Breaking down the brackets: MIAA announces high school girls soccer tournament pairings

On Monday, the MIAA released the state tournament field for high school girls soccer.

The South Shore will be represented by 30 teams in the playoffs. Oliver Ames (No. 1 in Division 2) and Cohasset (No. 1 in Div. 4) are our highest-seeded teams, followed by Hingham (No. 2 in Div. 1), Notre Dame Academy-Hingham (No. 4 in Div. 2) and Hanover (No. 4 in Div. 3).

Division 2 has the most local flare with 10 teams in the field. Duxbury (No. 8), Canton (No. 9) and Silver Lake (No. 10) join OA and NDA in the top 10 there.

More:Around here, Hingham's still the 1: South Shore high school girls soccer top 10 rankings

No locals are scheduled to face each other in the preliminary round, although there could be a few first-round matchups depending on how the prelims go.

Here's a look at each bracket:

Division 1

The Field

1. Acton-Boxborough (13-0-3)

2. Hingham (14-0-4)

3. Bishop Feehan (18-0)

4. Algonquin (12-0-6)

5. Newton South (12-4-2)

6. Natick (13-3-2)

7. Brookline (10-3-4)

8. Franklin (14-3-1)

9. Wellesley (8-1-6)

10. King Philip Regional (13-4-1)

11. Needham (9-3-6)

12. Winchester (12-2-4)

13. Framingham (11-4-3)

14. Lexington (12-3-3)

15. Arlington (12-5-1)

16. Lincoln-Sudbury (12-3-4)

17. Concord-Carlisle (8-4-6)

18. Shrewsbury (9-5-4)

19. Hopkinton (12-3-3)

20. Andover (13-1-4)

21. Methuen (15-2)

22. Weymouth (7-7-4)

23. Beverly (8-4-5)

24. Marshfield (8-7-3)

25. Belmont (9-8-1)

26. Woburn Memorial (8-6-4)

27. Wachusett Regional (5-9-4)

28. Braintree (6-8-4)

29. Peabody Veterans (7-8-2)

30. Waltham (8-6-1)

31. Attleboro (7-9-2)

32. Newton North (3-11-3)

33. Central Catholic (7-6-5)

34. Bridgewater-Raynham (12-4-2)

35. North Andover (7-5-6)

36. Durfee (12-5-1)

37. Doherty Memorial (14-1-1)

38. Lynn Classical (15-2-1)

39. Medford (13-5)

40. Brockton (10-6)

41. Springfield Central (8-7-3)

Bracket breakdown

State champ prediction: No. 2 Hingham

Best first-round match: No. 21 Methuen at No. 12 Winchester

Upset pick: No. 22 Weymouth over No. 11 Needham

When/where do the South Shore locals play?

Winner of No. 34 Bridgewater-Raynham at No. 31 Attleboro (preliminary round, TBD) at No. 2 Hingham, TBD

No. 22 Weymouth at No. 11 Needham, TBD

No. 41 Springfield Central at No. 24 Marshfield (preliminary round), TBD

No. 37 Doherty Memorial at No. 28 Braintree (preliminary round), TBD

No. 40 Brockton at No. 25 Belmont (preliminary round), TBD

Favorite, contender or underdog?

No. 2 Hingham - favorite - The Harborwomen's only loss over the last two seasons was in last year's Div. 1 state final. With a loaded roster that includes Claire Murray and Sophie Reale, they appear primed for another deep run in a ridiculously competitive field.

No. 22 Weymouth - contender - Despite a .500 record, the Wildcats have the sixth-highest opponents rating (a measure of strength of schedule) of any team in the field. They split the two-game season series with Needham, their first-round opponent.

No. 24 Marshfield - underdog - The Rams won only two of their last seven regular-season games, but they're battle-tested from the Patriot League. They get the lowest-seeded team in the field, Springfield Central, in the preliminary round with the winner meeting No. 9 Wellesley.

