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11/20/2017 11:00 PMAfter recently claiming a piece of the Shoreline Conference title, the 2017 Morgan boys’ soccer team cemented its place as the most successful soccer squad in Huskies’ history by winning the Class S state championship behind a 4-0 win over Somers in the tournament final at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury on Nov. 18. Morgan had reached the title bout with a stirring semifinal victory versus Old Saybrook that came down to penalty kicks, after which the Huskies put forth a dominating effort against Somers on their way to earning the program’s second state title and first since 1964. Head Coach Ross Demay’s squad finished the year with an overall record of 18-3-2.
The 5th-seeded Huskies got two goals from Juan Avila, a goal by fellow senior captain Tyler Newfield, and another goal from sophomore Zachary Tuccitto on their way to the one-sided triumph versus 3rd-seeded Somers (16-4). Senior captain goalie Anes Gadun made three saves in net to get the shutout.
Newfield scored the first goal on an assist from junior Carter Skidmore in the 21st minute for a 1-0 lead that held up at halftime. In the 55th minute, Avila made it 2-0 by scoring on a one-timer from junior Jhonnyer Paida off a one-touch pass by sophomore Alex Kadlof. Less than a minute later, Avila found the back of the net again with an assist from senior James Saturno for 3-0 advantage. Then in the 65th minute, Tuccitto put a bow on the victory by scoring the game’s fourth and final goal on a helper from junior Ford Pender.
The Class S title was a long time coming for the Huskies, whose only other state crown came when they defeated Rocky Hill 53 years ago. Avila said that Morgan’s win versus Somers in the Class S final wasn’t just for the guys on his team, but also for several generations of Clinton residents.
“At that point in the finals, it wasn’t just playing for our own sake of winning anymore. It was for the alumni, the community, our students in general. We wanted to do something great for them while we got something out of it, too,” said Avila. “We wanted to show what brings our community together. There were a lot of people supporting us that had never been to a final game before.”
The evidence of how much the town of Clinton supported Morgan was on full display when the team bus—accompanied by a police escort from Waterbury—arrived back at the high school, where an exuberant throng of students and parents were waiting to cheer on the Huskies. Newfield explained how special it was to see his hometown’s support after Morgan capped off its spectacular season by claiming its second postseason crown.
“We got an escort coming back from the bus. All the parents and friends were all waiting at the school. That’s really cool,” Newfield said. “It’s the best way to end it off. Being a senior, having a piece of the Shoreline championship, and winning the state final—that’s the best.”
Head Coach Ross Demay felt exceptionally proud of his athletes, especially the members of his senior class, for what they’ve achieved. Demay believes that Morgan’s victory was the result of years and years of hard work, and he knows his program never would have become championship caliber without an unrelenting effort from his seniors.
“It’s a great sense of pride. We got to do something that is very rare in high school sports in basically having the same team three years in a row. The senior class has really built this program back up,” said Demay, whose squad outshot Somers 20-4. “The team made states one time in the five or six years before them and, since they got here, they made four states’ appearances and three Shoreline appearances and then brought home the first title in 53 years.”
One of the key contributors of in that senior class is Avila, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the Class S final and finished his season with 33 goals after scoring two in the game. Avila said that just like many of his goals, those two developed as a result of solid play from his entire team. That was especially true of Avila’s first goal, which came off a couple of one-touch passes from Paida and Kadlof. The insurance marker settled Avila’s nerves as he and his teammates started to play a little more free and easy with a 2-0 lead. That approach quickly yielded Avila’s second score that chased the Spartans’ goalie from the game and put the Huskies in command with a 3-0 advantage.
“The ball came to me, and I was thinking, ‘Oh boy, please just finish the shot.’ I just felt relieved, and we went up 2-0,” Avila said. “[Somers] needed to score and brought everybody up. It opened up so much more space for me to do my own thing. Then two minutes later, I got another chance. I still don’t understand how I scored the second one. We won because of a great performance for our whole team.”
