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11/19/2017 11:00 PMThroughout the past few years, the athletes on the Hand field hockey squad have dreamed of winning a state championship. On Nov. 18, that dream became a reality for the Tigers.
After claiming its first SCC Tournament title in three years, Hand entered the Class M State Tournament as the No. 2 seed and won its first three games to make the state final against two-time defending champion and No. 8 seed New Canaan. In the heavyweight bout, the Tigers scratched out a 2-1 victory over the Rams at Wethersfield High School.
Sophomore Jacqui Sandor gave Hand a 1-0 lead by scoring the game’s first goal with 5:33 remaining in the opening half. The score stayed that way until there was 23:18 to play in the game, when junior Kathryn Donahey netted a goal to give the Tigers a 2-0 advantage. Less than a minute later, the Rams got on the board as Meghan Mitchell scored a goal to cut it to 2-1. However, New Canaan would get no closer, and Hand walked off the field with its second state title in program history and first since 2014.
“Winning states validated the hard work and commitment of every single player on our team. At the beginning of the season, our coaches told us the only way we would win SCCs and states was if we all bought into the idea that if we worked immensely hard, we could be the strongest team in the state,” said senior captain Abi Barry. “Whether it was our mental or physical state, every player was hungry for two medals. Having the whole team on the same page is something I believe is very rare and special. The team was able to excite and support each other every minute of the season, and I believe that is why we were able to receive the state title plaque on Nov. 18. Tom Brady once said, ‘I just love working hard. I love being a part of a team. I love working towards a common goal.’ That is how I feel about this incredible season.”
Hand, which finished its season with an overall record of 20-1-2, outshot New Canaan by an 11-4 margin and earned 15 corners to the Rams’ eight in the Class M final. Senior goalie Kylie Gargiulo finished with three saves in the cage for the Tigers.
“What helped carry this team to a state title was definitely our teamwork and the heart that was within each player,” senior captain Sophie Schreck said. “It wasn’t just the starters who wanted to win. It was those first off the bench and even those who didn’t see much time. Everyone wanted it and everyone was there for each other, and I really think that is what made us so successful.”
For most of the first half, neither side could get the initial strike behind the opposing netminder. However, with 5:33 to play before intermission, Sandor broke loose and swiped one into the net following a feed from sophomore Maeve Connors to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Hand held off the Rams for the rest of the frame and maintained its one-goal edge at halftime.
“We started off strong offensively, and it was exciting to get that first goal. It takes the pressure off, but any subtle breakdown can lead to them scoring,” Head Coach Sue Leckey said. “The girls felt they had this after the first goal, but we thought other goals would come. We knew we were in for the long haul. We felt strong that we were putting the pressure on them. We used our speed and played a lot of offense.”
During the opening minutes of the second half, New Canaan persisted to try and net the equalizer, while Hand pushed for an insurance goal. Corner plays typically prove crucial in field hockey, and that sentiment rang true for the Tigers on the biggest stage of the season when Donahey put a shot home on a penalty corner to put Hand up 2-0 with 23:18 left in the game. Schreck and junior Taylor Leckey had the assists on the goal.
The Rams wouldn’t give up their throne without a fight and answered right back on Mitchell’s goal that cut the lead in half with 22:02 to play. However, Hand stayed strong and held off New Canaan’s final charge to secure state supremacy in the Class M ranks.
“Our defense and our back line was so poised. We knew New Canaan could win and had the potential to score,” Coach Leckey said. “I couldn’t be more proud of this team. They did a tremendous job of relying on each other. One of my favorite plays of the game was late when they were putting pressure on our right corner, and we swept the ball back. It was a great field hockey skilled moment. It was the epitome of this team. They trusted each other and worked hard.”
Leckey added that the Tigers paid precise attention to every detail on the field against New Canaan, negating many of the Rams’ potential scoring chances.
