Boys hockey CIAC state tournament preview
DIVISION I STORYLINES GOOD KNIGHTS, ROUGH KNIGHTS
Defending champ Notre Dame-West Haven was a juggernaut for most of the season, putting together one of the longest in-state winning streaks in memory, wearing teams down with their depth. But in the past three weeks, they’ve looked human, dismantled 5-1 by Fairfield Prep and dropped in an overtime game at Northwest Catholic. Which Knights show up for the Ridgefield-St. Joseph winner and, perhaps, beyond?
KEEPING IT IN-HOUSE
Fourth-seeded New Canaan and fifth-seeded Darien, rinkmates at Darien Ice House and both top-five teams in the GameTimeCT Top 10 Poll, are likely to meet in the quarterfinals next Saturday. Both teams have had spurts of playing well, and both have had some head-scratcher efforts. One example of both is the Rams’ 4-1 rollover win over Darien on Feb. 11, which ultimately gave them last change if they meet. A short tournament sometimes comes down to who has it together on a given day. So it might be here.
FILLING BANNERS
Look, there was no 2020 CIAC Division I tournament, not even a first round. There wasn’t one in 2021, either. Fairfield Prep fell in overtime in last year’s quarterfinals. This three-year gap ties the Jesuits’ longest championship drought in over three decades. It’s nuts. This year’s team, under an entirely new coaching staff led by alumnus Vin O’Hara, had an up-and-down middle of the season but went into the postseason with eight wins in a row against state teams after being blown out by Notre Dame-West Haven in early January. Fairfield Prep then defeated Notre Dame in a classic SCC/SWC Division I final Friday night. This would not be the first time the Jesuits — led by a potent top line of James Murphy, Will Huntington and Blake Baksay — went from midseason question mark to last team standing.
WHO’S MISSING
For the second year in a row, Fairfield had to opt out of the tournament to remain together under CIAC co-op rules. For the second year in a row, it’s a top-five team that would be an intriguing entrant. But it’s not.
TOP PLAYERS
Blake Baksay, Fairfield Prep, Jr. F: Part of a top line that has been particularly effective down the stretch and can take over a game. He scored four points in the Jesuits’ regular-season win over Notre Dame-West Haven.
Tye Battipaglia, Notre Dame-West Haven, Sr. F: Big and skilled, he returned from a preseason injury to score 17 goals and 29 points in the last 15 games of the regular season. He can be a game-changer.
Doster Crowell, New Canaan, Jr. F: Committed to Michigan on the lacrosse field, he has 48 points on the ice this season, including four in two games against Darien and three in one game against Fairfield Prep.
Graf Ely, Darien, Sr. D: When they’re right, the Blue Wave’s success comes from their own end. Ely is a key back there, an all-situations player.
Cole Studwell, Greenwich, Sr. G: The Cardinals’ record is not gaudy, but FCIAC coaches all season have praised a team that competes and has often played good teams close. Their senior goalie is often a big part of that. He shut out Fairfield to deal the co-op its first loss of the season.
SEEDED UPSETS
Could No. 11 Greenwich slip past No. 6 Northwest Catholic (which the Cardinals beat 6-3 on Feb. 16) and No. 3 Simsbury into the semifinals? Yes. Do we have the guts to pick that? Um, give us a second...
FORNABAIO’S PICKS
FINAL FOUR: No. 1 Notre Dame-West Haven, No. 5 Darien, No. 2 Fairfield Prep, No. 11 Greenwich.
CHAMPION: Holy War IV: Notre Dame-West Haven repeats over Fairfield Prep.
DIVISION II STORYLINES JOY DIVISION
Division II has a well-earned reputation for parity. There’s depth in programs. The 13th seeds won championships in 2013 and 2014. A handful of this year’s first-round games are rematches of close regular-season games. There isn’t a first-round game that looks like a no-brainer.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
North Haven didn’t lose in 2022 until the CIAC Division II final, in which it fell to Wethersfield. North Haven didn’t lose after that until February 2023, when it lost back-to-back to Branford and a team from Rhode Island. The Nighthawks have rebounded from there with a winning streak, though. Several key pieces of last year’s team are back, and they have filled some holes well, including in goal, where Bryce Petersen has followed Andrew Sacco and Jared Anderson capably.
STILL HERE
Defending champ Wethersfield knocked off top-10 Northwest Catholic in the CCC North semifinals. After an 0-3 start, its losses are to top-10 Simsbury (its opponent in the CCC final) by a goal, Cheshire by a goal and North Haven 3-1. A championship rematch isn’t a gimme, but it would come in the semifinals.
STILL HERE, PART II
Cheshire and Branford, two programs that have won championships in the past 15 years, were among the four teams to miss the playoffs last year. And this year, Cheshire was 4-5 and Branford was 6-7. And now here they are, Cheshire 10-1 in the last 11, Branford a winner of seven in a row (before an SCC/SWC Division II semifinal loss to Watertown/Pomperaug). Again, no guarantee they both get through the first round against Trumbull and South Windsor, but they could also meet in the quarters after playing a see-saw, 6-4 game (Branford won) in the regular season.
TOP PLAYERS
Anthony Corelli, Westhill/Stamford, Jr. F: Goes into Saturday’s FCIAC playoff game with a goal a game, with 38 points in 21 games overall, the leading scorer on a team that was 17-4 over those 21 games.
Maxx Corradi, Woodstock Academy, Soph. F: The leading scorer on a potent offensive team, and on a particularly potent line with Noah Sampson and Donny Sousa, he has 34 goals and 52 points at the end of the regular season.
Will Gaudet, Cheshire, Sr. F: Scored 41 regular-season points to help the Rams put together a stellar second half; named All-SCC/SWC Division II.
Jack Millen, Wethersfield, Sr. F: Playing with classmate Duke Nower and freshman brother Sean, Millen has been involved in a lot of big goals for the defending champs, including the lone goal against Northwest Catholic in the CCC North semifinals.
Matt Morgan, Branford, Sr. F: A freshman on the 2020 team that had a chance to repeat as champions before, you know, all that happened. He has been clutch for this year’s team that came back from a slow start to a solid finish.
Owen Quick, North Haven, Sr. D: A solid two-way defenseman on last year’s runners-up. He was a GameTimeCT third-team all-state pick last year and was named to this year’s all-conference team.
SEEDED UPSETS
Got a lot of first-round chalk here, which means you’re definitely safe picking a bunch of those very-solid lower seeds. In the quarters, if they’re both there, No. 7 Westhill/Stamford vs. No. 2 Woodstock in particular, two teams that have had phenomenal seasons, is not a 2-7 type game.
FORNABAIO’S PICKS
FINAL FOUR: No. 1 North Haven, No. 5 Wethersfield, No. 7 Westhill/Stamford, No. 3 Cheshire
CHAMPION: They played a good one last month, and maybe they’ll play another one: North Haven over Westhill/Stamford.