In each of Connecticut high school boys’ hockey’s top two divisions, the small group of state title favorites are clear. And they have been nearly all season.
But how Division I and Division II shake out below those top teams? That’s been much harder to figure out. And as the CIAC regular season heads into its final week, the arms’ race to be the “best of the rest,” is taking a turn in both divisions.
In Div. I, Simsbury suddenly looks like the most realistic challenger to New Canaan, Darien and Fairfield Prep. Div. II is a mess, with three teams within three points of each other in third, fourth and fifth in the CIAC’s rankings, behind title favorites Cheshire and the East Haven Co-op.
Amidst that chaos in Div. II, two new teams debut in the final edition of our rankings. Let’s dive in:
1. New Canaan (18-2-0)
Previous rank: 1
Division: I
Conference: FCIAC
Coach: Clark Jones
Next: vs. St. Joseph/Ridgefield (FCIAC semifinal), Feb. 28, TBA
Before last week, the only thing New Canaan didn’t have was the top seed in the state tournament, which bitter rival Darien held despite falling to the Rams early in the season. Well, Jones’ team took care of that with a 6-2 victory over the Wave in the regular-season finale. Senior Rogan Lowe (50 points this season) and junior Willie Ericson (24) each potted two goals to secure the CIAC’s No. 1 spot. The Rams will likely meet Darien again in the FCIAC final on March 3, but for now, they clearly remain the team to beat in Connecticut.
2. Darien (16-4-0)
Previous rank: 2
Division: I
Conference: FCIAC
Coach: Mac Budd
Next: vs. Greenwich (FCIAC semifinal), Feb. 28, TBA
Darien played New Canaan tougher than a 6-2 scoreline indicates — the game was 4-2 before the Rams clinched it with a 5-on-3 goal and added an empty-netter — but still, the Wave were outplayed by their bitter rivals for the second time this season. Budd’s group will probably need to get over that hump if they are to win a trophy this season — NC, at this point, is a prohibitive favorite to reach both the FCIAC and state tournament finals. Senior top-liner Jack Marisca (10 goals, 14 assists this season) scored his 100th career point in the loss, and Darien’s second line can cause real problems, too — seniors Russell Lancaster, James Thurlow and Dylan Woodward had a combined 45 points in the regular season.
3. Fairfield Prep (10-8-0)
Previous rank: 3
Division: I
Conference: SCC
Coach: Vin O’Hara
Next: at Xavier, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.
Given it had already beaten New Canaan earlier this season, a rematch with the Rams on Feb. 14 was an opportunity for O’Hara’s team to get back on track after a rocky two-week stretch. That’s not what Fairfield Prep got. The Jesuits lost 6-1, and though they were only down 2-1 heading into the third and were missing a couple key players, Prep shot itself in the foot with penalties and defensive breakdowns. The Jesuits did get back on track with home victories over Northwest Catholic and Ridgefield — senior goalie Chris Carr notched shutouts in both — and they’re clearly capable of contending for a state title. They just need to be more consistent.
4. Cheshire (19-1-0)
Previous rank: 4
Division: II
Conference: SCC
Coach: Anthony Giusto
Next: TBD (SCC semifinal),
Cheshire’s only blemish is a loss to the East Haven Co-op — a significant one, seeing as the No. 5 Yellowjackets are clearly their biggest competition for the SCC and state titles. Since that defeat on Dec. 27, Giusto’s team finished the regular season on a 17-game win streak, the longest in the school’s 52-year history. The Rams are loaded at all three levels — the top line of Mark Laskin, Colin Dempsey and Luca Ocone-Krause had a combined 103 points, the defensive core allowed only 1.53 goals a night and senior goalie Ryan Miller had a .958 save percentage in 16 games. EH (more on them below) still owns that victory, but the Rams — currently the CIAC’s top seed — are the state title favorites.
5. East Haven Co-op (16-1-1)
Previous rank: 5
Division: II
Conference: SCC
Coach: Lou Pane
Next: vs. Hamden, Feb. 25, 6:15 p.m.
After a bumpy (by their standards) end of January and start of February, the Yellowjackets are back in a groove after a pair of blowout wins last week (7-1 over North Haven and 9-1 over the Joel Barlow Co-op). Pane’s team is effectively locked into the second seed of the state tournament even with two regular-season games left, but given the quality of No. 10 Hamden (fifth in the Division II rankings), which EH plays on Wednesday, and No. 3 Fairfield Prep, which EH hosts on Saturday, the next week still feels significant. The Yellowjackets already own the best win of any Division II team with that victory over Cheshire. A victory over Prep would be even better.
