The NHIAA Division II and Division III lacrosse playoffs are set to begin Thursday, putting Upper Valley teams into the last stretch of the regular season with seeding and survival on the line. In Vermont, the first round of the VPA Division I and Division II playoffs is set for Tuesday and Wednesday.
That timing gives a clear answer to the question hanging over a cluster of local teams: who is in, who is still climbing and who has one last chance to improve its place before the brackets lock. Hanover sits at No. 9 with a 5-8 record and is right on the playoff line with 10 teams set to make the postseason, while the Wasps are 10-4, sit fourth in their division and have already secured a berth. Hartford is also safe after a regular season built on dominant results against divisional opponents and a 2-1 mark against Division I teams. The Canes finished 13-1 and are No. 2 in the VPA Division II standings, with the Bears at 9-6 and projected to finish fifth. In that same division, nine of the 14 teams will advance, and the Bears are in position for a first-round bye.
Hanover’s place makes the final weekend matter. The team is on a three-game losing streak and has not yet won consecutive games this season, so Friday’s home game against Goffstown is its last chance to change the tone before the playoffs begin. The Raiders enter the postseason at 10-3 and tied for fifth in their division after a season that featured seven games decided by two goals or less and four wins in those tight finishes. Their statement win over defending champion Plymouth showed they can beat top competition when the margin is thin.
Not every local team reaches next week with the same momentum. Stevens, last in Division III at 0-12, will not be part of the postseason and closes Friday at home against Bishop Brady. Woodstock, by contrast, turned an opening loss into a six-game winning streak and finished by winning two of its last three, a reminder of how quickly a season can change once the brackets arrive. The next hard deadline is Friday’s final round of regular-season games, after which the playoff field and seeds will settle into place.
