Let's face it — everyone loves an upset.
Last March, Reading was the No. 14 seed in the tournament and made it to the semifinals, coming within a goal of TD Garden. No. 13 BC High went to the semifinals the year before, also coming oh-so-close to the championship game.
Every season typically has a lower-seeded team that stirs up trouble, upsetting teams to go on a deep run.
That could very well be true this season. But who will it be?
I've already labeled teams I believe are built well enough to be certain contenders for the championship. The teams listed below are the ones excluded from that first story. Maybe they're ranked low in our top 10. Maybe they're outside of it but have the potential to take down a high-ranking opponent.
Let's dive in.
Arlington
Hear me out.
In the MIAA's latest Division 1 power rankings, Arlington was No. 5. At 15-3-3, head coach John Messuri's team has been one of the best this season. But the Spy Ponders are extremely young, which is why they weren't included in the previous story.
That doesn't mean they won't make noise in the tournament.
Up front, seniors Jake Kelly and Kevin O'Connor, and junior Quinlan McNulty-Hu play large roles. But the future is in the hands of sophomores Drew Beck and Nolan Russell, as well as freshman JP Messuri. Sophomore Evan Jones is the headliner on the back end, but senior Cam Desmond is also a legitimate, top-pairing defenseman and will be big for the tournament. Senior goalie Ryan Martin has been a pleasant surprise.
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Arlington consistently played top teams close this winter. Couple that with Messuri's teams usually going deep and the Spy Ponders are sure to upset an upper echelon team or two.
Marshfield
Marshfield has had a strong season, going 16-2-2, but they ranked No. 10 in the latest MIAA power rankings due to strength of schedule.
Head coach Dan Connolly's team boasts a stacked top six, featuring seniors Tommy Carroll, Cam McGettrick, Teddy Devoe and Stephen Faria, as well as juniors Jack Doherty and Sammy Holte. Seniors Matthew Garland and Will Arnone, and sophomore Brendan McLaughlin provide good depth. The Rams will be able to score with anyone come the tournament.
Losing to Wellesley on Tuesday night didn't help its case as an upset candidate, but winning the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament sure did. Marshfield is going to be an extremely difficult out.
Franklin
The Panthers are the definition of a team that will be an annoying matchup in the Sweet 16.
Franklin has some lines that can straight-up score. The top line of seniors Ben Patterson (who has a whopping 48 points), Anthony Lampasona and Dylan McEvoy is one of the best in the state. Other strong scorers include senior Dan Daley and junior Carter Balducci. On defense, senior Logan Marchand has been a consistent contributor. Senior Colby Wagner has had a really strong season, as he looks to leave Franklin on a high note.
But the biggest reason is the success Franklin has had against high-ranking teams. The Panthers have beaten Pope Francis, Hingham, Reading and Archbishop Williams.
Franklin has what it takes to not just upset good teams, but to go deep.
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Hingham
The Harbormen have had some ups and downs this season, posting a disappointing showing in the Ed Burns Coffee Pot Tournament and recently falling to Reading in the Buddy Ferreira Classic. But the pieces are there for a deep run.
Hingham's top line of seniors Travis Rugg and Paul Dzavik, as well as sophomore Conal Mulkerrin, is lethal. Sophomore Cam McKenna, an '08, has upside with 17 points in his first 21 games of the season. Senior Michael Garrity and junior Colin Lasch provide depth. Senior Jack Rakauskas leads the defensive core, while junior Logan Brennan, a 6-foot-4, 208-pound '06 prospect, has posted a terrific season.
Head coach Tony Messina's team is young in net with sophomore '07 Mike Karo shouldering most of the load.
St. John's Shrewsbury
St. John's Shrewsbury shot up to as high as No. 3 in my rankings this winter, but recently dropped out. In the MIAA power rankings, head coach Michael Mead's team sits at No. 13. That's bad news for them...but it could be worse news for the team that draws SJS earlier than expected come the tournament.
The Pioneers' biggest strength is their two heavy hitters up front of senior Luke Gerardi and junior Daniel Menyalkin. Freshman Chase Warsofsky, an '09, has been a strong secondary scorer. So have seniors Connor McKenna and Luke May, as well as junior Dominic Reidy.
What plays in St. John's Shrewsbury's favor is it plays in the Catholic Conference, so it's battle tested. What goes against the Pioneers is they're 1-7-2 since Jan. 14. They will enter the tournament on a brutal cold streak.
Winchester
Since Jan. 15, Winchester is 8-4-1 with quality wins over Malden Catholic, Reading, Belmont, Canton and a tie against Arlington.
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Senior Danny Collins is the leader on offense, with 14 goals and 30 points. He's a strong line-driver and a difference-maker. Senior forward David Strong and sophomore forward Luke Sardone have pitched in quite a bit offensively as well.
Is Winchester as flashy a team as some of the others on this list? No, but it wouldn't be a shock if it pulled off an upset in the tournament.
