2022 MIAA LACROSSEPLAYOFFS: See which 10 SouthCoast teams qualified and who they will face

Ten of the SouthCoast’s 16 lacrosse teams have qualified for the 2022 playoffs.

Here’s a look at each team and their opening matchup:

GIRLS LACROSSE

Apponequet

Record: 13-5

Seed: No. 12 in Div. 3

Opening matchup: Hosts No. 21 Bishop Fenwick (8-10) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the Round of 32.

Outlook: Behind a balanced offensive attack, the Lakers enjoyed a strong season in the South Coast Conference and non-league. Seniors Riley Levrault and Abby Vincent each scored 65 goals while junior Emilia Keane had 57 goals. Juniors Abby Menendez and Hannah Procaccini provided a steady presence on defense. Apponequet rides a five-game win streak into the playoffs with a pair of victories over New Bedford and wins over Seekonk, Bourne and Dighton-Rehoboth. Of the Lakers’ five losses, two came against Old Rochester and two against Dartmouth.

Bishop Stang

Record: 1-16

Seed: No. 27 in Div. 3

Opening matchup: Visits No. 6 Foxboro (12-5) at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in the Round of 32.

Outlook: The Spartans, who won just one game this season under first-year head coach Allison Alison Caito-Galligan, were rewarded for their tough schedule of games in the Catholic Central League. They’re looking to make the most of their chance to keep playing. “We are competing and playing well together,” said Caito-Galligan. “My hope is that we continue to play with grit, compete and take pride in our game.” Offensively, the Spartans have been led by Leah Katz with 48 goals while Sierra DaRosa, Sofie Doucet and Sydney Plouffe have also made contributions. The defense is powered by Jill Sferrazza and Ava Meehan with Maddie Kippe in goal while the midfield is controlled by Hannah LaFrance, Teal Galligan and Ellie Jones.

Dartmouth

Record: 17-1-1

Seed: No. 6 in Div. 2

Opening matchup: Hosts No. 27 Groton-Dunstable (8-8) at 4 p.m. on Thursday in the Round of 32.

Outlook: Dartmouth won its final 10 games of the regular season, entering the tournament with high hopes for a deep run. Offensively, the team has been led by seniors Sorelle Lawton and Meredith Sylvia while Molly Rioux has been a force in goal with 155 saves this spring. “This team has improved tremendously over the season and there is a lot of talent spread throughout the entire team,” said Dartmouth first-year head coach Nicole Simas. “We are looking to take it one game at a time and enjoy the ride. I am so proud of how hard this team has been working and how much we have grown together as a team.” While Dartmouth is dangerous on offense, the keys will be playing strong defense and controlling the draw. “We need to capitalize on every offensive opportunity and put the ball in the back of the net. Draw control is essential,” Simas said. “The defense has really stepped up this season and has worked well together, they are able to adjust to anything that comes their way. We’ve seen some very talented players on attack this season that our defense has been able to shut them down and win us big games.”

Fairhaven

Record: 10-8

Seed: No. 15 in Div. 3

Opening matchup: Hosts No. 18 Arlington Catholic (13-7) at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in the Round of 32.

Outlook: The Blue Devils won eight of their last nine games after a 2-7 start to the season to qualify for the playoffs. Fairhaven has enjoyed solid offensive contributions from Neely Francis (36 goals and 14 assists), Carlie Francis (42 goals and four assists), Sydney Burke (32 goals and seven assists) and Emerson Bourgault (20 goals and 17 assists). Bourgault has been the team’s top defensive midfielder while Catia Fernandes has also been strong on defense. “We need our defense to play solid and not have turnovers on the clear outs to be successful in the tourney,” said Fairhaven head coach Scott Francis. “I think we have a good matchup in the first round with Arlington Prep. It should be a pretty even game.”

New Bedford

Record: 9-6

Seed: No. 34 in Div. 1

Opening matchup: Visits No. 31 Brookline (4-14) at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in the preliminary round.

Outlook: Unlike previous years, the Whalers are much more balanced offensively behind the contributions of Tatum Reis (40 goals), Nora Blanchard (38 goals), Hannah Blanchard (29 goals), Kennedy Franklin (22 goals) and Lexi Thompson (22 goals). “Every one of our offensive starters averaged at least a goal a game,” said New Bedford head coach John Mosher. “Obviously we have our go-to midfielders, but this year we are able to score even if one or two of them struggle to get going. Hopefully we can use our athleticism, speed and ability to attack on both sides of the net to our advantage against a very tough Brookline team.” Defensively the Whalers are led by senior Calista Pacheco.

