The Bristol Press • December 17 2025

St. Paul girls open league play with 30-22 win over Woodland

BRISTOL – St. Paul Catholic High School girls basketball opened Naugatuck Valley League play with a scrappy 30-22 home win over Woodland Regional on Tuesday night, earning the Falcons their second victory of the season.“It's just a really horribly played game by us, and we could do a lot better, so I’m not happy with that,” Mone said. “Happy with the win, but we have to play much better all-around offensively, defensively, and we need to get a bench.”St. Paul had just one player in double figure...

The Bristol Press • December 12 2025

Plainville girls basketball returns strong core for 2025-2026 season

PLAINVILLE – The Plainville Blue Devils girls basketball team enters the 2025-2026 season with experience, bringing back nearly their entire rotation from a team that went 15-8 last winter and advanced to the second round of the Class M state tournament. After one of their best seasons in recent years, the Blue Devils will look to their returning core to help them take another step forward this winter.Head coach Jeff Smedick said Plainville returns seven players and loses only one starter from l...

The Bristol Press • December 12 2025

Plainville boys basketball heads into 2025-2026 season with new-look squad

PLAINVILLE – The 2025-2026 season is a transition year for the Plainville Blue Devils boys basketball team after graduating six seniors from last winter’s roster.Coming off a 10-12 campaign and an appearance in the Division IV state tournament, the Blue Devils will rely on a mix of returning players and new faces as they try to stay competitive in one of the state’s toughest leagues.Last season, Plainville finished 10-12 overall and 3-4 in league play, scoring 1,225 points and allowing 1,238. De...

The Recorder • December 1 2025

Frazier’s Game-Winning Dunk Sends Sacred Heart Packing

In a game defined by a series of big-time plays down the stretch, the Central Connecticut State men’s basketball team pulled off a narrow 108-106 victory over the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Monday, Nov. 24 at Detrick Gymnasium. After senior guard Jay Rodgers hit a clutch 3-point shot to send the game to overtime, junior forward Max Frazier threw down the game-winning poster dunk, giving the Blue Devils their second win in a row. 
“For 30-something games a year, I’m rooting for Sacred Heart, except...

The Recorder • December 1 2025

All Blue Devils Contribute as CCSU Rolls Past Johnson & Wales

For the first time since 1984, the Central Connecticut State men’s basketball team has scored 100-plus points in back-to-back home wins, routing Johnson & Wales (R.I.) 122-57 at Detrick Gymnasium on Nov. 30. Six Blue Devils scored in double figures, punctuating a performance that marked Central’s largest margin of victory this season. 
It was a balanced effort throughout, as all 13 Blue Devils who saw action against the Wildcats scored a field goal. Central’s bench stepped up in a big way, contr...

The Recorder • November 5 2025

Built From Blue: Patrick Sellers’ Journey From Player to Architect of the Blue Devils’ Basketball Revival

In late August of 1987, Patrick Sellers arrived on the Central Connecticut State University campus with nothing but a few bags and an uncertain future. 
“I remember… mom dropping me off, making my bed in Vance Hall and leaving,” Sellers said. “I’m like, ‘Is that it? You’re leaving me?’ And she left me.” 
With nowhere else to turn, he did what came naturally. He walked to Detrick Gymnasium, met a few teammates he barely knew, and jumped into a pickup game. What he didn’t realize then was that 38...

The Recorder • October 27 2025

Blue Devils Fall 3-0 to Howard in Rain-Soaked Home Match

The Central Connecticut State University men’s soccer team’s struggles continued Sunday, Oct. 12, in a 3-0 home loss to the Howard University Bison. Battling through a Nor’easter’s wind and rain, the Blue Devils dropped their second straight match and ninth of the season.  
“The boys gave everything,” head coach David Kelly said. “It was a total committed effort, and we had chances to get back in the game when we were down one-nil…God himself came down and kept the ball out of the goal. There’s...

The Recorder • October 25 2025

Blue Devils Fall to Binghamton 2-1, Still Searching for First Win

In the second-to-last match before the start of Northeast Conference play, the Central Connecticut State men’s soccer team lost 2-1 to the Binghamton Bearcats on Saturday, Sept. 20, at the CCSU Soccer Field.  
Central head coach David Kelly believed that they should have won the game. 
“Great effort,” he said. “I thought we were the better team. We bested them in every single category except one. But we got to find a way to take the effort we’re putting into games and get the result.” 
Junior fo...

