Four more tickets to Ingalls Rink at Yale University were handed out:
(9) Suffield-Granby-Windsor Locks 1 vs (1) Guilford 5 at Koeppel Community Sports Center (Trinity)
-Yeah Guilford didn't have any trouble getting back on track, especially the offense! Billy Ring had a goal and two assists, Jake Lane and Garrett Salkins both had a goal and an assist (to each other's goals actually), and Jordan Drake had two points on two assists as well. Jack Fitzgerald lead all scorers with two goals and Dave Decaprio also recorded an assist. The Indians are now headed to Yale on Monday.
(4) Trumbull 5 vs (5) Westhill 4 OT at Wonderland of Ice (Bridgeport)
-Yes the score is quite ironic but a one point win in OT is nothing out of the ordinary between two FCIAC teams in the postseason! Trumbull will move on to face Guilford on Monday at Yale's Ingalls in New Haven and they will be the first FCIAC team for Guilford to face all year.
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(2) Cheshire 2 vs (7) Hand 1 at Bennett Rink (West Haven)
-Like I said, Hand wasn't going to pull off the upset twice, especially when it the state tournament. Hand still has their SCC-DII Championship but Cheshire will need to play a lot better if they expect to beat Wilton in the next round on Monday at Yale.
(3) Wilton 2 vs (6) East Catholic 1 at Northford Ice Pavilion
-Dillon Pastorello and Henry Hunter Lee scored for Wilton as they squeaked by East Catholic. The Eagles had their chances but like I said in the post after they won the CCC-East Championship, their goalie is their weakness; East outshot Wilton 36-8! That is actually encouraging for Wilton's goalie that he had 35 saves but the offense will need more than eight shots to beat the 2009 DII Champions, Cheshire, in the semifinals at Ingalls Rink.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Boys' Hockey: Division I Quarterfinals Preview
Saturday hockey with only Top Ten teams left in action, here we go:
(1) #2 New Canaan vs (9) #6 Glastonbury @ 4pm at Northford Ice Pavilion
-The Rams are looking to make it 25-0 tonight while the Tomahawks will try to pull yet another upset. Glastonbury will look to ride their goalie Chris Hemhauser and solid defense from Sean Carfi and Alex Robinson to steal a win against undefeated New Canaan. As for NC, I expect Forward Charlie Corcoran to have himself a big game after only recording an assist in the game against Greenwich but this kid was the key to NC's win over Hamden one month ago on 2/11. Tim Nowaki will need to have a solid day in goal for the Rams too because NC has not played one CCC team yet this year so Glastonbury's style of play may help them win this one too.
(4) #9 St. Joseph vs (5) #6 Ridgefield @ 7 at Terry Connors Rink (Stamford)
-One more time...Ridgefield won the first of this series on 2/23, 4-1. However, St. Joseph won the one that mattered more in the FCIAC semifinals on 3/2, 3-2. Now, in the game that matters the most, with the winner possibly getting a chance to take on their other conference rival, undefeated New Canaan, down at Yale, one can expect both teams will come out hard and play with intensity for the full 45 minutes, possibly even longer. As hard as it is to believe, this is only the third best game of day (I have NC/G-bury as #2)!
(2) #1 Fairfield Prep vs (7) #3 Hamden @ 5 at Bennett Rink (West Haven)
-In stead of "one more time," this is more like "yet again!" As much as this sounds like the DI Championship game for this year, it is only the quarterfinals! How fitting is it that, since this game between two of the biggest hockey dynasties in the state must be at neutral site, it is at the third biggest place in CT for hockey, West Haven! Biggest doesn't refer to the capacity though so make sure you get there early if you're going to this one, the third match-up between Hamden and Prep this year. Remember, Hamden stole the first one at home 2-3 in OT on 1/8 because of a line change error on Prep, then Prep took down the Green Dragons a month later on 2/8, 4-2 in Bridgeport. Now, the age-old rivals meet again for a chance to play at Ingalls Rink next Wednesday. These two also represent the last four DI championships: Prep in 07 and 08 then Hamden in 09 and last year in 2010 6-5 over none other than Fairfield Prep!
(3) #8 South Windsor vs (6) #4 Xavier @ 3 at Koppel Community Sports Center at Trinity College (Hartford)
-This game looks more like the NC/G-bury match-up because these two Top Ten teams have not yet faced each other this season. Xavier has, however, beaten Fermi and Simsbury from the CCC but lost 2-4 to Conard. That may give SW some confidence coming into this one (they beat Conard 4-3 in OT and 1-0) but most people don't have them winning so its hard to tell who is actually the underdog. Xavier's offense will need to do its thing and have another big game (they are averaging almost 7 goals a game in their last three) while goalie Austin Essery will need to get back to his old form and not let in the 3 or 4 goals on under 20 shots like he has the past two games. SW has a solid (but not as good) goalie in Christian Marchi and an almost equal back-up in Ryan Serksnas so it will be interesting to see who gets the start (I expect Marchi though). The way SW wins this is if they score first, get the momentum on their side (Xavier plays with their emotions a lot) and then put the game on the shoulders of Marchi between the pipes. This is the only game in the central and northern part of the state so I think hockey fans from all around will come for a very good quarterfinal game that really could any way (blowout, 2OTs, upset, etc)!
PICKS: Like in my post about my original predictions, I will stay the course with NC, Ridgefield, Prep and Xavier although I'd personally like to see G-bury, Ridgefield, Hamden and Xavier all win today.
(1) #2 New Canaan vs (9) #6 Glastonbury @ 4pm at Northford Ice Pavilion
-The Rams are looking to make it 25-0 tonight while the Tomahawks will try to pull yet another upset. Glastonbury will look to ride their goalie Chris Hemhauser and solid defense from Sean Carfi and Alex Robinson to steal a win against undefeated New Canaan. As for NC, I expect Forward Charlie Corcoran to have himself a big game after only recording an assist in the game against Greenwich but this kid was the key to NC's win over Hamden one month ago on 2/11. Tim Nowaki will need to have a solid day in goal for the Rams too because NC has not played one CCC team yet this year so Glastonbury's style of play may help them win this one too.
(4) #9 St. Joseph vs (5) #6 Ridgefield @ 7 at Terry Connors Rink (Stamford)
-One more time...Ridgefield won the first of this series on 2/23, 4-1. However, St. Joseph won the one that mattered more in the FCIAC semifinals on 3/2, 3-2. Now, in the game that matters the most, with the winner possibly getting a chance to take on their other conference rival, undefeated New Canaan, down at Yale, one can expect both teams will come out hard and play with intensity for the full 45 minutes, possibly even longer. As hard as it is to believe, this is only the third best game of day (I have NC/G-bury as #2)!
(2) #1 Fairfield Prep vs (7) #3 Hamden @ 5 at Bennett Rink (West Haven)
-In stead of "one more time," this is more like "yet again!" As much as this sounds like the DI Championship game for this year, it is only the quarterfinals! How fitting is it that, since this game between two of the biggest hockey dynasties in the state must be at neutral site, it is at the third biggest place in CT for hockey, West Haven! Biggest doesn't refer to the capacity though so make sure you get there early if you're going to this one, the third match-up between Hamden and Prep this year. Remember, Hamden stole the first one at home 2-3 in OT on 1/8 because of a line change error on Prep, then Prep took down the Green Dragons a month later on 2/8, 4-2 in Bridgeport. Now, the age-old rivals meet again for a chance to play at Ingalls Rink next Wednesday. These two also represent the last four DI championships: Prep in 07 and 08 then Hamden in 09 and last year in 2010 6-5 over none other than Fairfield Prep!
(3) #8 South Windsor vs (6) #4 Xavier @ 3 at Koppel Community Sports Center at Trinity College (Hartford)
-This game looks more like the NC/G-bury match-up because these two Top Ten teams have not yet faced each other this season. Xavier has, however, beaten Fermi and Simsbury from the CCC but lost 2-4 to Conard. That may give SW some confidence coming into this one (they beat Conard 4-3 in OT and 1-0) but most people don't have them winning so its hard to tell who is actually the underdog. Xavier's offense will need to do its thing and have another big game (they are averaging almost 7 goals a game in their last three) while goalie Austin Essery will need to get back to his old form and not let in the 3 or 4 goals on under 20 shots like he has the past two games. SW has a solid (but not as good) goalie in Christian Marchi and an almost equal back-up in Ryan Serksnas so it will be interesting to see who gets the start (I expect Marchi though). The way SW wins this is if they score first, get the momentum on their side (Xavier plays with their emotions a lot) and then put the game on the shoulders of Marchi between the pipes. This is the only game in the central and northern part of the state so I think hockey fans from all around will come for a very good quarterfinal game that really could any way (blowout, 2OTs, upset, etc)!
PICKS: Like in my post about my original predictions, I will stay the course with NC, Ridgefield, Prep and Xavier although I'd personally like to see G-bury, Ridgefield, Hamden and Xavier all win today.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Boys' Hockey: Division III Quarterfinals Results
Four tickets to Yale have been punched and I'm sure the teams couldn't be any happier (or disappointed if your season is now over).
(1) Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury 2 vs (9) Northwest Catholic 5 at Spurrier-Snyder Rink in the Freeman Athletic Center at Wesleyan University (Middletown)
-Biggest surprise of the night; the boys from West Hartford are going to Ingalls for the third straight year. It is interesting to note that they have lost to the one seed and eventual champion the past two years (St. Joseph in '09 and Guilford in '10), who then moved up to the next division. That can mean that either W-P will win this year or that this is the year they play TWO games in New Haven!
