:30)
Well, it doesn’t get much closer than this. Oddly enough, Hampshire finished 6-14 compared to Tech’s 14-6, but finds itself on its home-court Wednesday.
Tech finished its regular season with a 23-point victory over city-opponent KIPP, and other than its appearance in the vocational tournament against Greater Lowell, the Tigers were in the midst of a four-game winning streak. All that said, this is another toss-up.
No. 39 Lynn English at No. 26 Durfee (6:30)
Lynn English has played solid this season, sporting an 11-9 record. Standing in its way, however, is a Durfee program currently flexing a 15-5 record. Something that favors English, however, is that Durfee has lost three times in February – so now might be the time for the Bulldogs to pounce.
English is led by a tough player in Matty Laurino, who can put up strong performances any given night, as well as Amara Flores among others.
No. 35 Waltham at No. 30 Peabody (7)
When you hear the words Peabody girls basketball, which player does your brain gravitate towards? The Tanners have lots of options, including Logan Lomasney who has averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds this season.
Peabody didn’t lose until late January this season, but did lose back-to-back games this month. Nevertheless, the Tanners are still 16-4 while Waltham comes in at .500 (10-10). That said, Waltham can score, exemplified by its 69-point showing in a January game earlier this season.
Waltham, however, hasn’t won a game since February 3, and the month as a whole hasn’t been its friend.
BOYS HOCKEY
No. 33 Lexington at No. 1 St. John’s Prep (6:40)
Well, high school hockey in the state of Massachusetts runs through St. John’s Prep. Coming into the postseason with a record of 17-2-1, and several Eagles who can score with ease, Wednesday evening is looking good for Prep.
Lexington comes in with 14 wins, and has scored 87 goals this season compared to just 38 allowed. So, as they say in the world of pucks and sticks, anything can happen in playoff hockey.
That said, things still favor the Eagles, who recently eclipsed the 100-goal mark this season. As a whole, Prep has scored 103 goals compared to just 29 allowed.
No. 21 Swampscott at No. 12 Cohasset/Hull (7)
In a matchup of 12-win teams in Division IV, this is a good one. Swampscott has scored 87 goals this season, but has let up 70. On the offensive end, Ronan Locke has led the way with 36 points (19 goals, 17 assists).
And talk about a versatile offensive attack – the Big Blue have seven players who have reached double-digits in points. That said, despite its superior ranking in the bracket, Hull will have to buckle up when Swampscott skaters enter its zone.
No. 17 Norwood at No. 16 Marblehead (7:30)
First-year head coach Mark Marfione said he didn’t think his team would have home-ice advantage in the first round. Well, it happened. Better yet – the Headers take on a program he knows well in Norwood, where he was formerly an assistant coach.
Marblehead has allowed 57 goals this season, compared to Norwood’s 52, and the Headers have just one more win on Norwood (13-12). Things don’t get much closer than that – get your popcorn ready.
No. 18 Central Catholic at No. 15 St. Mary’s (8)
Now this is a big-time matchup. Separated by just three spots, the Spartans host Central Catholic at Connery Rink on Wednesday. The teams played each other just last week, with St. Mary’s cruising to a 4-0 win in the Pope Francis Invitational Tournament.
When it comes to big guns, there aren’t many bigger than Brady Bullock – a forward with skills second-to-none – and Anthony Palmer, a goalie who has done his job all season according to head coach Mark Lee. Those two, and the rest of the Spartans, look to give their home crowd more to cheer for come Wednesday night.
No. 31 Foxborough at No. 2 Lynnfield (7:50)
Heading into the matchup with just one loss this season (18-1-1), Lynnfield hopes to keep the pattern going against Foxborough, which comes in with a 7-12-1 record. Jack Carpenter and Drew Damiani each come in with 29 points apiece for Lynnfield.
Dan McSweeney has done his job between the pipes, sporting a 1.68 goals allowed average – in his way Wednesday is a Foxborough team that has only scored 41 goals in 20 games.
Lynnfield, which is made up entirely of town natives, looks to give its home crowd something to cheer for in the first round.
GIRLS HOCKEY
No. 25 Shawsheen Valley at No. 8 PLNR (5:15)
PLNR just completed another stellar season, one in which it went 16-4 with losses only against St. Mary’s, Winthrop, and HPNA. Under head coach Michelle Roach, PLNR has scored 71 goals this season compared to a remarkable 22 allowed.
Leading the way is Penny Spack, a do-it-all player who received Moynihan honors earlier this year for her performances on the ice and in the classroom. She looks to keep her impressive season intact on Wednesday against a Shawsheen team that enters with a 10-10 record.
No. 17 Bishop Fenwick at No. 16 Plymouth (5:30)
In another tight matchup, the Bishop Fenwick girls hockey team takes its seven wins to Bourne for a date with Plymouth.
Last week’s game against Longmeadow (a 5-5 tie) was a fair indication of Fenwick’s season as a whole. The Lady Crusaders have scored 46 goals this season, but have also allowed 63. They’ll have to be sharp against a Plymouth team that has a +26 goal differential.
No. 32 Medford at No. 1 St. Mary’s (6)
In what’s been an impressive year for St. Mary’s Athletics, girls hockey is no exception. The Spartans are 21-1 and just a goal short of 100 this season. Compare those 99 goals to just 15 allowed – that’s special.
Captain Jenna Chaplain leads the way with 38 points, while Maggie Pierce follows with 32. Against Medford, a three-win team that hasn’t won since February 1, the time is now for St. Mary’s.
No. 29 Marblehead at No. 4 Haverhill (7)
With head coach Brittany Smith at the helm and goalie Liv Doucette between the pipes, never count out the Lady Headers. Marblehead may be entering with a 4-15 record, but it faced tough competition this season and have two phenomenal defenders in Ava Vautour and Hannah Tsouvalas (eight points apiece).
It won’t be easy, though. Haverhill has scored nearly three times the goals Marblehead has (60-21), and is led by Kaitlyn Bush who recorded 29 points herself.
