Boys' Hockey: Saturday's Scores (1/7)

#10 East Haven 3 @ #8 West Haven 4
-This really mucks things up at the bottom of the top ten since E Haven beat N Haven, N Haven beat W Haven and W Haven just beat E Haven.  However, this is where I will really have to assess the talent on each of these three teams to decide their new respective rankings on Sunday, a feature that separates my rankings from others in the state that usually take into account program history or place a greater emphasis on just the overall record of a team.  I know which I think I'm going to order these teams but you'll have to look for those rankings tomorrow to see for yourself.  If you want to know as soon as they're up (and all my other posts) or if you just simply enjoy this website, please like High School Sports in CT on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hssportsct.  For some substance, here is the box score of the Yellowjackets first loss that almost was another come-from-behind victory:
Goals
1st period: WH - Kyle Leyerzapf 3:34; Adam Mink (Kyle Leyerzapf) 6:19; Josh Robinchaud (Mike Troiano, Kyle Leyerzapf) 9:23; EH - Stephen Marsico (Frank Latella, Matt Barcomb) 11:14.  2nd period: EH - Rich DeCarlo (Matt Longobardi, Stephen Marsico) 12:00.  3rd period: WH - Austin Hansen (Mike Troiano) 2:47; EH - Rich DeCarlo (Matt Longobardi) 14:45.
Saves: EH - Zac Bouve 27; WH - Justin Shepard 20.
Shots: EH - 23; WH - 31.
NOTE: East Haven head coach Lou Pane could not coach this game for personal reasons so instead, Ben Fronte took on head coaching responsibilities.

#2 Notre Dame-West Haven 3 @ #1 Fairfield Prep 4

-This one was not as close as the score and Fairfield Prep came out and controlled the tempo of the game for the entire first period.  They were bodying ND-WH off the puck at will and passing it quicker than the ND skaters could react.  Lucky for ND, goalie Luc Amatruda could react and made save after save, none of which were too hard.  ND got the puck into Prep’s zone only one or two times besides a number of icing and dumps to get a line change.  Fairfield Prep had a power play with 5:40 left in the period because of Anthony Iovene’s tripping but they only managed a few shots and looked pretty stagnant, but power play defense is always a strength of ND-WH.  There were so many faceoff’s in the first period from all of the Prep shots, ND icings, Prep offsides and ND defenseman Darren Capobianco lifting the puck out of play.  Then, finally, at the 13:59 mark, AJ Unker took the puck from an ND skater behind ND’s net, and then passed it over to Connor Henry who put it home for a 1-0 Jesuit lead going into the first intermission.

Notre Dame came out ready to play and it paid off right away with goal thirty-three seconds.  There is going to be some controversy over this goal as Darren Capobianco’s shot from the point was knocked down and in by Greg Zullo but the shot appeared to be about shoulder height and Zullo was not called for high-sticking the puck.  The play reminded me of a goal ND scored in their 3-2 win over Xavier last season but this shot looked even higher; nonetheless, the refs let the goal stand (like the ones in West Haven did last year) and ND even the score at 1-1.  The Green Knights used that momentum and played a lot more physical with Prep.  A little back and forth before Prep moved the puck back into ND’s zone and applied some pressure for over a minute.  ND managed to clear the puck before Prep scored but Zullo tripped a Fairfield Prep player shortly thereafter and the Jesuits went on the power play.  A few good shots but no goals, in fact they had a better opportunity a minute after the power play ended when Tom Worsfold found Unker all alone up the ice in ND’s zone and he was alone with the goalie.  Bill Vizzo had a one-on-one with Worsfold but Worsfold checked him off the puck, textbook, and nothing came of it.  ND had a two-on-one that failed due to poor puck control but that started a few minutes of time in Prep’s zone where the Green Knights had a few good opportunities with some scrum in front of the net twice and some good moves to get good looks but Riley Wikman didn’t let anything get by him.  Prep managed to clear after a while and the action calmed down for a little while.  With just about two minutes left to play, Prep got a two-on-one and Unker beat Anthony Astorino but Astorino tripped him on the way by so Prep started their third power play at the 13:04 mark.  ND cleared the puck twice but after the second one, sophomore Will Brophy made a good rush up the ice and centered it back to Patrick Hayes who finished the goal at the 14:38 mark of the second.  ND didn’t pick up the trailer and it meant a 2-1 Prep advantage after two periods.

The third period started out pretty even until Fairfield Prep’s Dean Lockery committed a tripping penalty two minutes and fifty-three seconds in.  However, right after the faceoff, Lou Iannotti on Notre Dame committed a tripping as well, time of the penalty 3:03.  ND controlled the puck enough to get ssome offense first on the 4-on-4 but after a clear and a dump, Kevin Brown passes it to David White and he scored at the 3:13 mark and Prep went on top 3-1.  The penalties expired and the game went back and forth from there with ND getting more shots on goal than Prep did in the next few minutes.  After a faceoff in the ND zone, David White tripped a ND player and at the 7:53 mark ND got a power play opportunity.  The Jesuits didn’t help themselves as Will Brophy got called for tripping at 8:36 and ND called a timeout to plan their 5-on-3 attack.  Right away, Greg Zullo had a quality backhand in front of the net but Wikman made the save.  Prep cleared the puck after the ensuing faceoff and ND came back and got at least one more shot on goal before Prep cleared again.  Alex Esposito got one more shot in front of the net for Notre Dame before the play shift to 5-on-4.  Prep cleared the puck and David White came back on the ice.  Billy D'Amore stole the puck in deep ND’s zone, passed it to White, White centered it to Connor Henry and Henry scored the shorthand goal to put his team up 4-1 with 4:54 left in the third.  One minute later, at the 11:03 mark, Colby Cretella continued his hot streak as he redirected a shot from Iannotti to cut Prep’s lead to 4-2.  Notre Dame really turned the pressure on from here with Prep occasionally clearing the puck and getting a shot or two on Amatruda.  Things paid off with a 6-on-5 ND goal scored by Bill Vizzo with thirteen seconds left in the game (Greg Zullo and Colby Cretella picked up assists).  ND would move the puck into Prep’s on the ensuing faceoff  but it got tied up in the “corner” and time expired on this one with Fairfield Prep emerging as the better team in this one; final score: 4-3.
Luc Amatruda had 22 saves and Riley Wikman had 26, meaning the shots were 29-26 in favor of Prep.

