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Monday, March 25, 2013

All-CTHSHockey DIII Team

By: Luke Devoe

The following players are recognized for exceptional seasons at the Division III level. Keep in mind these teams are based on regular season play not post season performance. Due to number of teams and the talent spread, I've decided to select a first and second team from DIII. 

DIII Awards
Skater of the Year: BJ Richard, Sr. Newington-Berlin
Goalie of the Year: Cam Earle, Sr. BCR
Defensive Defenseman of the Year: Justin Pratte, Sr. Newington-Berlin
Offensive Defenseman of the Year: Ryan Kiernan, Sr. Sheehan
Freshman of the Year: Luca DiPaola, Newington-Berlin
Coach of the Year: Chris Stevenson, BCR
Ryan Brennan All Heart Award: Drew O'Leary & Hunter Blais, Newington-Berlin
Ryan Brennan All Heart Award given out each year to players at all three divisions. Brennan, a Fairfield Prep Jesuit lost a two year battle with cancer in February 2011. It was suggested by Prep players last season that we honor the life of Ryan with this annual award given out to players who exhibit excellence on and off the ice.

FIRST TEAM
F Kaden Batzinger, Sr. Lyman Hall-HK (FINALIST FOR D3 SKATER OF THE YEAR)
A 50 point senior season from Batzinger led Lyman Hall-HK and really kept them afloat in a year where the team struggled. Batzinger led DIII in goals with 30. Like the other three forwards on this team, Batzinger could've done this at any level and will surely be missed for LH-HK.
Newington-Berlin's BJ Richard

F BJ Richard, Sr. Newington-Berlin (FINALIST FOR D3 SKATER OF THE YEAR)
Richard led a potent Newington-Berlin team in points and helped lead them to back to back DIII championships. Richard finished with 43 points (22 G, 21 A) and was even featured as the number one play on Sportscenter's Top 10. One with the flair for the dramatic and flashy goals, Richard has been fun to watch for the past few seasons.

F Cody Albert, Sr. Sheehan (FINALIST FOR D3 SKATER OF THE YEAR)
Albert finished with 19 goals and Sheehan's go-to-guy this season. Sheehan relied heavily on Albert's heroics. His deft scoring touch allowed Sheehan to compete this season at a competitive level. Albert chipped in with 11 helpers on the year as well. 

D Will Thompson, Sr. Hall-Southington
A stalwart and responsible defenseman, Thompson helped an offensive-oriented Hall-Southington team shock Newington-Berlin twice.

D Justin Pratte, Sr. Newington-Berlin
As reliable and dependable as they come, Pratte finished with 12 points on the year for the eventual state champions.

G Cam Earle, Sr. BCR (FINALIST FOR D3 GOALIE OF THE YEAR)
Earle dazzled this year and become somewhat of a cult hero for the defensive geared BCR team. Earle notched 9 shutouts on the year and finished with a ridiculous 0.87 goals against average.

SECOND TEAM
F Kyle Whalen, Sr. Rocky Hill-RHAM-Middletown (FINALIST FOR D3 SKATER OF THE YEAR)
Whalen set the all time program record for points while tallying 36 points on the season.  A do everything forward and one of the state's best distributors, Whalen carried a rebuilding and at times struggling RMR team on his back.

F Bailey Brown, Sr. New Fairfield-Immaculate
Brown tallied 23 goals for NFI this season while showing flash and defensive competence. NFI will struggle to reproduce his production next season.

F Shane Dushay, So. Masuk
An impressive sophomore campaign and the only underclassmen on the first two teams, Dushay notched 30 points (16 G, 14 A) this year. Masuk was a period away from shocking the state against Newington-Berlin and they got their because of efforts like Dushay's.

D Ryan Kiernan, Sr. Sheehan
Sheehan's Ryan Kiernan
One of the best offensive defensemen in the state, Kiernan finished his final season with 26 points and an impressive 14 goals.

D Jason Steele, Sr. NFA-St. Bernard-Bacon
Stalwart and strong, Steele gave NFA-St. Bernard-Bacon a presence on the back end that's hard to duplicate. Also chipped in on the offensive end with 10 points (5 G, 5 A).

G Drew O'Leary, Sr. Newington-Berlin (FINALIST FOR D3 GOALIE OF THE YEAR)
O'Leary could be considered a 1A to Earle's #1. O'Leary is one of the main reasons the Indians repeated and posted a shutout in his final high school hockey game. He posted 5 shutouts in the regular season and a solid 1.47 goals against average.

HONORABLE MENTION
F J.R. Piritti, Sr. BCR
G Ryan Dobos, Jr. New Fairfield-Immaculate (FINALIST FOR D3 GOALIE OF THE YEAR)
F Denzel Dickerson, Sr. NFA-St. Bernard-Bacon
F Derek Lyon, Sr. Lyman Hall-HK
F Matt Harackiewicz, Jr. Newington-Berlin
F Dan Roberts, Jr. Newington-Berlin
G Owen Bowler, Sr. Masuk (FINALIST FOR D3 GOALIE OF THE YEAR)
F Brendan Quirion, Sr. RMR
F Parker Evans, So. New Fairfield-Immaculate
F Charlie Christo, So. Masuk
F Eddie Bates, Jr. BCR
F Luca DiPaola, Fr. Newington-Berlin
F Marco DiPaola, So. Newington-Berlin
F Chris Freeman, Jr. Fitch-East Lyme-Ledyard
F Charlie Berry, So. Joel Barlow
F Andrew Loya, So. Shepaug-Litchfield-Nonnewaug
F Mike Galinski, So. Shepaug-Litchfield-Nonnewaug
D Justin Gagnon, Jr. EO Smith-Tolland-Windham
F Kevin Morton, So. BCR
Goalie of the Year Cam Earle of BCR

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

CIAC Division 1 Championship Preview


By: Luke Devoe

CIAC Boys Ice Hockey Division I Championship
(1)
 Fairfield Prep vs. (2)ND-West Haven
Tuesday March 19, 7:00 pm
Ingalls Rink, New Haven

This is it, for D1.  With last night's weather CIAC moved the D2 final to tomorrow (Wednesday) night, so the season will not end as it normally does with the D1 final being the last game.  But let that not diminish what will take place tonight at what many are now referring to as "The Ship."  

Prep has taken all three previous meetings with NDWH, have only lost once all year and have gone undefeated against CT competition to the tune of a 22-1 overall record.  While NDWH's overall mark isn't nearly as impressive there has never been a doubt who the top two teams in the state were.

