By Peter Barhydt
It wasn’t easy. But what a great game last night! It was exactly the kind of win that defines championship-caliber teams.
The New Canaan Rams took the ice against Notre Dame-West Haven in the CIAC Division I semifinals, knowing that nothing would be handed to them. What followed was three periods of playoff hockey at its most intense—hard hits, grinding shifts, elite goaltending, and a late-game dagger that sent New Canaan to the state championship with a 3-1 win.
A First Period Filled with Chaos and Pressure
From the moment the puck dropped, New Canaan dictated the tempo. The Rams came out flying, immediately applying pressure in the Notre Dame zone. The first few minutes were spent testing Notre Dame’s defense, working the puck low, cycling possession, and firing early shots at Green Knights’ goaltender Jacob Silva.
Silva, however, was up to the task. He made key stops, including a glove save on a Brayden Robie wrister from the slot and a quick pad stop on Ethan Kelly, who had snuck behind the defense.
Then came the first real controversy of the night: the face-off battles.
The linesman referee was relentless in his enforcement of face-off positioning. Players on both sides were constantly being tossed from the circle. At one point, even the commentators took notice, as DeMaio threw out both centermen before the puck was even dropped.
“Every face-off tonight, this linesman has thrown somebody out,” DeMaio remarked on the broadcast.
The game had everything: bruising hits, jaw-dropping saves, tense special teams battles, and a shorthanded goal for the ages.
It started with Anthony DelCarmine, who put the Rams on the board 7:45 into the first period by finishing a crisp pass from Bauer Gammill in front of the net. The Rams controlled play early, outshooting the Green Knights 13-6 in the first period.
But Notre Dame adjusted, ratcheting up the physical play and taking advantage of some questionable officiating. By the second period, the Rams were on their heels, hemmed in their own zone as Notre Dame tested Brendon Harmon in goal.
Then, the whistles came.
A tripping call on Rogan Lowe was quickly followed by a slashing penalty on Bryce Lyden, giving Notre Dame a 5-on-3 power play midway through the second period. Ethan Kelly struck at 7:22, slamming home a loose puck in front of the crease to tie the game 1-1.
From there, it was a battle of wills.
New Canaan’s defense—led by Cameron Lyden, Patrick Saxe, and Jackson Crowell—weathered a relentless Notre Dame forecheck. Harmon made one save after another, stopping 19 shots on the night, keeping the Rams alive as the minutes ticked away.
Cam Lyden’s Shorthanded Magic
And then, with under four minutes left, came the moment that may define New Canaan’s season.
Notre Dame had a power play, another chance to put the Rams away. But instead, they made one mistake too many.
A misplayed pass at center ice gave Cam Lyden the window he needed. The junior defenseman jumped the passing lane, chipped the puck ahead, and took off like he’d been shot out of a cannon.
One-on-one with Notre Dame goalie Jacob Silva, Lyden didn’t hesitate. A quick cut to the left, a flick of the wrists, and the puck snapped past Silva’s blocker into the back of the net.
2-1, New Canaan.
“That’s what you call a game-changer,” said George DeMaio on the broadcast.
The Rams still had to hold on. Notre Dame pulled Silva for the extra attacker, swarming the offensive zone. But New Canaan’s defense held strong, clearing the puck again and again.
With 23.4 seconds left, Bryce Lyden finished it off—banking the puck off the boards from his own zone into the empty net.
A 3-1 final.
Darien’s Road to the Final: Battle-Tested and Dangerous
Darien’s 3-1 semifinal win over Simsbury wasn’t as dramatic, but it showed exactly why they’ll be New Canaan’s toughest test yet.
The game was tied 0-0 after two periods, with Simsbury goalie Brady Davis stopping 34 shots in a heroic effort. But Darien’s relentless pressure finally broke through.
At 13:05 of the third, Russell Tarrant slipped a long-range shot through traffic to give the Blue Wave a 1-0 lead. Then, James Troy took over, scoring twice in the final eight minutes to put the game away.
While New Canaan has been dominant all season, Darien has been resilient. They’ve played three overtime games in the playoffs. They don’t panic.
They know that Saturday night is their chance to play spoiler.
New Canaan vs. Darien: Why This Rivalry Makes Both Teams Better
This isn’t just a game between two great teams. It’s the best of the competetive spirit between two programs that have shaped each other for decades.
These two teams have already played twice this season:
Game 1: New Canaan won 4-2; Game 2: A 1-1 tie
But what makes this rivalry so special is that neither team would likely be as good as they are without the other.
They force each other to play sharper, faster, and tougher. They know neither one is never out of a game.
They may compete hard on the ice, but deep down, they know the truth: they make each other better.
New Canaan’s players still remember when Darien won back-to-back state titles in 2015 and 2016. Darien remembers when New Canaan stunned them in the 2020 FCIAC finals.
They’ll drop the puck at 7 p.m. Saturday at Quinnipiac.
One more chapter in one of the greatest rivalries in Connecticut hockey.
