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New Hampshire boys and girls soccer playoffs kick off on Monday

By Tom King - Sports Writer | Oct 24, 2020

Telegraph photo by TOM KING Nashua North's Stephen Norris (8) and Nashua South's Manny Alvarez will likely get reacquainted on Monday in a Division I regional play-in game at Stellos Stadium.

NASHUA – Throw the record out the window – or, better yet, put them in a hat and draw.

It’s high school tournament time, as the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association earlier this week announced pairings for boys and girls soccer and girls volleyball, and these tourneys are like none other before.

Locally, we’re going to start out with a bang, as Nashua High School North and South will tangle Monday at Stellos Stadium at 3 p.m.

Keep in mind this is all different from what has been done in the past, as things in each division are divided into regions thanks to the pandemic. Plus, all the rankings were basically blind draws (out of a hat, so to speak).

That would explain why Nashua South (7-1) has to play a play-in game despite its record. And face a rival to boot.

BOYS SOCCER

DIVISION I – How about a second straight year of a Nashua North-South playoff game, this time the Region Four play-in with the winner to face Bishop Guertin on Wednesday, Oct. 28 in the prelims. Merrimack will host Alvirne next Wednesday in the other prelim. The quarterfinals (or regional finals) are Saturday, Oct. 31.

“It’s a tough one,” South coach Tom Bellen, whose team beat North twice this abbreviated season by 3-0 and 2-0 tallies.

“We were in the same situation last year. We showed up last year, we’re going to show up again this year. I thought they were a very good team when we played them. … I thought they were a dangerous team. We’ll take the draw the way it is.

“And if we beat them we play BG next, so we basically could have two inner-town (games).”

And stay at Stellos. If the Panthers win the region, they’d play the seacoast region in the semis.

“We think we have a team that can beat anybody,” Bellen said. “But we have to get there first.”

DIVISION II – The locals are in Region Two, with Milford hosting Manchester West in a play-in Monday, the winner facing Hollis Brookline on Wednesday. In the other prelim, Souhegan hosts Pelham. Quarters are Oct. 31, semis.

DIVISION III – Campbell visits Trinity next Monday (play-in), and if the Cougars win that, they visit Mascenic next Wednesday. Quarters are next Saturday, Oct. 31.

DIVISION IV – Wilton-Lyndeborough hosts Hinsdale next Monday (play-in), with the winner going to Sunapee on Wednesday, and the quarters on Oct. 31.

GIRLS SOCCER

These are Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday deals through the regions:

DIVISION I – In Region Four, Merrimack will host Bishop Guertin in a play-in on Tuesday with the winner facing Nashua North in the prelims on Thursday.

The Cardinals were unbeaten going into Saturday’s regular season finale, but hey, a game is a game.

“It’s just how it is this year,” BG coach Winston Haughton said. “Our season isn’t going to help us (in seeding) but it is going to bring us together, and practice what we want to do on the field.”

Alvirne hosts Nashua South in the other prelim that day, and the regional finals (quarters) are Sunday, Nov. 1.

DIVISION II – Souhegan is at Manchester West next Tuesday (play-in), the winner to visit Hollis Brookline on Thursday. On that day, Milford visits Pelham. The prelim winners meet in the Region Two finals (division quarters) Sunday, Nov. 1.

DIVISION III – Campbell hosts Trinity next Tuesday (play-in), the winner going to Conant on Thursday. Region Four finals on Nov. 1.

DIVISION IV – Wilton-Lyndeborough hosts Newport next Tuesday, winner to Sunapee on Thursday, and the Region Four Finals on Nov. 1.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

DIVISION I – In the all-local Region One, Nashua South is at Bishop Guertin on Tuesday and Merrimack hosts Hollis Brookline. The South-BG winner visits Alvirne this Thursday and the Merrimack-HB winner goes to Nashua North. The two survivors meet on Saturday, Oct. 31.

DIVISION II – These are Mon-Wed-Fri, with Milford at Pelham next Monday (play-in), the winner going to Souhegan on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Campbell, in Division II for location purposes this year, will visit Manchester West on that Wednesday. The prelim winners meet in the Regional Finals this coming Friday, Oct. 30.

ALL SEMIS-FINALS

BOYS SOCCER – In all divisions for boys soccer, the Region 4 winner is at Region 1 and Region 2 champ at Region 3 in the semis, with the finals on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Region 1-4 semis winner.

GIRLS SOCCER – In all divisions for girls soccer, it’s the same as above except the semis are on Thursday, Nov. 5 and the finals on Sunday, Nov. 8.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL – The Division I sems are on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with the host team by draw; Division II on Thursday, Nov. 5. The finals for both, again, host by draw, on Saturday, Nov. 7.

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