Prep hopes to be celebrating like this tonight at Ingalls.
Prep cruised to this point.  After a bye, they leapt a quarterfinal scare when (8) Hamden led them 3-1 early second period and flew to victory, finishing off the Green Dragons 8-3.  Then toppled (4) Ridgefield 4-1 thanks to 25 saves from junior back up goaltender Chris Gutierrez.  The Jesuits received goals from senior Billy D'Amore, juniors Mat Wikman and Dean Lockery and sophomore Brendan Killoy.  The Jesuits are mighty and are as defensively oriented as any team in the state.  With a defensive unit lead by seniors D'Amore, Sean Henry, Andrew Hatton and Kevin Brown, falling behind to the Jesuits is a recipe for disaster. But that ain't all.  Prep pours over the boards a ton of offensive pop as well including all-stater David White, line mates and seniors Connor Henry and Nick Bargiello, as well as a host of other contributors including Lockery, Wikman, Matt McKinney, Mike Ventricelli, and Timmy Edmonds among others.  Expect Prep to send junior Matt Beck to man the crease tonight as he's been their guy in big game situations.  The combination of Beck and Gutierrez and even sophomore Jack Taubl is a nice luxury for any coach to have.

NDWH is deep as well.  While their journey to this point has been a little more varied than Prep, there wasn't much doubt after the first round.  In that round the Knights were pushed to the brink by an upset minded (15) East Haven club who had NDWH on the ropes late.  The Easties led NDWH 4-1 late in the second period but a couple of Kyle Thibault goals and an end to end rush in overtime by senior Greg Zullo proved to be the difference in a game Notre Dame put 70 shots on net.  The quarterfinals didn't prove to be much of a challenge to the Knights who easily toppled (7) Simsbury 6-1.  In the semi's NDWH was faced with a Brendan Hathaway-less (3) Darien squad who they dispatched of in embarrassing fashion, 8-0.  Seven Knights (Vizzo (2), Zullo, Dostie, Austin, R. Lynch, K. Lynch, Ruocco) scored in the victory.  Junior Billy Vizzo and senior Greg Zullo have done an admirable job filling in the scorecard in the wake of captain Colby Cretella's graduation.  These two are dynamic.  They play all facets and are two of the state's best penalty killers.  But the unsung hero of this line is sophomore Ryan Lynch.  The 6'2" Lynch plays poised, confident and with a wisdom beyond his academic years.  Head coach Bill Gerosa found the right combination early pairing Lynch with his two top gunners.  While NDWH isn't as deep as Prep defensively they have a handful of blue liners capable to stalling even the best offenses in the state.  They are led by seniors Darren Capobianco and his monster slap shot, Cam Hotchkiss, and his steadying influence, and junior Lou Iannotti, who's proven to have more of an offensive impact this year as well as a big bodied presence.  In net, NDWH will go with senior Paul Sliwinski who has been Gerosa's guy since coming on in relief of senior Luc Amatruda in the second period of the East Haven first round win.

In the first meeting of the two Prep jumped out to an early first period 3-0 lead and thus set the stage for the remainder of the day.  They shut down any offensive flow and eliminated any chance of a comeback creating fits for NDWH offensively and despite a second period NDWH goal, the Jesuits held on to a 3-1 convincing win.  Prep received goals from Connor Henry, Dean Lockery and Matt Wikman on the day while Matt Beck was fantastic stopping 30 of 31 shots.  The second meeting, the best of the three, was as even as you could find.  Beck again turned aside 30 shots only this time, none got by and the lone Jesuit goal was scored at the last second of the second period on a net front poke from senior Nick Bargiello.  NDWH senior goalie Luc Amatruda was equally as outstanding in net as Beck stopping 32 of 33.

Junior Dumas (15) hopes he has another one left on that stick tonight.
Prep and NDWH also met in the SCC D1 Final at High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center at Quinnipiac.  Prep disposed of the Green Knights 6-2 in a game much maligned by both sides.  The game had a weird feel.  Billy Vizzo was suspended for his actions in a 4-4 tie against Hamden.  Prep was clear that they were going to get both goalies Beck and Gutierrez action and while Gerosa probably wanted to do the same with his goalies his hand was forced early after an onslaught from Prep that saw them take a 2-0 lead after one on goals from Lockery and Edmonds.  Gerosa countered with normal starter Amatruda who wouldn't fair any better.  ND would make it interesting early in the second when junior Matt Dumas would beat Beck to make it 2-1 but that was as close as they'd get.  Prep would get goals from Lockery, Edmonds, Ventricelli and White. ND added a goal from Ruocco in the losing effort.  

So the stage has been set.  Can fourth time be a charm for the Green Knights?  They rock a shamrock on their jersey so maybe the recent St. Patrick's Day festivities will provide some luck.  Or maybe Prep will coast, allowing NDWH to be just another feather in their feather-filled cap.  I think it'll be close and I think this is NDWH's best shot of any to topple the Jesuits based on the way the teams have been playing of late.  I just can't pick against Prep right now.  I also don't play favorites but I think it would be excellent if NDWH can somehow find a way to beat Prep tonight, prove their invincibility and win back to back state titles.  I just don't think it happens.  Fairfield Prep 4, NDWH 2.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

D2 Championship Preview

By: Luke Devoe

CIAC Boys Ice Hockey Division II Championship
(2)
 East Catholic vs. (13)Fairfield Warde-Ludlowe
Monday March 18, 7:00 pm
Ingalls Rink, New Haven

Normally the first state final to be completed, the D2 State Championship was moved to Monday night due to Yale clinching a bye in the first round of the ECAC Tournament and thus needed Ingalls on Friday.  While the usual suspects in D1 and D3 grace the ice for their championship opportunities it was anyone's guess who would represent Division II in the state final.  After the dust settled East Catholic, a team who remained toward the top of the D2 rankings all season and Fairfield, an erratic squad who've gathered around a common goal are the two remaining standing.  Regardless of how they got here, both are hungry and have already eclipsed and forgotten their matching first round exits of last year.

The two got here playing a similar game.  They both rely on solid, not spectacular goaltending.  Of late EC goalie junior Thomas Usseglio has been outstanding but it wasn't that way all season.  Fairfield will send sophomore Kyle Greenhunt to man the pipes in the final.  He's shared the net this year but toward the end has been outstanding including absolutely shutting down a potent North Branford offense in their semi.  These teams don't have superstars.  They don't have a top line that will garner all the attention and steal all the ice time.  They are collectives, team units who focus around their goal of playing complete hockey. 
Thomas Usseglio has been fantastic in net for East Catholic.

