Breaking down the brackets: MIAA announces high school girls soccer playoff field (2024)

The title chases are about to start again.

The MIAA girls soccer playoffs are here. The brackets were released Wednesday afternoon.

The South Shore earned nine top-10 seeds across the five divisions with three teams checking in at No. 3 -- Hanover in Div. 3, Cohasset in Div. 4 and Hull in Div. 5. Notre Dame Academy is the No. 4 seed in Div. 2.

We have four defending state champs, two of whom will square off immediately. Hingham won the Div. 1 crown a year ago but has dropped down to Div. 2 this year; the Harborwomen are a No. 8 seed and draw defending Div. 2 champ No. 25 Silver Lake in the first round. Hanover (Div. 3) and Cohasset (Div. 4) also are back to defend their titles.

More: State crowns are within reach again: Girls soccer top 10

In total, there are 31 area schools in the field. Div. 2 has the most local flavor with 10 teams in the field. Along with Hingham-Silver Lake, Div. 2 also has an intriguing first-round matchup between locals No. 13 Milton and No. 20 Scituate.

The MIAA says brackets will be updated with date, time and site information as it is finalized. State championship games are tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 18. All games will be at the home site of the higher seed through the Round of 8.

Div. 1

The field

1. Natick

2. Bishop Feehan

3. Hopkinton

4. Wellesley

5. Brookline

6. Franklin

7. Acton-Boxborough

8. Winchester

9. Concord-Carlisle

10. King Philip Regional

11. Algonquin

12. Needham

13. Newton North

14. Arlington

15. Shrewsbury

16. Weymouth (7-7-4)

17. Belmont

18. Central Catholic

19. Braintree (4-11-3)

20. Marshfield (10-4-5)

21. Woburn Memorial

22. Lexington

23. Durfee

24. Bridgewater-Raynham (12-3-3)

25. Andover

26. Framingham

27. Westford Academy

28. Newton South

29. Wachusett Regional

30. Plymouth North (5-7-6)

31. Beverly

32. Boston Latin

33. Waltham

34. North Andover

35. Cambridge Rindge & Latin

36. Haverhill

37. Chelmsford

38. Diman

39. Medford

Who do the locals play?

No. 17 Belmont at No. 16 Weymouth

No. 19 Braintree at No. 14 Arlington

No. 20 Marshfield at No. 13 Newton North

No. 24 Bridgewater-Raynham at No. 9 Concord-Carlisle

No. 35 Cambridge Rindge & Latin at No. 30 Plymouth North (prelim)

Bracket breakdown

Best first-round match: No. 17 Belmont at No. 16 Weymouth

Upset pick: No. 18 Central Catholic over No. 15 Shrewsbury

State-champ prediction: No. 1 Natick

Div. 2

The field

1. Masconomet Regional

2. Nashoba Regional

3. Longmeadow

4. Notre Dame Academy (11-6-3)

5. Grafton

6. Mansfield

7. Melrose

8. Hingham (9-6-3)

9. Minnechaug

10. Oliver Ames (13-3-0)

11. Westborough

12. Duxbury (11-5-2)

13. Milton (8-7-3)

14. Westwood

15. West Springfield

16. Dartmouth

17. Whitman-Hanson (7-8-3)

18. Marlborough

19. Canton (8-7-2)

20. Scituate (7-6-5)

21. Walpole

22. Marblehead

23. Ludlow

24. Bishop Stang

25. Silver Lake (6-8-4)

26. East Longmeadow

27. Holliston

28. Burlington

29. Westfield

30. Billerica Memorial

31. Chicopee Comp.

32. Somerset Berkley Regional

33. Amherset-Pelham Regional

34. Northampton

35. Somerville

36. Southeastern (8-4-4)

Who do the locals play?

No. 36 Southeastern at No. 29 Westfield (prelim)

Southeastern/Westfield (prelim) winner at No. 4 Notre Dame Academy

No. 25 Silver Lake at No. 8 Hingham

No. 23 Ludlow at No. 10 Oliver Ames

No. 21 Walpole at No. 12 Duxbury

No. 20 Scituate at No. 13 Milton

No. 17 Whitman-Hanson at No. 16 Dartmouth

No. 19 Canton at No. 14 Westwood

Bracket breakdown

Best first-round match: No. 25 Silver Lake at No. 8 Hingham

Upset pick: No. 19 Canton over No. 14 Westwood

State-champ prediction: No. 10 Oliver Ames

Div. 3

The field

1. Medfield

2. Dover-Sherborn

3. Hanover (17-0-1)

4. Norwell (18-1-1)

5. Pope Francis

6. Cardinal Spellman (15-1-2)

7. Nipmuc Regional

8. Tantasqua Regional

9. Danvers

10. Dedham

11. Weston

12. Apponequet Regional

13. Auburn

14. Belchertown

15. Norton

16. Saugus

17. North Reading

18. Medway

19. Wilmington

20. Nauset Regional

21. Archbishop Williams (7-7-6)

22. Newburyport

23. Sandwich

24. St. Mary's-Lynn

25. East Bridgewater (8-9-3)

26. Foxboro

27. Swampscott

28. Tewksbury Memorial

29. Martha's Vineyard Regional

30. Pentucket Regional

31. Pembroke (6-8-4)

32. Dighton-Rehoboth

33. Hudson

34. Old Rochester Regional

35. Blackstone Valley Regional

36. Greater New Bedford

37. Gloucester

38. Falmouth

39. Notre Dame-Worcester

40. Greater Lowell Tech

41. Revere

42. Holyoke

43. Norfolk Aggie

44. Boston Latin Academy

Who do the locals play?