No. 28 Braintree - underdog - Playing in the Bay State Conference should be good preparation for the Wamps, who would draw No. 5 Newton South in the Round of 32, if they can get past one-loss Doherty Memorial in the prelims.

No. 34 Bridgewater-Raynham - underdog - The Trojans' strength of schedule impacted their seeding, which is why they're on the road against a sub-.500 Attleboro team in the preliminary round. A date with No. 2 Hingham awaits the winner.

No. 40 Brockton - underdog - Like B-R, the Boxers' strength of schedule has them in the preliminary round. If they can get past No. 25 Belmont they'll get No. 8 Franklin in the Round of 32.

Division 2

The Field

1. Oliver Ames (12-3-1)

2. Masconomet Regional (15-0-2)

3. Minnechaug (14-2-2)

4. Notre Dame Academy-Hingham (13-2-3)

5. Grafton (16-0-2)

6. Mansfield (11-3-4)

7. Westborough (9-1-6)

8. Duxbury (8-6-3)

9. Canton (10-3-5)

10. Silver Lake Regional (7-3-8)

11. Longmeadow (13-3-2)

12. Danvers (11-4-3)

13. Medfield (9-6-3)

14. Plymouth North (7-7-4)

15. East Longmeadow (10-4-4)

16. Stoughton (7-7-4)

17. Marblehead (9-4-5)

18. Melrose (7-6-5)

19. Billerica Memorial (14-2-2)

20. Nashoba Regional (6-8-4)

21. Wilmington (6-6-6)

22. Nauset Regional (16-1-1)

23. West Springfield (6-8-4)

24. Scituate (7-9-3)

25. Westwood (8-5-6)

26. Holliston (9-7-2)

27. Walpole (5-9-4)

28. Wayland (7-8-3)

29. Whitman-Hanson Regional (3-10-5)

30. Sharon (5-10-2)

31. Burlington (5-9-4)

32. Ludlow (3-10-5)

33. Leominster (9-7-2)

34. Dartmouth (13-4-1)

35. Pembroke (8-8-2)

36. Amherst-Pelham Regional (15-3)

37. North Middlesex Regional (8-8-1)

38. Marlborough (9-8-1)

39. Dracut (8-7-3)

40. Northampton (10-6-2)

41. Falmouth (11-5-1)

42. South High Comm. (11-6-1)

43. Somerset Berkley Regional (9-6-3)

44. High School of Commerce (8-8)

45. Somerville (6-11-1)

Bracket breakdown

State champ prediction: No. 1 Oliver Ames

Best first-round match: No. 19 Billerica at No. 14 Plymouth North

Upset pick: No. 18 Melrose over No. 15 East Longmeadow

When/where do the South Shore locals play?

Winner of No. 33 Leominster/No. 32 Ludlow (preliminary round) at No. 1 Oliver Ames, TBD

Winner of No. 36 Amherst-Pelham at No. 29 Whitman-Hanson (preliminary round, TBD) at No. 4 NDA-Hingham, TBD

Winner of No. 40 Northampton/No. 25 Westwood (preliminary round) at No. 8 Duxbury, TBD

Winner of No. 41 Falmouth at No. 24 Scituate (preliminary round, TBD) at No. 9 Canton, TBD

Winner of No. 42 South High/No. 23 West Springfield (preliminary round) at No. 10 Silver Lake, TBD

No. 19 Billerica at No. 14 Plymouth North, TBD

No. 17 Marblehead at No. 16 Stoughton, TBD

No. 35 Pembroke at No. 30 Sharon (preliminary round), TBD

Favorite, contender or underdog?

No. 1 Oliver Ames - favorite - Playing in the difficult Hockomock League allowed the three-loss Tigers to claim the top spot in the rankings. Mary Cross, Sophia Byron and Lucinda Li Cotter lead a talented roster. The only concern is that fellow local powers No. 4 NDA, No. 8 Duxbury and No. 9 Canton all loom on OA's side of the bracket.

