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07/29/2017 12:00 AMThe Haddam-Killingworth boys’ lacrosse squad took a big step in the right direction by breaking new ground this spring, while establishing itself as a contender for the Shoreline Conference and state titles for years to come.
In only their fifth varsity campaign, Head Coach Mark Richard and the Cougars posted their best regular season record in program history by finishing with a mark of 13-3. H-K then defeated Morgan, 12-9, in the Shoreline Conference Tournament semis to reach its first conference final, where the Cougars took a 10-6 loss to Valley Regional. After that, H-K saw its season come to a close with a 10-7 defeat against Rocky Hill in the first round of the Class S State Tournament.
Coach Richard remembers the humble beginnings of the Cougars’ varsity squad, which went 0-16 in both 2013 and 2014. Although he wanted to see his team fare a little better in the postseason, Coach Richard is proud of his athletes for making 2017 the best year yet.
“We wanted to win Shorelines and Class S, but we weren’t able to get there. For the team, it was great to get the semifinal win in Shorelines. In the games against Morgan and North Branford, we really clicked offensively and put up big numbers,” said Richard, whose team finished 14-5 overall. “I talked to the seniors about when they were freshmen and we were 0-16, so it was nice to be on the other side of that. All of our wins felt great, and we knew we had the ability to play well.”
The Cougars featured a three-headed force leading them as their captains this season. Senior captain Eli Griswold was named the Shoreline Conference Player of the Year, junior Jared Gibbons was also a captain for H-K, and senior goalie Jeremy Fleig was appointed as a captain in the middle of the season on his way to finishing as the state’s leader in save percentage with a .730 clip. Coach Richard said that each captain contributed significantly with their performances on the field, in addition to strengthening the club’s camaraderie away from the turf.
“Eli was our leader on the field all year with starting our offense. We put Jared on the opposing team’s best attackers. His ability to play in the defensive zone helped create chaos for the other team,” Richard said. “We ran a 10-man ride, which is like a full-court press in basketball, and Jeremy’s ability to run in that led to our offensive production off of turnovers. He was big for us. He was added as captain later in the year because of his leadership on the field. We had great leadership from the three guys in telling their peers to work hard. They helped the rest of them keep their eyes on the prize.”
In terms of postseason honors, Griswold was named to the All-Shoreline Conference First Team and the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Class M All-State First Team, becoming the first H-K boys’ lacrosse player to earn the latter distinction. Junior Sam Purdy, who netted 69 goals on the spring, was selected to the All-Shoreline Second Team and the All-State Second Team. Senior Markus Trahan and junior Finn Miller were All-Shoreline First Team honorees, while Gibbons and sophomore Nick Burger were selected to the Second Team.
For H-K’s team awards, Purdy was named their Offensive Player of the Year, Griswold was the Defensive Player of the Year, Gibbons won the Coaches’ Award, and senior Dan Civiello chosen as the Cougars’ Most Valuable Player.
“I talked to Sam last year about his goals for this year, and he said he wanted to lead the Shoreline in goals. He did that and actually tied for the most in the state. As a coach, Eli was a blessing to have,” Coach Richard said. “Jared was named the Coaches’ Award winner based on his ability to play good defense and free Eli up. Dan was named MVP based on his overall performance the last four years. He was the epitome of a competitor, whether it was a practice drill or the Shoreline final.”
The Cougars graduated some key players from this year, but they will also return several solid underclassmen in 2018, including Nolan Serbent, who has already been named a junior captain. Coach Richard said that it will all come down to how hard his athletes work in the offseason and then how they translate their dedication to excellence on the field come next spring.
“It’s all in the kids’ hands and what they want to accomplish. We return five of our six offensive players and all but one of our defensive starters,” said Richard. “I have a ton of confidence that the kids who didn’t play as much this year will step up. The guys will get it together quick, but it’s about how hard they are willing to work to get it.”
From the Sidelines
Mark Richard is the only head coach in the history of Haddam-Killingworth boys’ lacrosse. Darren Myers was H-K’s assistant coach this year.
The Cougars competed as a club team for two years prior to debuting in the varsity ranks in the 2013.
H-K’s regular season wins in 2017 came against North Branford (12-9 and 20-4), Cromwell (15-0 and 12-4), St. Bernard-Wheeler (7-4), Old Lyme (11-9 and 12-2), Old Saybrook (13-6), Lyman Hall (14-3), Cross (20-5), Morgan (16-3), Valley Regional (6-5), and Hall (18-5).