FILE PHOTO
Marblehead’s Hadley Carlton runs shoulder to shoulder with Swampscott’s Caroline Kinne for possession of the ball. Marblehead will play against Hamilton-Wenham, while Swampscott will take on Weston. Both games are on Wednesday.
By KATIE MORRISON
The MIAA field hockey tournament pairings were released Monday, as local teams gear up to start their quests for state titles, with games beginning on Wednesday.
Marblehead (14-1-3) earned the highest seed of any local team with the No. 4 seed. The Magicians locked up the Northeastern Conference title with a 1-0 win over Gloucester (which is seeded seventh and taking on No. 10 Newburyport Wednesday), and lost just one game, 1-0 against Beverly, back on Oct. 13.
Marblehead looks like the team to beat out of the NEC, with scoring threats in Caroline Driscoll, Hadley Carlton and Anna Behrens leading the offense and goalie Maddie Miller backing a strong defense.
Hamilton-Wenham just made the cut with a 9-8-1 record, finishing third in the Cape Ann League Baker Division. The Generals are having a bounce-back year after finishing 5-11-2 in 2015. Marblehead is having a rebound of its own, as the Magicians were the No. 10 seed last season and advanced past the first round thanks to a dramatic 2-1 victory in penalty strokes over Lynnfield. Marblehead was topped by annual contender Manchester Essex in the quarterfinals.
Lynnfield is looking to bounce back from the crushing loss to Marblehead in last year’s upset, and is in good position to make it out of the first round. Sixth-seeded Lynnfield will take on No. 11 Wilmington at home Wednesday.
Lynnfield is led by Cape Ann League MVP and September MIAA Student-Athlete of the Month Lilli Patterson, a midfielder, as well Jaylin Grabau, Elise Murphy and Isabella Floramo, who were all named to the CAL All-Star team.
Swampscott earned the No. 9 seed in Division 2 with a 7-4-6 record. It will take on Weston out of the Dual County League, seeded eighth, with a 11-5-2 record.
The Big Blue may have their work cut out for them. The six ties may come back to bite Swampscott, because instead of hosting the game at Blocksidge, a grass field, the Big Blue have to play the Wildcats on their home field, which is turf.
Weston reached the north semifinals last season before falling to Watertown, knocking off Gloucester and Tewksbury along the way. Swampscott, on the other hand, just missed the playoffs last season, finishing 7-8-3.
Swampscott has scorers in Olivia Fillenworth, Michaela Freddo, Sydney Faulkner and Sydney Cresta. The Big Blue are set in net with Jillian Flanders as the backstop.
If the Big Blue can get past Weston, they will have to take on one of the best teams in the east, top-seeded and reigning state champion Watertown, who is undefeated.
The Big Blue enter the playoffs coming off a 1-0 loss to rival Marblehead in the NEC finale.
Saugus will also be forced to play away from home, heading to Byfield to take on No. 5 Triton. Much like Swampscott, Saugus will have to change up its game to compete on the quick turf field.
The Sachems, seeded 12th, may be the underdogs, but are on a hot streak coming into the playoffs. Saugus topped Everett in its final regular season game and played to a tie with NEC champs Marblehead on Oct. 21.
Triton finished third in the Cape Ann League Kinney Division at 9-4-2 and landed three players on the CAL All-Star team in goalie Erin Savage and midfielders Samantha Brown and Noelle Indingaro.
Saugus is led by the Italiano sisters, Katie and Krissy, who can both put the ball in the net, as well as Ailyn Minaya, another scoring threat. Catie Sheehan solidifies Saugus in the net.
Danvers, the only team from the area to make the Division 1 tournament, is seeded 10th and will play Acton-Boxborough on the road Wednesday.
Katie Morrison can be reached at [email protected].