Glastonbury High School cross-country standout Brooke Strauss won the State Open on Nov. 4 as the Guardians won the event at Wickham Park by 66 points.
Not even an ankle injury could prevent Glastonbury High School sophomore Brooke Strauss from crossing the finish line first. Strauss missed nearly six weeks of competition before returning in time to win the State Open, running a time of 19:05 to hold off runner-up Kathryn Marchand of Trumbull by six seconds at Wickham Park on Nov. 4. “My goal going into it was to get top-five. I got really lucky on that day and had a great opportunity,” said Strauss, who took her first lead heading into the last meter of the race. “I just found myself in front and then started to pick it up right after I passed to try and get some distance between me and second. I was able to be consistent,” recalled Strauss. After nursing a right ankle injury for a better part of the second half of the season, Strauss returned to competition prior to the Class LL meet on Oct. 29 where she would finish seven overall. Less than a week later, Strauss was crossed the finish line as a state champion. “In my heart I knew she would have an opportunity, but realistically I knew it was going to be really difficult,” GHS head coach Brian Collins said. “If any top runner in the state misses a month and a half it is going to be very difficult to compete with the other top runners. Brooke is just one of those athletes that is able to do that, but it is very, very rare.” Strauss said she was disappointed with her performance at the class meet where she finished 16 seconds behind Marchand, the race’s winner. Prior to the State Open, the speedy sophomore changed up her strategy, which ultimately paved the way to victory. “I was focusing on not trying to match every single move that was made and relaxed more during the first half of the race to put myself in a position where I could have a chance at the end,” recalled Strauss. “The last race I started burning out before I had a chance to try and kick at the end.” Strauss’ win highlighted a thoroughly dominant performance from the Guardians, who defeated second place New Milford by 66 overall points. Collins said he did not anticipate the margin of victory over New Milford, the defending State Open champions. “We have a ton of respect for them,” Collins said about the Green Wave running program. “They are great kids and well-coached.” The win was redemption for last year when GHS finished second overall at the 2021 State Open, placing 30 points behind New Milford. This fall was a completely different story as the Guardians had all seven runners place in the top-60 out of the 176 runners that completed, finishing 66 points ahead of the Green Wave. Kelley MacElhiney was the second GHS runner to cross the finish line, placing 17th overall with a time of 19:56. Lila Garbett (20th / 19:59), Jackie Dudus (21st / 20:01), Ava Gattinella (31st / 20:39), Lucy Bergin (37th / 20:47), and Mikayla Nedder (60th / 20:47) rounded out the GHS runners. Garbett, a sophomore, went from being a junior varsity runner a season ago to earning All-State this fall after placing 6th at the Class LL finals. “Last year I got to watch [the other runners] race and it was incredible, but this year I’m getting to experience what they experienced,” said Garbett. “I’m running on the same course that they tread.” Collins said Garbett “far exceeded expectations” this season, dropping nearly three minutes off her 5k time from a year ago. “She did the training over the summer and she was motivated,” added Collins. “She has had a great season.” MacElhiney, Bergin, and Nedder —all seniors—were running at Wickham Park for the final time. Dudus, a junior, said it was emotional running with the departing seniors for the final time at Wickham, adding “It’s sad to think that next year we won’t have some of our best runners who made our team so successful. It was the program’s first State Open title since 2017. For the seniors, the championship was the ultimate curtain call. “It was bitter sweet because it was our last time running there all together, but I have really enjoyed being a part of this program and watching everyone grow and being a part of the growth as well,” said Nedder. “It’s fun to be together and enjoy our wins together as a team.” Bergin added, “This season has definitely been my favorite because it’s given me the opportunity to lead the younger people. It’s nice that our hard work paid off.”
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East Hampton’s volleyball senior captains, from left, Jordan Murphy, Reagan Burt, and Jenna Murphy helped lead the Bellringers to their first conference title since 2018.
