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11/26/2016 11:00 PMFrom an outsider’s perspective, the 13th-seeded Old Saybrook girls’ soccer team was the underdog when it faced No. 2 seed Old Lyme in the Class S State Tournament title game at West Haven High School on Nov. 19. However, first-year Head Coach Berkeley Cecchini-Bond had confidence in her squad, which had played the Wildcats to a 2-2 tie during the regular season and, more recently, won its first four contests in states while knocking off some higher seeds in the process. The Rams pushed Old Lyme to its limit, but fell just short in a 1-0 defeat.
“I wanted to make sure before the game, any nerves or doubt that they had, I wanted to calm them down,” Coach Cecchini-Bond said. “We did a nice circle up and talked about win, lose, or tie, we were all very proud of the things we accomplished this year. I just wanted them to go out and enjoy the moment of playing in the state championship.”
The Rams, who finished the year with an overall record of 12-5-5, did just that in the first half as the two teams went into halftime in a scoreless tie. Old Saybrook’s sophomore goalie Kelsey True made six saves in the opening frame to keep the game knotted at 0.
“I know in the opening of the game we had some opportunities. Going into halftime being 0-0 was good for their confidence considering Old Lyme capitalized on every team they played in the tournament. I told them to continue to contend and keep composure,” said Cecchini-Bond. “Our goalkeeper played an outstanding game, saved a ton of their shots that should’ve change the score of the game.”
As play resumed in the second half, the Wildcats’ Caleigh O’Neil scored just 2:43 into the period to give Old Lyme (19-1-2) the lead and, ultimately, its first outright state title in school history. O’Neil lined up a free kick from about 30 yards out and bent a shot perfectly over the wall, under the crossbar, and inside the right goal post past a diving True to put the Wildcats up 1-0. Old Lyme generated the offensive chances from that point on and wound up outshooting the Rams 18-1.
“It was a good defensive game for us. We held a majority of their goal scorers and tried to decrease their chances as much as we could. We just couldn’t get the ball forward as a team,” Cecchini-Bond said. “We had a few breaks here and there, but they’re such a strong team and played such a fast-paced game. We were so defensive it was hard to get transition going into the second half.”
True kept Old Saybrook within a goal by making 17 total saves. She had a few diving saves, as well as one on an Old Lyme breakaway.
“I think overall she performed excellently. She’s been building her confidence all season long and it showed how far she’s come through that game,” Cecchini-Bond said of True. “I couldn’t have been more proud to see her play such a great game.”
Cecchini-Bond knows that teams don’t get to the state final every year and she really enjoyed the ride in her first season with the Rams. The coach believed her team had the right approach to postseason play as the Rams continued surprising their opponents with each victory in the state tourney.
“We told them it’s a climb all season to reach the goals we set at the beginning of the season. We told them to take each state game one at a time and they continued to show up as a team, play together as a solid unit, and everything we worked on all season long seemed to come out in the State Tournament. As a coach, you can’t ask for more than that,” she said. “It’s tough losing and they were upset, but after looking at it and where they came from a year ago, they really appreciated what they accomplished this year.”
From the Sidelines
Old Saybrook’s roster for the Class S State Tournament consisted of senior captains MaryKate Marshall and Maggie Smith, fellow seniors Devyn King, Marissa Newell, Erin Stangel, Riley Roarick, Holly Coppes, Isabelle Reina, Arianna Heonis, and Kristen King; juniors Nellie LaMay, Allison Bruehwiler, Kendall Hartt, Samantha Fucci, and IndiaRose Morin; sophomores Madeline Kawecki, Jessica Stratton, Kearney Capuano, Dalila Egbert, Alex Bishop, Kelsey True, and Ana Hester; plus freshmen Cate Coppes, Alexie Root, Alexandra Novakowski, Tristan Novakowski, and Allison Cody.
This was Old Saybrook’s second appearance in a state final. The Rams were co-champions of Class S in 2013, when they played to a 0-0 tie with Portland.
Old Saybrook went 8-3-5 for the regular season and then took a 2-1 loss to North Branford in the Shoreline Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Then as the No. 13 seed in the Class S State Tournament, the Rams posted a 3-0 home victory over 20th-seeded Litchfield in the first round, prevailed 1-0 at No. 4 St. Bernard in the second round, earned a 3-1 victory at 12th-seeded St. Paul in the quarterfinals, and defeated No. 24 Portland 2-1 (5-3 in penalty kicks) in the semifinal game at Middletown High School. The team’s final record was 12-5-5.