Brady Talerico - Portland (Soccer): Talerico scored two goals as the Highlanders defeated Thomaston 3-1 in the opening round of the Class S boys’ soccer tournament on Nov.9. Andrew Johnson scored Portland’s other goal.
Baden Plante - East Hampton (Soccer): Plante scored a pair of goals as East Hampton routed Innovation 7-0 in the opening round of the Class S tournament on Nov. 9. Tommy Morton, Paul Pignatella, Connor Michalowski, and Ethan Marshall also found the back of the net in the blowout victory. Colby Butterfield - Bacon Academy (Soccer): Butterfield scored an overtime goal and then made one of the Bobcats’ five penalty kicks during the team’s Class M second round upset of Weston 2-1 (PKs 5-4) on Nov. 11. Steven Laiberte, Sam Blumberger, Birch Collins, Aidan McLoughlin netted the other four penalty kicks. Ally Hadley - RHAM (Volleyball): Hadley had a season-high 25 kills, 16 digs, and served up four aces as the Raptors ousted South Windsor in four sets in the quarterfinals round of the Class M tournament on Nov. 13. The junior leads the team in aces this season and is top-three in kills, blocks, and digs.
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Liv Lusitani- Cromwell (Soccer): Lusitani scored a goal in each of the Panthers tournament games last week. The junior found the back of the net in a 3-0 win over Wolcott on Nov. 8 and again during a 3-0 shutout of Watertown on Nov. 20. Goalie Lily Kenney was again perfect in goal during the tourney wins.
Austyn Howe- Newington (Football): Howe has posted some ridiculously impressive stat lines this season but last Friday (Nov. 13) may have been his best one yet. Howe had 123 scrimmage yards, hauled in two receiving touchdowns, and ran for another offensively, while also intercepting three passes and recovering a fumble defensively. He literally did all he could during Newington’s 43-35 loss to powerhouse Windsor. Sadie Ruiz- Wethersfield (Field Hockey): Ruiz scored two goals last week as the field hockey team at WHS breezed through the first two rounds of the Class M tournament. The sophomore scored both goals as the Eagles eliminated Brookfield 2-0 in the opening round and then scored a third tourney goal as the team knocked out Easy Lyme in the quarterfinals round. Molly Bowers tallied the other goal in the quarterfinals victory. Jack Polke- Xavier (Soccer): Polke scored the game-tying goal on a penalty kick in the 69th minute, sending the game into overtime, and then made the first of four PKs as Xavier outlasted Glastonbury 2-1 on PKs (4-2) in the second round of the Class LL tournament. The senior captain has been one of the main scoring threats for a Falcons team that, entering this week, has yet to lose this season. Layla Solberg- Middletown (Diving): Solberg finished 11th overall at the Class L diving finals at Middletown High School on Nov. 10. The junior had an overall score of 336.15, besting 15 other divers at the competition. Rocky Hill's #14 Endi Bregu controls the ball as #7 Braeden Murawski looks on
Rocky Hill boys’ soccer hosted a tournament game for the first time since 2015 and went toe-to-toe with an experienced team from Plainville. Despite dominating the ball in the second half, the Terriers fell to the Blue Devils (1-0) as a first-half goal from the visitors proved to be the difference last Tuesday (Nov. 9) at RHHS. Second year head coach Paul Horta said it was just another building block for his program, “Plainville is here on a regular basis and these [tournament] games are different. They did exactly what I thought they would do. They were hungry, they were aggressive and we were tentative and the event was a little too much for our kids in the first half.” Plainville attacked from the opening whistle, controlling the ball in their end and firing shots at Rocky Hill’s senior goalie Jaimin Shah. Shah made a handful of saves before Plainville scored the tiebreaker when junior Trevor Rau received a beautiful lead pass from senior captain Gavin Bravado before blasting a shot into the back of the net at the 25th minute of the first half. “At halftime we reminded them that talent-wise we are good enough to play with them,” added Horta. “Our inexperience showed in the first half but in the second half we played about as well as we could. We had a couple of chances, but that’s soccer. It comes down to if you can capitalize.” Rau’s goal would prove to be the game’s only score in what turned out to be the final game at the Rocky Hill High School for 10 seniors. Yet the seniors and their teammates didn’t go down without a fight and controlled the second half tempo. Senior captains Massimo Cianci