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)
Top 10 poll
The state field hockey coaches top 10 poll. First place votes in parentheses.
| FINAL, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025 | ||||
| Team | Rec. | Pts. | LW | Class |
| 1. Darien (8) | 20-2-1 | 160 | 2 | L |
| 2. Staples | 20-2 | 136 | 1 | L |
| 3. Immaculate | 19-3-1 | 107 | 10 | S |
| 4. Branford | 21-2 | 103 | 4 | M |
| 5. Fairfield Ludlowe | 16-5 | 86 | 5 | L |
| 6. Granby | 16-4 | 82 | 9 | S |
| 7. New Milford | 16-5-1 | 71 | nr | M |
| 8. Wilton | 15-4-1 | 70 | 3 | L |
| 9. Pomperaug | 17-3-2 | 38 | nr | M |
| 10. Shepaug Valley | 15-4-2 | 32 | nr | S |
| Others receiving votes: Guilford (13-6-0-1) 28, New Canaan (13-4-0-2) 24, Hand (14-4-0-2) 17, Nonnewaug (17-3-1) 6 | ||||
| Coaches voting: Matt Arinello, Immaculate, Margaret Bristol, Canton, Janet Dickey, Westbrook/Lyme co-op, Dawn Hough, New Milford, Kitty Palmer, Guilford, Maureen Perkins, Glastonbury, Kyle Seaburg, Norwalk, Jenna Tucchio, Stonington | ||||
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 (16-0)
1999: Canton (15-2-3)
1998: Canton (18-1-1)
1997: New Canaan (16-1-3)
1996: Cheshire (13-2-4)
1995: Canton (17-0-3)
1994: Enfield (17-0-1)
1993: Enfield (16-0-1)
1992: Canton (19-0)
1991: Canton (19-0)
1990: Greenwich (13-1-3)
1989: Cheshire
1988: Old Saybrook
1987: Cheshire
1986: Canton (18-0-1)
1985: Cheshire