No. 35 Blackstone Valley/No. 30 Pentucket Regional (prelim) winner at No. 3 Hanover

No. 36 Greater New Bedford/No. 29 Martha's Vineyard (prelim) winner at No. 4 Norwell

No. 38 Falmouth/No. 27 Swampscott winner at No. 6 Cardinal Spellman

No. 44 Boston Latin Academy at No. 21 Archbishop Williams (prelim)

No. 40 Greater Lowell Tech at No. 25 East Bridgewater (prelim)

No. 34 Old Rochester Regional at No. 31 Pembroke (prelim)

Bracket breakdown

Best first-round match: No. 17 North Reading at No. 16 Saugus

Upset pick: No. 18 Medway over No. 15 Norton

State-champ prediction: No. 3 Hanover or No. 4 Norwell

Div. 4

The field

1. South Hadley

2. Sutton

3. Cohasset (11-3-3)

4. Lynnfield

5. Hamilton-Wenham

6. Littleton

7. Northbridge

8. West Bridgewater (12-5-1)

9. Millbury

10. Hampshire Regional

11. Leicester

12. Monument Mountain

13. Rockland (8-8-2)

14. Lunenburg

15. Abington (10-8)

16. Monomoy

17. Manchester Essex

18. Southwick Regional

19. Easthampton

20. Bellingham

21. Adv. Math & Science

22. Uxbridge

23. Tyngsborough

24. South High Community

25. Wahconah Regional

26. Ipswich

27. Bay Path RVT

28. Blue Hills Regional (16-0-2)

29. Mashpee

30 Sturgis Charter West

31. Nantucket

32. Bourne

33. Saint Paul Diocesan

34. Clinton

35. Tri-County RVT

36. Sturgis Charter East

37. Westfield Technical Acad

38. Excel Academy Charter

39. East Boston

40. Minuteman Regional

41. Cathedral

Who do the locals play?

No. 37 Westfield Tech at No. 28 Blue Hills (prelim)

No. 20 Bellingham at No. 13 Rockland

No. 40 Minuteman/No. 25 Wahconah (prelim) winner at No. 8 West Bridgewater

No. 35 Tri-County/No. 30 Sturgis West (prelim) winner at No. 3 Cohasset

No. 18 Southwick at No. 15 Abington

Bracket Breakdown

Best first-round game: No. 20 Bellingham at No. 13 Rockland

Upset pick: No. 23 Tyngsboro over No. 10 Hampshire Regional

State-champ prediction: No. 3 Cohasset

Div. 5

The field

1. Whitinsville Christian

2. Monson

3. Hull (13-2-2)

4. Mount Greylock Regional

5. Douglas

6. Maynard

7. Tahanto Regional

8. Saint John Paul II

9. Millis

10. Georgetown

11. Hopedale

12. Palmer

13. David Prouty

14. West Boylston

15. Mystic Valley Charter

16. Quaboag Regional

17. Lenox Memorial

18. Bromfield School

19. Parker Charter

20. Granby

21. Hopkins Academy

22. Drury

23. Nashoba Valley Tech

24. Smith Academy

25. St. Mary-Westfield

26. Ayer Shirley

27. Westport

28. Acad. of Notre Dame

29. Mount Everett Regional

30. Holbrook (7-8-3)

31. Smith Vo-Tech

32. Franklin County Tech

33. Upper Cape Cod RVT

34. Athol

35. Innovation Acad. Charter

36. Rising Tide Charter (10-8)

37. McCann Tech

38. Pioneer Valley Regional

39. Prospect Hill Academy

40. Bristol Aggie

41. Avon (6-6-2)

42. Boston Collegiate

43. Gateway Regional

44. South Shore Charter (8-4)

45. Burke

46. Tech Boston Academy

Who do the locals play?

No. 35 Innovation at No. 30 Holbrook (prelim)

Innovation/Holbrook winner at No. 3 Hull

No. 36 Rising Tide at No. 29 Mount Everett (prelim)

No. 41 Avon at No. 24 Smith Academy (prelim)

No. 44 South Shore Charter at No. 21 Hopkins Academy (prelim)

Bracket Breakdown

Best first-round game: No. 17 Lenox at No. 16 Quaboag

Upset pick: No. 36 Rising Tide over No. 29 Mount Everett

State-champ prediction: No. 3 Hull