Considering the game as a whole, ND had some really good opportunities on offense, especially late, but their defense, one of the best in the state, couldn’t handle Prep’s offense.  In reference to my keys to the game, you saw Prep able to score when they needed to and I think if ND’s defense wasn’t so good, Prep would have made a lot better shots on goal, the kind that Luc Amatruda cannot handle.  Don’t get me wrong, Amatruda is good, that’s why he transferred from Guilford and got the starting job at ND-WH to replace Greg Harney, but ND’s defense protects him well too.  Prep does not play Ridgefield in the regular season this year but they have #8 West Haven on 1/18, #6 Xavier on 2/1 and #7 North Haven on 2/8 all at home and then road rematches with #2 ND-WH on 2/18 and #3 Hamden on 2/25.  To top it all off, they still face Amity, Cheshire, Notre Dame-Fairfield, Catholic Memorial (powerhouse in MA) and two games at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ  and #10 East Haven to complete their schedule; no days off for the #1 team and defending state champs!  ND-WH does play #4 Ridgefield next Wednesday and #5 Glastonbury the Monday after that along with ND-F, at #6 Xavier, versus #10 E Haven, at #3 Hamden, versus #8 W Haven, #1 Prep again, at #7 N Haven, at ND-F and a season finale at home with #3 Hamden; a brutal in-state schedule (aside from Trinity Catholic) that comes with playing in the SCC.

Daniel Hand 2 @ Fermi/Enfield 4
-Strong way for Fermi/Enfield to bounce back from their loss to Simsbury on Wednesday as they top a very good DII team in this one.

Windsor/Farmington/Avon 5 @ Tri-Town 5 OT
-A tie is something neither is probably happy about since for Tri-Town this means they couldn't beat a brand new co-op and they're supposed to be a legit DI team whereas for Windsor/Farmington/Avon this means they aren't actually better a team at the bottom of DI...they're about the same.

St. Joseph 1 @ #8 South Windsor 5
-This is a very good win for SW but what really hurt them was the result of another game: Simsbury picking up their second win of the season 3-2 over Conard.  That's a very disappointing result for the Chieftains and gives Simsbury some momentum with two stright wins over decent teams but since South Windsor couldn't beat Conard twice, this result reflects very poorly on them.

Notre Dame-Fairfield 2 @ Darien 4
-Like I said, this was a win Darien really needed.  They are now 3-3 and although ND-F fell to 2-5 and I don't want to sound like a broken record, they are still a good team and should not be overlooked.  Here is the box score from this game:
Goals
1st period: ND - Dave Canfarotta (Cam Barquinero) 11:23; D - Jack Knowlton (George Gregory) 14:!2.  2nd period: D - Trent Bergin (Alec Foresta) 4:01; ND - Erik Laaksonen (Brendan Walsh, Craig Hesseneius) 7:46; D - Breandan Hathaway 9:45.  3rd period: D - Nick Bruno (Kevin Love, Dana Wensberg) 3:21.
Saves: ND - Collin Rush 26; D - Hunt Bartman 19.
Shots: ND - 21; D - 30.

Amity 2 @ Cheahire 3
-The Rams get just enough to really show they were ready to move up to DI even with their SCC schedule.  At 4-4, they are halfway to qualifying for the DI state tournament in their first year in DI (St. Joseph was the DI runner-up last year, in their first year in DI...so the bar is high for a defending DII champion).

#6 Xavier 4 @ #4 Ridgefield 5 OT
-Overtime is exactly what both these teams would want coming into the game since it means the result was so close, a loss doesn't really hurt either.  In fact, taking Ridgefield to OT, by itself helps Xavier, the lower ranked team.  At the end of the day though, Ridgefield gets the big win and revenge while Xavier losses their first in-state game...and they only get harder in the SCC (@ #3 Hamden is next for the Falcons).

DII game to watch:
Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe 2 @ Branford 4
-Branford is looking very good this year; box score:
Goals
1st period: FWL - Tom Kryspin (Mathiu Larouche) 13:08.  2nd period: B - Rob Klouda (Tyler Hackett, Rob Celentano) 11:39; Rob Celentano (Kade Gregory) 12:10; Rob Celentano (Kade Gregory) 13:09; Rob Celentano (Joe Gianinni, Kade Gregory) 15:00.  3rd period: FWL - Tom Kryspin (Mathiu Larouche, Mike Aquila) 14:31.
Saves: FWL - Conor Frawley 19; B - Alessandro Sarno 20.
Shots: FWL - 22; B - 23.

