Division II Semifinal Preview

Monday, March 16, 2015

Ingalls Rink, New Haven

5:30 p.m. (4) North Branford vs. (1) Conard

 

HOW NORTH BRANFORD GOT HERE: defeated (13) Wilton 6-2, defeated (5) Newington-Berlin 3-0

HOW CONARD GOT HERE: defeated (16) BCR 9-3, defeated (9) Cheshire 4-2

THE SCOOP: Conard just keeps on trucking. Much maligned by the New Haven County media, myself included, the Chieftains are doing work. For my purposes, I hate picking all top seeds to win, so I had Conard going down early... didn't happen. These guys are good. Jordan Fongemie and Mark Ehnot have taken over the post season. Sophomore Zach Polo can also dominate on any given night. The Chieftains embarrassed an overmatched BCR team on the tourney's opening night and fought back against Cheshire to take down the upset minded Rams 4-2 in the quarters. North Branford counters will equally as potent offense lead by senior Alec Martone. The real story for NB has been the phenomenal play of sophomore net minder Will McEwan. The T-Birds dealt with Wilton rather easily and then shutout Newington-Berlin in the quarters. I had North Branford and Branford in the final before the tourney started, so as you know, I'll stick my original pick, although it pains me to pick against Conard yet again. If someone is going to topple them, North Branford has what it takes, a proven SCC power, this will be a good one. There also isn't much to be learned comparing common opponents in this one with Conard going 4-1 and North Branford going 5-0 against teams they both faced.

LAST SEMIFINAL APPEARANCES: North Branford (2013- D2), Conard (2008- D1)

NORTH BRANFORD STATE CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: none

CONARD STATE CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: (1996- won D2, 1985- won D2)

WHO WINS? Both teams play a challenging schedule in their own right but to me, a SCC schedule will always be tougher than up north. I think Conard may have the more talented front line guys but they don't have McEwan or the depth that NB has. Like I said, I have to make this pick because it's what I picked before the tourney, but I like it. NB is a hard working group capable of greatness. NB 4, Conard 3

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Monday, March 16, 2014

Ingalls Rink, New Haven

7:30 p.m. (3) Branford vs. (2) Suffield-Granby-WL

HOW BRANFORD GOT HERE: defeated (14) Hand 4-0, defeated (6) Fairfield 3-2

HOW SGWL GOT HERE: defeated (15) East Haven 4-2, defeated (7) New Milford 4-3

THE SCOOP: Many people, including myself, were throwing around the notion that the winner of the Branford/Fairfield game would eventually be the D2 winner. I stand behind that despite SGWL beating Branford 4-1 just over a month ago. I think both those teams are proven and elite. Branford boasts Tyler Criscuolo, arguably the best player at the D2 level and one of the toughest to play against because of his sand paper mentality. I've spoken recently about the depth and strength of Branford's D core but don't forget guys like Cooper Bunton and Zach Withington, who've both taken games over at different times this year. SGWL counters with a little more depth up front. Players like Jake King, Jake Bourdeau, Colin MacDougald, Brendan Looney and Austin Rupp come to mind. However, they can't match up with the defensive front that Branford brings. This one could come down to two of the best goalies at the D2 level, seniors AJ Brink and Shane Kertanis. This is SGWL's first ever semifinal appearance as their present co-op. Suffield last made the final four in 2003 at the D1 level. This is all new to these kids. Branford last made it this far in 2012, when their current seniors were freshmen. A lot of Ingalls inexperience in this one but a lot of talent as well. This is a can't miss game.

LAST SEMIFINAL APPEARANCES: Branford (2012), SGWL (2003- D1)

BRANFORD STATE CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: (2012- lost D2, 1988- won D2)

SGWL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: (As Suffield 2000- won D2, 1992- lost D2, 1979 won D2)

WHO WINS: I picked Branford to win it all and I feel comfortable standing behind that. They find ways to win. This was no more evident than when they were down 2-0 to a good Fairfield team and Criscuolo decided to take over. SGWL is good and I've loved the development of this team over the years. I'm eager to see them as I don't get that chance often and I've always been a big fan of Jake King. If either team wins, it'll be a great story. Branford hasn't won a state title since 1988. SGWL has never won one as a co-op and last won one as Suffield in 2000. But I'll go Hornets. Branford 5, SGWL 3

FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH:
So. Zach Polo (Conard)- 14 multipoint games this year. Don't sleep on this youngster while focusing on Fongemie and Ehnot.
So. Brian McKee (North Branford)- Also a sophomore, McKee can also be forgotten with Martone's 50 point season. McKee notched 31 points in 22 games this year.
Sr. Aidan Deane (Branford)- Senior defenseman is an anomaly among his fellow D men, most of whom are "defensive defenseman." Deane has potted 7 goals and added 9 assists this year.
Jr. Colin MacDougald (SGWL)- One of the best passers in the tournament. MacDougald is the glue that makes SGWL work. 21 of his 29 points this year have come via the pass.

Quarterfinal Snapshot

Here's a quick look at all 12 quarterfinal matches spanning all three divisions. The first round was exciting and had its fair share of heartbreak and exaltation. Let's see what the the quarters brings!

