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Friday, April 29, 2011

Boys' Lacrosse: Friday and Saturday's Top Games (4/29 and 4/30)

Friday 4/29

Daniel Hand @ Cheshire @ 7
-I shouldn't have to say much about this game as we saw it on opening day down at Hand's turf field where the defending Class L Champion Rams walked out with a 8-7 win.  Hand just took down previously undefeated Xavier 11-6 on Tuesday and now they want to be considered for the #2 team in the SCC again by splitting their season series with Cheshire.  Both teams will be fired up for this one and the fans can expect a truly exceptional lacrosse game!

New Fairfield @ Newton @ 7
-New Fairfield is 8-0 and they have quality wins over Coanrd and Weston while Newton is also undefeated at 7-0 with an impressive 17-7 win over St. Joseph and they are just straight blowing out their opponents, even the halfway decent ones!  This is gonna be a good one between the #5 and #11 teams in the state, according to the New Haven Register poll or #6 and #5 statistically; either way it is a big-time game for both schools!

Saturday 4/30

St. Anthony's (NY) @ Wilton @ 12pm
-St. Anthony's only lost 8-9 in OT to Darien; need I say much more?  Well they are also #2 in New York's Catholic high school league behind #1 Chiminade, the team that beat Fairfield Prep 7-6 on Tuesday.  This will be a very good test for Wilton that they hopefully benefit from and improve from such good competition.

Brien McMahon @ Fairfield Ludlowe @ 12
-Brien can pick up a quality win here and establish some consistent play against good opponents.  Don't forget the other side: Ludlowe can rebound from their loss to New Canaan and show they are one of the top (15/20) teams in the state.

John Jay (NY) @ Ridgefield @ 1
-John Jay lost 7-8 to New Canaan but they are the #3 team in New York B's Section 1.  They have some big wins against quality teams in that section so they are well deserving of that ranking.  Ridgefield is #3 in the Register poll and #2 statistically so they will do well to represent CT lax against yet another quality out-of-state opponent.

Xavier @ Conard @ 1
-Xavier needs to rebound from their first loss of the season, 6-11 to Hand, and Conard is a quality opponenet.  The Chieftains are the best 3-4 team in the state but currently on a three game slide (Newton, Fairfield Ludlowe and Simsbury) that they are hoping to end at home against the Falcons (Hand was 3-4 when they beat Xavier too).  This is the only quality lax game in the region and is definitely worth going to!

Greenwich @ Warde Melville (NY) @ 2
-Warde Melville is no joke: they are coming off a 6-7 OT loss, their first of the season, to West Islip.  Melville and Islip are ranked #2 and #1 IN THE NATION respectively!  The Register poll has Greenwich at 6 so this would be a huge win for them and for CT lax in general but if they don't pull it out, they should, like Wilton, at least take the experience and get better from it to get an edge on other CT teams that have not faced such quality competition!

New Canaan @ Lawrenceville (NJ) @ 230
-Lawrenceville is 7-1 and #5 in the New Jersey Private school league so they present a stiff test for New Canaan.  I expect the Rams to be ready for their fourth out-of-state game of the season, one they can certainly win!

Niskayuna (NY) @ Darien @ 3
-Niskayuna is coming off  a 5-6 loss to Shenendehowa, the #1 team in New York A's Section 2; Niskayuna is #2.  Darien has the opportunity to once again represent the best CT lax has to offer and top an out-of-state opponent at the top of their league!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Boys' Volleyball: Top Games for Fri 4/29

Friday 4/29

Masuk @ Glastonbury @ 6pm
-Odd cross-over match right here but it will be an exciting one as it features the 7-1 Masuk Panthers, coming off their 3-2 win over Lewis Mills, traveling to take on the 4-1, but Class L, Glastonbury Tomahawks.  Traditionally, Glastonbury is the better team but this is the year Masuk can really win and I think they will in fact do so on Friday night.