Both teams are extremely well coached, responsible and rarely make lazy, silly mistakes.  East Catholic is proven under coach Drew Clarkin.  They had to go through rival Northwest Catholic a third time to get where they are and did so convincingly beating the Indians 3-0.  They also boast wins over D1's Glastonbury and D2 powers Daniel Hand, North Branford, and the aforementioned Northwest Catholic Indians twice.  But they aren't invincible and at times they are susceptible to an upset, something many would consider a Fairfield win on Monday.  East Catholic has lost to D3 opponents Hall-Southington and St. Bernard-Bacon-NFA as well as mid tier D2 squads Conard and Farmington Valley.  However, this was before goalie Usseglio began playing the way he is now.  East has only allowed six goals over their last six games and are led on offense by a cast of characters who equally distribute the wealth.  They've gotten contributions from everybody but especially the duo of Lee Munson and Griffin Casey of late, both players who've guided East to where they are today.  Not to be forgotten is the play of seniors Evan Cedrone and Vinny Genovesi, two key cogs throughout the regular season.

In their 6-1 semifinal win over (3) BBD, the Eagles took a 2-0 lead into the third period before exploding for four more, convincingly eliminated the Ice Cats.  The aforementioned Casey and Munson would get the Eagles on the board in the second period, Munson's becoming the eventual game winner.  In the third East Catholic got another goal from Casey and one each from junior Patrick Bishop and sophomore Jake McCarthy.  BBD's Scott Martin would add the lone Ice Cat tally on the night (side note: Martin had all 5 of BBD's goals in their final two games).  The Eagles cruised, paced brilliantly by Usseglio who turned away 23 of 24 BBD shots continuing his stellar play of late.

Fairfield Warde-Ludlowe comes into the final a very even match for the Eagles.  Both teams like to spread out the scoring wealth and have capable netminders but the glaring difference is the experience.  While their goalie and leading scorer are underclassmen, Fairfield boasts 9 seniors to EC's 4.  This could prove helpful in this one or it could be a non factor based on East's ability to have a different hero each night.  The co-op is well coached by Mark Pettorini and assistants John Landino (former Hamden Green Dragon) and Kevin Keating.  After some rough losses (Trumbull, Trin Cath) they've rallied the troops to really buy in to what they're preaching.  Fairfield is led by junior Kevin Robinson and his 17 goals on the year.  The kid can fly and speed may have to be Fairfield's game on Monday.  He's not the only one who can move the puck effectively. Junior Jack O'Rourke and senior Tom Kryspin also can be broke at any time.  Kryspin has played like a man possessed of late.  In net, sophomore Kyle Greenhut will get the call.  The sophomore came up large in the semi stoning North Branford stud Dylan Podbielski on a number of occasions and squelching any late chances the T-Birds had.  Like EC, Fairfield also won the attrition in their 3-1 semifinal win over a dangerous (9) North Branford squad.  They got on the board late in the first when Kryspin was found by senior Tim Grace hanging out to left of Thunderbird goalie Kyle Saroka, Kryspin potted the goal to give Fairfield a 1-0 lead heading into the second.  O'Rourke added a rebound goal in the second and junior Austin Armas put the nail in the coffin with under five to go in the third.  The T-Birds would add a late goal ending Greenhut's bid for a shutout.  He finished stopping 21 of 22 shots on goal in the win.

Fairfield's Conor Scharlop (2) hopes to celebrate like this Monday night.
The three finals this year pit some of the best defensive units against one another.  I've chronicled the defensive brand that BCR brings every night, Newington-Berlin proved how invaluable good defense in front was on Saturday.  Fairfield Prep's stifling defense has been discussed as well this year and both of these teams have used stalwart D to get them to this point.  It could be argued that NDWH relies the most on their offense of any of the six teams left heading into this weekend and I don't envy anyone that has to go up against their D core on any given night.  This one should be tight.  If it was to go "blowout" in either direction, I'd say East Catholic, because of Usseglio has the better chance at that but I don't see that happening.  I think EC is deep and talented while Fairfield boasts some better individual talents.  It may come down to the crease where I think Usseglio is a bit stronger than Greenhut.  I'll go East Catholic 3, Fairfield Co-op 2.


Saturday, March 16, 2013

Newington-Berlin Wins Back to Back D3 State Titles

(1) Newington-Berlin needed only a late second period goal from sophomore Marco DiPaolo to defeat (3) Bolton-Coventry-Rockville in the CIAC Division III State Championship Saturday afternoon at Ingalls Rink in New Haven.  The game was a defensive struggle throughout.  Both teams did an excellent job of limiting chances with clogged shooting lanes and neutral zone dominance.  Regardless of the shot total it's easy to say that both teams would've had double if it wasn't for the all out effort both teams exhibited in zone.  Even the game winner and lone goal wasn't necessarily a thing of beauty.  From the right circle, DiPaolo was able to fit the puck into a key hole sized gap short side on BCR senior goalie Cam Earle.  BCR simply couldn't generate enough quality scoring chances on Newington-Berlin senior goalie Drew O'Leary who finished with a 16 save shutout.  With the win, Newington-Berlin have now won back to back state championships at the D3 level.  Many people, myself included, believed they should've moved up to D2 after last year's championship, but that's a moot argument at this point.  This one could've easily have gone the other way and the Indians found a way to get it done.  BCR finished an impressive season with a valiant effort and should most definitely hold their heads high.  Congratulations to Coach Harackiewicz and the entire Newington-Berlin-Manchester squad.
Tough shot from my vantage point, but the exaltation certainly can be felt.

Friday, March 15, 2013

D3 Final Preview

By: Luke Devoe

CIAC Boys Ice Hockey Division III Championship
(1) Newington-Berlin vs. (3) Bolton-Coventry-Rockville
Saturday March 16, 1:30 pm
Ingalls Rink, New Haven

One team has been here before.  They've seen this level of play and witnessed first hand the pressure, anticipation and hype that goes along with playing for a state title.  That of course would be defending DIII champion Newington-Berlin.  The Indians come into action Saturday hungry to repeat and hope to follow up a fantastic 2-1 championship victory over Northwest Catholic with one over an upstart, defensive minded Bolton-Coventry-Rockville squad.  The seeds are the same (1 vs. 3).  The venue is the same.  Many of the Indians' weapons are the same and they are still riding the stellar play of senior goaltender Drew O'Leary.  The only thing that is different is the team hanging out on the opposing bench.  The differences in last years NWC team and this year's BCR group are staggering.  While Newington-Berlin had to shut down a dynamic offense last season, this year they hope their offense will be enough to beat BCR's talented senior goalie Cam Earle and a host of able bodied, defensively geared skaters in front of him.

