With the conference titles settled, spring sports teams from New Canaan High School have their eyes on bigger prizes now. The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference released the state tournament brackets for the nine spring sports, and New Canaan is well represented.
The girls lacrosse team enters the Division M state tournament with a huge chip on its shoulder. After a brief but thunderous controversy, star players Olivia Hompe, Elizabeth O'Sullivan and Wheatley Raabe return to the Rams. Forced to forfeit their regular season finale, the Rams (10-5) settled for the eighth-seed and will host ninth-seed Windsor (10-5) at 5 p.m. Thursday. A potential rematch with top-ranked Wilton looms in the quarterfinals, this time with a full Rams roster. The Rams also enter the new Class M tournament as the defending Division I champions. Girls lacrosse expanded from two to three classes this season.
The boys lacrosse team was stunned in the FCIAC quarterfinals when it was crushed by Wilton, 12-5. The Rams will try to regroup as the seventh-seed in the Division M state tournament. New Canaan will host 10th-ranked Daniel Hand at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The baseball team was a hard-luck loser to eventual FCIAC champion Staples in the conference quarterfinals. Ranked 13th in the Class L tournament, the Rams (13-7) will host 20th-seed Wilby (12-8) at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The softball team suffered an early exit along with most of the favored teams in this year's FCIAC tournament. The Rams (15-5) enter the Class L tournament as the 10th-seed and will host 23rd-ranked Joel Barlow (11-9) at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
The undefeated girls tennis team will be attempting to win its first-ever Class L state tournament after moving up from Class M. New Canaan won 10 of the last 11 Class M state titles. New Canaan defended its FCIAC crown by defeating Greenwich, 5-2, in the conference finals. The Rams (16-0) will host the winner of the Farmington vs. Naugatuck play-in game at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The girls and boys track teams will be well represented at the Class L championships to be held at Middletown High School on Thursday. The boys tennis and the boys and girls golf tournament seedings will be announced later this week.
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