HS Sports: Central Mass. Playoffs—Game Previews

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Friday, May 31, 2013

Matt Metcalf, GoLocalWorcester Sports Contributor

The softball Central Division I quarterfinals will get underway this weekend.

There are several important playoff games that will be played this weekend. Here's what to look for:

Lacrosse

The boys lacrosse Central Division II quarterfinals will get underway on Saturday. The match ups are as follows:

#9 Westborough at #1 St. John's 3:30pm
#10 Groton-Dunstable at #2 Grafton 4pm
#6 Nipmuc at #3 Shrewsbury 3:30pm
#5 Algonquin at #4 Littleton 5pm

The winners of those four games will play in the semifinals at Foley Stadium in Worcester with the date to be announced. Grafton (16-3) and St. John's (15-3) are the two clear-cut favorites to win the Central Division II title. However, fourth-seeded Littleton's Danny Johnson has compiled 126 points this season, the highest total for any Central Mass player and the only player to surpass the 100-point mark. Johnson will be a player to keep an eye on, as he has the ability to take over any game.

In the girls lacrosse Central Division I playoffs, top-seeded Algonquin will host eighth-seeded Nipmuc in the final quarterfinal game on Saturday. Algonquin had an undefeated record of 12-0 in league play this season, led by Hannah Lindgren, who has netted a team-best 60 goals. The semifinals for the girls tournament will also be played at Foley Stadium, with the date also to be announced.

Softball

The softball Central Division I quarterfinals will get underway this weekend. The match ups are as follows:

#9 Leominster at #1 Holy Name 1pm (6/2)
#7 St. Peter-Marian at #2 Nashoba Regional 2:30pm (6/1)
#6 Quabbin at #3 Marlboro 5pm (6/1)
#5 Shepherd Hill at #4 Shrewsbury 2pm (6/1)

The winners of those four games will reach the Central Division I semifinals to be played at Worcester State on June 4.

Top-seeded Holy Name is the heavy favorite going into the quarterfinals, sporting a near-perfect overall record of 17-1 on the year. Holy Name junior Ama Biney will look to lead the charge, owning a batting average of .685, which was the highest of any hitter in Central Mass.