DIII game to watch:
St. Bernard/Bacon Academy/NFA 4 @ Northwest Catholic 7
-A very high-scoring affair as many of the top DIII games tend to be but NWC was the victor here as they win their second DIII game, first against a good opponent, and St. Bernard/Bacon Academy/NFA falls to 1-1 in the division but only 3-4 overall.

Boys' Hockey: Saturday's Top Games (1/7)

#10 East Haven @ #8 West Haven @ 1pm
-This will be a very interesting game since East Haven beat #7 North Haven 3-4 in OT on Wednesday and N Haven beat West Haven 5-4 the Wednesday before that.  One goal wins and losses leave room for doubt though so this is far from decided.  Can West Haven pick a big win and make up for that North Haven loss or will East Haven continue their rise through the ranks this year?

#2 Notre Dame-West Haven @ #1 Fairfield Prep @ 1pm
-I don't I need to hype this game much more than the fact that is #1 vs #2.  It is also a big SCC rivalry and ND-WH would actually be the first team in the state (in any division) to qualify for the state tournament with a win.  The Green Knights are currently 7-0 so an undefeated season is on the line for them as well.  Both of these teams played at the TD Bank Sports Center on Wednesday but I think the ND-WH coaches were a little harder in practice on Thursday and Friday since ND only beat Cheshire 2-1 whereas Prep beat #3 Hamden 3-1.  My key to the game will be Prep's goalie, Riley Wikman.  He stood on his head against Hamden and will need to come out and have another really good game against ND for his team to win.  On the other hand, I think the way ND will win is if their defense can be physical with Prep but also keep up with their speed and if their goalie, Paul Sliwinski, can have a breakout game.  I'm not going to pick against my rankings but anything can happen, especially this early in the season.

Daniel Hand @ Fermi/Enfield @ 240
-A lesser game but still one worth watching for sure.  Hand is really trying to make the case that they are a top DII team whereas Fermi/Enfield needs to show good they actually are this year.  Fermi/Enfield started off looking good but suffered a major loss on Wednesday to previously-winless Simsbury.  This is a game worth watching in the northern part of the state on Saturday afternoon.

Windsor/Farmington/Avon @ Tri-Town @ 5
-The new Avon co-op is 3-1 with their loss only coming to defending DIII champ Watertown/Pomperaug in OT and they avenged that loss two games later.  This will be their first DI game and Tri-Town only lost 2-3 to #8 South Windsor and 3-4 in OT to East Haven while also beating Greenwich 5-2.  An interesting game I will be keeping an eye on.

St. Joseph @ #8 South Windsor @ 6
-Both teams are looking to rebound from losses and South Windsor really needs this quality win more because they were upset by Conard whereas St. Joseph only lost to a good New Canaan squad.

Notre Dame-Fairfield @ Darien @ 7
-This is the game where Darien will prove to me whether or not they are a top DI team this year.  They have a tough schedule but beating the always talented Lancers is the sign that you are a good DI team and the big challenge here is that Darien just beat ND-F 3-0 on Wednesday.  We saw what happened when #8 South Windsor and Conard played each other back-to-back, should be an interesting second game between these two as well.

Amity @ Cheahire @ 730
-Cheshire is looking to rebound from their 1-2 loss to #2 ND-WH and Amity has only lost to top ten teams this year.

#6 Xavier @ #4 Ridgefield @ 850
-This is a huge game that should be getting more attention, even though it is overshadowed by the 1 vs 2 match up earlier in the day.  Die hard hockey fans will make the trek out to Winter Garden Ice Arena to see the young Falcons in their first really big in-state game where they will get a chance to prove just how good they are this year. Ridgefield is looking for some revenge from their loss last year in Middletown to Xavier and also for another big win to couple with their one over Glastonbury so they can vie for the top spot in the state.  The winner of this game has a chance to make big moves and use this result as evidence of their talent for the rest of the season.  I would certainly recommend this game to everyone!

DII game to watch:
Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe @ Branford @ 315
-This is the game that will add even more chaos to the DII discussion as Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe beat Hand 4-3 in OT and Suffield/Granby/Windsor Locks 3-2 but lost 1-5 to Branford in the first game of the season (also 1-3 to St. Bernard/Bacon Academy/NFA, a solid DIII team).  Branford lost 2-7 to Hand in their opening game but Stamford 10-4 and Milford co-op 5-4 in OT.  However, they lost 6-7 in OT to Trumbull so DII is very crazy at the top.

DIII game to watch:
St. Bernard/Bacon Academy/NFA @ Northwest Catholic @ 530
-NWC is 4-2 and they beat Hall/Southington, East Catholic and Stamford (and DI Simsbury).  Their only losses are Wethersfield and 0-1 to Suffield/Granby/Windsor Locks, both of which are good DII teams.  On the other hand, St. Bernard/Bacon Academy/NFA is a solid DIII team with a 3-3 record that only lost 2-4 to #5 Glastonbury and has beat the only DIII team they've played thus far, Newington/Berlin, 2-1.

Boys' Hockey: Thursday and Friday's Results (1/5 and 1/6)

Thursday

Darien 3 @ Notre Dame-Fairfield 0
-Not only was this a good win for the Blue Wave but it also was a bad loss for the Lancers because they didn't even manage a goal.  Short but sweet, here's the box score:
Goals
1st period: D - Brendan Hathaway (Tommy Waters) 6:26. 2nd period: D - Tommy Waters (Jack Massie) 4:29; Jack Knowlton 11:45.
Saves: D - Max Rothston 23; ND - Scott Kline 25.
Shots: D -28; ND - 23.