The two have met before.  Two times in fact this year.  In the first meeting the Indians needed only a second period Tyler Aldieri goal and an outstanding 33 save effort from O'Leary to top BCR.  The second meeting would be as tight as the first with the two skating to a 1-1 tie behind another stellar effort from O'Leary who notched 43 saves in the victory.  Rams goalie Cam Earle was impressive as well tallying 24 saves.  Hunter Byram (BCR) and Justin Pratte (NB) tallied the only goals in that one.  Needless to say when these two get together it's a defensive display.

Indians again rocking the bleached out look.
The Indians are led by all world talent in senior forward BJ Richard.  Richard leads Newington-Berlin in scoring with 42 points (22 G, 20 A) and was most recently featured as the #1 play on SportsCenter's Top 10 with a ridiculous goal.  It can be seen by clicking here.  But the Indians do not revolve solely around Richard's filth and heroics.  They are a deep squad and coach Dave Harackiewicz isn't afraid to cycle four lines, something he did in their come from behind semi final win over Masuk.  The Indians received a gift when junior Dan Roberts decided to leave prep school at Westminster and join them for the stretch run.  Roberts has notched 20 points in only 11 games.  They have eight players in double figures and boast some of the state's best depth with players like Matt Harackiewicz, Luca and Marco DiPaola hopping over the boards.  In the semi's they faced a pumped up and ready to fight (5) Masuk Panthers squad.  Masuk appeared on the verge of notching a monstrous upset carrying a 1-0 lead over the mighty Indians into the third period only to allow four Newington-Berlin goals in the final stanza.  That depth and ability to keep his top line rested served coach Harackiewicz well in that one.  Richard scored twice including an empty netter while Harackiewicz and Tyler Mangiafico added the other two tallies.  O'Leary stopped 19 of 20 to earn the victory and allow the Indians to punch their ticket to Saturday for the second year in a row.

Morton's double OT goal sent the Rams into celebration mode.
On the other side the Bolton-Coventry-Rockville Rams just kept it simple this year.  Keep pucks away from senior goalie Earle, score enough and beat the teams that are put in front of you.  Never was this jazzy, never did anyone claim the Rams would run away with things but believe you me, no one was rooting harder for St. Bernard-Bacon-NFA in overtime against the Rams than Newington-Berlin fans after the two tight affairs the Rams gave the Indians already this year.  The Rams are led from the goal on out.  Cam Earle has been everything for them this year.  He's notched nine shutouts and the Rams have only allowed 2+ goals four times all year...all four of those games were wins.  Not to be lost in the defensive shuffle are a few guys who could light the lamp on any given night.  Senior J.R. Piretti has been BCR's rock with the puck this year and is flanked nicely by juniors Eddie Bates, Nate Tonzi and sophomore Kevin Morton, the heroic goal scorer in the second overtime against NFA-St. Bernard-Bacon in their semifinal win.  It's a team effort when it comes to BCR and while there aren't any Richardses or Robertses on their roster they have a collective who believe in what head coach Chris Stevenson is preaching.  On Tuesday, their dreams seemed almost as in doubt as Newington-Berlin's.  The St. Bernard-Bacon-NFA Saints were flying.  Seniors Joey Mitchell and Denzel Dickerson were moving the puck all over the ice and sophomore goalie Jonah Beauton was fantastic frequently thwarting quality chances from the Rams.  Flashback... the Rams scored first on a Tonzi tally in the first period only to have the Saints score to knot it at 1 on a freak goal from an impossible angle that Earle would probably have wanted back.  The game then drastically shifted into the Saints' favor and after a frantic end of regulation and an electric overtime period the Rams got the bounce they needed when Morton corralled his own rebound and potted one past a sprawled out Beauton sending the BCR faithful and skaters into hysterics.  It wasn't a shutout for Earle but his efforts were incredible especially when tested late.

That sets us up for Saturday.  Two proven, tested and skilled senior netminders.  A potent offense with a bit of a swagger versus a blue collar, neutral zone clogging D group.  It should be one for the ages.  I'm as excited as anyone for Prep/NDWH and EC/Fairfield but these two teams have proven how tight and exciting their meetings can be.  It should be a dandy.  As far as a prediction, I have to go with the team that exhibited some serious "stick-to-it-ivness" on Tuesday in playing the patience game and coming back to beat Masuk convincingly.  I like BCR and I'm as big of a Cam Earle supporter as you'll find but their offense struggled to get going against a lesser Saints club.  Anything is possible with Earle in net but Newington-Berlin may just have too much at this time of the season.  Newington-Berlin 2, BCR 1.

On a more important note, The Hartford Courant's Matthew Conyers reports on how two of these Newington-Berlin Indians will go on to serve out country in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation.  Thanks in advance for your admirable service boys and nice work finding this gem Matt.  If you're on the fence with who to root for tomorrow, this may make your decision easier.  Click here for Conyers' article.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Down to 6

By: Luke Devoe

So this is it!  We're down to the final six CIAC Boy's Ice Hockey teams left in the state.  Some upsets have occurred, primarily in D2 and some powerhouses have shown why they're favorites.  We've seen highlight reel goals land on Sportscenter's Top 10, 60+ save efforts, three double overtime affairs, as well as co-ops and private/catholic schools reign supreme.  With Darien, Ridgefield, North Branford, and Masuk losing in the semi's, this is the first time in the state's history that no single (meaning not co-oped) public school hasn't been a finalist in all divisions.  Over the course of the next few nights I will be posting previews of each final.  CTHSHockey will be in attendance for the final three games.  Attendance at the Whale has been okay.  Here is a ranking of the order with which I rank the support for each team to this point (student section, # of fans, etc.)

1) Fairfield Prep
2) NDWH
3) East Catholic
4) Fairfield Co-op
5) Newington-Berlin
6) BCR

Maybe this is a rallying cry to some of those fan bases.  Your respective teams are in the state championships.  Get your butts on those refurbished benches at Ingalls.  The teams deserve it.  Coming soon will also be my All-CTHSHockey Teams.  For D1, D2 I will pick three teams (3 forwards, 2 D and a goalie) as well as an honorable mention.  For D3 I will pick two teams (3 forwards, 2 D and a goalie) as well as an honorable mention.

On another note, with many teams already eliminated and players moving on to future ventures, PLEASE start sending in information about players leaving early, going on to play in college, juniors, post grad, etc.  I will post the page, like I did last year, with all that information.  You can email me the info at cthshockey@gmail.com or direct message it to me on Twitter @CTHSHockey.

