Division III-IV

Division III field hockey playoffs get underway with preliminary round

Here is a look at the preliminary-round matchups in the Division III field hockey tournament and the teams that are waiting in the quarterfinals.

Preliminary Round

These two teams met just 13 days ago, with the Royals taking a 2-0 win at home. The rematch will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Stevens.
After a slow first half of the season, Mascoma turned things around, winning five of its final seven games, including the victory over Stevens. The Royals have been led offensively by freshman Makenna Houson, who has 16 goals on the year. Ann Buffington, who leads the team in assists, along with Kara Miller and Carmen Zani have also been strong at forward while midfielders Kylie Rogers and Taylor Mansfield have contributed to the offense. Midfield Ellie McGrody has been solid defensively along with defenders Hailey Miller and Izzy Adams. Goalie Gabbie Pierce has 85 saves for the season and allowed 15 goals while recording five shutouts.
The Cardinals had an up-and-down year, starting the season by losing two of their first three before winning six in a row. They followed that with four straight losses before ending the regular season with a 2-1 win over Conant.

These teams will meet for the first time this season at 3 p.m. on Tuesday when Bishop Brady hosts in Concord.
The Bears started out the year 4-4, but struggled down the stretch, going through a five-game winless streak (0-3-2) before getting a 7-0 win over Franklin in their season-finale.
The Giants offense has been led this year by Margaret Sheehan, Laura Yap and Kimble Rose, as they’ve helped Bishop Brady average 2.3 goals per game this year. That number jumps to 3.1 over the last eight games, in which the Giants are 6-2. Hannah Poirier, Madison Noel, Carley Fuller, Marcella Tonge and Izzy Cochrane have also contributed to the offense. Ave Archambault has been solid in goal, allowing eight goals in that same stretch, while stopping over 120 shots this year. Bishop Brady has also been getting strong play from Payton Bryson and Gabby Heck at midfield and on defense from Kylee Potter, Danielle Lacourse, Reese Pelletier and Helen Gendron.

The teams met twice during the regular season, with the Mountaineers winning both, 2-0 on Sept. 24 and 5-0 on Oct. 1.
The Spartans started out the year 3-2-2, but struggled down the stretch, winning just one of their final seven (1-5-1), scoring just three goals total and allowing three goals per game during that stretch.
Berlin had a roller coaster year, alternating wins and losses through its first 10 games. But after dropping back-to-back games to Kennett and Newfound, the Mountainers ended the regular season with three-straight wins, including a 3-2 victory in the finale against Bishop Brady.

These two rivals played twice during the regular season, with each team winning 1-0 on its home turf. The rubber match will be played at 3 p.m. on Friday at Mascenic.
The Orioles had been riding a six-game win streak before falling to Stevens, 2-1, in the regular-season finale. They have been led offensively this year by freshman Sophia Spingoal (14 goals, three assists) and senior Rylee Herr (13 goals, nine assists), and it’s been a handful of juniors who have led the team in other areas. Goalie Abby Quill has eight shutouts on the season and allowed 18 goals all year, an average of 1.3 per game. Maddie Bergeron has been the teams backbone on both ends of the field while Graecen Kirby has been a force on defense and has six assists. Megan Newton and Katy Weidner have also been key players on the right side for Conant.
The Vikings ended the regular season on a high note, winning 4-0 over Kearsarge in the finale. Mascenic won four of its last five to end the year, with the lone loss coming to top-seeded Gilford.

The Golden Eagles have allowed 10 goals all season, but two of those were to Mascoma Valley in a 3-2 win back on Sept. 16. Gilford didn’t face Stevens during the regular season.

After dropping its first game of the year, Newfound won 12 of its final 13 games, with the lone loss coming to Gilford, 3-2 on Sept. 27. The Bears faced both Winnisquam and Bishop Brady twice this year, winning all four games. They beat Winnisquam 5-2 on Sept. 7 and 1-0 on Oct. 11, while they got wins of 4-0 on Sept. 24 and 1-0 on Sept. 30 over the Giants.

The Tigers didn’t face either White Mountains or Berlin during the regular season. Newport ended the year on a five-game winning streak that saw them outscore opponents 33-1. For the year, the Tigers are averaging 5.4 goals per game.