Blogs > High School Sports

Welcome to the New Haven Register high school sports blog where our talented staff of Chris Hunn, Joe Morelli, Dan Nowak and Mike Pucci will keep you up to date on everything to do with high school sports in Connecticut. Mike Pucci's Gridiron Glory blog for high school football remains. We hope you enjoy and feel free to join in the conversation.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Abbate, Ferrante, Lundberg win State Open Wrestling titles

Xavier's Tom Abbate defeated New Fairfield's Jesse Broderick to win the title at 140. Abbate also won the Class LL title and finished second at the SCC meet.

Shelton's Rob Ferrante became the first wrestler in school history to win a State Open championship. Ferrante defeated Killingly's Brandon Thuotte at 125.

At 160, Guilford's Kyle Lundberg defeated Southington's Mike Monson. Lundberg also won the Class M and SCC title this season.

Five other area wrestlers advanced to the final before losing. They were:

103: Rob Lonergan (Law)
112: Jed Cervero (Cheshire)
130: Tom Ayala (East Haven)
152: Brian Onofrio (Hand)
215: Pat Gillen (Shelton)

The top four in each weight class advance to this week's New England championships, which will be held at the New Haven Athletic Center.

Advancing were:
145: Ryan Scott (Xavier), fourth
152: Alex Carpenter (Amity), fourth
189: Tito Slaughter (New Haven), fourth
285: Pat Plumb (Seymour), third

SCC boys hoops update

while the first two quarterfinal-round games went according to form, the latter two provided a pair of seeding upsets.

In the final game of the night, No. 6 seed Hamden stunned No. 3 Xavier 63-53 behind Tobin Carberry's 34 points. Hamden lost to Xavier twice during the regular season, but was able to pull the upset at East Haven.
Hamden will play No. 7 Sheehan, which beat No. 2 Lyman Hall 46-37. Sheehan had beaten Lyman Hall twice during the regular season en route to the SCC Housatonic Division title.
In the early games, No. 8 Hand hung tough before No. 1 Hillhosue pulled away late 65-49 to win for the third time against its SCC Hammonasset Division rival. No. 4 Career also won for the third time over No. 5 Notre Dame-West Haven, 39-32.

Semifinal outlook:
Monday night at East Haven
Hamden vs. Sheehan, 6 p.m.: Hamden has won nine straight games coming in and may have the area's best player in Tobin Carberry. It should be an interesting matchup since Sheehan likes to play uptempo and Hamden may choose to run with the Titans. Sheehan Brett Biestek needs to hold his own inside against the Green Dragons and Sheehan's guards (Matt Pascuzzo, Phil Gaetano and Justin Kuntz) will not only need to score, but try and somehow keep Carberry from doing a lot of damage.
Morelli's pick: Sheehan by five.

Hillhouse vs. Career, 7:45 p.m.: Hillhouse will try and beat its New Haven rival for the third time this season. Career will need to extend its matchup zone out to Hillhouse's shooters and control the tempo. Kevin Hoff will need to outplay Hillhouse's tandem of Terrance McKiver and Hassan Toler for the Panthers to have a chance. Even if that happens, it still will not be enough.
Morelli's pick: Hillhouse by 17.

Friday, February 27, 2009

SCC basketball quarterfinals breakdown

No surprise in the first round as seeds held to form. Cheshire and North Haven put up the biggest fights.
Still, maybe it's time to go back to having just eight teams like it is supposed to be.
Now, the real tournament begins at East Haven High today:
No. 8 Hand vs No. 1 Hillhouse, noon: Hillhouse swept the season series, but Hand hung tough with the Academics in New Haven. Hand will need forward Mike Callaghan to play very well and have its guards play the Academics' guards even. Even then, I doubt very much that Hand can pull the upset:
Morelli's pick: Hillhouse by 15.

No. 5. Notre Dame-West Haven vs. No. 4 Career, 1:45 p.m.: Career won both regular-season meetings and won in this round last year against Notre Dame, which has struggled against the New Haven teams in recent years. After watching Career struggle to put Cheshire away in the first round, I believe the Green Knights have a chance. They will keep it close, but...
Morelli's pick: Career by five.

No. 7 Sheehan vs. No. 2 Lyman Hall, 3:30 p.m.: Sheehan is looking for its third win of the season over its crosstown rival. The last win came in overtime. Sheehan needs to win the guard matchup and Sheehan center Bret Biestek needs to hold his own against Lyman Hall's Jefferson Lora and David Dempsey. There's an old saying about the difficulty of beating a team three times in a season, but...
Morelli's pick: Sheehan by three.

