In what has been a fairly chalky season in Connecticut boys’ hockey, we’ve finally got some movement in our top 10.
New Canaan, Darien and Fairfield Prep — in that order — still lead the rankings. But the picture below them is muddying, with Cheshire leaping a stumbling East Haven Co-op for our fourth spot, Simsbury jumping to No. 7 and Wethersfield, which is emerging as a DII contender, debuting at No. 10.
That last spot, by the way, now has plenty of options, as a season-high six teams are in the hunt.
With only a couple of weeks left in the regular season, things are getting interesting.
Let’s dive in.
1. New Canaan (14-2-0)
Previous rank: 1
Division: I
Conference: FCIAC
Coach: Clark Jones
Next: at Fairfield Prep, Feb. 14, 12 p.m.
There’s not much left to say about these Rams. After at last losing to a CIAC opponent (No. 3 Fairfield Prep, mind you), Jones’ team has won six in a row by a combined 40-3. They decimated Ridgefield, which beat those Jesuits in December, 14-0. They beat No. 6 Notre Dame-West Haven 4-1, trounced St. Joseph (previously our No. 10) by 13 goals over two meetings and took care of another solid team, Greenwich, 6-1. We mention star senior Rogan Lowe nearly every week, but that’s because he’s got 40 points, including 14 over the last five games. The Rams get another shot at the Jesuits on Saturday.
2. Darien (14-3-0)
Previous rank: 2
Division: I
Conference: FCIAC
Coach: Mac Budd
Next: vs. Ridgefield, Feb. 11, 6 p.m.
Despite losing to New Canaan in December, the Wave are currently edging out their arch rival for the top seed in Division I. That’s because the CIAC’s formula values Darien’s out-of-state victories — the latest a 3-2 win over Pilgrim (R.I.) on Jan. 24 — more than NC’s. But even though NC still gets the edge in our rankings, Budd’s team is on a 12-game heater and has been nearly as dominant. The Rams are outscoring opponents 40-3 over their last six, while the Wave are at 32-4. And even besides the out-of-state schedule, there are areas of Darien’s resume that are stronger than NC’s — the Wave swept their series with Fairfield Prep (the only other true title contender in DI), and the best the Rams can do is a split.
READ MORE:Â Our latest boys prep rankings
3. Fairfield Prep (7-7-0)
Previous rank: 3
Division: I
Conference: SCC
Coach: Vin O’Hara
Next: vs. New Canaan, Feb. 14, 12 p.m.
Since conquering New Canaan, probably the best win for any CIAC team this season, the Jesuits are… 3-3? Not exactly what we had on our Bingo card. Still, context is important. Two of those losses were to out-of-state teams, including a close defeat to Bishop Hendricken (R.I.), which handed New Canaan its only other loss. The other was to No. 2 Darien, and while O’Hara’s team needs to figure out a way to generate high-danger chances against the Wave (it’s been a problem in both losses), Prep hardly got blown out, even in a 5-1 loss. And besides, two of the three wins over this recent stretch were against No. 6 Notre Dame-West Haven, with senior forward Connor Driscoll (nine goals) burying the overtime winner in a 3-2 victory on Jan. 31.
4. Cheshire (15-1-0)
Previous rank: 5
Division: II
Conference: SCC
Coach: Anthony Giusto
Next: at Guilford, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m.
It’s the same story at the top of the CIAC’s Division II rankings, where Cheshire is currently beating out the East Haven Co-op, despite falling to the Yellowjackets in December. But this time, the Rams jump East Haven in our rankings, too. That’s mostly because of EH’s stumbles over the last few weeks, but also Giusto’s team just refuses to lose. It’s gotten used to dominating, and even when it’s played tight (which requires a hot goalie on the other side, as Cheshire has only been outshot once by a Division II opponent), it finds a way. When Hamden tied a Jan. 28 matchup in the second, top-liner Mark Laskin scored and assisted Colin Dempsey to win it. When Conard made it a one-goal game early in the third on Saturday, Cheshire’s defense (which we wrote about earlier this season) and goalie Ryan Miller stood tall. The Rams have now won 13 in a row.
5. East Haven Co-op (13-1-1)
Previous rank: 4
Division: II
Conference: SCC
Coach: Lou Pane
Next: vs. Westhill-Stamford, Feb. 11, 4:15 p.m.
