Canton winter sports: unexpected success

The Canton boys basketball team is off to a hot start this year with a record of 12-5, and is one of the top teams in the North Central Connecticut Conference, better known as the NCCC. This success comes somewhat as a surprise as the Warriors have almost an identical roster as last year, when they went 5-15, and had the second worst record in the NCCC.

The Warriors have returned 99% of the minutes played from last year after losing just one senior, but this dramatic change in their record hasn’t just come out of nowhere. 

Starting sophomore guard Brayden Keefe credits all the improvement to the work put in by all the players over the off season. “Everyone worked on their game over the summer. Almost all the varsity guys went to the summer and fall league games, so that definitely formed better chemistry.”

He also credits the Warriors’ new head coach Dan Goscinski for the newfound success as well. “We have practice plans that help us work on what we need to get better at. We aren’t stagnant which it felt like we were last year, and we are actually trying to get better and not just go through the motions. Also the style of offense, we don’t have set plays so it gives us freedom to use all of our skills, as I believe we are the most skilled team in the conference, so having this new coach is definitely helping, and is a reason for our improvement.” 

The boys team isn’t the only team exceeding expectations this year, however. The Canton girls basketball team, with a starting lineup consisting of one freshman, three sophomores, and one junior, has found much success this season as well.  According to the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Concerence (CIAC), the girls team is one of the youngest teams in the NCCC with a very solid record of 9-9. 

Starting guard Riley Ahlgren explained how their “youth has made it so a different person gets to step up every night, making (them) dynamic offensively.”

The girls have a plethora of impressive wins this year, like over the 15-4 Gilbert Yellowjackets, and a big in-conference victory over the 10-5 Somers Spartans, as well as just last week over 11-6 East Granby. “We have grown a lot over the season, and all of our work we’ve put in has prepared us for the challenges of the tournaments we have coming up,” said Ahlgren.

Moving from the hardwood over to the ice, the Newington Boys Hockey Co-op has also seen success this winter. With a record of 6-6-0, the Co-op sit in 6th place of a stacked, highly competitive Central Connecticut Conference. The Nor’Easters started the season slow, getting off to a 1-3 record to start the season, but have improved greatly throughout the season, winning matches against the number one team in the CCC, E.O Smith, handing them their first and only loss of the season. They also have victories over teams like New Milford and Wilton, each with 8 wins, respectfully. 

“Winning the match against (E.O Smith) really boosted all of the boys’ confidence. We had taken some brutal losses and it led to an understanding that we can compete with anyone in this league,” said Newington Co-op Captain and senior Mason Buckley. Newington has 8 games remaining, and look to gain momentum into the state tournament.

These teams aren’t just done yet, and look to continue to improve their records in the conclusion of their regular season. All these teams have defied expectations and have set themselves up for a strong finish to their seasons and are gearing up for their respective post-regular season tournaments.