The usual quality of FCIAC boys’ lacrosse was especially evident in the 2026 season, capped off by some great finishes involving conference teams in the FCIAC and state Class LL tournament championship games.
Coach Will Koshanky’s Staples Wreckers scored six unanswered goals in the third quarter to break open a close game and then held off a spirited New Canaan comeback in the fourth quarter for a thrilling 10-9 victory in the championship game of the 2026 FCIAC Boys Lacrosse Tournament on May 28 at Wilton High School’s Tom Fujitani Field.
A major goal every year for legendary veteran Darien coach Jeff Brameier, the architect of several decades of excellence for the program since the early 1990s, has been for his Blue Wave players to end the season with “the pile” just after a final buzzer of the state championship game.
After a relatively lengthy gap between state championships, Brameier’s boys got to resurrect “the pile” of jubilant Blue Wave players after their 10-9 victory over New Canaan in the 2026 Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Class LL Tournament final to win Darien’s 15th state championship and first one since 2019.
Darien unanimously received all 11 first-place votes to be ranked No. 1 in the Final 2026 GametimeCT Top 10 Boys Lacrosse Poll in which the 15-7 Blue Wave, New Canaan (17-5) and Staples (17-5) were ranked 1-through-3. Staples, New Canaan and Darien were ranked 1-through-3, respectively, in the previous poll prior to the state tournaments.
There were five FCIAC teams ranked among the top six in the final state poll as Wilton (12-8) was No. 5 and Ridgefield was No. 6.
Fairfield Prep was ranked No 4, and the teams ranked 7-through-10 were Guilford (18-4), Glastonbury (15-5), Weston (19-3) and Notre Dame-West Haven (15-6).
In the opening quarterfinal round of the FCIAC Tournament: Staples beat Greenwich, 14-3; New Canaan defeated Fairfield Ludlowe, 15-6; Darien beat St. Joseph, 19-3; and Wilton defeated Ridgefield, 12-6.
Staples advanced to the championship with a 13-8 victory over Darien and New Canaan got there with its 13-6 victory over Wilton.
Hunter Pallai had two goals and two assists, Charlie Clark had a pair of goals and one assist, Tristan Benton also netted two goals and long pole defenseman Nate Maurillo was selected the game’s MVP to lead the Staples Wreckers to their second FCIAC championship in the last three years with that 10-9 victory in the final over those resilient New Canaan Rams who faced an 8-3 deficit going into the fourth quarter.
Grey Wildman had a hat trick, and Matt Reed had two goals and two assists to lead New Canaan.
This was a year in which the FCIAC was especially dominant when it came to individuals receiving postseason awards.
Darien’s senior midfielder Wes Scallen, who was selected the Player of the Year by both the Connecticut High School Coaches Association and GametimeCT, scored four goals and teammate Bruce Hopkins had a hat trick to help lead the Blue Wave to its 10-9 victory over New Canaan in the Class LL state championship game.
Rogan Lowe, Cole Campisi and Matt Reed each scored three goals to lead New Canaan.
Scallen led the group of 10 FCIAC players who were among the dozen total players selected statewide to the 2026 GametimeCT All-State Boys Lacrosse First Team, and those same 10 conference players also made the CHSCA Class LL All-State Team.
In addition to Scallen, the nine other players from the FCIAC who earned the two highest levels of all-state honors were junior defenseman Jimmy Benedict and senior attack Ryan Thurlow (37 goals and 28 assists for 65 points) of Darien; senior midfielder Charlie Clark (48 goals and 25 assists for 73 points), junior defenseman Nate Maurillo, and senior FOGO Eric Skolnick of Staples; junior goalie Jack Crowell, sophomore defenseman Andrew Hojnacki, and sophomore attack Grey Wildman (new school records of 78 goals and 111 points in a season) of New Canaan; and Wilton senior attack Connor McAndrews (48 goals and 27 assists for 75 points).
Darien’s Thurlow was also the recipient of the Bob Scott Award which the CHSCA awards to a senior “who goes above and beyond in service to his team, school and community.”
Crowell, the best goalie in the state, had quite an impressive junior year in all three seasons to be honored as the GametimeCT Athlete of the Year.
Before he allowed just 7.18 goals per game and had 15 saves in New Canaan’s thrilling 9-8 overtime victory over Staples in the semifinals of the Class LL state tournament, Crowell was a linebacker who helped the New Canaan football team win its fourth consecutive state championship last fall and in the winter season he helped the New Canaan Rams win their first state championship in ice hockey since 1972.
New Canaan’s senior midfielder Cole Campisi and Darien’s sophomore midfielder Bruce Hopkins were both selected to the CHSCA Class LL All-State Team and the GametimeCT All-State Second Team.
New Canaan’s senior midfielder Brady Mazabras was a CHSCA Class LL All-State selection and GametimeCT All-State Honorable Mention.
Staples junior Max Hill and Wilton seniors Trevor Galligan and Jake Padilla were chosen to the GametimeCT All-State Second Team.
Those all-state players and many more conference players received All-FCIAC honors in several categories which are listed on the link below: