High school state tournament pairings for basketball and hockey announced

LOWELL — Buckle in high school sports fans. It’s state tournament time in Massachusetts.

The MIAA released tournament pairings for boys and girls basketball, and boys and girls hockey on Saturday.

A total of 39 area teams – 21 basketball teams and 18 hockey squads – will begin their pursuits for state championships next week.

Locally, one team earned a No. 1 seed, the Tewksbury boys hockey team. Led by veteran coach Derek Doherty, the Redmen are the top seed in Division 2.

Two teams are seeded second – the Tyngsboro girls basketball team in Division 4, and the Shawsheen Tech boys hockey team in Division 3.

Boys hockey

Division 1: In the 33-team field, set to get going is No. 9 Westford Academy and No. 20 Central Catholic.

Both teams drew preliminary round byes and will open in the round of 32. Westford (14-3-1) will host No. 24 Braintree (8-11-1) on Thursday (7:10 p.m.) at Skate 3 in Tyngsboro.

Central (7-13-2) will play at No. 13 Saint John’s (10-8-2) on Wednesday (6 p.m.) at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro.

St. John’s Prep (17-3) is the top seed.

Division 2: There figures to be plenty of local interest in this 33-team field as Tewksbury, Billerica and Lowell Catholic all qualified.

All will open play in the round of 32.

Leading the pack is No. 1 Tewksbury (17-3), which is looking to atone for last season’s early exit. The Redmen have 100-point scorers in Matt Cooke and Jeremy Insogna. They will host the winner of No. 32 Agawam (11-8) and No. 33 Minnechaug (11-9) on Thursday (7:10 p.m.) at the Breakaway Ice Center in Tewksbury.

No. 6 Billerica (9-7-2) will host No. 27 Westfield (11-11) on Wednesday (7 p.m.) at the Hallenborg Pavillion in Billerica. No. 29 Lowell Catholic (9-8-3) has a tough challenge at No. 4 Woburn (12-5-1) on Wednesday (7:15 p.m.) at O’Brien Ice Rink in Woburn.

Division 3: Four local squads – Shawsheen Tech, North Middlesex, Dracut/Tyngsboro and Nashoba Tech – are in the 40-team field.

No. 39 Nashoba Tech (12-8-1) will play a prelim at No. 26 Middleboro (13-7), the details to be announced. Shawsheen, North Middlesex and Dracut/Tyngsboro drew preliminary round byes into the round of 32.

No. 2 Shawsheen (19-1-0) will host the winner of No. 34 Somerville (10-8-2) and No. 31 Hopedale (5-13-2) on Thursday (7 p.m.) at the Hallenborg Pavillion in Billerica. No. 18 North Middlesex (11-9) will visit No. 15 Blackstone Valley (17-3-0) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m.) at the Ice Plex in Hopedale. No. 22 Dracut/Tyngsboro (13-5-2) will play at No. 11 Methuen (15-3-2) on Wednesday (7 p.m.) at Methuen High.

Nauset Regional (18-1-1) grabbed the top seed.

Division 4: Making the 32-team field were Wilmington, Lunenburg/Ayer Shirley, Littleton/Bromfield and Groton-Dunstable. All advance to the round of 32.

No. 7 Wilmington (6-12-2) will host No. 26 Fitchburg (11-9) on Wednesday (7:15 p.m.) at the Breakaway Ice Center in Tewksbury. No. 14 Lunenburg/Ayer Shirley (15-4-1) will host No. 19 Littleton/Bromfield (11-9-0) on Wednesday (6:30 p.m.) at the Wallace Civic Center in Fitchburg.

No. 30 Groton-Dunstable (1-18-1) will try to pull a major upset at No. 3 Norwell (15-5-1) on Wednesday (7:20 p.m.) at The Bog in Kingston.

Winthrop (15-3-2) is the team to beat.

Girls hockey

Division 1: Four of the 32 teams in the field hail from the area – Methuen/Tewksbury, Billerica/Chelmsford, Westford Academy and Shawsheen Tech/Bedford. All advance to the round of 32 action.

No. 6 Methuen/Tewksbury (14-4-2) will host No. 27 Wellesley (8-9-3) on Wednesday (5 p.m.) at Methuen High. No. 19 Billerica/Chelmsford (6-9-5) will visit No. 14 Belmont (13-2-3) on Thursday, time to be announced, at John Ryan Rink in Watertown.

No. 20 Westford (7-10-3) will play at No. 13 Winthrop (13-3-2) on Tuesday (6:10 p.m.) at Larsen Rink in Winthrop. No. 28 Shawsheen/Bedford (13-6-0) will travel to No. 5 Hingham (16-5-1) on Wednesday (6 p.m.) at Pilgrim Arena in Hingham.

