Lots of games, lots of good teams in action:
Saturday
Notre Dame-Fairfeild @ #1 Fairfield Prep @ 1pm
-I know ND is 3-9-1 but you cannot sleep on them. The Lancers have a veteran coach in Marty Ross and year after year they make a push late in the season. Prep could definitely use this game to gear up for Xavier on Sunday. I'm not saying ND will win, I'm just sayin (great Sam Adams song) to keep an eye on ND and after the slew of upsets we've had this week, you never know.
Conard @ Tri-Town @ 330
-I don't particularly like Tri-Town and their inflated record but they did only lose to S Windsor 1-3 and they did beat Greenwich in overtime so I'll show them some respect in a game against a team like Conard. Conard needs this win to prove that the flukes in their schedule aren't the wins (Glastonbury and Guilford) but the losses/ties (Farmington, Daniel Hand, etc). In other words, they need to show they are a good team with a few bad losses instead of a bad team with a few good wins.
#4 Hamden @ #9 South Windsor @ 5
-Saturday's best game (game of the weekend, not including Friday, is tomorrow). Last week this game looked like it would be a good game that South Windsor could maybe catch Hamden after their New Canaan. Now, South Windsor has established themselves as a team that certainly can upset the Green Dragons if they don't play their hardest (see: last night against New Canaan). Hamden, on the other hand, is technically still one win away from making the play-offs, on a three-game losing streak (against the #1 and #2 teams in CT and the #1 team in RI) but nonetheless this is their fourth game in five days. I think a later in the day would have helped Hamden but hopefully the players got a good night's sleep, spent some time thinking about what went wrong last night at Lou Astorino and coach Bill Verneris has the kids looking past last night and focusing on the game today. South Windsor is sitting at 13-2, on fire right now having beaten West Haven, down at Bennett Rink on Wednesday, and really playing with a chip on their shoulder that seems to be helping a lot. If you, can get to the South Windsor Arena on Route 5 tonight, this game is gonna a gem!
St. Joseph @ #2 New Canaan @ 620
-New Canaan is playing on back-to-back nights too and their third game in four days (all good games, Darien was on Wed). This will be good for them too because they need to get over the game last night too. Although it was a humongous win, it was still just one game and they've got another today. Also, lets not forget that St. Joseph has a fairly good team this year, with wins over Amity and Wilton. They did lose to New Canaan 2-6 last time and Guilford once before, 2-5, but other than that undefeated (11-2). I think New Canaan will win by a lot again, but like I said before, you just never know when two good teams, especially conference rivals (FCIAC), collide. [Yes, this game has a lot greater chance of producing an upset than the ND/Prep game earlier today.]
Amity @ North Haven @ 8
-A 6-7 team at a 4-8...how is this a good game? North Haven literally has the potential to beat any team in the state every time they step out on the ice; it is simply a matter of it just not happening yet. Even if you disagree with that last statement, the 6 in-state losses have been to teams #3-6 and 10 in my last poll while they have wins over Cheshire, Hand, Simsbury and 12-0 over North Branford. The Indians have talent; their weakness is their goalie. Amity, after moving up to DI this year, has also only lost to quality teams in the state, and a decent 9-4 East Haven squad. No one in DI will overlook them in the tournament. That being said, this game is a quality match-up between two teams looking to prove themselves and use a win against the other to make a push for making the state tournament.
Staples-Weston-Shelton @ #7 Ridgefield @ 850
-Yeah, I'm showin' some DIII love! Of course, S-W-S represents the division's top team but they have beat Wilton, Trinity Catholic and many middle-level DII teams. Thy only lost by one to St. Joseph and this is another FCIAC game so Ridgefield better come ready to play. In addition, Ridgefield needs a good win to stay in the Top Ten after the week other teams have been having.
Other games worth noting: #10 Glastonbury @ Wethersfield @ 6, Wilton @ Trinity Catolic @ 630, Greenwich @ Fairfield Warde/Ludlow @ 730, Darien @ Westhill @ 830.
Sunday
#3 Xavier @ #1 Fairfield Prep @ 730pm
-Where to start? I'll give you a week in review, as it pertains to these two teams. On Tuesday, Prep went and did what I've been saying all along, beat Hamden 4-2 as an unequivocal statement that they are the best team in the state. Xavier got back in action on Thursday (last game before that: 1/29) against a good East Haven squad, but the Falcons well-rested offense shook off the rust in about 5 minutes and got a 5-2 win. Then, on Friday, Hamden lost to New Canaan, 0-2, complicating if Prep really is #1 in the state. What will work to Prep's disadvantage even more is if Hamden loses on Saturday to #9 South Windsor, coming off a 6-4 victory over #6 West Haven on Wednesday. Back to the two teams in this game, Prep is killing opponents, 26-4 in their last five games, goalie John Gilani has five shut-outs on the year, and they are tied with Hamden and Xavier for the toughest schedule in the state. It's no surprise (to me at least) they're number one. What Xavier has working to their credit is a 4-3 (really 4-2, stupid open net goal in third on goalie mistake) win over Hamden as well, being up 4-0 in that game. Their only in-state losses are by one goal to #2 New Canaan (4-5) and #5 Notre Dame-West Haven (2-3). Now lets talk strategy: Prep has the best offense in the state (even better than NC without injuries). Xavier goalie Austin Essery will need to have his best game of the year. This will allow Xavier's forwards, which run three quality lines deep, to chip away at Galiani and on a very basic level, get more by him than Prep gets by Essery. Prep has the edge in this game with some junior defensemen that should complicate things a bit for Xavier while Prep's offense will pick on Xavier's defense (2 sophomores, 2 freshmen) like every other team has been all season. The Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport will hosting the game of the weekend on Sunday night, i recommend getting their early and I hope everyone stays safe and warm!
NOTE: New Rankings will come out Sunday AFTER the Prep/X game.
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