High school playoffs in the Upper Valley just got a lot more interesting.
The NHIAA announced its pairings Monday afternoon for the upcoming Division II girls basketball tournament and with it, the destination for the final four: Dartmouth’s Leede Arena.
After a winter filled with speculation, teams know where their hopeful final destination will be. That includes No. 1 seed Hanover and No. 4 Lebanon, who could possibly clash March 11 at 8 p.m. in the second semifinal game of the night.
“It’ll be a nice change,” Raiders’ coach Tim Kehoe said over the phone. “Sometimes the drive down to SNHU is tough. Hopefully, it will be a home game in the championship. It would be a fun environment to play in.”
Added Hanover coach Dan O’Rourke: “Over the last 19 years, Hanover and Lebanon have won eight state championships. Regardless of that, two of the premier programs in Division II basketball are three miles apart. It’s exciting. It’s too bad that we’re in the same bracket. From our point of view, it will be nice to not leave Hanover.”
To even consider getting to Leede, however, both teams must play first round games at home Tuesday night. Hanover hosts No. 16 Stevens, while Lebanon takes on No. 13 Laconia. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
D-III boys basketball seedings also were announced. No. 7 Mascoma is set to host No. 10 Monadnock at 6:30 p.m. The Royals opened the season at Monadnock and fell 77-60 back in November.
HOCKEY: In D-I boys action, No. 8 Hanover will play No. 9 Pinkerton on Wednesday at West Lebanon’s Campion Rink for a first round game. The Marauders won at Pinkerton, 3-2, on Jan. 18.
Puck drop is set for 4 p.m.
No. 8 Lebanon-Stevens-Mount Royal will take to the ice following the Hanover game to play No. 9 Portsmouth-Newmarket in a D-II first round tilt. Lebanon beat Portsmouth, 3-0, on Feb. 15.
Lebanon-Stevens-Kearsarge girls hockey drew the seventh seed and will host No. 10 St. Thomas Aquinas-Winnacunnet-Dover at Campion on Tuesday for a first round game at 6 p.m. The two teams met on Jan. 2 as the Raiders fell 4-1.
The Hanover girls hockey team earned a first-round bye with its No. 4 seed and will host No. 5 Pinkerton in the quarterfinals Friday night at Campion. The teams didn’t meet in the regular season; puck drop is set for 5:10 p.m.
The Green Mountain State unveiled all girls basketball pairings Monday, too.
All Upper Valley teams will be playing first round games with tip off set for 7 p.m.
No. 8 Hartford will host No. 9 Springfield on Wednesday. The two teams met twice on the hardwood this regular season and split the series.
Defending champion Thetford will enter the tournament with the No. 3 seed and host No. 14 Williamstown on Wednesday. The Panthers beat Williamstown twice in the regular season.
Oxbow was the Cinderella story last March and ultimately lost to Thetford in the title game. This year the Olympians enter the tournament as the No. 5 seed and host No. 12 Stowe on Tuesday. The teams didn’t meet in the regular season.
No. 2 Windsor will play host to No. 15 Randolph on Tuesday. The two teams will meet for the first time this season.
If all goes according to plan, the Yellowjackets are set to meet Thetford in the semifinals March 12. It would be the second consecutive year the teams would meet in the final four.
No. 8 White River Valley takes on No. 9 Otter Valley in the first matchup between the two this season on Tuesday in South Royalton.
Mid-Vermont Christian drew the No. 4 seed in the D-IV bracket. The Eagles host No. 13 Northfield on Tuesday; the teams didn’t play on the hardwood yet this season.
No. 9 Rivendell will hit the road for No. 9 Hazen on Tuesday. The teams haven’t played yet this season.
For more information, check out the full bracket on B3.
Pete Nakos can be reached at pnakos@vnews.com.