DIVISION III Quarterfinals- 3/12
(1) EO Smith-Tolland vs. (8) Staples-Weston-Shel 6:00 @ Bennett Rink
This season: Did not meet     Recent History: No recent meeting
Staples has an electric offense lead by freshman Sam New, a 30 goal scorer, and juniors Jesse Greenspun and Ryan Johnson. But the Bucks are loaded. Senior Pete Mayer has been playing at a high level for years while other players like senior Josh Barnes continue to contribute consistently as well. The Bucks have an edge in net with senior Matt Schoen but don't sleep on Staples' freshman goalie Zach Bloom who was very good in their first round win over Barlow, especially late. PICK- Bucks

(12) Shepaug-Litch-Nonn vs. (13) Woodstock Academy 5:15 @ Northford Ice Pavilion
This season- Did not meet     Recent History: First ever meeting
Two underdog stories meet at the NIP tonight. Woodstock is only in their second varsity season while Shepaug has lived in the bottom of high school hockey for a few years now. This is a one of a kind opportunity for both of these teams to potentially punch a ticket to the semis. Shepaug's Andrew Loya has been great all year and has the unique ability to take over games. Woodstock's dynamic duo of Black and Deluca will try their best to neutralize Loya and provide enough of a spark to keep their improbable run going. I didn't have either of these teams getting past this point so I'll go with my original pick to at least make it this far. PICK- Shepaug

(2) Masuk vs. (7) Sheehan 7:00 @ Milford Ice Pavilion
This season- Masuk won 7-2 & 5-1 (SCC/SWC Semis)     Recent History: Masuk has won 8 straight dating back to 2011.
These two met at Milford in the SCC/SWC D3 semis less than two weeks ago. It was ugly. Masuk carried play throughout and never really gave Sheehan a chance to get anything going. Sheehan has enough offensive talent to score against Masuk but you have to get the puck past center ice to be able to do that. Masuk stifled the Titans entry and clogged up the neutral zone. Masuk's talented cast of characters lead by Shane Dushay, Charlie Christo, Connor Bunovsky and more should be able to do enough to be able to head back to the D3 semis. I think this one will be closer than the previous two, however. PICK- Masuk

(3) Westhill vs. (11) Tri-Town 6:30 @ Wonderland of Ice
This season: Did not meet     Recent History: No recent meeting between the two.
Westhill dominated a weak Hall-Southington team in the first round to the tune of a 6-0 win. Tri-Town used a late third period rally and rode a hat trick by senior Ryan Gaidos to beat a good Housatonic-NW-Wamogo team. Both teams have great goaltending in Westhill's sophomore Christian Compolattaro and Tri-Town's senior Phil Nicolescu. I didn't have either of these teams advancing past this point but thanks to Housy losing I'll have to pick a winner here. Westhill plays a near perfect defensive game. I'll stick with that. PICK- Vikings

DIVISION II Quarterfinals- 3/13
(1) Conard vs. (9) Cheshire 6:30 @ Wonderland of Ice
This season: Did not meet     Recent History: Recently Rams and Chieftains are 1-1-1 head to head but haven't met since 2013.
This isn't your usual 1/9 matchup. This will be a very even game. Cheshire looked phenomenal against North Haven in the first round. They looked rested, well prepared and extremely pumped up. Kyle Frederick stood out among the rest as a player who's engine never stopped pumping. Conard comes in after demolishing an overmatched BCR team. Fongemie and Ehnot shined yet again. They will certainly be needed in this one. With North Haven out, I'm really tempted to pick Cheshire in this one. Why not? It's D2... anything can happen. PICK- Cheshire

(4) North Branford vs. (5) Newington-Berlin 5:30 @ Bennett Rink
This season: North Branford won 7-3     Recent History: North Branford is 2-0-1 over the last three but teams are 2-2-1 head to head since 2010.
These teams have met frequently and aside from North Branford's season opening blow out with, their games are usually pretty close. Top line star power is clear in this one with players like the DiPaolas, Gugliotti, Martone and Burkle but depth will be a major issue. Who can provide that bench spark for both these teams that not only eats minutes but can also be productive. I have the T-Birds in my pre-tournament final four so I'll stick with it. PICK- North Branford

(2) SGWL vs. (7) New Milford 7:00 @ Northford Ice Pavilion
This season: Did not meet     Recent History: No recent meeting
SGWL was given quite a battle from SCC's East Haven in the 2/15 game but they came survived and advanced. New Milford looked dreadful in their SCC/SWC D2 Championship loss but took down a solid Fermi-Enfield team in convincing fashion. These teams are pretty even at the top. New Milford's Tommy Nisco is a talented kid and SGWL's Jake King excites every time he's on the ice. SGWL has more horses in their stable though in my opinion. Both Fortuna and Kertanis are quality goaltenders but Kertanis may end up seeing less rubber thus giving SGWL the edge. PICK- SGWL

(3) Branford vs. (6) Fairfield 7:00 @ Milford Ice Pavilion
This season: Branford won 6-2 & Fairfield won 2-1 (OT)     Recent History: Branford has won 7 of 10 head to head.
I love this matchup. Obviously Branford is my pick to win the whole thing but in my opinion Fairfield is the second best team in the tournament. Jake Fuss and Tyler Criscuolo are battling head to head for Player of the Year and both can absolutely take over a game at any time. Fairfield went with Greenhut in net against Milford and he was fantastic. Brink, on Branford's side, has allowed one single goal in his last three games. Much of that can also be attributed to Branford's wealth of D. I picked Branford heading into the tourney and I never waiver from a pick but if any team is to knock them off, it'll be the Mustangs. PICK- Branford

DIVISION I Quarterfinals- 3/14
(1) Greenwich vs. (9) Fairfield Prep NOON @ Webster Bank Arena
This season: Did not meet     Recent History: No recent meeting
Many people think this is Prep's tournament still despite their struggles this year. I picked Greenwich on my bracket so I'll stick with that pick but I don't think it would be earth shattering if Prep was to win. They shut down a good Simsbury team in the first round and are usually as prepared for games as any team in the state. Greenwich is a strong team, maybe not as good as a #1 should be but they're easily one of the top 5 in the state in terms of talent and personnel. It will be this personnel and senior leadership that get it done for Greenwich if they are to win, players like seniors Kevin Piotrzkowski, Matt Lodato and goalie Bryan Archino. PICK- Greenwich

