Take on Red Raiders tonight at Victory Field
WAKEFIELD — When the state tournament pairings were announced on Friday, the Wakefield Memorial High boys’ soccer team found out it will have to face a Middlesex League Freedom division rival in its first postseason contest in 15 years.
The Warriors are seeded ninth with an 8-6-4 record and they will face eighth-ranked Watertown (8-5-5) on a Div. 3 North first round game tonight at 6:30 p.m. under the lights at Victory Field.
The winner of tonight’s first round game will take on top-seeded North Reading (12-3-3) in the quarterfinal round on Thursday night at 5 p.m. in North Reading.
Wakefield lost to Watertown by a 2-1 score on Sept. 16 at Victory and tied the Red Raiders, 2-2, on Oct. 13 at Landrigan Field. So the Warriors will be seeking their first win against Watertown when it matters the most — in the state tournament.
Also playing in the 13-team Div. 3 North field from the Middlesex League is Wilmington.
The Wildcats (9-3-6) are ranked fourth and they will take on 13th-seeded Bedford (3-6-8) tomorrow night at 5 p.m. in first round match at Wilmington High School.
Should Wilmington win, they it will host a quarterfinal game on a date to be announced. The Wildcats will face the winner of a first round matchup between fifth-ranked O’Bryant (10-5-2) and 12th-seeded Weston (8-7-3). That first round game is tomorrow night at 5 p.m. at O’Bryant.
The dates, times and venues of the semifinals are yet to be announced. The North final will be played on Nov. 16 at Manning Field in Lynn with the time to be announced.
There are other M.L. teams that have made the tourney but are playing in different sectionals.
Lexington (14-3-1) is seeded fifth in the 18-team Div. 1 North field. The Minutemen will host 12th-ranked Westford Academy (10-5-3) in a first round game this afternoon at 2 p.m. in Lexington.
If Lexington wins, then it will take on the winner of a first round matchup this afternoon at 2 p.m. between fourth-ranked St. John’s Prep (14-1-3) and 13th-seeded Revere (9-5-3). That date, time, and venue of the quarterfinal game is yet to be announced.
The dates, times, and venues of the semifinal rounds are to be announced and the North final is scheduled to be played on Nov. 15 at Manning Field in Lynn with the time to be announced.
There are four M.L. teams in the 16-team Div. 2 North Tournament.
Belmont (13-3-2) is seeded fifth and it will face 12th-ranked North Andover (11-7-0) in a first round match tonight at 6:30 p.m. in Belmont.
Winchester (10-6-2) is ranked 11th and the Sachems will face sixth-seeded Greater Lowell (12-2-4) today at 2 p.m. in a first round contest.
Woburn (7-6-5) is seeded 15th and the Tanners will take on second-ranked Masconomet (18-1-1) in a first round match this afternoon at 2 p.m. in Topsfield.
Arlington (6-6-6) is ranked 16th and the Spy Ponders will take on top-seeded Concord-Carlisle (15-0-1) today at 3:30 p.m. at Concord-Carlisle.
Also, Northeast Metro Tech (11-5-2) is in the state tournament and is seeded ninth and the Knights will face eighth-seeded Tech Boston (9-3-4) in a first round game tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. at Roberts Field.
The dates, times and venues of the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds will be announced. The North final is scheduled for Nov. 17 at Manning Field in Lynn with the time to be announced.
