With less than three weeks until the MIAA's Super 8 selection committee selects the 10 teams for the winter's most prestigious tournament, it's time not only for our weekly Top 20 update but also a little bracketology.
Remember, 10 teams are chosen, with the top six automatically in the field. The bottom four meet in two play-in games, with the two winners completing the eight-team field.
In the tournament itself, the 1, 4, 5, and 8 seeds are placed in Bracket 1 and seeds 2, 3, 6, and 7 are placed in Bracket 2.
The teams in each bracket play each other once, with the top two qualifying for the semifinals. In the semifinals, the team with the best record in Bracket 1 will play the team with the second-best record in Bracket 2, and vice versa. Those winners meet at TD BankNorth Garden March 15 for the right to raise the trophy.
This is one man's opinion if the tournament were to be selected today, the top six seeds would be: 1. Malden Catholic; 2. Catholic Memorial; 3. Springfield Cathedral; 4. Arlington Catholic; 5. Hingham; and 6. Central Catholic.
The two play-in games would have No. 7 seed Xaverian vs. No. 10 Needham, and No. 8 Winchester vs. No. 9 Burlington. Xaverian dropped a tough game to Needham early in the season, and with the Catholic Conference down this season, I will take Needham over Xaverian. Winchester is the only team to have beaten Burlington, and the Sachems have done it twice. Also, they have one of the best netminders in the Middlesex League in Mike Messuri, and I will take a good goaltender in a tournament any day.
So that leaves Bracket 1 of the Super 8 featuring Malden Catholic, Arlington Catholic, Hingham and Winchester. Catholic Memorial, Springfield Cathedral, Central Catholic, and Needham will round out the other bracket.
Moving on, I can't look past Malden Catholic to advance to the semis, as they have really been playing a cut above everyone else all year, finally dropping their first game Saturday to red-hot CM.
CM should advance as well. The Knights have one of the most prolific offenses in the state, and have dropped four goals each on Sam Marotta of BC High, and John Carbonneau of Malden Catholic.
The teams joining them? Arlington Catholic most likely advances to face Catholic Memorial, and I predict that Needham has what it takes to carry the public school flag into the semifinals.
This all sets up a somewhat predictable, yet potentially magical CM vs. MC final.
Saturday's Catholic Conference game between BC High and CM will feature the presentation of the Edward M. Wright Memorial Award to the most valuable player from the game. This is the seventh year that the award, named in honor of the Catholic Memorial hockey alum, will be presented. The game is at Harvard's Bright Hockey Center and starts at 9 p.m.
In another key boys' game, Monday at 7 p.m. Arlington Catholic and Central Catholic meet in Lawrence. St. John's of Shrewsbury gets what could be its last chance to get into the Super 8 discussion when it plays CM Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Boston University's Walter Brown Arena.
In girls play, at 5:10 p.m. Wednesday at the Chelmsford Forum, the two top teams in the Greater Boston/Merrimack Valley Conference, Andover (8-0-1) and Chelmsford (6-0-1), square off. Masconomet/North Andover (4-2-1) and Beverly/Danvers (4-1-1) meet Monday at 5 p.m. in Gloucester with both teams trying to catch Lynn English/Revere for the Cape Ann/Northeastern title. On Wednesday, 4-3-2 Wilmington/North Readingfaces English/Revere at Wilmington at 7:20 p.m. One of Lynn/Rever's two losses this season came at the hands of Wilmington.
