2026 CIAC girls field hockey Class L tournament first round is complete. What you need to know
· Yahoo Sports
The first round of the Class L CIAC field hockey tournaments was held Wednesday. Class M and S will play their quarterfinals Thursday.
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Here is the full schedule and scoreboard for the tournaments.
Here's what you need to know:
Blue Wave roll on
Darien, the No. 1 team in Class L, beat No. 16 NFA 10-0 in the first round, extending a streak going back over two decades.
The last time Darien lost in the first round of a CIAC tournament was in 2003 when it was defeated in the Class S tournament by Granby Memorial. The Blue Wave also lost in the 2002 first round after failing to even qualify for the tournaments in 2000 and 2001.
The program shifted in 2000 when Mo Minicus was hired as head coach coming off a stint as the head coach at Bowdoin College.
Minicus took over the program in 2000, made her first CIAC tournament in 2002, was named CHSCA Coach of the Year in 2003, led the Blue Wave to the Class M championship game in 2004, and won her first championship in 2007.
Since then, the Blue Wave have appeared in 15 finals, winning 10 titles, including last year's Class L crown. In that span, they have lost in the semifinals four times and the quarterfinals just twice, in 2005 and 2015. They have reached the semifinals every season since 2016.
Darien has not conceded a goal in the first round of any Class L tournament since 2018 when it beat New Canaan 3-2. The Blue Wave have now not allowed a goal in five straight tournament games going back to last season.
Minicus, who won her 500th career game in the FCIAC quarterfinals against Ridgefield, has twice been the CHSCA Coach of the year and was named the NFHCA National Coach of the Year in 2010.
Prior to her arrival, Darien had appeared in three CIAC finals from 1981-84, winning two titles. Darien did not reach a championship game from 1984-2004.
Darien will face No. 9 Greenwich in the quarterfinals either Friday or Saturday
FCIAC rules
Seven of the final eight teams in Class L are from the FCIAC. The only team to break through was No. 7 Hall from the CCC, which beat No. 10 Farmington 1-0 in double overtime to advance to face No. 2 Staples in the quarterfinals.
The FCIAC also had seven of eight quarterfinalists a year ago in Class L.
A team from the FCIAC has won the last 12 Class L championships, including Darien beating Staples last season. Glastonbury and Darien were co-champions in 2014. The last time an FCIAC team didn't win a CIAC title was in 2002. Since 2004, an FCIAC team has won 18 Class L tournaments, including the 2016 tournament when Darien and Staples were co-champions.
Seeded upsets
No. 12 Norwalk defeated No. 5 Cheshire 3-2, going to double overtime and then winning a shootout 4-2 to advance the Bears to the quarterfinals where they will meet No. 4 New Canaan in the quarterfinals.
Also, No. 9 Greenwich beat No. 8 Conard 3-1 and No. 11 Ridgefield beat No. 6 Glastonbury 1-0.
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