Thursday
Wilton 2 @ #9 Ridgefield 4
-Good win for Ridgefield against one of the top DII teams.
#6 West Haven 2 @ Notre Dame-Fairfield 1
-West Haven gets the job done via a goal with 35 seconds left in regulation by Adam Mink, but I think the score says more about ND and their potential to upset anyone this year. Keep an eye on the Lancers, who have games remaining this season against Prep, ND-WH, S Windsor, Conard, Hamden and Xavier. West Haven moves on to #5 Notre Dame-West Haven Saturday.
Conard 2 @ #8 Glastonbury 1 OT
-I personally was at this game and had a great time. A mildly exciting game with major implications, not to mention I got to watch another overtime thriller (especially since it was an upset)! Things to note: Glastonbury impressed me (2nd time I've seen them in person) with their speed again and a determination to never give up. Conard scored the first goal, right away in the first. The rest of the game featured Glastonbury working their butts off, getting good shots on Conard's goalie, and just none of them dropping until finally Sam Scannell scored in the third. Glastonbury kept up the intensity after they tied the game as well, especially some players on their second and thirds lines. The most credit though, has to be given to Conard for sticking around in the game and putting themselves in a position to win it in overtime. They showed flashes of excellence but really they need to handle the puck better, make smarter passes, and come out of line changes with more intensity. G-bury had a lot of shots but many were not accurate and that doesn't create any pressure on the goalie really or allow for second chance opportunities. There was a general lack of physical play on both sides, especially Scannell who didn't look like he wanted to get hit at all, that really separates the CCC from a confrence like the CCC or FCIAC. Conard looked better in OT after some early scares in the first two minutes. They had a nice shot that required a G-bury's Chris Hemhauser to make one of the difficult saves he is known for. Finally, number 26 on Conard shot on goal, Hemhauser mishandled the save, dropping it in front of him on the (facing) right side of the goal. Captain Kyle Webber was there for the put back and provided a dramatic finish to the game and a god Thursday in hockey. Look for Conard to make a lot of noise in the CCC (only a 0-1 loss to S Windsor last time they played) and possibly build on this win for the rest of the season (they face ND-Fairfield, North Haven and Xavier). In conclusion, I like what I saw from both teams and that will make the new rankings on Sunday very hard!
Game that needs to be pointed out that really shouldn't have needed to be:
East Haven 4 @ Amity 1
-I will write the score again so you know you are now reading it wrong: East Haven 4 - Amity 1. Just when you though Amity was going to make some noise in DI, they go and slip up like this. This is a very good win for the Yellow Jackets and a very bad loss for the Spartans. It will be worth paying attention to how both teams do moving forward, as East Haven has qualified for the DI State Tournament and Amity most likely will as well.
Friday
Trumbull 2 @ #10 Darien 5
-Very good win for Darien, against a quality FCIAC opponent. Things don't get any easier for Trumbull as they play host to #2 New Canaan on Saturday, a game that is still worth watching. Meanwhile, Darien travels to #9 Ridgefield on Saturday for what looks it will be a very good game.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Boys' Hockey: Saturday's Top Games (2/5)
I realize that some games have finished and some have been postponed but of the games that are being played today or that were supposed to be and have no make-up date scheduled yet, here are the cream of the crop:
#8 Glastonbury @ Notre Dame-Fairfield @ 1pm
-It will be good to see how Glastonbury rebounds from a real heartbreaking loss to Conard. ND is a real good team and a win for them shows me they are a legitimate middle-of-the-pack team.
#6 West Haven @ #5 Notre Dame-West Haven @ 1
-Again, a home game both teams really. West Haven needs to show they are an elite team in DI and this is their shot. On the other hand, another win for ND-WH (4-1 last time the two played) will help them in the polls after losing to Hamden last Saturday. I expect Bennett to be rocking!
#3 Xavier @ #1 Fairfield Prep @ 1 (PPD)
-Before you get your hopes up, this game has been postponed. Nonetheless it will be crucial for both teams as it is their one and only meeting this regular season. The make-up date will most likely be after Prep hosts #4 Hamden this Tuesday, a game that may help or hurt them, inspire them to play better or relax them with a sense of complacency, moving forward. Therefore, I will hold my tongue about the implications of a win for either side untill the game is closer. Prep is at the begining of 7 game homestand (8 of last 9 are at home) to close out the season in which they welcome in three out of state teams, Hamden, Xavier, both Notre Dames, Ridgefield, and the one away game is to North Haven. They can build some serious momentum heading into the state tournament. If this game is going to be rescheduled to next week it can be either Sunday, Monday (both highly unlikely) or Friday...the same day as #2 New Canaan @ #4 Hamden (also my birthday!).
East Catholic @ Northwest Catholic @ 810
-I gotta show my local catholic schools some love. Both are coming off wins over Farmington and are only having sub-par seasons. East is the better team on paper but in a rivalry you can throw that out. Expect a good game in Newington tonight.
#10 Darien @ #9 Ridgefield @ 850
-Darien is hot of late (6-1-1 since starting 1-4...have won last 5 in a row, including Trumbull and Amity...all quality losses) whiel Ridgefield (9-3) is also a very good team on a 3-game win streak right now. Both are poised to move up in my poll on Sunday. This is sure to be a great night-cap to an awesome day of CT hockey!
Scores and New Rankings coming out tommorrow. P.S. As much I like the Steelers (no, they're not my favorite team), I got Green Bay winning the Super Bowl 27-31...looking like it may be one of the best of all-time!!!!!
#8 Glastonbury @ Notre Dame-Fairfield @ 1pm
-It will be good to see how Glastonbury rebounds from a real heartbreaking loss to Conard. ND is a real good team and a win for them shows me they are a legitimate middle-of-the-pack team.
#6 West Haven @ #5 Notre Dame-West Haven @ 1
-Again, a home game both teams really. West Haven needs to show they are an elite team in DI and this is their shot. On the other hand, another win for ND-WH (4-1 last time the two played) will help them in the polls after losing to Hamden last Saturday. I expect Bennett to be rocking!
#3 Xavier @ #1 Fairfield Prep @ 1 (PPD)
-Before you get your hopes up, this game has been postponed. Nonetheless it will be crucial for both teams as it is their one and only meeting this regular season. The make-up date will most likely be after Prep hosts #4 Hamden this Tuesday, a game that may help or hurt them, inspire them to play better or relax them with a sense of complacency, moving forward. Therefore, I will hold my tongue about the implications of a win for either side untill the game is closer. Prep is at the begining of 7 game homestand (8 of last 9 are at home) to close out the season in which they welcome in three out of state teams, Hamden, Xavier, both Notre Dames, Ridgefield, and the one away game is to North Haven. They can build some serious momentum heading into the state tournament. If this game is going to be rescheduled to next week it can be either Sunday, Monday (both highly unlikely) or Friday...the same day as #2 New Canaan @ #4 Hamden (also my birthday!).
East Catholic @ Northwest Catholic @ 810
-I gotta show my local catholic schools some love. Both are coming off wins over Farmington and are only having sub-par seasons. East is the better team on paper but in a rivalry you can throw that out. Expect a good game in Newington tonight.
#10 Darien @ #9 Ridgefield @ 850
-Darien is hot of late (6-1-1 since starting 1-4...have won last 5 in a row, including Trumbull and Amity...all quality losses) whiel Ridgefield (9-3) is also a very good team on a 3-game win streak right now. Both are poised to move up in my poll on Sunday. This is sure to be a great night-cap to an awesome day of CT hockey!
Scores and New Rankings coming out tommorrow. P.S. As much I like the Steelers (no, they're not my favorite team), I got Green Bay winning the Super Bowl 27-31...looking like it may be one of the best of all-time!!!!!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Football: Recruits (from CT)
With National Signing Day having come and gone, many CT players signed their Letters of Intent for next year and some have postponed their ceremonies to Friday (due to SNOW). Regardless, I will give you what I know so far.
