VPA girls basketball playoff pairings announced

The Vermont Principal’s Association announced the girls basketball pairings on Monday meaning it’s postseason time for Springfield, Windsor and Bellows Falls.
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VPA girls basketball playoff pairings announced By Staff Reports | Feb 17, 2015 Share on print Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email More Sharing Services 0 The Vermont Principal’s Association announced the girls basketball pairings on Monday meaning it’s postseason time for Springfield, Windsor and Bellows Falls. The first round will be Tuesday and Wednesday for Divisions II and III with Springfield and Bellows Falls playing Tuesday and Windsor on Wednesday. Springfield earned the No. 6 seed in Division II with its 11-9 regular season record. Windsor battled injuries all year long and lost two tough games down the stretch of the season to fall to No. 9 on the year in Division III with a 10-10 record. Bellows Falls had an up-and-down campaign and finished with a 7-11 record, which earned it the No. 12 seed in the Division III playoffs. Here is a look at the first-round matchups involving local teams: Division II First Round No. 11 Woodstock (9-11) at No. 6 Springfield (11-9) Tuesday, 7 p.m. After fighting for a home playoff game down the stretch last season, the Cosmos missed reaching the top eight in the division after their last regular-season game was canceled and Springfield went on to lose its first-round matchup at Randolph in overtime. This season, the Cosmos made sure they weren’t in a must-win situation down the stretch to assure them their first home playoff game in over four years. “It’s definitely tougher when you go on the road to start the playoffs,” said Springfield fourth-year coach Joe Brown. “We haven’t had a home playoff game since I have been here, so this is nice for us. It helps ease into the playoffs in a familiar gym.” After starting the season 4-5, the Cosmos ended the year with a 7-4 record in their final 11 games, as they started to find a groove in their game plan. “When we are playing our best basketball, I think we can beat anyone in Division II,” said Brown. “When we transition well and play our style of defense I know we can play, we are very successful.” One thing working for the Cosmos is they are used to playing tough teams from their difficult season schedule. “There wasn’t an easy team we played all season,” said Brown. “We played a lot of good games this season against tough teams, which should help us in the playoffs.” The Cosmos will be led by Chelsea McAllister, who has been the go-to scorer all year long. The senior broke the school scoring record in their second to last game against Windsor last week. But for the team to be successful, Brown said it’s pivotal for the entire team to contribute in other ways. Senior guard Nicole Patterson has stepped her game up throughout the year to help take some of the pressure off McAllister. “For us to be successful in the playoffs, we need contributions from the entire team,” said Brown. “One thing we need to make sure we do is finish better and capitalize on the opportunities we get.” Woodstock finished the season with a 9-11 record against a schedule made up of mostly Division III and IV teams. Despite the differences in difficulty of schedule, Brown is going to make sure his team doesn’t take anyone lightly. “I told the girls, every night in the playoffs, the records are 0-0,” he said. “We know we can play with anyone when we are on, but if we come out flat and have an off night, anyone can beat anyone. So, we just have to make sure we are on our game and play with the energy and effort I know we can.”