Old Saybrook Boys’ Soccer Takes Lone Loss of the Year in Class S Championship
The top-seeded Old Saybrook boys’ soccer team brought an undefeated record into its Class S State Tournament final against No. 3 seed Coventry at West Haven High School on Nov. 19. Coventry, which was last year’s Class S runner-up, came into the game on a mission and finished with a 2-0 victory to claim its first state title in program history.
“My hat’s off to them. They did a great job. It’s certainly well deserved,” Old Saybrook Head Coach Sam Barnes said. “I knew we were up against a quality team. I knew we needed to bring out our best game. The kids played the best they could, were prepared and motivated, but it just wasn’t enough to beat a really good Coventry team that only gave up eight or nine goals all year.”
The loss marked the only defeat of the season for the Rams, who finished at 20-1-2 after having previously won the Shoreline Conference Tournament. It was Old Saybrook’s first appearance in a state final since 1998 and the Rams last won a state title in 1983.
“The kids were disappointed. They were undefeated and won the Shoreline Conference, which wasn’t done in forever,” Barnes said. “No senior wants to leave on a loss. To make it that far, it’s still respectable record and I think the kids see that. They know they played well, but you never want to lose.”
Coventry (18-3) applied early pressure and scored two goals in the first 20 minutes of championship matchup. Jared Cote scored the first goal 8:05 into the game. Cote took a pass from Michael Sisk and put the shot past Rams’ junior goalie Jonah Nucci for a 1-0 lead. About eight minutes later, Zach Stoddard increased the lead to 2-0 to put Coventry in the driver’s seat.
“We’ve come back from behind in the Shoreline Tournament, but we’re normally ahead. It wasn’t an issue, but they’re a quality team. It’s tough to come back from 2-0 against a team that’s only let in eight or nine all year,” Coach Barnes said. “I knew it was going to be a struggle. We had a few opportunities, but couldn’t convert. They’ve been playing this way all year. They’re strong and fast. It’s pretty amazing.”
Despite the defeat, Coach Barnes is proud of his squad for a great State Tournament run that saw his Rams beat top teams like Somers and Notre Dame-Fairfield on their way to the final.
“To play Somers, Notre Dame, and then Coventry, we had a really tough road,” he said. “[Coventry] didn’t play anyone ranked above No. 10 to get to the final. I’m not discrediting them. They’re a great team, but it’s an interesting stat to see how the bracket ended up this year.”
Nucci made 13 saves in goal for the Rams, while Coventry keeper Chris Papas stopped six shots for the shutout. Senior Austin Reynolds and junior Justin Phillips had the Rams’ best scoring chances late in the game, but Old Saybrook was unable to get on the board and took the 2-0 defeat.
“It was exciting. The kids were excited to go,” Barnes said. “I thought the kids played with a lot of heart and did their best, but it just wasn’t enough.”
From the Sidelines
The athletes on the Rams Class S State Tournament roster were seniors Bailey Noack, Ben VanVliet, Mac Coppes, Asthon Reina, Austin Reynolds, Aiden Reid, Sabahudin Cecunjanin, and Bryan Schuster; juniors Matthew Barnes, Anthony Karg, Justin Phillips, Kyle Savino, Xavier Rios, James DePalermo, Sebastian Gallitto, Haydon Lockhart, Austin Hilger, Christian Fox, Galvin Stuart, Robert Holt, Adam Nucci, Will Brodeur, and Jonah Nucci; and sophomores Padraig Ryan, Carlos Chacon, Enes Cecunjanin, and Timothy Reid.
The Rams’ last appearance in a state final came in 1998, when they lost to Cromwell 2-0 in the Class S championship game. In 1994, Old Saybrook took a 2-1 to defeat to Windsor Locks in the final. Prior to that, Old Saybrook blanked Granby Memorial 1-0 for the Class S championship in 1983, defeated Coventry 2-1 to win it in 1982, was co-champs with Rocky Hill in 1979, and beat Watertown by a 1-0 final to win the Class S title in 1956.
Old Saybrook had an undefeated regular season by finishing with a record of 14-0-2. The Rams then won two games in the Shoreline Conference Tournament to take their first league title since 1958. Old Saybrook defeated Haddam-Killingworth 4-1 in the semifinals of the Shoreline tourney and posted a 2-1 win over Morgan in the final. The Rams entered the Class S State Tournament and had a first round bye. They beat No. 17 seed HK 3-0 at home in the second round, dispatched No. 8 Somers by a 2-0 score in a quarterfinal game at home, and defeated 5th-seeded Notre Dame-Fairfield 3-2 in the semis at West Haven High School. The team posted an overall record of 20-1-2.