(4) Glastonbury vs. (5) ND Fairfield 1:00 @ Bennett Rink
This season: ND Fairfield won 3-2     Recent History: Glastonbury has won 3 of 5 since 2010.
What a beaut this game is! NDF beat Glastonbury in the regular season but you can throw that out. These two teams are evenly matched but rely on completely different styles to win. Glastonbury wins more defensively, allows very few goals and leans heavily on all-world goalie Kyle Thibodeaux. NDF scores in bunches and usually it comes from a variety of goal scorers. I called for Antoniou and Suporn to have a big first round game. Let's go with McCutcheon and Gawricki in this one. It's like throwing a dart at a board with NDF though, they all have the potential to explode. I picked NDF before the tourney and that won't change. PICK- NDF

(2) Darien vs. (7) Ridgefield 2:00 @ Webster Bank Arena
This season: Ridgefield won 4-1     Recent History: Ridgefield has won 4 of 7 since 2010.
Gotta love when conference rivals meet on the biggest stages. Ridgefield has more than held their own recently against Darien. I picked against the Tigers in the first round mainly because of them losing 4 of 5 to end the regular season and losing to St. Joe's, a team who just got throttled by Darien in the first round. Darien, in my opinion, is the best team in the state so I obviously have them winning this game. However, if any team can knock them down it's Ridgefield, a team that's done well against them recently. PICK- Wave

(3) Xavier vs. (6) Hamden 4:00 @ Bennett Rink
This season: Hamden won 4-3     Recent History: Hamden and Xavier have gone 2-2-1 over their last five head to head meetings.
I don't change picks, I've said that a million times and Xavier is my pick to win D1. I chose them because of their team speed, excellent goaltending from senior Ben Guidobono and beautifully crafted coaching adjustments I've seen this year by DeConti. None of this has changed. A 2-1 OT win over a 14 seed doesn't change that because simply, they ran into Mike Savino, a scary force in net. Hamden posted a humongous win over rival NDWH last night. They dominated and never let the Knights breath. Routh, Ugolik and Blackwell did what they do best. Carignan carried play and, as predicted, Mike DeMatteis shined. They have what it takes to take down Xavier as they did earlier this year. If I was making picks on the fly, based on first round action, I may go with the Dragons but I just can't break from my original choice, the Falcons. PICK- X

Division I Preview: FCIAC's Turn?

The D1 state tournament kicks off tonight and it resembles more of a D2 tournament of years past in terms of the absolute uncertainty of it all. Greenwich is the #1 but most people have pegged Darien or Xavier the favorites. Glastonbury and NDF have the pieces to make a title work in completely different ways. Tradition SCC powers Hamden, NDWH and Prep all have what it takes to make a run. It’s wide open. Let’s take a look. For my complete D1 Predicted Bracket click here!

Greenwich, the top seed, hosts #16 South Windsor at 5:30 at Dorothy Hamill. The Cards are coming off a tough 5-3 loss to Darien in the FCIAC Championship. South Windsor lost 8 of their final 10 but have a goalie in junior Scott Skenyon that can keep the Bobcats in any game. Their problem lies in that they don’t have much offensive potential. A low scoring game gives them a fighting chance but Greenwich has pieces that could make that nearly impossible. The Cardinals are lead by all everything senior Dman Kevin Piotrzkowski. Greenwich gets contributions from up and down the lineup but seniors Matt Lodato has really stepped up his game of late. Senior goalie Bryan Archino has also been fantastic this season. Every time I wanted to doubt the Cardinals they notched another huge win. They are for real. I’m not sure how far they can go, but it should be further than this game. That is, unless Skenyon has something to say about it.

Prep finds themselves in unfamiliar territory ranked #9 and on the road in the first round. They face #8 Simsbury at the ISCC at 7:10. Prep hasn’t been on the road in the first round of the tourney since 2008. That year they were an 11 seed and won the state title. The last time they were on the road in the first round before that was 2000, a year that as the 13 seed they also won the state title. That is a little frightening for many teams who’ve written them off as having a down year. That said, Simsbury is underrated. Sophomore Drew Marquis is a darn good goalie and if his team gives him some support he should be able to hold off the Jesuit attack. While Prep doesn’t have a David White, completely dominating teams this year they do have a potent group of forwards lead by senior Ryan Deering and junior Justin Blanchette that can put up crooked numbers on any given night. Prep isn’t as strong on the back end as previous years as well but no player in the state puts as much on a slap shot as senior Vinny D’Amore. In no way can anyone write off Prep, nor should anyone assumes they’re going to win because they’re Prep. This will be a close, hotly contested 8/9 game with two teams that should give Greenwich, should they advance, a battle for one of the four semifinal spots.

#4 Glastonbury hosts #13 Northwest Catholic in a fantastic 4/13 matchup at 7:30 at Trinity. Glastonbury’s senior goalie Kyle Thibodeaux could be the best in the state. Senior forward Tyler MacLean is as solid as any forward in the state while senior role players like defenseman Logan Underwood and forward Matt Holdaway are those type of players that end up on state champion hockey teams. Ken Barse’s team is full of team-first kind of players. This team is drastically different from Barse’s group which featured Ethan Holdaway and Drew Mozzer and made a finals run a few years back and I think that’s a good thing. MacLean is a really good player but even he isn’t relied to carry the entire load. NWC is as young as any team in the state and the naïveté that comes with that could be beneficial. I don’t think they realize how good they can be. Junior Mike Camasso is a very underrated netminder and his handful of shutouts this year prove it. The Indians also have a budding star on their hands in the form of sophomore Anthony Ceolin. For my money though, it’s senior Tyler Noll’s time to shine. One of the few seniors on this team, his leadership is needed now more than ever. Do I think NWC will beat Glastonbury? No. Can they? Sure, but it’ll need to be a low scoring, puck possession type of win for them. The Tomahawks are really good and I don’t think they will allow this to happen.