Newtown 3 @ Guilford 4 OT
-It took overtime but Guilford beat Newtown to improve to 4-1 and make their case for being the best team in DII.  Although Newtown now falls to 3-3, they still look like one of the top teams in DII.  Box score:
Goals
1st period: G - Jack Fitzgerald (Derek Nelson, Billy Ring) 6:31; N - Evan Issacs (Parker Rodbell, Chris Erikson) 13:10.  3rd period: G - Jack Fitzgerald 0:13; Jack Fitzgerald (Matt Horton) 2:21; N - Hayden Savoia (Tyler Hanley) 4:48; Evan Issacs (Matt Sabia) 14:56.  OT: G - Matt Doyle (Garrett Salkins) 2:51.
Saves: N - Mike Alwein 27; G - Chad Faulkner-Filosa 16.
Shots: N - 19; G - 31.

Iona Prep (NY) 4 @ Greenwich 3 OT
-Tough loss for the  Cardinals in overtime.

Friday

#3 Hamden 6 @ #7 North Haven 3
-This one got a little out of hand in the second but North Haven still managed to score in every period, an encouraging sign, especially considering they were missing some players, including goalie Mike Amarone and I think Mike Andreucci as well, for an undisclosed reason; check out the box score:
Goals
1st period: H - Vito Puopolo (Ted Kennedy) 4:50; NH - Ken Broccolli (Jimmy Piscitelli) 7:25.  2nd period: H - Mike Lee (Joe O'Connor) 4:47; Tyler Carangelo (Brandon Dadio) 8:01; Tim Lee (Jeremy Germain, Tyler Carangelo) 11:47; NH - Karl Anderson (Andy Babbidge) 12:31.  3rd period: H - Jeremy Germain (Brandon Dadio, Joe O'Connor) 5:30; Jeremy Germain (Joe O'Connor) 10:47; NH - Ken Broccolli (Karl Anderson, Zach Gerry) 12:05.

New Milford 0 @ North Branford 3
-The better team won and this helps NB's case for being one of the best teams in DII this year.

Boys' Hockey: Thursday and Friday's Top Games (1/5 and 1/6)

Thursday

Darien @ Notre Dame-Fairfield @ 6pm
-both teams desperately need wins as they play though DI schedules and don't have many easy games/guaranteed wins.  Darien is trying to prove they are top team in the state or at least FCIAC with the talent they have this year while ND-F is coming off a big win over Watertown/Pomperaug.  Both are good teams despite their records (1-4 and 2-3 respectively) so I think this will be a pretty good game.

Iona Prep (NY) @ Greenwich @ 8pm
-Always good to see how a CT does against some out-of-state competition and Greenwich is trying to rebound from a 2-3 OT loss to #6 Xavier on Tuesday.

Friday

#3 Hamden @ #7 North Haven @ 615pm
-I'm sure Hamden had an intense practice on Thursday to get ready for yet another big game.  How they rebound from their first loss, at the hands of their rival no less, is important and it won't be easy against another top ten team.  North Haven has a huge opportunity here to make a very big statement and they are also playing with some extra fire coming off their loss to East Haven.  I do think Hamden will win this one by at least two goals but you can't sleep on North Haven.

New Milford @ North Branford @ 815pm
-Despite their records, both these DII teams are doing well this year.  New Milford lost 1-2 in OT at Cheshire and only lost 1-2 to a good Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury team.  North Branford is 3-2 with a 5-4 wins over Trumbull and East Catholic (in OT) while losses are Milford co-op and St. Bernard/Bacon Academy/NFA (not bad losses).  This should be a good game.

Boys' Hockey: Wednesday's Wins and Losses (1/4)

Great day of hockey, and a lot of surprises that I'm going to get right to:

Cheshire 1 @ #2 Notre-Dame-West Haven 2 @ TD Bank Sports Arena
-This result definitely helps Cheshire a lot more than it does ND-WH.  In fact, I don't think this is how the Green Knights wanted to look going into their match-up at #1 Fairfield Prep on Friday.  Box score:
Goals
1st period: ND - Greg Zullo (Anthony Astorino, Colby Cretella) 9:57; 2nd period: ND - Cameron Hotchkiss (Greg Zullo, Colby Cretella) 8:41; C - Tyler Violano (Walter Cashore) 12:13.
Saves: C - Tyler Carbone 30; ND - Paul Sliwinski 11.
Shots: C - 12; ND - 32.

#8 West Haven 5 @ Daniel Hand 4
-Another high-scoring comeback win for the Blue Devils as they continue to struggle on defense, which made this a close one with one of the elite DII teams this year (that was first to score and leading from 5:18 in the first until 1:25 left in the third); here's the box score:
Goals
1st period: H - Mitch Brown (Ryan DeMatteo) 5:18; Nico Capone 14:54.  2nd period: H - Ryan DeMatteo 1:08; WH - Josh Robichuaud (Kyle Leyerzapf, Austin Hansen) 3:01; Kyle Leyerzapf (Mike Troiano, Jake Lynch) 6:45; H - Mike Deane 9:38; WH - Adam Mink 13:43.  3rd period: WH - Adam Mink 4:27; Adam Mink 13:35.

