The MIAA high school hockey state championships are here.
Four boys games and two girls will play out at TD Garden as six state champions are crowned. The top-seeded Nauset boys and No. 2 Medfield will meet in the Division 3 final at 5:30 p.m. That’s the only state final this pits the top two-ranked teams against each other. Stick here for live updates from that game.
Action begins at 9 a.m. with Division 4 boys battle between No. 5 Winthrop and No. 6 Dedham. Milton and Medfield cap the day with a 7:30 p.m. puck drop in the Div. 2 girls game.
Our updates from Nauset will start approximately two hours before puck drop with some pre-game primer.
For the first time in program history, Nauset is a state champion. After losing in last year’s state final, Nauset bounced back with an undefeated season in dominant fashion. This year’s Nauset team would have a legitimate case to be in the Super 8 if the tournament was still in existence.
Empty-net goal for Nauset’s Colin Ward.
Nauset still maintains a one-goal lead.
Medfield with some early chances, but Nauset kills off the power play. Zach Coelho had a nice blocker save.
Nauset penalty. Medfield has a chance to get some momentum back here on the power play.
Nauset’s Jake Eldredge rips one from the top of the faceoff circle and beats the Medfield goaltender glove side. Nauset has its first lead of the day.
Nauset has picked up the pressure here in the third period.
Nauset gets dirty to find the equalizer. Logan Poulin cleans up a rebound to tie this one up.
Top-seeded Nauset has a hole to climb out of, an unfamiliar spot for the undefeated Warriors.
Joseph Nee’s goal is the lone goal so far.
Medfield sophomore John Shaughnessy has created a couple good chances. Medfield’s Joseph Nee takes advantage of a turnover and scores.
The second period of the Div. 3 boys state championship is about to get underway.
We’re scoreless through one period.
Medfield’s Charlie Duggan makes a save on one end and on the other, John Shaughnessy with stellar deke to get past a defender but his shot rings off the crossbar and back into play.
After a bit of a sloppy start, Nauset is starting to buzz after a couple shots at the net.
Medfield has a couple good scoring chances early but Nauset goaltender and senior captain Zach Coelho has been up to the task early. Not much on the offensive end so far for Nauset.
The puck has dropped and the Div. 3 final is now underway. Half of Cape Cod might be in attendance for this one.
The Div. 2 boys game ended with Billerica winning, 3-2, in double overtime over Canton. Nauset and Medfield will warm up for about seven minutes and then we’ll get underway. Look for puck to drop a little after 6:30 p.m.
The Division 2 boys game is headed to double overtime, delaying the start of the Nauset-Medfield game. Teams are returning to the ice for a 3-on-3 overtime at 6 p.m. The Division 3 will start approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of the Div. 2 game.
The Div. 2 boys final between Canton and Billerica is going to overtime, so the Nauset-Medfield game will have a later start.
Medfield went 18-1-1 during the regular season to earn the No. 2 seed. In the tournament, the Warriors defeated 31 Somerville (8-1), No. 15 Lynnfield (4-1), No. 7 Melrose (2-0) and No. 6 Bedford (4-1).
Dominantly.
Nauset is 23-0-1 this season. The Warriors have posted 13 shutouts and have allowed just 18 goals in 24 games. One of those shutouts was a 3-0 result over Medfield in February.
In the tournament, No. 1 Nauset has defeated No. 33 Middleboro (5-0), No. 16 Danvers (9-0), No. 8 Marblehead (5-1) and No. 4 Scituate (8-0).
For both teams, Sunday marks their third state championship appearance.
Nauset is 0-2. Nauset fell to Marblehead, 1-0, in the Div. 3 state finals last season.
Sunday marks Medfield’s first trip to the Garden since 2016, a 3-1 win over Lincoln-Sudbury in the Div. 2 final. Medfield also lost to Beverly, 2-1, in 2014.
Anticipate Nauset and Medfield starting later than the scheduled 5:30 p.m. start. The Div. 2 boys game has just started a little before 4 p.m.
