I was just perusing the Web a little bit, passing time before tonight’s big Wilton-Amity CIAC Division 2 semifinal when I came across a post on the FCIAC Hockey Blog.

At some point on Thursday morning, a poster named HSHockeyFan — who I understand to be the owner/moderator of the blog — told his readers that he was giving it all up.

He wrote: “I’m giving up the blog. I’ve lost my enthusiasm for it. Will have a post about it one of these days or weeks when I get around to it, or maybe not. Or maybe I’ll just shut it down silently. I haven’t decided.”

I can understand his frustration. Doing a good blog is almost a full-time job in itself and it’s not like we make a lot of extra money doing this. Ask me. Ask our good friend Tim Parry of the FCIAC Football Blog, who started the local sports blogging craze more than three years ago. He gave up his blog, but — thankfully — did an about face before last season and put together one of his best year’s since he fouunded it.

I love doing the blogs that are a part of The Stamford Times, The Hour and the Wilton Villager. Most of you know that. But there are days — when readers attack a high school athletes and coaches for no reasons more than just personal vendettas — it can grow frustrating.

This is not a forum where we’re dealing with professional athletes, who are grown ups getting paid un-Godly amounts of money to play a game and be criticized by the fandom.

No, these are your kids and neighbors kids. They are your friends and your kids friends. These are people from your community, trying to make their way through a life that, while relatively simple from an adult’s point of view, is also stressful and confusing. Why would anybody want to add to that by  ripping them personally, just because they’re playing high school sports?

I’ve enjoyed the FCIAC Hockey Blog and I’ve down-right hated it, too.

It’s a great showcase for the sport and it has a loyal readership that keeps up, for the most part, with the tiny world that is FCIAC hockey.

The commenting section — like most blogs, including this one, it allows people to hide behind their anonymity — is maddening, though.

I feel HSHockeyFan’s pain. He started the blog for the same reason we all do. Because it’s part passion and part wanting to promote something we enjoy. Then he gets scolded by people because he deletes a post or edits a post. People who don’t know the first thing about the First Amendment throw that out there as a line of defense for acting infantile. I’ve said it before and I’ve said it again, the First Amendment was not founded to give Anonymous People the right to say anything.

It was founded to give us all a voice, as long as we were proud enough to stand tall enough to say what we believe in.

And, since my name is on the bottom of this post, let me say this: I think it’s a shame that the end of the FCIAC Hockey Blog might be near just because people ruined the experience for its moderator and many of its readers.

Hopefully somebody else will pick up the puck, so to speak, giving the FCIAC hockey world another voice.

Trinity Catholic hockey player Chris Lambrinakos, right, was named to the Division I All-State first team. Times photo/John Nash

Trinity Catholic hockey players Chris Lambrinakos and Ryan Doherty were named to the Division I All-State teams.

Lambrinakos, a senior, received first team all-state laurels while Doherty, a junior, was named second team all-state.

The duo led the Crusaders to a 9-12-1 overall record, which included appearances in the FCIAC and Division I tournaments.

The Westhill-Stamford co-op boys swimming and diving team placed second at the FCIAC Swimming Championships at Greenwich High. It’s the highest finish in the program’s history.

The Trinity Catholic boys basketball team is coming off a 57-44 victory over Stonington in a Class M first round playoff game on Tuesday, March 9 at Walsh Court. The Crusaders (13-9) will play at Bloomfield in the second round on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Stamford High boys basketball standout Mark Ellis goes “On the Record” with The Stamford Times.

Several local teams suffered tough losses in the state tournaments.

The Stamford and Trinity Catholic girls basketball teams suffered second-round setbacks at the hands of Mercy and Hillhouse, respectively. The Stamford hockey team dropped a 6-4 decision to FCIAC foe St. Joseph in the Division II state tournament on Tuesday, March 9 at The Rinks in Shelton.

In wrestling, Ben Pierre Saint rounded out his super sophomore season at the New England Wrestling Championships on Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7 at the New Haven Athletic Center. Pierre Saint went 3-2 in the competition but didn’t place. He rounded out his season with a 46-12 record.