St. Joseph 1 @ New Canaan 6
-New Canaan is now back at an even 3-3 with the very tough schedule they are playing this year; good win here.  St. Joseph's 48 shots on goal weren't enough to make this game even close; box score:
Goals
1st period: SJ - Ryan Corcoran (Matt Vazzano) 6:08; NC - Dylan HArt (Jake Granito) 6:58; Harry Stanton 14:31.  2nd period: NC - Jake Granito (Chip Glover) 3:50; Chip Glover (Spencer Manchuck) 6:06; Spencer Manchuck (Dylan Hart) 12:09.  3rd period: NC - Spencer Manchuck (Chip Glover) 6:13.
Saves: SJ - Marc VanEtten 17, Ron Johnson 6; NC - Chris Koennecke 47.
Shots: - SJ 48; NC - 29.

#3 Hamden 1 @ #1 Fairfield Prep 3 @ TD Bank Sports Arena

-I was not able to attend but I did watch online (sportingnewsct.com) and Hamden is no longer undefeated.  The biggest game of the season thus far started off just as you would expect from these two teams: fast and physical.  Hamden won the first period but had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard other than a 14-7 lead in shots.  The Green Dragons controlled the game early leading shots 4-0 at one point but then Fairfield Prep finally broke into Hamden’s zone and started getting some shots on goal.  Andy Varga, the senior in net for Hamden, made some really good saves and his defense blocked a lot of shots to prevent Prep from scoring when their forwards started heating up.  However, that made the Jesuits a little frustrated and one of their forwards slashed Varga after the whistle a little after halfway through the period and Hamden got their first power play opportunity.  The Green Dragons got some very good shots on goal but Fairfield Prep goalie Riley Wikman stood on his head with the way he was turning shot after shot away and making spectacular gloves saves as well.  Even after stopping Hamden from scoring on the powerplay, all the pressure was still on him as the puck spent the majority of the period in Prep’s zone.  Hamden had one opportunity when I believe it was Lee who centered the puck to someone and that Hamden player failed to put it home but really should have; the score should have been at least 1-0 Hamden after one period.  Instead, a Hamden player picked up a stupid roughing penalty for punching a Prep player after the whistle behind Prep’s net with 31 seconds left.

However, Fairfield Prep was unable to score on the power-play and the second period was back and forth after that.  Hamden went on the power play somewhere before halfway but didn’t manage to get a single shot on goal.  That must have inspired the Jesuits because David White Score courtesy of AJ Unker with 4:24 left in the period.  Bill Riley got called for unsportsmanlike conduct after the goal so Prep immediately started their third power play of the game on the ensuing faceoff.  They got a few shots and almost scored via an accidental deflection off of a Hamden player but ended up with no goals; Varga continued to play well.  From there, the game was back and forth again but definitely more Prep than Hamden but Varga stayed strong making save after save, including one through a screen.

Then, in the third period, all the shots finally started paying off.  Twenty-six seconds in, the Jesuits scored their second goal Unker and White assisting Connor Henry this time.  However, Hamden cut that lead right in half twenty-four seconds later; Connor Walsh assisted by Mike Regan.  From there each team had some more high quality opportunities to score like Unker had a shot that beat Varga but was just too high and Walsh made a centering pass to Mike Lee for Hamden but Lee didn’t get much on the shot and Wikman was able to save it.  Varga made a spectacular glove save after that and then AJ Unker went down with an injury.  Hamden start threatening with a pretty long possession in Prep’s zone that included some good shots on goal until the Jesuits were able to grab possession at the point leading to a two-on-one that turned into Prep’s thirs goal.  Nick Bargiello played the scenario perfect by drawing the defender and goalie, getting a good pass to David White all the way across the net and White just put it home at the 8:49 mark of the third period to cap off the scoring.  Fairfield Prep had a power play for the last 1:40 of the game but nothing came of it and that was the game.

In reference to my keys to the game, Wikman played absolutely phenomenal but I saw a lot of good for Hamden on offense.  They were able to play physical and generate very good shots on goal that will certainly go in against other teams.  Varga played extremely well too but he was up against the best offense in the state and only three shots got by him; he made Prep work hard for their goals.  Another thing I really liked about the game as a whole was that the referees really let the players play and the players respected that as nothing ever got out of hand; great game all around!

#8 South Windsor 2 @ Conard 3
-Its hard enough to beat the same team twice, especially when its only two days later (these two teams just played on Monday; Conard 1 @ South Windsor 6) and the team is the Conard Chieftains, known for pulling off at least one upset a year, at home!  Big blow to SW's stock and exactly what Conard needed to start rolling in their season; lets see if they can keep the momentum going.

#10 East Haven 4 @ #7 North Haven 3 OT
-A game that took overtime to decide but that didn't surprise me.  East Haven's ability to come back and get the W confirmed why they were in my top ten and they will just keep rising.  Since it was an OT loss, this doesn't hurt N Haven too much, but they better get back to winning soon and Friday at #3 Hamden would be a great time to do exactly that (a date at Hand next Wednesday is also on the schedule).  It came in later and lacks goal times but here's the box score:
Goals
1st period: NH - Mike Andreucci.  2nd period: EH - Mike Falanga (Rich DeCarlo, Tristian Goodwin); NH - Jimmy Piscitelli; Mike Andreuuci (Jimmy Piscitelli).  3rd period: EH - Matt Longobardi (Rich DeCarlo); Brian Flanagan.  OT: EH - Matt Longobardi (Mark Meyerholtz) 7:08.
Saves: EH - Zak Bouve 28; NH - Mike Amarone 35.
Shots: EH - 39; NH - 31.