East Hampton girls’ volleyball won the Shoreline Conference (SLC) Championship, defeating Hale Ray last Saturday at Haddam-Killingworth High School. It was the program’s first conference title since 2018. In order to reach the title game, the Bellringers needed to hold off Coginchaug in four sets (25-18, 25-27, 25-13, 25-19) at East Hampton High School in the SLC semifinals on Nov. 3. Twin sisters Jordan and Jenna Murphy combined for 29 kills and junior setter Chelsea Woods had a season-high 41 assists in the semifinal victory. “We brought a lot of energy, we were all psyched to play,” said Jordan Murphy, who finished with a team-high 16 kills, “We just had to come out here and work hard as a team.” In the first set, East Hampton used a 10-0 run highlighted by a pair of aces from Mackenzie Player and consecutive kills by Jordan Murphy. Player polished off the first set with a kill after getting a fantastic feed from libero Olivia DeMartino. After falling behind in the second set, East Hampton rallied to take a 25-24 lead before the visiting Blue Devils reeled off the final three points to steal the set. Prior to dropping the set, East Hampton had won the previous 21 sets. Grabowski said she didn’t use any special motivational tactics between the second and third sets––instead she let her team figure it out on the fly. “They just weren't playing like themselves and they weren't playing their game. They needed to get back to what they know,” added Grabowski. “This is a mentally strong team, so when they are down they are not out. They saw what was happening and they decided to work together a little more.” Jenna Murphy, who finished with a team-high nine blocks, said that the players couldn’t wait to get back on the court following the disappointment of the second set. “[Coach] told us to play smart and we had to play with energy,” she added. “We had to want to win.” East Hampton responded by jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the third set and never looked back. Junior Amber Murphy, the younger sister of Jordan and Jenna, closed the third set by tapping the ball over the net for the final point. Between the three Murphy sisters, Grabowski has plenty of height and power near the net. The team combined for 13 blocks in the win. “They all have strength and they are a presence. They are tough to get around,” said Grabowksi. “I wouldn’t want to go up against them.” It was more of the same in the fourth set as Jenna Murphy had consecutive kills to give the Bellringers a 10-9 lead and Delaney Russell had five straight service points as home team pulled away during the decisive set. Player, who finished the match with nine kills and three aces, ended the set and match with a thunderous spike. “Mackenzie has been outstanding for us; she came to play tonight,” said Grabowski. “She is a great athlete and a tough competitor.” Captaining the team with the Murphy twins is Reagan Burt, who Grabowksi called “a great leader.” “She brings the team together,” added Grabowski. “I can’t say enough good things about her.” Burt recalled the disappointment of last year when the team fell short, losing to Hale Ray in the semifinals of 2021 SLC tourney. “Last year we had the same chance, but we didn’t have the outcome we wanted. So it was good to have the chance to redeem ourselves,” said Burt. As luck would have it, the Bellringers got the ultimate revenge by beating the Moodus-based Noises of Hale Ray in this year’s title match (25-12, 19-25, 25-17, 25-17). The title match was a mirror image of the semifinal match with East Hampton winning the first set before dropping the second set and winning the final two. Five aces from sophomore Sonja Venetainer and 34 more assists from Woods highlighted the championship triumph, which not only captured the conference crown but it was also the team’s 14th straight victory, dating back to Sept. 28. Grabowksi said it’s the team’s “mental toughness” that allowed the team to string together 14 wins in a row and take 42 of the last 45 sets. “They have been playing hard consistently and for longer periods of time,” added Grabowski. “That has been really helpful for us.” Burt added that the team’s chemistry on and off the court has been the difference maker. “We are a very close team,” added Burt. “Our bond is great and I think we can take it very far.” Along with conquering the conference as a team, the Bellringers also had plenty of individual conference recognition. The Murphy twins and Woods were named to the All-Shoreline Conference first-team and Amber Murphy was named Honorable Mention. Grabowski was awarded with the SLC Conference Coach of the Year Between the regular season and the conference tourney, the Bellringers won 18 of 20 games. It’s the team’s most wins since 2018 when they last won the conference tournament and advanced to the semifinals in the Class S state tournament. This year the Bellringers are the No. 4 ranked team in the state tourney. For a complete list of tournament results and schedules, visit ciacsports.com RHAM High School cross-country standout Troy Miller (right) etched his name on the school’s Top-10 Championship Times with his performance at the Wickham Invitation. Miller is pictured with Raptors cross-country head coach Paul Steiner.
