What looks to be a wide-open race in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference begins with a bang today.
Ridgefield, the 2011 Connecticut Class L state champs and 2012 state finalists, visits Greenwich at Cardinals Stadium. Greenwich, with a roster of mostly underclassmen, finished 9-9 last year but is expected to contend for the top spot this year. You can watch this toss-up contest live on MSGVarsity.com at 4:30 p.m. This marks the second straight year the teams have opened the season against each other.
Defending FCIAC champion New Canaan plays its first game under new coach Chip Buzzeo when it hosts Wilton at Dunning Stadium at 7 p.m.
Defending Class M state champ Darien plays its first game of 2013 when it faces Fairfield Ludlowe at 4:30 p.m. at DHS Stadium.
Fairfield Prep, which beat Ridgefield in last year’s Connecticut Class L state final, has a big test when it plays at Chaminade (N.Y.), the consensus No. 2-ranked team in the nation, at 4 p.m.
New Jersey power Delbarton, which plays at St. Anthony’s on Saturday, opens things up with a home game against Ridgewood at Cocoziello Field at 4 p.m.
Turning to Long Island, there are some big games out East in Suffolk County.
Ward Melville hosts Smithtown East in a matchup of Class A contenders at 4:30 p.m. Also at 4:30 p.m., defending Class A state champ West Islip looks to bounce back from its loss to Chaminade on Saturday when it hosts Sachem North. Nationally ranked Smithtown West, meanwhile, hosts Sachem East at 5 p.m.
In the prep ranks, Loomis Chaffee (Conn.) plays at Trinity-Pawling (N.Y.) at 3 p.m. and Avon Old Farms (Conn.) faces Phillips Exeter (N.H.) in a 2 p.m. game at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
There are seven games on the schedule in New York’s Section 1, including Irvington at defending Class A sectional champion Mamaroneck in a 7 p.m. game and 4:30 p.m. contests between Nyack and host Fox Lane, visiting Hastings and Clarkstown North and host Pelham and Eastchester.
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For a look at big games through the nation this week, check the ILPreps Games of the Week rundown.
It will be a NJ vs. NY matchup of nationally ranked teams on Saturday, April 6 when Delbarton visits St. Anthony’s.
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Today’s schedule/Regular-season schedules
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CONNECTICUT
* CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference) boys
* CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference) girls
NEW JERSEY
* New Jersey boys (Public/Parochial)
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Posted In: Gameday
Wilton-NC: This will be a tight game. NC’s aggressive defense has a clear advantage over Wilton’s unimposing attack, but Wilton will win battle of possession with a dominant FOGO. Key for Wilton is quick & smart ball movement, catching defenders ball watching, and attacking the short sticks. I’m looking for a low scoring affair and for NC to just barely pull it out. NC 7, Wilton 6.
Greenwich-Ridgefield: This is the best matchup of the day in CT and could very well be a FCIAC and/or Class L Finals preview. I think Ridgefield is the strongest team in CT so I’m inclined to give them the edge, but Greenwich is strong in all aspects of the game. It’ll be interesting to see how a young & inexperienced, but talented Ridgefield attack matches up with Greenwich’s veteran D. Bonaparte-Savio matchup well on F/Os and there are quite a few very strong midfielders on display here. Ridgefield 9 Greenwich 7.
Ridgefield leads 5-1 midway through the second quarter. Brett Baker has three goals.
Ridgefield leads 6-1 at the half. Baker has three, Micky Carbone has two and Will Bonaparte the other. Graham Savio, who was 8-0 on face offs, has Greenwich’s goal.
Ridgefield up 8-3 after three.
Oh Micky, you’re so fine you’re so fine you blow my mind, hey Micky!
Chaminade, the nation’s consensus No. 2-ranked team, pulls away for a 13-6 win over visiting Fairfield Prep.
Ridgefield wins 10-5
Three goals each by Baker, Bonaparte and Carbone.
Greenwich played without last year’s second leading scorer, Decker Curran, who was attending the funeral of his grandfather, Stephen Maloney, in Canada. Stephen Maloney is the father of former New York Rangers players Dave and Don Maloney.
If “if and but were candy and nuts everyday would be Christmas”. Ridgefield won three faceoffs and still won easily. Ridgefield D too tough for the Cards to handle no matter who is there.
Final: Ward Melville 14, Smithtown East 6
Christian Mazzone had four goals and two assists and Jack Bruckner two goals and four assists.
Final: West Islip 9, Sachem North 3
Final: Delbarton 9, Ridgewood 5
Final: Smithtown West 18, Sachem East 9
Final: Darien 7, Fairfield Ludlowe 4
Darien, the defending Connecticut Class M state champs, led only 4-3 at the half.
Final: Mamaroneck 13, Irvington 2
Final: New Canaan 10, Wilton 8
Rams win in the head-coaching debut of former New Canaan HS and Princeton University standout Chip Buzzeo.
Hats off to Ridgefield for a great effort. The second or even third meeting should be interesting. And yes, not having Decker and three other key players (out with injuries) was a blow. Take away Baker from Ridgefield and it would have had a similar impact. No excuses though. Ridgefield was better in Game 1.
Nice job out there vs Greenwich Tigers! You look like you are already in state championship form!