Other games to watch:

Stamford 3 @ Staples-Weston-Shelton 4 OT
-Looks like I had an eye for good hockey when I featured this game as Stamford continues to be one of those teams that puzzles me.  Lucky for me, but not other teams in the state, I don't have to play them on the ice!  S-W-S did pull out the win though so they remain undefeated and keep pace with the others.  The box score is right here:
Goals: S - Justin Nizolek, Billy Santora, Zack Fornacciari; SWS - Wyatt Fern 2, Sean Stewart, Forrest Savage.
Assists: S - Andrew Tuccinardi, Brian Palmer; SWS - Stewart 2, Liam O'Leary, Fern.
Saves: S - Hunter Alderman 29; SWS - Riley Macdonald 41.
Shots: S -44; SWS - 33.

Wethersfield 2 @ Rocky Hill/RHAM/Middletown 5
-The result says enough, Wethersfield played some really easy teams up in Maine.

Joel Barlow 3 @ Immaculate/New Fairfield 0
-It may not have been a quality opponent, but Barlow remains undefeated like ND-WH, S-W-S and East Haven (Easties have one tie though).

Boys' Hockey: Wednesday's Top Games (1/4)

As I said in the rankings post, this could prove to be the best week of the regular season and Wednesday is a big reason why.  The Iowa GOP caucuses from last night will look like nothing compared to the exciting evening of high school hockey coming up.

Cheshire @ #2 Notre Dame-West Haven @ 3pm @ TD Bank Sports Arena at Quinnipiac University (Hamden)
-Cheshire has got talent and no one needs to tell either team how big this game.  Not only is this a SCC and DI match-up but it is also the first game of the evening in the TD Bank Sports Arena where Quinnipiac University plays.  I expect to both teams to have a good amount of fans and the event to attract general hockey fans as well to provide an almost state-playoff like atmosphere in Hamden.  ND-WH has a chance to make a big statement and welcome the Rams to DI.

#8 West Haven @ Daniel Hand @ 4pm
-This game is getting a feature because West Haven gets a decent test at one of the top team in DII and this result will have an effect on their position in my rankings.  Northford Ice Pavilion will host this one.

St. Joseph @ New Canaan @ 6pm
-I think is a gem of a game that may get lost among the others being played on Wednesday.  St. Joseph is 4-1 against lesser opponents while NC is 2-3 but has played top teams in state.  A victory says a lot for these two FCIAC rivals that played against each other four times last year with St. Joseph losing both regular season games and in the FCIAC championship but they beat NC in the DI state semifinals to eventually finish second to Fairfield Prep.  There is still lots of bad blood between these two programs that know each other very well, despite both losing lots of players from last year.

#3 Hamden @ #1 Fairfield Prep @ 7pm @ TD Bank Sports Arena at Quinnipiac University (Hamden)
-It may be on the schedule as a home game for Prep but they're in Hamden on the big stage and should expect a hostile environment.  Hamden residents love their hockey and now that they get a much larger venue than Lou Astorino Rink, more of them can cheer on their Green Dragons in the game of the season thus far!  I expect an awesome final game at the TD Bank Sports Arena, well worth the price of admission, as two of the very top teams in the state face off in the classic SCC, DI rivalry; Prep v Hamden.  I do predict that the Jesuits emerge victorious but some things to watch will be what can Hamden's offense do against Prep and how Prep's goalie plays in the biggest game of his career thus far.  Those are my keys to the game and I think Prep's offense will be able to win this one for them.

#10 East Haven @ #7 North Haven @ 8pm
-Another top-ten showdown will show us which of these two early-season success stories is more legit.  I'm leaning towards North Haven but East Haven can really prove something here an capture a quality win that should end up being worth 9 points as I expect both these teams to be make the state tournament at the very least.  In fact, East Haven is only 3 wins (or 2 wins and a tie) away from officially securing a spot.  This will be an excellent nightcap of a long day of good hockey at the Northford Ice Pavilion.

Other games to watch:

Stamford @  Staples/Weston/Shelton @ 6pm
-This could turn out to be a blowout but Stamford showed a little potential in their tie with East Haven on opening night, despite their current 1-3-1 record.  S-W-S is one of the few remaining undefeated teams and Stamford is standing in the way of 4-0.  Plus, this is a DII match-up since S-W-S got moved up this year.

Wethersfield @ Rocky Hill/RHAM/Middletown @ 8pm
-Wethersfield is 3-1 but only 1-1 in-state with a 5-2 win over Northwest Catholic but an 0-4 loss to Newington/Berlin, both DIII squads.  R-M-R is another DIII team that is doing okay at 3-2.  Wethersfield needs to win this game if they want to be in the discussion of DII contenders.

Boys' Hockey: Tuesday's Results (1/3)

Two overtime thrillers, it was a good idea to feature both.