No. 6 Hamden vs. No. 3 Xavier, 5:15 p.m.: In a day full of familiarity, Xavier tries to beat Hamden for a third time. The Green Dragons have been playing well coming into the tournament, including a convincing win over West Haven on Thursday. Can Hamden continue its stellar play? It will not be easy against one of the SCC's most physical frontcourts.
Morelli's pick: Xavier by 10.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Top Seeds Advance In SCC boys tourney

All the higher-seeded teams advanced past the first-round of the SCC boys' hoops tournament on Thursday. Below are first-round results and the match-ups for Saturday's quarterfinals.

First Round Results
#4 Career 66, #13 Cheshire 62
#5 Notre Dame 60, #12 East Haven 40
#6 Hamden 62, #11 West Haven 45
#7 Sheehan 71, #10 North Haven 63
#8 Hand 78, #9 Wilbur Cross 59

Quarterfinals, Saturday at East Haven
#1 Hillhouse vs. #8 Hand, noon
#4 Career vs. #5 Notre Dame, 1:45 p.m.
#2 Lyman Hall vs. #7 Sheehan, 3:30 p.m.
#3 Xavier vs. #6 Hamden, 5:15 p.m.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Girls' Basketball State Basketball Championships

Taking a first glimpse at the state tournament fields, Class L is clearly the most loaded.
Fairfield Warde is the top seed. There's an intriguing matchup waiting in the quarterfinals between No. 4 Wethersfield and No. 5 Torrington. And it gets even better in the bottom half of the bracket. No. 2 Kolbe Cathedral and No. 7 Hillhouse, perhaps the top two teams in the class, should square off in another quarterfinal game. No. 3 Avon, the defending Class M champion, should be tested in the last quarterfinal game with No. 6 Kennedy. Some other teams from the area are No. 17 Hand, No. 13 Branford, No. 15 Lyman Hall, No. 26 Guilford and No. 31 Branford.
Class LL
Perhaps the best early-round matchup is in the Class LL field. No. 7 New Britain and No. 10 Mercy could meet in the second round. It's hard to believe one of these teams won't make it past the second round. The reason why these two teams are seeded so low, is because the Golden Hurricanes forfeited five games for using an academically ineligible player and Mercy was without their senior backcourt tandem of Rachel Roberts and Bianca Simmons after they were suspened for seven games for violating team rules. Then, the winner of that game will most likely have to face No. 2 Career. Though seeded No. 13 Wilbur Cross is no sleeper. Also in that bracket, Norwich Free Academy is the No. 1 seed, Lauralton Hall is No.3, Stamford is No. 4 and East Catholic is No. 5. Other area teams in the bracket include No. 14 Hamden and No. 25 Cheshire.
Class M
After a 19-1 regular season mark, Bacon Academy is the top seed. An Amie Toner-led Windham squad is No. 4 and could face No. 5 Morgan and Kara Fillion in the semifinals. The Huskies finished second in Class M field last year. No. 2 Ellington may have trouble with No. 7 Tolland in the semifinals. Another interesting game could be No. 3 Berlin and No. 14 Montville in the second round. No. 6 Haddam-Killingworth, which will compete for a Shorline Confernce title Friday against Old Lyme, could face the winner of that game. Other area teams include No. 19 Law, No. 25 North Branford, No. 26 Foran, No. 27 Woodland and No. 30 Sheehan
Class S
Unbeaten Wamogo is No. 1. It should coast until a possible matchup with Thomaston in the semifinals. A deep and balanced Old Lyme squad is No. 2 and Capital Prep, perhaps the best of the tech schools, is No. 3. Watch for No. 11 St. Paul and No. 15 Derby. Other area teams are No. 14 Platt Tech, No. 22 O'Brien Tech and No. 28 Coginchaug.
To look at all the tournament brackets click here.

New Location for Girls' SCC Championship

The SCC girls' basketball tournament championship game between top-seeded Hillhouse and No. 2 Career will be moved from West Haven High School to Wilbur Cross. The game will begin at 7 p.m. It is a needed switch. There was a packed house for the two semifinal games at West Haven Tuesday night and with an large anticipated crowd, SCC commissioner Al Carbone said Wilbur Cross is a more accommodating facility.