No. 4 Notre Dame Academy-Hingham - contender - The Cougars finished the regular season on an 8-0-2 tear and have faced a who's-who of stiff competition -- Hingham (Div. 1), Needham (Div. 1), Silver Lake, Duxbury, Hanover (Div. 3), Norwell (Div. 3) and Cohasset (Div. 4).

No. 8 Duxbury - contender - The Green Dragons, who could meet No. 9 Canton in the Round of 16, won't be an easy out after slugging their way through the Patriot League.

No. 9 Canton - contender - Another veteran of the Hockomock League battles, the Bulldogs split their two regular-season meetings with top-seeded Oliver Ames. A potential tiebreaker would come in the quarterfinals.

No. 10 Silver Lake - contender - The Lakers lost last year's state final to Patriot League rival Whitman-Hanson. They've caught fire after a 1-2-3 start to the season and have battled Div. 1 Hingham, Plymouth North and Div. 4 Cohasset to recent 0-0 draws.

No. 14 Plymouth North - underdog - The Blue Eagles stumbled down the stretch, going 0-4-3 before winning their regular-season finale against Whitman-Hanson. They would get No. 3 Minnechaug in the Round of 32 if they can win their prelim game.

No. 16 Stoughton - underdog - The Black Knights get to host a first-round game but the winner is likely looking at a trip to No. 1 Oliver Ames in the Round of 16.

No. 24 Scituate - underdog - If the Sailors can get past Falmouth in the preliminary round they'll have a difficult matchup against Canton in the Round of 32.

No. 29 Whitman-Hanson - underdog - The defending state champs were battered by graduation losses and injuries this season and managed just three wins. A repeat would require a remarkable run of upsets.

No. 35 Pembroke - underdog - The Titans have faced a lot of talented teams in the Patriot League and won't be intimidated by their difficult draw.

Division 3

The Field

1. South Hadley (16-1-1)

2. Newburyport (16-1)

3. Stoneham (13-3-2)

4. Hanover (14-3-1)

5. Nipmuc Regional (15-2-1)

6. Belchertown (10-3-5)

7. Weston (8-5-5)

8. Dover-Sherborn (11-4-3)

9. Norwell (9-2-8)

10. Dedham (13-4-1)

11. Tantasqua Regional (13-2-3)

12. North Reading (14-3-1)

13. Pentucket Regional (12-2-2)

14. Archbishop Williams (13-5)

15. Medway (9-5-4)

16. Swampscott (10-5-3)

17. Lynnfield (8-6-4)

18. Cardinal Spellman (9-5-4)

19. Norton (8-4-6)

20. Auburn (12-5-1)

21. St. Mary's (11-5-2)

22. Saugus (12-5-1)

23. Foxboro (4-11-3)

24. East Bridgewater (9-5-4)

25. Apponequet Regional (14-3-1)

26. Watertown (4-13-1)

27. Bishop Stang (7-8-3)

28. Sandwich (8-6-2)

29. Martha's Vineyard (13-4-1)

30. Middleboro (8-6-3)

31. Essex North Shore (11-5-2)

32. Triton Regional (5-11-2)

33. Advanced Math & Science (11-6-1)

34. Fairhaven (15-0-3)

35. Greater Lowell Tech (14-4)

36. Dighton-Rehoboth (8-6-5)

37. Shawsheen Valley (8-5-3)

38. Revere (10-6-2)

39. Boston Latin Academy (10-4-5)

40. O'Bryant (9-8-1)

41. Excel Academy Charter (9-3-2)

42. Diman Voke (9-7-2)

43. Southeastern Regional (8-5-3)

Bracket breakdown

State champ prediction: No. 4 Hanover

Best first-round match: No. 21 St. Mary's at No. 12 North Reading

Upset pick: No. 18 Cardinal Spellman over No. 15 Medway

When/where do the South Shore locals play?