Branford 5 @ Milford Co-op 4 OT
-Branford was able to hand Milford co-op their first loss but it took an amazing 3-goal come-back in the last 8:41 of regulation, highlighted by the tying goal with fifteen seconds left in regulations and then a goal in overtime to do it.  This result really shakes things up in DII since Branford got dominated by Hand 2-7 and lost to Trumbull 6-7 in OT.  I love the new situation and the debate that will come with it about who is the best in DII.  Here is the box score from this game:
Goals
1st period: B - Tony Pascale (Tyler Criscuolo) 11:35.  2nd period: M - Craig Wargo 3:05; Craig Wargo 12:21.  3rd period: M - Craig Wargo (Zach White) 4:28; Will Vitelli (Zach White, Craig Wargo) 6:19; B - Tony Pascale 8:17; Kade Gregory 9:33; Tony Pascale (Tyler Criscuolo) 14:45.  OT: B - Tyler Criscuolo (Tyler Hackett) 3:58.
Saves: B - Alessandro Sarno 26; M - Matt White 28.
Shots: B- 33; M - 30.

Greenwich 2 @ Xavier 3 OT
-Looks like I was right about Greenwich being able to play up to Xavier in this one but the Falcons got just enough offense to pull out the win in overtime; box score:
Goals
2nd period: G - Will Trepp (Brett Backman, Tom Green) 3:08; X - Jack Gethings (Dave Brennan) 13:39.  3rd period: G - JP Raftery 3:26; X - Jack Gethings (Dan Dupont, Nick Turner) 6:14.  OT: X - Jack Gethings (Kade McCartin) 5:51.
Saves: X - Shane Baldwin 10; G- Vinny Scorese 26.
Shots: X - 29; G - 12.

Boys' Hockey: Rankings (1/1)

First off, I apologize for not publishing these rankings actually on the first.  I have been moving down in beautiful Florida and if any of you have ever moved an entire house you know how time-consuming and back-breaking it is!  However, here they are in the same popular format that I have seen other writers change over to for their hockey rankings.  Lastly, I would like to thank you for your continued support of reading this site; I recently passed 20,000 hits all-time and continued to be humbled by the success of this website that I love running!

NOTE: In-state records follow overall record to show how each team is doing against the teams that matter most.

#1 Fairfield Prep (4-2) (3-0)
-The Jesuits are the defending DI champions and playing like it.  So far this year they beat #4 Ridgefield 3-0, #8 South Windsor 6-2 and the always tough Notre Dame-Fairfield by a combined score of 7-2.  Besides those convincing in-state wins they beat Springfield Cathedral from MA 5-0, kept it close in a 1-3 loss to RI's #2 team Bishop Hendricken and just narrowly dropped a 2-3 game to St. Joseph from Buffalo, NY; all three games were played at the elite Mount Saint Charles Tournament in Rhode Island (Mt. St. Charles is RI's #1 team...and has been for six years now).  However, in what looks to be one of if not the best week in high school hockey's regular season this year, the Jesuits will play #3 Hamden on Wednesday at the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden and #2 Notre Dame-West Haven at home (the Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport) on Saturday.  Get excited because I know I am!

#2 Notre Dame-West Haven (6-0) (6-0)
-One of six undefeated teams in the state (one of five to be perfect), the Green Knights are certainly the most impressive.  They have the same three wins as #3 Hamden - Darien, Amity and New Canaan - but with a combined margin of victory of 11 instead of 9.  Also, they wins over Greenwich, Simsbury and #7 North Haven, all Division I opponents.  They are outscoring opponents 31-6 in those six games with an average margin of victory of almost 4.2 goals per game; their closest games were 3-0 against New Canaan in their season opener and 4-1 at Darien.  Against #7 North Haven, a top ten team, they won 7-2 to capture the West Haven Christmas Tournament Championship.

#3 Hamden (3-0) (3-0)
-Another perennial hockey powerhouse in DI, Hamden is off a perfect 3-0 start this season.  They have a quality teams like Darien 2-0 and two decent DI opponents Amity and New Canaan 7-2 and 5-3 respectively.  I have my doubts about the Green Dragons and how they will do against #1 Fairfield Prep at the TD Bank Sport Center in Hamden on Wednesday and at #7 North Haven on Friday of this week.  However, when Nick Amarone returns from suspension for Hamden's 11th game (tentatively vs #2 ND-WH on 1/28) this offense should become more explosive and set up a much better match-up for the fans at home on 2/25 against Prep.  Don't get me wrong, Hamden is still talented and I think their games on Friday against #7 N Haven and next Wednesday vs the young surprise #6 Xavier will be good measures of whether or not they deserve the #3 ranking.

#4 Ridgefield (3-1) (1-1)
-The first team from the FCIAC in my top ten, Ridgefield has started off the year better than Dairen, my other favorite to be in the FCIAC championship game.  The Tigers lost 0-3 to Prep to start off the season but rebounded with a 5-2 big-time win over #5 Glastonbury three days later.  1-1 doesn't say much but, as I indicated in my "Teams to Watch" post to start the season, Ridgefield is a very talented team and they showcased that at the Maine Invitational with a 11-0 win over Biddeford and 9-0 win over Bangor.  I put Hamden ahead of them in the rankings mainly because Hamden still hasn't lost to Prep yet but if they do, you could see a tie between these two teams in the rankings.  The only game Ridgefield plays before my next rankings come out in a week is Saturday at home versus #6 Xavier, a team they lost to last year in Middletown.

#5 Glastonbury (3-1) (3-1)
-G-bury is the top CCC team in my opinion right now after collecting wins over Conard 11-4 and a good Fermi/Enfield squad 4-0 to start the season.  They also did what they needed to by beating St. Joseph, last year's DI runner-up, 6-2 on opening night.  Their only loss is 2-5 to #4 Ridgefield but they actually face Ridgefield again at home on 2/21 along with some good SCC teams and #8 South Windsor twice to bolster their stock in my rankings this season.  This upcoming week they travel to Norwich Rink to play St. Bernard/Bacon/NFA, a DIII team, and then return home for a Saturday night game against another CCC-North and DI acquaintance, Trinity Catholic.

