The road to the state hockey finals at TD Garden is never straight forward. If either of the two local entrants in the upcoming girls hockey playoffs make it all the way to Causeway Street, it’ll be after traversing all over the Bay State.
Peabody and Beverly were the only teams in the immediate area to hear their numbers called when Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association released the state tournament pairings on Saturday morning.
In Division 1, the Northeastern Hockey League champion Tanners (16-4) slipped to the No. 9 seed after being ranked in the top five for much of the season. Going 1-3 in their non-league games did a number on the Tanners’ hopes to earn a top draw.
Still, they’re in good shape beginning the postseason in the friendly confines of McVann-O’Keefe Rink Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. against No. 24 Winchester (9-9-2). Coach Michelle Roach’s Tanners have never lost at home in the playoffs (5-0 all-time) and are making their seventh straight tourney appearance.
Junior Ava Buckley, the NEHL MVP, leads Peabody (which co-ops with North Reading and Lynnfield) in scoring at 39 points; with one more she’d become only the second Tanner girl to ever reach 40 in a single season. Catie Kampersal (13 goals), Shirley Whitmore (10), Mia Lava (9) and Alexa Pepper (9) are proven scorers and junior goalie Alyse Mutti (7 shutouts, 1.15 goals against) can steal games … she’s allowed only seven total goals in five career playoff starts.
A win Wednesday likely sends Peabody to Westfield to face No. 8 Pope Francis (12-7-2) in the second round next weekend. Top-seed Notre Dame Hingham (14-4-2) looms for the quarterfinals. Familiar foe and rival St. Mary’s Lynn (18-3-1) is on the other side of the bracket at No. 2 and opens with Weymouth on Wednesday at Connery Rink (5 p.m.).
In its first season as a Division 2 team, Beverly (11-9-1) drew the No. 19 seed. The Panthers will make the near 90-minute drive down to Gallo Arena on the Cape to face No. 14 Plymouth South (9-8-3) on Thursday at 4:15 p.m. It’s the third postseason trip in three years for coach Matt Lampert, whose team is seeking its first playoff victory since 2016.
Captain Halle Greenleaf has 15 goals this winter and more than 50 in her career to lead Beverly, which co-ops with Danvers and Ipswich. The Black-and-Orange have an excellent defensive core in Caroline Horn, Ashley Freitas, Morgan Linskey and Asuka Keough playing in front of senior goalie Megan McGinnity (2.79 goals against). Meredith Johnston, captain Bradie Arnold and Clara Cary also provide scoring punch.
With a win, Beverly would be lined up for a shorter trip in the second round as No. 3 Burlington (17-1-2) would likely await them.
Elsewhere in D2, Gloucester (13-5-2) is making its first playoff appearance in 22 years and goes to No. 16 Walpole (9-8-3) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Masconomet was hoping to make its first tourney appearance in four years, but fell out of the top 32 in Division 2 after losing twice last week. The Chieftains finished 7-13 and dropped their last six outings.
Among other NEHL teams in D1, Winthrop (13-3-2) is seeded No. 13 and hosts Westford Academy on Tuesday; Shawsheen (13-6) is No. 28 and visits Hingham on Wednesday. In D2, Newburyport (5-15) is No. 31 and head to No. 2 Falmouth.