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11/16/2017 11:00 PMThe top-seeded North Branford field hockey squad advanced to the Class S State Tournament championship game with an unblemished record of 20-0-1 after shutting out No. 4 seed Stonington 2-0 in the semifinals at East Lyme High School on Nov. 14. The Thunderbirds faced No. 2 seed Granby for the state title at Wethersfield High School on Nov. 18 (after press time).
It was a dominant defensive effort for North Branford, which held Stonington (13-3-0-1) to just two shots on goal in the game. Junior goalie Jordan Regan saved both shots from the opposition to pick up the shutout.
Although the T-Birds had plenty of chances in Stonington’s zone, the game remained scoreless until sophomore Ava Galdenzi put one home with 18:28 to play. Sophomore Ali Barrett placed a shot on net, but Stonington’s goalie made the save. However, a juicy rebound was left for Galdenzi, who buried the goal to give the T-Birds a 1-0 lead.
About 10 minutes later, junior captain Amy Raucci connected for an insurance marker to put the game away for North Branford. The T-Birds’ aggressive attack forced a corner, and they took full advantage on a set play. Galdenzi’s pass found the stick of Raucci, who fired it in for the two-goal advantage.
The Thunderbirds outshot Stonington 14-2 and held a 13-0 advantage in terms of penalty corner attempts in the victory. Head Coach Babby Nuhn credited senior captain Zelda Galdenzi for holding Stonington at bay by controlling the middle of the field, as well as freshman Kelli Jacobson for proving a huge factor by making decisive tackles that prevented the Bears from getting into the T-Birds’ zone.
The 2017 season has been a remarkable one for North Branford. The T-Birds earned the top seed in the Shoreline Conference Tournament, won the conference championship with a 2-1 overtime victory against Valley Regional, and then won their first three games in states with victories versus Old Saybrook, Westbrook, and Stonington. In the championship game of the Class S State Tournament, North Branford went up against the Granby team that entered the game with a record of 17-1-1 and last played in a state final in 2014, when it lost to Lewis Mills. Granby also won three straight Class S titles from 2009 to 2011.
This marks the fifth appearance in a state final for North Branford and the program’s first since defeating Haddam-Killingworth 1-0 in the Class S championship to claim the school’s third state title. The other championship victories came in 1980 and 1981. In 1980, North Branford topped New Milford 2-0 to take the Class M crown and, in 1981, North Branford and Pomperaug were co-champions as the two teams shared the Class S title following a 0-0 tie. North Branford’s only loss in a state title game came in 1987, when it took a 2-1 loss to Stonington in the Class M final.