Finally, I'll save my thank you's until this season truly is kaput but I'd like to give a shout out to Kevin Pataky of MaxPreps.  The dude has been at every rink in the state, seen every team and takes the best photos of live action of anyone I've seen.  Parents, grandparents, weird uncles, whoever, if you want a quality action shot of your kid playing the sport they love, this is where you find it.  You can check him out at his web site by clicking here or directly on MaxPreps by clicking here.  Never one to plug himself, but definitely deserving of the recognition.

See you at Ingalls Saturday and look for my championship game previews here on the blog!

Friday, March 8, 2013

UPDATED CIAC QUARTERFINAL SATURDAY SCHEDULE

So, it appears all 12 D1, D2, D3 quarterfinal games will take place tomorrow, Saturday March 9.  Below are the times and locations of the games that have been confirmed.

DIVISION I
(1) Fairfield Prep vs. (8) Hamden- 1:00 @ Ingalls Rink, New Haven
(4) Xavier vs. (5) Ridgefield- 2:00 @ Bennett Rink, West Haven
(2) Notre Dame-West Haven vs. (7) Simsbury- 3:00 @ Ingalls Rink, New Haven
(3) Darien vs. (6) St. Joseph- 7:00 @ Terry Conners Rink, Stamford

DIVISION II
(2) East Catholic vs. (7) NW Catholic- 2:00 @ Trinity College Rink, Hartford
(3) BBD vs. (6) Guilford- 4:30 @ Bennett Rink, West Haven
(5) Branford vs. (13) Fairfield Co-op- 7:00 @ Bennett Rink, West Haven
(9) North Branford vs. (17) Newtown- 7:30 @ Milford Ice Pavilion, Milford

DIVISION III
(1) Newington-Berlin vs. (8) NFI- 4:30 @ Wonderland of Ice, Bridgeport
(3) BCR vs. (6) EO Smith-Tolland-Windham- 4:30 @ Trinity College Rink, Hartford
(2) NFA-St. Bernard-Bacon vs. (7) Sheehan- 7:00 @ Trinity College Rink, Hartford
(4) Hall-Southington vs. (5) Masuk- 8:00 @ Northford Ice Pavilion, Northford

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Division III Primer

By: Luke Devoe
DIVISION III
Here is a primer for today's Division III first round games.  Read the preview of each matchup, my prediction and below check out players to watch in this year's D3 State Tournament. 

ALL GAMES THURSDAY 3/7 (Times and Locations included)
(8) New Fairfield-Immaculate @ (1) Newington-Berlin (6:30 @ Wonderland of Ice, Bridgeport)
Newington-Berlin's Drew O'Leary
Newington-Berlin, the defending D3 champs drew the winner of the "play-in" game for their first round contest.  NFI got here after topping (9) Housatonic-NW-Wamogo 3-2 on Monday night.  The Indians boast as good of a defense and offense combined as any team in the state.  Senior goalie Drew O'Leary (1.55 GAA) is back for his swan song and his chance at a repeat.  Their offense is loaded and fronted by senior forward BJ Richard (18 G, 17 A, 35 Pts.), junior Matt Harackiewicz (8 G, 11 A, 19 Pts.) and six more players who've scored in double digits this year.  One of these is junior transfer Dan Roberts who's scored 16 points in only nine games with New-Ber.  The two teams haven't faced off this year.  NFI is lead by senior Bailey Brown and his 22 goals.  Junior Ryan Dobos was excellent in net down the stretch run and will need to be in order for NFI to keep this one close.  Newington-Berlin is loaded and ready to make a run at a repeat.  Newington-Berlin 5, NFI 1

(5) Masuk @ (4) Hall-Southington (7:15 @ Northford Ice Pavilion, Northford)
In the lone regular season matchup between the two, Hall-Southington and Masuk tied 4-4.  For the fans in Northford's sake let's hope this one is as closely contested as that one.  Masuk who recently lost in the SWC semifinals to BBD has a youth movement going on with 5 of their top 6 scorers being underclassmen.  They are lead by sophomore Shane Dushay (27 points) and sophomore Charlie Christo (24 points).  Masuk has what it takes to topple a Hall team that has already beaten Newington-Berlin twice and East Catholic earlier in the year as well.  Hall gets production from up and down the lineup and names like Owen Kantor, Jared Florian and Jeff Moore will be heard frequently.  Moore has been solid in net for Hall and their hopes may lie with him.  If he is on the Warriors have proven they can top anyone but when he falters they've been susceptible to a bad loss.  This one is close to call but I'm going with Hall.  Hall 4, Masuk 3

(7) Sheehan @ (2) NFA-St. Bernard-Bacon (7:30 @ Trinity College, Hartford)
Sheehan put together a winning season mainly beating up on lesser D3 squads.  The Titans went 0-6 versus their D2 competition.  These teams did not face off during the regular season but it's safe to say the Saints had a much more difficult road to where they are and a beast of a schedule.  They went 2-0 versus D1 competition, a respectable 6-8 versus D2 teams but only 1-3 against D3 schools with their lone win coming against Fitch.  The Saints have as spread out of an offense as any team in the state but rely on seniors Denzel Dickerson, Joey Mitchell and defenseman Jason Steele.  The Saints have seen battle at a clip that Sheehan hasn't.  I think they will have no problem handling them in this one.  NFA-St. Bernard-Bacon 6, Sheehan 1

(6) EO Smith-Tolland-Windham @ (3) Bolton-Coventry-Rockville (5:30 @ Trinity College, Hartford)
In what I think is the most intriguing first round matchup you have a near impenetrable BCR club against a good Smith-Tolland-Windham crew.  The Bucks lost the season series to BCR 0-1-1 but in the most recent tilt they held them to a 1-1 tie.  The Bucks are coming off a recent win in OT over Northwest Catholic in a game where they scored 6 goals.  In fact, EO has scored 6+ goals six times this year.  It'll be interesting to see how they handle arguably D3's best goalie Cam Earle and his 0.87 goals against average.  The kid has posted seven shutouts this year and has dominated opponents.  On the offensive end for BCR sophomore Kevin Morton has been outstanding this year as has senior J.R. Piretti.  But Earle is not alone.  BCR has a solid D core lead by juniors Hunter Byram and Liam McGrath.  I think Earle is too good and BCR is too stout for E.O. to take em down, but this one will be close.  BCR 2, EO Smith-Tolland-Windham 1
BCR's Cam Earle has been fantastic in net this year leading BCR to a program best finish.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Division I Primer

By: Luke Devoe
DIVISION I
Here is a primer for today's Division I first round games.  Read the preview of each matchup, my prediction and below check out players to watch in this year's D1 State Tournament. 

