WORCESTER, Mass. – When a playoff bracket is drawn up, being a one-seed certainly doesn't guarantee an easy path through a postseason tournament.
That truth is amplified some in NEPSAC soccer, where eight-team fields ensure a school needs three wins in a five-day window to emerge with the championship trophy. In reality, from Class A down to Class D, quarterfinals occur on a Wednesday, then semifinals and the finale on the following Saturday and Sunday, respectively. That short rest leading into the Thanksgiving break can be physically brutal.
Still, No. 1 teams largely proved their worth on championship Sunday at Worcester Academy, with three of the four emerging as NEPSAC winners. The finals were originally scheduled to be played at Middlesex School in Concord, Mass., but were moved on account of snow and field conditions. This move also meant the All-Star games were cancelled.