Morgan goalie Gadun echoed Avila’s sentiments regarding the Huskies’ stellar play, and he had a great view of all the action while manning the net. Gadun said his team’s performance in the state final was the pinnacle of all the soccer that Morgan’s athletes had played together throughout the years.
“That was our best played game our whole season. Being back there, I could see we were holding the ball very well. We have been playing together so long. We know what we can do as a team and individually. We played like a machine. The communication was there. We all had that passion,” Gadun said. “It felt great. All that hard work we put in during the offseason and in season, it means so much to see that hard work pay off. “
The Huskies’ biggest challenge of the postseason didn’t come in final, but rather, in its semifinal game against Shoreline Conference rival Old Saybrook, which Morgan defeated 2-1 by winning 3-2 in penalty kicks at West Haven High School on Nov. 14. Newfield felt the dramatic victory gave his team a razor-sharp edge in the final, and that Somers just couldn’t match the intensity Morgan had developed from playing a scheduled loaded with difficult opponents. When Newfield netted the opening goal, the Huskies’ energy went through the roof.
“The Old Saybrook game was a tough physical game. I think that hard game, transitioning to the Somers game, it was a bit easier for us to find our passes. I think it helped us a lot,” said Newfield. “The Shoreline this year, there were a lot of good teams. You had the physical teams, the quick teams, and the skilled teams. They all had their own aspects. It just showed how strong the Shoreline league is.”
With their high school soccer careers having come to a close, Gadun and his fellow seniors are coming to terms with the fact that they’ve played their final game in the Morgan uniform. It’s a bittersweet feeling, but the bottom line is that the accomplishments of the 2017 Morgan boys’ soccer team will forever be etched in the Huskies’ history book.
“It hasn’t hit me yet that my high school career came to an end. I was a freshman playing varsity, and I never expected it to end,” Gadun said. “It’s sad. I’m going to miss every moment, even the bad ones. Getting the state title and having the successful season we had makes it a little sweeter, even though it’s all over now.”
From the Sidelines
The Morgan boys’ soccer team’s 2017 varsity roster features senior captains Juan Avila, Anes Gadun, and Tyler Newfield; fellow seniors Jhan Carlos Bermeo, Kenneth Bernal, Trevor Follo, Aedan Mahoney, and Pat Markovics; juniors Sean Fitzgerald, Calvin Jackson, Matt Koziy, Jacob McHenry-Kron, Jack O’Sullivan, Jhonnyer Paida, Andrew Passante, Ford Pender, James Saturno, and Carter Skidmore; and sophomores Josh Kennedy and Zachary Tuccitto.
Head Coach Ross Demay was assisted by Antonyo Serrano and Marc Ferace. Coach Demay also thanked David Demay for videotaping Morgan’s games, along with the school’s administration that includes Principal Keri Hagness, Vice Principal Tyler Webb, Athletic Director Kevin Rayel, and Athletic Secretary Sharon Leon.
The Huskies went 12-3-1 during the regular season with their victories coming against East Hampton (7-1, 4-1), Old Lyme (5-0), North Branford (5-0), Portland (4-0), Cromwell (3-1, 3-1), Hale-Ray (6-0), Coginchaug (5-1), Westbrook (4-0), Norwich Free Academy (3-2), and East Lyme (2-0). They also tied Haddam-Killingworth (1-1) and took losses against Old Saybrook (2-1, 7-0) and Valley Regional (3-2).
In the Shoreline Conference Tournament, Morgan beat Cromwell 6-1 in the quarterfinals, Old Saybrook 2-0 in the semis, and then played to a 1-1 tie with Haddam-Killingworth in the final to share the title with the Cougars.
In the Class S State Tournament, the Huskies earned a first-round bye and then defeated Thomaston 4-1 in the second round, scored a 2-1 win over Cromwell in the quarterfinals, and defeated Old Saybrook 2-1 (3-2 in penalty kicks in the semifinals prior to blanking Somers 4-0.
This marked Morgan’s second appearance in the Class S state final. In 1964, the Huskies defeated Rocky Hill 1-0 to win the title.