Winner of No. 36 Dighton-Rehoboth/No. 29 Martha's Vineyard (preliminary round) at No. 4 Hanover, TBD

Winner of No. 41 Excel Academy at No. 24 East Bridgewater (preliminary round, TBD) at No. 9 Norwell, TBD

No. 19 Norton at No. 14 Archbishop Williams, TBD

No. 18 Cardinal Spellman at No. 15 Medway, TBD

No. 35 Greater Lowell Tech at No. 30 Middleboro (preliminary round), TBD

No. 43 Southeastern at No. 22 Saugus (preliminary round), TBD

Favorite, contender or underdog?

No. 4 Hanover - favorite - The Hawks' only losses have come against Hingham, Duxbury and Notre Dame Academy. The Div. 3 field feels wide open, so Hanover has just as good a shot as anybody in the top 10. A state semifinal showdown against Norwell is a distinct possibility.

No. 9 Norwell - contender - Maybe make that "strong contender." The Clippers are the defending state champs and their only losses have come against No. 8 Dover-Sherborn and Div. 2 power Notre Dame Academy. They've played a tougher schedule than top-seeded South Hadley, their potential quarterfinal opponent.

No. 14 Archbishop Williams - underdog - The Bishops are on the opposite side of the bracket from Hanover and Norwell, which seems good. Williams does have a tricky first-round matchup against No. 19 Norton.

No. 18 Cardinal Spellman - underdog - A first-round matchup with No. 15 Medway feels like a coin flip. Second-seeded Newburyport would be a high Round-of-16 hurdle.

No. 24 East Bridgewater - underdog - The Vikings have a tough path, although they did tie Norwell on the road early in the season. They would meet the Clippers in the Round of 32 if they can win their preliminary round game.

No. 30 Middleboro - underdog - The Sachems clinched a playoff spot by winning their last three regular-season games. Maybe that momentum carries over in their preliminary matchup against Greater Lowell Tech.

No. 43 Southeastern - underdog - The Hawks are the last seed in the field, although drawing No. 22 Saugus in the prelims with the winner getting No. 11 Tantasqua in the Round of 32 isn't as daunting as it could have been.

Division 4

The Field

1. Cohasset (12-1-3)

2. Northbridge (13-3-2)

3. Littleton (17-0-1)

4. Hampshire Regional (12-5-1)

5. Hamilton-Wenham (11-5)

6. Millbury (9-6-3)

7. Manchester Essex (7-7-4)

8. West Bridgewater (15-3)

9. Blackstone Valley Tech (10-6-2)

10. Uxbridge (7-5-6)

11. Pope Francis (16-1-1)

12. Wachonah (5-9-4)

13. Notre Dame Academy-Worcester (10-7-1)

14. Monument Mountain (10-5-3)

15. Leicester (6-11-1)

16. Lunenburg (7-7-4)

17. Southwick (5-10-3)

18. Easthampton (10-6-2)

19. Clinton (9-8)

20. Ipswich (3-12-3)

21. Malden Catholic (7-11)

22. Mashpee (7-9-3)

23. St. Mary-Westfield (13-4-1)

24. Arlington Catholic (3-14-1)

25. Whittier (11-4-3)

26. Tyngsborough (6-10-2)

27. Bay Path (9-9)

28. Sturgis West (11-5-2)

29. Blackstone-Millvile (7-11)

30. Monomoy (12-5-1)

31. Asset Valley (3-12-2)

32. Amesbury (2-15-1)

33. East Boston (15-4-2)

34. Nantucket (10-7-1)

35. Cape Cod Academy (9-8-1)

36. Tri-County (9-8-1)

37. Trivium School (5-5)

Bracket breakdown

State champ prediction: No. 1 Cohasset

Best first-round match: No. 25 Whittier at No. 8 West Bridgewater

Upset pick: No. 23 St. Mary-Westfield over No. 10 Uxbridge

When/where do the South Shore locals play?

No. 25 Whittier at No. 8 West Bridgewater, TBD

Winner of No. 33 East Boston/No. 32 Amesbury (preliminary round) at No. 1 Cohasset, TBD

Favorite, contender or underdog?