Check back later for a breakdown of the CIAC state tournament breakdown.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

SCC boys hoop tournament breakdown

The 13-team tournament begins on Thursday with all first-round games scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Here is what we expect to occur:

No. 13 Cheshire at No. 4 Career: Cheshire dug down deep and became the first team in four years to win a game on Wilbur Cross' home floor Monday night. The Rams needed it to qualify for this and the Class LL state tournament. Can they make another successful trip to New Haven? It will be much more difficult this time around.
Morelli's pick: Career in a tight game.

No. 12 East Haven at No. 5 Notre Dame-West Haven: If the game was being played at East Haven, I would feel differently, but the Green Knights play with a ton of confidence at home, as seen by its win over Xavier on Feb. 6.
Morelli's pick: Notre Dame.

No. 11 West Haven at No. 6 Hamden: The two SCC Quinnipiac Division foes split during the regular season. Hamden seems to be playing a little better at this point.
Morelli's pick: Hamden by two.

No. 10 North Haven at No. 7 Sheehan: Sheehan lost four straight to the league's top teams. Still, the Titans are a dangerous club when it gets on a roll. That roll starts Thursday evening.
Morelli's pick: Sheehan.

No. 9 Wilbur Cross at No. 8 Hand: Cross has had little success away from home this season. Hand provides plenty of matchup problems, but this one will still be a tough game for the Tigers to pull out with the winner getting Hillhouse.
Morelli's pick: Hand.

Monday, February 23, 2009

SCC boys' pairings released

Here are the pairings for the SCC boys’ basketball tournament, which begins on Thursday.

First round
Thursday, 7 p.m.
No. 13 Cheshire at No. 4 Career
No. 12 East Haven at No. 5 Notre Dame-West Haven
No. 11 West Haven at No. 6 Hamden
No. 10 North Haven at No. 7 Sheehan
No. 9 Wilbur Cross at No. 8 Hand

Quarterfinals
Saturday at East Haven
Hand-Wilbur Cross winner vs. No. 1 Hillhouse, noon
East Haven-Notre Dame winner vs. Career-Cheshire winner, 1:45 p.m.
Sheehan-North Haven winner vs. No. 2 Lyman Hall, 3:30 p.m.
Hamden-West Haven winner vs. No. 3 Xavier, 5:15 p.m.

Semifinals
Monday at East Haven, 6 and 7:45 p.m.


Championship
Wednesday, March 4 at East Haven, 7 p.m
.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Mercy Returns

The Register Top 10 Girls' Basketball Poll welcomes back the Tigers this week.
One team drops out.
Two move up.
Three remain in the same spot.
And four take a tumble.
See the poll here.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

SCC Girls' Basketball Semifinal Field Set

No. 3 Hamden will face No. 2 Career and No. 4 Mercy will take on No. 1 Hillhouse. Both games are Tuesday at West Haven. The Green Dragons will take on the Panthers at 6 p.m. followed by The Academics and the Tigers at 7:45 p.m.
Here's a look at other area conference tournament semifinal games that will take place Tuesday.

SWC tournament semifinals (at Pomperaug)
Lauralton Hall vs. Pomperaug, 6 p.m.
Kolbe Cathedral vs. Masuk, 8 p.m.

Shoreline tournament semifinals (at Coginchaug)
No. 1 Old Lyme vs. No. 4 Morgan, 6 p.m.
No. 2 Haddam-Killingworth vs. No. 3 Cromwell, 7:30 p.m.

Friday night boys hoop

Jordan Williams of Torrington equaled his school record of 52 points to help the Red Raiders beat Crosby 87-76 and split the season series with the Bulldogs. Crosby point guard Anthony Ireland had 34 points.
If you are keeping score at home, Williams has scored 102 points against Crosby in two games this season.

In other action, Lyman Hall beat Foran to lock up the No. 2 seed in the SCC Tournament. Hillhouse will be the top seed. The rest of the seedings will be determined on Monday night. Twelve teams have already qualified for the tournament, which begins next Thursday. Cheshire needs to win at Wilbur Cross to qualify for that and the Class LL state tournament.

There should be very little change in the top 10 poll this week: Crosby's loss to Torrington was the only one among last week's top 10.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Lundberg one to watch

Guilford wrestler Kyle Lundberg is the top seed at 160 pounds at the Class M state championsip. The championship rounds are set for Saturday at Windham. Championship quarterfinals will start at 9 a.m. The semifinals are expected to begin at 2 p.m. and the finals will start at 7 p.m.

Lundberg is 35-2 this season but has not lost in the SCC. He recently won the SCC title at 160 pounds.

As a sophomore, Lundberg went 32-5 followed by a 37-1 record as a junior when he finished second in the SCC, second in Class L and fourth at the State Open.

