On Wednesday, the MIAA met with its lacrosse committees again, hopeful to plan for the 2026 season.
“I think they accomplished what they set out to do,” said MIAA lacrosse tournament director Dan Brothers. “Both groups addressed the potential of a cut-off date for 2026, and there’s been a lot of discussion about that. They’re going to sit to make their recommendations, then sit down and go over it again in a couple of weeks. They knew what they had to get done.
“We talked tentatively about the plans for both boys and girls in the spring. It was pretty much housekeeping in some regard, with the big discussions being the cut-off date for the tournaments …and the boys had a discussion about a potential 1A (playoff) with lacrosse,” he added.
The MIAA split the day into two separate virtual gatherings, with the girls lacrosse committee members convening to open the morning. The first meeting featured deliberation, with one sticking point being the aforementioned switch in a cut-off date for the regular season. There were plenty of concerns, ranging from booking buses to dealing with regular season game cancellations based on the change. Following a heated debate spanning an hour, the members voted 6-4-1 to move it earlier from its proposed Memorial Day date to May 20. In doing so, the hope is that preliminary games will take place earlier during the holiday weekend, allowing playoff teams shorter layoffs.
“We used to do it that way,” said Westwood coach and MIAA girls lacrosse committee member Margot Spatola. “I think there are a lot of benefits to it. I understand obviously that there are multiple sides, multiple viewpoints. But the positives that I see from it focus on the kids’ engagement. A lot of people are checked out for the summer, even before school ends. So us coaches have a pretty tall task of keeping the kids engaged, focused and ready for tough games in the playoffs.”
MIAA Executive Director Richard Pearson also raised the topic that is being posed in all sports – the possibility of a Div. 1A tournament, better known as the Super Eight. Both committees were asked if they were in favor of one. If so, their preferences would be presented to the Tournament Management Committee and a series of other panels for approval.
The recent expansion to four divisions has leveled the playing field in the eyes of many girls lacrosse coaches. As a result, the committee saw no need for further talks on a showcase, voting it down, 0-10-1.
In contrast, the boys lacrosse committee opted to explore the possibility with the caveat that the move is made correctly, and that they’d be able to present their possible format ideas to necessary parties before final approval. The vote passed, 10-1-0.
That said, there is still skepticism. Will we see the return of the Super Eight in a new sport come next year? That remains to be seen, though the window has been opened. As for the cut-off date for boys lacrosse in 2026, that discussion was tabled until Feb. 11. Andover athletic director Wayne Puglisi and his fellow committee members remain vigilant in their approach.
“As a ‘committee’ decision, I think it was an opinion of the members that were there,” said Puglisi. “Again, the issue that I had with it is to not say we’re going to endorse it, but let’s go with it, because we haven’t had the ability to get an opinion, or put it in front of the constituents we represent … I’m not going to be the guy to make that decision. I’d rather represent them as their coaches rep, and get their opinions before I pass along anything.”