Playoff Picture: Boys Lacrosse (May 28)

The final week of the boys lacrosse regular season is about to get underway and there are still so many games left to be played, and so much still left to be determined.

This week, we’ll be updating the playoff picture daily. Here is a look at where teams stand going into Thursday’s games.

Note: With the NHIAA’s 70-percent rule in place for the postseason, Division I will have nine playoff teams, Division II will have 10 playoff teams and Division III will have 11 playoff teams. Standings based off results reported to NHIAA.org and other media outlets. These are not official. 

Division I

Team (record, rating, previous)

1. Bedford (15-3, 3.3333, 1st)
2. Pinkerton (15-3, 3.3333, 2nd)
3. Bishop Guertin (12-5, 2.8235, 3rd)
4. Dover (12-5, 2.8235, 5th)
5. Exeter (11-5, 2.7500, 4th)
6. Londonderry (10-7, 2.3529, 6th)
7. Merrimack (10-7, 2.3529, 7th)
8. Windham (9-7, 2.2500, 8th)
9. Nashua South (7-10, 1.6471, 9th)

Eliminated: Concord (5-12, 1.1765); Nashua North (5-12, 1.1765); Keene-Monadnock (4-11, 1.0667); Manchester (2-13, 0.5333); Salem (1-15, 0.2500).

Remaining Schedule

• Thursday, May 28: Bishop Guertin at Exeter, 4 p.m.
• Friday, May 29: Nashua North vs. Nashua South, 4 p.m.

Tiebreakers

• Bedford wins the tiebreaker with Pinkerton thanks to a head-to-head victory.
• Bishop Guertin wins the tiebreaker with Dover thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Londonderry wins the tiebreaker with Merrimack thanks to a head-to-head victory.

First-round matchup (changes in bold)

• No. 9 Nashua South at No. 8 Windham

Quarterfinal matchups

• Nashua South/Windham at No. 1 Bedford
• No. 5 Exeter at No. 4 Dover
• No. 7 Merrimack at No. 2 Pinkerton
• No. 6 Londonderry at No. 3 Bishop Guertin

Scenarios

• Bedford has clinched the No. 1 seed.
• Pinkerton has clinched the No. 2 seed.
• Bishop Guertin clinches the No. 3 seed with a win over Exeter. A loss would drop the Cardinals to No. 5.
• Exeter clinches the No. 3 seed with a win over Bishop Guertin. A loss would drop the Blue Hawks to No. 5.
• Dover has clinched the No. 4 seed.
• Londonderry has clinched the No. 6 seed.
• Merrimack has clinched the No. 7 seed.
• Windham has clinched the No. 8 seed.
• Nashua South has clinched the No. 9 seed.

Playoff Schedule

• First round: June 4, at home of higher seed.
• Quarterfinals: June 6, at home of higher seed.
• Semifinals: June 10, at Manchester Memorial High School.
• Championship: June 13, at Stellos Stadium.

Division II

Team (record, rating, previous)

1. Winnacunnet (15-1, 3.8750, 1st)
2. Derryfield (14-2, 3.6250, 2nd)
3. Portsmouth (14-3, 3.3529, 3rd)
4. Oyster River-Newmarket (11-3, 3.1429, 4th)
5. St. Thomas (10-6, 2.5625, 5th)
6. Kingswood (8-5, 2.4615, 6th)
7. Timberlane (8-6, 2.3571, 7th)
8. Goffstown (7-7, 2.0000, 8th)
9. Hanover (5-7, 1.6667, 9th)*
10. Hollis Brookline (5-11, 1.2500, 10th)

Outside: Souhegan (3-11, 0.8571)*

Eliminated: Spaulding (2-13, 0.5333); Pembroke (2-13, 0.5333); Merrimack Valley (1-12, 0.3077); Alvirne (0-14, o.oooo).

*The game between Souhegan and Hanover on May 11 was completed under protest. The Sabers eventually won the protest, overturning a win by the Bears, and the two teams will meet in Hanover on May 28 to replay the fourth quarter, with the Bears leading 5-3.

Extra Points

Teams in Division II and III get an extra point (5 instead of 4) for a win over a team in a higher division, which affects rating. 

• Winnacunnet has two extra points for wins over Dover and Concord.
• Derryfield has two extra points for wins over Londonderry and Nashua South.
• Portsmouth has one extra point for a win over Londonderry.
• St. Thomas has one extra point for a win over Windham.
• Timberlane has one extra point for a win over Nashua North.

Remaining Schedule

• Thursday, May 28: Timberlane at Alvirne, 4 p.m.; Souhegan at Hanover, 5:30 p.m. (replay); Oyster River-Newmarket, 6 p.m.
• Friday, May 29: Goffstown at Hanover, 4 p.m.; Merrimack Valley at Pembroke, 5 p.m.; Alvirne at Souhegan, 5:30 p.m.; Timberlane at Hollis Brookline, 6 p.m.; Portsmouth at Kingswood, 6 p.m.