Another excellent 5/12 matchup will take place at the MIP at 7:30 when #5 ND Fairield hosts #12 New Canaan. NDF went 2-2 to round out the regular season after running off five straight season changing wins. The Lancers continue to get contributions from all over the lineup. On any given night a different player can step up and that’s what defines a team. I refuse to name a single player by name on NDF because there are so many competent scorers on this roster. Okay fine, here’s two that I think will take over if NDF is to have an extended tourney stay… senior Jonny Suporn and junior Mike Antoniou. I could’ve substituted any of their forwards in for those two and have plenty of justification for doing so. It’s this reason that I have NDF as a final four participant. New Canaan is a scary good 12 seed though. Liam Mooney has shined this year on many occasions in net. However, the sophomore is still a sophomore and a first year starter so he’s had his bumps in the road. Patrick Hompe has the ability to be a gamechanger for the Rams and his nose for the net will be necessary if they want to pull this upset. It’s hard to even use the term upset when discussing the Rams as I think this one will be very close.

Darien and St. Joe’s never got to play this year due to the Cadets forfeiting the only game the two had on the schedule. They get this chance at 7:00 at the Darien Ice Rink. For my money, Darien is probably the best team in the state right now. Senior Jack Pardue could be the D1 Player of the Year and goalie Will Massie has proven that he could end up Goalie of the Year. Senior Craig Miller and junior Jake Kirby have been the perfect complement to Pardue this year but Darien’s strength goes way beyond their top line prowess. If the FCIAC has a chance at winning their first D1 state title since 1998, this is the team to likely do it. St. Joseph had plenty of turmoil this year. The fight with Trinity Catholic, the injury to freshman goalie Ryan Wilson and the all-too-real fear of not making the tournament. Senior captain Filippo Petrini did an admirable job keeping his boys focused. Now, senior Dylan Batterson mans the crease and sophomore Adam Usinger dazzles. This is a team that paired against any other team in the state I would give a fighting chance. However, Darien is playing too well for me to see anyone beating them this early.

#7 Ridgefield hosts #10 East Catholic in a captivating 7/10 game at the Winter Garden at 7. East Catholic put together a nice little season, their first at the D1 level. Ridgefield put together another solid campaign which is becoming common place each season. The Tigers have a seriously talented team but have lost 4 of 5 coming into play. Senior Liam Smith is fun to watch and can take over a game with ease. This was no more evident than when he notched a hat trick single handedly beating Hamden 3-2 in OT. A really impressive player every time I’ve seen the Tigers play is junior Jimmy Wilkinson, unfortunately for the Tigers, he's out with an upper body injury. Senior goalie Alec Schneider takes up a lot of net and has had some great performances. He’s disappeared in some games as well. His solid play will be crucial to the Tigers’ success. Munson, Manner, McCarthy… East Catholic is another one of those teams that just pours solid players over their boards. There isn’t a single guy that will blow your doors off in terms of talent but there is more than enough talent on this squad to pull the upset, one that I predicted.

WH's Mike Savino

A good old fashioned SCC tilt takes place at 5:00 at Freeman Athletic Center when #3 Xavier hosts #14 West Haven. The Westies beat Xavier 3-1 earlier this year but fell more recently 3-0. Let me make it clear, I picked Xavier to win the whole thing but if WH senior goalie Mike Savino plays the way he’s capable of playing, I’m done. He is the bread and butter that coach Joe Morrell relies on. He’s big, commanding and when he’s on, he’s hard to beat.  Xavier counters with plenty of scoring potential up and down the lineup. Hunter Wilcox, Cam Pollack, David Piekut, Adam Aresco all have that unique ability to take over games. Pair that with the recent unstoppable play of senior goaltender Ben Guidobono and the Falcons may soar in this one. Xavier hasn’t lost since January 10, a span which has seen them go 9-0-3 and allow only 16 goals. That’s 16 goals in 12 games. West Haven isn’t exactly a juggernaut on offense. Junior Tyler Paine is a skilled player with great hands and Jeremy Borelli seems to shine whenever I watch the Westies play, but make no mistake this is a team struggling to score goals (6 goals over last 5 games) and if Xavier gets up early, the Westies could be in trouble.

Hamden's Christian Ugolik

#6 Hamden and #11 Notre Dame-West Haven meet for the third time in four games. NDWH has won two of three this year, most recently beating Hamden 3-2 in the D1 SCC Championship. A week prior to that Hamden spoiled NDWH’s Senior Night beating the Knights 4-2 at Bennett. NDWH broke Hamden’s 8 game unbeaten streak earlier this year winning 4-2 at the Lou. This is the stuff rivalries are made of. There will be plenty of talent on the ice at the Lou. NDWH brings skilled forwards junior Joe Ansaldo, sophomore Alec Andreucci and all world defenseman junior Colin O’Connor. Hamden counters with potential D1 Player of the Year sophomore Jeremy Routh, junior Christian Ugolik and converted defenseman with an offensive edge Sam Carignan. But I want to look at two players who have been excellent of late. Hamden’s senior forward Mike DeMatteis just keeps impressing each time out and is the perfect counterbalance player to Hamden’s top line. NDWH’s junior defenseman Dougie Caliendo has also been equally as impressive each of the last few times I’ve seen the Knights. This game will be fun to watch because of the first six guys mentioned, but will be decided by one of the lesser talked about players, kind of like Matt Plaziak potting two goals in the SCC Championship. Also an intriguing side note going into this one will be NDWH’s goaltender situation. It’s obvious Hamden will go with sophomore Stephen Richetelli who has been more than impressive this year but NDWH Head Coach Tim Belcher showed Hamden Head Coach Billy Verneris both junior Conor Hylton and senior Wade Conlan in net on Friday. My guess would be Conlan, but that’s just a hunch. I said going into the SCC Championship that I would pick the loser of that game in this one, so I’m going with Hamden because, well, I’m a believer in patterns… NDWH, Hamden, NDWH…

BEST GAME: (11) NDWH @ (6) Hamden- This one is relatively easy. Two age old rivals meeting for the third time in under a month. I will say though, that NDF/New Canaan game should be a blast as well.

