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07/07/2016 12:00 AMNo matter what the score was, how much time was left in the game, or who the opponent was, the Hand girls’ lacrosse squad never wavered in the face of adversity and always kept calm on the field this spring. The Tigers’ composed approach ultimately carried them to a conference crown, plus an appearance in the state semifinals in 2016.
Head Coach Kevin Siedlecki’s squad pushed through the regular season with a 14-2 mark, posting monumental victories against a pair of Class L squads in Greenwich and Glastonbury. Hand then earned the top seed in the SCC Tournament and repeated as conference champs with an 11-10 overtime victory against Cheshire in the final. Then as the top seed for the Class M State Tournament, Hand defeated Guilford and Pomperaug before taking a 10-9 overtime defeat to Barlow in the semis.
“When you look at what we put down on paper, we wanted to be 14-2, win the SCC title, get back to the state final, and play a good game there. Maybe we stole a couple games, but it’s fun that lacrosse is getting to that level in the state where it’s not so predictable and we can snag a win versus a team like Greenwich,” said Coach Siedlecki, whose Tigers also reached the Class M final in 2015. “We fell short of one of those goals and only by a goal in overtime, but no one game defines a season. We still had probably the second-best year for the program, second to only last year. We really wanted to get it done for the seniors because every one of them gave everything in practice and supported the team.”
Headlining Hand’s star senior class were its two co-captains in midfielder Cameron Ruberti and defender Annie Hesse, who were each First Team All-State and All-SCC selections. Ruberti will play at Central Connecticut State University following her 37-goal, 30-assist campaign and both she and Hesse embodied the essence of the Tigers’ composure, while serving as excellent conduits between their teammates and coaches.
“Cameron has a real good understanding of where to be and where to look for the ball. She’s a huge contributor also in meetings and practices. She uses her authority to promote the vision and authority of the coaches. The whole team is very dedicated, but she sets the tone and has a link between the coaches and players,” Siedlecki said. “It was a double-edged sword with Annie because we wanted to move her to midfield, but she was so talented on defense that we couldn’t move her. She is a great athlete mentally and calmly looks ahead to the next thing and the rest of the team fed off of that. We were a young team that outperformed my expectations and they had that ability to calm everybody down and focus on the moment. The whole team followed suit and matured quickly.”
Along with the Greenwich and Glastonbury victories, Coach Siedlecki felt that one of Hand’s finest hours came in the SCC final, where the girls’ mental strength was truly put to the test. Down 6-1 with 6:19 left in the first half, the Tigers rallied to draw to 6-5 before the Rams made it 9-5, after which Hand tied things up at 9. Cheshire retook the lead at 10-9, but that merely set the stage for Ruberti’s tying goal with 33 seconds left in regulation that was followed by the winning score in overtime from Taylor Scully, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Scully, a sophomore midfielder, notched 52 goals with 38 assists for the year and also collected First Team All-SCC and All-State honors.
“Beating Glastonbury the way we did was great because it was our first major test and success and we had the attitude of let’s make the next play no matter what had happened before,” Siedlecki said. “The SCC final was us buying into that one mission and calm approach. They never got down on themselves. The game was what we were all about in playing with poise and maturity. It was a microcosm of everything that went well this year.”
Joining Scully, Ruberti, and Hesse on the First Team All-State and All-Conference squads was sophomore Riley Kokoruda (35 goals, 7 assists, 97 draw controls), while senior Katharine Garnett (26 goals, 10 assists) and junior goalkeeper Caitlyn Harvey both netted Second Team All-SCC accolades. Rounding out the Tigers’ crop of departing seniors are Camryn Hobin (8 goals), Lauren Raleigh, Sara Sounthanavong, Lindsey Forsey, Nora McCarthy, Jen Bruciati, Cat Lee, and Alexis Blumenthal.
Naturally, Siedlecki contends that it will be a tall order to replace such a talented senior class, especially since the Tigers are one of the targeted teams in the state. However, the coach said that his seniors have left behind a legacy in terms of right way to approach the game and added that his underclass athletes learned a lot about what it takes to play in big games, which Siedlecki believes can immensely benefit Hand next year.
“Looking ahead, we have the kids here to help us reload. It’s irreplaceable what the seniors gave us, but we have the skill and talent to be right up there next year, but it comes down to who steps up and how the pieces mesh,” said Siedlecki. “Our sophomores took a big step in maturing this year. They have the Barlow loss now and have been through it, so the next time we have that type of lead, they won’t want to experience that loss again. We have three starting spots to fill, but everyone on the field next year has been with the varsity team in some role, whether a practice or game. They all look up to the model set by these seniors and follow it. The talent is there. It’s just a matter of how it all comes together.”
From the Sidelines
Hand’s regular season wins came against Simsbury (10-3), Hall (17-9), Mercy (18-4), Amity (20-4), Guilford (19-11), Sacred Heart Academy (17-2), East Lyme (8-7), Glastonbury (11-6), West Haven (18-5), Old Lyme (15-11), Hamden (16-3), Greenwich (9-8), Lauralton Hall (17-9), and Branford (10-9).
Prior to beating Cheshire in the SCC Tournament final, Hand also defeated Lauralton Hall 19-15 in the semifinals on May 24.
This was Kevin Siedlecki’s eighth season as head coach of Hand girls’ lacrosse and he was assisted by Jill Gerzebek (varsity assistant coach), Lindsey Carroll (JV coach), Amy Zupan (freshman coach), Lizzie Davidson (volunteer coach), and Gretchen Montgomery (volunteer).