ALL GAMES WEDNESDAY 3/6 (Times and Locations included)
(1) Fairfield Prep (BYE)

(9) Glastonbury @ (8) Hamden (7:00 @ Lou Astorino Rink, Hamden)
The Green Dragons had an up and down season beating the likes of New Canaan and out of state powers Hingham (MA) and St. John's Prep (MA).  Recently, the Green Dragons tied NDWH in game where senior goalie and Hamden's backbone Matt Hoff turned aside 50+ shots.  Hamden will rely on smooth skating defenseman sophomore Joe O'Connor.  They will also look to the well chronicled sophomore forward Tyler Carangelo and a host of other skaters.  Hamden is excelling at the right time but face one of the state's strongest goalies in Glastonbury's Chase Gabor and his microscopic 1.87 GAA.  The Tomahawks' disbursement of points isn't as even as Hamden's as they've relied heavily this year on the heroics of senior Avery Clair (26 G, 12 A, 38 Pts.).  They will need production from more than him to be successful Wednesday night.  Hamden collected points in four of their last five games and have a rag tag bunch that could surprise.  On home ice, I'm taking the Dragons in a battle of two excellent netminders.  Hamden 4, Glastonbury 3

(13) West Haven @ (4) Xavier (6:00 @ Wesleyan Rink, Middletown)
Xavier is an interesting team.  Earlier this season they looked prime to compete with the Preps and the Notre Dames of the CT High School world but fell off toward the mid point of the season after tying Hamden, a stretch where the Falcons went 1-4-2.  Coincidently, the Falcons lost senior goalie and rock Shane Baldwin to an ankle injury.  Baldwin is now back and in action for Xavier which is not good news for the Westies.  Xavier is as deep you get with talented forwards including Jack Gethings, Andrew Meoli, Sean Johnson and so on.  The Westies are not deep but they boast one of the state's most entertaining players in senior Austin Hansen.  Hansen has put on his hardhat and carried his Blue Devil brothers throughout this season including 40 points to his credit.  But he's not alone entirely, junior Jimmy Morrissey has tallied 32 points this year playing the perfect Robin to Hansen's Batman the same way Hansen flanked Mike Troiano last season.  West Haven may be a year or two off with a ton of young talent.  Xavier is deep and starting to round back into form.  I'll take the Falcons.  Xavier 5, West Haven 2

(12) Greenwich @ (5) Ridgefield (5:10 @ Winter Garden Ice Arena, Ridgefield)
Ridgefield took the FCIAC by storm winning the conference tournament in dramatic fashion over some of the best the FCIAC offers.  Ridgefield has done a nice job getting support and scoring from all over a lineup filled with solid role guys.  Sean Wilkinson will not be coming out of their locker room but if they continue doing what they do well, they should be okay.  The Tigers will lean on but not rely on junior Cam McGuire and sophomore Alex Rowella.  Greenwich has been an interesting team in their own right.  They only win 3 games last season and run off a 12 win season this year.  They are led by sophomore Matt Lodato and senior captain Paul Macken.  They, too, are a team that gets production from up and down their lineup.  Sense a theme here?  When the two met in the regular season Ridgefield dispatched of them 3-1.  I see a similar game here, low scoring but with the Tigers eventually winning.  Ridgefield 3, Greenwich 2

(15) East Haven @ (2) ND West Haven (5:00 @ Bennett Rink, West Haven)
NDWH recently took care of East Haven with ease beating them 6-1 at DiLungo in a game that wasn't that close.  ND's top guns are fully locked and loaded.  Junior Billy Vizzo has lifted his game to new heights and his linemates senior Greg Zullo and sophomore Ryan Lynch have been the perfect supplement to his mastery this year.  NDWH is also very deep and can pour lines over the boards that can easily match the best the Easties offer.  East Haven's top line of Tristan Goodwin, Mike Falanga and Matt Longobardi account for a large chunk of the Easties scoring production.  If they falter in the slightest bit this one will get ugly early.  The Yellow Jackets live and die by those three and NDWH did a heck of a job quieting them down in their first meeting.  NDWH has seniors Luc Amatruda and Paul Sliwinski in net and both are very capable.  This one shouldn't be close but then again I didn't think the Hamden/NDWH game would be close and that ended in a tie.  NDWH 6, East Haven 2

(10) ND Fairfield @ (7) Simsbury (7:00 International Skating Center, Simsbury)
Simsbury very quietly landed at the 7 seed in this year's D1 tournament.  ND Fairfield lands at a very loud 10 seed after near victories against the state's best two teams.  Simsbury has a loaded top line and they are lucky to get senior David Olechna healthy for this one.  Olechna was questionable after a near devastating larynx injury.  He will be flanked by seniors Ryan Carpenter and Connor Rice.  This Trojan group is experienced and proven.  If NDF can shut down those guys they should be okay in this one.  The man in charge of doing that will be Canadian import goalie junior Stone Denbok (2.32 GAA) who has been fantastic for the Lancers this season.  The Lancers boast probably this games most talented forward in junior Christian La Croix (16 G, 17 A, 33 Pts.).  But the Lancers have gotten a goal from 16 skaters this year proving their depth.  This is the tightest of the first round matchups and I've gone back and forth but there's something to be said about what NDF was able to do against Prep and NDWH.  They deserve another shot at them.  NDF 3, Simsbury 2

(14) South Windsor @ (3) Darien (6:00 @ Darien Ice Rink, Darien)
South Windsor was one of the hottest teams down the stretch putting together some quality outings in order to clinch the final D1 bid.  Junior goalie Aiden Cain put the team on his back for a large part of their final outings but the Bobcats have gotten solid contributions from a few other players including Chris Gionfriddo, Josh O'Neal, Nick Jones, Chris Jones and Connor Hibbs.  Darien isn't feeling as happy and fortunate as the Bobcats.  They were ousted in the semifinals of the FCIAC conference tourney and in the loss they lost their leading scorer, captain and all-everything in Brendan Hathaway who's broken ankle ended his season early.  But the Wave will rally.  Tommy Watters and Jack Knowlton have been excellent all year for Darien as has the goalie duo of Michael Collins and Mike Colon.  Darien beat South Windsor 7-1 earlier this year.  I think they win again.  Darien 5, South Windsor 3

(11) New Canaan @ (6) St. Joseph (5:30 @ The Rinks, Shelton)
In what I think is probably the best first round game familiar foes face off on Wednesday. New Canaan is a much improved team over the team they were earlier this season but they are taking on a potent offensive St. Joseph unit.  St. Joe's took both meetings of the two teams this year, 6-3 earlier this season and recently 3-2 OT in the FCIAC semis.  St. Joseph senior CK Keator is an all world talent and has been relied on big time all year.  New Canaan has a couple of spark plugs that are certainly fun to watch in junior Harry Stanton and senior Puck Richardson.  This one could come down to goaltending where I give the edge to New Canaan's Chris Koenneke.  But if it becomes an offensive display, the Cadets have more options.  This one is a toss up as well but St. Joseph is just a better team at the end of the day. St. Joseph 5, New Canaan 4

