CT Championship Previews: Soccer, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Swimming

CONNECTICUT — State championship weekend has arrived for high school soccer, girls volleyball, field hockey and girls swimming teams across Connecticut, as the CIAC tournaments conclude Saturday and Sunday.

All eight soccer finals will be played at Trinity Health Stadium (formerly Dillon Stadium) in Hartford, the four volleyball finals will take place at East Haven High School, the three field hockey title tilts are slated for Wethersfield High School and the swimming State Open is set for the pool at Yale University.

Here are some interesting facts about the teams involved in championship contests this weekend.

• There will be Lions, Tigers and Bears - oh my! - in fact, the Lions (Northwest Catholic) and Tigers (Mercy) will meet in the Class M girls soccer finals. There will be three sets of Rams (Cheshire, Old Saybrook, Bristol Central), as well as pairs of Falcons (Xavier, Joel Barlow) and Eagles (East Catholic, Trumbull). In field hockey, the Green Wave (New Milford) will be followed onto the turf by the Blue Wave (Darien).
• Three schools will be represented in a pair of championship contests: Cheshire (boys soccer, girls soccer), Darien (volleyball, field hockey) and East Hampton (boys soccer, volleyball).
• Just three matchups - Cheshire vs. Xavier boys soccer, Lyman Memorial vs. East Catholic girls soccer and Darien vs. Wilton field hockey - feature the top two seeds battling it out for the title.
• Six teams will seek to duplicate their championship runs from 2021. Old Saybrook is on a quest for its fourth straight boys soccer title, while RHAM volleyball hopes to capture the Class M championship after winning the Class L title last year. Others seeking to repeat are Staples, St. Joseph and Mercy girls soccer, and North Branford field hockey.
• Four squads - New Milford field hockey, Bristol Central and East Hampton volleyball, and Lyman Memorial girls soccer - are seeking their first state titles, with the latter three making their initial appearances in the finals.
• Greenwich boys soccer seeks its first state title since 1961, while New Milford field hockey is making its first appearance in the finals since 1983.

Tickets for CIAC fall championship events will only be available digitally, and may be ordered here.

Here is complete information about each title contest, including championship game histories and links to team rosters and season records.

BOYS SOCCER

Class LL
Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

No. 2 Hall Titans vs. No. 16 Greenwich Cardinals

Regular season: HAL 14-0-2; GRE 9-5-2
The road to the finals:

• HAL: d. Ridgefield 2-0; d. Simsbury 4-1; d. Fairfield Warde 6-3; d. Norwalk 4-3 (PK)
• GRE: d. Farmington 2-1 (PK); d. Trumbull 1-0 (PK); d. Newington 1-0; d. Fairfield Prep 2-1 (PK)

Title game record: HAL 9-3; GRE 1-3
Last state championship: HAL 2019; GRE 1961
Rosters

Class L
Sunday, 6:30 p.m.

No. 1 Cheshire Rams vs. No. 2 Xavier Falcons

Regular season: CHE 11-2-1; XAV 12-2-2
The road to the finals:

• CHE: bye; d. Avon 6-2; d. Notre Dame-West Haven 6-0; d. Guilford 3-2
• XAV: bye; d. RHAM 1-0 (PK); d. Pomperaug 2-0; d. Middletown 5-1

Title game record: CHE 1-1; XAV 1-0
Last state championship: CHE 1988; XAV 1995
Rosters

Class M
Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

No. 1 Ellington Knights vs. No. 7 Weston Trojans

Regular season: ELL 15-1; WES 12-3
The road to the finals:

• ELL: d. Plainville 2-0, d. Granby 5-0; d. Suffield 2-1; d. Tolland 2-1 (PK)
• WES: d. WCA 6-1; d. Holy Cross 2-0; d. Rocky Hill 3-2 (2OT); d. Cromwell 6-3

Title game record: ELL 5-8; WES 1-1
Last state championship: ELL 2014; WES 2005
Rosters

Class S
Sunday, 11 a.m.

