This time next week we will be just a day away from the quarterfinals for all four divisions. 

 The season has flown by quickly, and every team is gearing up for what should be an entertaining and unpredictable two-week stretch of soccer. 

 Today we look at how each team looks heading into the postseason as the regular season wraps up on Friday. 

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Division I

Division II Standings and Statistical Leaders

1. Exeter: The Blue Hawks have just about wrapped up the top seed in Division I. No one has had an answer for this group all season, and it will be especially tough to find one now with the way this team has played all year. Emma Smith is certainly in the Player of the Year Conversation and has played like one all season. 

2. Portsmouth: As I have said all year, this team is solid from top to bottom. Annie Parker has been very steady for the Clippers offensively and defensively this group is really solid with Haley Coombs in net with a hard-working defense in front of her. The scores don't pop off the page, but Portsmouth has continued to get the job done all season. 

3. Bedford: It was a bit of a shocker to see the Bulldogs fall to Pinkerton, but the Astros have been playing their best soccer as of late (see below). Bedford will get one last chance to hold onto a top-four seed with BG on Friday which will be their most important game of the season and a great final tune-up before the playoffs. 

4. Bishop Guertin: The reigning champs are rolling as of late, and had a nice showing against Londonderry to start the week in a game we covered. This a team that possesses the ball well and did a great job of boxing Londonderry in their defensive zone on Monday (Martha Lord was very good in that win). The experience is there, it will be about executing down the stretch for the Cardinals. 

5. Timberlane: Timberlane will need to take care of business with Londonderry and hope BG can get the best of Bedford if they want two home playoff games. This offense has been lights out all year, Bella Keogh has started to run away with the Division I goal-scoring title (29 goals) but the teams ahead of them in the standings have been able to slow them down for the most part. The key for this group will be on the defensive side of the field if they are to go deep. 

6. Pinkerton: The Pinkerton Astros are right back in the mix in Division I. A 2-1 statement win over Bedford last week marked their third win in a row, and they will look to make that number five today against Hanover. I think they proved to everyone, most importantly themselves, that they are a team to be reckoned with. 

7. Merrimack: The Tomahawks have taken care of business down the stretch. They can lock up a top-six seed with a win against Nashua South, who has been a very tough out this season. Merrimack has had as solid a season as you could ask for, beating the teams you are supposed to beat and playing up with the best of Division I all season. 

8. Alvirne: After a 1-4 start to the season, finishing over.500 seemed like a tough task, but the Broncos really turned things around. This team has pulled out some close wins over the last month and will need to finish strong if they want to stay in the top eight.  

9. Concord: The Crimson Tide find themselves right at the .500 mark with one game to go tonight. A win will keep them in contention for the nine seed, and also a chance at the top eight if Alvirne is to lose to Nashua North. We have seen this Concord team go up and down this year, and they aren't in their best of stretches at the moment. A win helps with seeding, but more importantly, it helps their confidence going into the playoffs. 

10. Goffstown: Goffstown has an identical record with Concord, 7-7-1, heading into the final game of the season against Winnacunnet. The Grizzlies are losers of three straight and could really use a win to keep things afloat. Arianna Girzone (9 goals, 6 assists) and McKenna Kelly ( 6 goals and 3 assists) have been really consistent for this group and will need to have a big performance to end the regular season on the right foot. 

 

Division II

Division II Standings and Statistical Leaders

1. Bow: The Falcons return to the top spot after a brief absence the last week. Since their loss to MV Bow has dominated, outscoring opponents 19-0 over their last three games. This team still has some of the best talent in the division on their roster, it will be about staying level-headed and posied down the stretch.  

2. Hollis-Brookline: It wasn't too much of a surprise to see Hollis-Brookline fall to Milford, but losing 4-0 was the real eye-opener. It is hard to tell if that game told us more about Milford or Hollis-Brookline. The Cavaliers had been rolling since a September 9th loss to Lebanon, so that game could be used as a good wake-up call before the playoffs start next week. 