BIGGEST BLOW OUT POTENTIAL- (15) St. Joseph @ (2) Darien- Darien is filthy, loaded and ready to go fresh off their FCIAC Championship. I would’ve gone SW/Greenwich but I believe in Scott Skenyon keeping that one closer than planned.

BEST PLAYER MATCHUP- Jeremy Routh (Hamden) vs. Alec Andreucci (NDWH)- Played together as kids, will battle against each other on the biggest of stages.

UPSET ALERT- (10) East Catholic @ (7) Ridgefield- I don’t have a ton of justification for this one. Ridgefield has been playing average hockey of late and I think the Eagles make a splash. Somebody will pull an upset, why not them?

D1 FINAL FOUR PICKS- Greenwich, ND Fairfield, Darien, Xavier

DII Preview: Anybody's Guess

D2 will be as unpredictable as always with many teams with legit chances to contend within the top 8. However, this year, more than past years, I don’t see a super low seed being able to run off enough wins to win the whole thing like Hand did last year or Fairfield two years ago. Let’s take a look at our eight D2 matchups. To see my full D2 Predicted Bracket click here! 

Conard was able to hold down the #1 overall seed with a win over D1’s South Windsor to end their season a day after losing badly to SGWL. They host 16 seed BCR at 7:00 at Veterans. The Chieftains lean heavily on some top flight top line talent. Junior Jordon Fongemie, sophomore Zach Polo and junior Mark Ehnot have lit up scoresheets all year. This offensive potency should be too much to handle for BCR who’s been known to allow a fair amount of goals. Conard can make a run this year but even as a #1 seed will have a ton of trouble with the traditional SCC powers and SGWL. BCR fell to Conard 7-0 the only time the two teams met this year and went 0-7 against D2 tournament teams. This one could get ugly early if BCR doesn’t come with their absolute best.

In an epic 8/9 matchup North Haven hosts Cheshire at 4:00 at the NIP. These two teams met earlier this year with the Rams picking up a 5-2 win. North Haven sports one of the state’s best goalies in senior Andrew Graziano as well as senior forward Tyler Luedee whose play has really elevated of late. The late season move of putting Cam Owens on forward instead of D has also proved worthwhile for the Indians as well. Cheshire is a tough team to read. They broke a 5 game winless streak beating D1’s West Haven last time out but only finished the regular season 3-8-1 over their last 12. One of those wins, however, was against North Haven. This one will come down to whether or not Graziano can keep Cheshire’s top line threats like Matt Jordan and Ben Klanica off the board. This is easily one of the best games of the day and should be played in front of a packed NIP.

In the night cap at the NIP #4 North Branford hosts #13 Wilton. NB, like Cheshire, is tough to read. They boast plenty of talented skaters fronted by senior Alec Martone and junior Adam Burkle. They have one of D2’s better goalies in sophmore Will McEwan but the T-Birds have underperformed at times, most recently losing to New Milford in the SCC/SWC D2 semis and earlier this year losing to East Haven. That said, I have them winning this game but it could be closer than most would predict. Wilton counters with a talented, under the radar leader in senior Kyle Jonas. He’s worth the price of admission alone. The Warriors also will need seniors Ned Zawislak and Jameson Hill to provide secondary options if the T-Birds are able to isolate Jonas. North Branford should be deep enough to notch the win. I do think this one will be close, however. A lot of unfamiliarity with this one as well as these two teams didn’t meet this regular season.

Newington-Berlin, the 5 seed, hosts Guilford, the 12, at 4:20 in Newington. This has the makings of a classic trap 5/12 game. Newington-Berlin is the more talented team, there’s no doubt. The DiPaola brothers, senior Marco and junior Luca are ridiculously fun to watch. Senior captain Dante Gugliotti is also a player who could take over a game on any given night and their top D pair of senior Mitch Pitkin and junior Aaron Lassen are hard to replicate. That said, Guilford, a battle tested SCC squad has what it takes to pull the upset here. I didn’t predict this but I wouldn’t bat an eye if it were to happen. Senior Ryan Brand is a talented kid and leads a cast of capable scorers who if they play as one unit could surprise some. Guilford is also coming in playing some of their best hockey of the year going 3-1-1 to round out their regular season. Newington-Berlin is coming off back to back losses, an OT loss to the Bucks on senior night and a semifinal loss to Fermi in the CCC South tourney. This one will be tight, but I think Newington-Berlin has enough horses to keep them a nose ahead.

EH's Pete Capone battling vs. NDF last season.

Suffield-Granby-Windsor Locks opens tournament play as the 2 seed hosting 15 seeded East Haven. The Yellow Jackets come in fairly hot. They’ve won 4 of 6 and beat D2 Top 10 mainstay New Milford on the final game of the season to earn a bid. SGWL won 10 of their final 11 regular season games with the only loss coming to D1’s Northwest Catholic. East Haven’s sophomore Pete Capone has put together a nice season and has lead the Yellow Jackets when they desperately needed someone to take over. Fellow sophomore Joe Aloi and junior Anthony Avallone (15 points in 10 games) also have what it takes to be impact players. That’s all well and good but it may not be enough to contend with the fire power that the Wildcats possess. SGWL has 7 players in double digits scoring this year and it’s been well documented how talented senior Jake King is but underclassmen like Brendan Looney, Colin MacDougald, Austin Rupp and Jake Bourdeau cause matchup problems all over the ice. You can’t key one line when a team can cycle more than one top line. Pair with that the stalwart presence that is senior goalie Shane Kertanis and the Easties better be strapped up ready to go. I think East Haven can actually keep this one close if they play like they’ve been, but if they fall behind early it could get ugly.

