It was, as Darien coach Mac Budd put it, a typical Darien versus New Canaan game.
As they so often do, the two bitter FCIAC rivals — and arguably the two top teams in Connecticut boys’ hockey — played each other tight in an early-season showdown on Monday. This time, though, it was Clark Jones’ Rams who emerged with a 5-3 victory, briefly avenging last season’s title-game loss and assuming the top spot in our rankings.
But it will certainly not be the last we hear of one of the state’s premier rivalries.
And while that’s where this week’s top 10 begins, there’s plenty more to discuss after the first week of play in the CIAC, including an upside-down victory for Cheshire over Xavier and Ridgefield’s upset of Fairfield Prep.
Let’s dive in.
1. New Canaan (2-1-0)
Previous rank: 2
Division: I
Conference: FCIAC
Coach: Clark Jones
Next: vs. Prout (R.I.), Jan. 3, 7 p.m.
It doesn’t get bigger than New Canaan versus Darien in Connecticut boys’ hockey, and in the first of two regular-season showdowns between the two, NC was the better team and was rewarded for it. After the Rams blew an early 2-0 lead, junior Willie Ericson potted an unassisted goal, then star top-liners Drew Harmon and Rogan Lowe combined to put Darien on the ropes. The Wave got one back before senior captain Troy DelCarmine, the third member of that top line, scored on the empty net. After a 4-1 loss at Bishop Hendricken (R.I.), it was a statement victory for Jones’ group, which accordingly assumes our top spot.
2. Darien (1-2-0)
Previous rank: 1
Division: I
Conference: FCIAC
Coach: Mac Budd
Next: at Greenwich (Winter Classic), Dec. 27, 4 p.m.
Darien was deservedly beaten by New Canaan, but the Wave were hardly overmatched, and an 8-2 victory at Northwest Catholic two days prior showed the class of Budd’s group (even if the Lions are young and undermanned at this point). An overtime loss at Iona Prep (N.Y.) in the opener isn’t all that alarming either, given Fairfield Prep suffered the same fate (more on them below), so Darien only drops one spot. Senior captain Jack Marisca and sophomore Holden Mohr (three goals each) have led the way thus far.
3. Fairfield Prep (0-2-0)
Previous rank: 3
Division: I
Conference: SCC
Coach: Vin O’Hara
Next: vs. Bishop Feehan (Mass.), Dec. 28, 6 p.m.
Prep is 0-2. But the Jesuits’ first loss was a 3-2 overtime defeat at a strong Iona Prep (N.Y.) team in which they led going into the third period; their second was a 5-4 defeat to a spirited Ridgefield team playing in its first game under new coach Rob Miller, in which O’Hara’s group outshot the hosts significantly only to have several Grade-A chances saved. The Tigers jumped on Prep and built a 3-0 early lead, which O’Hara said his team will need to address, but the Jesuits should still be one of the strongest teams in Connecticut.
4. Notre Dame-West Haven (1-2-0)
Previous rank: 4
Division: I
Conference: SCC
Coach: Larry Viera
Next: vs. Grand Forks Central (N.D.) (at Warroad, Minn.), Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m.
Viera knew there’d be a learning curve for his group after graduating 14 seniors, and it’s played out that way so far — after a 4-1 season-opening victory at Smithfield (R.I.), the Green Knights lost 4-1 against Don Bosco (N.J.) and 2-0 versus BC High (Mass.). Ethan Kelly and Nathan Marczak each have two goals, and fellow senior Aidan Sherman — splitting the net with junior Benjamin Pikul — has played most of the season and stopped 57 of the 61 shots he’s faced. ND-WH’s young group gets a big test after Christmas, when it travels to Minnesota for three games against programs from Minnesota and North Dakota. The Green Knights won’t play their first CIAC opponent until they head to Xavier on Jan. 14.
5. Cheshire (3-0-0)
Previous rank: 6
Division: II
Conference: SCC
Coach: Anthony Giusto
Next: vs. East Haven Co-op, Dec. 27, 3 p.m.
