There will be a winner
Penalty kicks to debut in finals this weekend
Hall goalkeeper Tyler Fairchild has never forgotten about the loss to Farmington in last year’s Class LL state quarterfinals.
It ended up going to penalty kicks after it was tied at 1 through regulation and overtime. Farmington advanced 5-4 in the PKs.
That loss has helped fuel Hall’s run to this year’s Class LL state final Saturday night.
Fairchild noted the 7 a.m. goalkeeper practices on Saturday mornings
to prepare for all kinds of weather conditions. So when Tuesday night’s Class LL semifinal came down to penalty kicks in less-thanideal conditions, Fairchild and Hall were ready: Hall advanced 6-5 over Norwalk.
“We weren’t going to fall short again in penalties,” Fairchild said. “Reliving that moment so many times from last year, playing it in my head, just motivated us to do better and get us to where we are right now.”
Penalty kicks have always been used to decide CIAC state tournament games after 100 minutes of field play — except for the championship games. Instead, the two teams were declared co-champions after overtime concluded.
But that will change beginning this weekend: if necessary, penalty kicks will be used to determine an outright state champion.
Last year, two state girls finals — Class LL and M — resulted in scoreless ties and co-champions. Mercy tied with Sacred Heart Academy in Class M.
“Our girls are very disappointed. They are crying. We don’t want to be co-champions,” Mercy coach Marcus Harley told GameTimeCT following last year’s final. “They could take the poll, all the girls, who wants to be co-champions? One team is
“I’ve been on the receiving end and I’ve been on the other side. It’s part of life . ... The kids need to learn the tough lessons.” — Cheshire boys soccer coach Artur Branco
crying, I don’t know about the other team, they are probably celebrating. We’re the crying team.”
Multiple proposals from different leagues, including the SWC, were provided to the CIAC, all wishing to do away with co-champions. The organization’s soccer committees decided at its December meeting to survey the membership.
According to CIAC associate executive director Gregg Simon, more than 160 schools responded to the survey.
“That is a rarity to get that much of a response. Over 94 percent of the member schools wanted to do away with co-champions. It was a no-brainer,” Simon told GameTimeCT.
So the soccer committees decided in January to do away with co-champions and implement PKs. The committees had the power to make the change without the proposal having to be vetted.
Staples and Wilton were the LL girls co-champions in 2021. The Wreckers are aiming for a repeat, but this time, for an outright title.
“I’m so excited to go and defend our title and hopefully come out with a title of our own, not co-champs,” Staples defender Sami DeWitt said. “I think we were a little upset about that because I feel like we dominated the game last year. I’m excited to go to the final and try to win it fully this time.”
Staples will face Cheshire in the final. Cheshire had to beat Southington in PKs in the quarterfinals.
“I’ve took penalties myself (when I played). I’m all for it,” Staples coach Barry Beattie said. “It’s just a weird feeling at the end of the game. Our kids felt a little bit hollow and, to be fair, Wilton did too. No one was sure if they should celebrate or not. I don’t think you realize that it’s an achievement until you walk away, you get the medals, you have the trophy and your banner doesn’t say co-champs. It says you won the states in 2021.”
Xavier boys coach Brian Fitzgerald also prefers penalty kicks. The Falcons, who were stopped short of last year’s Class LL final by Cheshire on PKs, meet the Rams for the L title on Sunday night.
“We do penalty kicks in the SCCs for the conference finals, so why not do it in a state tournament final?” Fitzgerald said after Tuesday’s 5-1 semifinal win over Middletown.
Cheshire fell to Fairfield Prep in PKs in the SCC tournament semifinals this year.
Rams coach Artur Branco feels there are good life lessons for the kids in dealing with tough losses.
“I’ve been on the receiving end and I’ve been on the other side. It’s part of life,” Branco said. “You are not going to win every game, you are not going to get a trophy every game. That’s the problem. Everybody gets a trophy, everybody wants to hold hands and sing Kumbaya. I think we just need to laugh, let it be and enjoy it. The kids need to learn the tough lessons.”
Greenwich, the No. 16 seed and Hall’s opponent this weekend, has won three of its four Class LL state tournament games via penalty kicks, including in the semifinals against Fairfield Prep.
But when it comes to deciding a championship game, Greenwich coach Kurt Putnam would rather pass on PKs.
“If they go the way PKs have gone for us so far, we are feeling good,” Putnam said. “I honestly don’t think it is the best way to decide a championship. I am OK with co-champs because the kids play their hearts out and go so far into the tournament and then you lose on PKs?”
Putnam said he does not see the benefit of putting a team game, which was played for 100 minutes prior to PKs, squarely on the shoulder of one player.
“You lose and some poor kid goes home with missing a shot. He’s going to have a horrible night and will probably never forget it,” Putnam said. “It sucks and shouldn’t be the way a game of that caliber is decided.”
Half of Tuesday’s boys state semifinals were determined by PKs. None of the girls semifinals went to PKs on Wednesday.
Notre Dame-Fairfield went to PKs in the SWC girls tournament final. Goalkeeper Veronica Rrapi was up to the task, saving three PKs and scoring one herself in the Lancers’ win. Coaches will be relying on their keepers to try and possibly save one or two if it comes to pass this weekend.
“I’m all in favor of having a true winner. I trust my goalie, so I wouldn’t make a lot of changes in overtime to avoid PKs,” East Catholic Coach Scott Raiol said.