Playoff Picture: Girls Lacrosse (May 3)

According the calendar, we have reached the midway point of the high school lacrosse regular season.

Some teams have played, or are close to playing, half of their schedules, while others are looking at a pretty busy May.

With just three full weeks left in the regular season, it's time to start thinking about the playoffs, and for the first edition of the 2024 playoff picture, we'll be updating playoff predictions from the preseason.

Here is a look at where teams standing going into Friday, and a midseason prediction for the playoffs.

Note: With the NHIAA’s 70-percent rule in place for the postseason, Division I will have nine playoff teams, Division II will have 12 teams and Division III will have 11 teams in the playoffs. Per By-Law Article IV, Sect. 4-C, teams that petitioned down a division for this two-year cycle are eligible for the postseason. Standings based off results reported to NHIAA.org and other media outlets. These are not official. 

Division I

Team (record, rating)

1. Bedford (7-1, 3.5000)
2. Portsmouth (6-1, 3.4286)
3. Bishop Guertin (7-2, 3.1111)
4. Pinkerton (8-3, 2.9091)
5. Exeter (7-3, 2.8000)
6. Souhegan (6-3, 2.6667)
7. Nashua South (5-4, 2.2222)
8. Dover (4-4, 2.0000)
9. Londonderry (3-5, 1.5000)

Outside: Merrimack (3-5, 1.5000); Concord (1-7, 0.5000); Salem (1-8, 0.4444); Nashua North (0-9, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• Londonderry wins the tiebreaker with Merrimack thanks to a head-to-head victory.

First-round Matchup

• No. 9 Londonderry at No. 8 Dover

Quarterfinal Matchups

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

Preseason Playoff Predictions

• Teams (9): Bedford, Bishop Guertin, Dover, Exeter, Londonderry, Nashua South, Pinkerton, Portsmouth, Souhegan.
• Final four: Bishop Guertin, Nashua South, Pinkerton, Portsmouth.
• Championship: Pinkerton over Portsmouth.

Midseason Playoff Predictions

• Teams (9): Bedford, Bishop Guertin, Dover, Exeter, Londonderry, Nashua South, Pinkerton, Portsmouth, Souhegan.
• Final four: Bishop Guertin, Bedford, Pinkerton, Portsmouth.
• Dark horse final four team: Souhegan.
• Championship: Portsmouth over Bishop Guertin.

Division II

Team (record, rating)

1. Winnacunnet (7-1, 3.6250)
2. Windham (7-2, 3.2222)
3. Hanover (5-2, 2.8571)
4. Merrimack Valley (5-2, 2.8571)
5. Oyster River-Newmarket (5-2, 2.8571)
6. Goffstown (5-3, 2.5000)
7. Timberlane (4-3, 2.4286)
8. Hollis Brookline (4-3, 2.2857)
9. Keene-Monadnock (4-3, 2.2857)
10. John Stark/Hillsboro-Deering (2-2, 2.0000)
11. Manchester Central (3-4, 1.7143)
12. Manchester Memorial-West (3-4, 1.7143)

Outside: Kennett (2-3, 1.6000); Kingswood (2-6, 1.0000); Pembroke (1-4, 0.8000); Spaulding (1-7, 0.5000); ConVal (0-4, 0.0000); Alvirne (0-7, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• In a three-way tiebreaker, Hanover, Merrimack Valley and Oyster River-Newmarket finish in that order thanks to ratings against tournament teams.
• Hollis Brookline wins the tiebreaker with Keene-Monadnock thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Manchester Central wins the tiebreaker with Manchester Memorial-West thanks to a head-to-head victory.

First-round Byes

• No. 1 Winnacunnet
• No. 2 Windham
• No. 3 Hanover
• No. 4 Merrimack Valley

First-round Matchups

• No. 9 Keene-Monadnock at No. 8 Hollis Brookline
• No. 12 Manchester Memorial-West at No. 5 Oyster River-Newmarket
• No. 10 John Stark/Hillsboro-Deering at No. 7 Timberlane
• No. 11 Manchester Central at No. 6 Goffstown

Preseason Playoff Predictions

• Teams (12): Goffstown, Hanover, Hollis Brookline, John Stark/Hillsboro-Deering, Kingswood, Manchester Memorial-West, Merrimack Valley, Oyster River-Newmarket, Pembroke, Timberlane, Windham, Winnacunnet.
• Final four: Goffstown, Hanover, Windham, Winnacunnet.
• Championship: Windham over Winnacunnet.

Midseason Playoff Predictions

• Teams (12): Goffstown, Hanover, Hollis Brookline, John Stark/Hillsboro-Deering, Keene-Monadnock, Manchester Central, Manchester Memorial-West, Merrimack Valley, Oyster River-Newmarket, Timberlane, Windham, Winnacunnet.
• Final four: Goffstown, Hanover, Windham, Winnacunnet.
• Dark horse final four team: Merrimack Valley.
• Championship: Windham over Winnacunnet.

Division III

1. St. Thomas (6-0, 4.0000)
2. Bow (7-1, 3.5000)
3. Gilford (7-1, 3.5000)
4. Derryfield (5-2, 3.0000)
5. Pelham (5-2, 2.8571)
6. Hopkinton (5-2, 2.8571)
7. Laconia (5-3, 2.5000)
8. Lebanon (3-2, 2.4000)
9. Trinity (4-3, 2.2857)
10. Plymouth (3-5, 1.5000)
11. Coe-Brown (2-4, 1.3333)

Outside: Concord Christian (1-3, 1.0000); Kearsarge (1-5, 0.6667); Campbell (1-5, 0.6667); Milford (0-5, 0.0000); Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough (0-6, 0.0000); Bishop Brady (0-6, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• Bow wins the tiebreaker with Gilford thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Pelham wins the tiebreaker with Hopkinton thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.

First-round Matchups

• No. 9 Trinity at No. 8 Lebanon
• No. 10 Plymouth at No. 7 Laconia
• No. 11 Coe-Brown at No. 6 Hopkinton

Quarterfinal Matchups

• Trinity/Lebanon winner at No. 1 St. Thomas
• No. 5 Pelham at No. 4 Derryfield
• Plymouth/Laconia winner at No. 2 Bow
• Coe-Brown/Hopkinton winner at No. 3 Gilford

Preseason Playoff Predictions

• Teams (11): Bow, Campbell, Coe-Brown, Derryfield, Gilford, Hopkinton, Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough, Laconia, Kearsarge, Pelham, St. Thomas.
• Final four: Bow, Gilford, Hopkinton, St. Thomas.
• Championship: St. Thomas over Bow.

Midseason Playoff Predictions

• Teams (11): Bow, Coe-Brown, Derryfield, Gilford, Hopkinton, Laconia, Lebanon, Pelham, Plymouth, St. Thomas, Trinity.
• Final four: Bow, Derryfield, Gilford, St. Thomas.
• Dark horse final four team: Pelham.
• Championship: St. Thomas over Bow.