(4) Watertown-Pomperaug 4 vs (5) Newington-Berlin 2 at Koeppel Community Sports Center at Trinity University (Hartford)
-One half of my championship game is still alive as N-B's momentum could carry them to a win here.
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(2) Staples-Weston-Shelton 4 vs (7) St. Bernard-Bacon-NFA 3 OT at Northford Ice Pavillion
-Insane! St. Bernard-Bacon Academy-Norwich Free Academy is a lot better than most thought and showed it here by almost pulling the huge upset but S-W-S got it together and is headed to Ingalls Rink next Tuesday. S-W-S is my pick to win the entire thing so I am quite glad they found a way to win in this one; WAVE and W-P/NWC won't be easy games either but then again what game in the state tournament, after the first round, is easy?
(3) Windsor-East Granby-Avon 3 vs (6) Newton 1 at Koeppel Community Sports Center at Trinity University (Hartford)
-Another close game but the better team prevailed and the W-EG-A/WAVE co-op will be playing at Yale next Tuesday.
(1) Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury 2 vs (9) Northwest Catholic 5 at Spurrier-Snyder Rink in the Freeman Athletic Center at Wesleyan University (Middletown)
-Biggest surprise of the night; the boys from West Hartford are going to Ingalls for the third straight year. It is interesting to note that they have lost to the one seed and eventual champion the past two years (St. Joseph in '09 and Guilford in '10), who then moved up to the next division. That can mean that either W-P will win this year or that this is the year they play TWO games in New Haven!
(4) Watertown-Pomperaug 4 vs (5) Newington-Berlin 2 at Koeppel Community Sports Center at Trinity University (Hartford)
-One half of my championship game is still alive as N-B's momentum could carry them to a win here.
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(2) Staples-Weston-Shelton 4 vs (7) St. Bernard-Bacon-NFA 3 OT at Northford Ice Pavillion
-Insane! St. Bernard-Bacon Academy-Norwich Free Academy is a lot better than most thought and showed it here by almost pulling the huge upset but S-W-S got it together and is headed to Ingalls Rink next Tuesday. S-W-S is my pick to win the entire thing so I am quite glad they found a way to win in this one; WAVE and W-P/NWC won't be easy games either but then again what game in the state tournament, after the first round, is easy?
(3) Windsor-East Granby-Avon 3 vs (6) Newton 1 at Koeppel Community Sports Center at Trinity University (Hartford)
-Another close game but the better team prevailed and the W-EG-A/WAVE co-op will be playing at Yale next Tuesday.
Boys' Hockey: Division II Quarterfinals Preview
The top six seeds will be in action for the first time on Friday (3/11) night; some (Guilford, Hand, East Catholic) have not played since last Saturday while for others (Wilton, Trumbull, Westhill) it has been even longer!
(9) Suffield-Granby-Windsor Locks vs (1) Guilford @ 7pm at Koeppel Community Sports Center (Trinity)
-The two haven't met yet this season but I think Guilford will have no problem taking care of business in this one. The thing that could make it interesting is if Guilford does not shake off their loss to Hand in the SCC-DII Championship game on Saturday because S-G-WL will be ready for this one, especially after their big 2-1 OT win over Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe on Tuesday.
(5) Westhill vs (4) Trumbull @ 730 at Wonderland of Ice
-First game of the tournament for the two FCIAC foes. Trumbull won the one regular season meeting on 1/27, 3-1, and I have them winning this time as well.
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(7) Hand vs (2) Cheshire @ 8 at Bennett Rink
-Hand may have won 2-1 last Friday in the SCC-DII tournament semifinals but Cheshire won 5-4 when the two played in the regular season on 2/17 so its really anyone's game. The bye combined with the passion for revenge, I think, gives Cheshire the edge in this one. Let's not forget who had the two seed and won the DII tournament just two years ago in 2009...the Cheshire Rams.
(6) East Catholic vs (3) Wilton @ 730 at Northford Ice Pavillion
-Both teams first game in the tournament as well, which helps Wilton more because, although they haven't played in longer, East could have used the momentum of a Tuesday First Round game more. East is coming off their CCC-East Championship on Saturday but I think Wilton's speed on offense and size on defense is just too much for that team that is everyone's sleeper team in DII, the East Catholic Eagles.
(9) Suffield-Granby-Windsor Locks vs (1) Guilford @ 7pm at Koeppel Community Sports Center (Trinity)
-The two haven't met yet this season but I think Guilford will have no problem taking care of business in this one. The thing that could make it interesting is if Guilford does not shake off their loss to Hand in the SCC-DII Championship game on Saturday because S-G-WL will be ready for this one, especially after their big 2-1 OT win over Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe on Tuesday.
(5) Westhill vs (4) Trumbull @ 730 at Wonderland of Ice
-First game of the tournament for the two FCIAC foes. Trumbull won the one regular season meeting on 1/27, 3-1, and I have them winning this time as well.
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(7) Hand vs (2) Cheshire @ 8 at Bennett Rink
-Hand may have won 2-1 last Friday in the SCC-DII tournament semifinals but Cheshire won 5-4 when the two played in the regular season on 2/17 so its really anyone's game. The bye combined with the passion for revenge, I think, gives Cheshire the edge in this one. Let's not forget who had the two seed and won the DII tournament just two years ago in 2009...the Cheshire Rams.
(6) East Catholic vs (3) Wilton @ 730 at Northford Ice Pavillion
-Both teams first game in the tournament as well, which helps Wilton more because, although they haven't played in longer, East could have used the momentum of a Tuesday First Round game more. East is coming off their CCC-East Championship on Saturday but I think Wilton's speed on offense and size on defense is just too much for that team that is everyone's sleeper team in DII, the East Catholic Eagles.
Boys' Basketball: Class LL and M Quarterfinals
All games are on Friday 3/11:
CLASS LL Quarterfinals:
(17) Xavier (beat CCC Champions, #2 in the state and 1 seed Windsor) @ (9) Fairfield Prep (beat NVL Champions, #8 in the state and 8 seed Crosby) @ 7pm
(5) Ridgefield @ (4) Holy Cross (NVL runner-up, #7 in the state) @ 7
(7) Brien McMahon @ (2) St. Joseph (#9 in the state) @ 7
(14) Glastonbury (beat #9 in the state and 3 seed Hartford Public) @ (11) Westhill (beat SCC Champions, #3 in the state and 6 seed Hillhouse) @ 7
CLASS M Quarterfinals:
(9) Weaver (beat 8 seed Hyde Leadership) vs (1) Career Magnet (SCC runner-up, #4 in the state) @ 7pm at Wilbur Cross High School (New Haven)
(21) Ansonia (beat 12 seed Northwestern and 5 seed Cromwell) @ (4) Enfield (NCCC runner-up) @ 7
(18) Trinity Catholic (beat 15 seed Brookfield and 2 seed Nonnewaug) @ (10) Bethel (beat 7 seed Watertown) @ 7
(6) Stonington (ECC sunner-up) @ (3) Notre Dame-Fairfield (SWC Champions) @ 7
Class L and S are only in the second round tonight and won't play Quarterfinals untill next Monday but I will have a post this weekend on those match-ups.
CLASS LL Quarterfinals:
(17) Xavier (beat CCC Champions, #2 in the state and 1 seed Windsor) @ (9) Fairfield Prep (beat NVL Champions, #8 in the state and 8 seed Crosby) @ 7pm
(5) Ridgefield @ (4) Holy Cross (NVL runner-up, #7 in the state) @ 7
(7) Brien McMahon @ (2) St. Joseph (#9 in the state) @ 7
(14) Glastonbury (beat #9 in the state and 3 seed Hartford Public) @ (11) Westhill (beat SCC Champions, #3 in the state and 6 seed Hillhouse) @ 7
CLASS M Quarterfinals:
(9) Weaver (beat 8 seed Hyde Leadership) vs (1) Career Magnet (SCC runner-up, #4 in the state) @ 7pm at Wilbur Cross High School (New Haven)
(21) Ansonia (beat 12 seed Northwestern and 5 seed Cromwell) @ (4) Enfield (NCCC runner-up) @ 7
(18) Trinity Catholic (beat 15 seed Brookfield and 2 seed Nonnewaug) @ (10) Bethel (beat 7 seed Watertown) @ 7
(6) Stonington (ECC sunner-up) @ (3) Notre Dame-Fairfield (SWC Champions) @ 7
Class L and S are only in the second round tonight and won't play Quarterfinals untill next Monday but I will have a post this weekend on those match-ups.