PLAYERS TO WATCH (D1):
Matt Hoff, Sr. G Hamden
Tyler Carangelo, So. F Hamden
Joe O'Connor, So. D Hamden
Chase Gabor, Sr. G Glastonbury
Avery Clair, Sr. F Glastonbury
Conor Thompson, Jr. F Glastonbury
Shane Baldwin, Sr. G Xavier
Andrew Meoli, Jr. F Xavier
Dan Dupont, Sr. D Xavier
Jack Gethings, Jr. F Xavier
Austin Hansen, Sr. F West Haven
Jimmy Morrissey, Jr. F West Haven
Alex Scranton, Jr. D West Haven
Alex Rowella, So. F Ridgefield
Cam McGuire, Jr. F Ridgefield
Dusty Rausa, Sr. G Ridgefield
Alex Bastone, So. F Greenwich
Paul Macken, Sr. F Greenwich
Matt Lodato, Jr. F Greenwich
Billy Vizzo, Jr. F NDWH
Greg Zullo, Sr. F NDWH
Darren Capobianco, Sr. D NDWH
Lou Iannotti, Jr. D NDWH
Zack Bouve, Jr. G East Haven
Mike Falanga, So. F East Haven
Jake Delguidice, Jr. D East Haven
David Olechna, Sr. F Simsbury
Ryan Carpenter, Sr. F Simsbury
Stone Denbok, Jr. G NDF
Sal Sereno, Sr. F NDF
Christian La Croix, Jr. F NDF
Tommy Watters, Jr. F Darien
Trent Bergin, Sr. F Darien
Jack Pardue, So. F Darien
Chris Gionfriddo, Sr. F South Windsor
Aiden Cain, Jr. G South Windsor
Josh O'Neal, Sr. F South Windsor
CK Keator, Sr. F St. Joseph
Andrew Gore, Sr. D St. Joseph
Ryan Corcoran, Jr. F St. Joseph
Chris Koenneke, Sr. G New Canaan
Harry Stanton, Jr. F New Canaan
Luke Amero, So. F New Canaan

Monday, March 4, 2013

Division II Primer

By: Luke Devoe


DIVISION II
Here is a primer for today's Division II first round games.  Read the preview of each matchup, my prediction and below check out players to watch in this year's D2 State Tournament. 

ALL GAMES TUESDAY 3/5 (Times and Locations included)
#17 Newtown @ #1 Amity (7:00 @ Bennett Rink, West Haven)
Amity's Adam Shea leads all Spartans with 27 points this year.
Amity found out Monday night that they are getting #17 Newtown on Tuesday.  Newtown earned this spot after an offensive explosion that when dust settled saw them top #16 Conard 8-6.  Amity will rely on senior goalie Nick Nuzzolo and his impressive 2.21 GAA.  Amity is an odd team.  They don't stand out offensively.  They don't have any players who completely jump off the page at you but they continue to get the job done playing the hardest D2 schedule.  They will lean on junior Adam Shea (11 G, 16 A, 27 Pts.), junior Brett McNeil (13 G, 11 A, 24 Pts.) and the recently red hot senior Dane Simone.  Newtown will certainly have their hands full but Amity was only 2-4 over the final six.  Newtown, if not tired, will be pumped up after winning in the qualifying round.  Amity beware, the Nighthawks are going to be coming hard but in the end the Spartans will take this one.  Amity 5, Newtown 2

#9 North Branford @ #8 New Milford (7:00 @ Canterbury School, New Milford)
The 8/9 matchups are usually high quality affairs year in and year out.  This one pits the North Branford T-Birds who, at one point this season, looked like a shoe-in for a home game in the tourney.  North Branford went a measly 2-5-1 over their final 8 and went 6-7 against D2 tourney bound teams.  They are led by senior Dylan Podbielski (15 G, 22 A, 37 Pts.) and sophomore Alec Martone (18 G, 16 A, 34 Pts.) and have gotten respectable from senior Kyle Saroka.  New Milford beats teams on defense.  In fact, they beat this North Branford team doing just that earlier this year 3-0 in the two teams' lone meeting when senior goalie Matt DePalma stopped 36 shots.  DePalma has split goaltending duties with junior Nick Capriglione.  Both are competent and have proven to be quite the tandem.  My gut says the senior DePalma gets the call.  The Green Wave gets scoring from all over but junior Harrison O'Connell (18 G, 12 A, 30 Pts.) is a their go-to-guy.  This is arguably the hardest D2 matchup to call but I'm going with defense over offense and riding the Wave. New Milford 3, North Branford 2

#13 Fairfield Warde-Ludlowe @ #4 Watertown-Pomperaug (7:00 @ Taft-Mays Rink, Watertown)
Kevin Murphy has made things happen all year for WP.
Watertown-Pomperaug is coming off a SWC championship, a 5-1 defeat of #1 seed BBD in a game that was much closer than that score would indicate.  The Indians of WP are mean, talented and aren't afraid to mix it up.  They have scoring coming from all over the roster with five players at 16 points or more on the year and most importantly they have senior goalie Trevor St. Onge back in action after an extended injury absence.  Since returning, St. Onge won both SWC tourney games and grabbed tourney MVP honors.  Fairfield Co-op had an absolute up and down year beating the likes of Amity, Milford and Branford but losing duds to Trumbull and Trinity Catholic.  They have the firepower to hang with WP, scored 4+ goals eight times this season, but WP has their sights set on a state title.  Watertown-Pomperaug 5, Fairfield 2

#12 Fermi-Enfield @ #5 Branford (7:00 @ Northford Ice Pavilion, Northford)
Branford is fresh off their SCC D2 championship game loss to Hand.  Before that the Hornets had won 9 of 10 and looked like one of the hottest teams in the state.  That hasn't changed and Fermi-Enfield better have their A game on.  Fermi waited til the end of the season to qualify with wins in their final two games against Tri-Town and Conard.  Fermi has gotten excellent performances out of senior goalie Aaron Lickwar and he could be the difference in this one if Fermi wants a shot.  They are a potent offensive squad but need to help keep the puck out of the net.  They are led by senior Avery Boissy's 27 points (11 G, 16 A).  Branford is led by the Tyler's, Hackett and Criscuolo who have been electric for them all year.  In net the Hornets have two number one goalies.  One just happens to be the coach's kid.  AJ Brink and Alex Sarno have both been excellent this year.  Brink went with AJ in the SCC championship who took the loss and early reports out of Hornets' camp have Brink starting yet again.  I think Branford is as deep and talented on their back end as any team in D2.  Branford 4, Fermi 2