Lundberg has 134 career victories, which is a school record.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

SCC first round results/Saturday quarterfinals

Results from tonight's SCC Girls Basketball Playoffs

First Round games
No. 4 Mercy 66, No.13 Foran 40
No. 5 Wilbur Cross 48, No. 12 Sheehan 38
No. 7 Lyman Hall 49, No. 10 Guilford 47
No. 11 Cheshire 57, No. 6 Hand 42
No. 8 Branford 62, No. 9 Jonathan Law 47

Quarterfinals
Saturday
at West Haven High School
No. 8 Branford (15-6) vs. No. 1 Hillhouse (17-2), noon
No. 4 Mercy (15-6) vs. No. 5 Wilbur Cross (15-6), 1:45 p.m.
No. 7 Lyman Hall (15-6) vs. No. 2 Career (17-3), 3:30 p.m.
No. 11 Cheshire (11-10) vs. No. 3 Hamden (14-6), 5:15 p.m.

Chantell Alford Out Tonight

Alford, who will play at Boston University next season, suffered a mild concussion late in Wilbur Cross' loss to Hillhouse last week and will sit out tonight's SCC tournament opening round game against Sheehan.

Chris Hunn, chunn@nhregister.com

SCC Girls' Basketball Tournament Predictions

First round, Thursday
  • No. 13 Foran at No. 4 Mercy: Under first-year coach Scott Nails, the Lions found some sucess this season. Foran, however, will be no match for the Tigers. Pick: Mercy
  • No. 12 Sheehan at No. 5 Wilbur Cross: A win to close out the regular season over East Haven clinched a conference tournament berth for the Titans. But the Governors athleticism, led by Chantell Alford, will be too much for Sheehan. Pick: Sheehan
  • No. 11 Cheshire at No. 6 Hand: Hand swept the regular season series between these two teams. Kerry Wallack and Kate Clawson have been a solid one-two punch for the Tigers this season. But don't be surprised if Cheshire comes out on top. The Rams have the only legitimate inside duo in the conference in Norah Bahgat and Emily Thomas. And if Cheshire is hitting their shots from the perimeter, the Rams are hard to stop. Pick: Hand
  • No. 10 Guilford at No. 7 Lyman Hall: Lyman Hall has been one of the more inconsistent teams in the conference, losing to Sacred Heart Academy and then losing by just nine points to Hillhouse. Led by the inside-out tandem of Lindsay Karle and Jen Ruys, if the Trojans are clicking they are tough to beat. If they're not, Guilford can win. Pick: Lyman Hall
  • No. 9 Law at No. 8 Branford: Career coach Kevin Walton called Branford a sleeper in this year's tournament. Hornets junior Courtney Schissler is one of the top players in the confernece. So is Law junior Casey Dulin. Branford has more weapons to complement its star. Pick: Branford
Quarterfinals, Saturday at West Haven

  • No. 8 Branford vs. No. 1 Hillhouse: Pick your poison. Dannisha Pierce? Andreanna Thomas? Bria Holmes? Hillhouse is the top seed for a reason and Branford will be the first team to find out why. Pick: Hillhouse
  • No. 5 Wilbur Cross vs. No. 4 Mercy: In both regular season meetings this season, the Tigers came out on top in close games. Mercy may have problems with Alford and company, but the Governors have no answer for Rachel Roberts and Bianca Simmons. Pick: Mercy
  • No. 7 Lyman Hall vs. No. 2 Career: The Panthers struggled late in the season, but are too talented and athletic for the Trojans. Both teams play an uptempo style. Career is just better at it. Pick: Career
  • No. 6 Hand vs. No. 3 Hamden: The Green Dragons beat every team they were supposed to this season. They are favorite against the Tigers so there's no reason why this game should be any different. Pick: Hamden
Semifinals, Tuesday at West Haven

  • No. 4 Mercy vs. No. 1 Hillhouse: There is no question that Hillhouse is talented. But they are young. And that may haunt them at this point. Plus, Mercy gave the Academics their only conference loss this season. Pick: Mercy
  • No. 3 Hamden vs. No. 2 Career: Hamden hasn't proved they could beat a top-tier team this season. The Panthers knocked off the Green Dragons twice in the regular season and should make it a third. Pick: Career
Championship, Thursday at West Haven