Here are the Rivereast Standouts of the Week for the week of Oct. 31 – Nov. 6 Troy Miller - RHAM High School (Cross-Country): Miller ran a 17:38 at the Wickham Invitational, cracking the program’s Top-10 list of all-time championship times. Miller, a junior, now has the ninth fastest time in school history at a championship meet and then went on to finish 22nd overall at the Class MM meet at Wickham Park as the Raptors placed 7th overall as a team at the meet in Manchester. Aidan Fritz - Bacon Academy High School (Football): Fritz had 27 carries for 127 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Bobcats knocked off New London 14-13 to pick up the team’s first victory under head coach Bill Chaffin. It was also the programs first victory since Thanksgiving Day of 2019, snapping a 17-game losing streak. Bacon Academy (1-7) next hosts Waterford (4-4) in the team’s home finale this Saturday, Nov. 12. Kickoff is at noon. Brennan Johnson - East Hampton High School (Soccer): Johnson scored two goals as the Bellringers won the Shoreline Conference (SLC) Championship, defeating Morgan 3-1 on Nov. 4 at Portland High School. The monumental victory marked the program’s first conference championship in school history. Johnson and Oren Wilson, both senior captains, were named All-Shoreline First team, while senior David Castiblanco and sophomore Will Nafis were named All-Shoreline Second Team. Goalie Thomas Fenton was named the SLC Goalkeeper of the Year and head coach Rocco Christiana was named the SLC Boys Soccer Coach of the Year. Lily Tabellione - Portland High School (Cross-Country): Tabellione wrapped up a fantastic season on the cross-country trails with a third place finish at the Class S state meet, qualifying her for the State Open. Tabellione, a junior, ran a 20:15 to beat 118 other runners and help lead the Highlanders to a third place finish overall as a team. Tabellione, who posted a personal-best time of 19:07 at the Shoreline Conference Championship on Oct. 20, and junior teammates Meaghan McPhee were both named to the Class S Cross-Country All-State team. The stars were aligned last Tuesday night for the girls’ soccer team at Wethersfield, who defeated Newington at Cottone Field to finish the regular season undefeated and win the Central Connecticut Conference-North.
“You couldn’t have drawn it up any better,” said head coach Tony Leone after his team’s 3-0 win. Protecting a perfect season and facing a fierce rival in front of a home crowd, the Eagles rose above the pressure as senior captain Kathleen Brush pulled a hat trick, scoring all three goals. “The whole week leading up to it we knew this was our game,” said Brush. “It was at our home on our field, we had our fans, and we knew we needed to win this game. It was so important to us.” Midway through the first half, Brush netted her first goal following a perfect lead pass by fellow senior Allie Leahy, who set the ball down the left sideline from midfield before Brush caught up to it and fired a cross to the right corner of the net. The two connected again in the 65th minute when Leahy booted one from the right sideline, which Brush received and blasted by Newington goalie Ella DePase into the back of the net. Leahy said that she and Brush are “on the same wavelength” from having played together since youth soccer, dating back over a decade “We’ve always had that connection,” added Leahy. “She sees me winding up and about to play the through ball and she makes a perfect run and scores.” Leone said Brush and Leahy are the perfect pairing up front, adding, “That’s what they do. There is no secret to it.” “Allie’s vision is amazing; she is very good at those penetrating type passes. Everybody knows they are coming, but she is still clever enough to figure out when to release it,” continued Leone. “Kat has the athleticism and speed and she'll' run through a wall, almost to her own detriment sometimes.” With under a minute left in regulation, Brush netted her third goal when she rebounded a free kick shot from Lauren Darrell and scored in the left corner of the net. “I think after putting that first one in I was a little more relaxed,” Brush said about her prolific night. “We just kept working throughout the game. I think everyone wanted this.” The win also marked the Eagles fifth shutout in the past six games. Senior captain Vanessa Venditti kept the net clean, making a handful of stops, including a miraculous sliding kick-save eight minutes into the second half. Newington’s Avery Bonet got behind the Eagles’ defense and was one-on-one with Venditti, who