#1 Graham Stewart - OLB - Xavier (Middletown)
-CT's #1 Prospect, a four-star on Rivals and three-star on ESPN/Scouts Inc, Graham Stewart switched from BC to Florida last weekend after an in-home visit from the new head coach at FL, Will Muschamp. Full story here: http://hssportsct.blogspot.com/2011/01/football-graham-poised-to-join-florida.html. The switch has made many locals mad, since Graham gave Boston College a verbal commitment and went with Florida at the last second. Also, many think Graham would get more playing time and a better education at BC, but the thing to remember here is that each decision is made on an individual level and I'm sure Graham, like the other recruits, made a decision based on where he is personally as an athlete and student. Graham turned down offers from Syracuse, Temple, Iowa, UConn and BC. We wish him the best of luck on Saturdays and hope that he can join another Xavier and Iowa alumnus, Lion's Safety Amari Spievey, playing on Sundays.
#2 Conor Hanratty - OT - New Canaan
-Conor is the son of former Notre Dame QB Terry Hanratty and Conor has officially signed with his dad's alma mater, The Fighting Irish. He is a three-star on both Rivals and ESPN, and, according to Scouts.com, Hanratty will most likely switch from tackle to guard at ND. Highly recruited, Conor also received offers from BC, Cal, Clemson, FL St, Iowa, Loiusville, Maryland, Penn St, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia and Wisconsin. Personally, I don't know if ND was the best choice for him to improve his skill set but I understand the alumni connection and I think a athlete with his talent level has a lot of good things ahead of him, if he stays smart.
#3 Tommy Jordan - OT - Ridgefield
-Tommy is also headed to the sunshine state having officially signed his Letter of Intent to play for the Gators as well. Again, not sure if he will get the personal attention he needs to develop properly at Florida when he also received offers from BC, Cal, Duke, Rutgers, Wisconsin, UConn, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Penn State and Syracuse. However, I still trust he made the right decision for him and Florida does have the reputation of putting good athletes. My only concern is the new coaching staff but I'm sure Jordan saw something he liked there and we wish him the best of luck as well.
#4 Sean McQuillan - ATH - Avon Old Farms
-McQuillan will play TE at UConn next year. He also received offers from Buffalo and Western Michigan. ESPN has his as a two-star but only one grade (74) lower than Jordan (75). Definietly one of the top recruits for UConn this year.
#5 Max DeLorenzo - RB - Berlin
-Also head off to Storrs is Max DeLorenzo, the face of Berlin's offense for the past two years. Only a one-star on ESPN, Rivals has DeLorenzo as a two-star and UConn is very happy to get him. As long as he continues to improve and get better, he should do well at the next level. Max was also given offers by BC, Central Michigan, Duke, Maryland, Northwestern, Penn St, and Rutgers.
#6 Shawn Robinson - WR - Trinity Catholic (Stamford)
-One-star recruit on ESPN, two on Rivals, Shawn Robinson is still undecided on where he will play next year. Supposedly, the schools in the running are UConn, Penn St, Rutgers and Virginia. There is also talk that BC has expressed interest and that Maryland may also be interested. Officially, as far as I know, there are no formal offers on the table yet but with the fall out from signing day, Robinson may receive an offer in the next few days. The wide out seems to have a lot of potential, if a school will just him a shot.
#7 Carlos Lozada - ATH - New London
-Lozada had the build and speed of a CB but it seems like he hasn't impressed colleges enough. He is getting looked at by, but has not received official offers from, UConn and BC. Rivals has him as a two-star recruit while ESPN grades him as a 45, which, although lower than the six players above him, is still better than the standard 40 everyone else in the state receives.
#8 Nainy Bah - WR - The Morgan School (Clinton)
-Nainy Bah is a two-star recruit on Rivals, a 45 on ESPN, and has signed a Letter of Intent with Temple University. Talk around the state is that Bah has extremely good hands. We wish him good luck playing in Philly for the Owls.
#9 Mitch King - TE - Valley Regional (Deep River)
-Although he is only a 45 on ESPN, many consider him a top prospect from CT. Certainly the top TE in CT, Mitch King decided on UPenn over Temple and Tulane. Duke also has shown a great amount of interest in King, but did not make an offer. BC, Columbia, and Harvard were also looking at this fine talent. Good luck next year King!
#10 Shane Anane - RB - Hartford Public
-Two-star recruit on Rivals, Shane Anane has received an offer from Miami (Ohio) and nowhere else that I know of so this more a question of when he'll sign, not where.
#11 Derrick Wilson - RB - Hotchkiss School (Lakeville)
-Derrick Wilson is also rated a 45 by ESPN and reportedly has offers from BC, Rutgers, Stanford, and Syracuse. Pitt supposedly also showed interest in Wilson. Ready for the twist? He has committed to Marquette for basketball (he was three-star recruit). Good luck Derrick!
#12 Malcom Crosson - DB - Glastonbury
-I had the chance to see this kid play in person and wow is he special. From what I hear, BC and UConn have interest and he did well at a combine but no offers have come in yet.
#13 Kevin Macari - WR - New Canaan
-I am not sure where he plans to play next year, if at all, but Rivals has him as the #10 recruit from CT.
#14 Ross McDonald - RB - Avon
-Committed to Army
#15 Brett Biestek - OLB - Mark T. Sheehan (Wallingford)
-Biestek says he will be playing at Fordham next year. He also received offers from Brown, Cornell, Lafayette.
#16 Cody Kieth - QB - Cheshire Academy
-Originally from Pasaden/Sierra Madre, CA, Cody Kieth is a pro-style QB that turned down offers from NC St and Tulane to sign a Letter of Intent with East Carolina. UConn and Iowa were also interested.
#1 Graham Stewart - OLB - Xavier (Middletown)
-CT's #1 Prospect, a four-star on Rivals and three-star on ESPN/Scouts Inc, Graham Stewart switched from BC to Florida last weekend after an in-home visit from the new head coach at FL, Will Muschamp. Full story here: http://hssportsct.blogspot.com/2011/01/football-graham-poised-to-join-florida.html. The switch has made many locals mad, since Graham gave Boston College a verbal commitment and went with Florida at the last second. Also, many think Graham would get more playing time and a better education at BC, but the thing to remember here is that each decision is made on an individual level and I'm sure Graham, like the other recruits, made a decision based on where he is personally as an athlete and student. Graham turned down offers from Syracuse, Temple, Iowa, UConn and BC. We wish him the best of luck on Saturdays and hope that he can join another Xavier and Iowa alumnus, Lion's Safety Amari Spievey, playing on Sundays.
#2 Conor Hanratty - OT - New Canaan
-Conor is the son of former Notre Dame QB Terry Hanratty and Conor has officially signed with his dad's alma mater, The Fighting Irish. He is a three-star on both Rivals and ESPN, and, according to Scouts.com, Hanratty will most likely switch from tackle to guard at ND. Highly recruited, Conor also received offers from BC, Cal, Clemson, FL St, Iowa, Loiusville, Maryland, Penn St, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia and Wisconsin. Personally, I don't know if ND was the best choice for him to improve his skill set but I understand the alumni connection and I think a athlete with his talent level has a lot of good things ahead of him, if he stays smart.
#3 Tommy Jordan - OT - Ridgefield
-Tommy is also headed to the sunshine state having officially signed his Letter of Intent to play for the Gators as well. Again, not sure if he will get the personal attention he needs to develop properly at Florida when he also received offers from BC, Cal, Duke, Rutgers, Wisconsin, UConn, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Penn State and Syracuse. However, I still trust he made the right decision for him and Florida does have the reputation of putting good athletes. My only concern is the new coaching staff but I'm sure Jordan saw something he liked there and we wish him the best of luck as well.
