The 2008-09 boys' high school season is a couple weeks into the books and it's apparent the goalie position is as strong as it was last season in the New Haven area. In fact, the goalie position is strong throughout the state...
Among the top Division I goalies in the New Haven area are John Palmieri at East Haven, Anthony Avitable at Hamden and Nick D'Aurio at Notre Dame-Fairfield.
But what is impressive is that the Division II-III sector of teams in the area have solid netminders as well. Goalies like George Donnarumma of Cheshire, Marcus Demchak of Milford and Andrew Furbush of Branford have the ability to carry their teams.
Defending CIAC Division II Amity also has a pair of solid goalies in Alec Mansfield and Steve Brandi and either player could probably start on other teams. But it's tough to put them in the same category as the above standouts since they alternate in goal and don't have the opportunity to post the same overall dominating stats as the full-time starters.
One out-of-area goalie to watch is Trinity Catholic's Anthony Chiaramonte. Trinity Catholic, a Division I team this season, has started 3-0 and hasn't allowed a goal.

As expected it's been a wild and wacky ride in the world of CIAC boys' hockey playoffs with Division I and II providing some surprises and exciting finishes.
In Division II tonight (Tuesday), some consider the Amity vs. Trinity Catholic-Stamford game at 5:30 p.m. the championship game with two of the most talented teams front to back meeting in the semifinals. Amity has what is arguably the best first line in Division II while Trinity Catholic is tough to beat when it plays as a unit. It could come down to the goalies in this matchup. If Amity can get a 2-3 goal lead early, that could be enough to carry it the final.
Sheehan vs. Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe is another tough matchup. Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe has been focused on getting to Ingalls Rink and comes in with one of its best teams in recent years. Sheehan's forte is its high-scoring two lines and offensive-minded defense. The key with Sheehan is if it gets behind 2-3 goals it has the offense to come back in a hurry.
The Division I semis on Wednesday is interesting with favorites Hamden bounced by Notre Dame-Fairfield in the quarterfinals and South Windsor bounced by Simsbury in the first round. With due respect to the northern teams, Glastonbury will be hard-pressed to beat Notre Dame-Fairfield and Conard has to take on a fired up defending champion Fairfield Prep. Catholic schools have ruled in recent years and it looks like more of the same in 2008. Notre Dame-Fairfield has legendary coach Marty Roos and a hot first-year goalie in Nick D'Aurio. Fairfield Prep has been buoyed by hot goalie John Errico with improved play at forward and defense.
My pick is for for Amity and Sheehan to meet in the D-II final with Amity taking home the championship. I see Prep and Notre Dame-Fairfield in the D-I final with Prep winning it all.

So who is going to win CIAC boys' hockey state championships?
In Division I, the only real surprise was No. 2 seed South Windsor losing in the first round to Simsbury. With due respect to Simsbury, on paper South Windsor was loaded with talent. However, since its 6-1 loss to Hamden the Bobcats did not play with the same intensity they had earlier this season.
Right now, with the quarterfinals on Saturday Division I still looks interesting. Hamden still has to be the favorite as the No. 1 ranked team in the state and No. 1 seed in the tournament. That Green Dragons defense is just unbelievable and will be tough for Notre Dame-Fairfield to penetrate in the quarterfinals.
While Tri-Town vs. Glastonbury and Simsbury vs. Conard are exciting matchups of northern teams, the other quarterfinal to key on is defending champion Fairfield Prep at East Haven, which is looking for its first Division I title. Expect a wild one with neither team taking prisoners with the red-hot Jesuits taking on the speedy, high-scoring Yellowjackets and goalie John Palmieri.
Right now I'd have to say the favorite to win it all is Hamden. But Prep and East Haven are close second choices. It won't be a surprise to see any one of these three teams hoisting the championship trophy at Ingalls Rink on March 15.
Division II will likely come down to Trinity Catholic, Amity and Sheehan. Trinity Catholic has no superstars but skates three solid lines, a strong defense and the experience of playing seven tough Division I teams in the regular season. Amity has two of the best lines in Division II and its first line of Jeff Montini, Brian Kownacki and Andrew Goldwitz can hang with the best of Division I. The wildcard will be the alternating goalie tandem of Alec Mansfield and Steve Brandi. Sheehan has good defense but its bread and butter is its speed and scoring ability. Tyler Timek, Brendan Kane, T.K. Kiernan and Nick Capozzi can change a complexion of a game quickly with their scoring ability. The question is can the defense hold down the scoring ability of a team like Trinity Catholic or Amity?
Division III is co-op city with all four semifinalists co-op teams. This division is Bolton/Coventry/Lyman Memorial's to lose with that team's depth and talent, including offensive star Brett Nightingale.

