MIAA releases boys' soccer tournament brackets for five Divisions

MIAA Boys’ Soccer Tournament Brackets Feature High-Stakes Openers Across Five Divisions

The postseason fields are officially set across Massachusetts as the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association released tournament brackets for the boys’ soccer state tournament, setting up matchups, travel itineraries, and divisional battles across Divisions 1 through 5, according to a report by The Boston Globe.

What a field.

In Division 1, the favorites and contenders are largely locked within three powerhouse conferences: the Dual County League, the Bay State Conference, and the Catholic Conference. The Dual County League dominated the top three seeds after a stellar campaign, with Cambridge capturing its first DCL championship and earning the No. 1 overall seed. Concord-Carlisle secured the No. 2 seed as a perennial heavyweight, while No. 3 Lincoln-Sudbury rebounded impressively from a down year.

Down in the Bay State Conference, reigning champion Natick claimed the No. 8 seed, bringing valuable big-game experience despite an up-and-down regular season. Needham started slowly before turning things around down the stretch to land the No. 9 seed, alongside No. 7 Newton North and No. 5 Wellesley. Meanwhile, Catholic Conference champion BC High took the No. 4 seed, spending most of the season near the top before slipping slightly toward the finish line, leaving No. 6 Catholic Memorial and St. John’s (Shrewsbury) as dangerous lower-seeded threats.

First-round action in Division 1 features a compelling showdown with No. 17 Belmont traveling to face No. 16 Winchester. No. 18 Bishop Feehan draws the division’s longest opening-round road trip, facing a 79-mile trek to take on No. 15 Ludlow.

Chasing History in Division 2 and Beyond

In Division 2, Oliver Ames secured the No. 1 seed after an unbeaten 16-0-2 regular season that saw the Tigers concede just three goals all year. Wayland grabbed the No. 2 seed on the strength of impressive wins against several Division 1 contenders, while No. 4 Milford enters battle-tested after playing Oliver Ames twice during the regular season.

Division 3 showcases Medfield riding a 14-game winning streak into the postseason following a blistering run that featured just a single September loss. The team earned the top seed ahead of No. 2 Pope Francis and reigning champion No. 3 Norwell, which didn’t miss a beat under a new head coach.

Cohasset reclaimed the No. 1 seed in Division 4—a position the Skippers previously held during their 20th-century state title run—setting up a potential quarterfinal rematch against last year’s finalist Rockland. West Bridgewater sits comfortably at No. 2, while defending champion Bromfield lurks at No. 7.

Hopedale earned the top seed in Division 5 after finishing as runner-up last fall, looking to finish the job this time around. Dearborn STEM holds the No. 2 seed, bringing nonconference experience against some of the state’s toughest competition outside the division. The path for lower seeds involves considerable distance; the longest road trip of the entire state tournament sends No. 22 Lenox on a grueling 200-mile journey to face No. 11 Cape Cod Tech in the opening round.

Last year’s Division 5 champion, Boston International, would have claimed the No. 2 seed this season but was ruled ineligible for the postseason after accumulating too many cards throughout the year, per MIAA rule 78.2.9.