Pane’s team, the defending state champions, were perfect through 11 games but have been curiously shaky over the last four. East Haven lost, 6-5, to Daniel Hand before scraping by Lyman Hall 4-3 and tying, 1-1, with Watertown-Pomperaug-Holy Cross, which is 5-9-1 and currently the second-to-last team in the 16-team state tournament field. Hand and Lyman are stronger opponents, but for the first time all season, the Yellowjackets look beatable.
6. Notre Dame-West Haven (5-11-1)
Previous rank: 6
Division: I
Conference: SCC
Coach: Larry Viera
Next: at Notre Dame Prep, Feb. 11, 6:45 p.m.
Viera’s young team has been fighting a brutal schedule all season, and after finally building some momentum at the start of CIAC play, the Green Knights are on a four-game skid. Those four losses were to No. 1 New Canaan, No. 3 Fairfield Prep (twice) and Pope Francis (currently our No. 8 team in Mass.), so it’s hard to fault the Knights too much. Still, a signature win before the postseason would’ve been enormous, and ND-WH now only has Darien in the penultimate regular-season game left to get one. That Jan. 31 overtime loss to Prep, which the Knights led 2-1 after the first, was a big missed opportunity. The good news? Critical offseason addition Xavier Mitchell (5-10-15), a junior who scored in that game, is starting to come alive.
READ MORE:Â 26 candidates for boys prep Player of the Year
7. Simsbury (11-5-0)
Previous rank: 9
Division: I
Conference: CCC
Coach: Dave Olechna
Next: at Wethersfield, Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m.
The Trojans are currently third in the CIAC’s D1 rankings — ahead of Fairfield Prep — and while a weaker schedule has helped, Olechna’s group made a statement against No. 8 Xavier on Saturday in a 5-2 victory. Senior captain Ryan Goodwin put up a hat trick (including a shorthanded tally) in that game, while his senior assistant, Nick Matteo, scored the other two goals. It was the Trojans’ eighth win in their last nine games, the only loss a narrow 4-3 defeat versus No. 6 Notre Dame-West Haven. Their next two games — at CCC rival Wethersfield (8-4-1 in DII) on Saturday and No. 1 New Canaan on Feb. 18 — are enormous.
8. Xavier (5-9-0)
Previous rank: 7
Division: I
Conference: SCC
Coach: Karl Sundquist
Next: at North Haven, Feb. 11, 8:15 p.m.
Saturday’s matchup with Simsbury, which Xavier beat in the first game of the season, was a chance for Sundquist’s team to get back on track after four straight losses to strong teams. The Falcons scored first, then conceded five unanswered goals. They’ve now been outshot in four of five and outscored 20-6 over that stretch, which has left them eighth in the CIAC rankings. Still, Sundquist feels Xavier is playing decent hockey, and with North Haven (DII) and St. Joseph (6-11-0) up next, his team has a chance to recover before facing New Canaan and Fairfield Prep the following two weeks.
9. Amity (8-5-1)
Previous rank: 8
Division: II
Conference: SCC
Coach: Andy Townsend
Next: at Lyman Hall, Feb. 11, 3:45 p.m.
Like East Haven, Amity is in a bit of a rough patch, one punctuated by a 2-2 tie with Westhill-Stamford on Saturday. That’s another solid opponent in DII, and the Spartans’ other recent losses were to Notre Dame-West Haven (DI) and No. 4 Cheshire, which are likely the strongest teams on their schedule. Still, Amity is now ninth in the CIAC rankings and could use a victory over Lyman Hall (fourth) on Wednesday.
READ MORE: Top boys prep performers from Feb. 4-10
10. Wethersfield (8-4-1)
Previous rank: NR
Division: I
Conference: CCC
Coach: Dennis Tulimieri
Next: vs. Simsbury, Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m.
The Eagles sit third in the Division II rankings and have won three of four, including a 1-0 triumph of Northwest Catholic (DI) last Wednesday. Junior Jack Leahy scored that game’s only goal, after senior Nick Socha provided an assist and scored the overtime winner in a 4-3 win over Glastonbury on Jan. 31. Tulimieri’s group has competitive in a 4-2 loss to CCC rival Simsbury a few weeks ago and will get another shot at the Trojans, who are undefeated in league play, on Saturday.
In the hunt: Northwest Catholic (DI, 7-7), St. Joseph (DI, 6-11-0), Lyman Hall (DII, 9-4-1), Hamden (DII, 7-5-2), Masuk (DIII, 14-0-0), Rocky Hill (DIII, 12-2-0)
