Seven FCIAC Teams Still In Running For State Championships

With the boys and girls soccer state tournaments down to the semifinals and the field hockey and girls volleyball tourneys having reached the finals, seven FCIAC teams are still in the running for championships.

The list includes Trumbull and Norwalk in boys soccer, St. Joseph, Trumbull and Staples in girls soccer and Wilton and Norwalk in field hockey.

The field hockey and girls volleyball finals will take place this weekend without a familiar face: Darien. The Blue Wave's 10-year run as girls volleyball state finalists ended Thursday with a 3-1 loss to Southington in the Class LL semifinals.

In addition, Wilton dethroned Darien as four-time state champions in volleyball with a 3-2 overtime victory in the Class M  semifinals on Thursday night

The only FCIAC teams in action Friday are the St. Joseph and Trumbull girls soccer squads.

The fourth-seeded Cadets, who have outscored their first three opponents in the Class M tournament by a combined margin of 21-1, face top seed Northwest Catholic in the semifinals at 5 p.m. at Waterbury's Municipal Stadium. St Joseph won the Class M state title in 2008.

The winner of the St. Joseph-Northwest Catholic contest battles either Granby Memorial or Nonnewaug in the finals next weekend.

No.18 seed Trumbull, which upset No. 7 New Canaan in the quartefinals, takes on Newtown at 6:30 at West Haven. The winner gets Glastonbury or Staples in the finals next weekend. The Eagles won back-to-back state championships in 2007 and 2008.

The 20th-seeded Wreckers have eliminated last year's state champion (Shelton) and runner-up (Westhill) in back-to-back games. Now they have to face the top-seeded Tomahawks. The contest is set for Saturday at West Haven at 2:30 p.m.

In the boys tournament, No. 3 seed Norwalk and league champion Trumbull clash in all-FCIAC semifinal on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at West Haven.

Both teams advanced with 1-0 victories. Trumbull defeated Glastonbury in the quarterfinals while Norwalk ousted Farmington, last year's state champion, in overtime. The winner gets either top seed Pomperaug or No. 13 Guilford in the final.

The Wilton and Norwalk field hockey teams will be playing for state titles on Saturday at Wethersfield.

Wilton takes on Branford in the Class M final at 10 a.m. The Warriors are seeking their first state crown since 2007, the year before Darien began its run of four straight.

Norwalk, which is appearing in a state final for the first time in school history, battles top seed Cheshire at 2 p.m. The Bears advanced with a 2-1 win overtime over No. 2 Glastonbury, scoring the winning goal with six seconds remaining.

No FCIAC teams made a state final in girls volleyball.