ran out to challenge Bonet before making the highlight reel save to protect the shutout and the Eagles’ one-goal advantage. “It could have easily been a 1-1 game and that changes the whole aspect of how the rest of the game goes,” Venditti said. “We were able to keep that momentum and knock in two more. It was beautiful; it was great,” Helping Venditti on the defensive side is a young group featuring Darrell, Emma Mullarkey, Isabella Destefani, and Julia Daly. Venditti credited the unit’s increased communication for the success, adding, “A lot of our backend is inexperienced, but we’ve grown to get that chemistry. Each game that has gone by we’ve gotten better and better.” Leone praised Venditti for her ability to track the ball, which he credits to her being an all-conference basketball player. “She has that innate ability to read the flight of the ball,” added Leone. “You can’t teach that stuff, it’s intuitive. She has matured from last year to this year in her confidence and as a leader.” On the other side of the field, the loss was only Newington's third this fall. Head coach Adam Wilkinson said that Venditti’s save changed the complexion of the game and told his team after the game that the performance “wasn’t acceptable.” “We struggled all year to create offense and the defense has kept us in [games] and tonight they broke us down. Wethersfield has some weapons up front and something broke down,” added Wilkinson. “I have been seeing something like this coming. You can defend and you can defend, but at some point it breaks. They took advantage of it.” Wilkinson’s team had a couple more opportunities to tally points, but each time they were off the mark or Venditti came up with a save. Bonet, Taylor Danielle, Nora Lewandowski, Gabby Stolfi, and Reese Sadler each had shots on the goal in the first half. Along with Bonet’s breakaway shot, Stolfi, Sadler, and Madeline Michaud also had scoring opportunities over the final 40 minutes. “You would like to learn from this,” added Wilkinson. “It would be nice to come out of this with a win but sometimes you learn things from a defeat. If [we] would have won, it might paper over a few of the cracks.” Wilkinson added that he thought he team might struggle on the defense end this fall, but that has actually been the strength to the team “I pride myself on defending because that is what I did as a player. I’ve got very young defenders, but this team can defend,” added Wilkinson, who is leaning on a pair of freshmen in Lewandowski and Keegan Alderucci, along with sophomore Ava dos Santos on the back end. For Wethersfield, the win not only secured an undefeated regular season, but it also earned them a bye in the first round of the Class L state tourney. Leone said he watched the Redeem Team, the documentary of the 2008 U.S.A gold medal basketball team, the night before and borrowed inspiration from longtime NBA coach and commentator Doug Collins. Collins told Team USA prior to the gold medal march that they could either be bonded by a great story or bonded by sorrow. “You’ll be remembered for being undefeated or you’re going to be remembered for losing it in the last game,” Leone told his team prior to the game. “Either way I was still proud, but we came to play.” The Eagles finished the regular season with a record of 13-0-3. “Nobody thought we would be here with this undefeated streak, but I couldn't be more proud of us,” said Leahy. “As a whole we all had to work our hardest and bring our best game tonight, and I think that we did that.” Venditti added, “There was a lot of pressure, but I felt we handled that pressure really well. We just played our game and got the ‘dub’.” Next up is the Class L state tourney. Wethersfield is one of only two teams in Class L to finish the regular season without a loss, earning the No. 3-seed overall and a first round bye. They will host the winner of match between Ledyard and Guilford at Cottone Field on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. For a complete list of tournament brackets and schedules, visit ciacsports.com Sadie Ruiz - Wethersfield High School (Field Hockey): Ruiz surpassed the 100-career point mark last week as the Eagles won a pair of games. The prolific junior scored a goal and dished out a pair of assists in a 4-0 win over Newington on Nov. 1 and then scored three more goals in a 6-1 victory over Somers/Rockville on Nov. 3, giving her 106 career points. The Eagles finished the regular season with a record of 10-4-2 with Ruiz leading the team in scoring with 50 points (21 goals, eight assists).