#4 Sean McQuillan - ATH - Avon Old Farms
-McQuillan will play TE at UConn next year. He also received offers from Buffalo and Western Michigan. ESPN has his as a two-star but only one grade (74) lower than Jordan (75). Definietly one of the top recruits for UConn this year.
#5 Max DeLorenzo - RB - Berlin
-Also head off to Storrs is Max DeLorenzo, the face of Berlin's offense for the past two years. Only a one-star on ESPN, Rivals has DeLorenzo as a two-star and UConn is very happy to get him. As long as he continues to improve and get better, he should do well at the next level. Max was also given offers by BC, Central Michigan, Duke, Maryland, Northwestern, Penn St, and Rutgers.
#6 Shawn Robinson - WR - Trinity Catholic (Stamford)
-One-star recruit on ESPN, two on Rivals, Shawn Robinson is still undecided on where he will play next year. Supposedly, the schools in the running are UConn, Penn St, Rutgers and Virginia. There is also talk that BC has expressed interest and that Maryland may also be interested. Officially, as far as I know, there are no formal offers on the table yet but with the fall out from signing day, Robinson may receive an offer in the next few days. The wide out seems to have a lot of potential, if a school will just him a shot.
#7 Carlos Lozada - ATH - New London
-Lozada had the build and speed of a CB but it seems like he hasn't impressed colleges enough. He is getting looked at by, but has not received official offers from, UConn and BC. Rivals has him as a two-star recruit while ESPN grades him as a 45, which, although lower than the six players above him, is still better than the standard 40 everyone else in the state receives.
#8 Nainy Bah - WR - The Morgan School (Clinton)
-Nainy Bah is a two-star recruit on Rivals, a 45 on ESPN, and has signed a Letter of Intent with Temple University. Talk around the state is that Bah has extremely good hands. We wish him good luck playing in Philly for the Owls.
#9 Mitch King - TE - Valley Regional (Deep River)
-Although he is only a 45 on ESPN, many consider him a top prospect from CT. Certainly the top TE in CT, Mitch King decided on UPenn over Temple and Tulane. Duke also has shown a great amount of interest in King, but did not make an offer. BC, Columbia, and Harvard were also looking at this fine talent. Good luck next year King!
#10 Shane Anane - RB - Hartford Public
-Two-star recruit on Rivals, Shane Anane has received an offer from Miami (Ohio) and nowhere else that I know of so this more a question of when he'll sign, not where.
#11 Derrick Wilson - RB - Hotchkiss School (Lakeville)
-Derrick Wilson is also rated a 45 by ESPN and reportedly has offers from BC, Rutgers, Stanford, and Syracuse. Pitt supposedly also showed interest in Wilson. Ready for the twist? He has committed to Marquette for basketball (he was three-star recruit). Good luck Derrick!
#12 Malcom Crosson - DB - Glastonbury
-I had the chance to see this kid play in person and wow is he special. From what I hear, BC and UConn have interest and he did well at a combine but no offers have come in yet.
#13 Kevin Macari - WR - New Canaan
-I am not sure where he plans to play next year, if at all, but Rivals has him as the #10 recruit from CT.
#14 Ross McDonald - RB - Avon
-Committed to Army
#15 Brett Biestek - OLB - Mark T. Sheehan (Wallingford)
-Biestek says he will be playing at Fordham next year. He also received offers from Brown, Cornell, Lafayette.
#16 Cody Kieth - QB - Cheshire Academy
-Originally from Pasaden/Sierra Madre, CA, Cody Kieth is a pro-style QB that turned down offers from NC St and Tulane to sign a Letter of Intent with East Carolina. UConn and Iowa were also interested.
Boys' Hockey: Wednesday's Wins and Losses (2/2) and Thursday and Friday's Top Games (2/3 and 2/4)
As I debated playing hockey in my driveway and the streets yesterday, I realize why such (relatively) little precipitation led to the cancellation of every game on Wednesday. However, some of the games only got postponed to Thursday or Friday so that leads me into the second half of this post. For reference, here is my post on Wednesday's Top Games: http://hssportsct.blogspot.com/2011/02/boys-hockey-wednesdays-top-games-22.html. Now on to the next two days of hockey:
Thursday
Wilton @ #9 Ridgefield @ 4pm
-I didn't have this as a top game for Wednesday because it was not on the same level as the other games. However, for a non-Saturday or Wednesday game, this is a pretty good game. Wilton (8-2-1) represents the second/third best DII team and Ridgefield needs good wins for their resume. Should be a good game but if either team wins decidedly, it will say a lot about their talent this year.
#6 West Haven @ Notre Dame-Fairfield @ 6
-(see above link) West Haven can bounce back from their 2-6 loss to Amity while ND-Fairfield can pick up a good win in the very tough schedule they play. I will be looking to see how West Haven responds to the loss and if they really deserve to be ranked ahead of South Windsor.
Conard @ #8 Glastonbury @ 730
-(see above link) The #3 and #2 teams in the CCC respectively. Conard would like the big win after a heartbreaking 0-1 loss to #7 S Windsor while Glastonbury needs to win to remain on S Windsor's level. The game will be a good parameter for where both teams stand right now.
Friday
Trumbull @ #10 Darien @ 230
-(see above link) Trumbull can regain some respect with a win but I'm more so looking to see how well Darien preforms against decent competition.
Some DIII match-ups that may be good games, but nothing with major implications outside of DIII.
Get out and catch whatever games you can, I know I will try top, because 3-6 inches of wintry mix on Saturday may lead to another round of postponements and frustration for all involved. In the meantime, enjoy the sun and some hockey finally being played again!
Thursday
Wilton @ #9 Ridgefield @ 4pm
-I didn't have this as a top game for Wednesday because it was not on the same level as the other games. However, for a non-Saturday or Wednesday game, this is a pretty good game. Wilton (8-2-1) represents the second/third best DII team and Ridgefield needs good wins for their resume. Should be a good game but if either team wins decidedly, it will say a lot about their talent this year.
#6 West Haven @ Notre Dame-Fairfield @ 6
-(see above link) West Haven can bounce back from their 2-6 loss to Amity while ND-Fairfield can pick up a good win in the very tough schedule they play. I will be looking to see how West Haven responds to the loss and if they really deserve to be ranked ahead of South Windsor.
Conard @ #8 Glastonbury @ 730
-(see above link) The #3 and #2 teams in the CCC respectively. Conard would like the big win after a heartbreaking 0-1 loss to #7 S Windsor while Glastonbury needs to win to remain on S Windsor's level. The game will be a good parameter for where both teams stand right now.
Friday
Trumbull @ #10 Darien @ 230
-(see above link) Trumbull can regain some respect with a win but I'm more so looking to see how well Darien preforms against decent competition.
Some DIII match-ups that may be good games, but nothing with major implications outside of DIII.
Get out and catch whatever games you can, I know I will try top, because 3-6 inches of wintry mix on Saturday may lead to another round of postponements and frustration for all involved. In the meantime, enjoy the sun and some hockey finally being played again!
EXTRA: Boys' Hockey: End of Season Predictions and Public/Private School Debate
So I was recently asked my predictions for how things will shape out at the end of the season and although I'm not big on predictions, I decided to acquiesce the request.
