Editor’s note: With the winter high school season all done, it’s time to take a look back at how the season unfolded in boys and girls hockey.
The Bishop Guertin High School girls hockey team made some history in 2010 by advancing to the championship game for the first time.
The Cardinals had their best season in the three years since the NHIAA made girls hockey a sanctioned sport. BG complied a record of 11-3-2 during the regular season, and picked up its first playoff win by beating Oyster River in the semifinals. The Cardinals eventually lost to Hanover, 2-0, in the final.
Boys Hockey
Division I
The Bishop Guertin boys once again claimed the No. 1 seed in the division by going 12-2-2 during the regular season. After getting a first-round bye, the Cardinals opened the playoffs with a 4-3 win over eight-seed Manchester Central in the quarterfinals.
But for the second straight year, the semifinals were as far as BG would go. The Cardinals were knocked off by No. 4 Concord, 5-3. The Crimson Tide would go on to defeat No. 3 Exeter, 1-0, for the Division I title.
Nashua North made a return to the playoffs after going 6-9-1 and earning the No. 9 seed. The Titans fell to Central in the preliminary round, 7-4.
Nashua South struggled through a tough season and failed to make the playoffs.
Division II
Merrimack got of to a great start this season, winning its first eight division games. But the Tomahawks came back to the pack in the second half of the regular season, winning just three of their final 10 regular season games. Merrimack finished with an 11-7 record, including two wins over Timberlane. But the fifth-seeded Hawks lost to the fourth-seeded Owls in the quarterfinals, 4-2.
Alvirne had a tough season and failed to make the playoffs.
Top-seeded Bow won the Division II title, beating No. 2 Oyster River, 2-1 in overtime.
Division III
Souhegan came up short in its quest for a fifth-straight Division III championship game appearance. The Sabers went 12-6 during the regular season and surprised some by reaching the semifinals for the sixth consecutive year. But head coach Ed Viola fully expected his team to advance that far and was proud to see what it accomplished. Souhegan defeated John Stark, 3-1, in the quarterfinals before falling to Kennett, 9-0.
Hollis/Brookline went 9-8-1 during the regular season and earned the seventh seed in the division. The Cavaliers lost to No. 2 Bedford in the quarterfinals, 4-1.
Kennett won its second straight Division III title, beating Bedford 2-1 in the championship game.
