Darien Sinks New Canaan Lax 13-7 in FCIAC Semifinal

Only 17 days ago, the New Canaan boys lacrosse team put together one of its best games of the season against arch-rival Darien, culminating in a 9-8, heart-stopping victory for the Rams. The win ended the Blue Wave’s 34-game winning streak dating all the way back to 2013. Tuesday night at Jack Casagrande Field in Norwalk, Darien got its revenge. Behind Colin Minicus’ four goals (three in the first quarter) and goaltender Ryan Cornell’s 11 saves, the No. 3  Blue Wave knocked off No. 2 seed New Canaan 13-7 in the FCIAC semifinals.

Undefeated No More: New Canaan Lax Sinks Darien, Ends Wave’s Winning Streak at 34

It had been two years since Darien lost a game. The last 34 games they played in, they were the victors each and every time. Three of those losses in that streak came at the expense of New Canaan in 2014—an OT loss during the regular season, an OT loss in the FCIAC tournament, and a 10-8 defeat in the CIAC Championship. But on Saturday at a packed Dunning Stadium, the Rams turned the page. With the combination of senior co-captain Michael Kraus’ four goals, stellar goaltending by sophomore Drew Morris and collapsing, shutdown defense, New Canaan (9-2, 6-1 FCIAC) defeated Darien (11-1, 7-1 FCIAC), in a 9-8 thriller.

Not in the Cards: New Canaan Lax Falls to Greenwich

It was a marquee FCIAC matchup between two powerhouse programs that lived up to its billing—packed stands, bad blood, highlight reel goals and punishing, physical defense from both sides. In the end, the only thing missing for the New Canaan Rams was a win. Snake bitten by penalties and an inability to control possession against the Greenwich Cardinals Saturday afternoon at Dunning Field, the Rams came out on the short end of a 13-10 decision. The loss came despite an inspired performance from Rams senior co-captain Michael Kraus who scored five goals with one assist on the afternoon and sparked a New Canaan rally that turned a 7-3 deficit into an 8-7 lead in the third period. Greenwich, however, reeled off four unanswered goals and outscored the Rams 5-2 in the final period to put the game away.

2015 New Canaan Rams Boys Lacrosse Preview

It’s been a long, cold lonely winter—now it’s finally time for the kids to go back outside and play. The 2015 Spring Sports season finally upon us, and one team that can’t wait to hit the field is the New Canaan High School boys lacrosse squad. Last year’s successful campaign included several dominant performances against teams from all over the Tri-State to the tune of a 17-5 overall record, culminating with a berth in the CIAC Championship. The 2015 Rams are looking to build off of that, and get over the hump otherwise known as the Darien Blue Wave. New Canaan was on the wrong side of three heartbreaking losses to its FCIAC rival, including a 12-11 loss in the conference semifinals and a 10-8 defeat in the Class M title game.