Rocket Teams Roar into Spring Post-Season!
Update: June 4, 2023
There have been some scheduling changes due to the threat of inclement weather on June 4th, which has postponed the Needham High School Graduation Ceremony until 5pm on Monday, June 5th. Several teams were originally scheduled to participate in the MIAA tournament that day, and those games were postponed as a result. Up to date tournament information may be found on the MIAA Tournament website.
June 1, 2023
It has been a great spring season, and, as Needham seniors prepare for prom and this Sunday’s commencement ceremony, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) has posted their post-season tournament brackets. That means graduating athletes are still on the line to see their teams through to the end of their runs. Here are how the first rounds will play out:
Softball
After a challenging 8-10 season, the Needham Rockets enter the Division 1 Tournament at the 31st seed. That means that, in a Preliminary Round, they will host Everett on Friday (6/2) at 4pm on Claxton Field. Everett has an 18-2 record on the season, but is seeded 34th, so it could be an intense game for the Rockets.
Boys Lacrosse
The Boys Lacrosse team accrued a record of 15-3 this spring, and so they enter the D1 tournament at the 13th seed, and giving them a bye in the preliminary round. That means that they will take on Natick at Memorial Field for the “Round of 32” on Monday, June 5th at 6pm. The Redhawks also are coming in with a bye, and are the underdogs with an 11-7 record. Don’t count them out, though, as the last time the two teams faced off it was a close one: 7-6 Needham!
Girls Lacrosse
While the Girls Lacrosse team has been on a winning streak lately, their 6-12 record means they have to fight hard in every match-up. They avoided the Preliminary Round in the Division 1 tournament, however, and will travel to Acton-Boxboro on Monday, June 5th for a 4:30pm game. A-B is the 12th seed, and Needham is at the 21st seed, so they will pose a challenge for the team!
Boys Tennis
The Rockets will host Braintree at Newman School on Friday, June 2nd at 4pm. Needham won handily the last time they came up against the Wildcats, taking 5 straight sets, so it will be interesting to see what Braintree can bring to the courts this time around.
Girls Tennis
The Girls Tennis team has already started their first round match-up against the Newton North Tigers. They began the round on Wednesday, May 31st at Newman Elementary School, but had to call it due to darkness with a score of 2-2. Talk about a cliff-hanger. The game is back on at 2:45pm on Friday, June 2nd, according to the Needham High School Athletics Twitter feed (@NHSRockets). Go Rockets!
Boys Volleyball
Finally, the Boys Volleyball team will begin their much anticipated march into the tournament this Saturday, June 3rd. The action will take place in the Needham High School A-Gym starting at 1:30pm. They will take on Quincy who is currently seeded 32nd with a 9-11 record this spring. Quincy is coming in off of Wednesday’s Preliminary Round, where they defeated South Lancaster 3 sets to 1.
As always, outdoor games are weather dependent, so games may be shifted as unsettled weather is expected this weekend. The Needham Channel will be tracking the tournaments closely, and will bring coverage to many of the team’s matches, so check in with @TNC_Sports for our latest coverage.
