Enfield's Dual Hockey Title Anniversary Subject Of Cable TV Special

ENFIELD, CT — Connecticut high school ice hockey history was made on March 12, 1983, when Enfield and Fermi high schools captured the Division I and II state championships, respectively. To date, it remains the only time that the titles were won by public high schools from the same town, and with the proliferation of co-op programs throughout the state, it is unlikely to ever be duplicated.

That historic day at the New Haven Coliseum, and the circumstances leading up to the title contests, were recalled in great detail Monday during taping of a special television program at the Cox Communications studios in Enfield. Enfield head coach Phil Clarkin, All-State forward Steve Palmer and Fermi coach Rich Miltz joined executive producer/host Tim Jensen, editor of Enfield Patch, for a 50-minute roundtable discussion.

The prevailing sentiment peppered throughout the conversation was the sense of community togetherness brought on by the unprecedented dual victories. Despite a longstanding rivalry between the two schools, most of the players on both teams had grown up playing together in the Enfield Hockey Association. A crowd of more than 4,300 fans witnessed the title tilts, many of whom had made the 59-mile trek from northern Connecticut.

Fermi took on top-seeded South Windsor in the first game, marking the first-ever "all northern" final in state history. Since Hamden captured the inaugural state tournament in 1948, teams from New Haven or Fairfield counties had won every crown until the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) split hockey into two divisions in 1976. Since then, South Windsor (1976), Suffield (1979) and Enfield (1982) had won Div. II titles, with southern teams continuing to dominate Div. I.

After the Falcons captured their first title with an 8-5 win, it was Enfield's chance to break the 35-year stranglehold held by southern teams on the Div. I crown. To do so, the Raiders would need to knock off defending champion Notre Dame of West Haven, and in the second overtime, a Kevin Meunier goal provided a 5-4 win and the school's second straight championship.

The celebration began on the ice, with players and coaches joined by spectators who dropped over the plexiglass, and continued into the early morning hours at a player's parents' home, where dozens of supporters of both schools gathered in a true sense of community. For a year at least, Enfield became "the hockey capital of Connecticut."

The special commemorative program is slated to air on Cox Communications Public Access Channel 15 beginning Monday, May 8, and will be shown Mondays at 8 p.m. and Tuesdays at 2 p.m. throughout the month. It may also be accessed on the PATV-15 website.