It's always hard because we don't know how the bracket will look yet but in an ideal world: Semi's are #1 seed Prep over #4 seed ND-WH and #3 seed Xavier over #2 seed Hamden then Xavier over Prep in the championship. I'm not biased towards Xavier, I really think it's their year, they got the leadership and experience in the plethora of senior forwards, a talented goalie headed to prep school next year, and a defense that gets better every game. The only thing to look out for is a major upset (Xavier, 13 seed, only lost to Hamden last year because of an own goal and an in-game injury to forward Brandon Reid)...the potential is more than definitely there in DI this year (S Windsor, Gbury, West Haven, even North Haven, ND-Fairfield, or Ridgefield). Match-ups play such a huge role in playoff games so it's hard to say that those teams will make it to the semifinals. The seeds determine the match-ups and I just based those seeds off what I think each teams record will look like at the end of the season. I will certainly make predictions when we get there in March though.
Also, there has been much talk about if private schools recruit and if public or private schools are better at sports...I felt the need to weigh in. Bottom line: Prep/ND/Xavier/etc would not be playing hockey if they recruited, the CIAC is not dumb. The reason they usually have better players is that they draw students from a wider area but you see public schools that are really good at hockey because their town is a "hockey hotbed" like Hamden, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Darien, Glastonbury, etc. The same thing applies to other high school sports.
It's always hard because we don't know how the bracket will look yet but in an ideal world: Semi's are #1 seed Prep over #4 seed ND-WH and #3 seed Xavier over #2 seed Hamden then Xavier over Prep in the championship. I'm not biased towards Xavier, I really think it's their year, they got the leadership and experience in the plethora of senior forwards, a talented goalie headed to prep school next year, and a defense that gets better every game. The only thing to look out for is a major upset (Xavier, 13 seed, only lost to Hamden last year because of an own goal and an in-game injury to forward Brandon Reid)...the potential is more than definitely there in DI this year (S Windsor, Gbury, West Haven, even North Haven, ND-Fairfield, or Ridgefield). Match-ups play such a huge role in playoff games so it's hard to say that those teams will make it to the semifinals. The seeds determine the match-ups and I just based those seeds off what I think each teams record will look like at the end of the season. I will certainly make predictions when we get there in March though.
Also, there has been much talk about if private schools recruit and if public or private schools are better at sports...I felt the need to weigh in. Bottom line: Prep/ND/Xavier/etc would not be playing hockey if they recruited, the CIAC is not dumb. The reason they usually have better players is that they draw students from a wider area but you see public schools that are really good at hockey because their town is a "hockey hotbed" like Hamden, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Darien, Glastonbury, etc. The same thing applies to other high school sports.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
All Sports: SNOW
The snow has been causing a lot of frustration for coaches, athletic directors and players alike. The New Haven Register put out an article that I think captures the tumult and implications of all these cancellations and that I would like to direct your attention to: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2011/02/01/sports/high_school/doc4d48b4b8c2c45017150060.txt.
Also, the CIAC announced today (2/2) that they will allow teams to make up games on Sundays: http://www.casciac.org/scripts/shownews.cgi?story=1105. However, there are some stipulations that I agree with completely. First off, the games must be at of after 12:30pm, obviously a move to allow people to go to church, the purpose of Sunday. Having the game after 12:30 allows people to practice their religion and make the most of the rest of the day...good move. All new dates and times must be agreed to by both teams, like any make up game, so that rule is still in effect for Sundays. Also, I think it is good that the CIAC will not move back the dates for the winter sports playoffs. It's bad enough that football runs so far into the winter, there is no need to make winter run into to spring when teams have a whole month to make up postponed games. My only concern, from an student-athlete's perspective, is for time to do homework. In the world of high school, Sunday is also regarded as the day to do all the weekend's homework and projects. In addition, playing up to four (or five) games a week may be detrimental to having time and energy for homework but I think that since it almost in place of practice, that is less of a concern than losing the all so valuable "homework day", Sunday. All in all, I am in favor of the decision and look forward to a sports-packed (and hopefully snow-free) February!
Also, the CIAC announced today (2/2) that they will allow teams to make up games on Sundays: http://www.casciac.org/scripts/shownews.cgi?story=1105. However, there are some stipulations that I agree with completely. First off, the games must be at of after 12:30pm, obviously a move to allow people to go to church, the purpose of Sunday. Having the game after 12:30 allows people to practice their religion and make the most of the rest of the day...good move. All new dates and times must be agreed to by both teams, like any make up game, so that rule is still in effect for Sundays. Also, I think it is good that the CIAC will not move back the dates for the winter sports playoffs. It's bad enough that football runs so far into the winter, there is no need to make winter run into to spring when teams have a whole month to make up postponed games. My only concern, from an student-athlete's perspective, is for time to do homework. In the world of high school, Sunday is also regarded as the day to do all the weekend's homework and projects. In addition, playing up to four (or five) games a week may be detrimental to having time and energy for homework but I think that since it almost in place of practice, that is less of a concern than losing the all so valuable "homework day", Sunday. All in all, I am in favor of the decision and look forward to a sports-packed (and hopefully snow-free) February!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Boys' Hockey: Wednesday's Top Games (2/2)
As the season goes on, the Wednesday and Saturday match-ups just seem to get better. Although the weather forecast is looking like all these games will get postponed, I will go over the best ones anyway.
#7 South Windsor @ Tri-Town @ 4pm
-Tri-Town is 9-1 with the only relatively good win being 5-4 in OT over Greenwich, while they lost 1-4 to Amity. Nonetheless, if S Windsor can put on a good show against Tri-Town it will do them a lot of good in terms of being considered one of the top teams in the state.
*****#4 Hamden @ #1 Fairfield Prep @ 6
-This game speaks for itself but to put things in context, Hamden is looking to build on their big 4-1 win over ND-WH and Prep could use the win as momentum for when they host #3 Xavier on Saturday. Hamden did win back on 1/8, 3-2 in OT, at home against Prep but as I discuss in my rankings, I think Prep should have won that game. A clear-cut win for Hamden here though, would make them, in my mind, the best team in the state again (at least untill we see how Xavier does against Prep and Hamden does against New Canaan). The Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport is sure to be packed for what was, let's not forget, the match-up in the DI Championship just last March.
Trumbull @ #10 Darien @ 6
-Trumbull can regain some respect with a win but I'm more so looking to see how well Darien preforms against decent competition.
#6 West Haven @ Notre Dame-Fairfield @ 715
-West Haven can bounce back from their 2-6 loss to Amity while ND-Fairfield can pick up a good win in the very tough schedule they play. I will be looking to see how West Haven responds to the loss and if they really deserve to be ranked ahead of South Windsor.
Conard @ #8 Glastonbury @ 730
-The #3 and #2 teams in the CCC respectively. Conard would like the big win after a heartbreaking 0-1 loss to #7 S Windsor while Glastonbury needs to win to remain on S Windsor's level. The game will be a good parameter for where both teams stand right now.
I hope everyone stays safe and warm, especially if anyone loses power. Be on the look out for another post tomorrow, regardless if any of these games happen or not.
#7 South Windsor @ Tri-Town @ 4pm
-Tri-Town is 9-1 with the only relatively good win being 5-4 in OT over Greenwich, while they lost 1-4 to Amity. Nonetheless, if S Windsor can put on a good show against Tri-Town it will do them a lot of good in terms of being considered one of the top teams in the state.
*****#4 Hamden @ #1 Fairfield Prep @ 6
-This game speaks for itself but to put things in context, Hamden is looking to build on their big 4-1 win over ND-WH and Prep could use the win as momentum for when they host #3 Xavier on Saturday. Hamden did win back on 1/8, 3-2 in OT, at home against Prep but as I discuss in my rankings, I think Prep should have won that game. A clear-cut win for Hamden here though, would make them, in my mind, the best team in the state again (at least untill we see how Xavier does against Prep and Hamden does against New Canaan). The Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport is sure to be packed for what was, let's not forget, the match-up in the DI Championship just last March.
Trumbull @ #10 Darien @ 6
-Trumbull can regain some respect with a win but I'm more so looking to see how well Darien preforms against decent competition.
