Pinkerton, Bishop Guertin boys lacrosse hoping for fifth straight matchup in D1 final

The Division I boys lacrosse playoffs begin Saturday with the quarterfinals, and if the seeds hold, it’s one week away from the final lacrosse fans of come to expect.

Bishop Guertin vs. Pinkerton.

The teams have played in the last four division title games, five of the last six and eight of the last 12.

But if the top four teams advance to the semifinals, which are scheduled for Tuesday at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter, things could get interesting. Both the Cardinals and the Astros would have to face the teams that gave them their closest games, No. 3 Londonderry and No. 4 Bedford, respectively, at least among in-state opponents.

Of course, before that can happen, the Lancers and the Bulldogs will have to take care of business in their quarterfinal games against No. 6 Exeter and No. 5 Concord.

All four quarterfinal matchups are scheduled for Saturday. Here’s a look at each game.

No. 8 Souhegan (8-7) at No. 1 Pinkerton (17-1), 2 p.m.

• The Astros took the only regular-season meeting between the two teams, 12-5, on April 27. After starting the season 8-3, the Sabers enter the postseason having lost four in a row, all against teams they were battling for playoff positioning. Pinkerton went undefeated against in-state competition for second year in a row, with the lone loss coming in overtime at Medfield, Mass., on May 20. The Astros also faced the Sabers in the semifinals last season, knocking them out in the final four.

No. 5 Concord (11-6) at No. 4 Bedford (11-6), 3 p.m. at Saint Anselm College

• What should be the most entertaining game of the first round, the Bulldogs survived for a 7-6 win over the Crimson Tide on April 24. Bedford was missing a handful of players for that game and has played well of late, despite at times struggling offensively. The Bulldogs defense has allowed an average of 6.9 goals per game, but Concord’s defense has also played well this year, giving up 7.1 goals a game.

No. 7 Hanover (10-7) at No. 2 Bishop Guertin (15-2), 5 p.m. at Rivier University

• It’s been almost two months since the Cardinals made the trip to Hanover and handed the Marauders a 19-4 loss on April 13. Hanover has lost seven in a row to Bishop Guertin, with its last win coming in 2012, which was also the last time the Cardinals lost to an in-state team other than Pinkerton. The Marauders started strong, winning seven of their first 10 games, but went 3-4 in their final seven. Bishop Guertin has won five in a row, including a double-overtime win against Duxbury, Mass., on May 24.

No. 6 Exeter (11-7) at No. 3 Londonderry (13-3), 5 p.m.

• The Lancers have already beaten the Blue Hawks twice this year, winning 9-8 on April 27 and 13-9 on May 13. Exeter has been a streaky team, starting the year 2-3 before winning five in a row, followed by a three-game losing streak and then wins in four of its last five. Londonderry has been streaky within games, as it’s offense has shown the ability to explode at any moment. The Lancers need the defense to be solid, too, as the three times they’ve allowed double-digit goals have all been losses.

Quarterfinal winners: Pinkerton, Bishop Guertin, Londonderry, Bedford.

Final: Pinkerton over Bishop Guertin.

Schedule: Quarterfinal, June 3, at higher seed; Semifinals, June 6, at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter; Final, June 10, at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.