Teams excited to play out of state opponenets for first time in 3 years

New Canaan boys lacrosse coach Chip Buzzeo chuckled when asked about Connecticut teams taking on out-of-state powers for the first time since 2019.

“I’ve always said I only cheer for Darien when they play someone out of Connecticut,” Buzzeo said with a laugh.

His point is well taken. As intense as some local rivalries are, state pride takes over when Connecticut teams face some of the region’s powers.

“When it’s Darien, or Ridgefield, or Wilton, or Staples, we want Connecticut teams to do well in those games,” Buzzeo said. “It highlights what Connecticut lacrosse is and how we rank against other programs around the country.

“Every coach and player takes great pride in that.”

That Connecticut vs. the world feeling has taken on even greater meaning with the return of interstate play after a two-year absence.

Due to the COVID pandemic, the state’s 2020 season was canceled, and the return in 2021 was limited to in-state games.

“Obviously, head to head you want to beat every team on your schedule,” Staples coach Will Koshansky said. “But we root for FCIAC programs when they are playing out-of-state teams to build up the strength of our conference.”

The search for the best match-ups can lean on alumni connections, college teammates, or coaching friendships.

Fairfield Prep, which hosts Chaminade (N.Y.) on Saturday, has four interstate games, including a May 18 meeting at Delbarton (N.J.), which is coached by Prep alum Matt Kovachik.

“We try and play the best out-of-conference schedule we can find,” Fairfield Prep coach Graham Niemi said. “The out-of-state games are meaningful to us because we want to challenge ourselves against other great programs in the region. We also find great value in competing against schools with similar missions to ours.”

New Canaan lost a 9-8 double OT thriller against Radnor (Pa.) on Tuesday and the Raptors’ roster included sons of three former Ram players.

The Darien, New Canaan and Wilton girls lacrosse teams have traditionally taken on loaded out-of-state schedules and have reaped rewards. In the past eight seasons, those teams have combined to win 12 state championships across Class L and M.

Last week, the Blue Wave ended a long drought against Manhasset 14-7.

“It’s exciting to have these games back and it’s challenging for the girls,” Darien coach Lisa Lindley said. “This is what we play for, to play against the best in the country and Manhasset is one of the best, and they’re a very well-coached team.”

Darien also edged Victor (NY) 10-9, while New Canaan has played a pair of one-goal games, beating Bronxville (NY) 12-11 and falling to Victor 8-7.

“It pushes us to get to that next level,” New Canaan coach Kristin Woods said. “As we saw with Bronxville and Victor, they were very well-coached and there were a lot of strong players on each team. We’re facing different types of players so that makes us stronger in the end.”

The Rams head to Massachusetts on Saturday and face a Longmeadow team they’ve had a lengthy rivalry with. It’s a more wideopen match-up than usual due to the three-year gap.

“Steve (Longmeadow coach Dudeck) always runs a great program and it’s going to be interesting to see what players they have because the last time we played them, our seniors were freshmen,” Woods said.

For many match-ups, there’s an even longer history.

Darien boys lacrosse has been playing Yorktown (NY) since the early 1990s and will resume that rivalry when they take on the Huskers in a road game next Tuesday.

The Wave added Manhasset (NY) in the mid-1990s. Darien hosts Manhasset on Saturday, April 23, and, on May 7, will continue a decade-plus rivalry with St. Anthony’s (NY).

“Many of those games are as big as any game we play during any season,” Darien coach Jeff Brameier said. “Considering the talent in the programs, we’re excited by those challenges. Every time you step on the field with those guys, you have to play your best game.”

Brameier pointed out that Wilton and coach Guy Whitten started the interstate trend even earlier than Darien.

“If you look back at history, you’ve got to give credit where credit’s due,” Brameier said. “Wilton and Guy Whitten, the Father of Connecticut Lacrosse, they started those games before everybody. They got a good program going, and it was hard for them to find match-ups, so they had to go out and get good games against teams from Westchester County like Yorktown, Lakeland and John Jay.”

New Canaan and coach Howard Benedict followed suit, as did Darien, when the Wave became part of what was known as Connecticut’s “Big 3.”

“That allowed other teams to say ‘yeah, we’ll pick up Darien.’ You had to be good enough to play the likes of those teams,” Brameier said.

Several coaches referenced the growth of summer club lacrosse and similar recruiting circles, as many players in the interstate games become teammates in college.

“For our players, it is a chance to play against kids they may know from the recruiting landscape,” Koshansky said. “With the way lacrosse recruiting is today, these kids attend showcases and get to know players from around the country more than ever before. These out-of-state games give a bit of bragging rights to the winner.”

For Buzzeo and the Rams, their April 23 game against Rumson-Fair Haven (N.J.) epitomizes the regional lacrosse experience.

Rumson head coach Marc Moreau played with New Canaan’s James Connelly, the father of Rams’ midfielder Ryan, while at Rutgers, where the game will be held. The Penn State-Rutgers men’s game will follow on the school’s Alumni Day, when the Scarlet Knights celebrate the life of former coach Thomas Hayes, who died in March.