Like last season’s FAA Ice Hockey Tournament final, rivals Greenwich Academy and Greenwich Country Day School were embroiled in an ultra-intense overtime matchup when they faced each other on Jan. 22nd before a big crowd at Greenwich Skating Club.

Unlike last season’s FAA championship game, a victor did not emerge in overtime, as the Tigers and Gators held each other off the scoreboard and settled for a tie in this physical, regular season affair.

In a back-and-forth battle, Greenwich Academy and Greenwich Country Day skated to an impressive 3-3 tie in a game held outdoors at Greenwich Skating Club. The Tigers, who edged the Gators, 3-2, in the title game of the 2025 FAA Hockey Tournament, have a record of 3-0-1 in the FAA so far this season. GA has played just two FAA games so far and is 1-0-1.

“It was a great game,” said Greenwich Academy coach Erin Brawley, whose squad has played several more non-league games thus far this season. “It was a battle back-and-forth, they’re a great team. We showed up today, we played as a whole unit, which is what we’ve been preaching to them – let’s play as a unit, let’s compete as a unit – and every single person in there battled until the end.”

Sophomore forward Maggie Lyden recorded a hat trick to pace the Gators. Senior forward Caroline Muzzio registered two goals to power the Tigers, who have an overall record of 6-7-1.

“t’s always fun to play against GA, we’re crosstown rivals,” GCDS coach Ashley Bairos said. “I actually played with and against their coach when we were younger, so it’s always fun to see coach Brawley.”

Bairos attended Choate Rosemary Hall and played hockey against Brawley, who went to Greenwich Academy. They were also teammates growing up, playing for the Mid Fairfield Stars.

“It’s always fun to play GA, it’s always fun to be outdoors,” Bairos said of playing rival GA at Greenwich Skating Club.

Both goalies rose to the important occasion for their respective teams. Greenwich Academy goalie Marguerite Triggiani, just an eighth grader, recorded numerous saves for her squad and Stella Vazquez, only a freshman, also turned away shots from all angles for GCDS.

“Marguerite, she’s in eighth grade and she doesn’t have a lot of experience under her belt yet, but she is standing tall for us,” Brawley said. “She’s a happy kid that is happy to be there in the net and the girls love her, they rally around her. She was making great saves back-and-forth and I think that helps feed us. It makes us feel better when we’re out on the ice.”

“Stella is very good,” Bairos said of the Tigers’ talented goalie. “She’s been stellar for us all season.”

GA took a 1-0 lead when Lyden scored off a shot from close in with 5:34 remaining in the first period.

“We all tried to start off really strong, to get that first goal, to get momentum,” Lyden said. “So, just working hard helped to get it as well.”

On a power play, Greenwich Country Day knotted the score at 1-1 with 1:54 to go in the opening period. Caroline Muzzio snapped the puck inside the left post with the Tigers applying a lot of pressure in the Gators’ zone, making it 1-1.

Triggiani made a pair of nifty saves early in the second period, one of which was on a breakaway, to keep the score tied. With 11:57 left in the second period, Lyden scored a power play goal, putting the puck home from the left faceoff circle and giving the Gators a 2-1 edge.

“We all worked really hard and we were all doing really well and had good teamwork and were cheering each other on, so that helped,” Lyden said.

Senior forward Lila Braddock evened the score at 2-2 at the 6:26 mark of the second period, capitalizing on a power play. Braddock tallied off assists from junior forward Ellie Hillenbrand and defender Blake Higdon, an eighth grader.

“They are our crosstown rival, so it’s always an intense game when we play GA,” Braddock said. “Last year we had a similar game. It’s always one goal or tied like today.”

“There was a lot of tension, especially since it’s the FAA,” said Tigers sophomore forward Daley Taylor, who made her presence felt offensively throughout this league matchup. “Getting pucks on net and playing as a team was really important to us.”

Greenwich Country Day went ahead, 3-2, courtesy of a sensational play by Caroline Muzzio. Receiving the puck off a pass from her sister, Molly Muzzio, a freshman, Caroline made a cut to the inside, held off a defender, put a move on Triggiani and finished in front, putting the Tigers on top, 3-2, with 14:44 remaining in the third period.

“I think we both came out pretty slow in the first period and then I was impressed and pleased with the third period and overtime,” Bairos said. “I thought that’s when we had the most momentum.”

“Definitely, the third period we were stronger offensively,” Braddock noted. “In the third period and overtime, we definitely stepped it up.”

The Gators made it 3-all when Lyden broke loose with the puck and tallied off a breakaway with 8:56 to go in the third period.

“That’s the first time that we’ve been down and come back to tie it like that,” Brawley noted. “I was interested to see what was going to happen, because we were up, then we were tied, they we were up, then we were tied. Going down like that, was great for them, it was a test to see what they could do. They answered the bell. Again, it all comes down to the gusty effort of wanting the puck, wanting to win.”

The hat trick marked the second in as many games for Lyden, who generated three goals in GA’s 5-0 triumph at FAA foe Rye Country Day School.

“I think we’re doing really well and each game we get better,” Lyden said. “The goal is to just keep getting better every game.”

GCDS had chances to score the game-winner in overtime, creating several shots on goal. Yet Triggiani kept the score 3-3.

“In overtime, I’m just thinking our team has worked really hard, so I’m not going to give up on our team and they’re not going to give up on me,” Triggiani said. “I just really was thinking that we’re still in this and we’ve got this, so just keep working hard.”

“Kudos to their goalie for keeping them in it,” Bairos said. “We hit the goaltender a lot. She did a great job.”

Bairos is in her second season with the GCDS program. The Tigers, whose home ice is at Wings Arena in Stamford, captured the FAA Tournament title in 2025.

“The program has improved just with Wings was a big improvement for us,” Bairos said. “To have a home rink that we can call our own and have some pride in that helps. Giving them all of the tools to be successful has been tremendous, because they’re taking advantage of those tools. We have goals and things we want to achieve and they’re holding themselves to those standards.”

Said Braddock: “We want to continue building our team culture, communication on the ice and working together.”

“We definitely want to make sure we grow in our positions and making plays,” Taylor said.

Greenwich Academy hosts Sacred Heart Greenwich on Jan. 28th at 3:30 p.m. at Chelsea Piers in Stamford, then plays Greenwich Country Day again on Jan. 31, also at Chelsea Piers.

“I used to go to GCDS, so it was kind of like a rivalry, so I was a little nervous to start the game,” GA freshman Marina Vintiaddis said of playing against GCDS. “It was nerve-wracking, but we got it together and it was a really high-paced game. It was super tiring and we worked really well. We’ve improved on our team chemistry. This has been our best week performance-wise.”