Today we are letting the coaches breakdown and give their thoughts on how they think each semifinal game will play out on Thursday night at Plymouth High School.  

 The first matchup of the night features a Newmarket team that truly turned their season around late and is clicking at the right time. They run into a Hinsdale team that hasn't played a single Division IV game until the playoffs but were challenged throughout the season with teams like Monadnock, Conant, and Keene.  

 A North Country classic awaits in Game 2 and is also a rematch of last year's championship game between Colebrook and Woodsville. The tables have turned this season though, as Woodsville took both regular-season matchups behind a strong defensive gameplan centered around shutting down Sage Smith and Sam Howe. 

 

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We let four coaches share their thoughts on how they think each matchup will play out and give their picks on who they see advancing to Sunday's final. 

Newmarket vs. Hinsdale 

Newmarket Team Page

Hinsdale Team Page

 These are two teams with completely different styles of play. Hinsdale is a group that can light up the scoreboard but also has the ability to slow groups down and play in the half-court. Newmarket on the other hand is a team that would much rather let their defense do the talking. 

 "Newmarket is arguably the top defensive team in the division," said one Division IV head coach. Thursday night will be Newmarket's toughest defensive assignment yet with Angelina Nardolillo being the biggest mismatch in all of the division.  

 "Hinsdale's strength is the size and length of Nardolillo who makes you work for every rebound and wreaks havoc on defense by blocking and deflecting shots," said one Division IV coach. 

 This was the missing piece for Hinsdale last season. They had the scoring and outside shooting to compete with anyone in the division, but they missed the presence of Nardolillo on the inside as teams felt comfortable attacking Hinsdale on the inside. 

 Brianna Filion and Abigal Henry have done the heavy lifting on the inside for the Mules and have anchored the defense for most of the season. "Fillion and Henry need to be able to limit Hinsdale's second chance opportunities. If they can defensive rebound well these two will be the reason Newmarket is in this game," said one coach we spoke with. 

  "If Newmarket can defend inside on Nardolillo and Hinsdale is cold from the outside they have a fighting chance," said one head coach.    

 What makes Hinsdale so dangerous is the shooting they have on the perimeter around Nardolillo. They have an all-state guard in Delaney Wilcox who would be the first option on nearly any other team in the division and one of the best shooters in Megan Roberts who gets many open looks with the attention Wilcox and Nardolillo garner. 

 "Even if you force the ball out of Nardolillos hands Hinsdale has four solid three-point shooters waiting on the outside," said one coach.  

 Nardolillo hasn't faced anyone nearly her size all season, but that could change on Thursday night. 

 "An interesting matchup will be Nardolillo against Newmarket's 6'5" Lena Nicholson," said one coach. "Nardolillo likely hasn't faced that size before, but Nicholson hasn't matched up with a big as skilled as Nardolillo."

 Offensively is where Hinsdale has the upper hand in this matchup. Newmarket is a team that has struggled to score at times this year and this is an issue they are hoping to avoid on Thursday night.  

  "Newmarket lacks consistent scoring and may struggle against the size and length of the Hinsdale zone," said a coach we spoke with.  "On the other side of things, their strength is keeping teams limited offensively. Both teams play a slower style and that may favor Hinsdale."  

 Another coach also pointed out how the defense of Hinsdale can't be overlooked in this one. "The big question for Newmarket will be where the offense comes from, especially if Hinsdale's zone can keep the Mules out of the paint." 

 "The big question mark for Newmarket will be Brianna Filion," said a Division IV coach. "When she gets going she not only scores, she creates for other teammates. However, she has been held down by good defensive teams a few times this season. She needs to have a big night and involve her teammates with her drive and dish play style if the Mules are going to come out on top." 

 Filion has been an all-state level player for Newmarket the past few seasons and she will need to put together one of her best outings of the season if Hinsdale wants to try and turn this into a shootout. 

 One coach sees experience and playoff success being a factor in this game.  

 "Hinsdale has been deeper into the playoffs previously than Newmarket, including a title three years ago when both two Nardolillo and Wilcox were freshmen," said one Division IV coach. "Both were already the leaders on the squad, so based on that alone Hinsdale has an advantage." 

 Newmarket comes in as the underdogs in this one, but this is a role that I think Meghan Averill will use to motivate this team. This was a team just mere moments away from a Final Four appearance a season ago when they gave Woodsville all they could handle in the quarterfinals. 

 Getting to the Final Four was the goal coming into the year for Newmarket, and I don't think they will let this opportunity slip away that easily. 

 Hinsdale is back for another crack at a title game. They felt that had what it took last season and now with Nardolillo back on the squad, they feel confident they have what it takes to go all the way. 

 So, who wins this one? 

 "I'd expect Hinsdale to come out on top in this one." 

 " Hinsdale.  I think no matter how well Newmarket matches up defensively, they will struggle to score against the Hinsdale zone." 

 "Hinsdale is just too tough offensively and Newmarket has times where they struggle to score. I see Hinsdale winning this going away and playing in their third finals in the last four years." 

 "Hinsdale. I don't see the Pacers having much trouble here. They're clearly playing their best basketball right now and I don't think Newmarket has the depth or big-game experience to pull the upset."

 

Colebrook vs. Woodsville 

Colebrook Team Page

Woodsville Team Page

 These North Country foes are more than familiar with each other by now, so there shouldn't be too many surprises when these teams face off for the third time this season. 