Girls' Baketball: LL and M Quarterfinals + L and S Semifinals
All games on Thursday 3/10:
CLASS LL Quarterfinals:
(9) Career Magnet (#7 in the state) @ (1) Trumbull (FCIAC Champions, #6 in the state) @ 7pm
(5) Hall @ (4) Holy Cross (NVL Champions, #8 in the state) @ 7
(10) Lauralton Hall (SWC runner-up) @ (2) Mercy (SCC runner-up, #2 in the state) @ 7
(6) Glastonbury (#4 in the state) @ (3) Manchester (#5 in the state) @ 7 (rematch of CCC Championship game that G-bury won 67-53 but they split the two regular season games 51-58 loss then 47-43 win for G-bury)
CLASS M Quarterfinals:
(8) Kolbe Cathedral @ (1) Lewis Mills @7pm
(21) Weaver @ (4) Ellington (NCCC Champions) @ 7
(10) Woodland @ (2) Windham (ECC runner-up) @ 7
(6) Tolland @ (3) Plainfield
All games on Friday 3/11:
CLASS L Semifinals:
(1) Bacon Academy (ECC Champions, #3 in the state) vs (4) Hillhouse (SCC Champions, #1 in the state) @ Maloney High School (Meriden) @ 7pm
(2) E.O. Smith (#10 in the state) @ (3) Torrington (NVL runner-up) @ Plainville High School @ 7
CLASS S Semifinals:
(1) Capital Prep (CSC Champions) vs (4) Portland (Shoreline runner-up) @ East Catholic High School (Manchester) @ 6pm
(2) Cromwell vs (14) Windsor Locks @ East Catholic High School (Manchester) @ 745
CLASS LL Quarterfinals:
(9) Career Magnet (#7 in the state) @ (1) Trumbull (FCIAC Champions, #6 in the state) @ 7pm
(5) Hall @ (4) Holy Cross (NVL Champions, #8 in the state) @ 7
(10) Lauralton Hall (SWC runner-up) @ (2) Mercy (SCC runner-up, #2 in the state) @ 7
(6) Glastonbury (#4 in the state) @ (3) Manchester (#5 in the state) @ 7 (rematch of CCC Championship game that G-bury won 67-53 but they split the two regular season games 51-58 loss then 47-43 win for G-bury)
CLASS M Quarterfinals:
(8) Kolbe Cathedral @ (1) Lewis Mills @7pm
(21) Weaver @ (4) Ellington (NCCC Champions) @ 7
(10) Woodland @ (2) Windham (ECC runner-up) @ 7
(6) Tolland @ (3) Plainfield
All games on Friday 3/11:
CLASS L Semifinals:
(1) Bacon Academy (ECC Champions, #3 in the state) vs (4) Hillhouse (SCC Champions, #1 in the state) @ Maloney High School (Meriden) @ 7pm
(2) E.O. Smith (#10 in the state) @ (3) Torrington (NVL runner-up) @ Plainville High School @ 7
CLASS S Semifinals:
(1) Capital Prep (CSC Champions) vs (4) Portland (Shoreline runner-up) @ East Catholic High School (Manchester) @ 6pm
(2) Cromwell vs (14) Windsor Locks @ East Catholic High School (Manchester) @ 745
Boys' Basketball: Class LL 2nd Round UPSETS
(17) Xavier (receives 0 votes in Top Ten poll) 69 @ (1) Windsor (#2 in state, CCC Champions) 58
(11) Westhill 75 @ (6) Hillhouse (#3 in state, SCC Champions) 72
(14) Glastonbury (receives 0 votes in Top Ten poll) 45 @ (3) Hartford Public (#9 in state) 44
(9) Fairfield Prep 86 @ (8) Crosby (#8 in state, NVL Champions) 69
(7) Brien McMahon 57 @ (10) Wilbur Cross (just out of Top Ten but ahead of Brien McMahon) 51
Almost upsets:
(13) Southington (receives 0 votes in Top Ten poll) 68 @ (4) Holy Cross (#7 in state) 72
(18) Stamford 50 @ (2) St. Joseph (#9 in state) 52
(11) Westhill 75 @ (6) Hillhouse (#3 in state, SCC Champions) 72
(14) Glastonbury (receives 0 votes in Top Ten poll) 45 @ (3) Hartford Public (#9 in state) 44
(9) Fairfield Prep 86 @ (8) Crosby (#8 in state, NVL Champions) 69
(7) Brien McMahon 57 @ (10) Wilbur Cross (just out of Top Ten but ahead of Brien McMahon) 51
Almost upsets:
(13) Southington (receives 0 votes in Top Ten poll) 68 @ (4) Holy Cross (#7 in state) 72
(18) Stamford 50 @ (2) St. Joseph (#9 in state) 52
Boys' Hockey: DI First Round Results (2/9)
As the Christian season of Lent began on Wednesday, so did the CIAC Division I Ice Hockey tournament. Oh what a night! No major upsets (aside from 9 over 8) but plenty of the excitement that one comes to expect from playoff hockey:
(16) Greenwich 1 @ (1) #2 New Canaan 5
-Make that 24-0 for the Rams who are back on track. Goalie Tim Nowacki looked solid only letting in one goal on 19 shots and the offense, especially Reed Harper (2 goals) and Dylan Hart (1 goal but was everywhere on offense). Ryan Begoon and David Crandall also scored for New Canaan while
-Conor Crouse had himself a game (1 goal, 2 assists) as he lead his St. Joesph Cadets to sweet revenge over Amity (7-5 loss in last year's DII championship game). The Cadets have now won all three meetings between the two DI rookies this year and the Spartans' season is over. St. Joseph advances to face their fellow FCIAC squad, Ridgefield (going to a tremendous game...preview will be up on Friday). Pat Corcoran also had a goal an assist while junior Matt Julian moved up to the first line for this game and scored as well. Amity's all-star goalie, Alec Mansfield, had 34 saves, 16 in the third period, as one would expect from a player of his caliber (St. Joseph's third goal was an empty-netter). Zach Carrano had 24 saves for St. Joseph but Amity's offense was completely different from the one they've had all year as they lost their top forward, Joe Bianchi, for the playoffs and I really think that was the difference maker in this one.
(12) Conard 1 @ (5) #6 Ridgefield 4
-Conard struck first in this one but it didn't have quite the effect as when they did against Xavier. Ridgefield is 11-0-1 at home after this one and for good reason; they answered Conard's first period goal with a goal by Aidan Scott before the period ended. From there, the Tigers scored three more unanswered (one empty-net) and got the win. Danny McMullan had a goal and two assists but Sean Wilkinson was the star with two goals and an assist. Matt Hrvatin, Timmy Kelly and Matt Flanagan all finished with assists as well for Ridgefield.
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(15) Darien 1 @ (2) #1 Fairfield Prep 2 OT
-There is a reason I hyped up the potential upset, and it wasn't just based on Xavier F/C Charlie Dupont's always sound advice. Darien shocked the state last year by upsetting 1 seed West Haven 4-3 then 8 seed Tri-Town 6-0 before losing to eventual champion Hamden 3-2 in the semifinals...they were the first 16 seed to ever make it to Yale. This year, they almost upset New Canaan in the FCIAC semifinals (0-1 loss) and came even closer tonight taking the best team in the state to OT and only losing with 5:49 left. The Blue Wave not only showed how actually talented they were this year again but also highlighted how wide open the DI tournament despite NC and Prep's dominance in the regular season! Darien scored 2:40 second into the game on a goal by Nick Bruno via Richard Gregory's assist but that would be it. Prep did not answer until 5:20 left in the third when A.J. Unker passed it to Evan Antisdale and he put a loose puck by Max Rothston. Inbetween the two goals Darien couldn't sustain a strong offense as Prep goal tender John Galiani only had to make 16 saves and Prep fired numerous shots, only scoring when they resorted to the most basic offense of shooting on goal and then crashing the net for a rebound. Darien's goalie, Rothston, had 36 saves but couldn't stop Bryan Puffer's shot off a rebound from Ray Boudiette's shot with 5:49 left in overtime. Don Carnicky and Darric White also had assists for Prep on the night.
(10) #10 West Haven 3 @ (7) #3 Hamden 5
-You want drama, how does a rivalry game at Louis Astorino sound? This game was tied twice, in both the first period at 1-1 and the second period at 2-2. In addition to that, the glass behind West Haven's bench shattered in the first period right after Ryan Hansen scored for them to even things at one apiece. The twenty-minute delay to fix the glass really killed any momentum WH had but nonetheless they scored again before the period was over to head into the locker room up 2-1. Hamden, the two-time defending champions, came out strong in the second and Brandon Dadio managed to get a rebound past WH goalie J.P. Withington off a shot by Nick Amarone just 1:18 into the second. Hamden scored twice more in the second and never looked back. Withington had 43 saves but the Green Dragons are #3 in the state for a reason. Plus, only getting off 16 shots (WH did) is not going to cut it if you're trying to beat Hamden, especially in the tournament.
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(14) Tri-Town 3 @ (3) #8 South Windsor 5
-3-1 then 4-2...why not 5-3 for the 3rd time? This was on the "two goal maximum" side but at the end of the day, as close as the game may have been, the better team emerged and will be playing in the quarterfinals. Joey Bonazelli stood out on the night with four points for the Bobcats. I do not know which goalie played for SW but hopefully I'll find out tomorrow because that will make a difference when they play Xavier on Saturday. Tri-Town had a good season as NHC Champions but since South Windsor lost the CCC-North Championship, on a Division I Championship will satisfy this team now!