  • No. 4 Mercy vs. No. 2 Career: The Panthers may have beat the Tigers in the first two meetings and they may have a big-time player in Anisha Wilson. But Mercy has two in Roberts and Simmons. And that duo has a chip on their shoulder because: A. They missed seven games after being suspended for violating team rules and B. they lost in last year's SCC semifinals. A conference title would be a great way to redeem themselves and after winning eight straight to close out the regular season, who is to say they can't. Pick: Mercy

Chris Hunn, Chunn@nhregister.com

Monday, February 16, 2009

SCC Girls' Basketball Tournament Schedule

Opening Round
Thursday
No. 13 Foran at No. 4 Mercy, 6:30 p.m.
No. 12 Sheehan at No. 5 Wilbur Cross, 6:30 p.m.
No. 11 Cheshire at No. 6 Hand, 6:30 p.m.
No. 10 Guilford at No. 7 Lyman Hall, 6:30 p.m.
No. 9 Law at No. 8 Branford, 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Saturday at West Haven
Law/Branford vs. No. 1 Hillhouse, 12 p.m.
Sheehan/Wilbur Cross winner vs. Foran/Mercy winner, 1:45 p.m.
Guilford/Lyman Hall winner vs. No. 2 Career, 3:30 p.m.
Cheshire/Hand winner vs. No. 3 Hamden, 5:15 p.m.
Semifinals
Tuesday, Feb. 24 at West Haven, 6 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.
Championship
Thursday, Feb. 26 at West Haven, 7 p.m.

-- Chris Hunn, chunn@nhregister.com

Hillhouse picks up first-place votes

Trinity Catholic barely survived against Ridgefield, courtesy of a technical foul called with 1.8 seconds left, to win 49-48 after guard Eric-Jean Guillaume made the two technical free throws last Tuesday.
But Trinity lost some first-place votes to undefeated Hillhouse this week. See how many in tomorrow's New Haven Register. Also, check out the coverage of the second Hillhouse-Wilbur Cross game, which is being played today at 4 p.m., followed by the girls game between the two schools at 6.
In between the games is a Ring of Ceremony where any former state championship winner from eith school, boy or girl, will be honored if present for the ceremony.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

An Interesting Week in State Girls' High School Basketball

It's been an intriguing week to say the least.
Hillhouse beat city rival Career. Kennedy knocked off previously undefeated Torrington. NFA fell to East Lyme. Check out the effect these games and others had on the latest Register Top 10 poll in tomorrow's New Haven Register.
Also, read about why Anisha Wilson is one of the toughest players in the state and how the SCC shapes up this season in comparison to the last few seasons here. For a look at previous SCC standings click here.

-- Chris Hunn, chunn@nhregister.com

HS HOCKEY: MASS. POWER CATHOLIC MEMORIAL TO FACE PREP

Fairfield Prep boys' hockey coach Matt Sather never shies away from scheduling challenging opponents and the Jesuits have a doozy lined up.
Prep plays host to Massachusetts and national power Catholic Memorial on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Wonderland of ice in Bridgeport. Prep already has a win over a Massachusetts power (3-2 over Boston College High on Jan. 31). But the deep and talented Jesuits will have their hands full with Catholic Memorial.
The Knights have won 19 Catholic Conference championships, 16 state championships and six national championships. Despite an 8-5-4 record CM was still ranked No. 1 in the Boston Globe Top 10 poll as of Sunday.
Catholic Memorial is an offensive juggernaut led by Derek Collucci (11 goals, 14 assists), Garrett Noonan (five goals, 20 assists) and T.J. O'Brien (11 goals, 10 assists).
If you love high school hockey and want to see it played at its highest level, plan on a trip to the Wonderland of Ice this Wednesday.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Friday's Girls' Basketball Highlights

  • Rachel Roberts poured in 26 points and Bianca Simmons added 18 in Mercy’s 68-61 win over Cheshire in overtime. Mercy’s duo combined for 39 points after halftime. Nora Bahgat finished with 12 points, including her 1,000th career point.
  • Chantell Alford scored 18 points to go along with nine rebounds, four steals and a block in a 55-38 win over Guilford.
  • Jeni-Lyn Ladutko scored 20 points and pulled down 19 rebounds as Amity edged Derby 63-56 in double overtime. Suzanne Barbosa hit a 3-pointer for Amity with 4 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. Ashley Bartone led the Red Radiers with 29 points.
  • Cara Deroy scored 18 points in Hamden’s 61-51 win over Sheehan. The Titans still need one more win for a state tournament berth.
  • Laura Joseph continues to play well for Hamden Hall. She had a game-high 17 points and 12 rebounds in the Hornets 60-44 win over Wilbraham and Monson.
  • Kerry Wallack finished with 22 points, including 12-of-14 shooting from the free-throw line in Hand’s 47-44 win over Branford. Courtney Schissler scored 19, including her 1,000th career point, in a losing effort.
Chris Hunn, chunn@nhregister.com

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Sneak Peek

Got a look at the wing for the Hillhouse Hall of Fame tonight.

