GIRLS LACROSSE
DIV. 1
Champion: No. 1 Central Catholic
Runner-Up: No. 2 Wellesley
Final Four: No. 1 Central Catholic, No. 2 Wellesley, No. 3 Lincoln-Sudbury, No. 5 Weymouth
Sleeper: No. 20 Peabody
Best First Round Matchup: No. 12 Braintree vs. No. 21 Wachusett
Potential Upset: No. 23 Bishop Feehan over No. 10 Acton-Boxboro
DIV. 2
Champion: No. 1 Notre Dame (Hingham)
Runner-Up: No. 7 Westwood
Final Four: No. 1 Notre Dame (Hingham), No. 3 Reading, No. 4 Hingham, No. 7 Westwood
Sleeper: No. 34 Amherst-Pelham
Best First-Round Matchup: No. 22 Mansfield
Potential Upset: No. 21 Woburn over No. 12 Scituate
DIV. 3
Champion: No. 1 Medfield
Runner-Up: No. 2 Newburyport
Final Four: No. 1 Medfield, No. 2 Newburyport, No. 3 Hanover, No. 5 Foxboro
Sleeper: No. 33 South Shore Voke
Best First Round Matchup: No. 24 Pembroke vs. No. 41 Chicopee
Potential Upset: No. 41 Chicopee over No. 24 Pembroke
DIV. 4
Champion: No. 2 Nantucket
Runner-Up: No. 4 Ipswich
Final Four: No. 1 Weston, No. 2 Nantucket, No. 3 Cohasset, No. 4 Ipswich
Sleeper: No. 33 Hoosac Valley
Best First-Round Matchup: No. 29 Advanced Math & Science vs. No. 36 Old Colony
Potential Upset: No. 22 Belchertown over No. 11 Nipmuc
Picture this. You have been fighting to gain relevance among your peers for years. Yet, there is always that one obstacle in your way. A rival or bully you simply cannot shake.
For most in the MIAA’s girls lacrosse field, that school was always Westwood, but thanks to a recent realignment, this is no longer the case. In essence, the Wolverines left their Div. 1 championship den vacant, open for a replacement. Their perennial place of residence has been raided, by none other than top-seeded Central Catholic, which has taken over as a juggernaut in the playoff field.
Now, do we see the Raiders coast to a title? Not Necessarily. Second-seeded Wellesley (16-4) remains focused, looking to honor a critical member with the passing of team parent Eric LaPlaca. The vocal personality might be gone, but it echoes around the school landmark.
Now, the team is looking to honor his memory, with a championship in mind.
The Div. 2 title should come down to a series of schools, with Notre Dame (Hingham) (17-1) being your top seed. Led by Jane Hilsabeck and Aubrey McMahon, the Panthers have returned to prevalence. The Cougars might even just be the state’s top-ranked program, leading with a rating of 14.6330.
Moving onto Div. 3, it should be easy to pick Boston College commit Kelly Blake and top-ranked Medfield to cruise to a state championship. However, the road is daunting, with opponents such as No. 2 Newburyport (16-2) and third-seeded Hanover (12-4) both causing problems. No. 5 Foxboro (12-6) and No. 6 Ashland (12-6) each remain threats, while St. John Paul II (12-6) sticks out.
The Div. 4 field gets a bit crazy. Do we see second-ranked Nantucket (20-0) continue its unbeaten run? Or do we see another team rise from the field? No. 3 Cohasset (14-3) could emerge. Sandwich is your fifth seed, with a record of 18-1.
