Girls' Soccer: New Canaan, Ridgefield fit to be tied for FCIAC crown

Written by Dave Stewart
Friday, 13 November 2009 14:38

For 100 minutes, the New Canaan Rams battered and the Ridgefield Tigers clawed their way through some intense soccer competiton. When the dust finally settled and the teams could at long last rest, the FCIAC final didn’t have a winner, but the league had a pair of champions.

New Canaan and Ridgefield battled to a scoreless tie through two overtimes at Norwalk High’s Sam Testa Field last Wednesday and since the FCIAC does not use penalty kicks to decide a victor, the two teams were declared co-champions.

Field Hockey: Rams soar over Falcons, 4-1, in State opener

Written by Dave Stewart
Wednesday, 11 November 2009 18:02

As far as New Canaan senior Maggie Burke was concerned, Tuesday night’s State opener for the Rams was all about redemption following a 3-0 loss to Darien in the FCIAC final last week.

“The forwards kind of needed to redeem themselves and put a few in,” Burke said.

How does four goals sound?

Boys' Soccer: Rams survive road trip, Centaurs, in States

Written by Dave Stewart
Wednesday, 11 November 2009 11:20

What a difference two weeks make.

Staring at elimination from postseason contention just 17 days ago, the New Canaan high boys’ soccer team has risen from the dead and has racked up four straight victories.

Along the way, the Rams captured the FCIAC Eastern division crown, qualified for the State Class L tournament and then made a two and a half hour bus ride upstate to Woodstock Academy to post a 3-0 shutout over the Centaurs in their first playoff game.

Remarkably, the No. 23 Rams (7-7-2) are now getting ready to host a playoff game as the Wilton Warriors (5-7-4) visit Dunning Field today, Thursday, at 6 p.m. Wilton upset No. 7 New Fairfield on Tuesday.

Girls' Soccer: Rams sting Yellowjackets 3-0 to open State playoffs

Written by Dave Stewart
Monday, 09 November 2009 23:15

New Canaan’s game with East Haven in the opening round of the State Class L girls’ soccer tournament won’t be remembered as a textbook performance by any means, but it did get the job done.

Junior Keri Lloyd scored twice and the Rams didn’t allow a shot on goal en route to a 3-0 decision over the Yellowjackets Monday night at Dunning Field.

The victory moved sixth-seeded New Canaan (15-1-3) into the second round, where they will face the No. 22 Brookfield Bobcats (7-6-4) on Wednesday. Brookfield knocked off No. 11 Woodstock Academy (10-4-3) with a 3-0 decision on penalty kicks.

Never say die Rams beat Greenwich in final minute, 35-34

Written by Dave Stewart
Saturday, 07 November 2009 00:14

The situation was certainly dire for the New Canaan Rams as they faced a 13-point deficit to Greenwich, on the road, in a hostile environment at Cardinal Stadium and with fewer than nine minutes remaining on the clock.

But while the hometown crowd was celebrating what looked like a sure victory, the Rams’ bench was surprisingly confident.

Football Preview: New Canaan ready to tackle Greenwich

Written by Dave Stewart
Friday, 06 November 2009 06:06

The Greenwich Cardinals went 8-3 last fall and have started the 2009 high school football season by winning six of their first seven games. That’s a winning record of 14-4 and, for just about any other team, would be cause for celebration.

But this is the Greenwich Cardinals we’re talking about — a program steeped in tradition and one which is used to hanging championship banners in its gymnasium, not sitting at home during the postseason.

The Cardinals will also be battling for their playoff lives when they host the New Canaan Rams in a key FCIAC clash Friday night at 7 p.m. in Cardinal Stadium.

Wave crashes down on New Canaan in field hockey championship game

Written by Dave Stewart
Friday, 06 November 2009 05:58

When Erin Gildea took over the head coaching reins of the New Canaan Rams’ field hockey team two weeks before the start of the preseason, she inherited a program which was a shadow of its former self.

Once mainstays in the FCIAC semifinals and finals, the Rams struggled just to qualify for the tournament, and often departed in the first round. New Canaan hadn’t even won an FCIAC tournament game since legendary coach Sue Schwerdtle retired after the 2003 season.

So when Gildea spoke to her understandably disappointed team following a 3-0 loss to Darien in Thursday’s FCIAC championship game at Dunning Field, she tried to put things in perspective.

Football: Baty's six TDs help Rams take care of business vs. Wilton

Written by Dave Stewart
Friday, 06 November 2009 06:05

The New Canaan Rams have faced several challenges during this football season, and each time they’ve managed to persevere and get a victory.

So when the New Canaan offense sputtered on its first couple of drives and Wilton took a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter of last Friday’s game, the Rams did what they always do: They turned to each other.

“We didn’t talk about Wilton, we talked about what we can do better and what we had to fix,” senior co-captain Geoff Young said. “One thing we can do very well, probably better than any other team, is stick together when something goes wrong.”

New Canaan, Ridgefield share FCIAC girls' soccer crown after scoreless tie

Written by Dave Stewart
Thursday, 05 November 2009 06:28

For 100 minutes Wednesday night in Norwalk, the New Canaan Rams and Ridgefield Tigers girls’ soccer team put on a competitive display which showcased the best the FCIAC has to offer.

And when the final horn finally sounded at the end of a second overtime, the Rams and Tigers were still deadlocked and this were declared FCIAC co-champions for 2009.

Mitch Hoffman named New Canaan baseball coach

Written by Dave Stewart
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 13:08

New Canaan’s boys of summer have been pretty active during the past few years, as the local All-Star baseball teams have gone deep into tournament play, making regular trips to the States, Regionals and even the Cal Ripken World Series.

Mitch Hoffman knows the talent at the town’s youth level well, having worked with New Canaan baseball players through camps and clinics for the past 10 years.

Now, Hoffman has been afforded the opportunity to take on an even greater role on the baseball scene, as he was named the new head coach of the New Canaan High School varsity team earlier this week.