Fairfield Prep boys ice hockey advances to Division I quarterfinals with 3-1 win

The Fairfield Prep boys ice hockey team knew that it was not 10 goals better than Trinity Catholic, it just wanted to prove that it was one goal better than the Crusaders.

Fortunately for the Jesuits, they proved that on Wedensday night.

Prep outshot Trinity Catholic 43-15, and got goals from Darric White, Lucas Dennison and Bryan Puffer as the No. 2 seeded Jesuits beat the No. 15 seeded Crusaders 3-1 in the first round of the Division I tournament on Wednesday night at Wonderland of Ice.

Prep got its second win over Trinity of the season. The Jesuits beat the Crusaders 10-0 on Dec. 16.

"Their goaltender was spectacular," Prep Head Coach Matt Sather said. "We weren't thinking that we were 10 goals better than them ever."

The Jesuits knew not to take their first round, lower seeded, FCIAC opponent lightly entering the game. Prep faired better in its opening round game than top-seed West Haven, which was upset by No. 16 seed Darien from the FCIAC on Wednesday night.

"We just have to know that we can't take any team lightly," White said. "We've got to play hard every night."

Prep also was glad to get the opening night jitters out and advance. The Jesuits were unable to do so a year ago when, as the No. 4 seed, Prep lost to Notre Dame-West Haven in its first state game.

"It's always good to get past the first round jitters," White said. "It is nice to get past the first round and go forward."

Added to those kids were the fact that Prep has 11 rookies on its squad that have never experienced the state playoffs at all.

"They needed to experience it," Sather said. "There's probably only four or five kids here that have been past the first round."

The Jesuits appeared to be the aggressor at the start, and got some good fortune and good passing on Dennison's goal. Puffer hit Dennison with a sneaky pass at the side of the net that Dennison deposited for a power play goal that put Prep ahead 1-0.

But Trinity Catholic, playing patiently and waiting for its opportunity, took advantage just 1:40 after Dennison's goal when sophomore Cesare DelVaglio beat goalie Spencer Sodokoff on the short side to tie the game at one.

"That goal was kind of a fluke I think," Sather said. "We weren't skating."

The Jesuits responded just 28 seconds into the second period when White found a pass from Dennison and put a shot off of the crossbar and in the net past Trinity Catholic goalie Kenny Eger.

"I shot back across the grain," White said. "It just went in. I didn't really see it, I was on the ground."

The game remained within striking distance for the Crusaders into the third, but Prep's defense managed to keep the Trinity Catholic attack at bay. Prep allowed just a

single shot on goal in the third.

"I thought defensively we played great," Sather said. "I'm real happy there."

The Jesuits then put the game out of reach when, again on the power play, Puffer outworked the Crusaders' defense and beat Eger to make the game 3-1.

"We put 43 shots on cage, one has got to go in at some point," Sather said.

Prep is the top remaining seed in the Division I tournament. The Jesuits will play again tomorrow against another

FCIAC opponent in No. 10 seed Ridgefield at Bennet Rink in West Haven at noon.