3. Pelham: I continue to beat the drum, but it has been the Ashlyn Walsh show as of late for Pelham. Over the past week, Pelham has scored 9 goals in three wins and Walsh has put five of those in the back of the net. Lexy Brodeur and Lindsey Butler have done a terrific job setting up opportunities for Walsh and others all season. This group has big aspirations as a real contender this year. 

4. Pembroke: The Spartans continue to quietly chug along and take care of business. 10-0-1 since the beginning of September, playing some of their best soccer, and is an experienced group? That sounds like a team that could win it all. 

5. Milford: Milford grabbed their biggest win of the season last Thursday over Hollis-Brookline. They outscored opponents 24-0 in the month of October and finish the season at 12-3-1 and comfortably in the top five. A win over a team like Hollis-Brookline is certainly a confidence boost for a team with Final Four potential. 

6. Coe-Brown: Josh Hils told me in the pre-season that his group wanted to get back in the playoffs and make some real noise. With a win over Merrimack Valley on Tuesday, they can lock up the six seed with a win over Plymouth this afternoon. This is a very energetic and fun group. While inexperienced, this is a team that can make the quarterfinals and has a real shot to go a step further. 

7. Merrimack Valley: Despite a loss to Coe-Brown on Tuesday, the Pride have really turned their season around in the month of October. This is a group most would want to avoid in the quarterfinals. 

8. John Stark: The Generals continue to fight, winning two straight thrillers against Lebanon and Oyster River, and will need to find whatever they have left in the tank as they finish the regular season with Bow on Friday. Madison Porth has set up both goals from free kicks, one scored and one assisted. John Stark could use another one of those from Porth on Friday. 

9. Oyster River: The second half of the schedule hasn't done Oyster River any favors, losing five in a row and not scoring any goals in that span. The Bobcats need a boost of confidence before the playoffs and can get one with a win over Lebanon this afternoon. 

10. Lebanon: The same goes for Lebanon, it has been hard for this group to get any sense of real momentum this season. This is still a team to watch for come playoff time, but they could use a win today after two straight 1-0 losses. 

 

Division III 

Division III Standings and Statistical Leaders

1. St. Thomas: Much like Exeter in Division I, St. Thomas has been the undisputed best team in the division all season long. The schedule has not been a cakewalk, they have earned every win, and got another big one yesterday over Trinity 2-0. Last year's final loss has motivated this team, and it looks like this year could be a different ending for the Saints. 

2. Stevens: Stevens had their chances against Hopkinton on Tuesday, but that was a neck-and-neck contest that could be a potential playoff preview. Hailey Knight continues to keep teams scoreless week after week and this explosive offense will be tough to contain. 

3. Raymond: Raymond continues to impress with their poise and is the only team to give St. Thomas any form of blemish on their record thus far. That matters. This team if they can play with the same pace and mentality in the playoffs can make some noise. 

4. Gilford: The Golden Eagles really know how to move the ball from side to side, and Millie Caldon and Anna Coapland are two of the best in the division and setting up scoring chances, especially for a great goal-scorer in Allison Kenyon (19 goals). The great defense that this team plays will be crucial come playoff time, and their offense just compliments their play on that end so much. This is certainly not a one-dimensional group. 

5. Hopkinton: The Hawks proved on Tuesday they are going to be amongst the contenders in this division once again. from mid-September on Hopkinton has looked like the team we have seen the past four years. Experience matters in the playoffs and a lot of the key contributors on this roster have been a part of championship teams. Watch out for Hopkinton. 

6. Trinity: The same can be said for Trinity, a Final Four team who had a bit of a slow start to the season, has found its footing as of late, winning four of their last five and scoring 20 goals, and allowing just zero over the span of a four-game win streak that was narrowly snapped by St. Thomas on Tuesday. 

7. Derryfield: Two straight wins for Derryfield, including a big 2-1 win over Conant on the road was exactly what the Cougars needed in order to stay in the mix for the eight-seed. One last hurdle remains with Trinity taking the drive over on Friday afternoon.  

