Tourney Journey: Dust has settled, many locals still alive
Merrimack's Avery Hui will likely take the circle when the Tomahawks are at Concord in Wednesday's Division I semifinals. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)
We went from Super Saturday to Dust Settle Sunday.
And now, it’s Move Ahead Monday with the NHIAA spring tournaments.
Saturday was indeed super, with champions decided in boys tennis, individual champions in track, and quarterfinal and semifinal winners in multiple sports.
Locally, as things shake out, there are eight spring teams left competing: Souhegan baseball; Merrimack, Milford and Campbell softball; Bishop Guertin and Hollis Brookline girls lacrosse; Bishop Guertin boys lacrosse, and Hollis Brookline boys volleyball.
It begins today with Hollis Brookline at Hanover in the Division II girls lacrosse semifinals. The next biggest game after that will be BG vs. Pinkerton in the Division I girls finals on Tuesday night at Exeter.
Here’s a look at the when and where’s:
TODAY
The Cavaliers beat Windham 8-5 in the quarterfinals on Saturday led by Alyssa Hill’s hat trick and two assists and now head to face the Marauders, who they did not play during the regular season.
Hanover beat Kingswood 22-6 in the quarterfinals, but keep in mind that the Marauders lost twice to Windham, 18-8 and 18-12.
Game time is 5 p.m. and the winner gets the winner of the other semi, Portsmouth at Pembroke at Bedford’s Bulldog Stadium on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
TUESDAY
Girls Lacrosse – The biggie is the rematch between Bishop Guertin and Pinkerton in the Division I girls lacrosse finals, set for 7 p.m. at Exeter’s Bill Ball Stadium.
The Cardinals beat the Astros twice this season, 17-5 way back on a frigid night in April at Stellos Stadium and then 11-5 almost exactly a month ago in Derry.
Expect a closer battle; the Cards beat the Astros for the 2019 crown 12-11. And just the other night they had to rally in the second half to beat Bedford, 11-9. The games now are all closer.
Boys Lacrosse – But it would be hard to imagine a close Division I boys semifinal game between dominant Bishop Guertin and Bedford. The Cards, who visit the Bulldogs on Tuesday at 5 p.m. (as of now that’s the time), beat Bedford 16-6 and 16-4 three weeks ago. Guertin seems almost certainly headed for at state title, as it will have to face one of the next two best teams in the state, Pinkerton or Exeter, if they win Thursdy and move on to Saturday’s 4:30 finals at Bulldog Stadium.
Boys Volleyball – The Hollis Brookline Cavaliers are the last of the three local teams remaining, as they beat BG in the prelims on Friday and now host Windham Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The winner faces the winner of Winnacunnet-Dover in the semis on Thursday, site to be determined.
Windham is unbeaten, and two of those wins came in the early part of the season, 3-0 and 3-1 over the Cavs. Should be interesting.
WEDNESDAY
This could be the busiest day of the week.
Baseball — And then there was one. The Souhegan Sabers are the lone local nine left and will host John Stark in the Division II semis, as the Generals upset powerful Hanover in the prelims and then beat ConVal 16-6 in the quarterfinals.
The Sabers would stay local if they can win, with the Division II finals Saturday at Holman Stadium at 2 p.m. vs. the winner of Kingswood-St. Thomas.
Softball – The coin flips didn’t go Merrimack or Milford’s way, so on the road they go, the Tomahawks vs. the Crimson Tide at Concord’s Memorial Field, and the Spartans in head coach Julia Mazzeo’s first year will head to John Stark. Both locals were the same seeds in their respective regions as their opponents were in theirs, so then a coin flip has to happen.
Should both win, the Division I finals are Saturday at 2 p.m. at Rivier University, and the Division II finals are there as well at 4:30. Salem and Exeter are in the other Division I semi, while it’s Oyster River vs. Merrimack Valley in Division II.
Then there’s Campbell, trouncing all their opponents in Division III. But The Hat was not kind to the Cougars as they got a high number (five seed) in their region and have been on the road throughout. They will visit Belmont, also at 4 p.m., and the winner plays either Monadnock or Hopkinton on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Concord’s Memorial Field.
Girls lacrosse — It all depends on HB today as to whether there will be a local in that night’s Division II finals at Bedford.
There’s the first half of your week, so plan accordingly.


