Darien named No. 1 team in final state coaches top 10 poll

Darien celebrates after beating Staples, 1-0, to win the Class L championship Saturday in Wethersfield. (Tim Welk photo courtesy of the CIAC)

For the ninth time and first time since 2022, Darien has been voted as the No. 1 field hockey team in the state in the final state coaches top 10 poll as conducted by Westbrook co-op coach Janet Dickey.

Darien (20-2-1) beat two-time defending Class L champion Staples, 1-0, on Saturday for the state championship holding the Wreckers scoreless for the first time this year. It was the third straight meeting between the two schools in the Class L final.

Staples (20-2) lost twice all season. The Wreckers lost to Darien on penalty strokes in the FCIAC Tournament championship game.

FCIAC teams have finished No. 1 in the state top 10 poll eight times in the last 10 years. Hand from the Southern Connecticut Conference was No. 1 in 2017 and there was no season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finishing at No. 3 was Class S Immaculate of Danbury, who outlasted No. 6 Granby in the finals, 3-2. Immaculate finished at 19-3-1 while Granby is 16-4.

Class M champion Branford (21-2) finished at No. 4 with the Hornets getting the most wins of any Connecticut team this fall.

Fairfield Ludlowe (16-5) finished at No. 5. New Milford, who finished second in Class M, finished at No. 7 in the poll while Wilton slipped to No. 8.

Immaculate’s Emma Scheckner, left (4) and Mikayla Hanel (3) celebrate after scoring a goal in Saturday’s Class S championship game in Wethersfield. (Tim Welk photo courtesy of the CIAC)

Conference tournaments 

Berkshire League
Semifinals
Nonnewaug 1, Watertown 0, OT
Shepaug def. Lakeville
Championship
Nonnewaug 2, Shepaug 1 (penalty strokes, 3-0)

Central Connecticut Conference
Semifinals
Monday, October 27
(2) Simsbury 3, (3) Conard 2
(1) Glastonbury 3, (4) Farmington 1

Championship
Wednesday, Oct. 29
Championship
Glastonbury 3, Simsbury 1
Of note: Glastonbury won the first-ever CCC Tournament in field hockey. The Guardians, who have won 10 straight matches, captured the CCC South with a 6-0 record while Simsbury won the CCC North title with a 7-0 mark.

Eastern Connecticut Conference
Semifinals
Saturday, October 25
(1) East Lyme 4, (4) Killingly 0
(3) Stonington 2, (2) Waterford 2
Championship
Tuesday, October 28
Stonington 3, East Lyme 1

FCIAC
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, Oct. 22
Staples 7, Trumbull 0
Darien 2, Ridgefield 0
Fairfield Ludlowe 2, New Canaan 1
Greenwich 3, Wilton 2 (penalty strokes, 4-3)
Semifinals
Saturday, Oct. 25
Darien 3, Greenwich 0
Staples 4, Fairfield Ludlowe 1
Championship
Wednesday, Oct. 29 at McMahon
Darien 2, Staples 1 (penalty strokes, 1-0)

Shoreline Athletic Conference
Semifinals
(1) Westbrook/Old Lyme-Lyme 6, (4) Haddam-Killingworth 0
(2) North Branford 3, (3) Morgan 0
Championship
Monday, Oct. 27
Westbrook/Old Lyme-Lyme 1, North Branford 0

Southern Connecticut Conference
Quarterfinals
Thursday, Oct. 23
(1) Branford 9, (8) Sheehan 0
(2) Hand 4, (7) Amity 0
(3) Cheshire 2, (6) Lauralton Hall 1, OT
(4) Hamden 2, (5) Guilford 1
Semifinals
Saturday, Oct. 25
Branford 2, Hamden 0
Cheshire 1, Hand 0
Championship
Tuesday, Oct. 28 at Amity
Branford 1, Cheshire 0

SouthWest Conference
Quarterfinals
Monday, Oct. 20
(1) New Fairfield 2, (8) Brookfield 0
(4) Immaculate 6, (5) Masuk 3
(2) New Milford 1, (7) Joel Barlow 0
(3) Pomperaug 3, (6) Newtown 1
Semifinals
Wednesday, Oct. 22 at New Fairfield
Immaculate 2, New Fairfield 1
Pomperaug 2, New Milford 1, OT
Championship
Saturday, Oct. 25 at WCSU
Pomperaug 2, Immaculate 0

Recent top 10 poll champions

2024: Staples (22-1)
2023: Staples (20-2-0-1)
2022: Darien (23-0)
2021: New Canaan
2020: No poll, COVID-19 pandemic
2019: Staples (21-1-2)
2018: Staples (22-1)
2017: Hand (20-1-2)
2016: Darien (16-2-3)
2015: Wilton (17-5)
2014: Glastonbury (18-0-2)
2013: Darien (21-1-1)
2012: Darien (21-1)
2011: Cheshire (22-1)
2010: Darien (22-0)
2009: Darien (22-0)
2008: Darien (21-0-1)
2007: Darien (18-3)
2006: Greenwich (20-2)
2005: Greenwich (21-1)
2004: Fairfield Warde (17-2-0-1)
2003: Pomperaug (22-0)
2002: Pomperaug (19-0-1)
2001: Shepaug Valley (17-0-1)
2000: Granby
1999: Canton (15-2-3)
1998: Canton (18-1-1)
1997: New Canaan
1996: Cheshire
1995: Canton (17-0-3)
1994: Enfield
1993: Enfield
1992: Canton (19-0)
1991: Canton (19-0)
1990: Greenwich