Now is when things get really interesting in the NEPSAC boys Small School Tournament.
On Wednesday, the top seeds mostly (key word: mostly) took care of business. No. 1 Kimball Union disposed of No. 8 Frederick Gunn, 8-1. No. 2 Berkshire beat No. 7 Groton, 3-0. And No. 3 Holderness took down No. 6 Pomfret, 6-1.
Then there was No. 5 St. George's beating No. 4 Tilton, 5-3.
I went 3-for-4 in my predictions. But because I sniped the correct Berkshire-Groton score, I think that should count as another correct prediction, right? Right?
I'll play by the book and keep myself at 3-for-4.
Now it's time for the semifinals and some outstanding matchups.
Who wins in both games? Let's dive in.
FOLLOW THE TOURNAMENTS: Elite 8 | Large School | Small School
No. 1 Kimball Union vs. No. 5 St. George's
This game is about a lot more than just this season.
These two teams met in the Elite 8 quarterfinals last year. Kimball Union narrowly won, 5-4, in overtime and went on to win the Elite 8 championship. St. George's outplayed the Wildcats and scored a goal of its own in overtime, but it was waved off because the referee lost sight of the puck. Needless to say, the Dragons are motivated for revenge.
So, how do they match up now?
St. George's got scoring from everywhere in its "upset" win over Tilton. Junior forward Max Donatelli (Barrington, R.I.) had three points, while senior forward Danny Buckley (Warwick, R.I.), junior forwards Aiden Ferreira (Warwick, R.I.) and Ryan Magaletta (Southboro, Mass.), and senior defenseman Marco Senerchia (Greenville, R.I.) had two each. The biggest reason the Dragons won, however, was junior goalie Dash George, who made 48 saves on 51 shots.
QUARTERFINALS: 27 takeaways from Wednesday’s gamesÂ
The Dragons did their part to quell the noise about their lack of depth and inconsistent goaltending.
While Kimball Union stumbled a bit in the second half, the Wildcats have won their last three games including a Lakes Region championship against Holderness and a dominant victory over Frederick Gunn. KUA's best players came to play in the quarterfinals with Merrimack commit CJ Watroba (West Springfield, Mass.) tallying two goals and five points, while Iain Olsen (Vergennes, Vt.) had four points, Corwith Simmers had three and Max Kimelman had two goals. Senior goalie Blake McMeniman (Revere, Mass.) was his usual, stout self, making 21 saves.
St. George's has the edge in talent, but Kimball Union has the edge in depth.
Prediction:Â Kimball Union wins, 5-3.
No. 2 Berkshire vs. No. 3 Holderness
This is a coinflip.
While Holderness is the No. 1 offense in the region with 156 goals-for, Berkshire is No. 4 with 136. Berkshire has the edge in goals-against since it ranks sixth in the region. Holderness, however, has only allowed one more goal than the Bears. Both teams boast strong goaltending. Berkshire netminder Kyle Bolduc (Bolton, Conn.) has been sensational this season with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. Holderness junior Mark Bierwirth (Chelmsford, Mass.) isn't far behind with a 2.17 GAA and a .919 save percentage.
See what I mean?
Berkshire has an edge in higher-end scorers with seniors Duncan Thompson and Evan Regan (Acton, Mass.), as well as juniors Matt Lacombe (Marlboro, Mass.) and James McMurray. But Holderness' scoring has been a bit more spread out.
To make my pick, however, I'm going outside the stats.
PREDICTIONS: Elite 8 semifinal picks | Large School semifinal picks
Holderness lost to Kimball Union in the Lakes Region championship last Saturday, which helped knock them out of the Elite 8. If the Bulls can beat Berkshire, they could face Kimball Union eight days after that loss for a shot at the Small School title.
We will get a Lakes Region championship rematch on Sunday.
Prediction:Â Holderness wins, 3-2.
