North Reading Will Face Essex In Hockey Opener

North Reading earned the No. 16 seed in the Division 2 North hockey tournament and will face Essex in the preliminary round Monday in Watertown. The MIAA released the hockey pairings Saturday.

The Hornets finished the regular season 9-8-3 and will face No. 17 seed Essex, which went 9-8-4. The winner of that game gets top-seeded Danvers in the first round Wednesday.

The complete Division 2 North field: 1. Danvers (15-4-1); 2. Stoneham (14-4-2); 3. Lynnfield (12-5-2); 4. Lowell Catholic (12-6-1); 5. Masconomet (10-5-4); 6. Winthrop (12- 6-2); 7. Lincoln-Sudbury (12-7-1); 8. North Andover (12-7-2); 9. Gloucester (S) (10-6-4); 10. Pentucket (11-7-2); 11. Beverly (10-6-4); 12. Methuen (10-7-3); 13. Boston Latin (10-7-3); 14. Wilmington (10-9); 15. Tewksbury (10-8-2); 16. North Reading (9-8-3); 17. Essex Tech (9-8-4).

Earlier Saturday the MIAA selected the field for the Super 8 tournament. This year's field by seed: 1. Central Catholic; 2. BC High; 3. St. John's Prep; 4. Hingham; 5. Andover; 6. Burlington; 7. Arlington; 8. St. John's (S); 9. St. Mary's; 10. Pope Francis.

Monday's play-in games at the Chelmsford Forum will be Pope Francis vs. defending Super 8 champion Arlington and St. John's (S) facing St. Mary's.