#6 West Haven @ Notre Dame-Fairfield @ 715
-West Haven can bounce back from their 2-6 loss to Amity while ND-Fairfield can pick up a good win in the very tough schedule they play. I will be looking to see how West Haven responds to the loss and if they really deserve to be ranked ahead of South Windsor.
Conard @ #8 Glastonbury @ 730
-The #3 and #2 teams in the CCC respectively. Conard would like the big win after a heartbreaking 0-1 loss to #7 S Windsor while Glastonbury needs to win to remain on S Windsor's level. The game will be a good parameter for where both teams stand right now.
I hope everyone stays safe and warm, especially if anyone loses power. Be on the look out for another post tomorrow, regardless if any of these games happen or not.
Boys' Hockey: Monday and Tuesday (1/31 and 2/1) Results and New Rankings (short)
Monday
St Joseph 7 @ Trumbull 4
-This was a win Trumbull could have used and instead it means we can't dismiss St. Joseph from possibly pulling an upset in DI.
Wethersfield 1 @ Simsbury 4
-Bad loss for Wethersfield, bringing down the quality of the CCC even more this year
Greenwich 1 @ #9 Ridgefield 3
-Exactly the result Ridgefield was looking for to remain on a hot streak
#7 South Windsor 1 @ Conard 0
-South Windsor beats Conard again, and it was extremely close again (4-3 in OT last time). It may be a win but if S Windsor wants to be considered one of the best teams in the state, they need to score more than one goal on a team like Conard.
NOTE: New Canaan improved to 13-0 with a 6-2 win over DIII Staples-Weston-Shelton.
both games Tuesday were postponed anyway
Rankings
I will post my full new rankings on Superbowl Sunday (2/6) but for the time being I would drop ND-WH to 5, move Hamden up to 4 and Xavier to 3 (Xavier was up 4-0 on Hamden at one point) and I would keep WH at 6, S Windsor at 7, G-bury at 8, Ridge at 9 and put Darien on their own at 10.
St Joseph 7 @ Trumbull 4
-This was a win Trumbull could have used and instead it means we can't dismiss St. Joseph from possibly pulling an upset in DI.
Wethersfield 1 @ Simsbury 4
-Bad loss for Wethersfield, bringing down the quality of the CCC even more this year
Greenwich 1 @ #9 Ridgefield 3
-Exactly the result Ridgefield was looking for to remain on a hot streak
#7 South Windsor 1 @ Conard 0
-South Windsor beats Conard again, and it was extremely close again (4-3 in OT last time). It may be a win but if S Windsor wants to be considered one of the best teams in the state, they need to score more than one goal on a team like Conard.
NOTE: New Canaan improved to 13-0 with a 6-2 win over DIII Staples-Weston-Shelton.
both games Tuesday were postponed anyway
Rankings
I will post my full new rankings on Superbowl Sunday (2/6) but for the time being I would drop ND-WH to 5, move Hamden up to 4 and Xavier to 3 (Xavier was up 4-0 on Hamden at one point) and I would keep WH at 6, S Windsor at 7, G-bury at 8, Ridge at 9 and put Darien on their own at 10.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Boys' Hockey: Monday and Tuesday's Top Games (1/31 and 2/1)
Here are the top games of the next two days before we get the usual full muster of games on Wednesday:
Monday
St. Joseph @ Trumbull @ 5pm
-A big game for both FCIAC teams
Wethersfield @ Simsbury @ 5
-Central Connecticut Confrence game between two teams in the middle of the pack
*Greenwich @ #9 Ridgefield @ 510
-Greenwich is coming off a 2-2 tie with Trumbull and Ridgefield looks to keep rolling after their 5-0 win over Notre Dame-Fairfield. Also a big time match-up in the FCIAC.
**#7 South Windsor @ Conard @ 830
-A little late but if I could get to this game I would definitely go. Conard has probably been hearing all about how S Windsor is the CCC's best team but with that motivation and some good skating, they can certainly pull the upset here. Can't wait to see the final on this one!
Of the two games Tuesday, neither is a big game unless Hand upsets Cheshire or Fermi upsets Amity (highly unlikely for the second one).
Monday
St. Joseph @ Trumbull @ 5pm
-A big game for both FCIAC teams
Wethersfield @ Simsbury @ 5
-Central Connecticut Confrence game between two teams in the middle of the pack
*Greenwich @ #9 Ridgefield @ 510
-Greenwich is coming off a 2-2 tie with Trumbull and Ridgefield looks to keep rolling after their 5-0 win over Notre Dame-Fairfield. Also a big time match-up in the FCIAC.
**#7 South Windsor @ Conard @ 830
-A little late but if I could get to this game I would definitely go. Conard has probably been hearing all about how S Windsor is the CCC's best team but with that motivation and some good skating, they can certainly pull the upset here. Can't wait to see the final on this one!
Of the two games Tuesday, neither is a big game unless Hand upsets Cheshire or Fermi upsets Amity (highly unlikely for the second one).
Girls' Basketball: NHR Rankings and My Games of the Week Ahead
I will admit that I am a hockey fanatic. However, my first love will always be basketball. My decision to include girls bball and do an impartial, top-quality job, I feel, not only address the same problem seen in boys basketball of more regional coverage and no state-wide 3rd party observer but also solves the lack of stories about girls bball in general. I know the interest/demand is lower but I feel there is still a strong following I want to be their #1 source. Again, I will start off with the rankings according to the New Haven Register Poll:
Mercy (13-1) has, after losing to Hillhouse in the very first game of the season, beat Career when Career was #2, Lauralton Hall when Lauralton Hall was #3 and finally Hillhouse, at Hillhouse, when Hillhouse was #1, to ascend to the #1 spot. Coach Tim Kohs has taken a team that was expected to go .500 after losing most of their 2nd place in Class LL team from last year, and gotten them to beat opponents by playing together as a team and he definitely deserves to be in the talks for Coach of the Year again. Holy Cross is 15-0, playing a relatively easy schedule, with their only really tough opponent being Torrington (the two go at it again next week in Torrington). Manchester (13-0), on the other hand, has quality wins over CCC teams including #8 Glastonbury. Bacon Academy (14-0) has a plethora of good wins, some more impressive than others, Windham (11-2) twice, Montville (11-3), Norwich Free Academy (10-5) and Portland (12-3). The question is how will they fare against competition from their own class, Class L.
Games of the Week Ahead:
#2 Manchester vs #8 Glastonbury on 1/31 @ 7pm
-Manchester won by 7 the first time these two teams played, back on 1/4, but Glastonbury is 4-1 since then. Manchester will put their undefeated record on the line against a very talented Glastonbury team in a CCC rivalry that is sure to come down to the wire.
#3 Hillhouse vs #5 Career on 2/2 @ 4pm
-Career beat Hillhouse on 12/28 by 8 and both would are undefeated in-state, aside from losses to Mercy, so this game may just decide who is the second best in the SCC this year.
#8 Glastonbury vs Windsor on 2/3 @ 7pm
-Windsor (8-4) is the other team Glastonbury has lost to this year and while Glastonbury looks to avenge their loss, Windsor looks to keep rolling having won 4 of their last 5 games.
#6 Holy Cross vs Windsor on 2/1 @ 7pm
#6 Holy Cross vs Woodland on 2/3 @ 7pm
-Holy Cross will face two talented teams this week, Windsor (8-4) and Woodland (11-2). Both are having great seasons and capable of handling the Crusaders their first loss. Being undefeated brings with it a sense of complacency for some and immense pressure for others. If Cross (or Manchester of Bacon Academy for that matter) starts to feel either of these, they may quickly find themselves on the losing side for the first time this season.
