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11/20/2016 11:00 PMHaddam-Killingworth and Westbrook were two of the premier field hockey squads in the state throughout the season and so it was only fitting that neither team was willing to budge an inch and be denied a spot in the winner’s circle when they played for the Class S state title.
Top-seeded Westbrook and No. 3 seed HK met in the Class S State Tournament final on Nov. 19 at Wethersfield High School. Earlier in the season, the Cougars had edged Knights 1-0 on Sept. 28, after which the Shoreline Conference rivals played to a scoreless tie on Oct. 20. With a state crown on the line for round three, the two sides went the distance and were tied 1-1 through 60 minutes of regulation and a pair of 10-minute, sudden-victory overtime periods, resulting in HK and Westbrook sharing the Class S state crown. The outcome yielded the Cougars’ first state title since 2012 and marked the culmination of a long journey back to the Class S final after they lost in the title game a year ago.
“Winning a state championship is an unbelievable feeling and it’s even greater to be able to share it with such a special group of people. This season definitely had its ups and downs, but they also helped us reach the state final and come out as champions,” said HK senior Brinley Anderson. “This year, our goal was to return to the finals and come out with a championship. Losing a lot of seniors from last year, we knew it was going to be a challenge, but this team’s resilience all season long brought us back to the finals and helped us become state champions.”
The Knights, who had won the Shoreline Conference Tournament championship, concluded their year at 19-1-2, while the Cougars finished 16-3-2. HK outshot Westbrook 10-2 with sophomore netminder Abbie Bagnoli making one save. HK junior Celia Payfa said that several things had to fall into place for the Cougars to once again become state champs.
“This state title embodies everything that each one of us has worked towards since the preseason in August. We have been guided by outstanding coaches and, without them, this would have never been a possibility,” Payfa said. “Our team has overcome so many difficulties, from having injuries from pinpointing which lineup would allow for us all to connect. Our win was achieved from the goalie all the way to the forward line and was even reciprocated through our fans. Being a state champ is a better feeling than any one of us could have imagined. I’m eternally grateful to be a part of this year’s team and nothing could replace the bond we share.”
Anderson got HK on the board first when she scored off a penalty corner by tipping in a rebound with 13:52 to go in the opening half. The Knights found the equalizer as Alexa Mulvihill scored to tie the game at with 4:02 to play before intermission. The Cougars’ offense generated eight penalty corners in the second half, yet Westbrook kept them off the board, and so the game went to overtime.
The Knights had a good look at the championship-clinching goal on a corner in the first extra session, but HK’s defense stepped up to the challenge and steered the ball to the side of the cage. The Cougars had a great chance in the second OT when Westbrook goalie Lauren Wright got taken off her feet in traffic, leaving a loose ball and an opening for HK. However, it wasn’t to be as the Knights knocked it away, time eventually expired, and the teams walked away as Class S co-champs.
Head Coach Patsy Kamercia felt that HK’s 1-0 loss to Valley Regional in the Shoreline Conference semifinals gave her team a little reality check that benefited the Cougars big-time come state tourney time.
“We lost in the Shoreline semifinals and I think that actually helped us because we knew that we could lose if we didn’t play well. It clicked that they had to get it going. It was a blessing because it made us realize that it’s not that easy. They decided that they were going to do it,” said Coach Kamercia. “We played light’s-out versus [Stonington in a 3-0 win in the semifinals]. It set them up to know that they could do it. The game was the confidence builder we needed after Shorelines. From there, they were on auto drive and didn’t accept anything less than being state champs. It was a wonderful tournament and it was great to get back to the state final. Three of the grades on the team were there last year and knew what that losing feeling felt like.”
The Cougars also learned that they had three athletes make the All-State Team this year. Anderson and Rachel Senechal made the First Team, while fellow senior Julia Kostek earned Second Team distinction. Those are nice honors for the HK trio, but Coach Kamercia said the personal accolades and stats didn’t matter much to the Cougars in their quest for a state title because it was team cohesiveness that propelled them to the top.
“It came down to chemistry with everyone being on the same page and believing and trusting in each other. If you don’t have that chemistry, you won’t do well in the tournament. A lot of times it’s more mental than physical and they did what they had to do,” Kamercia said. “We had huge leadership with nine seniors and, from the very first practice, they were talking about being conference and state champs. It was on their radar. The leadership on the team was terrific. We had injuries, but the rest of the team knew it had to step up. We won and lost games and we came from behind in others, so we felt all sides of it this year.”
From the Sidelines
The athletes on Haddam-Killingworth’s Class S State Tournament roster were seniors Julia Kostek, Valeda Kocsis, Brinley Anderson, Hannah Theriault, Kaleigh Albert, Emily Pitruzzello, Christina Miceli, Rachel Senechal, and Alise Greco; juniors Celia Payfa, Grace Martone, Stella Bragoni, Isabella Cosenza, Melissa Thompson, and Hailey Reed; sophomores Jordan Tupay, Emily Insall, Lindsey Johnson, Erin Tucker, Michaela Flaherty, Becca Conti, Erin Figurelli, Kerry Peoples, Abbie Bagnoli, and Sally Blodgett; along with freshmen Emma Conklin, Natalie Pontbriand, Lauren Burley, Hanna Leavitt, and Molly Anderson.
HK’s appearance in the state final was marked its 10th in program history and the championship is its fourth. HK lost to Thomaston 2-1 in the 2015 Class S final, beat Stonington 2-0 to win the 2012 title, took a 3-0 loss to Granby Memorial in the 2010 final, took a 1-0 defeat in overtime against North Branford in 2006, and was co-champs with Lewis Mills following a 1-1 tie in 2005. Prior to that, the Cougars lost 1-0 to Canton in 1997, took a 1-0 defeat to Litchfield in 1996, beat Canton 1-0 for the Class S title in 1994, and dropped a 1-0 decision against Enfield in the Class M final in 1993.
The Cougars went 13-2-1 during regular season before dropping a 1-0 contest against Valley Regional in the Shoreline Conference Tournament semifinals. HK entered the Class S State Tournament as the No. 3 seed and beat No. 14 Wamago 9-1 at home in the first round. HK followed that up with a 1-0 home win over 6th-seeded Immaculate in the quarterfinals. The Cougars then punched their state final ticket by blanking No. 2 Stonington 3-0 in a semifinal matchup at East Lyme High School. The team went 16-3-2 overall on the year.