Previews of local schools’ NHIAA playoff matchups
High school tournaments today
Cross country
Division championships
At Derryfield Park, Manchester
START TIMES: 10 a.m. Division III girls; 10:40 Division III boys; 11:30 Division II girls; 12:10 p.m. Division II boys; 1:00 Division I girls; 1:40 Division I boys.
NOTES: Division I - Smita Boesch-Dining’s pursuit of a top individual spot will be a key storyline, as the Concord junior had a top-10 finish on the Derryfield course at the Manchester Invitational, won the girls’ race at the Capital Area Championships and was ninth in this race last year. Erin Waters was 31st at this event last year, so she will run with Meet of Champions aspirations, as will Hope Morrison, Michaella Conery and Kate Andy. The Concord girls’ team won the Capital Area meet, so the Crimson Tide will be seeking team accolades as well. In the boys’ race, B.J. Smith is coming off of an 11th-place finish in last year’s championships, and the junior was second in the Manchester Invitational and first in the Capital Area meet. He’ll be a runner to watch, as will Pepper Smith (14th in Capital Area) and Peter Asmar (20th).
Division II - The Merrimack Valley boys and Coe-Brown girls will be eyeing wins in the late-morning and early-afternoon races. The Coe-Brown girls won their second straight championship last year, and with runners like Hannah Parker (second in this race last year, eighth in the Manchester Invitational girls’ elite class this year), Katie Scannell and Katelyn Terry in the mix, the Bears are a favorite once again. The Coe-Brown boys will be paced by Jeremy Brassard, who finished third in the Manchester Invitational boys’ small school race last year. In the boys’ race, MV will be looking for an improvement on last year’s fourth-place finish, and Colin Phillips (third in Capital Area meet), Vinny Tevnan (fourth in Capital Area) and Carter Saltmarsh (sixth) will look to help the Pride threaten for the top spot. On the girls’ side, the Pride is led by Raquel Gelinas and Cassie Owens. John Stark and Pembroke, which were third and fifth in the Capital Area girls’ meets, respectively, will look to threaten the top teams today.
Division III - The Hopkinton girls and Bow boys are looking to keep streaks going, as the Falcons have won two straight titles, while the Hopkinton girls are at five straight crowns and counting. The Hawks are loaded for another run this year, as they were third in the girls’ small school class at this year’s Manchester Invitational and second in the Capital Area meet. Katie Irwin, Emma Geiger and Emily Calder were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, in last year’s championship and are all back, and Shannon and Sarah Nadeau will seek Meet of Champions spots as well. Kearsarge shouldn’t be counted out, as Briggie Carr (third last year) and Maggie Bolger (ninth) have had success on the demanding course, and Bow, led by Katrina Weisner (second last year), will threaten as well. In the boys’ race, Bow returns Andrew Weckstein, who won the race last year and is clearly in top form again, finishing second in the Capital Area meet last week. Joining Weckstein is Alex Evans, who was 11th last year, and Ben Evans, who was 13th. Kevin McCully and Peter Lariviere have also emerged as strong runners for the Falcons. Bow will have to withstand a challenge from Kearsarge, which is led by Conor Terhune, who was eighth in this race last year, and Hopkinton, led by Cam DeBrusk (ninth last year) and Alex Bostic (15th).
Girls’ soccer
Division I quarterfinals
No. 8 Concord (8-6-3) at No. 1 Exeter (16-0), 2 p.m.
PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT GAMES: Concord blanked No. 9 Nashua South, 4-0. Exeter received a bye.
HEAD TO HEAD: The Blue Hawks beat the Crimson Tide, 5-1, on Aug. 28.
NOTES: They meet again. The Crimson Tide rolled to last year’s Division I final, but was stopped short of a championship by an Exeter squad winning its third straight title and fifth in six years. Now, the Tide is looking for payback, both for that game and the rematch this past August. To turn in that winning effort and halt Exeter’s chase for a fourth straight title, the Tide will be banking on big-time offensive contributions from Caroline Andy, Mary Annon, Lexi Erickson, Arielle Berger and Kate Dasey, as Exeter has scored four or more goals in all but two of its games.