Old Rochester

Record: 18-2

Seed: No. 9 in Div. 3

Opening matchup: Hosts No. 24 Dennis-Yarmouth (7-13) at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in the Round of 32.

Outlook: No one has been able to contain Maddie Wright this spring as she has 137 goals and 52 assists in 20 games to power the Bulldogs to a top-10 seed in the tournament. Kelly Quinlan has also been strong on offense with 77 goals. The Bulldogs have also picked up their defensive intensity toward the second half of the season as they ended on a 12-game win streak to wrap up the South Coast Conference championship. “The key for us is number one controlling the draw,” said Old Rochester head coach Scott Tavares. “If we do that, we will have a chance in any game. Secondly, we need to effectively clear the ball out of our defensive zone after stops.”

BOYS LACROSSE

Apponequet

Record: 12-4

Seed: No. 22 in Div. 3

Opening matchup: Visits No. 11 Wayland (7-11) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the Round of 32.

Outlook: The Lakers have high hopes for the playoffs after a strong regular season in which they won 12 games and two of their four losses were one-goal games. “Even though we don't have a large number of players on our team, the players we have on offense are balanced,” said Apponequet head coach Jeremy Nodelman. “We can run our offense through a variety of players and offensive sets. We have quite a few players that can step up and score as well as find others who have scoring opportunities. Offensively, we do well when we move the ball quickly and communicate consistently so all six offensive players are on the same page.” Vinny Olivieri leads the team with 51 goals and 10 assists while Harrison Lemieux (27 goals and 37 assists), Sean DelGuidice (30 goals and 28 assists), Jake Cusson (35 goals and 17 assists) and Kenny Wisniewski (30 goals and four assist) have also contributed. The defense is led by Caleb Procaccini (68 ground balls) and Quinn Saltzman (58 ground balls) in front of freshman goalie Owen Hunter (71 saves), who took over the goalkeeping duties part way through the season.

Fairhaven

Record: 10-8

Seed: No. 33 in Div. 3

Opening matchup: Visits No. 32 Arlington Catholic (12-6) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in the preliminary round.

Outlook: What the Blue Devils have lacked this year in lacrosse experience, they’ve made up for with their hard work and athleticism. “Our kids don’t have the same lacrosse experience as some of the other towns we play against so they rely heavily on work ethic and executing the scheme,” said Fairhaven head coach Nick Pilla. “Currently the team is getting good at adjusting the game plan when teams counter and starting to get good at the small details. That will be key to a playoff run. Continuing to work hard while getting better at the small things.” Justin Marques gets things going with a .590 faceoff win percentage while Shea Cripps (.650 save percentage) anchors the defense along with Josh Mello and Westin Chase. Offensively, the Blue Devils look to Peter Joseph (30 goals and 23 assists), Cadence Chase (27 goals and 10 assists) and Owen Centeio (28 goals and seven assists). “We are feeling confident going into the tournament,” Pilla said. “The kids have done a great job all year learning the scheme so the tournament game will be all about execution and playing our best lacrosse.”

Old Colony

Record: 17-1

Seed: No. 13 in Div. 4

Opening matchup: Hosts No. 20 South Hadley (5-12) at 4 p.m. on Wednesday in the Round of 32

Outlook: The Cougars have won 15 straight games after a 10-9 loss to South Shore on April 5. A big reason why has been a breakout offensive performance from Will Harrop, who has 131 goals and 37 assists this season. Ray Thibault has done a solid job taking faceoffs while Ryan Letendre has been instrumental defensively and clearing the ball. “If we're going to have a deep playoff run, we'll need to win faceoffs, limit our turnovers and have quality possessions,” said Old Colony head coach Geno Busa. “When we take care of the ball it leads to high quality possessions. We've been playing with a lot of confidence. Our offense has been moving the ball well, attacking space and shooting well. Defensively, we don't allow a lot of high percentage shots and clear the ball well.”

Old Rochester

Record: 16-0

Seed: No. 16 in Div. 3

Opening matchup: Hosts No. 17 Pope Francis Prep (6-9) at 4 p.m. on Thursday in the Round of 32.

Outlook: Even though the Bulldogs featured several new faces, including at head coach, they went undefeated during the regular season to wrap up the South Coast Conference championship. “We’ve had a very good season,” said first-year head coach Michael Forns. “Most of the kids were new. We put in a lot of systems so the guys are on the season page with an organized defense and structured offense. Juniors Brady Lee and Tyler Cardinal led the Bulldogs in scoring while junior Zack Zutaut was also a threat on offense after missing last year with a shoulder injury. Will Tirrell was solid at midfield while the defense was led by Harrison Hughes, Zach Profit and Dylan Durgin.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: 2022 MIAA playoff preview for boys and girls lacrosse