No. 1 Cohasset - favorite - The Skippers are on a redemption tour after losing in last year’s state final in a heartbreaker. Cohasset is one of the most battle-tested teams in the division and the Skippers still only lost one game all fall (to Div. 2’s No. 4 Notre Dame Academy)

No. 8 West Bridgewater - contender - The Wildcats bring back a lot of experience from last year’s Final Four team. It’s a tough draw landing in No. 1 Cohasset’s quadrant, but the Wildcats are no pushovers.

Division 5

The Field

1. Monson (16-0-2)

2. Sutton (12-5-1)

3. Tahanto (14-1-3)

4. Douglas (9-5-4)

5. Whitinsville Christian (9-5-2)

6. Georgetown (11-5-2)

7. Gardner (12-3-1)

8. Mount Greylock (15-0-3)

9. Hull (8-9)

10. David Prouty (10-8)

11. Quahog (7-9-2)

12. Palmer (10-6-2)

13. Bromfield (8-9-1)

14. Saint John Paul II (18-1)

15. Maynard (10-7-1)

16. Millis (2-14-2)

17. Lenox Memorial (7-9-2)

18. Mystic Valley (12-0-4)

19. Blue Hills (12-0-4)

20. Smith Academy (12-2-4)

21. Drury (15-2-1)

22. Oxford (5-13)

23. Granby (4-11-3)

24. Frontier Regional (9-6-3)

25. Carver (2-13-3)

26. Nashoba Valley (16-1-1)

27. West Boylston (4-12-2)

28. Holbrook (11-4-3)

29. Hopkins Academy (14-1-3)

30. Hopedale (4-14)

31. Norfolk Aggie (14-1-3)

32. Minuteman (12-5-1)

33. Parker Charter (10-5-3)

34. Mount Everett (10-4-4)

35. Smith Voke (12-2-1)

36. Saint Joseph Prep (13-1-4)

37. McCann Tech (10-5-2)

38. Avon (11-5)

39. Franklin County Tech (9-9)

40. Westfield Tech (7-5-2)

41. Matignon (7-7-3)

42. Upper Cape Tech (10-5-3)

43. Pioneer Valley (8-8-1)

44. Prospect Hill (5-4-1)

45. Boston Collegiate (9-2)

46. Atlantis Charter (6-3-1)

47. Burke (8-5-2)

Bracket breakdown

State champ prediction: No. 2 Sutton

Best first-round match: No. 38 Avon at No. 27 West Boylston

Upset pick: No. 25 Carver reaches the Round of 16

When/where do the South Shore locals play?

Winner of No. 41 Matignon/No. 24 Frontier (preliminary round) at No. 9 Hull, TBD

No. 46 Atlantis Charter at No. 19 Blue Hills (preliminary round), TBD

No. 40 Westfield Tech at No. 25 Carver (preliminary round), TBD

No. 37 McCann Tech at No. 28 Holbrook (preliminary round), TBD

No. 38 Avon at No. 27 West Boylston (preliminary round), TBD

Favorite, contender or underdog?

No. 9 Hull - contender - A 3-2 loss to Cohasset (No. 1 in Div. 4) shows the Pirates can compete with anybody in this field. Look for Hull to go far, but the Pirates landed in No. 1 Monson’s quadrant.

No. 19 Blue Hills - contender - The undefeated Warriors have a tough draw. They’ll host No. 46 Atlantis Charter in a prelim. If Blue Hills can advance, an 18-1 Saint John Paul II club (No. 14 seed) is waiting. That’s a stellar potential first-round matchup.

No. 25 Carver - underdog - The Crusaders went on a deep tournament run last year and they’re as battle-tested as anyone in the field.

No. 28 Holbrook - underdog - The Bulldogs will host No. 37 McCann Tech in a prelim, but No. 5 Whitinsville-Christian is waiting in the first round.

No. 38 Avon - underdog - This is the Panthers' first tournament trip since 2015. Avon will give No. 27 West Boylston a game in the preliminary round, but No. 6 Georgetown has state-title aspirations.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: MIAA girls soccer playoff tournament pairings are announced