and Jason Moleiro led an offensive attack that outshot Plainville 3-to-1 over the final forty minutes. In the opening moments of the second half, the two captains worked a give-and-go near the goal, but Plainville’s stout defense rose to the occasion and negated the shot attempt. Later, senior Braeden Murawski had four corner kick opportunities, Austin Murawski had two shots blocked, and Cianci was just off the mark on a header attempt. In the closing minutes, Moleiro was high on a penalty kick and had another swallowed up by Plainville goalie Josh Elliotte. As the closing seconds ticked away Moleiro fired up one last long desperation attempt that was caught by Elliotte. As the team walked off the field, the emotion was high and Horta gave the team one last postgame talk. “I told them that as a coach it’s my privilege to coach you. They are part of that foundation and that one day when we hang that banner they’ll be back and see what they contributed. But it’s hard right now,” said Horta, who took over the team following a three-win season in 2019. “No matter what we do results-wise, we carry ourselves a certain way and the seniors took that to another level. We only had three yellow cards all year and we played with character. They take the good with the bad and I love them for that.” Horta, who took over prior to last year’s COVID-shortened season, previously coached youth soccer in town and has known most of the players since they first started playing soccer, saying “There’s something special about these seniors. They changed the culture here.” He added that Shah is an example of someone who represents the program, “He worked so hard in the offseason; he trained every day. He’s poured his heart and soul into it. He had a great year and he’s a better human being than a goalie.” As the coach walked off the field, he hugged his captains one more time. He credited them with laying the foundation, “I’m a better coach when they are on the field. They are the first at practice, last to leave. They are always picking up their teammates and they lead by example.” Glastonbury High School football seniors. Photo- GHS Friends of Football Booster Club
From a competitive standpoint, the last 20 months have been a rough road for the Glastonbury football team. The pandemic wiped away competition in the fall of 2020, while injuries and tough losses have hindered this season. Entering their final game, a tough road test at Xavier, the Guardians stand at 2-7. Through it all, head coach Eric Hennessy and his Guardians have made the best of a difficult situation. “The one thing I am most proud of is that we’ve continued to compete. It says a lot about the character of our kids to come to practice and keep fighting,” Hennessy said. “We’ve had a lot of bad luck this year and some close games and I think this type of season would break the average teenager, but we have some mentally tough kids that were able to stay focused and continue to get better.” There is no better example of resiliency than senior captain Michael Connolly, who was primed to have an All-State season in the trenches before injuries derailed his final year at GHS. Connolly said he was amped for his senior season before a knee injury knocked him out of action early in the season and a shoulder injury doomed the latter part, “It’s tough. It was my senior year so I was looking forward to being out here the last year with the boys, but stuff happens.” Despite limited time on the field, Hennessy said Connolly is the perfect example of what a team leader represents, “He’s a true captain. He’s had a rough go but he stays positive and comes out here and does what he can to help. He’s a great young man and an excellent team captain.” The team started the season with four straight losses, losing three of those games by a single possession. They rebounded with impressive wins over Newington (28-20) and New Britain (37-12) surrounded by three more losses. Senior captains Jack Hennessy (coach Hennessy’s son) and Matt Daniels were instrumental in the wins, along with helping navigate the team through the struggles. “We’re a close team and it’s been tough. What happened last year prepared us for anything,” said the younger Hennessy, who has tried to relish his final high school year. “Sometimes you can sit back and let it soak in a little bit. I have been enjoying this season.” Hennessy has been a force on both sides of the ball, doubling as a defensive standout and bruising lead back/road grader on offense. The electrifying Daniels has teamed with power back Jack Petrone to create a ‘thunder & lighting” backfield on offense. Daniels