The second round of the CIAC girls soccer tournaments was held Tuesday. Here is the full schedule and scoreboard for the tournaments.
Here is what you need to know.
Amity vs. Mercy has been the best rivalry in the SCC the last few seasons. Both programs have had plenty of success.
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Mercy reached the SCC tournament final five straight seasons (2021-25) before Amity knocked off the Tigers in this season’s semifinals. Mercy beat Amity in the 2024 Class LL state tournament semifinals en route to the championship. The two teams met four times this season.
Amity won the first three, the first two by one goal. The fourth matchup Tuesday was also a one-goal game – except it was No. 10 seed Mercy prevailing 2-1 over No. 7 Amity, a Class LL state finalist last season.
Soccer can be a cruel game when expectations are high and Amity had a fine team that went unbeaten in the SCC, including its first SCC torunament crown since 2006. But it’s Mercy that moves on to face No. 2 Ridgefield on the road. Ridgefield eliminated Mercy in last season’s quarterfinals.
At least part of the idea to have a new power poiunts format, using strength of schedule to help determine the CIAC tournament seeding was to have the top seeds reaching the final.
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So far, just one of the top 16 seeds has been eliminated, No. 2 Tolland in Class M. There are a lot less double-digit seeds still alive. In fact, just three remain this year: No. 10 Mercy and No. 11 Cheshire in LL and No. 18 Plainville in Class M (beating Tolland). Two of those teams advanced by penalty kicks.
Last year there were 12 double-digit seeds that reached the quarterfinals. In 2024, there were 16. So in this regard, the new format has worked. Granted, it takes away some of the fun of seeded upsets – a la the NCAA men’s basketball tournament – but it also creates for better quarterfinal matchups.
How have each of the conferences fared? Let’s provide a breakdown here:
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The CCC and the SWC both have seven teams alive in the quarterfinals. The SCC has six, the FCIAC has four, the Shoreline Conference has three, the NCCC and the Berkshire League each have two and the ECC has one.
This article originally published at 2026 CIAC girls soccer tournament second round is complete. What you need to know.
