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10/23/2017 12:00 AMThe Valley Regional field hockey team came into this year with goal of returning to the Shoreline Conference Tournament after reaching the championship game last season. The Warriors expected an adjustment period after graduating regional All-American Francesca Daniels, but they haven’t skipped a beat in 2017. Valley owns a record of 8-3-3 and is once again headed to the Shoreline Conference and Class S State tournaments thanks to an influx of young talented players up front, along with a solid defense.
Head Coach Beth Powers has been pleased with her team’s performance so far this season and is excited about the increased level of competition in the Shoreline Conference.
“We’re all piled on top of each other this season,” said Powers. “The competition has been steady all year...It’s been a bit of shift for the Shoreline league. We’re all very competitive, even with North Branford having a fantastic year.”
The Warriors played three games last week, winning two and losing one. On Oct. 16, the Warriors hosted Haddam-Killingworth and came away with a 2-0 victory. Junior Annie Cooper struck first with an unassisted goal. Later in the first half, Riley Millburne put one in the cage off an assist from Francesca Pisanzio.
Coach Powers felt glad to get a win against her alma mater in a bit of friendly competition. She said that Valley capitalized on its opportunities and played steady defense with Kate O’Brien and Emily Peterson having strong games in the backfield.
“As an alumnus, it’s always a good day when we beat H-K,” Powers said. “We had a good game. We played sound defense, and we took advantage of our opportunities.”
Two days later, the Warriors headed up to Somers and were victorious, 4-0. Freshman Tory Rider had a big game for Valley by getting involved in every goal the Warriors scored. Ellen Flynn scored the first goal on an assist from Rider. Flynn later returned the favor by assisting on a goal by Rider. Rider then put another one in the cage, after which Ruby Olynnger scored the final goal of the night on another assist from Rider.
Coach Powers liked that Valley kept up the pressure in this victory. She made it a point to tell the Warriors to not take their opponent lightly.
“Somers has a very slow field, and they play tougher at home,” Powers said. “Even though we beat them soundly earlier in the year, I was saying, ‘Do not underestimate them.’ They played us a little tougher on their field, but I thought we played well, and it was a good group effort.”
Valley closed the week at home against an undefeated North Branford squad and lost 4-2 on Senior Night. The Warriors honored seniors Carolyn Crowell, Ellen Flynn, Corinne Magee, Avery O’Rourke, Emily Peterson, Hannah Proteau, and Caitlin Smith prior to the game.
North Branford went ahead by scoring two goals in the first half, and Valley couldn’t catch up. Cooper grabbed an unassisted goal near the end of the first half, and Crowell scored a goal near the end of the game off an assist from Rider.
Even though the Warriors didn’t get the W, Coach Powers thought that her club played a good game versus a formidable opponent on Senior Night.
“It was a wonderful celebration of our senior class. We played hard, and so did North Branford,” said Powers. “It was a pretty clean game, which made for a great game. Both teams played well. The score is what the score is.”
Powers said the Warriors’ seniors--particularly captains Peterson, Smith, and Flynn--have done a good job of get people acclimated on a team that features several under class athletes in the starting lineup. All three captains play different positions, and offer a calming presence on the field. Peterson is an attacking center defender who sacrificed her position as a forward when the squad needed her abilities further back. Smith plays left midfielder for Valley.
“Emily’s a super-good role model for the younger players. She has always played attack before this year, but I needed her to play defense, and she happily accepted the role for the very important position. She’s very self-sacrificing,” said Powers. “Caitlin plays left midfield. She’s a great defensive left midfielder. They just do a great job of shoring up the middle of the field for us.”
Flynn is a forward who is first in line to come off the bench when someone on the attack needs a quick breather.
“She comes in at left or right wing. She’s versatile enough to play either side of the field. She has left-side skill,” Powers said of Flynn. “She brings a nice calming presence to the underclassmen up front, because she’s a little more seasoned.”
Powers’s starting forward line consists of two sophomores and a freshman in Rider, who leads the team with 12 goals to go with 15 assists. Coach Powers likes Rider’s natural talent and athleticism.
“She hasn’t been playing a long time...She decided she wanted to try field hockey, and we were happy to have her,” said Powers. “I noticed her first at one of the camps I help facilitate. She stood out right away as an athlete. Although her field hockey talent is raw, she’s a smart kid, and she listens and implements what you’re coaching her to do. She has a nose for the goal...She has a lot to do with our success.”
Standing tall in goal for the Warriors this year is junior Mia Cost, who has eight shutouts on the season.
“She has been having a great season...This is her first year starting varsity. She got in some games last year, and this is her first season starting,” said Coach Powers. “She came from a soccer background. I talked her into playing goal to limit stress on her knee from running up and down the field. She just took to it really well.”
As for the upcoming postseason, Coach Powers wants her team to stay focused and continue to play well as a unit.
“We are capable of beating anyone any given game. We just have to take it one day at a time and see who we match up against,” said Powers. “This group works well together. They’re super kids, great athletes, and eager learners.”
Sidelines Box
Beth Powers is currently in her 12th season as head coach for the Warriors, and her assistant coach is Randy Netch.
Valley’s wins this season have come against Old Saybrook (1-0 OT, 1-0), Stafford (4-2), Somers (6-0, 4-0), East Lyme (3-0), Waterford (2-1), and Haddam-Killingworth (2-0).
The Warriors’ losses were versus North Branford (2-0, 4-2) and Morgan (2-1)
The Warriors tied their matches with Morgan (1-1) and Westbrook (0-0, 0-0).