Division I

First round of playoffs get started for D1 field hockey

Here is a look at the preliminary-round matchups in the Division I field hockey tournament and the teams that are waiting in the quarterfinals.

Preliminary Round

These two teams played at Keene on Oct. 7, with the Blackbirds getting a 3-0 win. They'll meet again at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Keene.
The Lancers have gotten big contributions on offense from a trio of players. Meghan Daileanes leads the team with six goals and six assists while Keira Strike has five goals and two assists and Ava Windisch has five goals and three assists. Ashleigh Leone and Olivia Colliton-Savina have solidified the midfield while Taylor McKinnon has led the defense, along with goalie Kathryn Martin, who has 90 saves on the year.
Keene has had three players lead the offense in scoring, with Tessa Pearson netting 10 goals and Kaylyn Trubiano and Sofia Miller right behind her at nine apiece. Megan Goodwin leads the team in assists with 12, while Trubiano has 11. Nine players have registered more than one goal this year and a dozen have an assist. Bella Venezia and Trinity Williamson have split time in goal this year, making a combined 104 saves. Gwennie Walier has stepped up to lead the defense while Katie Harrington and Goodwin have been key at midfield.

The Cardinals got the win 2-1 when these two play in Derry on Oct. 3. They meet again at 2 p.m. Thursday at Stellos Stadium in Nashua.
Pinkerton played a lot of the top teams in the division close, with six loses by two goals or less. Jaelyn Crossman led the Astros with nine goals in the regular season, while Hannah Lisauskas, Natalie Paradzick and Isabelle Touping each had three goals. Abby Shawley led the team in assists with four. Elise LeBlanc has been solid in goal, stopping 85 percent of the shots she's face this year while Ava Bennett, Aili Carney, Gianna Rosa, Caitlin Lemay and Lisauskas have been strong down the stretch.
Bishop Guertin has been good when it can score, but struggled when it can't. Only once this year have the Cardinals scored and lost a game; they've scored 39 goals on the season and all but two have come in wins.

These two teams played a week ago in the regular-season finale, with the Crimson Tide getting a 1-0 win on their home field. They'll play again at 3 p.m. Thursday at Rollins Park in Concord.
Timberlane was led on offense in the regular season by Alexia Salafia, who had eight goals and three assists, and Rebecca Silva, who had a goal and five assists. Brandi Sickel also had three goals and four assists for the Owls while Brooke Morin has not only been solid on defense but also provided two goals and two assists on corners. Brandi Garand has had a big year in goal, making 259 saves and averaging 17 per game. That includes a 34-save performance against Concord last week.
Concord has been strong defensively this year, recording nine shutouts on the season, including four in its final five games. But the Crimson Tide have only averaged one goal per game during that same stretch after scoring almost three goals a game in their first 11.

Dover took the regular-season meeting on Sept. 26 by a score of 2-1 and the Green Wave will host the rematch Saturday at 2 p.m. These teams also met in the quarterfinals a year ago, with Bedford coming out on top.
The Bulldogs started and ended the year strong, opening with six straight wins and going 5-1 in the final six, with the lone loss an overtime setback against Windham. The five wins during that stretch were all shutouts for Bedford, while the Bulldogs have averaged 4.8 goals per game.
Starting with the win over Bedford, Dover won seven in a row to finish the season and clinch a home playoff game. Audrey Carter has led the offensive out of the midfield, scoring 12 goals and recording 10 assists. Dover has also received key contributions from Leyden Churchill, who has seven goals and an assist, while Rylen Gray has been strong on defense and has five goals on the year. Erin Lynch and Julia Rowley have also been playing well for the Green Wave and goalie Hayley Tosh has eight shutouts on the year and has allowed just 13 goals all year.

The Warriors played each team at opposite ends of the season, beating Londonderry 8-0 back on Sept. 2, while they tied Keene 4-4 in the regular-season finale.
Winnacunnet has been led offensively by Abby Wilber, who has 23 goals, and Grace VanderEls, who is also in double digits with 14. Jen Frost has also played well up front, recording seven goals and Kraer Kinnally has been improving all season. Maia Delano has been strong on defense and goalie Amber Morgado has recorded eight shutouts and allowed just 14 goals all season.

The Blue Hawks got wins over both teams this season, beating the Cardinals 5-2 on Sept. 28 and besting the Astros 2-0 on Oct. 14.
Exeter has averaged 4.1 goals per game this season and only twice did the Blue Hawks fail to score more than one goal. Addison MacNeil and Dani Caron have led the offense in scoring this season. Peyton King has eight shutouts this year and the Exeter defense has allowed just 49 shots all season.

The Jaguars beat both teams during the regular season, knocking off Concord 4-1 in the opener on Aug. 29 and beating Timberlane 3-2 on Sept. 21.
Sophie Ponzini led Windham in the regular season with 23 goals and 12 assists while Sophie Manchester had 11 goals and an assist, as the sophomore has come on strong in the second half of the season. Mackenzie Suech has also been key at forward for the Jaguars and Ava Sanchez has helped lead at both ends of the field from the midfield. Ella Reeners has stepped up on the defensive end this year and goalie Annie Mitchell has recorded nine shutouts and allowed just 12 goals all season.

Playoff teams: Bedford, Bishop Guertin, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Keene, Londonderry, Pinkerton, Timberlane, Windham, Winnacunnet.
Final Four: Bedford, Dover, Exeter, Windham.
Championship: Windham over Dover.