The plan is to open this up to the public after the final set of inaugural inductees are enshrined in March.

It's always worth looking at high school halls of fames and trophy cases and when this one is open to the public during games in the future, it will be a must see.

This hall of fame is impressive.

The first NBA commissioner: Maurice Podoloff; The first African Americn football captain at Yale: Levi Jackson; One Syracuse's famed running backs to wear No. 44: Floyd Little; One of Yale's all-time great running backs: Albie Booth; A member of the 1927 Yankees' famed Murder's Row: Joe Duggan; An esteemed NCAA football offical: John Daniels; The GM of the Yankees in the glory years of the 1940s and 50s: George Weiss.

The list goes on.

For more on this hall of fame, click here

Hillhouse, Seymour win Class M titles

The New Haven Athletic Center started its three-day stretch of crowning state class champions Thursday night.

Seymour won the boys title, its first in the history of the event that dates back to 1931.

Hillhouse won its 10th class meet since 1994. The event started in 1989 for girls. Weaver-Hartford has nine titles.

Gary Moore is a perfectionist, which is why his teams excel so often. He was happy with winning another title, but know the importance of setting up for the State Open. He's not sure how his team's times will stack up, but no one will know for sure until Class S, L and LL are decided Friday and Saturday.

Seymour coach Tom Lennon was ecstatic for his seniors.

Ironically Woodland finished fifth in Class M. Don't forget it wasn't that long ago many of those student-athletes would have been at Seymour. Imagine that group of sprinters and jumpers together.

The NVL meet is at the New Haven Athletic Center Tuesday. Wilby also had some impressive sprinters so ideally that would be one impressive meet. But you have to wonder if anyone is going to go all-out with the State Open four days from then.

Check out the Register for stories on both the boys and girls meets Friday.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

HOCKEY: BIG WIN FOR AMITY, GUILFORD GIRLS CLINCH TIE FOR TITLE

The defending Division II champion Amity boys' hockey team has had an up and down regular season. But Wednesday's win over SCC Division I rival North Haven is a good indication the Spartans are on the verge of peaking just in time for another big post-season run.
Joey Ciancola scored with 24 seconds left in the third period to lead Amity to a 4-3 win over North Haven.
The Spartans are 3-1 against Division I teams this season and will close the regular season with one more Division I opponent - against Xavier on March 3 at Wesleyan Rink.
In girls' hockey, Guilford took no prisoners at Hamden on Wednesday in a game that had regular-season CCGHL title implications. Goalie Alyssa Zarillo had 23 saves to lead the Indians to a 5-0 win over Hamden. Guilford ends up 10-2 in the CCGHL. Simsbury defeated CCGHL rival Hand 4-2 on Wednesday and ends up tied with Guilford for the league title with an identical 10-2 record.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Tuesday Night's Girls' Basketball Highlights

  • Chantell Alford scored 17 points, pulled down eight rebounds, had four steals and one block in Wilbur Cross' 58-53 win over city rival Career. With the win, the Governors clinch a share of the Southern Connecticut Conference Oronoque Division title with the Panthers.
  • Casey Dulin finished with a triple double - 14 points, 12 rebounds and 11 steals - in Law's 46-29 win over Sacred Heart Academy.
  • Rachel Roberts and Bianca Simmons combined for 36 points for Mercy, which won its fifth straight SCC Quinnipiac Division title with a win over Hamden.
  • Freshman Cristina Cretella had a game-high 25 points as Seymour won its second game of the season with a victory over Crosby.
  • Shelton snapped a four-game losing streak with a 55-52 win over Amity. The Spartans finish the season winless in the SCC Housatonic Division.
  • Courtney Schissler finished with 17 points in Branford's 57-28 win over North Haven. The junior is now 12 points away from 1,000 career points. The Hornets outscored the Indians 20-0 in the first quarter.
  • Led by Kerry Wallack's 22 points, four players scored in double figures in Hand's 74-41 win over Foran.

Chris Hunn, chunn@nhregister.com.

It's official with Mohegan Sun

The Mohegan Sun in Uncasville officially announced its partnership with the CIAC to host its state boys and girls basketball championships March 20-21.