M.J. Torres - Rocky Hill High School (Football): Torres ran for 110 yards on 18 carries and scored a touchdown as the Terriers defeated East Catholic 20-14 on Senior Night. Torres, a senior, was celebrated prior to the game and then helped lead a potent rushing attack that also featured Frankie Guerrera, who added 159 yards and a pair of scores on 37 carries. Caden Huddleston and Vrisan Kuttin came up with second half interceptions on the defensive end to secure the win. Rocky Hill (5-3) next travels to Tolland (3-5) this Friday, Nov. 11 for a game at 6:30 p.m. Myranda Parker - Newington High School (Diving): Parker broke a new school-record, posting a score of 375 on her 11 dives, besting the old mark of 362.30 posted by Jessica Goldman in 2016. Parker, a sophomore, will now compete in the Class L Championships and possibly the State Open, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 17. Marshall Butler - Middletown High School (Soccer): Butler netted all four goals as the Blue Dragons tied with Lewis Mills (2-2) on Oct. 31 and shut out South Windsor 2-0 on Nov. 2. The senior captain has been the leading scorer for a Middletown team that finished the regular season with a record of 11-3-2. Paddy Brown - Newington High School (Football): Brown has been phenomenal over the past month, throwing for nearly 400 yards and five touchdowns, and also rushing for another score, in a wild loss (54-49) to Middletown on Oct. 21. The senior captain followed up that performance with a 350-yard, five-touchdown performance in a win 35-27 win at East Hartford on Oct. 28 and then again starring on Senior Night when he rushed for three score, and threw for 336 yards and the game-winning touchdown to Akari Rosemond as the Nor’easter defeated Simsbury 28-25 on Nov. 4. Mark Landers (left) and Rob Rose, both teachers and coaches in Glastonbury, founded The Winning Difference, a set of principles that are now being used worldwide.
Mark Landers and Rob Rose wanted to find a way to impact the lives of athletes that extended beyond the normal X’s and O’s of the game. So 18 months ago, the longtime teaching and coaching colleagues founded The Winning Difference—a set of principles “designed to help develop better athletes, but more importantly, to help develop better people.” “It started when we were looking at what the culture of youth sports has been like over the past few years. There was a growing anxiety and stress towards winning and it didn’t matter at which level,” said Landers. “We wanted a way to recognize the athletes that are participating in these sports for doing the right things.” Rose added, “We started researching to see what we could use for our own teams and we found bits and pieces, but couldn’t find what we really wanted. Ultimately we said—if we can’t find it, let’s try and make it.” The Smith Middle School teachers, who both coach at the high school, originally designed the program as a teaching tool for their teams and for the athletes locally, but what they soon discovered was that there was a need nationally and beyond. The Winning Difference is now averaging 600,000 daily online impressions worldwide and is picking up social media followers by the thousands. As of Monday, the organization's Twitter account has over 28,000 followers. Both founders say they have been “shocked” by how the original brainstorming session is stretching across the globe. The Winning Difference is based on ten major principles that make up an acronym for D.I.F.F.E.R.E.N.C.E: Discipline, Integrity, Focus, Fortitude, Effort, Respect, Enthusiasm, No Excuses, Communication, and Execution. By using these 10 character-building fundamentals, the organization is striving to make “sports about developing winners, not just about winning.” “You see Steph Curry winning and Steph Curry celebrating, and you start to think that is what sports really is, but you don’t get to see him at the gym at 5 a.m. or the amount of work that he is putting in,” stated Landers. “You see the end of the journey, but you don’t see the process it takes to get there, and we really wanted to focus on the process.” Whether it’s the star player to the last person off the bench, the duo’s primary focus is about building a winning culture—on and off the field. Rose said it is often those role players that make the difference, adding, “We were missing those kids because it started to be about winning or being recognized as the best player rather than the best player for the team. Those other kids started to leave the sport.” According to the NCAA, around eight million student athletes participate in high school sports with only around 6% continuing their athletic career at a Division I, II, or III collegiate level, and far less making it professionally. “These are skills and characteristics that they learn can apply at the next level, no matter what field they go into,” stated Rose. “We’re not all going to be the CEO of a company, but we can all play a role and star in that role.” On the organization’s website and social media platforms, there are videos, resources, and useful information for implementing these difference makers. The videos originally featured former players from Glastonbury talking about the principles and it now has branched out to players and coaches from all over. Landers and Rose also do speaking engagements, recently talking to 100 student athletes from 10 different schools in Massachusetts. In January, the pair will be speaking at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia. Through these speaking engagements, Landers and Rose have discovered that no team is too big or too small for these