#9 Pomperaug vs Masuk on 2/1 @ 7pm
-Masuk (9-4) is a quality Class L team making their case for the top ten by beating #10 Trumbull and a good Kolbe Cathedral (10-4) team. Pomperaug needs to be ready if they want to win.
#9 Pomperaug vs Kolbe Cathedral on 2/4 @ 7pm
-Pomperaug won the first time these two played, the very first game of the season, by 9. This is, however, their third game in five days and Kolbe Cathedral is (10-4) and 9-1 in their last 10 games, having just lost to Masuk (see above) on Friday 1/28.
#10 Trumbull @ Ridgefield on 2/4 @ 7pm
-Trumbull needs to rebound from their loss to Masuk on Friday while Ridgefield (11-3), who also lost to Masuk, is coming off a loss to New Canaan. This is a huge FCIAC game for both and the kind of win Trumbull needs to stay in the top ten.
Hall vs Farmingotn on 2/1 @ 7pm
-Hall (13-1), who lost to Windsor, could use the quality win over Farmington (10-3) to make their case for a spot in the top ten. Although Hall won by 13 the last time these two played, Hall takes on cross-town rival Conard the day before and these CCC girls basketball games always get more interesting towards the end of the season.
A few things I need to address: Lewis Mills is 14-0...they beat only two Class M teams in those 14 games and yeah its still Class M. St. Paul Catholic's 13-1 record is slightly more impressive by beating only one Class S team, one LL and three L, but still no one that good. In Class L, Avon (13-2) is having a very good seasons, but again, their wins are very weak and they lost the games in which they faced decent opponents: RHAM (8-3) and Ellington (10-3). Meanwhile, Torrington (12-1) is more legitimate, and my favorite one-loss team, having only lost to Holy Cross by a mere 6 points. What I like most about Torrington is that although their wins are also against sub-par teams, they are destroying/blowing out/dominating these teams. The closest anyone has come in their 10 wins is 20 (Seymour), and the farthest is 43 (Wilby). All-in-all, they are outscoring opponents 745 to 387 in their wins and 789 to 437 overall. Torrington has a chance impress us even more with games remaining against Holy Cross again and Lauralton Hall.
If Windsor can pull of wins over Glastonbury and Holy Cross, they have already beat Hall (13-1) and Glastonbury once before so this week will be a big one for them. This is a make-or-break week for Pomperaug. They face two very good opponents (Masuk and Kolbe Cathedral) and a loss to either could mean one of these teams nipping at their heels, like Windsor, could jump them into the top ten. On the other hand, a win in both games should mean a move up the top ten for them. Also, that Hillhouse/Career game (#3 vs #5) will be a thriller, weather permitting, of course.
NOTE: I apologize for any inaccuracies in the records, I only have those games whose scores have been reported to the CIAC. Leave a comment for corrections.
Team | Record | Pts. | LAST | |
1 | Mercy (13) | 13-1 | 474 | 1 |
2 | Manchester (3) | 13-0 | 446 | 2 |
3 | Hillhouse | 12-2 | 410 | 3 |
4 | Bacon Academy | 14-0 | 360 | 4 |
5 | Career | 10-3 | 348 | 5 |
6 | Holy Cross | 15-0 | 332 | 6 |
7 | Lauralton Hall | 9-2 | 283 | 7 |
8 | Glastonbury | 11-2 | 244 | 8 |
9 | Pomperaug | 11-2 | 197 | 10 |
10 | Trumbull | 13-1 | 192 | NR |
| Dropped Out: Windham (9) | ||||
Other teams receiving votes: E.O. Smith (13-1), 159; Windham (11-2), 158; Torrington (12-1), 145; Lewis Mills (14-0), 98; Hall (13-1), 90; Ridgefield (11-3), East Catholic (10-3), 32; Avon (13-2), 30; Danbury (11-3), 24; Wilbur Cross (11-4), 21; Tolland (10-3), 18. | ||||
Mercy (13-1) has, after losing to Hillhouse in the very first game of the season, beat Career when Career was #2, Lauralton Hall when Lauralton Hall was #3 and finally Hillhouse, at Hillhouse, when Hillhouse was #1, to ascend to the #1 spot. Coach Tim Kohs has taken a team that was expected to go .500 after losing most of their 2nd place in Class LL team from last year, and gotten them to beat opponents by playing together as a team and he definitely deserves to be in the talks for Coach of the Year again. Holy Cross is 15-0, playing a relatively easy schedule, with their only really tough opponent being Torrington (the two go at it again next week in Torrington). Manchester (13-0), on the other hand, has quality wins over CCC teams including #8 Glastonbury. Bacon Academy (14-0) has a plethora of good wins, some more impressive than others, Windham (11-2) twice, Montville (11-3), Norwich Free Academy (10-5) and Portland (12-3). The question is how will they fare against competition from their own class, Class L.
Games of the Week Ahead:
#2 Manchester vs #8 Glastonbury on 1/31 @ 7pm
-Manchester won by 7 the first time these two teams played, back on 1/4, but Glastonbury is 4-1 since then. Manchester will put their undefeated record on the line against a very talented Glastonbury team in a CCC rivalry that is sure to come down to the wire.
#3 Hillhouse vs #5 Career on 2/2 @ 4pm
-Career beat Hillhouse on 12/28 by 8 and both would are undefeated in-state, aside from losses to Mercy, so this game may just decide who is the second best in the SCC this year.
#8 Glastonbury vs Windsor on 2/3 @ 7pm
-Windsor (8-4) is the other team Glastonbury has lost to this year and while Glastonbury looks to avenge their loss, Windsor looks to keep rolling having won 4 of their last 5 games.
#6 Holy Cross vs Windsor on 2/1 @ 7pm
#6 Holy Cross vs Woodland on 2/3 @ 7pm
-Holy Cross will face two talented teams this week, Windsor (8-4) and Woodland (11-2). Both are having great seasons and capable of handling the Crusaders their first loss. Being undefeated brings with it a sense of complacency for some and immense pressure for others. If Cross (or Manchester of Bacon Academy for that matter) starts to feel either of these, they may quickly find themselves on the losing side for the first time this season.
#9 Pomperaug vs Masuk on 2/1 @ 7pm
-Masuk (9-4) is a quality Class L team making their case for the top ten by beating #10 Trumbull and a good Kolbe Cathedral (10-4) team. Pomperaug needs to be ready if they want to win.
#9 Pomperaug vs Kolbe Cathedral on 2/4 @ 7pm
-Pomperaug won the first time these two played, the very first game of the season, by 9. This is, however, their third game in five days and Kolbe Cathedral is (10-4) and 9-1 in their last 10 games, having just lost to Masuk (see above) on Friday 1/28.
#10 Trumbull @ Ridgefield on 2/4 @ 7pm
-Trumbull needs to rebound from their loss to Masuk on Friday while Ridgefield (11-3), who also lost to Masuk, is coming off a loss to New Canaan. This is a huge FCIAC game for both and the kind of win Trumbull needs to stay in the top ten.
Hall vs Farmingotn on 2/1 @ 7pm
-Hall (13-1), who lost to Windsor, could use the quality win over Farmington (10-3) to make their case for a spot in the top ten. Although Hall won by 13 the last time these two played, Hall takes on cross-town rival Conard the day before and these CCC girls basketball games always get more interesting towards the end of the season.
A few things I need to address: Lewis Mills is 14-0...they beat only two Class M teams in those 14 games and yeah its still Class M. St. Paul Catholic's 13-1 record is slightly more impressive by beating only one Class S team, one LL and three L, but still no one that good. In Class L, Avon (13-2) is having a very good seasons, but again, their wins are very weak and they lost the games in which they faced decent opponents: RHAM (8-3) and Ellington (10-3). Meanwhile, Torrington (12-1) is more legitimate, and my favorite one-loss team, having only lost to Holy Cross by a mere 6 points. What I like most about Torrington is that although their wins are also against sub-par teams, they are destroying/blowing out/dominating these teams. The closest anyone has come in their 10 wins is 20 (Seymour), and the farthest is 43 (Wilby). All-in-all, they are outscoring opponents 745 to 387 in their wins and 789 to 437 overall. Torrington has a chance impress us even more with games remaining against Holy Cross again and Lauralton Hall.