Former Stamford High wrestling standout Mike Battinelli led the UConn Wrestling Club to a fourth-place finish at the Northeast Conference Championships recently. Battinelli captured the gold medal in the 157-pound weight class with an impressive win over Walter Pope of U.S. Navy Prep in the finals.

Casey Correa of the King girls basketball team was honored as the “News 12 Connecticut/MSG Varsity/ Webster Bank Scholar Athlete of the Week.”

There’s also plenty of youth basketball, hockey and indoor soccer results.

To check out what’s in this week’s edition, go to www.thestamfordtimes.com/sports/local/

The Stamford High ice hockey team was knocked out of the Division II State Tournament following a 6-4 opening-round loss to FCIAC foe St. Joseph on Tuesday at The Rinks in Shelton.

The 15th-seeded Black Knights (8-14) had a 2-1 after the first period, on goals by Zach Fornaciari and Nick Hollendonner, but the second-seeded Cadets (17-4-2) rallied in the second period. A goal by Ryan Parsons with 6:41 left in the period gave St. Joseph the lead for good at 3-2.

Midway through the third period, the teams combined to score three goals over a two-and-a-half-minute stretch, with the Cadets maintaining a 5-3 lead.

A goal by Jake Savona with 4:11 remaining in the third period cut the St. Joseph lead to 5-4. The Cadets were called for a roughing penalty with 2:20 on the clock and the Black Knights pulled their goalie for a two-man advantage in the final minutes but Stamford couldn’t capitalize.

Hollendonner finished with two goals to lead the Black Knights and goalie Jon Tenca made 33 saves.

St. Joseph, which won the Division III state title a season ago, was led by Conor Crouse’s two goals and Pat Corcoran’s four assists. Goalie Zach Carrano made 22 saves for the Cadets, who play No. 10 Lyman Hall in the quarterfinals on Friday at a time and site to be determined.

The three city hockey teams will be playing this week in the CIAC state tournaments and their match-ups were announced on Saturday.

In Division I, Trinity Catholic (9-11-1) drew the No. 15 seed and will have the difficult task of trying to knock off No. 2 seed Fairfield Prep. The teams will square off on Wednesday at a time to be announced at the Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport.

In Division II, Westhill (9-11) is the No. 12 seed and will play No. 5 Avon on Tuesday at a time to be announced at Fairchild-Jennings Rink at Avon Old Farms.

Stamford (8-13) is the No. 15 seed and will play No. 2 seed and FCIAC foe St. Joseph on Tuesday at a time to be announced at The Rinks in Shelton.

In boys basketball, Stamford (14-8) will hold down the 18th seed in Class LL and will travel to take on No. 15 Crosby on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

After all the ups and downs Trinity Catholic has gone through this season, the Crusaders (12-9) will actually host a state tourney game. They are the 14th seed in Class M and will host No. 18 Stonington on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

To see all the state tournament brackets, go to http://www.casciac.org/ciacsports.shtml

The Westhill-Stamford co-op boys swim team turned in a great performance at the FCIAC Swimming Championships, placing second overall.

Greenwich won its third straight FCIAC crown (39th in 40 years) with 408 points and Westhill-Stamford was second, it’s highest place ever, with 308 points. New Canaan took third with 302 points.

“I thought we had an awesome night tonight,” Westhill-Stamford head coach Rick Lewis said. “Everyone swam extraordinarily well. And it was topped off with a great relay swim at the end (in the 400 freestyle relay) to hold off New Canaan.”

It was an all-around team effort, Lewis said, as the Vikings didn’t have a first-place finisher.

Andrew Hendrickson was second in the 200 freestyle (1:44.96) and the 500 freestyle (school-record time of 4:40.06), Jeffrey Anderson placed third in the 100 butterfly (53.12) and was fifth in the 200 IM (1:58.81), Igor Sytnyk took third in the 100 freestyle (48.86) and Michael Hopkins was sixth in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.49).

“Everyone was great and we had lifetime-best times throughout the meet,” Lewis said.

And on Wednesday in the diving at Westhill, Rob Katz placed ninth (272.95), Dan Tylmankov took 10th (264.95) and Ben Coyman was 12th (237.90).

The 400 freestyle relay team of Sytnyk, Anderson, Hendrickson and Ion Cebotaru was third with a time of 3:17.07, just edging out New Canaan (3:17.61). The 200 freestyle relay of Sytnyk, Anderson, James Forde and Hendrickson placed fifth (1:31.44).

