REGION – The MIAA has finalized matchups and game times for this weekend’s ice hockey state championships, setting up a jam packed Sunday for local hockey fans.
Both the Marlborough boys and Algonquin girls teams will take the ice at the TD Garden in Boston as they vie for the chance to claim their respective state titles.
They’ll do so back-to-back, with Marlborough skating first at 11 a.m. Puck drop for the Algonquin game is set for 1 p.m.
“It’s great for high school hockey,” Marlborough boys coach Mike O’Brien said on Monday.
Marlborough
Marlborough will face off against Hanover.
The Panthers dominated in the regular season, losing just one game before winning their way into the state championship with a similarly strong postseason performance.
They most recently defeated Lynnfield in the semifinals on Monday, winning by a 3-2 margin at the Tsongas Center in Lowell.
Marlborough was the top ranked team in Division III hockey under the MIAA’s power ranking system going into the playoffs.
Hanover snagged third place.
The Hawks then punched their ticket to Boston with a win over Scituate in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Algonquin
The Algonquin squad, which also includes co-op players from Marlborough, Hudson and Clinton, will take on Canton.
The Titans rumbled through their regular season with a 14-3-2 win-loss-tie record. That earned them a 10th place ranking in Division II.
Algonquin then navigated the postseason, completing their ascent to the state championships with a pair of overtime wins in the quarterfinals and the semifinals.
The second of those dramatic victories capped a comeback for Algonquin, which had trailed 2-1 with just a few minutes left in the third period of their game against Medfield.
Canton, meanwhile, finished in ninth place in the state’s regular season ranking.
It then won its semifinals game against Natick to qualify for a spot in the finals.
‘Challenge accepted’
Schools are gearing up for these championship games.
At Algonquin, the school’s official Twitter account has wagered a bet with Canton.
If Algonquin wins, Canton principal Jeffrey Sperling will have to wear Algonquin colors to school on Monday.
If Canton wins, Algonquin’s Sean Bevan will wear Canton colors.
“We’ll send you homemade cookies from our cafeteria,” Algonquin offered as an additional incentive in a tweet on Wednesday.
“Challenge accepted,” Canton responded in a separate message a few moments later. “We have some pretty good cookies of our own so it’s on.”
Tickets for the games are on sale now.
Those interested can buy tickets at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/01005C6E9B735BC7.
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