State Semifinals Slated In Field Hockey, Soccer, Volleyball

CONNECTICUT — After a wet, wild and woolly weekend of quarterfinal action, CIAC tournament competition has reached the semifinal stage, with the final four teams in each class set to square off in field hockey, boys and girls soccer and girls volleyball at neutral sites across the state.

With no state tournament action taking place last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, anticipation has never been higher for fall athletes seeking Connecticut championships. Here are some facts and figures about the 60 teams still battling for state supremacy.

Eight teams are seeking to defend their titles won in 2019. Four are searching for their third straight crown: Guilford field hockey, Old Saybrook boys soccer, Seymour volleyball and Lyman Memorial volleyball. Four other defending titleholders still in the running are Granby field hockey, Stonington boys soccer, Granby girls soccer and Holy Cross girls soccer.

In the 15 divisions (field hockey has three, the others each have four), just seven No. 1 seeds remain: New Canaan and Guilford field hockey, Xavier boys soccer, St. Joseph girls soccer and Cheshire, RHAM and Weston volleyball. The lowest-ranked team still competing is Northwest Catholic girls soccer, seeded 24th in Class S.

Here are the dates, times and locations of each semifinal matchup. Click the class headers for full brackets; click the game links for rosters, coaches and season records.

FIELD HOCKEY

Class L - 11/16

• No. 1 New Canaan vs. No. 5 Glastonbury (at Pomperaug HS, 6 p.m.)
• No. 2 Darien vs. No. 11 Wilton (at Norwalk HS, 6 p.m.)

Class M - 11/16

• No. 1 Guilford vs. No. 4 Pomperaug (at Cheshire HS, 6 p.m.)
• No. 2 Wethersfield vs. No. 3 Joel Barlow (at Watertown HS, 6 p.m.)

Class S - 11/16

• No. 2 Stonington vs. No. 3 Thomaston (at Branford HS, 6:30 p.m.)
• No. 4 North Branford vs. No. 8 Granby (at Wethersfield HS, 6 p.m.)

BOYS SOCCER

Class LL - 11/17

• No. 1 Xavier vs. No. 13 Cheshire (at Municipal Stadium-Waterbury, 5 p.m.)
• No. 6 Staples vs. No. 7 Farmington (at Municipal Stadium-Waterbury, 7 p.m.)

Class L - 11/17

• No. 2 Watertown vs. No. 14 Fitch (at Jonathan Law HS, 7 p.m.)
• No. 9 Guilford vs. No. 12 Wethersfield (at Naugatuck HS, 6 p.m.)

Class M - 11/17

• No. 2 Suffield vs. No. 3 Stonington (at West Haven HS, 6:30 p.m.)
• No. 8 Ledyard vs. No. 12 Ellington (at Xavier, 7 p.m.)

Class S - 11/18

• No. 2 Old Saybrook vs. No. 6 Somers (at Willow Brook Park-New Britain, 7 p.m.)
• No. 4 Griswold vs. No. 8 Canton (at Willow Brook Park-New Britain, 5 p.m.)

GIRLS SOCCER

Class LL - 11/16

• No. 6 Fairfield Ludlowe vs. No. 10 Wilton (at Bunnell HS, 6 p.m.)
• No. 9 Staples vs. No. 12 Fairfield Warde (at Trumbull HS, 6:30 p.m.)

Class L - 11/16

• No. 1 St. Joseph vs. No. 4 Waterford (at West Haven HS, 6:30 p.m.)
• No. 6 E.O. Smith vs. No. 10 Simsbury (at Windsor HS, 7 p.m.)

Class M - 11/16

• No. 3 Sacred Heart Academy vs. No. 10 Notre Dame-Fairfield (at Naugatuck HS, 6 p.m.)
• No. 4 Mercy vs. No. 9 Granby (at Willow Brook Park-New Britain, 5 p.m.)

Class S - 11/16

• No. 2 Holy Cross vs. No. 6 Somers (at Willow Brook Park-New Britain, 7 p.m.)
• No. 12 Coginchaug vs. No. 24 Northwest Catholic (at Municipal Stadium-Waterbury, 6:30 p.m.)

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Class LL - 11/17

• No. 1 Cheshire vs. No. 12 Fairfield Ludlowe (at Pomperaug HS, 6 p.m.)
• No. 2 Greenwich vs. No. 3 Darien (at Fairfield Warde HS, 6 p.m.)

Class L - 11/17

• No. 1 RHAM vs. No. 5 North Haven (at New Britain HS, 6 p.m.)
• No. 10 Bristol Eastern vs. No. 11 Simsbury (location TBA, 6 p.m.)

Class M - 11/16

• No. 1 Weston vs. No. 13 Ledyard (location TBA, 6 p.m.)
• No. 2 Seymour vs. No. 14 Mercy (at Jonathan Law HS, 6 p.m.)

Class S - 11/16

• No. 2 Granby vs. No. 3 Lyman Memorial (at SMSA, 6 p.m.)
• No. 8 Coventry vs. No. 12 Griswold (at Bacon Academy, 6 p.m.)

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