There’s officially 23 days left in the Hockeyland regular season. Just 23. And everywhere you look, the uncertainty and suspense is still sky-high in many corners.
A look at the chain of parity in the Div. 1 boys state title race puts the brain in a blender, and the term “anyone’s game” is on a nightly display among coaches – for good reason. Div. 4 appears wide-open as well. The current power rankings for the Div. 1 and Div. 2 girls sets us up for potential chaos come tournament time, and the next couple weeks should reveal more about the brass among the Div. 2 and Div. 3 boys.
Oh, and 30 league/conference title races are still only separated by three points or less, with half of them coming down to the wire for three or more teams.
Between those league races, tournament implications and significant regular-season tournament games still ahead, there’s so much to look out for over these next 23 days. The crystal ball can’t highlight them all – there’s just too many. But we can share most of them while still ambitiously looking to hike up the win percentage to over .700, even as unlikely as it seems.
Last week marked the first time had about the same success rate here two weeks in a row, and of course it’s when we hit a mediocre mark. Floating around .500 isn’t going to cut it.
LAST WEEK’S RECORD: 7-8-1
OVERALL RECORD: 48-36-6 (.569)
WINNERS in caps
BOYS
WEDNESDAY
TEWKSBURY at Concord-Carlisle, 4:15 p.m. – Every league matchup in the three-team race for the MVC/DCL II title is high-stakes, especially amongst the big fish gunning for the title. The Redmen and Patriots are both three points back from leader Waltham, and they tied each other in their first matchup. Between the league race and the Div. 2 state tournament implications, this is a must-follow.
THURSDAY
BC High at XAVERIAN, 7 p.m. – Conference matchups are running out, but Xaverian is still within reach of the crown down three points to St. John’s Prep. Major two points on the line here against a tough opponent.
SATURDAY
Norwood at DEDHAM, 11:30 a.m. – Dedham is 9-1 since dropping their first two games against Medfield (8-1) and Norwood (2-0), and now sees those two again on Wednesday and Saturday. Norwood, Westwood and Dedham are all tied atop the TVL Small with 12 points entering Wednesday.
HINGHAM at Pope Francis, 2 p.m. – Two of the state’s top teams, here’s a chance for either to further set themselves apart before we start tournament play. Very well could be a Div. 1 state final preview – though parity will surely challenge that in March.
STONEHAM at Burlington, 2:15 p.m. – Leaders of the Middlesex League Freedom clash for a rematch of an earlier 2-1 battle that Stoneham won.
NAUSET at Scituate, 7:50 p.m. – An ICO Cup thriller left us wanting more between these two, and we get it before the Div. 3 state tournament starts up. The Warriors are the favorite right now, but the Sailors have a chance to prove they’re the team to beat instead as a fellow power. Unbeaten Nauset is ranked No. 1 in the MIAA power rankings, while Scituate is No. 4.
SUNDAY
Reading vs ARLINGTON, 4 p.m. (Bentley) – As if two matchups between these two in the regular season wasn’t enough, we’re treated with another round in the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament. A trip to the Doherty final at Tsongas is on the line at Bentley.
CANTON vs Marshfield, 2:20 p.m. (Rodman Arena) – Another exciting Coffee Pot semifinal, this one in the Brinn division. The Bulldogs (12-1-1) haven’t lost since the opener and seem to be clicking on all gears late in the season. Marshfield (9-4-1) rides momentum from a 9-1 win over Norwood and gets a rematch with Duxbury on Wednesday.
GIRLS
WEDNESDAY
Sandwich at FALMOUTH, 5 p.m. – Round 2 of the unofficial Ferreira Brothers Cup. Brian’s Clippers took the first game 3-2 and have won the last three matchups. Billy’s Blue Knights will be a Div. 2 sleeper if they stay outside the MIAA power rankings’ top-10 and should give Falmouth trouble.
ARCHBISHOP WILLIAMS at Bishop Stang, 6 p.m. – Archies are 7-1-1 since a 1-3 start, racking up signature wins over Milton, St. Mary’s (L), NDA (H) and Bishop Feehan. Bishop Stang (10-3) has proved it can hang and looks for another big game to bolster its case as a contender. A Spartans win makes the Catholic Central League title race really down to the wire between these two and Bishop Feehan.
PLNR at Winthrop, 6 p.m. – Winthrop comes off a pair of overtime thrillers with Methuen/Tewksbury and Winchester, only sharpening it for this rematch. PLNR won the last game against the Vikings, 1-0, and have allowed the least goals in the state entering Wednesday. Expect another tight one.
SATURDAY
SHREWSBURY at HPNA, noon – The young Colonials have been a pleasant surprise as a real danger in the MVC/DCL Large, winning at least once over every league team outside of Methuen/Tewksbury and HPNA. Shrewsbury gets rematches against both after Leominster on Wednesday, and we’ll ride the wave of parity by backing it here.
Reading at WOBURN, 2 p.m. – Round 1 went to Woburn in overtime at Burbank. Expecting another thriller between two strong Middlesex League Liberty foes.
Winchester at BELMONT, 6:10 p.m. – Belmont (11-0-1) has passed every test to remain unbeaten so far, but the Red and Black are the only team that hasn’t lost to it. Winchester is a nightly “upset” watch, so this is yet another signature challenge for the Marauders.
Methuen/Tewksbury at BILLERICA/CHELMSFORD, 7:40 p.m. – We’ve picked against the Lindians in every big game and suffered the consequences. They trail the Red Rangers by just two points in the MVC/DCL Large title race, and narrowly lost to them in OT in Methuen earlier. Much to be said about Methuen/Tewksbury’s 8-0-2 record in one-goal or less games, though the Lindians are 6-2 themselves.