Fenwick hosts the 11th annual Mike Murphy Tournament this week, beginning on Thursday evening at 5:00pm and wrapping up with the final game of the first place bracket at 6:30pm on Saturday. Eight of the top ten teams are participating, while St Thomas Aquinas comes in from Florida to join an impressive cast of teams. Here is a closer look at what to expect on each day of the tournament:

Thursday Preview

The defending state champions (#1 Lyons) get the tournament started at 5:00pm against #12 New Trier in a rematch of last year's state quarterfinal matchup (Lyons won 11-3). That game is followed by a Catholic League showdown pitting #8 Loyola against #10 McAuley, just one week after the Ramblers earned a 9-6 victory over the Macs. The sixth-ranked hosts will face a tough challenge against #5 Mundelein in the third game of the evening, while New Trier and McAuley will close things out in a 7:30pm contest.

Friday Preview

Friday's opener features #4 St Ignatius and #9 Stevenson, as both teams join the fray for their first game on the second day of the event. That game will be followed by #3 H-F taking on #14 Evanston, who just returned from their recent training trip to Florida. The Friars get the first chance at St Thomas Aquinas, Florida's 2010 state semifinalists, in the third game of the night. The last game of the evening features Stevenson and Evanston, as both teams play their second game of the event.

Saturday Preview

Seven preliminary round games take place in the morning on Saturday before the championship round can begin. Key matchups include #1 Lyons against #10 McAuley in a rematch of last year's sectional final game. The Lions won this year's meeting between the two squads 7-5 back in March.

Loyola and New Trier follow in the second game, which is also a rematch of last year's GBS sectional final (NT won 11-10). The rematches continue in the third game, as #3 H-F will seek a bit of revenge against #4 St Ignatius. The Wolfpack won last year's state semifinal matchup in overtime to advance to the state title game.

#5 Mundelein will take on St Thomas in the fourth game, #1 LT plays #8 Loyola, #3 H-F takes on #9 Stevenson, while the preliminary round wraps up with a battle between #4 Ignatius and #14 Evanston.

The final round of games features the top team from Group A (Fenwick, Mundelein, St Thomas) playing the top team from the other two groups. The second and third place teams will also meet, while the fourth place teams from Group B and Group C will play for tenth place at 4:00pm. For more information, see the schedule below.