 "I had these teams pegged as two of the top teams in the division, so it is not a big surprise that they are both Final Four teams," said one coach. "Although both teams survived close calls in the earlier rounds, Colebrook vs Groveton and Littleton and Woodsville vs Concord Christian." 

 While both teams returned the core of their rotations, both are led by "new" head coaches. Duane Call and Steve Colby were two of the most overqualified assistants in the division, and have continued their success as head coaches this season.  

 Looking at the two regular-season wins that Woodsville had over Colebrook, defense was the driving force in both contests.  

 "Their man-to-man defense is as good as it gets," said one coach we spoke with. "They are arguably the best defensive team in the division. When they are locked in they are tough to score on."  

 "Woodsville matches up with Colebrook better than anyone in the division," said one coach. 

 Olivia Sarkis and Sam Howe is the key matchup in this one. These two have battled each other countless times the past few years, but this year especially we have seen Sarkis make things tough for Howe. 

 "Sarkis plays well on both ends, but her defense on Howe will be the key in this one," said a Division IV coach. 

 Howe and Sage Smith led this group to a championship a season ago, and are looking to do the same again this season. "Sage Smith and Sam Howe are arguably among the top 2 or 3 players in the division," said one coach. "It's a great advantage to have two players who can both go out and get you 20 or more points on the same night." 

 Both put up points in this matchup during the regular season, but Woodsville put them under a microscope. Their every move was met with instant pressure and physicality. 

 Depth is Colebrook's Achilles heel, while on the other hand depth is what has made Woodsville the great team they are. "Colebrook may have the best overall player in Sage Smith, but I think the depth of Woodsville outweighs the strength of Smith and Howe," said one coach. 

 What has hurt Colebrook is their lack of a consistent third scorer. Mackenzie Scherer was the perfect fit for this group last season. She led the charge on defense and was always in the right spots to hit big shots for the Mohawks. 

 A player like Ariana Lord may be the one called upon to score in double digits for Colebrook. "Lord has gained confidence these last few weeks and with her size as well as her shooting range could be a difference-maker." 

 Sarkis and Emily Prest have led Woodsville on both ends of the floor and will certainly be relied upon heavily in this matchup. "Usually as Prest and Sarkis go, the team goes," said one coach. "Prest in particular seems to play well in end of game situations." 

 Prest is arguably the most important player for the Engineers since she has the ball in her hands a majority of the time and is the most reliable ball-handler for Woodsville. "Woodsville seems to need Prest to handle the ball vs pressure and Prest sometimes has a tendency to get into foul trouble," said a coach. 

 Keeping Prest on the floor at all times is just as important as Colebrook keeping both Smith and Howe on the floor. While depth is there for Woodsville and they have reliable options, Prest is the key to everything for the Engineers. 

 Graci Kaiser has been one of the best players for Woodsville this season. Her ability to shoot from the outside has opened up a lot for Sarkis down low. Kaiser being the x-factor for Woodsville is no surprise. "Kaiser is capable of helping out with a double-figure game if the stars are struggling," said a Division IV coach. 

 Morgan Wagstaff and Mackenzie Kingsbury round out the starting five for Woodsville and have the ability to impact the game on both ends. "All five starters are scoring threats for Woodsville," said one coach. 

 The pace of this game could determine the outcome. 

 "Colebrook loves to play fast, force turnovers, and score in transition. Woodsville doesn't waste possessions. I think the tempo of this game is the biggest variable," said one coach. "If the Mohawks can speed Woodsville up and get some easy baskets they'll be in much better shape than if they're forced to grind it out against a bigger, deeper team in the halfcourt. I think that Woodsville's composed, experienced guard group will make that a tall order, but Sage Smith is definitely capable of frustrating anyone on defense." 

 We saw a young Concord Christian group force Woodsville into a lot of late-game turnovers with their full-court pressure. The pressure that Colebrook brings can certainly cause Woodsville problems, but it is also a defense Woodsville didn't have too many problems with, especially on the smaller court in Colebrook. 

All four coaches agreed that the "it's tough to beat a team three times" narrative applies in this situation. "Woodsville found a way to beat them twice, but that will help Colebrook prepare for what they need to do to come out on top here," said one coach. "If Colebrook has answers for the ways Woodsville challenged them in the regular season, does Coach Colby have a plan B?" 

 Both Colby and Call have done a terrific job preparing their teams for this moment, and both I am sure feel they have a gameplan to get a win over one another. 

 We saw Woodsville fall to Colebrook three times last year, most importantly in the final game of the season on the big stage at Plymouth State. The Engineers surely have a chip on their shoulder. 

 "Woodsville seems to be on a mission this year after losing in the finals last year," said one Division IV coach. "It's tough to beat a team three times and Colebrook will not go down without a fight."  

 So, who wins this one? 

 "I believe Woodsville will win because of their defense and ability to score from beyond the arc. The game will be close like the 2 regular-season games, however, Woodsville will get some late-game stops and make their free throws to ice the game." 

 "I'm leaning toward Woodsville, but I also think that after losing to them twice Colebrook will come up with a new angle of approach. It's hard to beat a good team three times in one season." 

 "Woodsville. I think the Engineer's depth and discipline will help them here. This could be the best game of the tournament." 

 "Woodsville.  They are extremely confident, well-coached, have more depth, and are looking to avenge a finals lost last season."