If Windsor can pull of wins over Glastonbury and Holy Cross, they have already beat Hall (13-1) and Glastonbury once before so this week will be a big one for them. This is a make-or-break week for Pomperaug. They face two very good opponents (Masuk and Kolbe Cathedral) and a loss to either could mean one of these teams nipping at their heels, like Windsor, could jump them into the top ten. On the other hand, a win in both games should mean a move up the top ten for them. Also, that Hillhouse/Career game (#3 vs #5) will be a thriller, weather permitting, of course.
NOTE: I apologize for any inaccuracies in the records, I only have those games whose scores have been reported to the CIAC. Leave a comment for corrections.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Boys' Basketball: NHR Rankings & My Games of the Week Ahead
It seems that no website or paper brings you state-wide coverage of high school basketball. Either you're getting good reports on Fairfield County, weak coverage of the Hartford area, and random games around southern Conneciut/New Haven. Until now...I do gather information from other sites for my own knowledge but all high school basketball write-ups are my own original work, unless otherwise noted.
courtesy of http://nhregister.com/articles/2011/01/25/sports/high_school/doc4d3f6f28d7e8d083765906.txt
Teams Not in Top Ten to Watch: St. Paul is led by guard Christopher Borea but the question is if they can hang with the higher level of competition in Classes LL, L and M. Also, Ridgefield is probably the hottest (and certainly the best) team in the FCIAC so look for them to make a lot of noise in Class LL. Although Fairfield Prep (9-3) has dropped out, remember they play an extremely tough SCC schedule and then in the SCC Tournament. Oh and don't sleep on Glastonbury, 11-2 now, right here in the CCC.
Games of the Week Ahead:
#1 New London vs Stonington on 2/4 @ 7pm
-Stonington has won five straight since their loss at home to New London on 1/4. A common theme in games this upcoming week: revenge?
#9 Windsor vs Glastonbury on 2/3 @ 7pm
-Glastonbury is very hot and actually won the first meeting between these two, 63-60, on 12/18 in the Doc Hurley Classic. A win for Glastonbury should get them a spot in the top ten next week (probably Windsor's spot) while a win for Windsor confirms the promise that voters see in this team.
Masuk @ Notre Dame-Fairfield on 2/4 @ 7pm
-This is actually the game I am most looking forward too. ND doesn't play many top teams and the one shot they've got so far, they lost by 2 points to Fairfield Prep, and Masuk plays a similar schedule so a game between the two to decide who is better and deserves a spot in the top ten will be sure not to disappoint. Both teams are hungry and only one can emerge victorious.
#6 Crosby vs Kennedy on 2/1 @ 7pm
-Crosby won @ Kennedy by 5 earlier in the year but Kennedy is 7-1 since and would love to make up for the Naugatuck Valley interdivisional loss.
#5 Hillhouse @ Wilbur Cross on 2/2 @ 6pm
-These New Haven foes meet again (House took the first one by 9) as Hillhouse sit atop the SCC - Hammonasset division and Cross is chasing Career in the SCC - Oronoque.
#6 St Joseph @ Brien McMahon on 2/1 @ 7pm
-A match-up of two teams having very good seasons that know each other very well, both being from the FCIAC.
#6 St Joseph @ Westhill on 2/4 @ 7pm
-Two teams atop the FCIAC, behind Ridgefield, face off for conference supremacy.
Team | Record | Pts. | LAST | |
1 | New London (14) | (10-0) | 500 | 1 |
2 | Northwest Catholic (2) | (11-0) | 466 | 2 |
3 | Career (1) | (10-0) | 444 | 3 |
4 | Holy Cross | (11-0) | 396 | 4 |
5 | Hillhouse | (9-1) | 386 | 5 |
T6 | St. Joseph | (7-1) | 310 | 6 |
T6 | Crosby | (10-1) | 310 | 7 |
8 | Hartford Public | (9-0) | 303 | 8 |
9 | Windsor | (8-1) | 236 | 9 |
10 | Maloney | (10-0) | 174 | NR |
| Dropped Out: Fairfield Prep (10). | ||||
Other teams receiving votes: Ridgefield (8-1), 170; Notre Dame-Fairfield (10-1), 158; Bassick (7-1), 114; McMahon (8-2), 76; Stratford (8-2), 62; Valley Regional (8-1), 60; Wilbur Cross (9-3), 46; Glastonbury (8-2), 45; Masuk (10-1), 41; St. Paul (10-2), 36; Nonnewaug (9-1), 11; Gilbert (9-0), 7. | ||||
courtesy of http://nhregister.com/articles/2011/01/25/sports/high_school/doc4d3f6f28d7e8d083765906.txt
Teams Not in Top Ten to Watch: St. Paul is led by guard Christopher Borea but the question is if they can hang with the higher level of competition in Classes LL, L and M. Also, Ridgefield is probably the hottest (and certainly the best) team in the FCIAC so look for them to make a lot of noise in Class LL. Although Fairfield Prep (9-3) has dropped out, remember they play an extremely tough SCC schedule and then in the SCC Tournament. Oh and don't sleep on Glastonbury, 11-2 now, right here in the CCC.
Games of the Week Ahead:
#1 New London vs Stonington on 2/4 @ 7pm
-Stonington has won five straight since their loss at home to New London on 1/4. A common theme in games this upcoming week: revenge?
#9 Windsor vs Glastonbury on 2/3 @ 7pm
-Glastonbury is very hot and actually won the first meeting between these two, 63-60, on 12/18 in the Doc Hurley Classic. A win for Glastonbury should get them a spot in the top ten next week (probably Windsor's spot) while a win for Windsor confirms the promise that voters see in this team.
Masuk @ Notre Dame-Fairfield on 2/4 @ 7pm
-This is actually the game I am most looking forward too. ND doesn't play many top teams and the one shot they've got so far, they lost by 2 points to Fairfield Prep, and Masuk plays a similar schedule so a game between the two to decide who is better and deserves a spot in the top ten will be sure not to disappoint. Both teams are hungry and only one can emerge victorious.
#6 Crosby vs Kennedy on 2/1 @ 7pm
-Crosby won @ Kennedy by 5 earlier in the year but Kennedy is 7-1 since and would love to make up for the Naugatuck Valley interdivisional loss.
#5 Hillhouse @ Wilbur Cross on 2/2 @ 6pm
-These New Haven foes meet again (House took the first one by 9) as Hillhouse sit atop the SCC - Hammonasset division and Cross is chasing Career in the SCC - Oronoque.
#6 St Joseph @ Brien McMahon on 2/1 @ 7pm
-A match-up of two teams having very good seasons that know each other very well, both being from the FCIAC.
#6 St Joseph @ Westhill on 2/4 @ 7pm
-Two teams atop the FCIAC, behind Ridgefield, face off for conference supremacy.
Boys' Hockey: Saturday's Scores: 1/29
Great matchups led to great results and games that I am sure were a treat for the fans even if your team won or lost. Man I wish I could have been in at least seven different places today! I did, however, get to enjoy a gem of a game (to my surprise) in the 4-3 overtime thriller of Xavier over North Haven. North Haven deffinetly proved they have a skilled team that is a victim of a stacked schedule and a sub-par goalie. Xavier, on the other hand, played a sloppy game and needed a third period comeback led by Trevor Buchas and Captain Kurt Johnson to get from down 1-2 to up 3-2. North Haven had a sick slap shot from just inside the blue line to send it to OT and Buchas only scored for Xavier in the last three minutes of overtime. I am now confident that North Haven can beat any CCC team or even a team in the SCC like Xavier or Hamden.
