The seeds and match-ups for the FCIAC boys ice hockey tournament are finally official, with four of the six playoff teams in action on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Darien Ice House.
Here is the schedule for the playdowns and semifinal rounds.
FCIAC Playdowns, Saturday, Feb. 24, at Darien Ice House
No. 6 New Canaan (7-4-0) vs. No. 3 Darien (8-2-1), 12:50 a.m.
No. 5 Fairfield (7-4-0) vs. No. 4 Staples (7-3-1), 6:30 p.m.
Byes: No. 1 Greenwich (10-1-0) and No. 2 Ridgefield (10-1-0)
FCIAC Semifinals, Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Darien Ice House
Fairfield/Staples winner vs. No. 1 Greenwich, 4:50 p.m.
New Canaan/Darien winner vs. No. 2 Ridgefield, 7:30 p.m.
All six tournament teams had been determined as of Wednesday, but the seeds were hammered out the last couple of days.
The final piece of the puzzle was Darien’s 8-0 victory over Wilton on Friday, as they gave the Blue Wave an 8-2-1 league record for 17 points and the No. 3 seed.
The Greenwich Cardinals and Ridgefield Tigers both finished with 10-1-0 league records and tied for first place, with the Cardinals getting the No. 1 seed based on their 5-3 victory over the Tigers on Monday.
Staples finished 7-3-1 in the FCIAC and took the No. 4 seed, with their first-round opponent, Fairfield, finishing 7-4-0 in the league for the No. 5 seed. Their regular-season meeting was a wild one, with Staples winning 9-6 at the Milford Ice Pavilion on Jan. 31.
New Canaan, which has won five straight overall, finished the FCIAC schedule with a 7-4-0 record and will face Darien in the first round.
The two rivals have faced off twice this season, with Darien winning bith games. The first meeting was a rout, with the wave winning 8-1, but the second clash was a nailbiter, with Darien winning 3-2 in overtime. The Wave scored the equalizer with one minute remaining in regulation before winning it in OT.