said the seniors leaned on each other during the difficulties of 2020, “We’re all in it together. Sometimes I felt down but I realized there were other seniors that had the same problem that I did. We came together and this year we are a tight group.” When the team isn’t battling it out on the field, they have found time to give back to the community. In October, the team raised over $1000 for Metastatic Breast Cancer Research, with 100% of the proceeds going toward the cause. During their bye-week the team cleaned up local parks and schools, disposing of trash and brightening the surrounding areas. They also plan to rake leaves and do fall cleanup for elderly and disabled people in the community later in November. “One of the things I believe in is giving back to the community and developing servant leaders,” added coach Hennessy, “These players understand the importance of giving back.” GHS football has also been on the cutting edge of injury prevention, particularly with head trauma. The players are wearing new technology on the inside of their helmets this season, using ground-breaking Q-Sensor devices which create complex algorithms measuring factors like impact, changes in velocity, and concussion threshold. The data collected can be utilized during the game, sending the censored information to team trainers on the sidelines. Hennessy said the biggest benefit is making sure the kids are safe during competition. This Saturday will be the last time that Hennessy and his team will all compete this fall. For the three captains and ten other seniors (Luke Fahey, Dan Beagle, Jack Niland, Patrick Serksnas, Jack Czarnecki, Michael Maciolek, Alex George, Jack Gherard, Josh DiCicco, and Russell Abankwah) it will be the last time representing GHS together. “We’d like to finish strong and end on a good note. That’s my goal and I think the team’s goal too,” said Daniels. Coach Hennessy added, “They continue to fight and they are still having fun, which is the most important thing. We still haven’t played all four quarters of quality football. We just have to go and compete for four quarters and see what happens. There is no reason we can’t finish strong.” The finale is this Saturday (Nov. 20) at Xavier High School in Middletown. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. Boys’ soccer at Glastonbury High School pushed undefeated and top-seed Xavier to the brink last Thursday (Nov. 11) before losing 2-1 in penalty kicks (4-2) at Xavier High School, eliminating the Guardians from the Class LL tournament.
First-year head coach Chris Vozzolo credited both teams for enduring the epic two and a half hour slugfest, “Tip our cap to our guys and those guys as well. [Xavier] is a great team and we felt like we went punch for punch all night long. Sometimes it goes into PKs and anything can happen.” Vozzolo’s team, which entered the tournament ranked #16, was every bit as good as the home Falcons, going shot for shot with the team many considered the best in the state. Glastonbury’s Will Greelish broke a scoreless tie in the 32nd minute, weaving through the Falcons defense and firing a left-footed blast past goalie Spencer Misenti. The Guardians would maintain the lead until Xavier’s Jack Polke tied it up with a penalty kick in the 68th minute. The game remained 1-1 through regulation and two overtime periods. After 100 minutes of back and forth action, the game was ultimately decided by penalty kicks with Xavier converting four straight and Glastonbury converting only two. Despite being on the losing end, senior goalie Josh Patermo was incredible through the marathon match, saving eight shots. It was a tough pill to swallow for a team that came together as a team and as brothers. “It’s more than the soccer game; it’s more than the result. We promote brotherhood, we promote togetherness, and these are lifelong bonds these guys have with each other. We’ve made sure that those things will never go away,” said Vozzolo, who took over as head coach after Mark Landers (now the GHS girls’ soccer coach) held the spot for 20+ years. It was a successful season for the Guardians, who finished the regular season 8-5-3 and dominated Enfield 5-0 at GHS in the opening round of the tourney. Senior Ali Taleb scored three goals in the win over Enfield, which set up the date with Xavier. “It was a tough transition, but the seniors welcomed me in,” added Vozzolo, who praised his assistant coaches, “Obviously coach Landers has some tough shoes to fill and it took a team effort, it took a village.” Jade Casey, a sophomore diver at GHS, recently broke a 17-year school record twice in a matter of a week.
