CIAC GIRLS LACROSSE PREVIEW
BY THE LAXNUMBERS
At long last, seeding for the CIAC’s postseason girls and boys tournaments will factor in strength of schedule and average goal differential, which should make for more realistic tournament brackets. Teams will need at least a .400 winning percentage to qualify, but seedings will then be determined by LaxNumbers.com’s computer rankings. That means that a team that plays a tougher schedule should not drop as far due to a loss. LaxNumbers, which includes teams in every state and division, creates rankings on the national, regional and state levels.
PIONEER SPIRIT
The six CIAC girls and boys lacrosse championships will once again be played over two days at Sacred Heart University’s Campus Field. The three boys finals will be held on Saturday, June 10, with the three girls finals to follow on Sunday, June 11, reversing the order from last spring. CIAC executive director Glen Lungarini said the CIAC is working to give student-athletes the opportunity to play games in college arenas, citing the boys hockey finals at Quinnipiac’s M&T Bank Arena, and the boys basketball Div. I semifinals, which were held at the University of Hartford.
LEVEL UP
The list of college destinations for Connecticut’s girls lacrosse players continues to amaze. Among the schools are at least seven currently ranked in the nation’s top 25, including No. 1 Syracuse, No. 3 North Carolina, the defending national champion, No. 5 James Madison, No. 7 Boston College, No. 10 Maryland, No. 15 Michigan, and No. 23 Penn. And that’s before mentioning great Div. I programs such as Stanford, Delaware, Lehigh, and Dartmouth, among others. The hits just keep on coming.
REPEAT CHANCES?
Last year’s three state champions were New Canaan in Class L, Guilford in Class M, and New Fairfield in Class S. So who stands the best chance of repeating? Based on history, New Fairfield has been on a tear with five straight titles, matching Darien (2013-2017) for the longest streak in CIAC history. Fellow SWC contender Weston is the Rebels’ biggest challenger, as New Fairfield has knocked the Trojans out in four of the last five tournaments, including with an 11-10 decision in last year’s semis. Guilford broke through for its first state championship in 2021, and followed up with another crown last year. The Grizzlies graduated some key contributors, but have plenty back for a three-peat bid. New Canaan likely has the toughest road, with Darien, as always, in the way. The rivals have combined for the last seven Class L titles and last year’s final was decided by one goal.
GAMES TO WATCH
East Lyme at Guilford, April 19, 6 p.m.:
Last year’s ECC champion visits last year’s SCC champion. These two clashed in the 2022 Class M quarterfinals and the Grizzlies rolled 18-9 on the road to the crown.
Cheshire at Amity, April 21, 3:45 p.m.:
Cheshire dominated its SCC semifinal match-up with Amity, but the Rams and Spartans played two regular-season thrillers last spring. Cheshire won 9-8 in OT on opening day, and Amity won 11-10 later that month.
Guilford at Ludlowe, April 21, 4 p.m.:
Amazingly, this match-up ended with the exact same score, 12-11, in overtime in each of the last two seasons. Kaleigh Sommers scored the winner for Ludlowe in 2021 and MJ Santa Barbara had the winner for Guilford last year. The icing on the cake: Both players are still factors as seniors this spring.
Darien at New Canaan, April 26, 4:30 p.m.:
Nothing compares to this rivalry showdown, which has been referred to as a college-level game by several state coaches. The two teams have combined to win the last nine Class L titles, including last year’s 14-13 win by the Rams for the crown.
Ridgefield at Wilton, April 27, 6 p.m.:
Wilton has won this game the past two seasons, but with both the Tigers and Warriors returning several key veterans, this contest is a juicy match-up. Plus, there’s the whole rivalry thing for added spice.
Glastonbury at Simsbury, May 2, 5 p.m.:
After winning the CCC North crown for 13 seasons, Glastonbury had it wrested away in an 11-10 loss to Simsbury. It’s either two straight wins for the Trojans or revenge for the Guardians.
Old Saybrook at North Branford, May 4, 6 p.m.:
Old Saybrook won all three meetings with North Branford last spring, once by one goal and twice by two goals, including a 14-12 victory for the Shoreline crown. They have two regular seasons meeting again this season.
St. Anthony’s (NY) at New Canaan, May 6, 1 p.m.:
The Rams, ranked No. 3 nationally by Nike/USA Lacrosse, are hosting several New York teams this spring and St. Anthony’s is one of the best, ranking No. 6 in that same poll.
Weston at New Fairfield, May 9, 6 p.m.:
The two SWC contenders met three times last year and each game was divided by three or fewer goals. Weston won 11-9 during the regular season, but the Rebels rebounded to win 9-6 in the conference final, and 11-10 in the Class S semis.