NEW HAVEN - Standing on the ice Saturday afternoon at Ingalls Rink, Fairfield Prep head hockey coach Matt Sather used the word resilient to describe his team.
That seemed the most fitting for the season and what just took place before him.
After battling back from a myriad of obstacles against Darien, Prep junior Vinny D'Amore scored the game-winning goal in sudden-death overtime to lift Prep to a 2-1 victory and the Division 1 state title.
It was Prep's second straight state hockey title and 16th overall.
"We've had a rough year with injuries, we've had a rough year with new guys and playing up and down," Sather said. "But these guys, they're resilient. I hate to say it, but it's almost like they don't care about stuff like that."
It's been a rollercoaster season for the Jesuits (16-4-3) that ended in euphoria.
After Prep's Dean Lockery tied the game at 1 in the third period to send it to extra time, Prep's D'Amore, who was open near the top of the right circle, took a perfectly placed passed from teammate Ryan Deering and fired it home just six minutes and 9 seconds into overtime.
"It was just a great look by Ryan (Deering), I love playing with him," D'Amore said. "My first thought when I got that puck was to take a shot. And to watch it go into that net was amazing."
It made it that much more meaningful coming from Deering, whose season was almost done three weeks ago after he suffered a seizure.
"Everyone told him he wasn't going to play again this year," Sather said of Deering. "They found out why, walking phenomena. He comes back...sets up the game-winner in overtime. Can you beat that?"
Prep battled back all game against a determined and strong defensive Darien squad, who was looking for its first title since 1969.
Darien (20-3-1) took a 1-0 lead in the first period, just 3 minutes and 5 seconds into the game off a shot from Robert Juterbock.
From there, Blue Wave goalie Michael Colon put on a highlight show in the net as he stopped multiple attempts from Prep, including a one on one stop against Lockery. He finished with 34 saves, as Prep outshot Darien 36-9.
Prep's goalie Chris Gutierrez, who is from Darien, finished with eight saves.
"I really felt like Darien played exactly the way they wanted to play," Sather said. "That's a tribute to their seniors, to Chris (Gerwig, head coach). And when you get into a game like this, let's face it; it's a bounce, a bounce we got."
After peppering Colon all afternoon, Prep's looked to have scored the equalizer in the third period, but it was called off because the whistle blew before the puck went in the net.
Seven seconds later though the Jesuits answered as Lockery scored off a pass from Ken Kochiss.
"We bounced right back," D'Amore said.
That then set up the overtime and game-winner from D'Amore.
"We've had a really bumpy season," D'Amore said. "I'm happy with the ending."
FINAL BOX SCORE »
2014 Division I Ice Hockey Championship