Tom Mulherin’s high school hockey crystal ball

Well folks, it’s the end of the line.

We’ve reached the final week of the regular season; the cutoff date looms on Thursday. The parity we’ve seen this year has fogged, cracked and rusted the crystal ball, and it’s just about time to make repairs and put it away in a safe place for a while.

But first, we still have work to do.

As of right now, we’re limping to the finish. A losing week has been avoided since the very start of the season, up until last week brought a bevy of “surprises” for a 6-7-2 mark. It’s nice to see the picked games brought three overtime wins, two ties and three other one-score finishes, but the slow declines in win percentage over the last few weeks are racking up.

We’re at least on track for the postseason with one more week to go. Here’s to reaching 100 wins:

LAST WEEK’S RECORD: 6-7-2
OVERALL: 85-52-13

** WINNERS in CAPS

BOYS
Tuesday
WOBURN vs Billerica (Irish-American Shootout), noon – The annual tournament brings us a high-quality Div. 2 matchup between top-10 teams in the latest power rankings. Hosting Tanners advance.

Grafton vs WINTHROP, 2:30 p.m. – Vikings seem to have snapped out of a 0-3-1 funk after going unbeaten in the first 12 games. Big measuring stick for each to close out the regular season.

Methuen vs SHAWSHEEN, 4 p.m. – Another top-10 matchup in the power rankings, this one in Div. 3. Shawsheen won the last meeting 7-1 and has rolled since a season-opening loss.

CANTON vs Boston Latin, 4 p.m. – Wolfpack will be dangerous in this one and in the postseason, but the defending Div. 2 champs are a force.

Wednesday
XAVERIAN vs Marshfield, 1 p.m. – Wouldn’t be surprised if these two make the Div. 1 state semifinals behind sound defense and premier goaltending. This is one you won’t want to miss.

Franklin vs ST. JOHN’S PREP, 5 p.m. – Really difficult to pick against either group. Panthers are red-hot with a potent attack, Eagles have been the title favorite for much of the year. We’re giving the edge to the Catholic Conference champs.

READING vs Archbishop Williams (Buddy Ferreira Classic final), 6 p.m. – Another notable public versus private battle. Rockets will be charged up to finish off this tournament title after losing the Middlesex League Liberty crown in overtime.

Thursday
SANDWICH vs Nantucket, 2:40 p.m. – A postponement heightened the anticipation for this matchup of top-four Div. 4 teams. Reigning finalists close out the regular season with a bang.

GIRLS
Monday
Waltham vs BELMONT/WATERTOWN, 5 p.m. – If the regular season had ended yesterday, this would be a Div. 1 first-round matchup. Belmont/Watertown is in for quite a fight, but gets the job done.

Tuesday
BRAINTREE vs Arlington (Hingham Showcase), 10 a.m. – Kicking off one of the better girls hockey tournaments the season has to offer. Wamps’ defense and goaltending powers a win.

DUXBURY vs Archbishop Williams (Hingham Showcase), noon – Archies has heated up in games against top-tier opponents after a slow start, will give the Div. 2 title-favorite Dragons a strong challenge.

HINGHAM vs Andover (Hingham Showcase), 2 p.m. – Golden Warriors are a welcomed addition to the Div. 1 field, should make some noise. Harborwomen find a way behind 100-goal scorer Caroline Doherty.

NOTRE DAME (H) vs St. Mary’s (L) (Hingham Showcase), 4 p.m. – Very possible we see these two at TD Garden as the top-two seeds in the latest MIAA Div. 1 power rankings. This rematch could go either way,  might as well dive into the side of parity after the Spartans won the first meeting.

Wednesday
ALGONQUIN vs Pembroke, 1 p.m. – Pembroke has fallen in the rankings a bit the last few weeks, but this is a notable Div. 2 matchup between two that could go on a deep run. Algonquin maintains its momentum.

Bishop Feehan vs NAUSET, 5 p.m. – What’s not to love about a rematch between contenders in different divisions? Warriors pull off the sweep.

PEABODY/LYNNF./NR vs HPNA, 5:15 p.m. – It’s against better judgment to pick against the MVC/DCL Large and goalie Julianna Taylor, but the Tanners have their own elite goaltender in what could be a one-goal game.

Thursday
Hingham vs ST. MARY’S (L) (Hingham Showcase), 2 p.m. – Alright, so we went against the no-repeats rule, but it’s the last day of the regular season. This one could also be a Div. 1 Final Four preview. Spartans’ premier defense takes Round 1.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous post Envestnet Asset Management Inc. Raises Stake in Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK)
Next post Man who fatally shot Burnsville officers, firefighter tried to have gun rights restored after assault conviction