CT Championship Previews: Basketball, Boys Ice Hockey, Boys Swimming

CONNECTICUT — State championship time has arrived for high school basketball, boys swimming and boys ice hockey teams across Connecticut, as CIAC tournament finals run from Thursday through Tuesday.

All 10 basketball finals will be played at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, the three boys ice hockey championship games will take place at Quinnipiac University and the boys swimming State Open is set for the pool at Yale University.

Here are some interesting facts, figures and notes about some of the teams involved in championship contests.

• Just two finals feature the top seeds squaring off: Class L girls basketball (Holy Cross vs. Simsbury) and Div. I hockey (New Canaan vs. Notre Dame-West Haven)
• Just three teams have a chance to win a second straight title: Hamden girls basketball (LL), St. Bernard boys basketball (won Div. II last year, now in Div. I) and Northwest Catholic girls basketball (won S last year, now in MM)
• Three schools will be participating in both basketball and hockey finals: Notre Dame-West Haven, Old Lyme and Sheehan (the latter two are part of hockey co-op programs)
• Simsbury is making its first appearance in a girls basketball final. Three other finalists are winless in previous state championship contests: Notre Dame-West Haven boys basketball, Old Lyme boys basketball and BBD ice hockey (though prior to joining the co-op, Immaculate captured titles in 2007 and 1986.
• Of the basketball and hockey teams who have earned prior championships, Cheney Tech boys basketball has endured the longest drought, winning its only title in 1941 when it was known as Manchester Trade School. Other squads with more than four decades since their last state crown are New Canaan hockey (1972), Sheehan girls basketball (1976) and Somers girls basketball (1977).
• Seeking its third straight State Open victory, Greenwich boys swimming looks to extend its phenomenal record of 37 Open titles. Notre Dame-West Haven hockey is in search of its ninth championship, while the Windsor boys, Northwest Catholic girls and Thomaston girls are all in pursuit of their fifth overall crowns.
• Two sets of Rams will represent their schools on the ice at Quinnipiac (Cheshire hockey, New Canaan hockey), while a pair of Spartan squads will take the court at Mohegan Sun (Lewis Mills boys, Somers girls)

Tickets for CIAC winter championship events will only be available digitally, and may be ordered here.

Here is complete information about each title contest, including championship game histories and links to team rosters and season records.

BOYS BASKETBALL
All games at Mohegan Sun Arena

Div. I
3/17, 8:15 p.m.

No. 1 Notre Dame-West Haven Green Knights vs. No. 6 St. Bernard Saints
Regular season: ND 20-0; SB 17-3
The road to the finals:

• ND: 1st round bye; d. Greenwich 70-34; d. WCA 80-70; d. Notre Dame-Fairfield 73-71 (2OT)
• SB: 1st round bye; d. Crosby 64-60; d. Kolbe Cathedral 64-63 (OT); d. Ridgefield 48-45

Title game record: ND 0-4; SB 3-1
Last state championship: ND none; SB 2023
Rosters

Div. II
3/16, 8:15 p.m.

No. 2 Windsor Warriors vs. No. 12 West Haven Blue Devils
Regular season: WIN 17-3; WH 14-6
The road to the finals:

• WIN: 1st round bye; d. Hall 76-64; d. Conard 84-74; d. Fairfield Warde 70-51
• WH: d. Norwalk 75-49; d. Holy Cross 65-54; d. New Britain 63-62; d. Stamford 46-32

Title game record: WIN 4-3; WH 1-0
Last state championship: WIN 2014; WH 1987
Rosters

Div. III
3/16, 12:30 p.m.

No. 2 Lewis Mills Spartans vs. No. 5 Bunnell Bulldogs
Regular season: LM 16-4; BUN 15-5
The road to the finals:

• LM: 1st round bye; d. Masuk 68-50; d. Maloney 59-48; d. Fairfield Ludlowe 37-36
• BUN: d. New Canaan 62-47; d. Brookfield 94-57; d. North Haven 55-36; d. SMSA 56-49

Title game record: LM 1-1; BUN 1-0
Last state championship: LM 1996; BUN 2015
Rosters

Div. IV
3/17, 10 a.m.

No. 3 Innovation Ravens vs. No. 4 Cheney Tech Chargers
Regular season: INN 18-2; CT 17-3
The road to the finals:

• INN: d. Woodland Regional 70-49; d. Suffield 70-62; d. Bristol Eastern 64-36; d. Weaver 83-59
• CT: d. Whitney Tech 85-55; d. Wamogo 68-49; d. Ellington 66-60 (OT); d. Wheeler 60-43

Title game record: INN 1-0; CT 1-1**
Last state championship: INN 2019; CT 1941**
** - as Manchester Trade School
Rosters

Div. V
3/17, 3 p.m.

No. 3 Old Lyme Wildcats vs. No. 8 Coventry Patriots
Regular season: OL 17-3; COV 14-6
The road to the finals:

• OL: 1st round bye; d. Grasso Tech 53-44; d. Somers 52-47; d. Litchfield 43-40
• COV: 1st round bye; d. Coginchaug 75-39; d. Nonnewaug 63-49; d. Thomaston 61-50

Title game record: OL 0-1; COV 1-1
Last state championship: OL none; COV 1989
Rosters

GIRLS BASKETBALL
All games at Mohegan Sun Arena

Class LL
3/17, 6:15 p.m.

