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Sports

Mid-Fairfield Connecticut Stars Preparing For National Championship

The U-14 girls hockey team is headed to Michigan on Tuesday for the Tier 1 national tournament

The anticipation is building for the Mid-Fairfield Connecticut Stars girls hockey team, which flies to Detroit on Tuesday to participate in the U-14 tier 1 national championship.
 
The Connecticut Stars enter the tournament, which takes place Wednesday through Sunday in Rochester, Michigan, boasting a 41-5 record and ranked third in the country, according to myhockeyrankings.com. Tournament games will be played at the Onyx Rochester Ice Arena and the Suburban Ice Macomb facility.
 
The team is made up of girls in grades seven through nine and is comprised of players from throughout Fairfield County and other towns. It includes two players from Norwalk -- goaltender Annie DeFrino, who attends Greenwich Academy, and forward Nicole Lue, a freshman at McMahon.
 
Stars coach Moe Tarrant said the biggest thrill for him has been watching the joy his players have been exhibiting leading up to their big opportunity. The Stars qualified for the nationals by winning the Connecticut and New England Regional tournaments last month.
 
"Watching their excitement is incredible," said Tarrant, a veteran of national youth tournaments. "It's just awesome to see the way they're handling this."
 
Eleven of the top-15 ranked teams in the country will be competing in the tournament. They will be divided into two groups of six.
 
"The competition is tremendous," Tarrant added. "From 250 teams, you're down to the final 12. If you end up making a mistake, it's magnified. You're playing against some of the best players the United States has at this age group."
 
However, the Stars aren't going to Michigan just for hockey as the players have agreed to volunteer their time at the Gleaner’s Community Food Bank in Pontiac as a way to give something back to the Detroit community. They will be at the food bank on Thursday from 10:45a.m to 12:45p.m.
 
The girls want to apply the same team effort that helps them succeed as hockey players to an activity that will benefit the local community.
 
Coached by Tarrant and Ryan Equale, the squad emphasizes teamwork and supporting each other on and off the ice.  The players view this volunteer event as an extension of that philosophy being applied to life, instead of just hockey.
 
“We do everything together as a team, so it makes sense for us to help others as a team,” Lue said.
 
The Stars play their first game in the tournament on Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. against the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.
 
On Thursday, the Stars take on the Boston-based Assabet Valley Patriots, who traditionally feature the top girls hockey program in the country. Two years ago, Assabet won the national championship in every age division and last year all but one. It also handed the Stars one of their five defeats this season.
 
The Stars complete pool play on Friday against the host and Michigan state champion Honeybaked, a team that  is sponsored by Honey Baked Hams. Also in the Stars' bracket are the Anaheim Lady Ducks and Montgomery Blue Devils.
 
The top four in each group advance to the playoff round. The quarterfinals and semifinals are set for Saturday, followed by the championship game on Sunday.
 
"This is what the competition should be," Tarrant said. "You have to play your best for four days."
 
Earlier this season, the Stars won the prestigious Polar Bear Holiday Tournament, one of the largest girls' events, attracting top teams from the United States and Canada.
 
The Stars, who play in the Boston-based New England Girls Hockey League since there aren't enough teams in Connecticut, have outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 248-48. The team went 5-0 in the New England Regional, defeating the New Hampshire Avalanche 7-0 in the title game.
 
Since the Stars have been off for two weeks, they will play a pair of tuneup games this weekend against the New Jersey Colonials, who will represent their region in Michigan. The teams will skate at Stamford's Terry Conners Rink on Saturday at  12:30 p.m., then face off again in New Jersey on Sunday.
 
 
 

 

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