I recently ran into Cheshire boys' hockey coach Jim Riccitelli and Hamden boys' hockey coach Bill Verneris and - rightly so - they were still beaming weeks after they won their respective state titles. Hamden defeated Glastonbury for the CIAC Division I title and Cheshire defeated Enfield for the CIAC Division II title.
"Words still can't describe how great this feeling is, to win my first state title," Verneris said. "This memory and the faces of every player on my team will stay with me forever. This was really a reflection of how hard the players worked and dedicated themselves to go as far as they did. The camaraderie and chemistry was unbelievable from day one."
Riccitelli said, "No matter how much talent you have you never know how it will all turn out. It was a great season, one that I will never forget and one we're still talking about. Every player on our roster came to play and every player gave 100 percent effort whether it was in practice or in a game. We certainly had a special group of players."