No. 3 East Hampton Bellringers vs. No. 5 Old Saybrook Rams

Regular season: EH 11-1-1; OS 13-1-2
The road to the finals:

• EH: bye; d. Thomaston 5-0; d. Canton 3-2 (PK); d. Notre Dame-Fairfield 2-0
• OS: d. Westbrook 3-0; d. Bolton 2-0; d. Litchfield 2-0; d. Oxford 2-1 (PK)

Title game record: EH 1-4; OS 7-3
Last state championship: EH 2014; OS 2021
Rosters

GIRLS SOCCER

Class LL
Sunday, 4 p.m.

No. 1 Cheshire Rams vs. No. 3 Staples Wreckers

Regular season: CHE 15-0-1; STA 10-1-4
The road to the finals:

• CHE: bye; d. Darien 3-1; d. Southington 1-0 (PK); d. Ridgefield 2-1
• STA: bye; d. Greenwich 5-0; d. Wilton 3-0; d. Glastonbury 3-0

Title game record: CHE 2-1; STA 2-3
Last state championship: CHE 2005; STA 2021
Rosters

Class L
Saturday, 11 a.m.

No. 2 St. Joseph Cadets vs. No. 4 Notre Dame-Fairfield Lancers

Regular season: STJ 14-1-1; ND 13-1-2
The road to the finals:

• STJ: bye; d. Holy Cross 8-0; d. Foran 7-0; d. Wethersfield 4-1
• ND: bye; d. Berlin 1-0; d. Brookfield 2-1; d. Ellington 1-0

Title game record: STJ 7-1; ND 2-0
Last state championship: STJ 2021; ND 2016
Rosters

Class M
Saturday, 4 p.m.

No. 3 Mercy Tigers vs. No. 13 Northwest Catholic Lions

Regular season: MER 13-2-1; NWC 9-5-2
The road to the finals:

• MER: d. Griswold 7-0; d. East Hampton 4-0; d. Weston 2-1 (2OT); d. Bacon Academy 3-0
• NWC: d. Wolcott 4-0; d. Woodland 3-0; d. Cromwell 6-0; d. Watertown 5-0

Title game record: MER 1-0; NWC 4-1
Last state championship: MER 2021; NWC 2015
Rosters

Class S
Sunday, 1:30 p.m.

No. 1 Lyman Memorial Bulldogs vs. No. 2 East Catholic Eagles

Regular season: LM 14-1-1; EC 14-1-1
The road to the finals:

• LM: bye; d. Terryville 4-0; d. Bolton 2-1 (PK); d. Portland 3-1 (2OT)
• EC: bye; d. Old Lyme 1-0; d. St. Bernard 2-1; d. Thomaston 2-1

Title game record: LM 0-0; EC 1-0
Last state championship: LM none; EC 2014
Rosters

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Class LL
Saturday, 10 a.m.

No. 1 Darien Blue Wave vs. No. 14 Trumbull Eagles

Regular season: DAR 18-0; TRU 14-6
The road to the finals:

• DAR: bye; d. Farifield Ludlowe 3-1; d. Greenwich 3-0; d. Southington 3-0
• TRU: d. West Haven 3-0; d. Simsbury 3-1; d. Brien McMahon 3-0; d. Amity Regional 3-1

Title game record: DAR 17-2; TRU 1-0
Last state championship: DAR 2014; TRU 2019
Rosters

Class L
Saturday, 1 p.m.

No. 1 Joel Barlow Falcons vs. No. 7 Bristol Central Rams

Regular season: JB 17-0; BC 14-6
The road to the finals:

• JB: bye; d. Ellington 3-0; d. Platt 3-0; d. Woodstock Academy 3-0
• BC: d. Ledyard 3-0; d. E.O. Smith 3-0; d. Suffield 3-1; d. East Lyme 3-1

Title game record: JB 1-6; BC 0-0
Last state championship: JB 2018; BC none
Rosters

Class M
Saturday, 7 p.m.

No. 2 Woodland Hawks vs. No. 4 RHAM Raptors

Regular season: WOO 18-2; RHA 17-2
The road to the finals:

• WOO: bye; d. Mercy 3-1; d. Nonnewaug 3-0; d. Waterford 3-0
• RHA: bye; d. Wolcott 3-0; d. Northwestern Regional 3-0; d. Seymour 3-0

Title game record: WOO 1-1; RHA 8-3
Last state championship: WOO 2013; RHA 2021
Rosters

Class S
Saturday, 4 p.m.

