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11/11/2017 11:00 PMField Hockey
On the heels of winning the Shoreline Conference Tournament, the North Branford field hockey squad won its first two games in the Class S State Tournament to move on to the semifinal round. The top-seeded T-Birds defeated conference opponents Old Saybrook and Westbrook to make the semis, while improving to 19-0-1 for the year.
North Branford faced No. 4 seed Stonington in the Class S semifinals at East Lyme High School on Nov. 14 (after press time). If the Thunderbirds prevail, they will play the winner of No. 2 Granby and 3rd-seeded Immaculate for the state crown at Wethersfield High School on Saturday, Nov. 18.
The Thunderbirds earned the top seed in the Class S Tournament and played host to No. 17 Old Saybrook in the first round on Nov. 7. It was the fourth time the two teams squared off and the fourth time North Branford came away with a victory as it won 3-1. Early in the first half, sophomore Ali Barrett put one home from junior Angelina Ramada to get the game going and give the T-Birds a 1-0 lead, which they took into the half. Barrett scored her second goal of the game early in the second half, but Old Saybrook made it a 2-1 game with 19:11 to go. However, Ramada put the game out of reach by netting an insurance goal late in the half on an assist from sophomore Melanie Norton to send the T-Birds to the quarterfinals.
On Nov. 9, North Branford hosted No. 8 seed Westbrook and played an outstanding game in a 6-0 victory. North Branford outshot the Knights 12-2 as junior Amy Raucci recorded a hat trick for the Thunderbirds. Barrett notched two goals, while sophomore Ava Galdenzi scored one and had an assist. Melanie Norton, Daniele Ramada, and Kaylee Velez also contributed assists in the win for North Branford, which saw junior Jordan Regan record the shutout in goal.
Girls’ Soccer
One week after claiming the Shoreline Conference championship, the Thunderbirds’ girls’ soccer squad entered the Class M State Tournament as the No. 8 seed and won its first-round contest against Seymour before losing to Morgan in the second round.
The T-Birds’ confidence was riding high when they hosted No. 25 Seymour in the opening round of states on Nov. 7, and North Branford came away with a 2-0 victory in a rain-soaked contest. Ana Pavic opened the scoring with a goal in the first half, after which Lexi Rosado booted home the game’s second goal in the latter stanza.
On Nov. 9, North Branford played host to familiar foe in 9th-seeded Morgan. The game ultimately went to penalty kicks tied at 1, and Morgan won the PK session by a 3-1 score for a 2-1 victory. North Branford finished the year with an overall record of 15-2-3.
Boys’ Soccer
North Branford qualified for the Class S State Tournament as the No. 16 seed and faced No. 17 Bolton in the first round at home on Nov. 6. It was the T-Birds’ first appearance in states in six years, and they made good on their berth by blanking Bolton 2-0. North Branford later lost to top-seeded Old Saybrook in the second round.
In the opening round, Zach Smola and Andrew Selitto both scored goals in North Branford’s 2-0 win. Goalie Paul Zumbo recorded the shutout for the Thunderbirds.
In the second round, North Branford played Old Saybrook on the road and lost by a 4-0 score on Nov. 8. North Branford posted a record of 8-8-2 in Head Coach Brett Gagliardi’s second season with the program.
Football
The Thunderbirds took a 20-14 defeat against Stafford-East Windsor-Somers at Stafford High School on Nov. 10 to drop to 4-5 this season. Alex Clinton caught a 16-yard pass from quarterback Jeff Jablonski in the first quarter, and Charles Walcott ran home a 13-yard TD in the fourth that made it a one-score game to account for North Branford’s touchdowns.
Jablonski passed for 128 yards and spread it out as four different T-Birds’ receivers had more than 20 yards for the game. Walcott had a team-high 33 yards, Brett Lequire finished with 32, Sydney Franklin had 31 receiving yards, and Clinton had 22 yards. Walcott turned 16 carries into 98 yards for North Branford.
On the defensive end, Franklin had a team-high 10 tackles, while Steve Galluba, Marquis McFadden, Walcott, and Jamison O’Brien all recorded a half-sack. Lequire forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, and also picked off a pass.
North Branford will host Pequot League Sassacus Division rival Coginchaug/Hale-Ray in its regular-season finale at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22. The Blue Devils are 5-4 overall and 4-3 in the division, while North Branford is 3-4 in the division. Last year, the T-Birds defeated Coginchaug/Hale-Ray by a 28-22 score in overtime.