“Kenzie Larson led our defensive unit that featured two sophomore starters that just stayed composed and did their job throughout the playoffs and obviously very well in the state championship game,” she said. “Taylor Leckey controls the middle of the field and is our point person on the offensive corners. The New Canaan playmaker coming into this game was its center midfielder, but her impact was minimized by Leckey’s presence in the middle. Sophie Schreck rushed and stopped the big hitter on their corners, two especially close to the end of the game to secure the win. Our two wings, Jacqui Sandor and Kathryn Donahey, are fast, fearless, and competitive, and they scored the goals and put relentless pressure on the New Canaan defense to prevent them from playing their game. They had lots of help from our center forwards in Glenna-Kate Gies, Erickson Richard, and Skylar Leckey. Our entire forward line is fast and aggressive with a solid passing sense that allowed us to possess the ball against our opponents throughout the playoff games, but particularly in the championship. Kylie Gargiulo did her job and, most importantly, challenged our team every practice to be better and smarter at scoring.”
Coach Leckey explained that her athletes found the perfect mix of intensity and technical prowess at just the right time to bring the state championship back to Madison after playing some of the best teams in the state with their grueling Southern Connecticut Conference regular-season schedule.
“This is a cool group of girls. They want to win and get better. We just had to find that consistent tenacity. We had opportunities at the end of the year where we had to play really hard to beat teams, and it helped them understand the toughness it takes to win. We looked to distribute and run, and then combine that with a competitive edge. It all came together in a perfect storm, and I felt we were 100-percent equipped going into the state final. Guilford, Branford, and Cheshire made us ready and helped us be the team we were in the state final, because we needed to rise to the occasion with them. Guilford made us understand that if we don’t move the ball quickly, then they will break us up,” Coach Leckey said. “We put the same pressure on New Canaan that Guilford put on us. The girls really did this as a team, and I was glad for them to get the title to validate their competitive awesomeness, for lack of a better word. This team is special. Those that didn’t get on the field [in the state final] have been crucial to our growth as a team and our accomplishments. The team is selfless, hard-working, and supportive of each other, so it’s nice that they were able to earn a championship with those qualities.”
Previously, in the Class M semifinal round, the Tigers faced the only team that had defeated them this year with a matchup against No. 3 seed Guilford and defeated the Indians by a 2-1 final at Branford High School on Nov. 14. Taylor Leckey gave Hand a 1-0 lead by scoring a goal with 25:28 remaining in the first half. Olivia Clarke then tied the score for Guilford with 17:15 left in regulation, but then Erickson Richard followed by netting the game-winning goal with 7:15 to go. Leckey and Schreck earned All-State First Team honors, while Barry and Gargiulo made the All-State Second Team for Hand this year.
• The Hand field hockey team’s Class M State Tournament roster was comprised of senior captains Abi Barry and Sophie Schreck, along with fellow seniors Mackenzie Larson, Nora McCarthy, Skylar Leckey, Lily Arida, Caroline Schreck, Glenna-Kate Gies, Isabelle Kennedy, Meghan Daly, Kelly Cody, and Kylie Gargiulo; juniors Kathryn Donahey, Alison Lord, Jacqueline McKeown, Erickson Richard, Anna Beccia, Katharine Barrett, Taylor Leckey, and Harriet Burt; sophomores Karen Newton, Lucy Cutler, Kennedy Richard, Maeve Connors, Jessica Murphy, Tessie Sheehan, Jacqueline Sandor, and Ciara Halloran.
• Hand finished with a record of 13-1-2 for the regular season. The Tigers scored victories over Cheshire (4-3), Lauralton Hall (4-0 and 4-2), Branford (2-1 and 3-0), Shelton (9-0), Sheehan (4-0), Amity (11-1), Sacred Heart Academy (2-0), Hamden (4-0), North Haven (10-0), Lyman Hall (9-0), and Mercy (3-1). The Tigers’ loss came against Guilford (2-0), and they also tied Darien (0-0) and Cheshire (3-3).
• In the SCC Tournament, Hand defeated Hamden 3-0 in the quarterfinals, Cheshire by a 3-2 final in the semifinals, and then bested Branford 1-0 in the final by winning 4-2 on penalty strokes. In the Class M State Tournament, the Tigers defeated E.O. Smith 6-1 in the first round and Sacred Heart Academy 5-0 in the quarterfinals before edging Guilford 1-0 in the semifinals.
• This was the Tigers’ sixth appearance in a state final with all of them coming in Class M. The Tigers lost in the finals in to Pomperaug in 1998 (1-0), against Branford in 2005 (1-0), to Wilton in 2006 (2-0), and versus Darien (3-2) in 2010. Hand defeated Wilton 2-1 in the 2014 Class M final.