No. 2 Hale-Ray Noises vs. No. 4 East Hampton Bellringers

Regular season: HR 18-1; EH 16-2
The road to the finals:

• HR: bye; d. Immaculate 3-0; d. Coventry 3-1; d. Coginchaug 3-1
• EH: bye; d. Haddam-Killingworth 3-0; d. Wheeler 3-0; d. Griswold 3-2

Title game record: HR 1-3; EH 0-0
Last state championship: HR 1982; EH none
Rosters

FIELD HOCKEY

Class L
Saturday, 2 p.m.

No. 1 Darien Blue Wave vs. No. 2 Wilton Warriors

Regular season: DAR 16-0; WIL 14-1-1
The road to the finals:

• DAR: d. Newtown 7-0; d. Greenwich 4-2; d. Glastonbury 5-0
• WIL: d. Trumbull 7-1; d. Ridgefield 5-0; d. New Canaan 1-0

Title game record: DAR 10-4; WIL 6-4
Last state championship: DAR 2016; WIL 2015
Rosters

Class M
Saturday, noon

No. 6 New Milford Green Wave vs. No. 9 Branford Hornets

Regular season: NM 10-3-3; BRA 10-4-1-1
The road to the finals:

• NM: d. East Lyme 4-0; d. Fitch 1-0; d. Wethersfield 2-0
• BRA: d. Brookfield 1-0; d. Guilford 1-0; d. Daniel Hand 1-0

Title game record: NM 0-4; BRA 10-4
Last state championship: NM none; BRA 2005
Rosters

Class S
Saturday, 10 a.m.

No. 1 North Branford Thunderbirds vs. No. 3 Stonington Bears

Regular season: NB 15-1; STO 12-2-1
The road to the finals:

• NB: d. Sheehan 4-1; d. Sacred Heart Academy 3-0; d. Immaculate 2-1
• STO: d. Weston 2-1 (2OT); d. Granby 2-1; d. Canton 2-1 (2SHO)

Title game record: NB 5-2; STO 2-4
Last state championship: NB 2021; STO 2013
Rosters

GIRLS SWIMMING

State Open
Sunday, 2 p.m.
(diving Thursday at Middletown, 5:30 p.m.)

Class Champions

• Teams - Ridgefield; Darien; Pomperaug; Weston
• 200 medley relay - Greenwich; Darien; Guilford; Seymour
• 200 freestyle - Annam Olasewere, Staples; Avery Potyrala, Cheshire; Mia Hatzis, Brookfield; Sophia Velleco, Seymour
• 200 individual medley - Riley McGerald, Ridgefield; Miller Ward, Darien; Olivia Herbert, Bethel-Immaculate; Emme Starzman, Woodland
• 50 freestyle - Kathleen Murray, Fairfield Ludlowe; Natalia Ferranto, Darien; Audrey Gil, Joel Barlow; Riley Anderson, Bacon Academy
• 1 meter diving - Alison Colburn, Conard; Kaitlyn Maggio, New Canaan; Jordyn Gould, Guilford; Francesca Sparagna, Weston
• 100 butterfly - Avery Kudlac, Glastonbury; Miller Ward, Darien; Olivia Herbert, Bethel-Immaculate; Riley Anderson, Bacon Academy
• 100 freestyle - Annam Olasewere, Staples; Avery Potyrala, Cheshire; Audrey Gil, Joel Barlow; Katrine O'Leary, Seymour
• 500 freestyle - Kathleen Murray, Fairfield Ludlowe; Meghan Tiernan, Hall; Margaret Rutledge, Pomperaug; Sophia Velleco, Seymour
• 200 freestyle relay - Ridgefield; Darien; Wethersfield; Seymour
• 100 backstroke - Lily Archibald, Ridgefield; Natalia Gajecki, Cheshire; Elise Richardson, Lyman Hall; Emelia Bailey, Weston
• 100 breaststroke - Riley McGerald, Ridgefield; Marea Li, Amity Regional; Jocelyn Niemczyk, Rockville; Samantha Chemacki, Daniel Hand
• 400 freestyle relay - Ridgefield; Cheshire; Wethersfield; Weston