Casey won the CCC (Central Connecticut Conference) East diving championship at East Hartford High School on Nov. 2 & 3 as the Guardians captured a swimming and diving team conference title along the way. During the victory, Casey broke the school’s record for points over 11 dives, totaling 412.40 points, topping All-America Erin White’s previous mark (410.45) from 2004. “I wasn’t expecting to break the record at the tournament,” said Casey, who didn’t find out she had the record until a few days after the meet, “It was good because I knew that I had contributed to the team. It was nice.” Casey was named the Diver of the Meet and teammate Avery Kudlac was named the Swimmer of the Meet. The sophomore sensation went on to top her own feat last Thursday (Nov. 11) totaling 461.20, re-breaking the record and finishing third overall at the Class LL diving finals at Middletown High School. It was the latest in a string of accomplishments for Casey, who has been a consistent diver all season, leading the way for a talented group of divers as GHS that includes Francesca Gionfriddo, Alana Mondschein, and Anna Hilary. Casey grew up doing gymnastics but began focusing primarily on diving in the 7th grade, first competing through the town’s Parks & Rec program at the high school. She said a lot of what she learned in gymnastic translates over to diving, saying “It has helped a lot. If I didn’t do gymnastics I don’t think I would be where I am today.” In the offseason, she does club diving at Cornerstone and last spring she dove in the USA Regionals, qualified to go to Zones, and also did AAU Nationals. Casey said the club and the three national meets really helped with her confidence on the board. Casey, who grew up in East Hartford and came to Glastonbury in the 7th grade, still competes for the GHS gymnastics team in the winter. She said that diving has taught her to be a more patient gymnast, adding “Glastonbury is a very competitive town, which I like because I like competition. It makes it more fun and I like the people.” Whether it’s diving or gymnastics, Casey likes the feeling of performing, “I like to be in the spotlight. I like the pressure and the competition because in both diving and gymnastics it’s just you.” GHS volleyball captains (l-r) Sara Rigatti, Anastasiya Andriyashko, and Kiley Feeney
The seniors on the Glastonbury volleyball team were freshmen when head coach Tony Sanith took over as the head coach of the girls’ varsity program in 2018. Four years later, the five seniors helped guide the Guardians to an emphatic win in the opening round of the Class LL tournament, besting Hall High in straight sets (25-13, 25-9, 25-12) at GHS last Monday (Nov. 8). “They’re a special group for me because of when they came in,” said Sanith. “These five know what the expectations are and they are competitive.” Captains Sara Rigatti, Kiley Feeney, and Anastasiya Andriyashko, along with Madison Poetto and Sarah Lavoie are the handful of seniors that have been with Sanith since day one. All five played roles in the tournament victory. After the road Warriors from Hall scored the first three points in the opening set, Andriyashko had a pair of aces to steady the home team. Later in the set, Feeney had 10 straight service points–including two aces—to provide the Guardians a commanding 19-8 advantage. “The first few serves we were a little frantic but after we got our first kill our energy level picked up and we took it from there,” said Andriyashko. Feeney added, “Once we started playing our game we got more confident. Those serves helped, but I can get a serve over but we have to continue with those points and that’s what we did.” Feeney polished off the first set with a kill, assisted by setter Sara Wild, who finished with a game-high 27 helpers. The Guardians led the second set from start to finish, aided by blocks from Evelyn Brenton and Kayla Valenches. Brenton finished with eight kills and three blocks. Rigatti, the team’s libero, made a pair of diving saves in the second set and perfectly placed a set over the net for a decisive point in the third set. Rigatti said the team approached this game like they have approached everything this season, with a sense of urgency, “We knew this could be our last game in this gym, but we pushed that to the side and wanted to focus on getting the win and focus on getting to the next round.” The third set was highlighted by an ace from Lavoie, a long rally ended by a kill from Valenches, and a block by Brenton to end the match. Feeney, who finished with a match-high 11 digs, said that having Brenton upfront makes everything easier, adding “she can put away anything.” The win marked the program’s first state tournament victory since a quarterfinal triumph over Fairfield Warde in the 2019. “It felt amazing today, our whole front row was on fire today,” Andriyashko said. “Tonight after every single point we had confidence. I think our energy was really high and overall it was a great game.” Rigatti added the team has been in the right mindset since the first day of practice, “I think we came in really strong. We were really excited for this season especially after not having a state tournament or CCC tournament last year. I think as captains we had a bigger role than the captains last year, and we were ready to take it on.” Versatility, along with a deep bench were the key for Sanith’s squad “A lot of our girls play in the offseason and play year-round, so they get that natural understanding of the game at a high speed,” said Sanith, “We just talk about playing with purpose. We have a lot of experience with our starters and a lot of depth on the bench as well. They challenge each other.” Three days after the opening round victory, the Guardians would lose at Southington in three sets in the second round, ending the season and high school careers for the five seniors. Despite the loss, the seniors have set the standard for future classes. “I’ve connected with every single player here and I feel like I can talk to them about anything and overall the community that we’ve build here is great,” said Andriyashko Feeney added, “We have each other’s back no matter what.” Overall the team won 17 matches this season. Brenton, who led the team in kills and blocks, and Wild, who led the team in assists and aces, will lead a talented group returning next fall. Glastonbury High School had 15 senior athletes sign their National Letters of Intent to play collegiate athletics last Wednesday night (Nov.10) at a ceremony outside the high school.
