The CCC championship final game was held Thursday at Conard High School in West Hartford, with the Red Wolves, officially the ‘away’ team, losing 11-6 to Glastonbury.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Savannah Cote. Photos by Scott Sulkazi

Conard entered the CCC conference championship game looking for redemption in a rematch against Glastonbury after falling to the Guardians in last year’s title matchup. The Red Wolves came out with energy and confidence early, but a dominant stretch from Glastonbury in the middle quarters proved to be too much to overcome as Conard ultimately fell, 11-6, in the championship contest.

Conard wasted no time getting on the board in the opening quarter. With 6:39 remaining in the first, Torin McGoldrick found the back of the net off an assist from Liam Alver to give the Red Wolves an early 1-0 lead. Conard continued to pressure offensively and doubled its advantage later in the quarter when Brady Meehan scored with 2:42 remaining, putting the Red Wolves ahead 2-0.

Glastonbury responded before the end of the opening frame, cutting the deficit in half on a goal by Wyatt Desantos with 1:06 left in the quarter. The late goal shifted momentum toward the Guardians heading into the second period.

The second quarter proved to be the turning point of the game. Glastonbury’s offense erupted for five unanswered goals, completely changing the pace of the matchup. Desantos added another goal during the run, while Jacob LeBlanc and Brody Cummings also found the net. The Guardians moved the ball effectively throughout the quarter, with assists coming from Patrick Sullivan, Rocco Meigs, and LeBlanc as Glastonbury took control offensively.

Despite the surge from the Guardians, Conard managed to stop the run late in the half. McGoldrick scored his second goal of the game with just under two minutes remaining before halftime, giving the Red Wolves a much-needed spark and keeping the game within reach heading into the break.

Glastonbury, however, continued to dominate coming out of halftime. The Guardians added five more goals during a commanding third-quarter performance. Meigs, LeBlanc, and Sidney Silverman each contributed goals as Glastonbury stretched its lead even further. Their transition offense and ball movement continued to create scoring opportunities, while Conard struggled to slow down the momentum.

Conard showed resilience despite facing a large deficit. McGoldrick scored again with just under seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, once again assisted by Alver. The senior attacker, continued to be the offensive leader for the Red Wolves throughout the game, consistently finding ways to generate scoring chances against a tough Glastonbury defense.

In the fourth quarter, Conard continued to battle until the final whistle. McGoldrick added two more goals to complete an impressive individual performance, but the Red Wolves were unable to close the gap as Glastonbury maintained control and secured the CCC championship victory.

Although the loss was disappointing, Conard showed flashes of strong offensive play early in the game and never stopped competing. McGoldrick’s standout performance and Alver’s playmaking highlighted the Red Wolves’ effort on the biggest stage. While the season ended short of a conference title, Conard’s return to the championship game for a second straight year demonstrated the program’s consistency and determination against one of the state’s top teams.

Conard, 11-5 in the regular season and seeded No. 9 in the CIAC Class L tournament, will look for a run in states with their first game being on Wednesday at No. 8 Farmington (13-3).

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