(11) East Haven 3 @ (6) #4 Xavier 4
-SCC Hockey...it's a crazy but beautiful thing. No matter what team you're rooting for, your emotions are jostled around throughout the game and make the outcome that much sweeter (or sour). Like I said coming, East Haven had a real chance in this one and answered each and every one of Xavier's goals, save the last one. The Falcons defenseman Nick Turner netted a beauty to start things off at the 5:26 mark of the first period. East Haven matched that effort in the second when captain Tom Brunski scored unassisted 2:13 into the period. Xaveir captain Kurt Johnson was not about to be shown up in his own house and got the lead back for X 2 minutes and 16 seconds later with a goal that ignited the crowd and entire team really. One couldn't get too comfortable though as Xaveir goalie Austin Essery lunged to cover up a rebound two minutes later bu missed and Andrew Hamilton, the other captain for the Easties, put the puck in the back of the net. At the 11:45 mark, Charlie Dupont (another captain) buried a shot in front of the net thanks to some nice footwork and again put Xavier ahead, 3-2 this time. And again, with 55 seconds left in the period, EH came back as Hamilton scored again, this time thanks to some scrum in front of the net, but nonetheless things were 3-3 when the second period ended. Tie games are always nerve-wracking but Xavier's crowd stood behind them and Xavier's third and final captain, Dan Walsh, scored 4 minutes and 33 seconds into the third, unassisted, and pull off what many consider to be the celebration of the year (pictures from the game can be found in the Middletown Press's article). That goal proved to be the game winner as Essery played a lot better in the third and Xavier moves on to play South Windsor in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Both teams will need to play better than they did in the first round if they hope to win! For East Haven, Stephen Marsico only had an assist along with Matt Longobardi, Matt Barcomb and Rich Decarlo. Goalie Sam Gavigan had around 34 saves while Essery had about 12. Walsh had two assists to go with his goal, Johnson had one assist to go with his goal and standout freshman defenseman Kade McCartin added two assists.
NOTE: Interesting thing to think about: one team is only three wins away from being the state champion...
(16) Greenwich 1 @ (1) #2 New Canaan 5
-Make that 24-0 for the Rams who are back on track. Goalie Tim Nowacki looked solid only letting in one goal on 19 shots and the offense, especially Reed Harper (2 goals) and Dylan Hart (1 goal but was everywhere on offense). Ryan Begoon and David Crandall also scored for New Canaan while
-Conor Crouse had himself a game (1 goal, 2 assists) as he lead his St. Joesph Cadets to sweet revenge over Amity (7-5 loss in last year's DII championship game). The Cadets have now won all three meetings between the two DI rookies this year and the Spartans' season is over. St. Joseph advances to face their fellow FCIAC squad, Ridgefield (going to a tremendous game...preview will be up on Friday). Pat Corcoran also had a goal an assist while junior Matt Julian moved up to the first line for this game and scored as well. Amity's all-star goalie, Alec Mansfield, had 34 saves, 16 in the third period, as one would expect from a player of his caliber (St. Joseph's third goal was an empty-netter). Zach Carrano had 24 saves for St. Joseph but Amity's offense was completely different from the one they've had all year as they lost their top forward, Joe Bianchi, for the playoffs and I really think that was the difference maker in this one.
(12) Conard 1 @ (5) #6 Ridgefield 4
-Conard struck first in this one but it didn't have quite the effect as when they did against Xavier. Ridgefield is 11-0-1 at home after this one and for good reason; they answered Conard's first period goal with a goal by Aidan Scott before the period ended. From there, the Tigers scored three more unanswered (one empty-net) and got the win. Danny McMullan had a goal and two assists but Sean Wilkinson was the star with two goals and an assist. Matt Hrvatin, Timmy Kelly and Matt Flanagan all finished with assists as well for Ridgefield.
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(15) Darien 1 @ (2) #1 Fairfield Prep 2 OT
-There is a reason I hyped up the potential upset, and it wasn't just based on Xavier F/C Charlie Dupont's always sound advice. Darien shocked the state last year by upsetting 1 seed West Haven 4-3 then 8 seed Tri-Town 6-0 before losing to eventual champion Hamden 3-2 in the semifinals...they were the first 16 seed to ever make it to Yale. This year, they almost upset New Canaan in the FCIAC semifinals (0-1 loss) and came even closer tonight taking the best team in the state to OT and only losing with 5:49 left. The Blue Wave not only showed how actually talented they were this year again but also highlighted how wide open the DI tournament despite NC and Prep's dominance in the regular season! Darien scored 2:40 second into the game on a goal by Nick Bruno via Richard Gregory's assist but that would be it. Prep did not answer until 5:20 left in the third when A.J. Unker passed it to Evan Antisdale and he put a loose puck by Max Rothston. Inbetween the two goals Darien couldn't sustain a strong offense as Prep goal tender John Galiani only had to make 16 saves and Prep fired numerous shots, only scoring when they resorted to the most basic offense of shooting on goal and then crashing the net for a rebound. Darien's goalie, Rothston, had 36 saves but couldn't stop Bryan Puffer's shot off a rebound from Ray Boudiette's shot with 5:49 left in overtime. Don Carnicky and Darric White also had assists for Prep on the night.
(10) #10 West Haven 3 @ (7) #3 Hamden 5
-You want drama, how does a rivalry game at Louis Astorino sound? This game was tied twice, in both the first period at 1-1 and the second period at 2-2. In addition to that, the glass behind West Haven's bench shattered in the first period right after Ryan Hansen scored for them to even things at one apiece. The twenty-minute delay to fix the glass really killed any momentum WH had but nonetheless they scored again before the period was over to head into the locker room up 2-1. Hamden, the two-time defending champions, came out strong in the second and Brandon Dadio managed to get a rebound past WH goalie J.P. Withington off a shot by Nick Amarone just 1:18 into the second. Hamden scored twice more in the second and never looked back. Withington had 43 saves but the Green Dragons are #3 in the state for a reason. Plus, only getting off 16 shots (WH did) is not going to cut it if you're trying to beat Hamden, especially in the tournament.
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(14) Tri-Town 3 @ (3) #8 South Windsor 5
-3-1 then 4-2...why not 5-3 for the 3rd time? This was on the "two goal maximum" side but at the end of the day, as close as the game may have been, the better team emerged and will be playing in the quarterfinals. Joey Bonazelli stood out on the night with four points for the Bobcats. I do not know which goalie played for SW but hopefully I'll find out tomorrow because that will make a difference when they play Xavier on Saturday. Tri-Town had a good season as NHC Champions but since South Windsor lost the CCC-North Championship, on a Division I Championship will satisfy this team now!
(11) East Haven 3 @ (6) #4 Xavier 4
-SCC Hockey...it's a crazy but beautiful thing. No matter what team you're rooting for, your emotions are jostled around throughout the game and make the outcome that much sweeter (or sour). Like I said coming, East Haven had a real chance in this one and answered each and every one of Xavier's goals, save the last one. The Falcons defenseman Nick Turner netted a beauty to start things off at the 5:26 mark of the first period. East Haven matched that effort in the second when captain Tom Brunski scored unassisted 2:13 into the period. Xaveir captain Kurt Johnson was not about to be shown up in his own house and got the lead back for X 2 minutes and 16 seconds later with a goal that ignited the crowd and entire team really. One couldn't get too comfortable though as Xaveir goalie Austin Essery lunged to cover up a rebound two minutes later bu missed and Andrew Hamilton, the other captain for the Easties, put the puck in the back of the net. At the 11:45 mark, Charlie Dupont (another captain) buried a shot in front of the net thanks to some nice footwork and again put Xavier ahead, 3-2 this time. And again, with 55 seconds left in the period, EH came back as Hamilton scored again, this time thanks to some scrum in front of the net, but nonetheless things were 3-3 when the second period ended. Tie games are always nerve-wracking but Xavier's crowd stood behind them and Xavier's third and final captain, Dan Walsh, scored 4 minutes and 33 seconds into the third, unassisted, and pull off what many consider to be the celebration of the year (pictures from the game can be found in the Middletown Press's article). That goal proved to be the game winner as Essery played a lot better in the third and Xavier moves on to play South Windsor in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Both teams will need to play better than they did in the first round if they hope to win! For East Haven, Stephen Marsico only had an assist along with Matt Longobardi, Matt Barcomb and Rich Decarlo. Goalie Sam Gavigan had around 34 saves while Essery had about 12. Walsh had two assists to go with his goal, Johnson had one assist to go with his goal and standout freshman defenseman Kade McCartin added two assists.
NOTE: Interesting thing to think about: one team is only three wins away from being the state champion...
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Boys' Hockey: DII First Round Results (3/8)
There were only two games but the 8/9 match-up certainly made up for it.
(9) Suffield-Granby-Windsor Locks 2 @ (8) Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe 1 2OT
-It took double overtime but S-G-WL pulled the upset and I got my first pick wrong. I would like to say that I love that we got a 2OT game already as the tournament, for all three divisions, looks like there will be a plethora of good and close games; it all goes back to the parity but also uniqueness amongst the teams.
(10) Farmington 1 @ (7) Hand 5
-Just the big first round win the SCC-DII Champions were looking forward as they will now play 2 seed Cheshire again in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Here is what the quarterfinals looks like now (I will update with locations when they are announced):
(9) Suffield-Granby-Windsor Locks vs (1) Guilford
-The two haven't met yet this season but I think Guilford will have no problem taking care of business in this one.
(5) Westhill vs (4) Trumbull
-First game of the tournament for the two FCIAC foes. Trumbull won the one regular season meeting on 1/27, 3-1, and I have them winning this time as well.
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(7) Hand vs (2) Cheshire
-Hand may have won 2-1 last Friday in the SCC-DII tournament semifinals but Cheshire won 5-4 when the two played in the regular season on 2/17 so its really anyone's game. The bye combined with the passion for revenge, I think, gives Cheshire the edge in this one. Let's not forget who had the two seed and won the DII tournament just two years ago in 2009...the Cheshire Rams.
(6) East Catholic vs (3) Wilton
-Both teams first game in the tournament as well that helps Wilton more because, although they haven't played in longer, East could have used the momentum more. East is coming off their CCC-East Championship on Saturday but I think Wilton's speed on offense and size on defense is just too much for everyone's sleeper team in DII, the East Catholic Eagles.