The athletes come from nine different athletic programs at the school and the college-bound students will be representing GHS athletics in eight different states next year. Dan Beagle will play baseball at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. Dan Cantafi will play baseball at Keene State College in New Hampshire. Kate DeSousa will run track and field at Bryant University in Rhode Island. Connor Goode will play golf at the University of Connecticut. Christina Guanci will play lacrosse at Union College in New York. Elliot Hamilton will play baseball at Salve Regina University in Rhode Island. Molly Harding will run track and field at Yale University. Kylie Hilliard will run track and field/cross country at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, Kayden Hinchey will play lacrosse at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia, Mary McKiernan will play ice hockey at Assumption College in Massachusetts, Meghan Jeroszko will row/crew at Merrimack College in Massachusetts, Kaitlyn Parent will play field hockey at Southern Connecticut State University, Sophia Haussmann will play soccer at the University of Connecticut, Brooke Tracy will play softball at Bryant University, and Warren Channing will play lacrosse at Eastern Connecticut State University. Shawn Laverty: Portland (Cross Country): Laverty just finished up an incredible season on the cross country trail. The senior placed second at the Shoreline Conference championships as the Highlanders placed 2nd overall as a team at the SLC finals on Oct. 23.
“It was a pretty unreal feeling. I went into the race knowing I could do well and be up in the front. I was only aiming for the top 10, so coming in second was pretty shocking. I definitely exceeded my own expectations, as did our team placing. I knew that our team was a strong competitor in the Shoreline this year. With Portland being one of the smallest schools in the conference, I'd say that being the runner-up team this year was one of our most impressive showings. I'm proud of my team for sticking through the toughness of the race and being able to show up with the same energy that has carried us to our other victories this season,” stated Laverty. The senior went on to place 10th overall at the Class S championships at Wickham Park in Manchester, improving her time from the conference finals, running a 21:49. Laverty capped her high school cross country career by running a personal-best 21:04 at State Open at Wickham Park last Friday, Nov. 5. “This season has been incredible. When I first started cross country, I would've never dreamed of being where I am with running today. My freshman year, I didn't make the varsity team that competed at states and even just last year, I narrowly missed making the All-Shoreline second team. Now, I'm an All-State athlete and was able to compete at the State Open with the best of the best,” stated Laverty, “My accomplishments surely haven't been handed to me, and there's been a lot of time, sweat, and tears that have gone into my training. But throughout the whole process, my team, family, and coaches always had my back. My junior and senior year, I began to realize the importance of the team aspect of cross country. I stopped counting the seconds on my time, and instead started counting the number of points I would score. Each race I went to the line knowing that I had a talented group of girls behind me, and I wasn't going to let them down. The bonds, memories, and experiences that cross country has brought me have been invaluable, and I'd say that being a part of such an amazing program has been more rewarding than anything I've done on my own.” Kaylee Gravel: East Hampton (Cross Country): Gravel finished in second place at the Class S state championships, running a 20:22 at Wickham Park on Nov. 1. Gravel finished just moments behind winner Chloe Poulas of Woodland and led a group of Bellringers runners that placed second overall as a team. Kaitlyn Ireland (10th), Savannah Garcia (12th), Annin Daley (18th), Camryn Sprague (19th), Madison Gay (53rd) rounded out the East Hampton squad. Lauren Feige: RHAM (Volleyball): Feige dished out 30 assists (averaging over 10 assists per set) in a sweep of New Britain in the opening round of the Central Connecticut Conference tournament last Monday, Nov. 1. The following day, the junior setter then had a season-high 46 assists in a five-set loss to Simsbury in the second round. Skylar Gustavsen: Bacon Academy (Soccer): Gustavsen was named an Eastern Connecticut Conference all-star after wrapping up an incredible regular season. The senior was a main scoring threat for the Bobcats, registering multiple goals in several games this season, including a 5-goal explosion in an 8-0 win over New London last month. Portland's #8 Lillian Carroll competes with Cromwell's #7 Alyssa Bonelli for the ball during the Shoreline Conference semifinals. The Highlanders would win 1-0 at CHS.