The result fully met the anticipated expectations Wednesday night as the Hamden boys' hockey team, No. 1 in the Register Top 10 poll, played host to Mount St. Charles, ranked No. 1 in Rhode Island. The teams played to a 2-2 tie at Lou Astorino Rink with both teams providing some of the best end-to-end action seen this season in Connecticut.
There were a lot of heroes on both sides but on the Green Dragons' side forward Matt Hickman gets the first star of the game, the defense led by Pat MacGregor and Tom Roche gets a 1A star and goalie Anthony Avitable a 1AA star.
Hickman showcased the overall speed of Hamden's front line, scoring 18 seconds after the Mounties took a 2-1 lead in the third period. He scored off the ensuing faceoff and if you blinked you probably missed the tying goal. (I didn't blink, my job requires me never to blink when I cover a game....ever.)

Hickman grabbed the puck off the boards, flew in on goalie Jason SanAntonio and flicked a quick wristshot while passing in front of the net.
The goalies rebuffed any further scoring attempts although MacGregor appeared to score the game-winning goal with 3 seconds left in overtime. His wide open shot from about 12 feet in front of the net seemed to fly into the back netting of the goal. But after a conference at the red line the officials confirmed it wasn't a goal. The hard rising slap shot apparently bounced off the goal, going backwards behind the net and bounced off the backboards through the back netting, giving it the appearance of a goal scored. It kind of reminded me of that supposed "magic" bullet in the Kennedy assasination nearly 45 years ago that passed through Kennedy, turned left, veered up and down, turned right, zig zagged and then hit Gov. Connolly.
Okay, I exaggerated a bit in that Kennedy description but you get my point. It was a crazy, exciting finish to a game between two elite teams.
Bottom line: If you weren't there you missed a great game.

What a day today (Wed.) for Connecticut hockey and in particular Southern Connecticut Conference Division I hockey.
Heading south at the Bridgeport Wonderland of Ice, unranked but resurgent Fairfield Prep played host to Massachusetts' No. 1 team Catholic Memorial at noon. The Jesuits lost 7-3. But playing against such an elite team certainly helped in the development of Prep coach Matt Sather's youthful team.
The most intriguing matchup takes place tonight.
Hamden, ranked No. 1 in Connecticut in the Register Top 10 poll, plays host at 6 p.m. to Mount St. Charles, ranked No. 1 in Rhode Island, at Lou Astorino Rink in Hamden. Both teams are ranked No. 1 in their respective states for a reason - both have exceptional talent front to back.
A matchup like this is reminiscent of the forearm shiver/hit 'em hard Eddie Shore hockey days of the old New England Tournaments of the 1940s and 1950s, back when old timers like Red McDonough of New Haven, the late Art Crouse of West Haven and late Lou Astorino of Hamden would muck it up with the best in New England.
Back then the top teams from the New England states would converge for one of the most exciting high school events of the season. And when the dust settled in the New England Tournament title game, one team could call itself New England champion.
For Connecticut fans, the Hamden-Mount St. Charles matchup is as close as it gets when it comes to determining New England bragging rights. Especially since Mount St. Charles is coming off a huge 5-4 upset over Catholic Memorial on Friday. With Mount St. Charles defeating CM, it would stand to reason the winner of this matchup could brag it was king of at least the tri-state area of Massachusetts-Connecticut-Rhode Island.

The Southern Connecticut Conference Division II boys' hockey tournament is only a month away and it shapes up as one of the most exciting events with many strong Division II teams in the conference this season.
Based on league records, the top four teams advance to the tournament. Semifinals will be held on Feb. 28 at the Northford Ice Pavilion in North Branford at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. The championship game will be Feb. 29 at the Northford Ice Pavilion at 7 p.m.
Amity-Woodbridge (8-4-1, 5-0), Sheehan-Wallingford (9-3, 4-1) and Cheshire (11-2-1, 3-1) are virtual locks to advance. Branford (5-7, 2-2), Milford (4-8, 1-3), Guilford (5-8, 1-3) and Lyman Hall-Wallingford (1-11, 1-3) are competing for the fourth spot, although the Hornets are currently in control with a 2-2 mark.
There is no SCC Division I tournament mostly because coaches on that level opt to close out the season by playing non-league games and avoid playing each other a possible fourth time in the state playoffs (twice in the regular season, once in the SCC tournament and again in the CIAC Division I tournament).

Branford boys' hockey coach Larry Vieira has always been a huge Green Bay Packers fan. He actually went to the game at Lambeau Field on Sunday and saw his beloved Packers lose 23-20 in overtime to the Giants with the temperature near 0 degrees.
"Yes, I was one of the freezing fools out there," Vieira said. "I thought (Green Bay quarterback) Brett Favre would win it, but that is a tough pass to make, especially throwing like that into the wind."
Vieira was referring to Corey Webster's interception of Favre in overtime.
"I did enjoy the excitement though and had a great time," Vieira said.