#7 New Milford hosts #10 Fermi-Enfield at 7:30 at Canterbury. I picked the Wave, but the way Fermi is playing right now part of me wants to go back and change it. Fermi is coming off a CCC South title, notching wins over Newington-Berlin and EO Smith-Tolland. New Milford is coming off a SCC/SWC D2 title loss to Branford. The Wave boast top tier talent but their depth could be an issue. This was clear in their loss to Branford. Seniors Tommy Nisco, Logan Doud and junior Riley Zimmerman all have the ability to thrill. Junior goalie Alex Fortuna had an uncharacteristic day allowing 5 against Branford. He’s a much better goalie than that. The thing that scares me about New Milford are the way inferior teams have been able to beat them. This has happened a few times, East Haven, BBD, Wilton. Fermi, in my opinion, is certainly stronger than those teams, so if New Milford comes with that lackluster level of intensity the 10 seed has a legit shot. However, it’s a state tournament game, if they aren’t pumped up for that, they may never be. Fermi’s Brian Riley is one of the state’s best players bar none. Senior Ryan Gothers and junior Matt Votta also provide some scoring depth for the co-op and goalie Sam Roy is one of the state’s hidden goaltending gems. This one is a toss up, no questioning that. I’ll stick with my original pick, very hesitantly.

Senior captain Brink's last chance at greatness.

#3 Branford hosts #14 Daniel Hand in the second game at the NIP around 6:00. This rivalry game is a fun first round matchup and pits the defending D2 champ against my predicted D2 champ. Branford looked scary good in the SCC/SWC D2 Championship against New Milford and senior goalie AJ Brink is playing as well as he has his whole career. Senior Tyler Criscuolo is an unreal talent and as disliked as he is by many in the state his on ice exploits are unmatched. Gritty, mean, Thin Minty hands, the kid’s talented. But he’s not alone. Senior Cooper Bunton has had a nice little year for himself as has sophomore Zach Withington. Branford’s D core is what separates them from the rest though. Seniors Pat Cunningham and Jack Murray are as solid as they come. Hand, all things considered, has done well for themselves getting to this point. They lost a ton last year after their championship but have a group lead by sophomore Matt Rice and juniors Reed Berestecky, Luke Brown and Jeff Rider that have allowed them to have success in smaller doses than last year. In the end, Branford should be too much to handle for the Tigers who will put up a fight. But it likely won’t be enough.

On February 21^st, Fairfield and Milford met with the Mustangs walking away with a 1-0 win. Now the 6^th seeded Mustangs host the 11^th seeded Indians at the Wonderland at 7:00. Fairfield boasts 50 point scorer junior Jake Fuss as well as 45 point scorer senior Trevor Demilt. Senior Zach Weinstein anchors a defensive unit that has been solid all year. The Mustangs have that weird feel about them this year. They’ve gone relatively under the radar and could make serious noise if they can get past Branford in the second round. They have to get past Milford here in the first in order to do that and that will be no easy task. Sal Follo’s boys have shown all year they can compete. This was no more evident than in their regular season finale, a 2-2 tie against North Haven. Senior Sean Rowland has played all year for the Indians in goal and will be relied heavily upon in this one. Jon DePascale and David McLenithan hold down an equally as strong D core while Brady Dennigan and Brandon Argyros will be needed to kickstart the Indians’ offense. I think Fairfield is the better team will potentially more dangerous talent but this could easily be a one goal game or possibly an overtime affair at the Wonderland.

BEST GAME: (9) Cheshire @ (8) North Haven- A great SCC battle to start off the D2 tourney at 4:00. Two teams that could go far if they get past this initial test. Couldn’t be more even.

BIGGEST BLOW OUT POTENTIAL- (16) BCR @ (1) Conard- BCR lets up a lot of goals. Conard scores a lot of goals. Not sure BCR can stifle Fongemie, Ehnot and Polo.

BEST PLAYER MATCHUP- Alec Martone (North Branford) vs. Kyle Jonas (Wilton) Fairfield County doesn’t know much about Martone and New Haven County doesn’t know much about Jonas. After Tuesday, they probably will. Two elite talents clash.

UPSET ALERT- (10) Fermi-Enfield @ (7) New Milford- Not many teams in the state are playing as hot as Fermi. New Milford has had slip ups this year. Sets them up for one here possibly.

D2 FINAL FOUR PICKS- North Haven, North Branford, SGWL, Branford

Division III Preview: Bucks, Panthers and the Rest...

All season long it’s been a flip flop at the top of the rankings with both Masuk and EO Smith-Tolland holding down command of the division for extended stays. I see no reason why this will be any different come tournament time. Upsets happen, teams and goalies get hot but the state would be in for a treat if those two teams were staring across the ice at one another at 10:00 a.m. on Championship Saturday.  But we have a long way to go before then. To see full @CTHSHockey Predicted Brackets click here!