(9) Suffield-Granby-Windsor Locks 2 @ (8) Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe 1 2OT
-It took double overtime but S-G-WL pulled the upset and I got my first pick wrong. I would like to say that I love that we got a 2OT game already as the tournament, for all three divisions, looks like there will be a plethora of good and close games; it all goes back to the parity but also uniqueness amongst the teams.
(10) Farmington 1 @ (7) Hand 5
-Just the big first round win the SCC-DII Champions were looking forward as they will now play 2 seed Cheshire again in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Here is what the quarterfinals looks like now (I will update with locations when they are announced):
(9) Suffield-Granby-Windsor Locks vs (1) Guilford
-The two haven't met yet this season but I think Guilford will have no problem taking care of business in this one.
(5) Westhill vs (4) Trumbull
-First game of the tournament for the two FCIAC foes. Trumbull won the one regular season meeting on 1/27, 3-1, and I have them winning this time as well.
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(7) Hand vs (2) Cheshire
-Hand may have won 2-1 last Friday in the SCC-DII tournament semifinals but Cheshire won 5-4 when the two played in the regular season on 2/17 so its really anyone's game. The bye combined with the passion for revenge, I think, gives Cheshire the edge in this one. Let's not forget who had the two seed and won the DII tournament just two years ago in 2009...the Cheshire Rams.
(6) East Catholic vs (3) Wilton
-Both teams first game in the tournament as well that helps Wilton more because, although they haven't played in longer, East could have used the momentum more. East is coming off their CCC-East Championship on Saturday but I think Wilton's speed on offense and size on defense is just too much for everyone's sleeper team in DII, the East Catholic Eagles.
Boys' Hockey: Division I First Round Preview
To get everyone ready for the first round of the DI tournament that starts tomorrow, Wednesday 3/9, here is a full in-depth preview for each game:
(16) Greenwich @ (1) #2 New Canaan @ 6pm
-There's not much to say about the 1/16 match-up. The two played twice in the regular season and NC won 3-0 then 5-1. Greenwich had a good showing in the FCIAC tournament, only losing 1-2 to #6 Ridgefield, but that can also be credited to Ridgefield not doing so well in the tournament since they lost 2-3 to #9 St. Joseph in their next game. The only hope for Greenwich is that NC doesn't come to play, and it has to be for all three periods, something I just don't see happening at all.
(9) #6 Glastonbury @ (8) #5 Notre Dame-West Haven @ 430
-GAME OF THE DAY right here! Glastonbury is coming off their CCC-North Championship over #8 South Windsor on Saturday while ND-WH hasn't played since their lazy loss at Hamden last Wednesday. Glastonbury has so much talent, size and a great goalie in Chris Hemauser but ND is bigger and their goalie, Greg Harney, is even better! On 1/17, ND-WH beat G-bury 5-2 (a lot closer than score indicates) and G-bury has their top defenseman, Sean Carfi, back from injury now but this game will be down at Bennett Rink and the Green Knights feed off their crowd so much that it is hard to pick against them at home (remember Bennett is Amity and West Haven's home ice too). Anyone who goes to this game will not be disappointed at all and can still catch one of the night games after!
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(13) Amity @ (4) #9 St. Joseph @ 730
-Does this match-up sound familiar? It was the DII Championship game just last year and both new additions to DI had very impressive years (Amity is my #11 team)! Although Amity won the championship game last year 5-2, St. Joseph won 5-0 and 4-2 the two times that these foes met THIS year. Nonetheless, I think Amity has a lot more momentum now, a tournament tested goalie in Alec Mansfield (he won DII in 2008 and 2010) and steps up in the postseason to upset the FCIAC tournament runner-up Cadets. Go Sparty!
(12) Conard @ (5) #6 Ridgefield @ 730
-This is a dangerous match-up actually because Ridgefield needs to rebound from their 2-3 loss to St. Joseph in the FCIAC tournament semifinals last Wednesday and to do that, Conard is not the team you want to face. The Conard Chieftains always seem to play at the level of their opponents, whether that be truckling (SAT word) down to the DII teams they've tied and lost to but are certainly better than, or they elevate to the level of, and beat, teams like #6 Glastonbury and #4 Xavier that are clearly better than them. You never know what you're going to get from Conard and really anything can happen in all of these postseason games to the Ridgefield Tigers better watch out!
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(15) Darien @ (2) #1 Fairfield Prep @ 6
-Like I just said, anything can happen in any of these postseason games, and Darien vs Prep is no different. Yes, Prep is the best team in the state, they have the best offense of any team and a rock solid goalie in John Galiani (who leads the CIAC in shutouts). However, Darien has not played Prep yet his season, they beat Amity, only lost to #6 Ridgefield in OT, and most notably, only lost to #2 New Canaan 0-1 in the FCIAC tournament semifinals. That being said, nothing is impossible.
(10) #10 West Haven @ (7) #3 Hamden @ 6
-Once again, the Louis Astorino Rink welcomes in the Blue Devils. Hamden was all over WH 7-0 at Bennett Rink on 2/19 but when the two played at the Lou earlier in the season on 1/22 it was a 3-3 tie. WH can certainly pull the upset since not only is it the postseason now but this is also big rivalry in high school hockey. However, this is the two-time defending DI champions in Hamden we're talking about and a lot of the players still on the team were contributors in 2010 and 2009.
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(14) Tri-Town @ (3) #8 South Windsor @ 7
-Yet again, one could make a legitimate case for the underdog here. Although South Windsor lucked out in drawing a team for the first round that they've already beat twice, it was only by 2 goals each time (3-1 on 2/7 and 4-2 on 2/26). Also, Tri-Town is coming into the game hyped up from winning the NHC Championship on Saturday while South Windsor let in two goals in the final three minutes to lose the CCC-North Championship to #6 Glastonbury on Saturday. [NOTE: Tri-Town's 3-4 win over North Branford for the NHC Championship was insane...they scored with 8 seconds left in OT!!!!!] It will be interesting to see what happens and if Christian Marchi (who played extremely well on Saturday) or Ryan Serksnas (who is also good) gets the start between the pipes for the Bobcats. I expect a SW win but it should only be by one or two goals maximum.
(11) East Haven @ (6) #4 Xavier @7
-Coming into this game, Xavier's offense is clicking nicely, having scored 16 goals in their last two games (against #10 West Haven and Notre Dame-Fairfield). The Falcons young defense also looks better every game but they will need to continue both of these things, with no let up, to get to Yale and beyond. They beat East Haven 5-2 on 2/10 but the Yellow Jackets are a dangerous team with Andrew Hamilton, Rich Decarlo and Steve Marsico on offense, Tom Brunski leading the defense, Sam Gavigan in goal and a head coach, Lou Pane, with 25 years of experience. Again, there are no easy first round games in DI (except maybe the 1 v 16 match-up) and a couple mistakes could mean the end of your season so its a whole different game mentally!
PICKS: http://hssportsct.blogspot.com/2011/03/boys-hockey-my-tournament-predictions.html
(16) Greenwich @ (1) #2 New Canaan @ 6pm
-There's not much to say about the 1/16 match-up. The two played twice in the regular season and NC won 3-0 then 5-1. Greenwich had a good showing in the FCIAC tournament, only losing 1-2 to #6 Ridgefield, but that can also be credited to Ridgefield not doing so well in the tournament since they lost 2-3 to #9 St. Joseph in their next game. The only hope for Greenwich is that NC doesn't come to play, and it has to be for all three periods, something I just don't see happening at all.
(9) #6 Glastonbury @ (8) #5 Notre Dame-West Haven @ 430
-GAME OF THE DAY right here! Glastonbury is coming off their CCC-North Championship over #8 South Windsor on Saturday while ND-WH hasn't played since their lazy loss at Hamden last Wednesday. Glastonbury has so much talent, size and a great goalie in Chris Hemauser but ND is bigger and their goalie, Greg Harney, is even better! On 1/17, ND-WH beat G-bury 5-2 (a lot closer than score indicates) and G-bury has their top defenseman, Sean Carfi, back from injury now but this game will be down at Bennett Rink and the Green Knights feed off their crowd so much that it is hard to pick against them at home (remember Bennett is Amity and West Haven's home ice too). Anyone who goes to this game will not be disappointed at all and can still catch one of the night games after!
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(13) Amity @ (4) #9 St. Joseph @ 730
-Does this match-up sound familiar? It was the DII Championship game just last year and both new additions to DI had very impressive years (Amity is my #11 team)! Although Amity won the championship game last year 5-2, St. Joseph won 5-0 and 4-2 the two times that these foes met THIS year. Nonetheless, I think Amity has a lot more momentum now, a tournament tested goalie in Alec Mansfield (he won DII in 2008 and 2010) and steps up in the postseason to upset the FCIAC tournament runner-up Cadets. Go Sparty!
(12) Conard @ (5) #6 Ridgefield @ 730
-This is a dangerous match-up actually because Ridgefield needs to rebound from their 2-3 loss to St. Joseph in the FCIAC tournament semifinals last Wednesday and to do that, Conard is not the team you want to face. The Conard Chieftains always seem to play at the level of their opponents, whether that be truckling (SAT word) down to the DII teams they've tied and lost to but are certainly better than, or they elevate to the level of, and beat, teams like #6 Glastonbury and #4 Xavier that are clearly better than them. You never know what you're going to get from Conard and really anything can happen in all of these postseason games to the Ridgefield Tigers better watch out!
