Boys soccer tournament preview and picks

Can past tournaments give us an idea as to who could stick out in November? The Div. 1 boys soccer field might be the hardest one to handicap. Reigning champion Concord-Carlisle (11-2-3) sustained some losses from last year’s historic group, but welcomed back defensive back sensation Cole Henschke. Now the No. 5 seed, the Patriots […]

CryptoFortress

Nov 5, 2024 - 08:27

Boys soccer tournament preview and picks

Can past tournaments give us an idea as to who could stick out in November?

The Div. 1 boys soccer field might be the hardest one to handicap. Reigning champion Concord-Carlisle (11-2-3) sustained some losses from last year’s historic group, but welcomed back defensive back sensation Cole Henschke. Now the No. 5 seed, the Patriots will have some tough competition as they look to repeat. Newton South (13-1-4) has essentially been in the driver’s seat as the field’s top-seeded squad. Led by Ikaro Da Silva’s play in net, Lowell (18-0-0) figures to be a premier threat as the No. 2 school. No. 3 Weymouth (14-2-2) and No. 7 Natick (10-4-3) dominated the Bay State Conference. Fourth-ranked St. John’s Prep (13-1-4) is always a candidate to emerge out of the Catholic Conference. Keep an eye out for No. 14 Xaverian (10-5-3) as well.

Some felt that Oliver Ames just took too many hits after winning the Div. 2 crown in 2022. So much for that. Instead, the Tigers simply reloaded, and were able to repeat as Joey Carney buried the game-ending goal in overtime to deliver his school a second straight championship (a 1-0 overtime victory over Wakefield). Now the No. 3 seed, Oliver Ames (13-2-2) is chasing three in a row. Zack Gilson (13 shutouts) has stood on his head in net, while Craig Chruchill is leading scorer for the Tigers. Could we see a rematch in the title game? It’s entirely possible, given the fact that Wakefield (15-2-1) is your No. 1 seed this season. No. 2 Mansfield (13-3-2) enjoyed a resurgence this fall, as did fourth-seeded Hingham, which rolled to a 15-2-1 record under new head coach Dave Leahy. Sleepers include No. 17 Billerica (11-5-2), No. 19 Milford (10-4-4), No. 25 Sharon (11-4-3) and No. 28 Worcester South (14-1-2).

The Div. 3 field could be an extremely entertaining one; don’t be surprised to see some upsets, though top-seeded Pope Francis (15-0-3) will look to buck that trend. Second-seeded Dover-Sherborn (13-3-2) and No. 3 Medfield (12-4-2) stand as tough outs from the vaunted Tri-Valley League, while No. 4 Dedham (14-3-1) has consistently enjoyed deep playoff runs. We could see sixth-ranked North Reading (16-0-2) being a threat, along with No. 9 Norwell (16-1-2). Despite an undefeated campaign, Chicopee (16-0-2) is your 11th seed, while No. 14 Pembroke (13-2-3) has always given opponents fits. Last year’s champion, Newburyport (8-7-3), is No. 22 overall.

Shifting to Div. 4, top-seeded Cohasset (14-4-2) and No. 2 Lynnfield (12-3-3) are your primary teams to knock off. Pittsfield (9-5-4) is coming off a difficult schedule, but emerged with the No. 3 seed after leading in the power rankings for a chunk of the fall. Potential dark horses include No. 12 Greater Lawrence (15-0-3), No. 15 Gardner (13-0-3) and No. 26 Northbridge (12-5-1).

Boston International enjoyed a superb season en route to a 13-2-3 record, and reaped the rewards as the recipient of the top overall spot in Div. 5. Consistent programs such as No. 2 Sutton (15-3-0) and No. 3 Bromfield (11-3-4) are also represented, and stand to make deep tournament runs.