Sometimes revenge is a dish best served in the tournament. Portland girls’ soccer had two chances at revenge in the Shoreline Conference tourney and capitalized on both opportunities. The Highlanders defeated Cromwell 1-0 at Cromwell High School last Monday (Nov. 1) in the semifinals of the SLC, handing the Panthers their first loss of the season and avenging a 1-0 loss at Portland High on Oct. 14. Sophomore Camryn DiMauro hammered home the game’s only goal after receiving a perfectly placed pass from senior Kendra Schoeps to break a scoreless time in the 76th minute, sending the Highlanders to the SLC championship game. It was a duplicate feat for DiMauro’s, who also tallied the game winning goal in the opening round of the conference tourney. “She had the game-winner against Coginchaug a couple of days ago, so it’s her second game-winner in the last couple of days. She got in the right position and it was a great cross from Kendra and she just buried it. It was an unbelievable goal,” Portland head coach Joseph Santavenere said. Cromwell entered the game without a loss, finishing the regular season 10-0-6. The tournament defeat was a new experience for the young Panthers. “Our problem is finishing. We struggle to finish and in games like this that hurts because one mistake can cost us the game,” said Cromwell head coach Marcelo Caetano. Caetano received another incredible performance from his keeper, Lily Kenney, who made 13 saves. Prior to the Portland game, Kenney had shutout a dozen opponents this fall “Lily can only make so many saves and our defense can only hold for so long. Credit #2 [DiMauro], she was the best player on the field outside of our goalie and she made us pay,” added Caetano, who praised his keeper. “Lily is a fantastic athlete and great kid. She’s a gamer and once the game starts she turns it on.” Santavenere also called Kenney “outstanding” and credited the opposing goalie with keeping her cool after making a pair of crucial saves in the second half; stopping a direct penalty kick from Kendall Prince and sliding to stop a close range shot from Mia Quesnel. A defensive breakdown allowed the Highlanders to squeeze a rare goal by Kenney and on the other side of the field Portland’s senior goalie Hannah Brunk sent back every shot that came her way. “We knew they like to play a kick and go game because they have fast forwards and strikers, so we knew going into it we had to be really strong defensively and then if we got that lead we dropped more people back to shut them down,” stated Brunk. “We didn’t want another overtime game.” Brunk also faced pressure in the second half, particularly over the final three minutes when Cromwell tried desperately to get the equalizer. However, Brunk and a defensive unit led by senior captain Giuliana Discenza stymied every attempt. “Heading into [the tournament] the two teams we lost two in conference were Coginchaug and Cromwell, so this week was lined up perfectly,” added Brunk, referring to back-to-back losses in mid-October, “We just wanted it. Like our team said ‘we beat them when it counted’.” Santavenere said the regular season conference losses motivated his squad, “It was a tough week but they didn’t get down. They are playing really hard and leaving it all on the field. They’ve come along the last couple games; it’s been a team effort. I’m proud of the whole team.” The Highlanders advanced to the SLC championship where they would fall to Morgan 2-1 on Nov. 5. The team’s season came to an end in the first round of the Class S finals, losing to Coventry 2-1 on penalty kicks on Nov. 8. For Cromwell, it’s a team blended with youth and experience, led by senior captains Bella Barber, Amira Abdelghany, Erin Sokolowski, and Devon Riggio (who was injured for the Portland game). Caetano said the team has their sights set on bigger accomplishments, “This loss will hopefully meld us and since our youth is the base of our team they needed this. It might be premature to say this year but what happens the rest of the year should help us the next two or three years.” The Panthers shook off the conference loss to Portland and won their opening round Class M game, defeating Wolcott 3-0 on Nov. 8. Liv Lustiani, Audrey Dana, and Cameryn Hickey each scored in the Panthers tourney victory. |
AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
April 2024
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