Back-breaking, bone-crunching, heart-stopping hits. Sliding skates and piles of pads to protect players from their opponents’ malicious punches. Hockey is a game like no other. It requires the toughness of a boxer and the precision of a golfer, all while skating on ice. In such a grueling sport, there are two possible outcomes: spectacular triumph or disgruntling defeat.
The New Canaan Boy’s Hockey team experienced this defeat on March 16 in the CIAC tournament semifinals, falling short to Notre Dame-West Haven 5-1.
NCHS Boys Ice Hockey team. Credit: Chris Harrison
The loss was very hard on the team because of the high expectations and standards that they held themselves to, sophomore Bryce Lyden said.
“We had the potential to beat any team in the state, and it was disappointing not to be able to prove that,” Lyden said. “We sold ourselves short by not playing our best in the biggest moment. We had all bought into the brotherhood of the team, and it hurt that much more when we couldn’t pull through.” With 11 goals, Lyden was the fourth-highest scorer on the team this year and is part of an excellent sophomore group that gives the program hope to avenge the loss.
Despite ending the season on a loss, the team saw success throughout the year. They finished 16-7-2 overall, reaching the FCIAC semifinals in addition to the CIAC semifinals. In the FCIAC tournament, the team defeated St. Joseph 8-0 before losing to Fairfield Co-op 5-1. Their two victories in the state tournament consisted of a 9-0 defeat of Hamden and a 4-1 win over rival Darien.
NCHS Boys Ice Hockey team. Credit: Chris Harrison
However, the team cannot look past the crushing loss to Notre Dame. It stings a little bit more because it is their second straight year of being sent home by the Green Knights. March 16 marked one year since the initial 4-1 defeat to Notre Dame in the CIAC semifinals.
Sophomore Lincoln Durfee said the team “had a bad taste in [their] mouths” from the prior season’s defeat and “were set on taking revenge.”
“But these losses will keep motivating us to get better. We want to see Notre Dame again next year,” Durfee said.
One highlight of the year was going undefeated against rival Darien. After getting swept by the Blue Wave the previous season, the team tallied two wins and one tie, including a win that sent Darien home in the state tournament.
“We had a really young team last year, and those guys stepped up in big moments this year,” said junior Luke Frame. “Winning rivalry games always feels a lot better, especially when the stakes are as high as they were.”
The team was led into battle by junior captain Doster Crowell and senior captain Cam Wietfeldt. Crowell scored a team-high 34 goals this year, earning him All-FCIAC first-team honors. “Doster is a leader on offense and always finds a way to put the puck in the back of the net,” Wietfeldt said of his fellow captain.
Junior Gavin Fitzpatrick was another key contributor to the team’s success, tallying 23 assists and 16 goals on his way to All-FCIAC second-team honors. In goal, the team had another All-FCIAC second-team member in Mason Pickering.
“Mason is a consistent force protecting the net and keeps us in every game,” Wietfeldt said. Pickering had a 90% save rate throughout the year, allowing only 1.7 goals per game.
Now the team must turn its attention to next season, where expectations will be even higher. The team’s top six goal scorers and their starting goalkeeper will return for a year that will be championship or bust. They are hungrier than ever for a ring, as- despite being runner-up eight times since- New Canaan Boy’s Hockey’s last state championship was in 1972. They are bound to break through one of these years, however, with a 50-16-7 record in the last three full seasons.
The team knows what must be done and has set its sights on achieving its goals. “We will do whatever it takes to win,” Durfee said. “We are going to keep improving and we will bring home the state championship next year.”