Another thing I saw tonight, mainly from Xavier not N Haven, that I think explains some of the other scores from Saturday night, was some rusty play. I think this comes from snow cancellations for some teams or just a slow down in the schedule for others. Most of the teams playing tonight, including Xavier, Hamden, ND-WH, West Haven, and North Haven had not played since last Saturday. Amity hadn't played since their 1-2 OT loss to Xavier last Thursday. Scrimigages in practice are nice but everyone knows they don't even compare to real games. Now although this situation affects both teams in these games, it helps the underdog becuase it brings the "better" team down to their level more and throws off any rhythm, flow, or momentum these teams had built up and that the teams certainly rely on to win big games. That being said, I do not want to take away anything from the teams that won big tonight (Amity, Hamden, almost North Haven) because they still had to go out and execute, plus the two wins were by considerable margins (6-2 and 4-1 respectively). Look for a shake up in the polls and a great second half of the season.
Games I Had My Eye On:
Amity 4 @ #6 West Haven 1
-Huge win for Amity just when everyone was questioning their move up to DI this year and a great way to follow up a 1-2 OT loss to Xavier. For West Haven, they continue to slip up but also have quality games remaining to redeem themselves.
Conard 4 @ Fermi 1
-Conard grabs another CCC win to remain in the top 3 of the conference.
#5 Hamden 4 @ #3 ND-WH 1
-Hamden shows why they are the defending champs and should be in the discussion to win it all again this year (which would actually be their 3rd straight) while ND-WH now sinks to about the same level as Hamden (and Xavier): one of the best teams in the state but not THE best. Next weeks games may help separate the three (Hamden @ Prep Wednesday then X @ Prep and ND-WH vs WH Saturday).
Simsbury 0 @ #7 South Windsor 3
-This win makes S Windsor the undisputed best team in the CCC...for the time being.
ND-Fairfield 0 @ #9 Ridgefield 5
-Impressive win for Ridgefield, showing that the FCIAC can beat a mid-level SCC team. Now I know ND-Fairfield is actually part of the SWC but since they are DI and no other SWC teams are DI they don't have any mandatory conference games. Therefore, they go out and play a schedule similar to North Haven: the top SCC team and ND even plays top CCC teams so this win can get even better for Ridgefield. The win also may give Ridgefield some momentum moving forward, unless snow messes up next week (see story above).
North Haven 4 @ #4 Xavier 5 OT
-see above
The Rest:
Newington-Berlin 4 @ Sheehan 1
Hand 3 @ East Haven 5
St. Augustine Prep (NJ) 0 @ Fairfield Prep 3
-Big win for Prep because, I was not at the game so I'm not 100% sure but according St. Augustine Prep's schedule they are doing very well this year, and against top teams in NJ, so for Prep to win, and for the score to be 3-0, is a good sign for the Jesuits.
Wilton 1 @ St. Joseph 7
Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury 3 @ Newton 2 OT
Glastonbury 5 @ Enfield 0
Cheshire 4 @ Branford 0
Northwest Catholic 2 @ Wethersfield 5
Westhill 2 @ Norwalk-McMahon 0
Staples-Weston-Shelton 3 @ Trinity Catholic 0
E. O. Smith-Tolland-Windham 1 @ Rockville-Manchester-Stafford 3
Shepaug-Litchfield-Wamogo 1 @ Watertown-Pomperaug 10
Trumbull 2 @ Greenwich 2 OT
Windsor-East Gransby-Avon 4 @ Milford Co-op 5 OT
Farmington 2 @ East Catholic 4
Guilford 8 @ Lyman Hall 2
-Guilford improves to 8-0-1.
Fitch-East Lyme-Ledyard 2 @ Rocky Hill-RHAM 5
Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe 2 @ New Canaan 5
-New Canaan improves to 11-0.
Darien 4 @ Stamford 1
Another thing I saw tonight, mainly from Xavier not N Haven, that I think explains some of the other scores from Saturday night, was some rusty play. I think this comes from snow cancellations for some teams or just a slow down in the schedule for others. Most of the teams playing tonight, including Xavier, Hamden, ND-WH, West Haven, and North Haven had not played since last Saturday. Amity hadn't played since their 1-2 OT loss to Xavier last Thursday. Scrimigages in practice are nice but everyone knows they don't even compare to real games. Now although this situation affects both teams in these games, it helps the underdog becuase it brings the "better" team down to their level more and throws off any rhythm, flow, or momentum these teams had built up and that the teams certainly rely on to win big games. That being said, I do not want to take away anything from the teams that won big tonight (Amity, Hamden, almost North Haven) because they still had to go out and execute, plus the two wins were by considerable margins (6-2 and 4-1 respectively). Look for a shake up in the polls and a great second half of the season.
Games I Had My Eye On:
Amity 4 @ #6 West Haven 1
-Huge win for Amity just when everyone was questioning their move up to DI this year and a great way to follow up a 1-2 OT loss to Xavier. For West Haven, they continue to slip up but also have quality games remaining to redeem themselves.
Conard 4 @ Fermi 1
-Conard grabs another CCC win to remain in the top 3 of the conference.
#5 Hamden 4 @ #3 ND-WH 1
-Hamden shows why they are the defending champs and should be in the discussion to win it all again this year (which would actually be their 3rd straight) while ND-WH now sinks to about the same level as Hamden (and Xavier): one of the best teams in the state but not THE best. Next weeks games may help separate the three (Hamden @ Prep Wednesday then X @ Prep and ND-WH vs WH Saturday).
Simsbury 0 @ #7 South Windsor 3
-This win makes S Windsor the undisputed best team in the CCC...for the time being.
ND-Fairfield 0 @ #9 Ridgefield 5
-Impressive win for Ridgefield, showing that the FCIAC can beat a mid-level SCC team. Now I know ND-Fairfield is actually part of the SWC but since they are DI and no other SWC teams are DI they don't have any mandatory conference games. Therefore, they go out and play a schedule similar to North Haven: the top SCC team and ND even plays top CCC teams so this win can get even better for Ridgefield. The win also may give Ridgefield some momentum moving forward, unless snow messes up next week (see story above).
North Haven 4 @ #4 Xavier 5 OT
-see above
The Rest:
Newington-Berlin 4 @ Sheehan 1
Hand 3 @ East Haven 5
St. Augustine Prep (NJ) 0 @ Fairfield Prep 3
-Big win for Prep because, I was not at the game so I'm not 100% sure but according St. Augustine Prep's schedule they are doing very well this year, and against top teams in NJ, so for Prep to win, and for the score to be 3-0, is a good sign for the Jesuits.
Wilton 1 @ St. Joseph 7
Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury 3 @ Newton 2 OT
Glastonbury 5 @ Enfield 0
Cheshire 4 @ Branford 0
Northwest Catholic 2 @ Wethersfield 5
Westhill 2 @ Norwalk-McMahon 0
Staples-Weston-Shelton 3 @ Trinity Catholic 0
E. O. Smith-Tolland-Windham 1 @ Rockville-Manchester-Stafford 3
Shepaug-Litchfield-Wamogo 1 @ Watertown-Pomperaug 10
Trumbull 2 @ Greenwich 2 OT
Windsor-East Gransby-Avon 4 @ Milford Co-op 5 OT
Farmington 2 @ East Catholic 4
Guilford 8 @ Lyman Hall 2
-Guilford improves to 8-0-1.
Fitch-East Lyme-Ledyard 2 @ Rocky Hill-RHAM 5
Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe 2 @ New Canaan 5
-New Canaan improves to 11-0.
Darien 4 @ Stamford 1
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