The Hall High School boys hockey team won the CIAC Division III State Championship on Thursday night, with a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory over E.O. Smith-Tolland.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Savannah Cote. Photos by Scott Sulkazi and Savannah Cote

Less than a month after tragedy struck the West Hartford community, Hall High School delivered a moment the town desperately needed. In a game that felt destined for something special, the Titans dramatically captured the state championship, scoring just 1:13 into overtime to secure the win.

From the opening puck drop, the intensity matched the stakes in the Division III title game, played at Quinnipiac University’s M&T Bank Arena. Both teams battled relentlessly, trading chances and playing with the urgency that defines championship hockey. Strong defensive play and clutch goaltending kept the game tight throughout, with neither side able to pull away.

Hall struck first.

Just 1:25 into the game, senior captain Connor McHugh found the back of the net, finishing a play set up by Dillon McDermott and Ben Putnam to give the Titans an early 1-0 lead. The goal energized Hall, which controlled much of the early pace and carried that momentum through most of the first period.

“I mean, it’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced,” McHugh said after the win.

But E.O. Smith-Tolland answered back. At the 10:53 mark of the first period, Beckett Hansen capitalized on an opportunity to tie the game, shifting momentum and setting the tone for a tightly contested battle the rest of the way.

From there, the game settled into a tense back-and-forth. Every shift mattered, every chance was earned, and both teams showed the discipline and composure of championship-caliber squads.

In net, senior goalie Matthew Bonner stood tall, delivering a performance that kept Hall in position to win.

“It feels amazing,” Bonner said. “I mean, these past few years have been so great. The amount of work we’ve all put into this program, especially the seniors, just feels so good.”

As the regulation ended with the score still tied, the tension only grew. But overtime didn’t last long.

Just 1:13 into the extra period, Hall broke through, sending players pouring onto the ice in celebration as the Titans claimed the championship.

“I don’t know how to explain it. This is an amazing feeling,” said sophomore Matthew McDermott, who scored the overtime goal.

For head coach Colin O’Connor, the moment was a culmination of everything the team had endured and worked toward.

“Oh, it feels absolutely unbelievable right now,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier for these kids and everything they’ve been through this year and the hard work they’ve put in to get to this point.”

But the significance of the win extended far beyond the ice.

“It really meant everything,” senior captain Ben Goldstein said. “It was a really tough year. And my coach and the captains met up in his office when one of the most tragic things happened in my life, and he asked us what we wanted to get out of the rest of the season, and all of us said a state championship for our friend Cam. And it feels so good that we were able to do that. And we just know that he’s here with us, and it’s amazing.”

In a season defined by resilience, Hall delivered when it mattered most. The overtime goal secured a championship – but more importantly, it gave a community a moment of unity, pride, and healing.

Hall’s last hockey state championship was 33 years ago, a 4-3 win over Westhill (Stamford) in 1993 in Division II. In 2017, as a co-op team, Hall-Southington lost in the Division III championship, 7-3, to Woodstock Academy.

This year, Hall’s title run will be remembered not just for how it ended, but for what it meant.

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