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(15) Darien @ (2) #1 Fairfield Prep @ 6
-Like I just said, anything can happen in any of these postseason games, and Darien vs Prep is no different. Yes, Prep is the best team in the state, they have the best offense of any team and a rock solid goalie in John Galiani (who leads the CIAC in shutouts). However, Darien has not played Prep yet his season, they beat Amity, only lost to #6 Ridgefield in OT, and most notably, only lost to #2 New Canaan 0-1 in the FCIAC tournament semifinals. That being said, nothing is impossible.
(10) #10 West Haven @ (7) #3 Hamden @ 6
-Once again, the Louis Astorino Rink welcomes in the Blue Devils. Hamden was all over WH 7-0 at Bennett Rink on 2/19 but when the two played at the Lou earlier in the season on 1/22 it was a 3-3 tie. WH can certainly pull the upset since not only is it the postseason now but this is also big rivalry in high school hockey. However, this is the two-time defending DI champions in Hamden we're talking about and a lot of the players still on the team were contributors in 2010 and 2009.
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(14) Tri-Town @ (3) #8 South Windsor @ 7
-Yet again, one could make a legitimate case for the underdog here. Although South Windsor lucked out in drawing a team for the first round that they've already beat twice, it was only by 2 goals each time (3-1 on 2/7 and 4-2 on 2/26). Also, Tri-Town is coming into the game hyped up from winning the NHC Championship on Saturday while South Windsor let in two goals in the final three minutes to lose the CCC-North Championship to #6 Glastonbury on Saturday. [NOTE: Tri-Town's 3-4 win over North Branford for the NHC Championship was insane...they scored with 8 seconds left in OT!!!!!] It will be interesting to see what happens and if Christian Marchi (who played extremely well on Saturday) or Ryan Serksnas (who is also good) gets the start between the pipes for the Bobcats. I expect a SW win but it should only be by one or two goals maximum.
(11) East Haven @ (6) #4 Xavier @7
-Coming into this game, Xavier's offense is clicking nicely, having scored 16 goals in their last two games (against #10 West Haven and Notre Dame-Fairfield). The Falcons young defense also looks better every game but they will need to continue both of these things, with no let up, to get to Yale and beyond. They beat East Haven 5-2 on 2/10 but the Yellow Jackets are a dangerous team with Andrew Hamilton, Rich Decarlo and Steve Marsico on offense, Tom Brunski leading the defense, Sam Gavigan in goal and a head coach, Lou Pane, with 25 years of experience. Again, there are no easy first round games in DI (except maybe the 1 v 16 match-up) and a couple mistakes could mean the end of your season so its a whole different game mentally!
PICKS: http://hssportsct.blogspot.com/2011/03/boys-hockey-my-tournament-predictions.html
Monday, March 7, 2011
Boy's Hockey: DIII First Round Results (3/7) UPDATED with sites for quarterfinals
I was 4-0 for picks on the day:
(9) Rockville-Manchester-Stafford 5 vs (8) Northwest Catholic 6 OT
-A close thriller is just what you'd expect in the 8/9 game. NWC moves on to play 1 seed Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury in the quarterfinals.
(12) Sheehan 2 @ (5) Newington-Berlin 7
(10) Joel Barlow 0 @ (7) St. Bernard-Bacon-NFA 4
(11) Rocky Hill-RHAM-Middletown 3 @ (6) Newton 4
The quarterfinals on Thursday 3/10 at neutral sites will look like this (I will update will locations when they are announced):
(1) Brookfield-Bethel-Danbuey vs (9) Northwest Catholic @ Spurrier-Snyder Rink in the Freeman Athletic Center at Wesleyan University (Middletown) @ 715pm
(4) Watertown-Pomperaug vs (5) Newington-Berlin @ Koeppel Community Sports Center at Trinity University (Hartford) @ 530
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(2) Staples-Weston-Shelton vs (7) St. Bernard-Bacon-NFA @ Northford Ice Pavillion @ 730
(3) Windsor-East Granby-Avon vs (6) Newton @ Koeppel Community Sports Center at Trinity University (Hartford) @ 730
(9) Rockville-Manchester-Stafford 5 vs (8) Northwest Catholic 6 OT
-A close thriller is just what you'd expect in the 8/9 game. NWC moves on to play 1 seed Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury in the quarterfinals.
(12) Sheehan 2 @ (5) Newington-Berlin 7
(10) Joel Barlow 0 @ (7) St. Bernard-Bacon-NFA 4
(11) Rocky Hill-RHAM-Middletown 3 @ (6) Newton 4
The quarterfinals on Thursday 3/10 at neutral sites will look like this (I will update will locations when they are announced):
(1) Brookfield-Bethel-Danbuey vs (9) Northwest Catholic @ Spurrier-Snyder Rink in the Freeman Athletic Center at Wesleyan University (Middletown) @ 715pm
(4) Watertown-Pomperaug vs (5) Newington-Berlin @ Koeppel Community Sports Center at Trinity University (Hartford) @ 530
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(2) Staples-Weston-Shelton vs (7) St. Bernard-Bacon-NFA @ Northford Ice Pavillion @ 730
(3) Windsor-East Granby-Avon vs (6) Newton @ Koeppel Community Sports Center at Trinity University (Hartford) @ 730
Sunday, March 6, 2011
EXTRA: Boys' Hockey: DI Bracket (based on my rankings)
Just for fun, and you will see what I mean in just a second, I made a bracket based on my rankings of the top 16 teams in DI (16 because 16 made the real tournament) and here is what the bracket would look like:
8 South Windsor
9 St Joseph
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5 Notre Dame-West Haven
13 East Haven
4 Xavier
13 Darien
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3 Hamden
14 Conard
6 Glastonbury
11 Amity
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7 Ridgefield
10 West Haven
2 New Canaan
15 Tri-Town
Tell me those first round match ups aren't one thousand times better? Look at the quarterfinals too:
1 FP vs 8 SW
5 ND-WH vs 4 X (who doesn't want to see that again? Harney vs Essery!)
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3 Hamden vs 6 Glastonbury (that would be an amazing game to see)
7 Ridgefield vs 2 New Canaan (I'm glad we may get to see this in the real bracket...wish it was the FCIAC Championship too)
Semis:
1 FP vs 4 X (we would get to see this again too!!!)
3 Hamden vs 2 NC (this time its at Yale; I don't know the NHR would top the hype it made for this game last time but I'm sure they would be able to)
Championship: Hamden vs Prep - the game everyone wants to see too...Prep wins (hopefully in OT) and it's the best high school hockey game anyone has ever seen
NOTE: Prep beats Xavier this time because Xavier is coming off a game with ND-WH and Prep is coming off SW (X would be coming off SW if they face Prep in the real bracket).
1 Fairfield Prep
16 Greenwich8 South Windsor
9 St Joseph
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5 Notre Dame-West Haven
13 East Haven
4 Xavier
13 Darien
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3 Hamden
14 Conard
6 Glastonbury
11 Amity
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7 Ridgefield
10 West Haven
2 New Canaan
15 Tri-Town
Tell me those first round match ups aren't one thousand times better? Look at the quarterfinals too:
1 FP vs 8 SW
5 ND-WH vs 4 X (who doesn't want to see that again? Harney vs Essery!)
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3 Hamden vs 6 Glastonbury (that would be an amazing game to see)
7 Ridgefield vs 2 New Canaan (I'm glad we may get to see this in the real bracket...wish it was the FCIAC Championship too)
Semis:
1 FP vs 4 X (we would get to see this again too!!!)
3 Hamden vs 2 NC (this time its at Yale; I don't know the NHR would top the hype it made for this game last time but I'm sure they would be able to)
Championship: Hamden vs Prep - the game everyone wants to see too...Prep wins (hopefully in OT) and it's the best high school hockey game anyone has ever seen
NOTE: Prep beats Xavier this time because Xavier is coming off a game with ND-WH and Prep is coming off SW (X would be coming off SW if they face Prep in the real bracket).
Boys' Hockey: My Tournament Predictions
Here are the picks I made when I filled out the bracket for each division. You may want to have the bracket open in a separate tab or printed out for reference.
DIVISION I:
Quarters: NC vs ND-WH (ND at home with Greg Harney in front of the net will be too much for G-bury); Amity (just like last year in DII) vs Ridgefield (the Conard that beat Xavier was a one-time thing); Prep vs Hamden (both could get upset but I think win by at least 2); SW vs X (again, both could lose and I think both games will be close but the better team comes out on top)
Semis: NC vs Ridgefield (NC had enough offense w/o their top 2 forwards to beat Hamden, I think they can beat Harney); X (SW has a good goalie but as long as X's offense shows up the game won't even be close) vs Prep (Prep basically beat Hamden the first time the two played and they surely did the second time so expect another thriller in the third meeting but the defending champs tournament run ends at the hands of the Jesuits)
Championship: X (X's only goal against Prep last time was scored by their fourth line...X comes ready for this one at Yale, pressures Galiani and gets the win...Xavier goalie Austin Essery needs to have a good game as well but the kid lives for big games so I think he does. oh yeah and don't you think Hamden will beat Prep up a bit so if X just keeps up the physical play it should be too much for Prep to handle) vs Ridgfield (I would have taken Ridgefield over NC in the FCIAC championship if they had made it there. I think they will play their best game of the year because they want the win so bad and NC will be a little worn out after their ND-WH game, even if it was 4 days before)
Winner: Xavier - they beat Ridgefield in the regular season and Ridgefield will be feeling very good after their upset of NC and I think Xavier remains focused and knocks them off their high horse...with eight seniors I just think it's the Falcons' year.
