Fairfield Warde High School Skaters Reach State Championship Hockey Game for First Time in School History

Editor's Note: Anyone interested in taking a fan bus to Yale University Friday evening to watch the Warde boys' ice hockey state championship game should sign up in the athletic office. The bus will leave from Warde at 5:30 pm and return immediately after the game. Game time is set for 7:00 pm. Tickets can also be purchased for this game in the athletic office as well.

The combined Fairfield Warde and Ludlowe high school hockey team advanced to the state championship game for the first time in school history last night. The Mustangs won their semi-final round matchup against Sheehan High School, 4-1, at Ingalls Rink.

The Mustangs face-off against Amity Regional High School of Woodbridge in the Connecticut Division II high school final this Friday evening in New Haven at 7 o'clock. Amity defeated Trinity Catholic of Stamford, 3-2, in the other semi-final round contest.

Fairfield's Mustangs scored three times in the opening frame and added another goal in the second stanza to jump out to a 4-0 cushion. Chris Kittredge, Peter Silvestri, John Pettit, and Chris Genova tallied for the Mustangs, who improved to 13-11-1 on the season.

The team has come a long way since our days at Andrew Warde High School over a generation ago. First of all, the 1975-76 squad was comprised of players exclusively from our high school instead of a combined roster of players from both Warde and Ludlowe. The photo below is taken from the 1976 Flame yearbook.

The team also showed some improvement over the previous year by winning one more game. The 1975-76 Crimson Eagles finished with a 6-12-2 record.

There were some exciting moments during the season, including the tie against our cross-town rivals, the Ludlowe Flying Tigers, and the victory over the Governors of Wilbur Cross at the New Haven Coliseum. The Coliseum, which was recently demolished, was the home of the American Hockey League's New Haven Nighthawks, and the venue was considered "big-time" for scholastic hockey players.

The leader of the squad was senior captain Andy Larsen, a perennial all-star. He was named to the All-FCIAC and All-State squads. Senior co-captain Joe Hamilton also earned All-FCIAC honors. Two other seniors who played well during the season were goaltender Jack Swift, seen in the photo above in a game at the Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport, and "hatchet man" Bob Flug.

What do you remember about our high school hockey team? How impressed are you about the accomplishments of our "descendants" at Warde? I welcome your thoughts in the "comments" link below.

High School hockey players have never received the publicity or notoriety of their football or basketball counterparts, but this corner is proud of the accomplishments of this year's squad. If you have the time and opportunity Friday night, try to support the Mustangs as they attempt to win their first-ever state hockey championship.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".