6. Simsbury (13-6-0)
Previous rank: 7
Division: I
Conference: CCC
Coach: Dave Olechna
Next: vs. East Catholic, Feb. 28, 6 p.m.
With New Canaan, Darien and Fairfield Prep clearly in a class of their own in Division I, we’re splitting hairs in the race for best of the rest. At the bell, Simsbury edges out Notre Dame-West Haven in our final rankings. Yes, Olechna’s team lost to ND-WH on Jan. 24, but all the 4-3 scoreline suggests is just how even these teams are. And while the Trojans have benefitted from a far easier schedule, they’re also a surging group that has won 13 of their last 16. With senior co-captain Ryan Goodwin and senior assistant Blake Alibozek rolling on the top line, and senior co-captain Coleman Carboneau back from injury in the defensive core, Simsbury has an experienced group that’s making noise. The Trojans are comfortably in fourth in the CIAC rankings.
7. Notre Dame-West Haven (6-12-1)
Previous rank: 6
Division: I
Conference: SCC
Coach: Larry Viera
Next: vs. Northwest Catholic, Feb. 25, 4 p.m.
The Green Knights remain at the mercy of their schedule. Just about all of their 12 losses were to high-end competition, from both in and out of the state; Viera’s team has taken care of business in every game it was supposed to win. Still, a 6-12-1 record puts the Knights in a precarious position — they’re currently ninth of 11 teams in the CIAC’s rankings, meaning, in all likelihood, they’ll get New Canaan, Darien or Fairfield Prep should they reach the state quarterfinals. ND-WH went 0-5 against the Big Three this regular season. Still, coaches maintain that Viera’s program, which made four straight title games before last season (and won two of them) will be dangerous come the postseason.
8. Xavier (7-10-0)
Previous rank: 8
Division: I
Conference: SCC
Coach: Karl Sundquist
Next: vs. Fairfield Prep, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.
The Falcons are fighting it right now. They’ve lost six of eight with only two regular-season games to go, and they only scored 2.5 goals a game during that stretch, which includes an outlier 7-1 win victory over St. Joseph. Sundquist’s team lost to Notre Dame-West Haven, Darien, Simsbury and New Canaan over that period, all teams Xavier might face in the state tournament. The Falcons do get one last chance to make a statement before the postseason, though, when they host Fairfield Prep on Wednesday. And Xavier’s top line — junior Dillon Torneo (10 goals, 3 assists), sophomore Braden Linskey (9, 7) and senior Tyson Jarvis (8, 10) — is always a threat.
9. Lyman Hall (12-5-1)
Previous rank: NR
Division: II
Conference: SCC
Coach: Dave Sagnella
Next: at Westhill-Stamford, Feb. 25, 7:50 p.m.
Division II is wide open behind Cheshire and the East Haven Co-op, and the Trojans are storming to the front of the best-of-the-rest conversation. Sagnella’s team is currently third in the CIAC’s rankings after an 8-0 win on Senior Night against East Catholic (junior Kellan Van Hennik notched a hat trick). They’ve got a 3-2 win over Amity this month, and the Spartans were running as our third Division II team all season. Sophomore George Porto and junior JJ Laffin scored in that game, and Laffin also scored in a competitive 4-1 loss to Cheshire (the Trojans were outshot, 32-25). Lyman Hall played East Haven even tighter two weeks earlier in a 4-3 defeat.
10. Hamden (11-5-2)
Previous rank: NR
Division: II
Conference: SCC
Coach: Carl Sargolini
Next: at East Haven Co-op, Feb. 25, 6:15 p.m.
Speaking of surging Division-II teams, the Dragons, on a five-game win streak in which they’re outscoring opponents 22-5, are one of the hottest teams in Connecticut. Up to fifth in the CIAC rankings and well within striking distance of Lyman Hall in third, a showdown at East Haven on Wednesday presents an enormous opportunity. Captain John Castiline (eight goals, six assists in last five games) and fellow senior forward Finn Purcell (nine goals, 10 assists) are on fire.
In the hunt: Amity (Div. II, 10-8-1), Greenwich (Div. I, 9-11-0), Wethersfield (Div. II, 10-6-1), Masuk (Div. III, 16-1-0)
