Wilmington Seeks Title Game Berth With Tuesday Tilt

Wilmington has been here before. But the Wildcat boys hockey team is hoping for a better result this time.

After the locals were elimianted by Saugus last year in the North Division 2 semifinal, Wilmington returns to Chelmsford Forum on Tuesday night to face North Andover at 6:10 p.m. with a berth in the sectional final on the line.

So on the eve of the latest big game for the Wildcats, we get you ready with five facts about the match up.

1. Both teams are playing some of their best hockey of the year. Wilmington, , got to this point with an 8-1-2 record in the last 11 games. North Andover, meanwhile, reeled off a 10-1-1 record in its final 12 contests to earn a spot in the semifinal round.

2. Wilmington and North Andover have squared off already once this year, though the Wildcats were undermanned. On December 27, the Knights snagged a 2-1 victory over Wilmington. But the tilt was the final game the team played , who returned and helped jolt the squad to this point.

3. Regardless of the outcome on the other side of the bracket, the winner of Wilmington versus North Andover will be favored based on seeding when they reach the North final. That's because both of the other semifinalists are double digit seeds. Tenth-seeded Winthrop and No. 11 Saugus, , face off in the second game of the night at 8:10 p.m.

4. Both Wilmington and North Andover are solid defensively, and Wildcat head coach Steve Scanlon said after the team's victory over top seed Lynnfield that he expects a physical game. The Knights allowed 1.5 tallies per game while scoring 3.5 goals on average. Wilmington, meanwhile, allowed only 1.72 scores per game thanks to the solid effort in between the pipes by . The Wildcats put home an average of 2.86 per game.

5. If you can't make the game, you can follow along with Wilmington Patch. Become a fan of our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter, and you can keep up with updates throughout. And as always, be sure to check back for the most in depth coverage around on Tuesday as we bring you a full recap, photos and video of the playoff tilt.