NOTE: Before you start claiming I have a hometown bias, I would like to say that the outcome depends so much on match-ups and I will post a bracket, with picks, based on my rankings after this post.
DIVISION II:
First-round winners: F-W/L (FCIAC > NHC) and Hand (SCC-DII champs vs a team that got killed by East Catholic...I'll take the team that upset Cheshire and Guilford)
Semifinals: Guilford vs Trumbull (they're just better, plain and simple); Cheshire (I don't think Hand can do it again) vs Wilton (their speed will be too much for East's defense and all the shots will be too much for East's goalie)
Championship: Trumbull vs Wilton (FCIAC bias? no. Guilford is by not means impeccable and I think the FCIAC schedule has prepared both of these teams well so Trumbull just flat outplays Guilford and Wilton is too much for Cheshire as well...Cheshire has been struggling lately and Wilton was the 5 seed in the FCIAC tourney, ahead of Darien and Greenwich)
Winner: Wilton (even if Guilford beats Trumbull, I still think Wilton wins it all in a great game on Friday night at Yale's Ingalls Rink)
DIVISION III:
Quarters: B-B-D vs NWC; W-P vs N-B; S-W-S vs St Bernard-Bacon-NFA; W-EG-A vs Newton
Semis: B-B-D vs W-P (both should be close games but the better team prevails in each); S-W-S vs W-EG-A (Newton can definitely pull the upset but I think W-EG-A, or WAVE as they are also known as, played and did well with a relatively tough schedule so they are better prepared)
Championship: W-P (B-B-D took the regular season match-up 3-2 on 1/15 but W-P killed them 6-1 in the SWC Championship...I got W-P winning big again) vs S-W-S (another relatively easy match-up for S-W-S...guess that's the perks of the 3 seed)
Winner: Staples-Weston-Shelton (As much as I hate to say it, Staples wins another state championship. W-P will make it a very good game but S-W-S did very well in the FCIAC this year-they were the 4 seed, ahead of some DI teams and all the DII teams-while W-P is just a good DIII team)
DIVISION I:
Quarters: NC vs ND-WH (ND at home with Greg Harney in front of the net will be too much for G-bury); Amity (just like last year in DII) vs Ridgefield (the Conard that beat Xavier was a one-time thing); Prep vs Hamden (both could get upset but I think win by at least 2); SW vs X (again, both could lose and I think both games will be close but the better team comes out on top)
Semis: NC vs Ridgefield (NC had enough offense w/o their top 2 forwards to beat Hamden, I think they can beat Harney); X (SW has a good goalie but as long as X's offense shows up the game won't even be close) vs Prep (Prep basically beat Hamden the first time the two played and they surely did the second time so expect another thriller in the third meeting but the defending champs tournament run ends at the hands of the Jesuits)
Championship: X (X's only goal against Prep last time was scored by their fourth line...X comes ready for this one at Yale, pressures Galiani and gets the win...Xavier goalie Austin Essery needs to have a good game as well but the kid lives for big games so I think he does. oh yeah and don't you think Hamden will beat Prep up a bit so if X just keeps up the physical play it should be too much for Prep to handle) vs Ridgfield (I would have taken Ridgefield over NC in the FCIAC championship if they had made it there. I think they will play their best game of the year because they want the win so bad and NC will be a little worn out after their ND-WH game, even if it was 4 days before)
Winner: Xavier - they beat Ridgefield in the regular season and Ridgefield will be feeling very good after their upset of NC and I think Xavier remains focused and knocks them off their high horse...with eight seniors I just think it's the Falcons' year.
NOTE: Before you start claiming I have a hometown bias, I would like to say that the outcome depends so much on match-ups and I will post a bracket, with picks, based on my rankings after this post.
DIVISION II:
First-round winners: F-W/L (FCIAC > NHC) and Hand (SCC-DII champs vs a team that got killed by East Catholic...I'll take the team that upset Cheshire and Guilford)
Semifinals: Guilford vs Trumbull (they're just better, plain and simple); Cheshire (I don't think Hand can do it again) vs Wilton (their speed will be too much for East's defense and all the shots will be too much for East's goalie)
Championship: Trumbull vs Wilton (FCIAC bias? no. Guilford is by not means impeccable and I think the FCIAC schedule has prepared both of these teams well so Trumbull just flat outplays Guilford and Wilton is too much for Cheshire as well...Cheshire has been struggling lately and Wilton was the 5 seed in the FCIAC tourney, ahead of Darien and Greenwich)
Winner: Wilton (even if Guilford beats Trumbull, I still think Wilton wins it all in a great game on Friday night at Yale's Ingalls Rink)
DIVISION III:
Quarters: B-B-D vs NWC; W-P vs N-B; S-W-S vs St Bernard-Bacon-NFA; W-EG-A vs Newton
Semis: B-B-D vs W-P (both should be close games but the better team prevails in each); S-W-S vs W-EG-A (Newton can definitely pull the upset but I think W-EG-A, or WAVE as they are also known as, played and did well with a relatively tough schedule so they are better prepared)
Championship: W-P (B-B-D took the regular season match-up 3-2 on 1/15 but W-P killed them 6-1 in the SWC Championship...I got W-P winning big again) vs S-W-S (another relatively easy match-up for S-W-S...guess that's the perks of the 3 seed)
Winner: Staples-Weston-Shelton (As much as I hate to say it, Staples wins another state championship. W-P will make it a very good game but S-W-S did very well in the FCIAC this year-they were the 4 seed, ahead of some DI teams and all the DII teams-while W-P is just a good DIII team)
Boys' Hockey: Rankings (3/6)
This is the final edition of the rankings since all that is left is the state tournament.
#1 Fairfield Prep (17-3)
-With a 3-0 win over Amity this past Wednesday, the Jesuits only losses (in state) are splits with ND-WH and Hamden. ND-WH is on the other side of the DI bracket but they may face Hamden in the quarterfinals on Saturday! If Prep was to play New Canaan, the team right below them, it would be in the championship game...how fitting! Fairfield Prep needs to focus on Darien first though since Darien almost beat NC in the FCIAC semifinals.
#2 New Canaan (23-0)
-After a 20-0 regular season, the Rams spent this past week (and the end of last week) beating Trumbull 8-0, Darien 1-0 and then St. Joseph 4-3 in OT to win the FCIAC Championship. Those lost two results are reason for concern as NC enters the state tournament. They play Greenwich first round (3-0 and 5-1 wins int eh regular season) but after that they get the ND-WH/G-bury winner and then St.Joseph/Amity/Ridgefield/Conard; needless to say, it will not be easy.
#3 Hamden (12-6-1)
-The Green Dragons beat Notre Dame-West Haven 2-0 in a thriller this past Wednesday and are the SCC-DI Champions with a 5-1-1 conference record; Xavier, Prep and ND-WH were all 5-2-0 in the conference. Hamden lost to Prep once ("won" the first time), Xavier, New Canaan and three out of state prep schools (the tie is with West Haven). Hamden comes into the tournament on fire after the ND-WH win, a 7-0 massacre on 2/19 of West Haven, their first round opponent in states, and a 4-1 win on 2/12 over South Windsor, a team they will potentially see in the semifinals, if they get past Prep (or Darien) in the quarterfinals.
#4 Xavier (13-7)
-16 goals in their last two games (West Haven and ND-Fairfield...very good opponents), the Falcons are peaking at just the right time. They face East Haven on Wednesday in the first round and although they won 5-2 last time on 2/10, Xavier knows not to overlook a good team like the Easties, especially now that it's the postseason. Xavier's in state losses this year were New Canaan (technically), ND-WH, Conard, all three of which are on the opposite side of the bracket from them, and then Fairfield Prep, who they could meet in the semifinals at Yale.
#5 Notre Dame-West Haven (12-7)
-Why the change in the rankings this week and not last week? Not only is Xavier's offense hot right now but also ND-WH is on a serious skid after losing to Amity 3-4 in OT and then getting dominated by Hamden 0-2 on Wednesday (score was only close thanks to their goalie Greg Harney but Hamden could basically do whatever they wanted to in that game). The Green Knights other five losses this season are New Canaan, West Haven, Hamden before too, Notre Dame-Fairfield, and a split with Fairfield Prep. ND plays Glastonbury in the first round, GAME OF THE DAY, then, if they can beat the Tomahawks, they will probably get New Canaan in the quarterfinals.
#6 Glastonbury (15-4-2)
-The Tomahwaks started off the season with a 3-5 loss to Ridgefield in the very first game, shaky OT wins over East Catholic and Farmingotn, losses to ND-WH and SW, then one 1-2 in OT to Conard on 2/3. Glastonbury closed out strong though 7-0-2 in their last 9 games with ties against Amity and Ridgefield, wins over North Haven and Notre Dame-Fairfield and then, just last night, the most important win: 2-1 over South Windsor to win the CCC-North Championship! They take on Notre Dame-West Haven in the first round of the Division I tournament, my GAME OF THE DAY (Saturday may have better games) and, should they get past the Green Knights, they will see New Canaan (most likely) in the quarterfinals.