#6 Xavier (5-1-1) (3-0)
-Xavier has earned this rankings with a 4-2 win over both Notre Dame-Fairfield and Cheshire early on in the season and a 1-0 win over #7 in their first game of the season.  To go with those three quality DI wins, the Falcons went up to Maine and beat Lewiston 3-1 and Biddeford 9-1 so we know they're good.  Their only blemish is a 3-3 tie with Greely that Greely "won" in a shootout at the Maine Invitational and a 3-5 loss to St. John's from Shrewsbury, MA that X was leading 1-0 after one period, 2-0 after two and 3-1 a few minutes into the third period.  The Falcons host Greenwich on Tuesday and then can make a statement down at the Winter Garden Ice Arena against #4 Ridgefield late Saturday night (8:50pm).

#7 North Haven (3-2) (3-2)
-North Haven has been a pleasant surprise this year in CT high school hockey under new head coach Tom Roche.  The Indians beat Division I opponent Simsbury 4-1 and a good DIII team Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury 6-1.  Their signature win is 5-4 over #8 West Haven at the West Haven Christmas Tournament and their losses were by one goal, 0-1, to #6 Xavier on opening night and 2-7 to ND-WH, which lands at the #7 rankings, nothing more, nothing less.  N Haven can add to their record with a game at home against #10 East Haven on Wednesday and a huge game when they host #3 Hamden on Friday night at 6:15pm.

#8 West Haven (4-1)
-The Westies are off to a solid start this year scoring at least 4 goals in every game this year and averaging 5.8 per game.  However, as I expected at the beginning of the season, defense is what they are struggling with most.  They only allowed more than two goals twice this season and the first time was the highlight of their season, a 6-5 OT comeback against Darien but the second was their only loss of the season, 4-5 to #7 North Haven.  Their other three wins are 5-0 over Greenwich, 6-2 against Trinity Catholic and 8-2 against Amity; all five teams are Division I opponents.  The Blue Devils travel to Madison on Wednesday to play a top DII team in Daniel Hand and then host #10 East Haven on Saturday afternoon in a game that means a lot for both teams.

#8 South Windsor (5-1) (3-1)
-I have the Bobcats tied with West Haven for two main reasons.  SW's 2-6 loss to #1 Prep isn't as bad as W Haven's loss to #7 N Haven but their wins aren't as good, mainly because they have played less in-state games.  South Windsor topped Simsbury 4-1, took down Fermi/Enfield 5-1 and slipped past Tri-Town only 3-2.  Although those are all DI opponents, they are weaker teams than those WH beat.  At the Maine Invatational, SW got a 6-3 win against York and a 7-0 statement over Kennesbunk.  They play Conard Monday and Wednesday of this upcoming week and then host 4-1 St. Joseph on Saturday.

#10 East Haven (5-0-1) (5-0-1)
-For the first time ever, all the "haven teams" are in my top 10 (ND-WH, N Haven, W Haven and E Haven...I don't think any team in New Haven even has a hockey team).  E Haven has really impressed me with their teamwork on offense.  They distribute the puck well and it has payed off as they have scored at least 4 goals in each of their six games this season.  I don't know why but they only managed a 5-5 tie against DII Stamford in their opener but from there went on to win 4-2 at Cheshire, 8-4 against Conard, 4-3 in OT against Tri-Town 9-4 at Westhill and then got their first shutout in a 4-0 win at home against Wilton.  Wilton and Westhill are DII teams that are 0-4 and 0-3-1 respectively so I don't place much emphasis on those games but what worries me is Stamford is 1-3-1.  The Yellow Jackets will get some good DI, SCC, top ten tests this marquee week in hockey at #7 North Haven on Wednesday and at #8 West Haven on Saturday.  A win against W Haven would probably get E Haven above SW too but how they do against N Haven matters as well.

Boys' Hockey: Tuesday Top Games (1/3)

Sorry for changing the grouping just this once.  Two games and both are relevant.

Branford @ Milford Co-op @ 6pm
-BIG DII showdown right here!  Branford is coming off a 6-7 OT loss to Trumbull but at 2-1-1 they are still a top DII team this year but no one is higher than 4-0 Milford Co-op.  This will be a quality test for Milford co-op to prove themselves and will be a key win for either team.

Greenwich @ Xavier @ 6pm
-Greenwich is struggling this year at 1-4 (0-4 against DI opponents) and Xavier is red hot at 5-1-1 but there is always stronger sense of pride on the line in these FCIAC vs SCC games.  Whether it be Hamden vs New Canaan, Fairfield Prep vs Ridgefield or anything inbetween, these two power hockey conferences know they represent the best of the best and that alone inspires the players to bring their A game againt each other.

Boys' Hockey: Monday's Results (1/2)

Only one game but it was an important one (CCC-North rivalry)

Conard 1 @ South Windsor 6
-This is what the Bobcats were expecting but they still had to go out and execute to win this important CCC-North game.

Boys' Hockey: Saturday's Scores (12/31)

Westhill 3 @ Lyman Hall 3

Newtown 4 @ Watertown/Pomperaug 1

Trumbull 7 @ Branford 6 OT

South Windsor 3 @ Tri-Town 2