The MIAA Division 1 and 2 tournaments are right around the corner (the seedings and pairings will be released on Monday).
But what separates a great team from a champion?
It’s tempting to pinpoint a skillset, be it scoring, passing, defense, or goalkeeping. But according to a number of coaches in the region, it’s all about intangibles.
“Paying attention to detail and being prepared is my number one [priority],” said King Philip head coach Liz Hathaway , who has her 14-2-1 squad positioned for a high seed in the Division 1 South bracket.
“I’m hoping that we can get a bye and in that situation I can go scout our opponents,” she said.
Acton-Boxborough coach Mae Shoemaker said players “just need to mentally be prepared for whatever comes at them,”
“There are so many unknowns going into the tournament,” added the coach, whose squad is 15-1-0.
“You’re not playing within your division, and you didn’t choose the teams you wanted to play like you did in scheduling.”
In her first season as the head coach at Walpole, the defending Division 1 state champion, Jen Quinn pointed to the grueling gauntlet of games.
“You go through the season and you might have a big game, but then you have a couple days where you can kind of settle in and relax a little bit,” she said.
“Once you get into the playoffs, you can have three full weeks of nothing but your top competition and your best players having to give everything they have,” she went on. “That’s physically and mentally demanding.”
And in the tourney, it’s a different game, literally, with the advent of two 7-on-7 overtime periods, and if necessary, penalty strokes determining a winner.
“We always say that the playoffs are a different beast,” said Acton-Boxborough senior captain Caitlin Little. “You have to look at each game as if it’s the last game you’ll ever play.”
And experience, she said, is a blessing.
“I don’t know if it gives us more confidence,” said Little, reflecting on last season’s North championship. “It definitely gives us a better drive because we’ve seen what it takes to get there and we all want to get back there.”
And there are other dynamics at play.
“There’s more pressure, there’s a lot of fans, and if you have to travel, you often have to travel a farther distance,” added Hathaway. “Everyone’s a little tired, including myself.”
So proper rest is important, but not too much. Hathaway felt last year’s team had too much time off before their first tourney game — a nine-day break between the regular-season finale and the first game in the postseason.
And on any given day, a hot goalie can be the difference, or a team that finishes its chances, said Shoemaker.
Quinn said that finding that day-to-day consistency will be especially important for her team.
“That’s been our biggest challenge all year,” she said. “They have the skill, they have the talent, they just have to bring it every game.”
“I think the most important thing to keep in mind is to take it one game at a time,” said Christine Murray, a senior captain at Walpole.
“Throughout the season we’ve had a lot of ups and downs with our play.”
“A lot of times when we get quiet, we don’t play our best,” she added. “A lot of it is being positive and supporting each other on the field.”
And in the Division 1 South bracket, Quinn and Hathaway both have their eye on unbeaten Somerset-Berkley (16-0), currently ranked third in the Globe’s Top 20. The Raider attack is led by Lucas Crook (29 goals, 27 assists), and his younger sister, Camryn (29 assists). Their mother, Jen Crook, is in her 22nd season as head coach. Junior Megan Salsinh a, a high-scoring forward, currently out with an injury.
“No matter what way you slice it, [boys] are bigger, faster and stronger — it’s biology, it’s genetics,” Quinn said. “Then you have a boy who is bigger, faster, and stronger, but also has some skill, and he’s only a junior.”
Added Hathaway, “they have two boys on the team. You have to be prepared for their strength and size.”
Shoemaker said that the most well-rounded team will ultimately prevail.
“There are so many teams that are equal in abilities that I think you have to have some of the intangibles like mental preparedness and chemistry,” she said. “Those are things that you can’t do a drill for. Those are the hard things that kids have to learn.”
Stick chatter
■ Lynnfield returned just three starters from a year ago, but the Pioneers (9-6) have earned a berth in the Division 2 North tourney.
“The returning starters have done a great job, and other kids have filled in,” coach Mary Reardon said. “I am extremely happy that we qualified for the tournament this year.”
She lauded the play of her captains, junior twins Ashley and Brianna Barrett .
“They worked so hard in the offseason, they went to many camps and clinics and spent their whole summer just trying to get better,” said the coach.
Senior captain Laura Bockoff is one of five seniors.
“Laura has really stepped up in her play, but also in her leadership skills,” Reardon said. “She’s really done a great job of gathering the girls and letting them know what’s going on. Her command on the field is great.”
Playing in the highly-competitive Cape Ann League is always a challenge, but aids greatly in team building.
“I’ve been in this for 35 years and as you play each team you develop your own players. You have to have good stick work to play in this league.”
Sophomore Lily Rothwell (16 goals, two assists) and Ashley Barrett (nine goals, 13 assists) lead the offense.
The key going forward is playing with poise.
“Being able to control emotion and excitement and aggressiveness while being able to put the ball in the net is something I’d like to see,” Reardon said. “Just trying to show them to be relaxed but have the ability, the knowledge, and the skill to pop the ball in the corner, not the goalie.”
■ Lauren Gove has Gloucester (11-0-3) unbeaten entering Thursday’s regular-season finale at Swampcott.
“It’s one game at a time, always,” said Gove. “We feel successful just being in competition with all of these great teams,” she said.
“It’d be great to win the [Northeastern Conference], but the postseason is what we’ve been concentrating on.”
The Fishermengraduated nine players from last year’s 12-5-2 squad. In addition, senior captain Taylor Abbott was lost to an anterior cruciate ligament in the first minute of the first game of the season.
“We would have had more depth had she been healthy,” Gove said. “But, she still continues to be a presence around here.”
In her absence, sophomore Kate Delaney
(13 goals) and senior captain Marisa Enes
(10 assists) have stepped forward on the attack. Also, freshman Mia Salah
“It’s been impressive to watch since most of these girls haven’t had much [varsity] playing time. Watching the team play, they’ve produced as much as any team we’ve played against.”
Players of the Week
Grace MacDonald, Georgetown – The senior captain tallied three goals and two assists in an 8-1 win over Amesbury.
Clare Moloney-Kolenberg, Winchester – In a 5-0 defeat of Belmont, she tallied three goals as the Sachems stayed undefeated.
Cassi Ronan, Franklin – The junior midfielder tallied two goals and an assist in a 7-2 victory over Mansfield, propelling the Panthers to the state tourney. Ronan then scored two goals in a 3-1 win over Attleboro.
Hannah Stryke, Oliver Ames – The freshman netted both goals in a 2-0 defeat over Taunton as the Tigers retained second place in the Hockomock’s Kelley-Rex division.
Anna McGaffigan, Dennis-Yarmouth – Her three goals powered the Dolphins (15-1-2) to a 3-1 win over Duxbury.
Games to Watch
■ Thursday, No. 3 Somerset-Berkley at Seekonk (3:30 p.m.) — The Raiders had their first scare this past week in a narrow 2-1 victory over Dartmouth. But S-B may face a stiffer challenge against the South Coast rival Warriors.
■ Thursday, Norwood at No. 4 Walpole (6:30 p.m.) — The Porkers are focused on the road ahead: the tourney. But Norwood does own a win against a highly-regarded Wellesley squad.
■ Friday, Wilmington at No. 6 Watertown (3:30 p.m.) — The Raiders have a 78-4 goal differential, and three of those tallies came in the lone loss to Winchester. But Wilmington (10-3-1, 7-1-0), second in the Middlesex Freedom, has put together strong season.
Correspondent Ryan Stolz also contributed to this story. He can be reached at ryanssox@yahoo.com. Ryan Hathaway can be reached at ryan.hathaway@globe.com.