#6 Ridgefield (16-5-1)
-The Tigers had a rough FCIAC tournament only beating Greenwich 1-2 last Saturday and then losing to St. Joseph 2-3 this past Wednesday. They had beaten St. Joseph 4-1, at St. Joseph's home ice, just one week earlier. Ridgefield tied Glastonbury on 2/21 (the 5-3 win on 12/15 was so long ago it is trivial now) and that is the only reason they are tied in the rankings, instead of Ridgefield being 7. Ridgefield still has a good team and can make a run to Ingalls in the state tournament but they better play hard in their first round game with Conard, especially if the Conard who beat Xavier (who beat them) shows up (as opposed to the Conard that lost to Trinity Catholic, Farmingotn, Tri-Town and ND-F and tied Simsbury twice, Hand and Cheshire). The regular season losses for Ridgefield are Xavier and ND-F early in the season, then New Canaan and Prep.
#8 South Windsor (17-4)
-Two losses to Glastonbury, a 1-4 loss to Hamden and a 0-7 blowout at the hands of Prep isn't bad and neither is #8 in the state. For comparison, the Bobcats are 6-5 against teams that made the DI tournament but the six wins are 12 seed Conard twice (by one goal each time), 14 seed Tri-Town twice (by two goals each time), 9 seed Glastonbury once (by one goal) and 10 seed West Haven once...so none in the top half of teams that made the tournament. South Windsor will presumably roll over Tri-Town on Wednesday in the first round but their quarterfinal match-up with either 6 seed Xavier or 11 seed East Haven (both seeded lower than them) will be very interesting. The Bobcats better not overlook Tri-Town though because the Thunderbirds are coming off their NHC Championship and if they catch SW still moping around from losing to G-bury in the CCC-North Championship then anything can happen in the postseason!
#9 St. Joseph (18-5)
-St. Joseph does just enough to remain a factor in the DI tournament after a 5-4 win against Wilton last Friday, a major 3-2 upset on Wednesday versus Ridgefield and then only losing the FCIAC Championship game to New Canaan 3-4 in OT! The Cadets face giant-killer Amity, and the team they lost to 2-5 in the DII championship last year, in the first round of DI states this year so that should be a very good game! Should St. Joseph win, they will most likely take on Ridgefield again, for the third time. For a team that was in DII last year and DIII the year before, St. Joseph has been VERY IMPRESSIVE this year, only losing to Guilford in the first game of the season, New Canaan twice in the regular season, and Ridgefield in the last game of the regular season.
#10 West Haven (12-6-2)
-The Blue Devils still have a slight edge on Amity for the 10 spot and, unlike Amity, got an unfortunate draw with Hamden in the first round and then if they make it to the quarterfinals, Prep will most likely be waiting for them there. The Westies tied Greenwich and Hamden during the season with their six losses coming against ND-WH, Prep, Amity, Hamden, Xavier (all SCC-DI teams) and then South Windsor as well. SW or X is the most likely semifinal match-up they would see at Ingalls if they can make it there.
P.S. the times for Wednesday's games have been updated on the CIAC bracket (for link, see other post).
#1 Fairfield Prep (17-3)
-With a 3-0 win over Amity this past Wednesday, the Jesuits only losses (in state) are splits with ND-WH and Hamden. ND-WH is on the other side of the DI bracket but they may face Hamden in the quarterfinals on Saturday! If Prep was to play New Canaan, the team right below them, it would be in the championship game...how fitting! Fairfield Prep needs to focus on Darien first though since Darien almost beat NC in the FCIAC semifinals.
#2 New Canaan (23-0)
-After a 20-0 regular season, the Rams spent this past week (and the end of last week) beating Trumbull 8-0, Darien 1-0 and then St. Joseph 4-3 in OT to win the FCIAC Championship. Those lost two results are reason for concern as NC enters the state tournament. They play Greenwich first round (3-0 and 5-1 wins int eh regular season) but after that they get the ND-WH/G-bury winner and then St.Joseph/Amity/Ridgefield/Conard; needless to say, it will not be easy.
#3 Hamden (12-6-1)
-The Green Dragons beat Notre Dame-West Haven 2-0 in a thriller this past Wednesday and are the SCC-DI Champions with a 5-1-1 conference record; Xavier, Prep and ND-WH were all 5-2-0 in the conference. Hamden lost to Prep once ("won" the first time), Xavier, New Canaan and three out of state prep schools (the tie is with West Haven). Hamden comes into the tournament on fire after the ND-WH win, a 7-0 massacre on 2/19 of West Haven, their first round opponent in states, and a 4-1 win on 2/12 over South Windsor, a team they will potentially see in the semifinals, if they get past Prep (or Darien) in the quarterfinals.
#4 Xavier (13-7)
-16 goals in their last two games (West Haven and ND-Fairfield...very good opponents), the Falcons are peaking at just the right time. They face East Haven on Wednesday in the first round and although they won 5-2 last time on 2/10, Xavier knows not to overlook a good team like the Easties, especially now that it's the postseason. Xavier's in state losses this year were New Canaan (technically), ND-WH, Conard, all three of which are on the opposite side of the bracket from them, and then Fairfield Prep, who they could meet in the semifinals at Yale.
#5 Notre Dame-West Haven (12-7)
-Why the change in the rankings this week and not last week? Not only is Xavier's offense hot right now but also ND-WH is on a serious skid after losing to Amity 3-4 in OT and then getting dominated by Hamden 0-2 on Wednesday (score was only close thanks to their goalie Greg Harney but Hamden could basically do whatever they wanted to in that game). The Green Knights other five losses this season are New Canaan, West Haven, Hamden before too, Notre Dame-Fairfield, and a split with Fairfield Prep. ND plays Glastonbury in the first round, GAME OF THE DAY, then, if they can beat the Tomahawks, they will probably get New Canaan in the quarterfinals.
#6 Glastonbury (15-4-2)
-The Tomahwaks started off the season with a 3-5 loss to Ridgefield in the very first game, shaky OT wins over East Catholic and Farmingotn, losses to ND-WH and SW, then one 1-2 in OT to Conard on 2/3. Glastonbury closed out strong though 7-0-2 in their last 9 games with ties against Amity and Ridgefield, wins over North Haven and Notre Dame-Fairfield and then, just last night, the most important win: 2-1 over South Windsor to win the CCC-North Championship! They take on Notre Dame-West Haven in the first round of the Division I tournament, my GAME OF THE DAY (Saturday may have better games) and, should they get past the Green Knights, they will see New Canaan (most likely) in the quarterfinals.
#6 Ridgefield (16-5-1)
-The Tigers had a rough FCIAC tournament only beating Greenwich 1-2 last Saturday and then losing to St. Joseph 2-3 this past Wednesday. They had beaten St. Joseph 4-1, at St. Joseph's home ice, just one week earlier. Ridgefield tied Glastonbury on 2/21 (the 5-3 win on 12/15 was so long ago it is trivial now) and that is the only reason they are tied in the rankings, instead of Ridgefield being 7. Ridgefield still has a good team and can make a run to Ingalls in the state tournament but they better play hard in their first round game with Conard, especially if the Conard who beat Xavier (who beat them) shows up (as opposed to the Conard that lost to Trinity Catholic, Farmingotn, Tri-Town and ND-F and tied Simsbury twice, Hand and Cheshire). The regular season losses for Ridgefield are Xavier and ND-F early in the season, then New Canaan and Prep.
#8 South Windsor (17-4)
-Two losses to Glastonbury, a 1-4 loss to Hamden and a 0-7 blowout at the hands of Prep isn't bad and neither is #8 in the state. For comparison, the Bobcats are 6-5 against teams that made the DI tournament but the six wins are 12 seed Conard twice (by one goal each time), 14 seed Tri-Town twice (by two goals each time), 9 seed Glastonbury once (by one goal) and 10 seed West Haven once...so none in the top half of teams that made the tournament. South Windsor will presumably roll over Tri-Town on Wednesday in the first round but their quarterfinal match-up with either 6 seed Xavier or 11 seed East Haven (both seeded lower than them) will be very interesting. The Bobcats better not overlook Tri-Town though because the Thunderbirds are coming off their NHC Championship and if they catch SW still moping around from losing to G-bury in the CCC-North Championship then anything can happen in the postseason!
#9 St. Joseph (18-5)
-St. Joseph does just enough to remain a factor in the DI tournament after a 5-4 win against Wilton last Friday, a major 3-2 upset on Wednesday versus Ridgefield and then only losing the FCIAC Championship game to New Canaan 3-4 in OT! The Cadets face giant-killer Amity, and the team they lost to 2-5 in the DII championship last year, in the first round of DI states this year so that should be a very good game! Should St. Joseph win, they will most likely take on Ridgefield again, for the third time. For a team that was in DII last year and DIII the year before, St. Joseph has been VERY IMPRESSIVE this year, only losing to Guilford in the first game of the season, New Canaan twice in the regular season, and Ridgefield in the last game of the regular season.
#10 West Haven (12-6-2)
-The Blue Devils still have a slight edge on Amity for the 10 spot and, unlike Amity, got an unfortunate draw with Hamden in the first round and then if they make it to the quarterfinals, Prep will most likely be waiting for them there. The Westies tied Greenwich and Hamden during the season with their six losses coming against ND-WH, Prep, Amity, Hamden, Xavier (all SCC-DI teams) and then South Windsor as well. SW or X is the most likely semifinal match-up they would see at Ingalls if they can make it there.
P.S. the times for Wednesday's games have been updated on the CIAC bracket (for link, see other post).
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