2018 Vermont high school girls soccer playoff primer and predictions

It's two weeks to trophy time.

The Vermont high school girls soccer playoffs begin Tuesday and wrap up with championships for all four divisions on Nov. 3. What are the teams and matchups to watch? That's why I'm here.

The reigning title holders are all well-positioned for repeat bids — Champlain Valley, Milton and Thetford all nailed down top seeds, and Arlington is the 2-seed as it chases its second crown in a row. But tradition is tradition and I'm not just picking those games. I'm picking all of them.

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Here goes nothing:

Division I — Primer and predictions

• What to know: Slowly but surely, No. 1 Champlain Valley (14-0) separated itself from the pack as the odds-on favorite for what could be its sixth championship in seven years. The Redhawks managed just five goals in their first four games but haven't netted less than three in any match since, outscoring teams 47-3. All in all, typical CVU. ... Perhaps a surprise at the 2-seed, Mount Mansfield is there for good reason with a dozen wins to its credit. Only No. 5 South Burlington and CVU have gotten the best of the Cougars to date. ... Familiar challengers are also in the mix: Colchester (10-4), with its fifth straight season of double-digit wins, slots into a favorable draw as the 3-seed and last year's runner-up, Burr and Burton (8-4-1), is the 4-seed after going unbeaten in its last eight games. ... In seventh-seeded Essex (7-6-1) and No. 8 Burlington (8-6) the field also has two teams more than capable of pulling off an upset or two. The Hornets played 10 games decided by a single goal or less and nearly half of their goals against were scored by CVU. Meanwhile Burlington has played CVU, MMU and Colchester all to within a goal this year.

Playdowns

No. 8 Burlington over No. 9 North Country

No. 4 Burr and Burton over No. 13 Middlebury

No. 5 South Burlington over No. 12 St. Johnsbury

No. 2 Mount Mansfield over No. 15 Missisquoi

No. 7 Essex over No. 10 Spaulding

No. 3 Colchester over no. 14 BFA-St. Albans

No. 11 Rutland over No. 6 Mount Anthony

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Champlain Valley over Burlington

South Burlington over BBA

Essex over MMU

Colchester over Rutland

Semifinals

CVU over South Burlington

Colchester over Essex

Championship: Champlain Valley 2, Colchester 0 — Lakers goalie Olivia Moore keeps the Redhawks off the board for a half before CVU breaks through for two goals after the break to put a bow on a second straight perfect season.

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Division II — Primer and predictions

• What to know: Only one school has captured four consecutive D-II girls soccer crowns and it's on the verge of doing it again. Top-seeded Milton (12-2) has a highly capable defense backstopped by veteran goalie Madison North and a pair of dynamic scorers in senior Tatum Shappy and freshman Emma Wennar that would be the envy of nearly any team in the state. ... No. 2 Rice (9-2-3) is one of two teams to get the better of the Yellowjackets this year. The Green Knights have the quality to do it again as well as the motivation after falling in spot kicks in last year's final. ... No team in the tournament is hotter than third-seeded Harwood (11-2-1), winner of eight straight. ... Capital Division rivals U-32, the 4-seed, and Montpelier, the 5-seed, look poised to meet in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. Both have the defense to make a title run. ... No. 6 Mount Abraham (7-5-2) is battle tested after a league slate that included four games against Milton and Rice, and has only lost one game by more than a goal.

Playdowns

No.1 Milton over No. 16 Lake Region

No. 8 Lamoille over No. 9 Hartford

No. 4 U-32 over No. 13 Springfield

No. 5 Montpelier over No. 12 Fair Haven

No. 2 Rice over No. 15 Green Mountain Valley

No. 7 Woodstock over No. 10 Stratton Mountain

No. 3 Harwood over No. 14 Northfield/Williamstown

No. 6 Mount Abraham over No. 11 Mill River

Quarterfinals

Milton over Lamoille

U-32 over Montpelier

Rice over Woodstock

Harwood over Mount Abraham

Semifinals

Milton over U-32

Rice over Harwood

Championship: Milton 2, Rice 1 — Rice uses its home-field advantage to deny Harwood in the semis but Milton rules the day once again in the D-II final, wrapping up the four-peat and title No. 16.