Staples-Weston-Shelton's Ryan Johnson

The DIII State Tournament kicks off on Monday night at seven different locations around the state. I will be taking in the always exciting 8/9 matchup in Milford featuring Staples-Weston-Shelton, the 8 seed, and Joel Barlow, the 9. These two teams didn’t meet this year but if you like offensive hockey you’ll be in for treat. The Berry brothers, Charlie and Billy along with sophomore Kyle Converse have been mainstays on the scoresheet all season for Barlow. Staples counters with a ton of scoring depth as well. Players like Ryan Johnson, Jesse Greenspun among others bring it every night. The biggest stand out this year and possible surprise has to be Staples’ freshman Sam New. New has all but run away with my D3 Rookie of the Year award potting over 30 goals and dominating stretches of play. Barlow comes in winners of 4 straight to round out the regular season while Staples won 3 of 4 to end the year and gained state-wide notoriety for not being allowed to partake in the FCIAC tournament. Not that they made it anyway, but a story’s a story. This is one of a few intriguing first round matchups.

The top seeded Bucks get a rematch with Newtown in a tournament setting. Sure, the Bucks walloped the Nighthawks 9-1 back in early February but there’s nothing like knocking out the team that knocked you out the previous year on the grandest of stages. Like Barlow, the Bucks’ Mayer brothers are fun to watch. Pete, the senior and Nick, the sophomore are electric skaters with a nose for the net. But the Bucks’ bread and butter is senior goalie Matt Schoen. Schoen is one of those extremely vital and meaningful players when looking at it from a developmental, program approach. His goalie skates will be immensely hard to fill after this season. I would never count a team out, especially a defending state champ, but Newtown will need a miracle to topple the mighty Bucks, a D3 favorite to win it all.

NFI drew the #4 seed this year and will host #13 Woodstock Monday night in Danbury the second of two games to be played there that night at 7:10. NFI is as strong as any team in the D3 tourney but can’t seem to get over the hurdle that is Masuk. NFI is 5-4 over their last nine but three of those losses have come to Masuk. They open with Woodstock, a second year varsity program who handled itself quite nicely this year. They sputtered down the stretch though dropping their last three regular season games. The Centaurs have relied heavily on the skilled pair of hands of Ryan Black and Nathan Deluca, both sophomores. If NFI can key these two, Woodstock could be in trouble. This is especially true given the amount of talent on NFI’s side. Senior Marchello Carlucci anchors the NFI D in net and has been solid all year. Talented skaters just pour over NFI’s boards. Senior Parker Evans leads the way along with fellow seniors Andrew Rosenblum, Matt Hooker, and Luke McFadden as well as juniors Pete Masi and Christian Benzing. This team is dangerous and luckily for them they wouldn’t have to face Masuk unless both teams reach the final, a time where all bets are off.

The preceding game in Danbury at 5:00 features #5 BBD and #12 Shepaug-Litchfield-Nonnewaug. This will be a close, tight affair. Not only did the 12 seed beat BBD head to head, 4-2 on 2/20, but they notched more wins over current tourney qualifiers 8 wins to 4 wins for BBD. That said, BBD has proven they can beat quality teams as they’ve already knocked off two D2 foes this year including New Milford. Shepaug brings senior Andrew Loya, one of the state’s most talented and hidden gems.  But he’s not alone. Seniors Christian Stuart and Nick Ganio are the glue that make the Spartans stick and ultimately tick. In net sophomore Will Slohm has been  their guy all year and has been more than competent when put in tough spots.  BBD has gotten contributions from up and down the roster all year but look for the seniors to leave their mark, players like Will Lawrence, John Buckle, and captains Austin Natale and Trevor Powers.

Masuk's Bunovsky carries the puck while Dushay follows.

Masuk gets the Eastern CT Eagles in the 2/15 matchup at 5:30 in Shelton. Masuk should utterly dominate this game the same way they dominated the SCC/SWC D3 tourney in convincing wins over Sheehan and NFI. Masuk is loaded. They have a team with the talented to fill my year end awards post but it’s their elder statesmen that do the most damage. Senior defensemen Connor Bunovsky, George Andros and Dan D’Angelo are irreplaceable. Senior goalie Conner Muller and Christian Furce have also been stellar of late. And then there’s the Panthers’ offense. Seniors Shane Dushay, Charlie Christo and junior Brian Denham have all shown glimpses of brilliance at more than one time but underclassmen like sophomores Adam Montague and Elijah Begin have really made their presence known of late as well. With the senior leadership and underclassmen contribution, this has to be Masuk’s year. Too much talent to let this time pass. The Eagles need a prayer. That prayer if it is to be answered may have to come from underclassmen like sophomores Jimmy Fitzmaurice and Larry Nolan. Look for seniors Zach Jones and Pete Yapchanyk to pick it up for this one as well. Their efforts may be futile though.

Sheehan hosts the Redhawks in the 7/10 matchup at Choate at 6:15. The Titans took care of the NFA coop both times they met this year winning 3-2 and 8-5 recently. However, since that game Sheehan has lost three straight while the Redhawks have won their last two. This one should be close and these two teams are very evenly matched. Plus, the old adage says it’s tough to beat a team three times in a row. Sheehan’s offensive potency is legit with senior Mike Cerrotti at 52 points on the year as well as the Gozzo brothers, both juniors, Sal and Paul both having 40+ point seasons. A lot of Sheehan’s success rests the shoulder’s of the senior goalie Carly Femniak. I’ve seen her look really shaky this year in a loss to at home to Housy but I’ve seen her look confident and poised even in a losing effort, most recently against Masuk. The Redhawks counter with a pair of seniors who think their time has come. Andrew Gagnon (28 points) and Tyler Faulker (26 points) have both been players whose names have come up for years when discussing little known, underrated D3 players. This year it was no different, but these two have led a very young group to relative success. Freshman Maren Lancaster and sophomore Bryan Guetens will contribute in this game as well and for years to come.