One of the biggest games of the season takes place tonight (Jan. 17) when No. 1 ranked Hamden travels to DiLungo Rink in East Haven to take on No. 3 East Haven at 7:30. Both teams have a pair of solid scoring lines, depth in the back line and two of the top goalies in the state. Hamden goalie Anthony Avitable and East Haven goalie John Palmieri are quick and aggressive and adept at being in the right position to make a save.
The teams also have solid veteran coaches with Bill Verneris at Hamden and Lou Pane at East Haven. Pane recently earned his 300th career win.
The game is expected to be a sellout, making it wise to get there early to secure decent parking.

While high-scoring forwards tend to get the most attention from fans and the media, a team can ride the shoulders of a talented goalie during the regular season and through the CIAC state tournament. It's not unheard of to see a team with around a .500 record ride a hot goalie all the way to the championship game in any division.
The question is, who is the best goalie this season? Is there a standout or are there several out there who could lead their team to the promised land of championship heaven?
Two of the most talked about goalies lately happen to be on two of the hottest teams in Division I - Anthony Avitable of Hamden and John Palmieri of East Haven.
Hamden, ranked No. 1 in the Register Top 10 poll, is 7-1 overall and 6-0 against Connecticut competition. In those six games, Avitable has alllowed only six goals and has shutouts over Hand-Madison and Fairfield Prep.
East Haven is ranked No. 3 in the poll and is 9-0, all against state competition. Palmieri has allowed only 11 goals in nine games and has shutouts over Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe, West Haven and Notre Dame-West Haven.
Are these the top goalies in the area? In the state? What do you think? Do you have an argument for other goalies who you believe are exceptional? Post a comment.
Although Avitable and Palmieri are separating themselves from most others, I happen to believe there are several other good goalies out there. Among the other top goalies in the New Haven area are Mike Cellini of West Haven, Marcus Demchak of Milford and George Donnarumma of Cheshire.

CIAC tournament pairings were released today for girls' volleyball with no surprises in Class LL, L, M or S.
Although Newtown is a formidable No. 1 ranked opponent, Class LL looks extremely wide open with at least three New Haven area schools poised to make a huge run to the final on Nov. 17 (site, time TBA).
The favorite on paper has to be No. 2 Amity-Woodbridge with its talent, depth and experience led by captains Janice Ehorn, Courtney Brinton and Katherine Vuolo. Amity coach Paul Thees believes Ehorn is one of the best players int he state. One of it's toughest matchups could come in the quarterfinals where it could potentially meet last season's championship runnerup and familiar SCC foe Shelton led by Dorothy Sliwonik, Kristi Ibsen, Shannon Beach and Alex Loh.
No. 4 seed Cheshire can go far as long as the team stays focused. After a recent loss to Shelton, Cheshire coach Sue Bavone said when the team doesn't take a night off and plays as a unit it can play with anyone in the state. With some breaks the Rams, led by captains Taylor Abelli and Brittany Grenus plus Meryl Schorr, Colleen Dacey, Courtney Malloy, Nora Baghat and Bri-Anna Watson, could advance at least to the semifinals, if not further.
In Class L, No. 1 seed Darien, which moved up to L after winning the Class M title in 2006, defending champion No. 2 Bristol Eastern and No. 3 East Lyme, last season's runner-up, look formidable. But watch out for No. 4 Maloney-Meriden who is the sleeper to win it all with its talent and outstanding coaching of Pam Cloutier. No. 9 North Haven and No. 10 Hand-Madison should advance at least to the quarterfinals.
Class M looks wide open with defending champion Darien in another class. No. 1 RHAM has taken no prisoners this season with an 18-0 record. But watch for talented No. 2 Woodland-Beacon Falls to get at least to to the semifinals with an easy path to that point. No. 3 Barlow-Redding and No. 6 Berlin will likely get to the semifinals and be tough outs for Woodland.
The wild card in all this is No. 4 Law-Milford who lost 3-2 to Darien in the final last season. The Lawmen, led by Casey Dulin, Michelle Nantel and Chelsea Rohrig, are experienced, talented and tournament tested. With the right breaks they could be the last man (er, lady) standing when the tournament is done.
In Class S, No. 3 seed Haddam-Killingworth, which lost 3-0 to this year's No. 1 seed Coventry in the 2006 final, appears primed for another big post-season run. HK is led by middle hitter Erin Moriarty, outside hitter Ally Pratt, setter Hannah Danadio and middle hitter Laura Brayfield.
No. 4 Morgan-Clinton has a long post-season history with 15 appearances in the final and 11 titles with the last coming in 2005. That experience is usually good for at least a couple wins in Class S. The Huskies are led by outside hitters Kara Fillion and Caitlin Jones, libero Brit Dahlberg, setter Minika Kadlof and defensive specialist Alex Mauzy. The potential key game: Morgan could possibly face Coventry in the quarterfinals on Nov. 9. Get by Coventry and it could be championship appearance No. sweet 16 for the Huskies.
Good luck to all!
For complete pairings click here http://www.casciac.org/gvb.shtml