Cheshire moves up a spot and is our new top-ranked Division II team, largely due to a thrilling 6-5 victory over Xavier (Division I) on Friday night. The Rams led 5-2 early in the third period after sophomore Colin Dempsey’s first career goal, only to collapse dramatically down the stretch… only for star junior Zachary Hooper to bury the game-winning shorthanded goal with just over a minute to play anyway. That’s a marquee early-season win for a program many believe should be in Division I, and Giusto’s group followed it with a 9-2 thrashing of Glastonbury on Monday. The Rams jump the East Haven Co-op (the defending Division II champion), but only for now — the two teams face off on Saturday.
6. East Haven Co-op (4-0-0)
Previous rank: 5
Division: II
Conference: SCC
Coach: Lou Pane
Next: at Cheshire, Dec. 27, 3 p.m.
After a narrow 3-2 victory in the opener over West Haven, a vastly improved outfit with Branford joining its Co-op, Pane’s defending state champions have cruised through the start of their schedule, with wins over Conard, Woodstock Academy and Suffield by a combined score of 18-3. Star defenseman Preston Cantele, fellow senior Nicholas Perillo and junior forwards Enzo Plano and Ryan Bunnell are off to a huge starts, but the competition ramps up significantly after the break, when the Yellowjackets face Cheshire, Greenwich (Division I) and Amity in the space of four games.
7. Xavier (2-1-0)
Previous rank: 9
Division: I
Conference: SCC
Coach: Karl Sundquist
Next: vs. Pilgrim (R.I.), Dec. 27, 3 p.m.
Xavier’s first three games were no joke, especially for a young team in a reloading season, and the Falcons emerged in pretty good shape, with a 3-1 win at Simsbury and a convincing 5-1 win over Ridgefield on Tuesday, sandwiching that thrilling 6-5 defeat at Cheshire. But Sundquist’s team outshot the Rams in that game and showed a lot of mettle to recover from a three-goal deficit — an overall effort the head coach was happy with. Xavier’s top line of senior captain Tyson Jarvis, junior Dillon Torneo and sophomore Braden Linskey has been as advertised so far. The Falcons’ arrow is pointed up.
8. Amity (1-0-0)
Previous rank: 8
Division: II
Conference: SCC
Coach: Andy Townsend
Next: at West Haven Co-op, Dec. 31, 4 p.m.
The Spartans were taken to overtime by Trumbull in their opener, but they outshot the Eagles 62-18. Star senior CJ Costanzo picked up where he left off last season, scoring two goals, including the overtime winner, and exciting sophomore Calum Gattinella recorded three assists. The reigning SCC Division 2 champions stay put as a result, and Townsend’s team will be tested after the break by the West Haven Co-op.
9. Simsbury (0-3-0)
Previous rank: 7
Division: I
Conference: CCC
Coach: Dave Olechna
Next: vs. Northwest Catholic, Dec. 27, 7 p.m.
The three-time defending CCC North champions and reigning Division I semifinalists have a ton of new faces and are accordingly facing early-season growing pains. Still, all three losses have been close, including a 3-1 season-opening loss to Xavier, which was tied heading into the third period after junior captain Blake Alibozek’s goal. Olechna’s group led Greenwich in the final frame on Tuesday before falling 3-2, and a 4-3 loss at Smithfield (R.I.) was similarly tight. Simsbury’s top six, which includes Alibozek, senior captain Ryan Goodwin and senior assistant captain Nick Matteo, has produced, so the Trojans remain in our rankings for now.
10. Ridgefield (1-1-0)
Previous rank: NR
Division: I
Conference: FCIAC
Coach: Rob Miller
Next: at Stepinac (N.Y.), Dec. 27, 2:30 p.m.
The Tigers came back down to earth on Tuesday in a 5-1 defeat at Xavier, but Ridgefield finds a way into our rankings off the back of its 5-4 victory over Fairfield Prep, a bona fide state title contender in Division I. Junior forward Joseph Couch scored a hat trick and junior goalie James Britton was immense despite being under siege for most of the game. It was quite the first victory for new coach Rob Miller, and after matchups with two out-of-state opponents right after the break, Ridgefield will kick off FCIAC play against top-ranked New Canaan on Jan. 5.