Tickets will be broken down by three sessions, each session's admission is $10.
Tickets for game sessions go on sale Monday, February 16th, at 10:00am at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and through Ticketmaster.
Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster's national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet.
The session on Friday night, March 20, will feature two games, one at 6:30pm and the second at 8:30pm.
The next session will be Saturday morning, March 21, and will feature three games at 9 am, 11 am and 1 pm. The final session will be Saturday evening and will also feature three games at 4:30pm, 6:30pm and 8:30pm.
All eight games will be tape delayed and broadcast on CTSN-TV, the Connecticut Sports Network. The broadcast schedule will be announed when the matchups are.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

HOCKEY: HAMDEN-GUILFORD GIRLS PLAY FOR TITLE

The Hamden girls' hockey team is now in the driver's seat....
Thanks to its 5-3 Central Connecticut Girls' Hockey League win over Simsbury on Saturday, the Green Dragons can clinch the second league title in the history of their program. Hamden plays host to CCGHL rival Guilford on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Astorino Rink. Guilford and Simsbury are both 9-2 in the league and Hamden is 9-1-1.
"It's going to be an exciting game with Guilford," Hamden coach Val Chamberlain said after his win over Simsbury on Saturday. "Guilford always has a lot of talent and they are well coached. Our games are always tough and exciting."
A Hamden win would also give the Green Dragons the No. 1 seed in the upcoming CCGHL tournament.

Hillhouse Takes a Tumble

After losing to Mercy 58-49 Thursday, the Academics fall to No. 9 in the latest girls' basketball Register Top 10 Poll. Career replaces Hillhouse at No. 5. For the entire poll, click here.
Also, read here about Lauralton Hall's one-two punch of Molly Yardley and Keylantra Langley, which is a major reason why the Crusaders have won their last eight.

Chris Hunn, chunn@nhregister.com

Friday, February 6, 2009

Friday's Girls' Basketball Highlights

  • Branford junior Courtney Schissler followed up a 22-point, 16-rebound performance with 21 points in a 57-44 win over East Haven.
  • Anisha Wilson did the same. After scoring 18 points on Wednesday, Wilson finished with a game-high 20 points in Career's 58-47 win over Cheshire.
  • Kate Clawson led Hand with 20 points in a 61-47 win over Law. In the losing effort, Casey Dulin scored 21.
  • Lauren Okafor continues to control the boards for Hopkins. The 6-foot-3 junior pulled down 20 rebounds for the second time this week. Okafor also scored 17 points and added five steals. The Hilltoppers, though, fell to Holy Family 59-50.
  • Molly Yardley and Keylantra Langley combined for 38 points in the Crusaders 72-37 blowout of Newtown.
  • LindsayKarle scored 19 points in Lyman Hall's 51-29 win over Shelton.
  • Bre Butler poured in 20 points to push Sheehan magic number to one. Just one more win will get the Titans into the state tournament, following Sheehan's 49-41 win over Amity.
  • A balanced attack - four players scored in double figures - led Wilbur Cross to a 62-37 win over North Haven. Shanilya Bush led the way with 12 points.

-- Chris Hunn, chunn@nhregister.com

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Career-Wilbur Cross tonight

Cross will attempt to keep hope of yet another SCC Oronoque Division title alive tonight when the Governors play Career at the New Haven Athletic Center. Game time is 7 p.m.
If Cross wins, it will clinch at least a tie. If Career wins, it could set up a winner-take-all battle next Tuesday against East Haven - if East Haven can win Friday night at North Haven.

Stay tuned...

SCC basketball lands three division winners

Three divisions were wrapped up in the Southern Connecticut Conference last night:
Hillhouse won the Hammonasset by winning at Hand.
Sheehan won the Housatonic by beating Cheshire for the second time in three days.
Xavier still has a perfect division record in the Quinnipiac after dispatching West Haven at home.

Thus far, nine teams have qualified for the league tournament beginning Feb. 26. In addition to the three division winners, Lyman Hall, Hand, Notre Dame-West Haven, Career, Wilbur Cross and North Haven will all be in the field. West Haven and East Haven are just one victory away from qualifying while Cheshire is two. Only Amity is eliminated from possibly qualifying right now.

As far as undefeated teams go, the state lost three more last night when there were two games featuring unbeaten teams: Trinity Catholic won at Stamford and Cromwell held serve at home vs. Hyde. In another game, Crosby toppled Sacred Heart.