Westhill hosts Hall-Southington in the 3/14 game. Westhill doesn’t score a lot. They don’t have to. They play lock down, eliminate chances, clog up passing lanes hockey. This is a recipe for disaster for Hall-South, a team who lost 8 of 9 coming into this one. Hall brings some talented hockey players, things just haven’t quite clicked for them this year. Junior Jarod Florian has quite matched his 36 point sophomore campaign but his on ice exploits need to be top notch for Hall-South to have a chance in this one. Senior goalie Erich Bender will also need to keep Westhill off the board because there’s no way Hall is going to score at will against the Vikings.  Westhill goalie Christian Compolattaro has been fantastic this season and looks to continue that through the tourney. The Vikings have a short bench but play a smart systems game and have bought into what head coach John Santagata has preached. Westhill brings with them wins over Hand, New Milford, Fermi and Branford as well as a tie against D1’s New Canaan. Impressive resume´.

Ti-Towns 40+ point scorer Ryan Sherba

Finally, Housy hosts Tri-Town in a scary good 6/11 game that reads more like an 8/9. The Terrorcats were able to beat Housy 5-3 earlier this year but more recently the two tied 3-3. This game features to talented goalies in Housy’s senior Eric Chin and Tri-Town’s senior Phil Nicolescu. Tri-Town sophomore Ryan Sherba is one of the state’s most talented players and can take over games. Housy senior James Huften and junior Jason Diamond have combined for 58 points this year while Housy has gotten contributions from seniors Tim Haan and Wes Reel as well as elusive sophomore Finn Bamberry. This should be a great tilt. Tri-Town surprised many in the state last year making a run all the way to the D3 semis. They are more than capable of doing that again. Regardless of who wins this one, they will likely have a date with a scary good Westhill game in the second round.

BEST GAME: TIE- (11) Tri-Town @ (6) Housy & (9) Joel Barlow @ (8) Staples- These two both feature two evenly matched teams. A battle of two elite goalies paired with a matchup of two dynamic offenses. Either game is a can’t miss.

BIGGEST BLOW OUT POTENTIAL- (15) Eastern CT Eagles @ (2) Masuk- Masuk scores at will against elite teams. We shall see what they do against a bottom tier D3 team.

BEST PLAYER MATCHUP- Ryan Sherba (Tri-Town) vs. James Huften (Housy)- Senior leader vs. upstart sophomore talent. I give Huften the slight edge just because of the weapons he brings with him.

UPSET ALERT- (12) Shepaug @ (5) BBD- Already beat ‘em once. I can see them doing it again.

D3 FINAL FOUR PICKS- Bucks, NFI, Masuk, Housy

UNOFFICIAL CIAC Tournament Pairings

DIVISION 1 (First round Wed. 3/11)

16) South Windsor (3-14) @ 1) Greenwich (17-1-2)
THIS SEASON: Did not meet

9) Fairfield Prep (9-10) @ 8) Simsbury (12-8)
THIS SEASON: Did not meet

12) New Canaan (11-6-3) @ 5) ND Fairfield (11-9)
THIS SEASON: NDF won 6-2

13) Northwest Catholic (10-10) @ 4) Glastonbury (15-4-1)
THIS SEASON: Glastonbury won 4-0 & NWC won 2-1

11) ND West Haven (8-9-2) @ 6) Hamden (10-9-1)
THIS SEASON: NDWH won 4-2, Hamden won 4-2 & NDWH won 3-2 in SCC Finals

14) West Haven (8-10-2, 61 points) @ 3) Xavier (12-5-3, 114 points)
THIS SEASON: West Haven won 3-1 & Xavier won 3-0

10) East Catholic (12-8) @ 7) Ridgefield (14-6)
THIS SEASON: Did not meet

15) St. Joseph (10-8-1) @ 2) Darien (17-2-1)
THIS SEASON: Darien won by forfeit

DIVISION 2 (First round Tues. 3/10)

16) BCR (7-13) @ 1) Conard (14-6)
THIS SEASON: Conard won 7-0

9) Cheshire (8-10-1) @ 8) North Haven (9-6-5)
THIS SEASON: Cheshire won 5-2

12) Guilford (9-10-1) @ 5) Newington-Berlin (14-6)
THIS SEASON: Did not meet

13) Wilton (9-11) @ 4) North Branford (14-5-1)
THIS SEASON: Did not meet

11) Milford (10-9-1) @ 6) Fairfield (14-6)
THIS SEASON: Fairfield won 1-0

14) Daniel Hand (6-12-2) @ 3) Branford (14-5-1)
THIS SEASON: Branford won 4-2 & 9-1

10) Fermi-Enfield (13-7) @ 7) New Milford (12-6-2)
THIS SEASON: Did not meet

15) East Haven (6-14) @ 2) SGWL (15-5)
THIS SEASON: Did not meet

DIVISION 3 (First round Mon. 3/9)

16) Newtown (4-16) @ 1) EO Smith Tolland (18-2)
THIS SEASON: Bucks won 9-1

9) Joel Barlow (12-8) @ 8) Staples (11-9)
THIS SEASON: Did not meet

12) Shepaug-Litch-Non (10-10) @ 5) BBD (9-11)
THIS SEASON: Shepaug won 4-2 

13) Woodstock Academy (10-10) @ 4) NFI (13-7)
THIS SEASON: Did not meet 

11) Tri-Town (9-10-1)  @ 6) Housy-NW-Wam (13-5-2)
THIS SEASON: Tri-Town won 5-3 & Teams tied 3-3

14) Hall-Southington (5-15) @ 3) Westhill (11-8-1)
THIS SEASON: Did not meet

10) Redhawks (11-9) @ 7) Sheehan (12-8)
THIS SEASON: Sheehan won 3-2 & 8-5

15) Eastern CT Eagles (4-15) @ 2) Masuk (16-3-1)
THIS SEASON: Did not meet