The Recorder • March 2 2025

Women’s basketball defeats Wagner on Senior Day, clinches postseason home game

Saturday was Senior Day for the Central Connecticut State women’s basketball team, and the team’s three seniors—guards Belle Lanpher and Amaya Williams, and forward Meghan Kenefick— all showed out in their last-ever regular season home game against the Wagner Seahawks. The trio combined for 39 points, helping the Blue Devils earn a 76-65 win that clinched a Northeast Conference Tournament home game—the team’s first since 2015. 
Interim Head Coach Kristin Caruso spoke on the importance of the win...

The Recorder • February 17 2025

Men’s basketball stuns Saint Francis, wins eighth straight for first time since 2007

NEW BRITAIN – For the first time since the 2006-07 season, the Central Connecticut State University men’s basketball team has won its eighth straight game after a massive second-half run saw the Blue Devils come back to defeat the Saint Francis University Red Flash 83-67 at home on Saturday afternoon. 
Between the end of the first half and the start of the second, Detrick Gymnasium bore witness to a historic Central surge and a disastrous Saint Francis collapse. The Blue Devils, who had trailed...

The Recorder • February 11 2025

Devin Haid earns fifth Player of the Week: Abdul Momoh named Prime Performer

For a conference-leading fifth time this season, junior guard Devin Haid of the Central Connecticut State University men’s basketball team was named Northeast Conference/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office co-Player of the Week on Monday, Feb. 10, alongside Chicago State University’s Jalen Forrest.
Haid received the honor just days after a dominant performance in an 87-66 home victory over Fairleigh Dickinson University. The win on Thursday extended the Blue Devils’ streak to six games. In that match, Ha...

The Recorder • February 4 2025

The Irish Connection: How CCSU Women’s Soccer Thrives with International Talent

Central Connecticut State University’s women’s soccer team stands as one of the most successful sports programs in the school’s history, boasting 13 Northeast Conference titles, its most recent coming in 2023.
An often-overlooked aspect of the Blue Devils’ success is the role of their Irish coach and players. Mick D’Arcy has coached Central to 11 conference championships since he took the helm in 2000. Since then, 12 players who either came directly from Ireland or have Irish heritage have contr...

The Recorder • February 3 2025

Belle Lanpher Earns Third NEC Player of the Week Honor After Leading Central to Comeback Win

Graduate guard Belle Lanpher of the Central women’s basketball team was named the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Women’s Basketball Player of the Week on Monday, splitting the honor with FDU’s Ava Renninger. It was Lanpher’s third player of the week selection this season, having previously been recognized on Jan. 13 and Dec. 23.
The honor came after Lanpher led the Blue Devils to a 71-59 comeback victory over the second-place Stonehill Skyhawks on Saturday in a game that witnessed her move into...

The Recorder • February 2 2025

Monestime’s Big Second Half Lifts Women’s Basketball Past Stonehill

A massive fourth quarter, spearheaded by freshman forward Selina Monestime’s 12 second-half points, helped the Central women’s basketball team rally to defeat the Stonehill Skyhawks 71-59 on Saturday afternoon at Detrick Gymnasium. 
The Blue Devils spent over 22 consecutive minutes of the game behind before freshman guard Dagny Slomack hit a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter, kickstarting a 15-0 run that would see Central take control of the contest in its most crucial phase. Monestime e...

The Recorder • January 13 2025

LIU Hands Blue Devils Their Second Straight Loss Despite Late Comeback Attempt

A late-game comeback attempt ended in heartbreaking fashion for the Central men’s basketball team, losing 54-52 at home to the Long Island University Sharks on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Devils, after winning five-straight games, have now lost their second in a row.
Head Coach Patrick Sellers said that the Sharks’ defensive tactics at the start of the match caught the Blue Devils off guard. 
“If you watch the second half of the [LIU vs Stonehill] game, they mixed up their defense from zone and g...