Tiebreakers

• None

First-round matchups (changes in bold)

• No. 9 Hanover at No. 8 Goffstown
• No. 10 Hollis Brookline at No. 7 Timberlane

Quarterfinal matchups

• Hanover/Goffstown at No. 1 Winnacunnet
• No. 5 St. Thomas at No. 4 Oyster River-Newmarket
• Hollis Brookline/Timberlane at No. 2 Derryfield
• No. 6 Kingswood at No. 3 Portsmouth

Scenarios

• Winnacunnet has clinched the No. 1 seed.
• Derryfield has clinched the No. 2 seed.
• Portsmouth clinches the No. 3 seed with a win over Kingswood or a loss and an Oyster River-Newmarket loss.
• Oyster River-Newmarket clinches the No. 3 seed with a win over Derryfield and a Portsmouth loss.
• Kingswood clinches the No. 5 seed with a win over Portsmouth. A loss would drop the Knights to either No. 6 or 7.
• St. Thomas will be the No. 5 seed with a Kingswood loss or the No. 6 seed with a Kingswood win.
• Timberlane will be the No. 6 seed with a win over either Alvirne or Hollis Brookline and a loss by Kingswood. Two losses would drop the Owls to either No. 7 or 8.
• Goffstown will be the No. 7 seed with a win over Hanover and two Timberlane losses. A loss could drop the Grizzlies to No. 9.
• Hanover has clinched a playoff spot and will be either the No. 8 or 9 seed.
• Hollis Brookline clinches the No. 10 seed with a win over Timberlane or a loss and one loss by Souhegan.
• Souhegan clinches the No. 10 seed with two wins and a Hollis Brookline loss.

Playoff Schedule

• First round: June 4, at home of higher seed.
• Quarterfinals: June 6, at home of higher seed.
• Semifinals: June 10, at Bill Ball Stadium.
• Championship: June 13, at Bill Ball Stadium.

Division III

Team (record, rating, previous)

1. Coe-Brown (13-0, 4.0000, 1st)
2. Bow (12-1, 3.6923, 2nd)
3. Plymouth (11-3, 3.1429, 3rd)
4. Lebanon (10-3, 3.0769, 5th)
5. Hopkinton (10-3, 3.0769, 4th)
6. Bishop Brady (9-6, 2.4667, 6th)
7. ConVal (8-6, 2.2857, 7th)
8. Campbell (7-8, 1.9333, 9th)
9. Kennett (6-7, 1.8462, 8th)
10. Pelham (6-8, 1.7143, 11th)
11. Gilford (6-8, 1.7143, 10th)

Outside: John Stark (6-9, 1.6667).

Eliminated: Laconia (5-9, 1.4286); Trinity (5-10, 1.3333); Kearsarge (4-10, 1.1429); Milford (3-13, 0.8750); Stevens (0-12, 0.0000).

Extra Points

Teams in Division II and III get an extra point (5 instead of 4) for a win over a team in a higher division, which affects rating. 

• Bishop Brady has one extra point for a win over Pembroke.
• Campbell has one extra point for a win over Souhegan.
• John Stark has one extra point for a win over Manchester.
• Milford has two extra points for wins over Alvirne and Mystic Valley Charter.

Remaining Schedule

• Thursday, May 28: Kennett at Plymouth, 4 p.m.; Hopkinton at Pelham, 6:30 p.m.
• Friday, May 29: Bishop Brady at Stevens, 4 p.m.; Bow at Coe-Brown, 4 p.m.

Tiebreakers

• Lebanon wins the tiebreaker with Hopkinton thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Pelham wins the tiebreaker with Gilford thanks to a head-to-head victory.

First-round matchups (changes in bold)

• No. 9 Kennett at No. 8 Campbell
• No. 10 Pelham at No. 7 ConVal
• No. 11 Gilford at No. 6 Bishop Brady

Quarterfinals

• Kennett/Campbell at No. 1 Coe-Brown
• No. 5 Hopkinton at No. 4 Lebanon
• Pelham/ConVal at No. 2 Bow
• Gilford/Bishop Brady at No. 3 Plymouth

Scenarios

• The winner of Friday's game between Coe-Brown and Bow will be the No. 1 seed and the loser will be the No. 2 seed.
• Plymouth clinches the No. 3 seed with a win over Kennett. A loss would drop the Bobcats to either the No. 4 seed if Hopkinton loses or the No. 5 seed if Hopkinton wins.
• Hopkinton clinches the No. 3 seed with a win over Pelham and a Plymouth loss. A win and a Plymouth win would put the Hawks at No. 4 and a loss would put them at No. 5.
• Lebanon clinches the No. 3 seed with losses by both Plymouth and Hopkinton. The Raiders will be No. 4 if one of those two wins and the other loses and the No. 5 seed if they both win.
• Bishop Brady has clinched the No. 6 seed.
• ConVal has clinched the No. 7 seed.
• Kennett clinches the No. 8 seed with a win over Plymouth, which would drop Campbell to No. 9. A Kennett loss would give Campbell the No. 8 seed while the Eagles would be No. 9 with a Pelham loss to Hopkinton or No. 11 with a Pelham win.
• Gilford has clinched a playoff spot and will be either No. 10 or 11.
• Pelham clinches either the No. 9 or 10 seed with a win over Hopkinton. A loss would eliminate Pelham and give John Stark the final playoff spot.

Playoff Schedule

• First round: June 4, at home of higher seed.
• Quarterfinals: June 6, at home of higher seed.
• Semifinals: June 11, at Bank of NH Stadium, Laconia.
• Championship: June 13, at Bank of NH Stadium, Laconia.