Bishop Guertin, Pinkerton trying to make it six D1 boys lacrosse finals in a row

June is a time for finals, graduations and the Bishop Guertin High School and Pinkerton Academy boys lacrosse teams playing in a championship game.

For five straight years, and nine of the last 13 seasons, the Cardinals and the Astros have met at the end of the Division I season to battle for the title.

Will anyone stop the pair from meeting for the 10th time?

If the regular season is any indication, it would be a long shot, but the rest of the playoff field will definitely take their best shot.

Here is a look at Saturday’s quarterfinal games.

No. 8 Hanover (7-10) at No. 1 Bishop Guertin (18-0), 5 p.m. at Saint Anselm College

• These teams met on April 12 in a game the Cardinals won 21-12. It was the most goals scored in a game this season by Bishop Guertin, but also the most goals the Cardinals have allowed in a game. In fact, the only other team to reach double digits this season was Pinkerton. The Marauders got off to a tough start this season, opening the year 0-5 and 3-7 before winning four of their final seven games to get into the playoffs. Bishop Guertin is the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2015 and will be looking for the program’s first undefeated season.
• Pick: Bishop Guertin 18, Hanover 6.

No. 5 Londonderry (11-6) at No. 4 Bedford (12-6), 5 p.m.

• These two teams were playing a close game through three quarters on May 7 when the Bulldogs pulled away for an 11-6 win. That was part of a midseason slump for the Lancers, where they lost four of five games before ending the regular season on a five-game winning streak. All six of Londonderry’s losses came against the top four teams in the division, as the Lancers averaged 5.5 goals in those games. The Bulldogs ended the year by winning six of their final seven, as they averaged 14.3 goals per game in those wins.
• Pick: Bedford 14, Londonderry 8.

No. 7 Nashua South (9-8) at No. 2 Pinkerton (16-2), 12 p.m.

• The Astros won the regular-season matchup, beating the Panthers 15-5 on May 10 in a game Pinkerton led 11-0 in the first half. That loss was just one of two for South over its final 10 games, as the Panthers overcame a 1-6 start to the season to get into the playoffs. Through its first seven games, South averaged 5.6 goals per game; in its last 10, that number was 11.7. Pinkerton’s defense was solid all year, allowing an average 6.1 goals per game and surrendering double digits just three times – to Bishop Guertin, Longmeadow (Mass.) and Lincoln-Sudbury (Mass.).
• Pick: Pinkerton 15, Nashua South 3.

No. 6 Salem (10-8) at No. 3 Exeter (14-4), 2:30 p.m.

• The Blue Hawks won the only game between the two in the regular season, beating the Blue Devils 15-5 on April 28. After that loss, Salem won six straight to get into playoff contention, as the Blue Devils set a program record for wins in a season. In its eight losses, Salem has allowed an average of 14.9 goals. Exeter has scored fewer than 10 goals just six times this season. When the Blue Hawks top that total, they are 12-0. When they go under that, they are 2-4.
• Pick: Exeter 14, Salem 5.

Playoff Predictions

Preseason

• Playoff teams: Bedford, Bishop Guertin, Exeter, Hanover, Londonderry, Nashua South, Pinkerton, Souhegan.
• Championship: Bishop Guertin over Pinkerton.

Now

We got seven out of eight playoff teams right, with Salem getting in instead of Souhegan. We’ll keep the pick the same for the championship game.

• Final four: Bishop Guertin over Bedford; Pinkerton over Exeter.
• Championship: Bishop Guertin over Pinkerton.