The Greenfield hockey team has been preparing for Thursday’s contest all season. 

The Green Wave bumped up to the Berry Division and put together a challenging non-league slate in an attempt to be fully prepared for the MIAA Div. 4 state tournament. Greenfield has qualified each year under the new statewide format but hasn’t been able to make it past the Round of 32. 

After winning the Berry Division regular season title and reaching the Western Mass. Class A championship game, the Green Wave earned the highest seed they’ve ever had in the tournament at No. 17.

The prize for that? A trip to the Cape to take on 16th-seeded Sandwich Thursday, with puck drop set for 7:10 p.m. at Gallo Arena in Bourne. 

How close was this game to being played at Collins-Moylan Arena? Very close. 

The Blue Knights finished the season with a rating of minus-0.5266 while the Green Wave’s rating was minus-0.5528, showcasing just how close the MIAA’s formula sees the two teams. 

Sandwich (8-10-2) has been a power in Div. 4 since the new format went into place. The Blue Knights reached the Round of 16 last winter, were the No. 2 seed and made it to the state title game in 2023 and won the Div. 4 championship in 2022. 

While the Blue Knights might not have the firepower they’ve had the last few years, they’re a balanced squad that has scored 48 goals in 20 games while surrendering 48 goals. 

Three girls basketball teams reach Round of 32 

It’s been a memorable season for the Frontier girls basketball team, which dropped just two games during the regular season and took eventual Western Mass. Class B champion Pittsfield to the wire in the semifinals. 

The Redhawks hope to keep the momentum going in the Div. 4 state tournament, hosting 20th-seeded Manchester Essex in the Round of 32 on Thursday at 7 p.m. 

The Hornets (9-12) blew out Sturgis Charter West, 59-15, in the preliminary round and head to South Deerfield having won three of their last four after a slow start to the season. 

Over in the Div. 5 girls bracket, Mahar and Greenfield took care of business in the preliminary round but will need to play their best games of the season to pull off upsets on the road on Thursday. 

The No. 24 Senators blew out Ruth Batson Academy, 45-19, behind double-doubles from Hayden Comeau and Taylor Paluk but now will be on the road to face No. 9 Lee in the Round of 32 on Thursday at 6 p.m. 

Mahar beat Lee, 49-45, in the Round of 32 last year as a No. 16 seed, though the Wildcats (13-7) are improved this year and had won five in a row before falling to Lenox in the Class C semifinals. 

Greenfield picked a good time to heat up from 3-point land, knocking down 11 3s — five from both Tayler Bergeron and Anna Bucala — to blow past Baystate Academy in the prelims on Tuesday at Nichols Gymnasium. 

The 27th-seeded Wave hope the hot shooting can continue when it travels to Hyannis to face No. 6 Saint John Paul II on Thursday, with tip set for 5 p.m. The Lions (19-3) come into the game on a 14 game win streak, last having lost on Jan. 9. 

Three boys basketball teams set to compete in Round of 32 

The Greenfield boys basketball team has the talent to compete with anyone despite its No. 24 seed in the Div. 4 field and will be heading to seventh-seeded Lunenburg on Thursday for its Round of 32 contest with confidence after rolling past Maimonides, 67-33, in the prelims on Tuesday. 

The Blue Knights (15-5) come into the game winners of five of its last six. Tip is set for 6 p.m. in Lunenburg.

On Friday, Pioneer and Mahar are hoping to start a similar run to the ones each had last year that saw both squads make it to the MIAA Div. 5 semifinals. 

The top-seeded Panthers enter the tournament as the favorites, boasting a 21-0 record which includes a Class D championship. Pioneer gets things started when it hosts No. 32 Prospect Hill Academy (15-6), which beat Bethany Hill Christian, 46-38, on Wednesday in the prelims. 

Prospect Hill, out of Cambridge, has won six of its last seven. Tip is set for 7 p.m. at Messer Gymnasium on Friday. 

Out in Orange, Mahar earned the No. 10 seed in the Div. 5 field and will host 23rd-seeded Boston United, which beat PVCICS 77-50 in the prelims. Boston United (9-10) heads to Orange winners of five of its last six. Tip is set for 6 p.m. on Friday.