Division III — Primer and predictions

• What to know: There are no shortage of potentially viable title challengers in D-III and that list starts at No. 1 with Thetford (11-1-1), the defending champ. Powered by juniors Casey and Lily MacVeagh, the Panthers are unbeaten in their last eight games. ... Second-seeded Oxbow (12-1) and No. 3 Green Mountain (13-1), last year's runner-up) have just two losses between them but haven't faced the demanding schedules of those also in the running. ... With a 3-3 tie against Thetford to its credit this year, fourth-seeded Peoples (10-3-1) has rounded into form as the season progressed. The Wolves lost just once in the last 10 games and could be on track for a semifinal rematch with the reigning champs — if Thetford can escape a possible quarterfinal matchup with always-tough Stowe, the 9-seed. ... Something of a Cinderella 12-seed when it made the semifinals last year, No. 6 Vergennes won't fool anyone this time around. Their 6-5-2 record isn't flashy but that's because the Commodores face arguably the toughest slate of any D-III club. ... And don't be surprised if No. 13 Otter Valley, led by University of Vermont commit Olivia White, can put a scare into a team or two.

Playdowns

No. 1 Thetford over No. 16 Winooski

No. 9 Stowe over No. 8 Leland & Gray

No. 4 Peoples over No. 13 Otter Valley

No. 5 Rivendell over No. 12 White River Valley

No. 2 Oxbow over No. 15 Randolph

No. 7 BFA-Fairfax over No. 10 Hazen

No. 3 Green Mountain over No. 14 Enosburg

No. 6 Vergennes over No. 11 Windsor

Quarterfinals

Thetford over Stowe

Peoples over Rivendell

Oxbow over BFA-Fairfax

Vergennes over Green Mountain

Semifinals

Thetford over Peoples

Vergennes over Oxbow

Championship: Vergennes 1*, Thetford 1 — A taut thriller turns for the Commodores in PKs as the not-quite-sleeper of D-III brings home the trophy from the program's first state final appearance since 2006.

Division IV — Primer and predictions

• What to know: The two titans of D-IV girls soccer, top-seeded Proctor and No. 2 Arlington, both enter the postseason at 12-1-1 after splitting their regular-season series. Both are prohibitive favorites to meet for a title rematch in Bellows Falls. ... The defending-champion Eagles boast one of the state's elite players regardless of division in striker Tess Belnap, who last week became the 13th girl in Vermont to reach the career 100-goal plateau. ... The Phantoms managed to nab the top seed even after falling to Arlington a week ago with a banged-up lineup. Can they stay healthy for a title push? ... The best chances for a spoiler in the remarkably top-heavy league — only three teams have winning records — will likely come from No. 4 West Rutland (7-6-1) or No. 3 Danville (6-8). In two meetings with rival Proctor, the Golden Horde fell 2-1 and drew 1-1. 

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Playdowns

No. 9 Sharon over No. 8 Twinfield

No. 5 Richford over No. 12 Black River

No. 7 Twin Valley over No. 10 Blue Mountain

No. 6 Long Trail over No. 11 Mount St. Joseph

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Proctor over Sharon

No. 4 West Rutland over Richford

No. 2 Arlington over Twin Valley

No. 3 Danville over Long Trail

Semifinals

Proctor over West Rutland

Arlington over Danville

Championship: Arlington 3, Proctor 2 — It won't be another hat trick for Belnap, but the Arlington scoring dynamo will get the one that counts to give the Eagles back-to-back crowns.

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Contact Austin Danforth at 651-4851 or edanforth@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @eadanforth.