beneficial teachings. Coaches from the youth level to National Champion Division I college athletics have discovered The Winning Difference. The past year and a half have been a whirlwind for the two teachers, who first met two decades years ago at Smith Middle School. Landers spotted Rose in school and made him an offer or demand, depending on who you ask. Rose joked that Landers came through the office “like a tornado” and asked—“Do you coach soccer?” Rose replied “Yes” with Landers responding, “Good, you’re my JV coach; I’ll talk to you later.” Since then the two have formed a great friendship and now a foundation of teaching that is being used by countless coaches and athletes. Landers, who won eight state championship as the boys’ soccer coach at Glastonbury High School and now coaches the girls soccer team at the school, says he has athletes that have gone on to play in college that reach back out to him and are excited that their college coach shared a video or teaching principle directly from The Winning Difference. Rose added that the process has made him a better coach and one of the most rewarding things has been seeing parents of student athletes sharing the videos. “As coaches we know time is tough, so let us be the resource,” added Rose. Both added that the support of the Glastonbury school system has been tremendous and hope to continue teaching the principles of The Winning Difference to benefit the lives of athletes both near and far. “We want them to keep playing for the love of the game. And what that truly means is not the love of winning and losing, but love of being a good teammate and person,” said Landers. “The beauty of the lessons is that any of the principles can be done regardless of skill level or talent.” For more information or to contact the organization, visit thewinningdifference.org or follow @thewinningdiff1 on Twitter. Glastonbury High School senior Kelley MacElhiney ran a team-best 19:41 to place 5th overall at the Class LL state finals as the Guardians won the meet as a team.
MacElhiney finished just ahead of sophomore teammates Lila Garbett and Brooke Strauss, who finished 6th and 7th, respectively. Jackie Dudas (11th) and Ava Gatinella (15th) rounded out the top five GHS runners as the Guardians trounced runner-up Ridgefield by 38 points. “It felt really great. It’s such a supportive environment because you are with all of your teammates,” MacElhiney said of the class meet at Wickham Park. “It’s exciting because our parents and everyone you know is there and because you’ve worked hard, so it’s nice to see that work put into the race.” MacElhiney’s time was over two minutes faster than her time at the event a year ago, when she battled a series of injuries throughout the season and finished 39th overall with a time of 21:56 at the 2021 Class LL finals. Prior to her senior season, MacElhiney used strength training, increased stretching and icing, along with physical therapy to prepare her for the rigors of the season. “This year I just focused on staying healthy and making sure that I didn’t get hurt again. It just progressed from there,” said MacElhiney. Head coach Brian Collins said that along with being a skilled runner, MacElhiney’s dedication to improving has allowed her to flourish as a senior captain. “She works hard each and every day and puts in the time and effort,” added Collins. “Even the days that she is not at her best, it’s her best effort.” Prior to GHS, MacElhiney played youth soccer and continued to play the fall of her freshman year. She then joined the indoor track in the winter team, following in the footsteps of her sister, Casey MacElhiney, a 2021-graduate of GHS who is now running cross-country at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. The younger MacElhiney credits her family and older sister for encouraging her to continuing running. Now the years of hard work is paying off with top finishes this fall. Along with finishing 5th at the Class LL meet, MacElhiney placed 3rd overall at the Central Connecticut Conference Championship on Oct. 18. “I never thought I would be able to get up there,” MacElhiney said of the top-five finishes. “It’s a good feeling.” MacElhiney called the cross-country team at GHS a “second family” “It’s very encouraging and supportive,” MacElhiney said of the team. “We spend every day together and we know each other well. Even if somebody has a bad day, we all work to support them.” Last month she posted a personal-best time in the 5k, running a 19:26 at the Ponaganset Covered Bridge Classic in Rhode Island. MacElhiney is one of a contingent of GHS runners that post similar times, which allows the group to challenge each other in practice at on race day. “Our coaches push us really hard and we push each other,” said MacElhiney. “We train hard for five or six days a week and we work hard at practice.” Strauss has been the team’s lead runner the past couple of seasons, but has battled her own injury and missed competition this year. Collins said that his other runners stepped up in Strauss’ absence, adding, “The leadership by Kelley and the other captains has been a big part of our success this season. These kids have dug down deep.” Evan St. Louis - Bacon Academy High School (Soccer): St. Louis saved all six shots he faced, including denying a penalty shot with five minutes to play in regulation at the Bobcats shutout Norwich Free Academy 1-0 in the team’s regular season finale on Oct. 29. It was the 12th time that St. Louis and the Bobcats defense blanked an opponent this fall. Drew Ferrigno scored Bacon’s only goal in the win, which wrapped up a 12-2-2 regular season.