Staples @ Southington @ 630
-THE MOST ANTICIPATED MATCH OF THE SEASON!!!!! For one time only, Staples and Southington will meet in the regular season.  These two teams have been the Class L Championship game for the past 4 years and Southington finally won for the first time last year in a major upset of the Wreckers, who had not only won a state championship in 8 of the 9 years that the CIAC sponsored boys' volleyball (they moved to Class M in 2005 and did not win that year) but were on a 101-match win streak!  Staples is not as good as they traditionally are this year (they lost to Masuk) and Southington is a perfect 7-0, having lost only one set (to Maloney, surprising if you consider the good teams they've 3-0ed this year).  It will be a good one since both teams know this is more than just one game on the schedule; it is the faceoff between the two best teams in Class L!  I think Southington being at home gives them the edge in this one but it is so slight that anything can really happen! (I'm rooting for the Wreckers, just like I was in the championship game last year, by the way)

Boys' Volleyball: Wednesday and Thursday Results (4/27 and 4/28)

Wednesday 4/27

 
South Windsor 3 @ Fermi 1

Wethersfield 3 @ Farmington 2
-This win really makes Wethersfield a legit contender in Class M this year.

Lewis Mills 0 @ Cheshire 3
-Cheshire improves to 8-0!

Thursday 4/28

 
Lewis Mills 2 @ Masuk 3 (25-15, 20-25, 20-25, 25-14, 15-12)
-For Lewis Mills, Eric Woodcox had 16 kills, nine digs and four blocks, Shanil Desai had six kills and seven digs and Nick Visini had 31 assists. For Masuk, Collin Neaton had 42 assists and 10 service points, Connor Ryan had 15 kills and Owen Burton had 17 kills.

Boys' Lacrosse: Wednesday and Thursday Results (4/27 and 4/28)

Wednesday 4/27

Conard 1 @ Simsbury 3
-This is a good sign for Conard that they kept it so close an even better sign for Simsbury that they continue to win big games!

New Canaan 8 @ Fairfield Ludlowe 3
-NC is just very good this year and Ludlowe is good but not on the level of the top-tier FCIAC teams this year.

Darien 9 @ St. Anthony's 8 OT
-Very impressive win for the Blue Wave!

Thursday 4/28 - Thunder and Lightning means no lacrosse games:

Xavier @ Fairfield Prep - PPD
Wilton @ Ridgefield - PPD to 5/5
Weston @ Staples - PPD to 5/13
New Fairfield @ Newton - PPD to 4/29
Greenwich @ Lakeland/Panas - PPD

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Boys' Lacrosse: Wednesday and Thursday's Top Games (4/27 and 4/28)

Wednesday 4/27

Conard @ Simsbury @ 530pm
-Simsbury is the favorite but Conard has a talented team and this is a CCC game so that adds an extra motivation to what is already going to be a good hard-fought lacrosse game.

New Canaan @ Fairfield Ludlowe @ 7
-Ludlowe has beat Southington, Conard and Mamoraneck from (NY) while only losing to Staples by one goal, 10-11, so they are a dangerous team from Class M that will beat New Canaan if the Rams are not careful.  Also, the Rams need this game to get some more quality wins, and just some wins in general (they are 3-3 after losing to really good teams while beating a few others...but losses are still losses)!

Darien @ St. Anthony's (NY) @ 7
-Things don't get any easier for Darien but something tells me that they like it that way.  St. Anthony's is 7-1, having only lost to Chaminade (the team that beat Prep 6-7 on Tuesday) and they are the #2 team in that league, NY's Catholic school league.  This will be an extremely good test for the Blue Wave and great experience!

Thursday 4/28

Xavier @ Fairfield Prep @ 4pm
-No question that Prep is the favorite to win but these SCC games are always good lax and worth watching.  If the Falcons comes out strong and play with some extra motivation from their loss at Hand on Tuesday, they can control the game and force the Jesutis to come from behind...if they can.  Xavier will need to contain Prep's multi-faceted offense and allow Matt Kycia and the other attackmen to keep them in it on the scoreboard.  Tyler Cox will try to control the midfield for the Jesuits and get his team the third and final big SCC win they are looking for!

Wilton @ Ridgefield @ 415
-Wilton needs to make up for their loss to Brien McMahon while Ridgefield is looking for another FCIAC win and another quality win since they played Staples weeks ago.  Two teams in the Top Five and among the best in the FCIAC are sure not to disappoint!

Weston @ Staples

New Fairfield @ Newton

Greenwich @ Lakeland/Panas @ 7
-Lakeland is #4 in New York A's Section although they are 5-4 and lost to John Jay, the team New Canaan beat over the weekend.  This would be a good win for Greenwich as Lakeland is trying to put an end to their four-game losing streak.

Boys' Volleyball: Top Games for Wed 4/27 and Thurs 4/28

Wednesday 4/27

South Windsor @ Fermi @ 5pm
-SW is coming off a really good win over Wethersfield on Tues and Fermi topped Xavier on Mon, also a good team, so both are hot right now.  Who will stay hot is the question.

