Tournaments are getting underway, so let’s try to finish these previews and predictions! Up next is the D3 North.
Favorites:
Bedford: Bedford enters the D3 North tournament as the top seed and the favorite in the bracket. They only have three losses all season long, earning themselves 15 wins. They own a win over second seeded Cambridge.
Shawsheen: Shawsheen is the third seed in the D3 North tournament and has some solid wins during their regular season. They scored 8 or more goals five times this season.
Sleepers:
Newton South: 7th seeded Newton South has a lot of the makings of a sleeper in this bracket. They play a healthy amount of D1 and D2 teams during their season and usually compete well.
Lowell: 9th seeded Lowell is a team that competes with some of the top teams in the D2 North throughout their regular season. In two games against Lincoln-Sudbury, they lost by one goal each game. They also have a tie against D2 power Tewksbury.
Best First Round Matchup:
#4 Essex Tech vs #13 Swampscott: These teams met in the regular season and Swampscott earned a 2-0 victory. Swampscott enters the tournament with a losing record, but proved they can compete during the regular season. Essex Tech has a very different record, as they enter the tournament with a record of 11-4-5. They have aspirations of a long playoff run.
My Bracket Prediction:
FIRST ROUND:
#9 Lowell over #8 Somerville
#13 Swampscott over #4 Essex Tech
#5 Watertown over #12 Rockport/ME
#7 Newton South over #10 Hamilton Wenham
#6 Latin Academy over #11 Northeast Regional
QUARTER-FINALS:
#1 Bedford over #9 Lowell
#13 Swampscott over #5 Watertown
#7 Newton South over #2 Cambridge
#3 Shawsheen over #6 Latin Academy
SEMI-FINALS:
#1 Bedford over #13 Swampscott
#7 Newton South over #Shawsheen
FINALS:
#7 Newton South over #1 Bedford