Canton booters will have say in who wins league championship

Canton’s Quinn Aleksa battles two Old Saybrook defenders for a ball earlier this season. Canton plays Suffield for the league championship on Friday afternoon.

Canton’s boys and girls soccer teams will have a hand in deciding who wins the North Central Connecticut Conference championships this fall.

The Canton High boys have an opportunity to win the league championship if they can beat Suffield in a winner-take-all game on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Ted Beneski Field in Suffield.

Canton (11-3-2, 10-1 NCCC) is looking to win the league championship outright for the first time since 2002. The Warriors and Suffield shared the league championship in 2021 when both teams finished 12-1.

Suffield (11-0-3, 9-0-1 NCCC) has two league games remaining. They have a game against Bolton that needs to be rescheduled but a win over Canton would clinch the championship for the Wildcats, who are looking for their first outright league title since 2015.

If Canton and Suffield battle to a tie, Suffield would need to pick up at least one point against Bolton to win the league championship.

Canton and Suffield have been ranked in the Connecticut Boys Soccer Coaches Association’s Class M/S top 10 poll for much of the season. Suffield is currently ranked No. 1 in the Class M/S poll.

The lone blemish on Suffield’s league schedule was a 0-0 tie against Ellington on Sept. 15. Canton dropped a 1-0 decision to league rival Coventry on Oct. 5.

Canton is 2-3-1 against Suffield in their last six games with their last win coming in 2020 with a 4-0 victory.

Avery Miller (4) and the Warriors have tied a single-season school record with 11 wins. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

It’s been a banner season for the Canton girls soccer team that got off to the best start in team history by winning their first eight games of the season and earning votes in the state girls soccer top 10 poll. Canton was ranked as high at No. 7 in the Class M/S poll.

In their first eight games, Canton outscored their opponents by a 33-6 margin with three shutouts. Since that point, the Warriors (11-3, 8-2 NCCC) dropped decisions to East Lyme (1-0), Granby (4-3) and Somers (3-1). Canton hasn’t been shy scoring goals as evidenced in victories over East Windsor (6-0), Rockville (5-1) and Stafford (4-1).

“We’ve focused on our passing and our control,” Canton’s second-year coach Jim Potter said. “We work together as a team and move the ball quickly.”

One of the keys this year is not just shooting but aiming at spots in the goal where the goalie is not, Potter said.

“Last year, we just liked to kick the ball right at the goalie,” he said. “We’re finally getting them to hit the corners and pass it.”

Suffield (13-0, 9-0 NCCC) has the inside track to the league championship. The Wildcats, who are ranked No. 1 in the latest state coaches Class M/S top 10 poll, can claim the title with victories in their final two games over Canton on Saturday at 3 p.m. on the turf field and on Monday on the grass at Windsor Locks.

A win by Canton over Suffield would leave the door open to claim a share of the league championship but the Warriors would need help from Windsor Locks (2-9).

Granby (13-2, 9-1 NCCC) remains in contention for the NCCC title. The Bears close out their league schedule by hosting Ellington on Monday night.

Suffield has won a share of nine of the last 10 NCCC titles, excluding 2020 when the league was split into divisions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canton hasn’t won a league title yet in girls soccer but this is the closest the Warriors have come to contending for a NCCC championship.

With 11 wins, Canton has already set a record for most regular season wins and has tied the program win for most wins in a season, including the state tournament.

2023 NCCC Boys Soccer

2023 NCCC girls soccer