No. 1 Sacred Heart Academy Sharks vs. No. 3 Hamden Green Dragons
Regular season: SHA 19-1; HAM 17-3
The road to the finals:

• SHA: 1st round bye; d. Southington 51-46; d. Stamford 72-49; d. Conard 68-54
• HAM: 1st round bye; d. Trumbull 55-40; d. Mercy 37-33; d. Newington 51-40

Title game record: SHA 3-2; HAM 1-0
Last state championship: SHA 2022; HAM 2023
Rosters

Class L
3/16, 6:15 p.m.

No. 1 Holy Cross Crusaders vs. No. 2 Simsbury Trojans
Regular season: HC 19-1; SIM 17-3
The road to the finals:

• HC: 1st round bye; d. Wilton 59-46; d. Bristol Eastern 69-33; d. Farmington 69-63
• SIM: 1st round bye; d. Fitch 54-41; d. Windsor 37-31; d. New Milford 42-32

Title game record: HC 2-4; SIM 0-0
Last state championship: HC 2022; SIM none
Rosters

Class MM
3/16, 3 p.m.

No. 2 Northwest Catholic Lions vs. No. 5 Sheehan Titans
Regular season: NWC 16-4; SHE 15-5
The road to the finals:

• NWC: d. Weston 66-34; d. Ledyard 67-53; d. Rocky Hill 68-49; d. North Haven 59-43
• SHE: d. Joel Barlow 60-35; d. East Haven 68-42; d. Bacon Academy 51-41; d. Berlin 64-43

Title game record: NWC 4-6; SHE 1-2
Last state championship: NWC 2023; SHE 1976
Rosters

Class M
3/16, 10 a.m.

No. 2 St. Paul Falcons vs. No. 5 Windham Whippets
Regular season: SP 17-3; WIN 16-4
The road to the finals:

• SP: 1st round bye; d. Immaculate 57-47; d. Granby 49-29; d. Oxford 50-32
• WIN: 1st round bye; d. Woodland Regional 52-35; d. Wilcox Tech 93-44; d. East Hampton 44-42

Title game record: SP 2-3; WIN 2-0
Last state championship: SP 2010; WIN 2011
Rosters

Class S
3/17, 12:30 p.m.

No. 2 Thomaston Golden Bears vs. No. 4 Somers Spartans
Regular season: THO 17-3; SOM 15-5
The road to the finals:

• THO: 1st round bye; d. North Branford 61-45; d. Lyman Memorial 62-30; d. East Catholic 53-47
• SOM: d. Cheney Tech 61-21; d. Coventry 51-36; d. Gilbert 72-38; d. Bolton 62-40

Title game record: THO 4-5; SOM 1-1
Last state championship: THO 2022; SOM 1977
Rosters

BOYS ICE HOCKEY
All games at Quinnipiac University

Div. I
3/19, 7 p.m.

No. 1 New Canaan Rams vs. No. 2 Notre Dame-West Haven Green Knights
Regular season: NC 16-3-1; ND 14-5
The road to the finals:

• NC: 1st round bye; d. Greenwich 7-0; d. Darien 6-1
• ND: 1st round bye; d. Xavier 3-0; d. Simsbury 3-2

Title game record: NC 1-10; ND 8-12
Last state championship: NC 1972; ND 2022
Rosters

Div. II
3/18, 7 p.m.

No. 1 Cheshire Rams vs. No. 15 East Haven co-op Yellowjackets
Regular season: CHE 18-1-1; EH 5-15
The road to the finals:

• CHE: d. Farmington Valley 6-0; d. Watertown-Pomperaug 2-1; d. Amity Regional 3-0
• EH: d. West Haven 6-1; d. Guilford 5-2; d. Woodstock Academy 6-0

Title game record: CHE 4-4; EH 1-6**
Last state championship: CHE 2011; EH 1998**
** - East Haven solo prior to co-op; on its own, Sheehan was 0-1 in finals
Rosters

Div. III
3/14, 7 p.m.

No. 1 BBDI IceCats vs. No. 3 Conard Red Wolves
Regular season: BB 16-3-1; CON 17-2-1
The road to the finals:

• BB: d. Staples 3-2 (OT); d. Rocky Hill co-op) 5-2; d. Masuk 5-4 (OT)
• CON: d. Enfield co-op 5-2; d. New Milford 3-2; d. Suffield co-op 4-1

Title game record: BB 0-1**; CON 2-1
** - On its own, Immaculate was 2-1, winning Div. II in 2007 and 1986
Last state championship: BB none; CON 1996
Rosters

BOYS SWIMMING
at Yale University

State Open
3/18, 1 p.m.

• Qualifiers and information

Divisional Team Champions

• LL - Greenwich
• L - New Canaan
• M - Pomperaug
• S - Weston

Best Divisional Times

• 200 medley relay - New Canaan (Huang, Mascarinas, Haley, Carr), 1:34.33
• 200 freestyle - Jack Clancy, Ridgefield, 1:39.59
• 200 individual medley - Wyatt Vitiello, Norwalk/McMahon, 1:51.20
• 50 freestyle - Mike Kvashchuk, Norwalk/McMahon, 21.09
• 1 meter diving - Finn Moynahan, Fairfield co-op, 543.85
• 100 butterfly - Andrew Villani, Northwest Catholic, 51.17
• 100 freestyle - Kegan Clark, Greenwich, 45.63
• 500 freestyle - Jack Clancy, Ridgefield, 4:32.86
• 200 freestyle relay - Greenwich (Mendelsohn, Melley, Flakstad, Clark), 1:24.77
• 100 backstroke - Wyatt Vitiello, Norwalk/McMahon, 50.77
• 100 breaststroke - Robert Regan, Pomperaug, 56.82
• 400 freestyle relay - Greenwich (Flakstad, Wood, Melley, Clark), 3:08.09