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04/30/2017 12:00 AMThe North Haven girls’ lacrosse squad has qualified for the Class M State Tournament in each of the past two seasons and needs just two more victories to make it back this year. However, as pleased as she is with the way everything is going, Head Coach Lois Frankforter doesn’t want the Indians to feel content with simply returning to the postseason in 2017. Instead, she wants them to arrive with authority and then make some noise once they get there.
“We’re trying not to just be satisfied to make it to states. That is not our goal this year. Our goal is to make it further in our playoff run...I want the team to continue to improve. I don’t want them to say that they’re successful, take a day off, and rest on their laurels. I want us to continue to play the we have been through the rest of the season and get better,” said Frankforter. “I can’t wait to see where we are in a month and what we accomplish through the rest of the season. One of our goals is to qualify for SCCs and be on top of Division II. We’ll have to beat all the Division II teams, who we are playing in the next four weeks. So our goal is to make the SCC playoffs, make states, and then see how deep we can go.”
The Indians own a record of 4-3 this season, having most recently taken an 18-3 home loss to Hand on April 26 and 10-9 a overtime defeat at Amity three days later. Courtney Babbidge, Annie Uyeki, and freshman Madison Fredericks scored North Haven’s goals against Hand, while Haley Murray had an assist.
In the Amity game, Uyeki and Meg Christoforo both scored two goals, plus Kaylie Sahirul, Jordyn Aurora, and Fredericks each had one. Kylie Brandt added a pair of assists for the Indians, who received 15 saves from Samantha Langner.
Previously this year, North Haven recorded victories versus Lyman Hall (14-4), Berlin (10-9), West Haven (10-9 in overtime), and Hamden (12-5). Coach Frankforter said that North Haven is “very mentally strong” this season, and its pair of one-goal wins are great examples of that as the Indians trailed in the second half of both contests before coming back to get the victory.
Sophomore Uyeki scored the tying goal in regulation and then Brandt, a junior, netted the winner in overtime when the Indians edged West Haven. Brandt and Uyeki are the Indians’ top goal scorers, and they’re joined on the attack by junior Courtney Babbidge and sophomore Christoforo.
“Kylie and Annie are phenomenal goal scorers and unselfish players who are always looking to feed or set a pick for another player. So they’re not hogging the ball, even though they probably could, but that’s who they are. We have a lot of weapons on attack, and so if they want to shut down one or two players, the rest will come in and score. Our scoring shows that we’re not a one- or two-person offense,” said Frankforter. “Courtney and Meg have also raised their game this year. Neither were starters last year, but each of them have taken their game to the next level, and are finding their place on the attack.”
The Indians’ midfield is led by four seniors with Clara Pellegrino up the middle, Sahirul and senior captain Murray on the wings, plus Aurora, who’s more of a defensive midfielder.
“Overall, our midfield play has been strong because our midfielders are such great athletes—quick and fast and almost tireless sprinting up and down the field,” Coach Frankforter said. “So our midfield is usually pretty strong and, when they’re clicking, it’s tough to keep up with them.”
North Haven features more senior savvy in its defensive corps, led by captains Jess McInnis and Kiley Degrand, along with Callyn Priebe. Coach Frankforter said that her defensive unit “is really smart” and added that “they’re just good at working together, identifying the biggest threat, taking them out of there game, and anticipating where the next drive will be.” Frankforter also discussed how Priebe and Degrand are performing in the captain’s role alongside Murray.
“They’re a great trio. They each have different personalities that work well together, but what they share in common is their commitment to the team and their willingness, if something needs to be done, to pitch in and do it great,” she said. “They’re great role models who help the other players, answer questions, and never give up. That’s what a captain needs to be on the field—someone who is maintaining a positive attitude and level of play, no matter what’s happening out there.”
Frankforter also handed out a hefty helping of kudos to senior goalkeeper Langner, who’s back for another season in net and has come up clutch on multiple occasions thus far.
“Samantha is a really strong goalie. She’s always working on her technique to improve and always has her head in the game. Even in our lopsided matches, she’s still as sharp at the end as in the beginning and always stays in the moment, which is all you can ask from a goalie in that situation,” said Frankforter. “Samantha has made some phenomenal saves in key moments, like the West Haven game. They had two free positions in the last few minutes and, if she didn’t make those stops, we might have had a different outcome.”
Coach Frankforter noted four other players for their commitment to the team in senior attackers Alex Baptie and Tessa Raffone, senior defender Kendle Hine, and junior attacker Brianna Ferriola. Frankforter said that she’s looking for all four of these athletes to make an impact on the field as the 2017 season unfolds.
From the Sidelines
Lois Frankforter is in her fifth season as the head coach of North Haven girls’ lacrosse. Frankforter’s coaching staff features varsity assistant Bernard Pellegrino and JV Head Coach Brittany Cebula.
The Indians compete in Division II of the SCC with Shelton, Sheehan, Law, West Haven, Sacred Heart Academy, Hamden, Foran, and Lyman Hall. The teams in SCC Division I are Hand, Cheshire, Branford, Guilford, Lauralton Hall, East Lyme, Mercy, and Amity.
North Haven has home games against Shelton, North Branford, Sacred Heart Academy, West Haven, and Law remaining on the schedule this year. The Indians will also be on the road to face Sheehan, Foran, and Law.