So that leaves: Trinity, Cromwell, Hillhouse, Stratford, Canton and Terryville.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Wednesday's Girls' Basketball Highlights

  • After losing the first meeting between the two SWC powerhouses, Lauralton Hall got some revenge with a 52-46 win over Pomperaug. Keylantra Langley had a game-high 19 points for the Crusaders.
  • Courtney Schissler had 22 points and 16 rebounds in a losing effort for Branford, as the Hornets fell to Career 64-50. Anisha Wilson led Career with 18 points.
  • Alyssa Healy scored a career-high 18 points off the bench to lead Foran 52-43 over cross-town rival Law. The Lions clinched a state tournament berth with the win.
  • Hamden outscored Guilford 26-6 in the second quarter as the Green Dragons knocked off the Indians 69-53. Hamden has now won seven of their last nine.
  • Hamden Hall sank eight 3-pointers in a 48-36 win over Hopkins.
  • Andreanna Thomas finished with 19 points, five assists and five steals in Hillhouse's 76-47 win over Hand.
  • Mercy outscored West Haven 23-1 in the opening quarter of the Tigers 63-33 win.
  • Heidi Schneider's only basket of the game was the most important. Schneider's buzzer-beating 3-pointer lifted O'Brien Tech to a 39-37 win over Goodwin Tech.
  • Sheehan held Chantell Alford, one of the area's top players, scoreless, but the Titans fell to the Governors 44-35.
-- Chris Hunn, chunn@nhregister.com

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Tuesday high school slate postponed

here are the makeup dates for all of our events:

BOYS' BASKETBALL
CSC
Norwich Tech at Whitney Tech, ppd. to today, 5:30 p.m.
Vinal Tech at Wilcox Tech, ppd. to Feb. 25, 6 p.m.
Platt Tech at Wright Tech, ppd. to today, 6 p.m.
Goodwin Tech at O'Brien Tech, ppd. to today, 6 p.m.
SCC Quinnipiac
Notre Dame-West Haven at Fairfield Prep, ppd. to Thursday, 7 p.m.
West Haven at Xavier, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
SCC Oronoque
North Haven at Career, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
Branford at Wilbur Cross, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
SCC Hammonasset
Hillhouse at Hand, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
SCC Housatonic
Shelton at Lyman Hall, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
SCC interdivision
Hamden at Guilford, ppd. to Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
Amity at East Haven, ppd., TBA
NVL
Holy Cross at Seymour, ppd. to today, 7 p.m. \
Shoreline
Coginchaug at Old Saybrook, ppd., TBA
Valley Regional at Morgan, ppd. to Thursday, 7 p.m.
SWC\
Kolbe Cathedral at Bunnell, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
Notre Dame-Fairfield at Oxford, ppd. to today, 4 p.m.
Immaculate at Stratford, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
FCIAC
St. Joseph at Harding, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
GIRLS' BASKETBALL\
CSC
O'Brien Tech at Goodwin Tech, ppd. to today, 6 p.m.
Wright Tech at Platt Tech, ppd., TBA
SCC Quinnipiac
Mercy at West Haven, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
SCC Hammonasset
Foran at Law, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
Hand at Hillhouse, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
SCC Housatonic
Lyman Hall at Amity, ppd. to Thursday, 7 p.m.
Cheshire at Shelton, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
SCC Oronoque
East Haven at North Haven, ppd., TBA
Career at Branford, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
SCC interdivision
Guilford at Hamden, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
Wilbur Cross at Sheehan, ppd. to today, 5:30 p.m.
Derby at Sacred Heart Academy, ppd. to today, 5:30 p.m.
CCC
Platt at Bulkeley, ppd. to Thursday, 5 p.m.
NVL
Ansonia at Holy Cross, ppd. to today, 4 p.m.
Seymour at Woodland, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
Crosby at Naugatuck
SWC
Bunnell at Kolbe Cathedral, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
Pomperaug at Lauralton Hall, ppd. to today, 7 p.m.
Oxford at Notre Dame-Fairfield, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.
Stratford at Immaculate, ppd. to Thursday, 7 p.m.
BOYS' SWIMMING
SCC
Hamden at Shelton, ppd. to today, 3:30 p.m.
Lyman Hall at Foran, ppd. to Thursday, 4 p.m.
North Haven/North Branford at West Haven, ppd. to today, 4 p.m.
Branford at Amity (High Plains Community Center Pool, Orange), ppd. to Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Branford football coach resigns

Gary Gravina resigned Monday after seven seasons as the head coach, which included the 2005 Class MM state championship.