The top seed is Notre Dame of Hingham (14-4-2).

Division 2: The lone local representative in the 32-team field is No. 20 Stoneham/Wilmington (11-8-1), which will play at No. 13 Sandwich (10-10-2) on Wednesday (5:30 p.m.) at Gallo Arena in Bourne.

Boys basketball

Division 1: Not surprisingly, the powerful Merrimack Valley Conference is represented by four teams in the top 10 in the 42-team bracket.

No. 7 Central Catholic, No. 8 Andover, No. 9 Lowell and No. 10 Lawrence have all had outstanding seasons.

Lowell (14-6) will play the winner of No. 41 Beverly (10-10) and No. 24 Durfee (13-7) in a round of 32 game, the details to be announced.

Undefeated North (19-0) is the No. 1 seed.

Division 2: There are no local squads in the 41-team bracket, but there is interest in No. 12 Burlington (14-6) and No. 14 Bedford (16-3). The favorite in the field is No. 1 Malden Catholic (11-9).

Division 3: In a 40-team field, the team to beat is Boston City League champion Charlestown (18-2), the top seed.

Among those in the bracket are local teams Shawsheen Tech and Lowell Catholic. No. 26 Lowell Catholic (9-11) will host a preliminary round game against No. 39 Monty Tech (15-5), details to be announced. No. 12 Shawsheen (14-6) and big man Matt Breen will play at No. 14 Watertown (13-7), details to be announced.

Division 4: Making the 48-team field were Tyngsboro, Littleton and Ayer Shirley. Playing preliminary round games are Littleton and Ayer Shirley.

No. 31 Littleton (10-10) will host No. 34 Roxbury Prep Charter (14-5), details to be announced. No. 35 Ayer Shirley (16-4) will play at No. 30 Uxbridge (12-8), details to be announced. Advancing to the round of 32 is No. 12 Tyngsboro (12-8).

The Tigers will host the winner of No. 44 Bromfield (11-7) and No. 21 Greenfield (14-6), details to be announced.

The top seed is Wareham (18-3)

Division 5: Representing the area in the 46-team field are Innovation Academy of Tyngsboro and Collegiate Charter of Lowell (8-8).

Both will play preliminary round games. No. 25 Innovation (14-6) and 1,000-point scorer Derrick Twum will host No. 40 North Brookfield (13-5), details to be announced. No. 38 Collegiate Charter (8-8) will play at No. 27 Salem Academy (11-9), details to be announced.

Hoosac Valley (18-2) is the No. 1 seed.

Girls basketball

Division 1: Two local squads are in the talented 39-team field, Central Catholic and Chelmsford.

Both will open in the round of 32. No. 6 Central (16-4) will host the winner of No. 38 Malden (13-7) and No. 27 King Philip (9-11), details to be announced. No. 18 Chelmsford (12-8) will play at No. 15 Braintree (10-10), details to be announced.

The top seed is undefeated Bishop Feehan (20-0).

Division 2: Billerica and Tewksbury of the MVC qualified for the 38-team field. No. 35 Tewksbury (10-10) will play a prelim at No. 30 Westwood (6-14), details to be announced. No. 8 Billerica (18-2) will host a round of 32 game against No. 25 Middleboro (11-9), details to be announced.

Medfield (18-2) earned the top seed.

Division 3: Qualifying for the 40-team field were Wilmington and Lowell Catholic. No. 39 Lowell Catholic (11-9) will play at No. 26 Hudson (12-8), details to be announced. In a round of 32 game, No. 17 Wilmington (10-10) will visit No. 16 Fontbonne (12-8), details to be announced.

Powerful Foxboro (19-2) is the No. 1 seed.

Division 4: Making the 49-team bracket were Tyngsboro, Littleton, Ayer Shirley and Nashoba Tech.

No. 27 Ayer Shirley (10-10) will host a prelim against No. 38 Blackstone-Millsville (10-10), details to be announced. No. 42 Nashoba Tech (9-9) will play a prelim at No. 23 Mashpee (8-11), details to be announced.

In round of 32 games, No. 2 Tyngsboro (19-1) will host the winner of No. 34 Mystic Valley (14-6) and No. 31 Leicester (10-10), while No. 5 Littleton (15-5) will entertain the winner of No. 37 Bromfield (9-9) and No. 28 New Heights (9-3), details to be announced.

Cathedral (14-5) is the team to beat.

Division 5: The lone local squad in the 45-team field is No. 39 Collegiate Charter of Lowell (9-8), which will play a prelim at No. 26 Holbrook (13-7), details to be announced.