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Girls' Hockey Soared on Ice as State Finalist

After another successful regular season for Guilford girls' ice hockey, it exceeded postseason expectations in a memorable way.

The Indians finished with a mark of 12-6 to clinch a spot in the SCC Division I Tournament, where it fell to East Catholic 2-1 in the semifinals. Guilford then rebounded with the No. 5 seed in the State Tournament as it defeated No. 4 New Canaan by a 3-2 score prior to a big 2-1 overtime upset of top-seeded Darien in the semifinal round to reach the championship contest. While the Indians lost a hard-fought effort to No. 2 seed Simsbury 3-1 in the final at Ingalls Rink, Head Coach Gil Schaper saw his team as a big overachiever.

"We lost four seniors last year so I was hoping to achieve the same goals as last year with making the SCC and state tournaments, but the team definitely exceeded my expectations for the season," said Schaper, who completed his second season at the helm finishing 14-8 overall. "We went into our first win of the year versus New Canaan with the expectation to not get blown out, but after winning there, I had to reevaluate our goals and set the bar higher."

Leading the way for Guilford hitting its higher targets were seniors in assistant captain Zoe Bosenburg and Angelica Hurteau, each of whom were forwards. Schaper said both individuals were hockey loyalists who set the tone for the underclassmen in practice and games.

"Both of them were great role models to the younger players and they set the bar for newer players in terms of what is to be expected here at the high-school level of hockey," said Schaper. "Zoe is a hard worker out there; her heart was out there and she was level-headed. Angelica was such a hard worker, too, and hockey meant a lot to her."

At the junior class, the Indians boasted another pair of leaders in forward/captain Nicole Raccuia and assistant captain/utility player Katherine Rosadini. Whether it was taking on injuries or bigger foes, these two went above and beyond for their squad.

"Nicole is an in-and-out hockey player. She loves, lives, and bleeds the sport. She is small, but she uses that size to her advantage, such as with digging pucks out of corners," said Schaper. "Katherine battled injuries at the beginning of the year, yet she could play forward or defense and she did an excellent job. She also uses her experience to her advantage."

A foreshadowing for Guilford's ambitious campaign may have come in that initial New Canaan victory, according to Schaper. While he was proud of the state final berth, he was equally pleased about how they competed in both wins and losses.

"Our first big win was that New Canaan game because we've had a good rivalry with them and they had been getting the better of us lately, but that win really set the tone for the rest of the season," said Schaper, whose team took five of its eight losses by a single goal. "We kept losing to big teams by a goal [three times to East Catholic], but we kind of said, 'Wow! We are right there,' and just needed to tighten things up. Obviously, beating Darien and also New Canaan a second time in states were big moments. The state final was a huge moment for them to play at an amazing venue and they really enjoyed being there."

A fresh standard of excellence has been brought to Guilford's future after this playoff march, although Schaper and the Indians are up for the task.

"We set the bar high after this year. We lose two valuable seniors, but we will keep the same goals to make a run at both the SCC and state titles," said Schaper. "If we can pick up a couple players and add depth, then we will be OK."

In his last words about this season, Schaper felt his team made incredible strides thanks to a collective effort of girls who never wavered in their dedication.

"I give a lot of credit to the girls with the time commitment they put in during a long winter season," said Schaper, who thanked his assistant coaches Melanie DeCaprio, Kyrsten O' Neill, and Krystal Williams. "I give credit to our newer players as they made huge impacts. We had great leadership. [Junior netminder] Edy Moritz kept us in a lot of games and, defensively, we didn't give up too many goals [most in a single game was four]. Our defense with Rosadini, [freshman] Catherine Lawrence, and [junior] Bryanna Occhiboi was great. We also had many role players that worked hard in practice and everyone served a purpose in our success."