2023 BOYS LACROSSE PLAYOFFS: See 5 which SouthCoast teams qualified and who they will face

Five of the SouthCoast's eight boys lacrosse teams have qualified for the 2023 playoffs. Here's a look at those teams and their opening matchups.

APPONEQUET

Record: 15-1

Seed: No. 12 in Div. 3

Opening matchup: Hosts No. 21 Fairhaven (11-7) at 5 p.m. on Monday in the Round of 32.

Outlook: The Lakers enter the tournament red hot, riding a 12-game win streak that included winning the South Coast Conference championship. They’ll take on a familiar SCC opponent in Fairhaven. “They were tough all season and I am sure they will be just as challenging in the playoffs facing them for a third time,” said Apponequet head coach Jeremy Nodelman. Apponequet’s offense has been balanced with contributions from Kenny Wisniewski (102 points; 77 goals and 25 assists), Jake Cusson (89 points; 55 goals and 34 assists), Harrison Lemieux (83 points; 23 goals and 60 assists) and Will Levrault (72 points; 42 goals and 30 assists). Kevin O’Connor has won 64% of his faceoffs and added 10 goals and 9 assists.  “We had a lot of players contribute and did not focus or rely on one player or position to score,” Nodelman said, adding that the defense has been led by Max Anderson and Boston Piquette. Hunter Owen is averaging 7.5 saves per game.

BISHOP STANG

Record: 12-4

Seed: No. 32 in Div. 3

Opening matchup: Hosts No. 33 Lowell Catholic (7-6) at 5:30 p.m. on Friday in the preliminary round.

Outlook: The Spartans enjoyed a balanced offensive attack this season led by Andrew Lally, a freshman, with 32 goals. Eli Ikkela added 23 goals while Breck Marshall had 22 and Andrew Weaver chipped in with 19. John Goll also scored 12 times. “We've had a great season, won a lot of close, competitive games and are very happy to make the postseason,” said Bishop Stang head coach Jeff Gardner. “I think we have good team chemistry with a strong senior class, returning underclassmen who have played a lot of lacrosse off season and improved their game, and an influx of talented freshmen at some key positions.”

FAIRHAVEN

Record: 11-7

Seed: No. 21 in Div. 3

Opening matchup: Visits No. 12 Apponequet (15-1) at 5 p.m. on Monday in the Round of 32.

Outlook: After losing four of their first five games, the Blue Devils won 10 of their next 13 games to qualify for the Div. 3 playoffs. Shea Cripps has been strong all season in net to anchor the defense while the offense has been pretty balanced with a variety of players chipping in on the offensive end. The Blue Devils lost both of their regular season games against the Lakers by a combined score of 25-15. Since an 11-7 loss to Apponequet on May 3, Fairhaven won seven of its next eight games to close out the season.

2023 MIAA SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS: See which 6 SouthCoast teams qualified and who they will face

OLD COLONY

Record: 18-0

Seed: No. 16 in Div. 4

Opening matchup: Hosts No. 17 South Hadley (5-13) at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in the Round of 32.

Outlook: It’s been a season to remember for the Cougars, who are hoping to make a run in the Div. 4 state tournament. Old Colony not only captured the program’s first undefeated regular season in school history, it also wrapped up the first State Vocational championship in boys lacrosse and won the Mayflower Athletic Conference. Will Harrop, the 2022 Standard-Times Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year, continues to be a force on offense while also having an impact on faceoffs. Stu Burnham and Luke Meelia have emerged as strong scoring threats for the Cougars, making them even more dangerous.

2023 MIAA BASEBALL PLAYOFFS: See which 6 SouthCoast teams qualified and who they will face

OLD ROCHESTER

Record: 12-2

Seed: No. 10 in Div. 3

Opening matchup: Hosts No. 23 East Longmeadow (6-10) at 6 p.m. on Monday in the Round of 32.

Outlook: After opening the season 7-0, the Bulldogs lost two out of three games before ending on a four-game win streak. ORR’s losses came against Bridgewater-Raynham (13-11 on May 6) and Apponequet (16-13 on May 10) has reached double digits in scoring in all 14 of its games this season. The combination of Brady Lee, Zach Zutaut, Tyler Cardinal and Andrew Nee has been tough to contain for opposing defenses.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: 2023 MIAA boys lacrosse playoff preview for SouthCoast teams