The Recorder • January 10 2025

Women’s Hoops Gets Second Straight Win in Close Game Against LIU

For the first time this season, the Central women’s basketball team has won back-to-back games after defeating Northeast Conference rivals Long Island University 52-48 at home on Thursday night. The win gave the Blue Devils their third victory of the season and their second in conference play. 
After a dominant 78-52 win over Mercyhurst on Saturday, Central looked to finish strong in its final game of a three-game homestand before hitting the road. Their opponents, the LIU Sharks, were coming of...

The Recorder • January 6 2025

Blue Devils Snap Six-Game Losing Streak Against Mercyhurst

A six-game losing streak came to an end for the Central women’s basketball team on Saturday after defeating conference rivals Mercyhurst University 78-52 at home. It was the team’s second win of the season and first in Northeast Conference play.
“It really was a collective effort,” Head Coach Way Veney said. “I’ve been looking for my team to play a lot harder than we have been, and today, I feel like we saw that. We saw a lot of energy. We saw a lot of effort.”
After a 79-63 loss to Saint Franci...

Medium • December 8 2024

State’s K-12 Students Face Growing Mental Health Crisis, Fueled by Pandemic and Lack of Support

A growing number of K-12 students in Connecticut are experiencing mental health issues, with some local officials attributing the crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic and others pointing to a lack of support from the state.New Britain Superintendent of Schools Tony Gasper said that some schools and districts are struggling to keep up with the rising demand for mental health services.“I think we’ve gotten to a point where some people think that the school is the primary mental health provider,” Gasper...

The Recorder • December 2 2024

Blue Devils Beat UMass Lowell in Close Game

The Central Connecticut State University men’s basketball team showcased outstanding teamwork in a closely contested game against the UMass Lowell River Hawks on Sunday, Dec. 1 at Detrick Gymnasium.  
 With a challenging, fast-paced opponent, the Blue Devils relied on a strong group effort to secure a 69-67 victory.  
 Head Coach Patrick Sellers commended the team’s preparation, stating, “They’re tough and physical, and we wanted to match toughness for toughness.” 
 The game started off rocky fo...

The Recorder • November 30 2024

Blue Devils Win NEC Championship 21-14

Despite being picked last in the preseason Northeast Conference Coaches Poll, the Central Connecticut State University football team won their seventh NEC championship after defeating the 19th-ranked Duquesne University Dukes 21-14 at Arute Field on Nov. 23.  
“Nobody believed in us but us,” said Christopher Jean, a defensive back for Central.  
Duquesne, which entered the championship game as the NEC’s top scoring offense, averaging 31 points per game, were held to only 14 points by the Blue De...

The Recorder • November 14 2024

The Increasing Cost of Special Education for New Britain Schools

NEW BRITAIN – Some local officials are attributing the rising cost of special education in the school district to the increasing number of students identified with special needs, some of whom require specialized services that are only available at schools and facilities outside the district.

The Recorder • October 17 2024

University Funds Club Trip after SGA Votes No

Central Connecticut State University said it will fund the travel expenses for Dr. James DeLaura, the chair of the Technology & Engineering Education department and a wheelchair user, after the Student Government Association denied a $3,000 request for accessible transportation to a conference. 
 
The decision comes after a vote to provide the Technology & Engineering Education Collegiate Association (TEECA) club with $3,000 to rent a handicap-accessible bus failed during the Student Government...

The Recorder • October 13 2024

Devils Dominate in Dismantling of Delaware State

The Central Connecticut State University women’s soccer team picked up their third Northeast Conference (NEC) win of the season after defeating the Delaware State University Hornets 6-0 on Sunday, Oct. 6 at CCSU Soccer Field.  
The Blue Devils were on a two-game win streak coming into Sunday’s match. Their previous game was a 2-0 victory on the road against Mercyhurst University on Sunday, Sept. 29. Delaware State came into the game having lost 3-0 at home to Saint Francis University on the same...

The Recorder • October 5 2024

Residents: Former Mayor Makes Racist Comments

NEW BRITAIN – Former Republican Mayor Timothy Stewart stepped down as chair of the city School Building Committee as pressure mounted against him from both council Democrats and some residents who were outraged at a racist comment he made on Facebook.  
Before the Common Council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 25, a resolution proposed by council Democrats which demanded the removal of the former mayor from the School Building Committee was withdrawn after he had agreed to resign voluntarily.  
Duri...