Division III quarterfinals
No. 8 Somersworth (11-6) at No. 1 Bow (16-0-1), 2 p.m.
PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT GAMES: Somersworth beat No. 9 Fall Mountain, 2-1. Bow crushed No. 16 Stevens, 7-0.
HEAD TO HEAD: The Falcons edged the Hilltoppers, 1-0, on Oct. 15.
NOTES: Somersworth became another one of Bow’s many victims in the teams’ earlier matchup, but unlike several of those other teams, the Hilltoppers took the Falcons down to the wire, falling just one goal short. Unfortunately for the Falcons, this has been the norm for Somersworth - the Toppers have shown a knack for playing up to top-caliber opponents, beating No. 3 Campbell twice and No. 5 Gilford once. That being said, the Falcons spent the season distancing themselves from the rest of Division III, and they’re locked in on continuing their pursuit of a second straight championship. Lindsey Reynolds, Lindsey Vogt, Sarah Carlson, Maddie Preston, Ana Urbina, Caitlyn Keenan and Naomi Kramer form a strong offense, but as the Oct. 15 matchup showed, this one could come down to defense - in which keeper Janna Corsetti will be tasked with keeping the Falcons in it.
No. 7 Hopkinton (11-6) at No. 2 Belmont (15-2), 2 p.m.
PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT GAMES: The Hawks breezed past No. 10 Inter-Lakes, 6-0. The Red Raiders narrowly avoided an upset against No. 15 Kearsarge, 1-0.
HEAD TO HEAD: Belmont beat Hopkinton, 3-0, on Oct. 2.
NOTES: Belmont’s been strong all season, but the Red Raiders have looked vulnerable as of late, splitting a pair of one-goal games to close the regular season before edging an upset-minded Cougars squad. Hopkinton’s emphatic first-round victory suggested the Hawks are peaking at the right time, but they’ll now have to solve a Red Raiders team they had no answers for in their regular-season matchup. Courtney Benson (three goals against Inter-Lakes) will lead the Hopkinton offense, while Belmont’s strength has been its defense, as the Red Raiders went the first 10 full games of the season without allowing a goal. Keeper Kaitlyn Berry leads a unit that’s been stifling all year, and that will look to be again as the Red Raiders eye a semifinal berth.
Girls’ volleyball
Division II quarterfinals
No. 5 Coe-Brown (12-5) at No. 4 Windham (13-4), 6 p.m.
PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT GAMES: The Bears beat Laconia, 3-0. The Jaguars beat Souhegan, 3-0.
HEAD TO HEAD: Coe-Brown lost to Windham, 3-2, on Oct. 5.
NOTES: The Bears sent a message with their first-round win, and now they’re out to avenge a tight loss at the same gym they lost at 22 days ago. Liz Peabody, Sadie Steffen and Emma Easler led the offense in the first playoff game, and will be among the players counted on to step up and keep Coe-Brown’s season going.
Division III quarterfinals
No. 6 Winnisquam (13-4) at No. 3 Moultonborough (15-2), 6 p.m.
PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT GAMES: The Bears swept Inter-Lakes, 3-0. The Panthers knocked off Sunapee, 3-0.
HEAD TO HEAD: The teams did not meet during the regular season.
NOTES: The Bears are coming off of an impressive opening-round win, but so are the Panthers - who are yet to lose on their home court. To win this matchup of the past two Division III champions, the Bears will need continued contributions from Hannah Chapin, Bailey Long and Elyssa Clairmont, who had big games in the playoff opener.
No. 5 Nute (13-3) at No. 4 Hillsboro-Deering (13-3), 6 p.m.
PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT GAMES: The Hillcats beat Newfound, 3-0. The Rams beat Trinity, 3-0.
HEAD TO HEAD: The teams did not meet during the regular season.
NOTES: The Hillcats endured a battle in their first playoff match, winning each game by 10 or fewer points. H-D’s been rolling to this point, however, as Thursday’s win made it 13 victories in the past 14 games. Katie White, Virginia Philbrick and Hannah Pepper were the top players for the Hillcats in the first round.
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