#15 Trinity Catholic @ #2 East Catholic (6:00 @ Champions Skating Center, Cromwell)
Trinity Catholic shutout Suffield-Granby-WL on Monday 3-0 to punch their official ticket to the dance.  Their reward? A first round date with #2 East Catholic.  Sophomore goalie Kyle Odierno was very good in net for the Crusaders in the qualifying round victory.  East Catholic has been solid gold all year.  They notched plenty of quality wins including going 7-2 against this field's competition.  East Catholic is deep.  They are led by goaltender Thomas Usseglio and get contributions from up and down the lineup including Griffin Casey, Dan Lemieux, and Lee Munson among others.  EC will be too much at the end of the day for Trinity, especially on short rest.  East Catholic 5, Trinity Catholic 1

#10 Daniel Hand @ #7 Northwest Catholic (7:20 @ International Skating Center, Simsbury)
NWC's Jeff Greenwood getting the worst of this collision.
Hand is coming off an interesting week.  They get rocked 9-2 by tourney eliminated Cheshire, go on to win the SCC D2 title in an inspired contest over piping hot Branford, and then drop a 5-1 affair to East Catholic.  They are led by all everything junior goalie Chase Briggs and tantalizing sophomore forward Ben Solin (18 G, 15 A, 33 Pts.) who is a wizard with the puck.  They better hope Briggs is in top form because one of the most impressive D2 offenses is being thrown at them.  NWC boasts three of D2's best offensive players in seniors Patrick Melanson (17 G, 28 A, 45 Pts.) and Jeff Greenwood (22 G, 22 A, 44 Pts.) and junior Demetri Yao (17 G, 26 A, 43 Pts.).  The Indians hit a rough patch towards the end of the year but won their final three, not allowing a goal in any over Suffield, Glastonbury and St. Bernard.  Those three shutouts boosted senior goalie Zach Hesketh's season total to six shutouts.  This could be the best D2 goalie matchup.  I'm very torn on this one.  NWC is hot right now but hasn't played in a while.  Hand is enigmatic and who knows which team will show up.  I think Hand coach Ryan Hardy will have his team ready similar to the Branford game and not the Cheshire or EC game and I'm taking Hand in a mild upset.  Daniel Hand 3, NWC 2

#14 Farmington Valley @ #3 Brookfield-Bethel-Danbury (6:00 @ Danbury Ice Arena, Danbury)
BBD is coming off a SWC final loss to Watertown-Pomperaug.  They face the biggest anomaly in the entire state...a Farmington Valley Generals squad who's beaten Watertown-Pomperaug, East Catholic and Northwest Catholic but lost some seriously lopsided affairs. They've proven they can play with the big boys.  In their first D2 season, BBD was impressive finishing 14-5-1.  They finished strong winning their final five regular season tilts and after defeating Masuk in the SWC semis lost to a good WP team.  BBD has a wealth of talent and spreads out their scoring well.  It's their defensive game that will carry them far, however.  Luiz Dibble has been good in net for them and their top D pairing of senior Scott Martin and junior Kevin Keiser is as good as it gets for D2.  Farmington Valley has the potential to beat BBD but if BBD brings what they've brought all year they should survive this trap game.  BBD 4, Farmington Valley 3

#11 Milford Co-op @ #6 Guilford (6:15 @ DiLungo Rink, East Haven)
Another insanely tight pairing will face off in East Haven.  Milford won the lone matchup this season between the two SCC foes 6-3 back on 2/14.  Guilford is a solid six seed.  They have good goaltending in freshman netminder Brandon Maio and they haven't really lost a "bad" game all year.  Defensively they are a stout club led by all world D man Ryan Moore and on offense sophomore Matt Horton has excelled above the rest.  Milford is led by one of the state's most electrifying players regardless of division.  Zachary White has tallied 59 points (28 G, 31 A) in only 20 games.  But remarkably, that's not all the fire power Milford brings.  Rob Buskey, Jon DePascale and Will Vitelli also provide plenty of punch for Milford to pull this one out.  In net expect junior John DePalma to get the call.  This one is a toss up and conventional wisdom would say go with Milford, they've beat em before.  I'm going to go out on a very short limb and pic Guilford.  This is way closer than a 11/6 matchup and this is why CTHSHockey will be on the scene!  Guilford 5, Milford 3
Guilford's Ryan Moore fires a shot contested by Hand's Ben Solin.
D2 PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Nick Nuzzolo, Sr. G Amity
Brett McNeil, Jr. F Amity
Adam Shea, Jr. F Amity
Keating Seymour, Jr. F Amity
Evan Isaacs, Sr. F Newtown
Matt DePalma, Sr. G New Milford
Harrison O'Connell, Jr. F New Milford
Alec Martone, So. F North Branford
Dylan Podbielski, Sr. F North Branford
Kevin Murphy, Sr. F Watertown-Pomperaug
Trevor St. Onge. Sr. G Watertown-Pomperaug
Garrett Young, Sr. F Watertown-Pomperaug
Kevin Robinson, Jr. F Fairfield Warde-Ludlowe
Jack O'Rourke, Jr. F Fairfield Warde-Ludlowe
Tyler Hackett, So. F Branford
Tyler Criscuolo, So. F Branford
Matt Boulette, Jr. F Fermi-Enfield
Avery Boissy, Sr. F Fermi-Enfield
Griffin Northrop, So. F Trinity Catholic
Kyle Odierno, So. G Trinity Catholic
Thomas Usseglio, Jr. G East Catholic
Vinny Genovesi, Sr. F East Catholic
Griffin Casey, Jr. F East Catholic
Jeff Greenwood, Sr. F Northwest Catholic
Demetri Yao, Sr. F Northwest Catholic
Patrick Melanson, Sr. F Northwest Catholic
Zach Hesketh, Sr. G Northwest Catholic
Ben Solin, So. F Daniel Hand
Chase Briggs, Jr. G Daniel Hand
Sam LaFontaine, Fr. F Daniel Hand
Ryan Moore, Sr. D Guilford
Matt Horton, So. F Guilford
Zach Cattaruzza, Sr. F Guilford
Zach White, Jr. F Milford
Rob Buskey, Sr. F Milford
Jordan Warren, Sr. F BBD
Scott Martin, Sr. D BBD
Jeff Demers, Sr. F Farmington Valley
Nick Sanderson, Jr. F Farmington Valley