MIAA Boys' Lax Seeding Instant Analysis: D3 Central/East

Groton-Dunstable and Tyngsboro each grabbed Top-4 seeds in Division 3 Central/East.

 By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

A disclaimer: Brackets for the 2017 boys' lacrosse tournament aren't finalized until tomorrow. That said, we've just finished up seeding the Division 3 Central/East section, and here are a few quick thoughts.

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Dover-Sherborn an Easy No. 1

Come on, how could the two-time defending state champions not be the top seed? The Raiders once again shared the Tri-Valley League with perennial D2 power Medfield, and went 14-4 against a murderous schedule that included 15 games against teams in higher divisions.

D-S will once again enter the bracket as the prohibitive favorite, led by UNC commit Bailey Laidman, and it will be a challenge for anyone to give the Raiders a game.

A Central Mass Rematch?

If the seeds hold, No. 2 Littleton and No. 3 Groton-Dunstable are on a collision course for the sectional semifinals. This is probably the best case scenario for these two programs, who have a ton of respect for each other, and played a 6-4 classic, won by the Crusaders in dramatic fashion.

Selfishly, this is how I hoped the seeding would work out, so that these teams could go round two, and avoid D-S until the sectional finals.

Potential Sleeper

It's hard not to view Hopedale as a sleeper. Making their first tournament appearance, the Blue Raiders have  one of the most underrated goalies in the state in junior Dan Hollis, and an exciting offense, powered by freshman Blake Moxim and junior middie Jake Wollensak.

Hopedale is only in its fourth year as a varsity program, and hasn't yet developed the depth of the top-level teams, but what they do have is a hard-working, athletic core of players who are pumped to play in their first tournament. Hard to see anybody beating D-S, but Hopedale at Tyngsboro in the first round should be a great one, as the Blue Raiders try to slow down the Tigers' do-it-all middie Kyle Laforge.