For first time, Staples is No. 1 in final state top 10 poll, Avon comes in at No. 10

Immaculate’s Emma Halas (2) bounces the ball off her stick in the waning minutes of Sunday’s Class S championshio game in Wethersfield. Immaculate finished No. 2 in the final state top 10 coaches poll. More field hockey photos

WETHERSFIELD, November 20 – Staples High recovered from a one-goal defeat in championship game of the FCIAC Tournament earlier this month to run the table with four straight wins to capture their fourth straight CIAC Class L championship with a 2-0 win over Cheshire.

With the win, Staples (22-1) was the unanimous choice as the No. 1 team in the final state field hockey coaches poll of the season.

It’s the first time that Staples has finished the season as the No. 1 team in the state. For the FCIAC, it is the 12th time in the last 15 years that a FCIAC team has been selected as the No. 1 field hockey team in the state. The Wreckers had finished the season at No. 2 for the past two seasons.

Staples had won 22 games in a row before dropping a 2-1 decision to Darien in the final of the FCIAC tournament.

Immaculate-Danbury (20-2-0-1), which won their first-ever field hockey championship with a 3-0 victory over Granby in the Class S title game, was ranked No. 2 with 130 points while Class L runnerup Cheshire (21-2) came in at No. 3.

Guilford (19-2-1), which won the first outright state title in team history with a 3-1 victory over Sacred Heart Academy in the Class M final, finished at No. 4 with Darien, which lost to Staples in overtime in the Class L semifinals, came in at No. 5.

Guilford’s Mariah Cretella tries to slow down Sacred Heart Academy’s Isabella Tufano in Sunday’s Class M championship game. Guilford finished No. 4 in the final top 10 state coaches poll. More field hockey photos

Granby (18-2) slipped to No. 6 with Stonington coming in at No. 7. Sacred Heart Academy, which beat Avon, 1-0 in triple overtime in the Class M semifinals, made their first appearance of the season in the top 10 poll at No. 8.

Newtown, which fell to Cheshire in overtime in the Class L semifinals, finished at No. 9 while Avon (14-4) was ranked at No. 10 – the first top 10 appearance for the Falcons since October 2017. The last time that Avon finished the season in the top 10 was in 2014 when they were ranked No. 7 in the final poll of that campaign.

The poll is compiled by Westbrook High coach Janet Dickey.

Avon senior Paige Deppe controls the ball during the Class M semifinal game loss to Sacred Heart Academy in triple OT. The Falcons finished No. 10 in the final state coaches top 10 poll. More field hockey photos

FINAL, Monday, November 19, 2018

Recent top 10 poll champions
2017: Hand; 2016: Darien; 2015: Wilton; 2014: Glastonbury; 2013: Darien
2012: Darien; 2011: Cheshire; 2010: Darien; 2009: Darien; 2008: Darien
2007: Greenwich; 2005: Greenwich; 2004: Fairfield Warde; 2003: Pomperaug
2002: Pomperaug; 2001: Shepaug Valley; 2000: Granby

2018 League Tournaments
ECC
Semifinals
Stonington 2, Fitch/Ledyard 0
East Lyme 2, Waterford 0
Championship
Stonington 0, East Lyme 0, 2 OT (share title)

FCIAC Tournament
Quarterfinals
Norwalk 4, Wilton 1
Darien 2, Ridgefield 0
Staples 6, Fairfield Warde 0
Greenwich 1, New Canaan 0
Semifinals
Staples 3, Norwalk 1
Darien 3, Greenwich 2
Championship
Darien 2, Staples 1

Shoreline Conference
Semifinals
North Branford 2, Valley Regional 1, 3 OT
Westbrook 2, Old Saybrook 1, OT
Championship
North Branford 2, Westbrook 0 

SCC Tournament
Quarterfinals
Cheshire 6, Lyman Hall 0
Branford 3, Amity 2
Guilford 4, Sacred Heart Academy 0
Hand 3, Hamden 0
Semifinals
Guilford 2, Hand 0
Cheshire 5, Branford 0
Championship
Guilford 3, Cheshire 1

SWC Tournament
Quarterfinals
Newtown 5, Bethel 2
Immaculate 4, Weston 0
Pomperaug 2, Watertown 1
New Milford 1, New Fairfield 0
Semifinal
Immaculate 2, Newtown 1
Pomperaug 3, New Milford 0
Championship
Pomperaug 1, Immaculate 0