Record Number Of Teams Qualify For CIAC Boys Soccer Tournament Play

CONNECTICUT — The eyes of several hundred Connecticut high school boys soccer players are focused on Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford, known for decades as Dillon Stadium and site of the championship matches for the CIAC state tournaments.

Before the finals take place on Nov. 19 and 20, there are four full brackets of competition on tap.Defending champions are Farmington (LL), Stonington (M) and Old Saybrook (S). A new champion will be crowned in Class L, as 2021 winner Wethersfield did not qualify for postseason play this year.

A total of 123 teams will be competing for titles, with 37 representing schools in Hartford and Tolland counties. Of those, Ellington has the highest seed, ranked No. 1 in Class M.

Action begins Saturday with play-in matches, then the first round commences Monday. All qualifying and first-round games are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

Here are the first-round pairings involving teams from Hartford and Tolland counties. Click the class headers for complete brackets.

CLASS LL

1st round

• No. 31 Ridgefield at No. 2 Hall
• No. 30 Southington at No. 3 Norwalk
• No. 29 Hamden at No. 4 Glastonbury
• No. 28 Enfield at No. 5 Shelton
• No. 27 Harding at No. 6 South Windsor
• No. 24 Maloney at No. 9 Newington
• No. 23 Fairfield Warde at No. 10 East Hartford
• No. 22 Conard at No. 11 Darien
• No. 18 Fairfield Ludlowe at No. 15 Simsbury
• No. 17 Farmington at No. 16 Greenwich

CLASS L

1st round

• No. 28 Stratford at No. 5 Berlin
• No. 27 Bristol Central at No. 6 Middletown
• No. 25 Windsor at No. 8 Notre Dame-West Haven
• No. 24 Bristol Eastern at No. 9 East Lyme
• No. 23 University/Prince at No. 10 Pomperaug
• No. 22 Rockville at No. 11 Abbott Tech
• No. 18 RHAM at No. 15 Ellis Tech
• No. 17 Avon at No. 16 Ledyard

CLASS M

Play-ins

• No. 35 New Fairfield at No. 30 Lewis Mills
• No. 33 Plainville at No. 32 Sheehan

1st round

• Plainville/Sheehan at No. 1 Ellington
• New Fairfield/Lewis Mills at No. 3 Bulkeley
• No. 28 Killingly at No. 5 Weaver
• No. 25 Foran at No. 8 Suffield
• No. 21 Seymour at No. 12 Tolland
• No. 18 Goodwin Tech at No. 15 Rocky Hill
• No. 17 Granby at No. 16 Woodland

CLASS S

1st round

• No. 27 Stafford at No. 6 Canton
• No. 25 Wheeler at No. 8 HMTCA
• No. 24 East Granby at No. 9 Coventry
• No. 23 Portland at No. 10 Somers
• No. 22 Griswold at No. 11 Aerospace
• No. 21 Haddam-Killingworth at No. 12 Bolton
• No. 18 Old Lyme at No. 15 St. Paul
• No. 17 Immaculate at No. 16 Classical Magnet