Wethersfield @ Farmington @ 530
-Wethersfield needs to shake off their tough loss to South Windsor on Tues and focus on Farmington, a very good team that beat Wolcott Tech but lost to Enfield.

Lewis Mills @ Cheshire @ 6
-Mills is coming off a big win over Oxford on Mon while Cheshire had an even bigger win over Newington on Tues!  Newington beat Mills already this season so Cheshire is expected to win but Mills is a good team that has gotten better as the season has gone on so if the Rams aren't careful the Woodcox-led Spartans might just steal this one in the hot Cheshire gym.

Thursday 4/28

Lewis Mills @ Masuk @ 530pm
-Coming off their big SWC over Oxford, Mills plays an even better opponent in Masuk (only one of two teams to beat Staples in their last 120+ matches)!

Boys' Lacrosse: Monday and Tuesday Results (4/25 and 4/26)

Monday 4/25

Darien 7 @ Manhasset (NY) 10

Tuesday 4/26

Fairfield Prep 6 @ Chimande (NY) 7

Wilton 10 @ Brien McMahon 11
-Big win for the Senators in a game in which they were considered the underdogs!

Weston 3 @ New Fairfield 13
-New Fairfield remains undefeated in impressive fashion!

Xavier 6 @ Daniel Hand 11 - PPD from Mon 4/25
-Xavier's first loss (5-1) is Hand's fourth win (4-4).

Boys' Volleyball: Monday and Tuesday Results (4/25 and 4/26)

Monday 4/25

Xavier 2 @ Fermi 3 (25-20, 24-26, 20-25, 25-17, 15-10)
-For Fermi, Josh Cheney had 16 kills and for Xavier Kurt Johnson 46 assists and Sean Nelson had 29 kills.

Exford 0 @ Masuk 3 (25-9, 25-16, 25-18)
-For Masuk, Collin Neaton had 29 assists, Connor Ryan had 11 kills and Owen Burton had nine kills. For Oxford, Anthony Renzoni had 10 assists and J.T. Van Kamerik had seven kills and two blocks.

Cheshire 3 @ Newington 2 (16-25, 22-25, 25-20, 30-28, 15-13)
-For Cheshire, Nate Howard had 29 kills and for Newington Reed Feery 55 assists.

Tuesday 4/26

South Windsor 3 @ Wethersfield 2 (21-25, 25-18, 26-24, 23-25, 15-13)
-For South Windsor, Jason George had 15 kills and for Wethersfield Kevin Bloomquist had 14 kills.

Wolcott Tech 1 @ Lewis Mill 3 (25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-22)
-For Lewis Mills, Eric Woodcox had 22 kills and 17 digs and for Wolcott Tech, Dennis Waibel had 28 assists and 15 digs.

Enfield 3 @ Xavier 2
-Another bad loss for Xavier in five games to a team from Enfield.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Boys' Lacrosse: Monday and Tuesday's Top Games (4/25 and 4/26)

Monday 4/25

Daniel Hand @ Xavier @ 430pm
-This is basically the battle for third place in the SCC as Prep is clearly #1 and Cheshire is #2. Hand has lost to both already while Xavier hasn't played either yet so we'll see how those games play out but right now Xavier can start with Hand. Although they are in Class M and Xavier is Class L, based on the hype this season and program history, Hand is the favorite in this game. Xavier, however, is undefeated and has beat very good teams like Simsbury, Southington and (less so) Amity. This will be a very good game and definitely the one to watch if you're looking for one in CT.

Darien @ Manhasset (NY) @ 7
-Manhasset is 7-0 right now with some quality NY and MD wins, including John Jay. In the future they will face Chaminade, who plays Prep tomorrow, and Garden City, the number one team in New York B's Section VIII; Manhasset is the number two team. Let's hope Darien can prove CT lax is better than NY lax, prep schools excluded.

Tuesday 4/26

Fairfield Prep @ Chaminade (NY) @ 4pm
-Chaminade is the number one team in NY's Catholic school league and they are 7-1 with wins over #2 St. Anthony's, #3 Holy Trinity, #4 Fordham Prep, #5 Iona Prep and #7 St. John the Baptist. Their one loss came at the hands of West Islip, the 9-0 #1 team from New York A's Section XI. Much like Darien's game on Monday, this will be a very good out of state test for the Jesuits on the roads but hopefully they can get it done and earn respect for CT lax!