See next week’s The Stamford Times for a full recap with photos.

The Trinity Catholic girls basketball team had a lead going into the fourth quarter of the FCIAC Championship but couldn’t hold on as St. Joseph rallied to defeat the Lady Crusaders.

Whereas one girls basketball team lost in the conference finals, another prevailed. King downed Hamden Hall to claim its first FAA Tournament title since 1996.

Trinity did regroup in its next game as the Lady Crusaders won their first round game in the Class L state tournament, downing East Lyme. Trinity hosts Hillhouse in the second round at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

In boys basketball action, Trinity Catholic lost to St. Joseph and Stamford beat Harding in the FCIAC Tournament quarterfinals. The defending FCIAC champion Black Knights lost their next game to St. Joseph in the semifinals so there will be a new league champion crowned this season.

The Cadets take on Bridgeport Central on Thursday in the FCIAC Championship at Sacred Heart’s Pitt Center at 7 p.m.

In hockey, Trinity Catholic and Stamford both lost in the opening round of the FCIAC playoffs.

Ben Pierre Saint of the Stamford High wrestling team placed third in the 119-pound weight class at the State Open Wrestling Championships this past weekend in New Haven. He qualified for the New England Championships, which will take place this weekend at the New Haven Athletic Center.

Westhill’s Cosmo Iadanza also placed at the State Open by placing sixth at 189 pounds. Stamford’s Bryan Polonia (145) also competed but did not place in the tournament.

The Stamford Youth Hockey Association hosted youth players from Sweden and their families over the past week. They all got together last Sunday at Twin Rinks and Times staff writer Tom Evans was there to talk to everyone involved.

The High School sports section features Trinity girls basketball player Cayeligh Griffin, who goes ‘On the Record’ with The Stamford Times.

There’s also youth soccer and basketball results included. To take a peak at what’s in this week’s edition, go to www.thestamfordtimes.com/sports/local/

By JOE RYAN

NEW CANAAN — St. Luke’s scored the last six points of the game, including a clutch 3-pointer by Josh Dugas with just over a minute remaining to put the Crusaders in front for good on their way to a 69-64 win over King in the NEPSA Division ‘D’ Boys Basketball Tournament on Wednesday.

St. Luke’s was led by Steve Johnston, who scored 26 points, Brandon Yarborough, who tossed in 17 points, and Kevin Mahoney, who added 12 points. The Crusaders are now 17-9 overall as they advance in the NEPSAC tourney.

King ends its season at 13-8 but they went down fighting as Tre Tipton scored 19 points and Jabrille Williams added 18.

• • •

One of the BIG stories coming out of Stamford right now seems to be the NFL Draft prospects of former Stamford Black Knight lineman Vladimir Ducasse.

The University of Massachusetts football player is on everybody’s radar with the draft just two months away.

Above is a video courtesy of the NFL Network while Monday’s edition of the New York Daily News also had a feature story on the 6-foot-5, 330-pounder. You can click here to read that.

Finally, to close out our Vladimir Ducasse post, below is a video courtesy of the UMass web site that tells his story, as well.

• • •

The Trinity Catholic girls basketball team came up short in its pursuit of an FCIAC championship.

Top-seeded St. Joseph pulled away from the Crusaders in the fourth quarter on its way to a 47-38 victory over No. 2 Trinity in the conference title game on Saturday at Fairfield Ludlowe.

It was the first loss for the Crusaders (19-4) since Jan. 26 and they had their 10-game winning streak snapped. The Cadets improved to 21-2 in claiming their first FCIAC crown.

Game MVP Michele Gorman, a senior, scored 14 points for St. Joseph with 11 coming in the second half. Sophomore Jess Jowdy led the Cadets with 20 points, including three 3-pointers.

Junior Kelly Andersen came off the bench to tally 16 points, including two 3-pointers, for the Crusaders and sophomore Mackenzie Griffin chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds. Senior Eileen Ornousky had six points and six rebounds.

See this week’s The Stamford Times for a full game recap with photos. You can also read Steve Geoghegan’s story for The Hour at www.thehour.com.