CIAC boys ice hockey midseason report
Boys hockey teams are passing the midpoints of their seasons. The CIAC announced where it’ll be playing its championships, and for the first time since 2019 there will be a full championship week in one spot, now at Quinnipiac. Is it too early to think about what that week may look like? Yes, yes it is, but we’ll do it anyway. Here’s one person’s look at the first half of the season; your look may vary.
Top players
Tye Battipaglia, Notre Dame-West Haven: The senior forward missed the No. 1 Green Knights’ first five games recovering from an offseason hand injury. Since his return, going into Wednesday, he had 13 points, including seven goals, in his first five games.
Doster Crowell, New Canaan: The Rams’ junior forward picked up where he left off last year, putting up 24 points in the Rams’ first 10 games, including two goals in their tie with Darien.
Max Festa, Sheehan: On Twitter, @mtshockey posts the Titans’ scoring summaries after games, and Festa always seems to have at least one “(2x)” or “(3x)” or “(4x)” trailing his name under goals and assists. That’s one big reason the sophomore forward is creeping up on 100 points: After the last game, he also had a (96) next to his name on the tweet.
Sean Mercogliano, Housatonic co-op: The junior forward’s 18 points show up on the state leaderboard, and yes, seven in his last game make him a bit more visible, but still: He has 18 points, and his team has 21 goals. Respectable percentage.
Connor Zavory, Fairfield: The co-op is pretty good at pushing the puck the other way and keeping it away from Zavory’s net, but still, the senior goalie is a big part of why the team has just 16 goals against in 11 games and won the Mount St. Charles Holiday Faceoff.
Top teams
Darien: Last year’s runners-up have sat second in