Vermont high school hockey playoff primer and round-by-round predictions
The path to Gutterson Fieldhouse is within sight for Vermont high school boys and girls hockey teams.
Tournament season kicks off Saturday with Division I and II boys playdowns before girls commence with quarterfinals next week.
The D-II title-game doubleheader is slated for March 5; the D-I finals matchup are set for March 7 at the University of Vermont's historic rink.
To get a better read on this year's tournament fields, here's our annual Varsity Insider playoff primer and predictions.
Enjoy!
More: 2024 Vermont high school boys basketball playoff primer and round-by-round predictions
GIRLS HOCKEY
Division I — Primer and predictions
► What to know: Behind Bri Jarvis' eye-popping 35 goals during the regular season, No. 1 BFA-St. Albans (15-3-2) arrives for playoff season in a familiar spot: Atop the D-I standings for the ninth time in program history in the VPA era. The Comets did not lose to a Vermont opponent, only drawing Essex and the Kingdom Blades. ... Speaking of the No. 2 Kingdom Blades (16-2-1), the Northeast Kingdom cooperative squad started the season 12-0 after losing in last year's D-II title game. ... Third-seeded Burlington/Colchester (15-4-1) is 6-0-1 in its last seven games and present a balanced attack paced by Holley MacLellan. ... The Sealakers have reached the D-I state final three times since 2020. ... Headlined by Sabrina Brunet and Ahmed Hadia, fourth-ranked South Burlington (15-4-1) more than doubled its win total from a year ago and is 8-0-1 in its last nine games. ... Defending champion and No. 5 Spaulding, No. 6 Essex and No. 7 Champlain Valley/Mount Mansfield are pesky enough to make their quarterfinal matchups interesting.
Quarterfinals
No. 1 BFA-St. Albans over No. 8 Rutland
No. 2 Kingdom Blades over No. 7 Champlain Valley/Mount Mansfield
No. 4 South Burlington over No. 5 Spaulding
No. 3 Burlington/Colchester over No. 6 Essex
Semifinals
South Burlington over BFA
Burlington/Colchester over Kingdom Blades
Championship
Burlington/Colchester 4, South Burlington 3: In the teams' fourth matchup this winter, the Sealakers prevail for their first title in 10 years as a cooperative program.
Division II — Primer and predictions
► What to know: Top-seeded Burr and Burton (14-4-2) has only suffered defeats to Division I contenders BFA, South Burlington, Kingdom Blades and Burlington/Colchester. The balanced Bulldogs also have four one-goal victories on their resume. ... No. 2 Hartford (13-6-1) raced to a 10-0 start, but faced a brutal second-half schedule mixed with D-I powers. Still, the Hurricanes are set up for a title-game run. ... No. 3 Woodstock (10-7-3) is the two-time reigning state champion paced by Hannah Gubbins (20 goals) and Gracelyn Laperle (17 goals). The Rice (9-10-1) at No. 5 Missisquoi (9-9-2) quarterfinal tilt is a rematch from Wednesday's 6-5 Thunderbirds victory in the regular-season finale.
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Burr and Burton over No. 8 U-32
No. 5 Rice over No. 4 Missisquoi
No. 2 Hartford over No. 7 Middlebury
No. 6 Stowe over No. 3 Woodstock
Semifinals
Burr and Burton over Rice
Hartford over Stowe
Championship
Burr and Burton 4, Hartford 2: Bulldogs track down first championship in a dozen years.
BOYS HOCKEY
Division I — Primer and predictions
► What to know: With No. 1 South Burlington (18-2), the Wolves are blessed with a number of talented skaters, from Nick Kelly to Lucas and Miles Van Mullen, that might give them the edge in each round of the playoffs. South Burlington has won six games in a row, and it hasn't conceded a goal in four straight games to close the regular season. ... No. 2 Rice (16-2-2) is just as dangerous as South Burlington, and the Green Knights went 2-1 against the Wolves this season. Rice has also reached the title game in each of the last two years. ... Since a 3-2 loss to South Burlington on Feb. 3, No. 3 Burr and Burton (12-6-2) has ripped off five consecutive wins, outscoring opponents 21-4. ... Can the football champions pull off a double in hockey? ... In the D-I tournament for the first time in program history, No. 4 Brattleboro (11-6-3) has won six games in a row. ... No. 5 Mount Mansfield (9-7-4), last year's D-II runner-up, are a playoff sleeper, while No. 6 Spaulding (9-9-2) is another team to watch for an upset bid: The Crimson Tide beat Rice 1-0 on Feb. 10.
Playdowns
No. 8 Champlain Valley over No. 9 Essex
No. 5 Mount Mansfield over No. 12 Rutland
No. 7 BFA-St. Albans over No. 10 Burlington
No. 6 Spaulding over No. 11 St. Johnsbury
Quarterfinals
No. 1 South Burlington over CVU
Mount Mansfield over No. 4 Brattleboro
No. 2 Rice over BFA
Spaulding over No. 3 Burr and Burton
Semifinals
South Burlington over Mount Mansfield
Rice over Spaulding
Championship
South Burlington 3, Rice 2 (OT): The state's best teams from start to finish need overtime to decide their fourth matchup this winter. The Wolves prevail for their first crown since 2013.
Division II — Primer and predictions
► What to know: Against chiefly a D-I schedule, top-ranked Colchester (14-5-1) is battled-tested having played in 11 one-goal games in addition to its tie with Hartford. The Lakers went 9-2 in such contests. ... No. 2 Lyndon (15-2-3) hasn't won a state title since 1993. But the high-powered Vikings enter tournament play with a 9-0-1 mark since a 2-2 tie at Brattleboro on Jan. 27. ... No. 3 Hartford (10-7-3) only went 2-7-1 over its last 10 games against some top-tier competition. But a 6-2 triumph over CVU in the regular-season finale might serve the Hurricanes well for a playoff run. ... No. 4 Milton (13-6-1) and No. 5 Harwood (13-6-1) will square off in the quarterfinals after Harwood claimed victories of 3-2 and 7-5 during the regular season.
Playdowns
No. 9 U-32 over No. 8 Middlebury
No. 7 Stowe over No. 10 Missisquoi
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Colchester over U-32
No. 4 Milton over No. 5 Harwood
No. 2 Lyndon over Stowe
No. 3 Hartford over No. 6 Woodstock
Semifinals
Colchester over Milton
Hartford over Lyndon
Championship
Colchester 2, Hartford 1: A late third period goal proves the difference as the Lakers seize first state crown since 2006.
Become a member of the Vermont Varsity Insider Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2MGSfvX.
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont high school boys, girls hockey playoff primer and predictions