Rachel Bartolucci - RHAM High School (Cross-Country): Bartolucci placed 9th out of the 130 runners at the Class M state finals at Wickham Park on Oct. 29. Bartolucci, a senior, ran a time of 20:57, earning her All-State honors and qualifying her for the State Open. The Raptors finished 4th overall as a team with Danielle Lynch (19th), Nina Holm (26th), Juliet McShane (41st), Evelyn Lage (72nd) also contributing to the team’s overall score. David Castiblanco - East Hampton High School (Soccer): Castiblanco scored a pair of goals as the Bellringers defeated Old Saybrook 3-2 in the regular season finale on Oct. 28. Brennan Johnson scored the other goal for East Hampton, who earned the No. 1 seed in the Shoreline Conference (SLC) Tournament after finished the regular season 11-1-1. The Bellringers will play for the SLC championship against Morgan on Friday, Nov. 4 at Portland High School, starting at 7:30 p.m. Lauren Eckert - Portland High School (Soccer): Eckert was flawless in goal, stopping five shots as the Highlanders blanked the Bellringers 2-0 in the opening round of the Shoreline Conference Tournament on Oct. 29. It marked Eckert’s fourth shutout in the team’s last seven games and was the second time she held East Hampton scoreless in an eight-day span. Cam DiMauro scored both of Portland’s goals in the conference win. RHAM’s senior goalie Erik Buden braces to stop a shot from Rocky Hill’s Austin Murawski as senior Benjamin Clate plays defense. The Raptors would lose to the Terriers 2-0 in Rocky Hill before rebounding the next day with a 2-0 victory over East Catholic at RHAM High School.
RHAM boys’ soccer head coach Ray Bell has been preaching the need for consistency to his team all season. Last week the Raptors dropped a game at Rocky Hill, 2-0, before flipping the script the following day with a 2-0 win over East Catholic at RHAM High School. It was the team’s seventh victory of the season. “We’ve been a little inconsistent all year,” said Bell. “We play a good game and then we don’t have the same intensity the next.” In the loss to Rocky Hill on Oct. 27, the Raptors controlled the tempo early on and had several chances over the first 40 minutes, yet were never able to get a shot passed Rocky Hill’s goalie Jacub Gawron Sean Connolly, Bradley Lim, Jacob Dooley, Maxwell Sementa, and Cameron Rhodes each had shots in the first half that were either off the mark or saved by Gawron, a senior captain. 11 minutes into the game, the home Terriers scored what proved to be the game-winner when Sohan Salian broke the scoreless tie with a goal after getting an assist from Jason Nadeau. Rocky Hill head coach Paul Horta said that the first goal relaxed his team, allowing his Terriers to play loose for the final 70 minutes. “I thought we took a big step forward today,” stated Horta. “This is the first [game] that for 80 minutes we gave 100% the whole time.” The Raptors best chance for the equalizer came late in the first half when Cooper Halotek hit the post on a penalty kick in the 37th minute. On a later attack, Thruman Brodeur had a shot send back and Michael Thatford’s follow was also rejected. “We weren’t dangerous enough in the final third [of the field],” Bell said of the missed opportunities. Shot attempts were not as fruitful in the second half for RHAM, who played with the wind for the first half before battling against the stiff breeze over the final 40 minutes. Endi Bregu gave the Terriers a 2-0 cushion with seven minutes left in regulation when he blasted a left-footed shot after getting a pass from Austin Murawski. Despite letting up a pair of goals, RHAM senior captain goalie Erik Buden was able to swat away several shots to keep the Raptors within striking distance. Buden made diving save on point blank shots by Murawski and Zaim Gustur midway through the second half to keep the deficit to one-score prior to Bregu's insurance goal. RHAM entered McVicar Field in Rocky Hill having won their previous two games, beating E.O. Smith 3-2 and East Hartford 1-0. Bell said defensive pressure was the key in the two wins. A day after losing to Rocky Hill, the Raptors took down the Eagles of East