8. Bishop Brady: The Giants' defensive identity has faded a bit over the last week, but a week of rest for one last game with Hillsboro-Deering should be a good chance for Bishop Brady to get back on track before the playoffs. 

9. Conant: The Orioles are locked in at 8-8 and could be a sneaky first-round matchup for some as the ten seed. Head coach Devon Spirka has really gotten her team to buy in and believe in themselves over the last month, and it has paid off with some of their best soccer of the season. They have found a way to win the close ones, and that will be big come playoff time. 

10. Inter-Lakes: Inter-Lakes makes an appearance in the top ten after going toe-to-toe with Gilford on Tuesday. They get a streaky Prospect Mountain team to end the regular season on Friday and could lock up a top-eight seed with a win. 

 

Division IV

Division IV Standings and Statistical Leaders

1. Newmarket: Yet another big win for Newmarket 1-0 over Portsmouth Christian yesterday. This group always finds a way to win, no matter the opponent, no matter the circumstance, the Mules know how to get it done. We will see if that narrative holds true as they get one last date with Sunapee, for the regular season at least, in what should be another instant classic. 

2. Sunapee: The Lakers got the best of Woodsville once again this year and everything points to one last game against Newmarket to cap off the regular season. As head coach Myles Cooney pointed out in the pre-season, things have not been easy for their program and community the last few years. If Sunapee wants to stay out of Newmarket's side of the bracket, a win is needed on Friday night. This group puts their best foot forward in big moments, I expect a big showing from Brynn Smith and Elizabeth Tschudin. 

3. Littleton: The Crusaders' jump into the top four was long overdue. Things drastically changed when they brought Profile to a 1-1 tie at the end of September, and ever since then, something has clicked for this group. They played a grudge match with rival Woodsville on Monday and have wrapped up a top-three seed. The youth on this team have figured it out, and are playing exactly how they hoped come playoff time. 

4. Woodsville: A tie-breaker over Profile should ensure the Engineers two home games, but it hasn't been the best stretch for Woodsville, at least to their standard. Sunapee has been a thorn in their side this season and they couldn't find a way to get one more in the back of the net against Littleton. This is a poised group, especially at home, which should do them well these next two weeks. 

5. Concord Christian: The Kingsmen are a very athletic group that has taken the jump we all expected them to this year. Will a lack of playoff experience come back to bite them? Potentially, but the resume they have built this year, and even the close losses they have taken are very impressive. 

6. Profile: The Patriots get an extra few days of rest after wrapping their regular season up on Monday. They will need it as it looks like they will be the five seed and have an exciting yet difficult path ahead of them. Jack Bartlet talked about the unselfishness of this group all season long. They are up for the challenge and have the talent to compete with almost anyone in the division. It will be hard, but Profile can certainly get back to the Final Four. 

7. Portsmouth Christian: The southern part of the state has been as stacked as can be, and the Eagles unfortunately been on the wrong side of things when it comes to playing many of the top teams. Lula Wamberg can get loose at any moment up front, and her scoring ability alone opens up a lot for PCA. I wouldn't want to see this team as seven-seed in the quarterfinals. 

8. Pittsburg-Canaan: The Yellowjackets have been rolling, to say the least. It took them until September 21st to get their first win but since then the confidence has grown. What once was looked at as a rebuilding season could possibly end up being a team that makes the quarterfinals. 

9. Gorham: The Huskies have struggled since we saw them in Profile a few weeks back, but ended things off nicely with a 3-0 win over Groveton. The playoffs will be a valuable experience for a group made up of a lot of impactful underclassmen, and they have the talent to get to the quarterfinals. 

10. Moultonborough: It hasn't been the best stretch of soccer to end the season for the Panthers, but one last regular season home game with Pittsburg-Canaan could change their fortune heading into the playoffs and keep hold of the nine-seed and maybe even make a move into the top eight.