Wilton @ Brien McMahon @ 7
-Wilton has impressive wins over Greenwich and Glastonbury thus far this season whereas McMahon's big win is St. Joseph; both have lost to Darien. Wilton is heavily favored but whenever two good teams face each other, really anything can happen!

Weston @ New Fairfield @ 7
-Weston is 6-1 with an out-of-state loss and New Fairfield is 7-0 but neither team has any impressive wins so its hard to discern who should win this game, although I'm leaning towards Weston. This should be a close one!

Boys' Volleyball: Top Games for Mon 4/25 and Tues 4/26

Monday 4/25

Xavier @ Fermi @ 5pm
-Two talented teams square off in an out-of-conference match in Enfield.

Oxford @ Masuk @ 515
-A SWC match-up between Class M rivals that looks almost certain that it will come down to a fifth and deciding set to determine the winner; Masuk is the slight favor after beating Staples.

Cheshire @ Newington @ 6
-This game is a can't miss as it pits the SCC's best team against the CCC's best team (even though it's L vs M).  BOTH TEAMS ARE ALSO UNDEFEATED! If i had to pick a winner I'd take Newington but they have yet to face the size of Cheshire's Nate Howard.  The Indians' quick-paced offense and solid defense AT HOME should be enough to get the job done, maybe even 3-1.

Tuesday 4/26

South Windsor @ Wethersfield @ 530pm
-South Windsor is in Class L and Wethersfield in Class M but that doesn't matter as both are off to great starts this season at 4-1.  South Windsor has the more impressive wins with one over Enfield but Wethersfield took care of business against their slightly easier opponents.  SW fell 2-3 to Glastonbury and Wethersfield did 1-3 to Wolcott Tech, both teams at the top of their Class.  This match should be a hard fought one that comes down to the wire!

Wolcott Tech @ Lewis Mills @ 530
-Mills may not be off to the greatest start this season while Wolcott Tech is doing very well, having only lost to Farmington.  However, look for Mills to bring their A game as Wolcott Tech tries to beat the defending champs and the team that beat them twice last year during the regular season!

Enfield @ Xavier @ 530
-Enfield may be 3-2 but losses to South Windsor and Wolcott Tech are understandable and a 3-1 win over Farmington is very impressive!  Xavier will be coming off their match with Fermi and this can be either another good win or a way for them to bounce back strong.  Either way, expect both teams to go all out in this quality match in Middletown!

Boys' Lacrosse: Friday and Saturday's Results (4/22 and 4/23)

Friday 4/22

none

Saturday 4/23

Staples 5 @ Greenwich 8
-Talk about bouncing back from a tough 8-9 loss to Wilton on Thursday. Again, Staples isn't even the best team in the FCIAC and they still beat the CCC's best (or, at worst, second best), Glastonbury.

Delbarton (NJ) 14 @ Fairfield Prep 11
-Impressive win for Delbarton and now a game everyone is really going to want to see is Delbarton v Summit on 4/30 as the two best NJ schools square off. Things don't get much easier for Prep as the take on one of NY's best lax teams this year on Tuesday and then a currently undefeated Xavier team on Thursday.

Weston 5 @ Huntington (NY) 9

Brien McMahon 4 @ Darien 11
-I'll say it again, Darien is just on another level this year!

John Jay (NY) 7 @ New Canaan 8
-Now that's a good win for NC!

Glastonbury 8 @ Medfield (MA) 3
-This win is exactly what Glastonbury needed to show that they are legit this year, especially their defense. Hopefully they can build momentum from this game as they take on some easier opponents next week but move into tough CCC play the week after that.

Boys' Lacrosse: Wednesday and Thursday's Results (4/20 and 4/21)

Wednesday 4/20

New Canaan 2 @ Summit (NJ) 10
-Summit's win streak continues but NC can bounce back with a big CT win tomorrow.

Yorktown (NY) 6 @ Darien 9
-Darien can beat more than CT teams.

Thursday 4/21

Glastonbury 2 @ Staples 12
-FCIAC > CCC lax.

Cheshire 2 @ Simsbury 4
-Now this score really shocked me but I guess it goes to show that Cheshire isn't unbeatable by anyone other than Prep this year. The Rams game against Xavier will be one to watch now!

St. Joseph 6 @ New Canaan 10

Greenwich 8 @ Wilton 9
-Very good back and forth game, well played by both sides, with a thrilling end; couldn't ask for a better lax game.