Inspired East Lyme delivers

East Lyme — East Lyme High School might need to consider watching movies together more often.

Coach Jack Stabach showed his swim team the film "Miracle" over the weekend, a movie that chronicles the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team's upset of the powerful Russians en route to winning a gold medal at the Winter Games in Lake Placid, N.Y.

"Nobody gave them a chance," Stabach said. "I'm thinking watching the movie might have helped (us)."

Whatever works — East Lyme handed Fitch its first loss of the season Tuesday, 102-83, in a battle of Eastern Connecticut Conference powers and rivals.

Fitch (8-1, 7-1) had won the first meeting on Jan. 12, 95-75.

"They were mentally ready," Stabach said of his team. "I had a meeting with them (after the Fitch loss) and said, 'What's wrong? Why didn't you go after it?'

"Some of them said, 'We just didn't feel like we could win.'"

The Vikings (10-3, 8-1) prepared as much for the mental aspect of Tuesday's meet as they did the physical part.

"They knew that they had worked hard," Stabach said. "They knew they had a shot. I think that was the big difference ... I think they believed in themselves. I think that was the key."

Stabach also juggled the lineup a bit. He had Adam Opsahl swim the 200-yard freestyle for the first time this season, and Opsahl rewarded East Lyme a win in 1:51.82.

Fitch's Aaron Dean had won that event in the first meet.

"That was an unbelievable time for a guy who hasn't swum that race," Stabach said. "He had a 1:55 in the (first few laps of the 500). So if he could swim 1:55 in the 500, then he could do at least a 1:53 in the 200. We called him the 'secret weapon.' At least that's what I told him."

Fitch won seven of the 12 events - Tom Rowland won both the 50 and 100 freestyle, Emmett Dignan won the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke, and Luke Watson won the 100 breaststroke.

Henry Kietzman, Dean, Rowland and Watson also won both the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay for the Falcons.

Jacob Mauthe won the 100 butterfly, Billy Dumais won the 500 freestyle, and the duo teamed with Kyle Burke and Andy Chen to win the 4x100 freestyle relay for the Vikings. Mac Brodaski added a victory in the 1-meter dive.

"We're going into the ECC championships with a lot of confidence," Stabach said. "If we lost this meet, I don't think we'd go in there with any confidence. I think we'd have our heads down."

The ECC championship meet will be held on March 6 at New London High School.