Catholic. Connolly scored on a penalty kick in the first half and Halotek added goal in the 58th minute with an assist from Sementa. Buden registered his fifth shutout in goal, saving four shots. Next up is the Class L tournament, starting Monday, Nov. 7th. Bell reiterated that his team will need to play an entire game to be competitive in the state tourney, adding, “This group is building, but I’d like to see us put 80 minutes together.” For a complete list of times and location for all state tournament action, visit ciacsports.com. Rocky Hill’s Endi Bergu and RHAM’s Bradley Lim pursue a ball during the Terriers 2-0 victory on Oct. 27. Bergu score a goal in the second half to put the game on ice.
Playing on a picturesque fall day at McVicar Field, Rocky Hill boys’ soccer defeated RHAM, 2-0, on Oct. 27. Head coach Paul Horta said he was proud of how his Terriers gave maximum effort from the first whistle to the final buzzer. “I thought we took a big step forward today,” stated Horta. “This is the first [game] that for 80 minutes we gave 100% the whole time.” Junior forward Sohan Salian provided the Terriers an early cushion, getting a feed from fellow junior Jason Nadeau before weaving through a pair of Raptors defenders and finding the back of the net with a hard blast in the 11th minute. “That first goal relaxes everybody and it gives you belief. It’s always good to play from an advantage,” added Horta. “Confidence is everything and they have started to believe in themselves.” Salian’s goal was all that the Rocky Hill defense would need as senior goalie Jakub Gawron rejected every shot he faced. Gawron, a senior captain, said the early lead upped the confidence on the back end, adding, “It makes things a lot simpler and we can play with a lot less stress.” Playing with the lead and the wind in the second half, junior Endi Bregu added an insurance goal with an assist from senior captain Austin Murawski with seven minutes to play in regulation. The win marked the team’s second straight home shutout, also blanking East Catholic 6-0 at Rocky Hill High School on Oct. 6. Horta credited Gawron for not only keeping the net clean, but also sacrificing for the betterment of the team this fall. Gawron was a field player as season ago before Horta approached him about taking over as the net minder. Horta said Gawron responded with a simple—“Yes, coach”—and got to work in the offseason, working over in various camps and clinics over the winter and summer months. “No one words harder than Jakub,” Horta said of his first-year goalie. “He’s a kid that is easy to root for. He cares about the team more than he cares about himself.” Gawron made eight saves in the win over RHAM, including back-to-back stops midway through the first half when he swatted away a shot from Truman Brodeur and then swallowed up the follow by Michael Thatford. Senior Nico DiMatteo and junior Jaiden Daigle are captaining the team with Gawron and Murawski. Between the four captains they have the entire field covered with DiMatteo manning the middle, Murawski providing offense up front, and Daigle helping protect the backend with Gawron. Horta said his four field generals are leading by example, influencing the younger kids with their work ethic. “They are all 100% in. They are the hardest working kids in practice,” added Horta. “They are the first here and the last out.” Will Ramos, the team’s fourth senior, along with a talented group of juniors and sophomore Zaim Guster round out a starting lineup that Horta believes could be dangerous once the state tourney rolls around. “If they can approach the game like we did today, we are talented enough,” added Horta. “It’s just about playing hard for 80 minutes and sacrificing for each other.” Gawron agrees, adding, “I think this team is very talented. I think we could get very far in the states.” The Terriers closed last week with a win 2-1 win over Lewis Mills, earning their ninth win of the season. Next up is the Class M state tourney, which starts Monday, Nov. 7. |
AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
December 2023
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