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11/20/2017 11:00 PMThe North Branford field hockey team’s magical 2017 season came to a triumphant conclusion on Nov. 18, when the Thundebirds notched a 2-1 win against Granby Memorial in the championship game of the Class S State Tournament at Wethersfield High School. This marks the fourth state title in program history for North Branford, which also won the Shoreline Conference Tournament and finished the 2017 season with a perfect record of 21-0-1.
The Thunderbirds rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit on goals from junior Amy Raucci and sophomore Ava Galdenzi in its 2-1 victory versus Granby. Top-seeded North Branford fell behind 1-0 in the first half, and the score stayed that way heading into halftime. However, with 20:32 to play in the game, Raucci netted a goal for the T-Birds to tie it at 1-1. Three and a half minutes later, Galdenzi scored a goal that gave North Branford a 2-1 advantage. North Branford held off Granby the rest of the way and walked off the field with the victory, as well as the Class S state crown.
Head Coach Babby Nuhn said the T-Birds were a unified team all season long, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why they were able to cap their spectacular season with a state championship. Nuhn said that senior captains Danielle Ramada, Emmy Norton, and Zelda Galdenzi, and junior captain Raucci did an excellent job of fostering a family atmosphere among the Thunderbirds.
“This team is on fire. It’s all about the team. It has never been about individuals. We’re a big family, and it’s all about our sisters and learning how we grow in situations,” said Nuhn, who’s been North Branford’s head coach since 1975. “The enthusiasm, attitudes, and work ethics, it’s really because of our four phenomenal captains. They’re passionate, encourage their teammates, work through adversity. Every day, they bring something new.”
North Branford started off the state final a little slower than most of its games this season, but the T-Birds got rolling in the second half, and rallied for the win. With 9:15 to play in the opening stanza, 2nd-seeded Granby (17-2-1) took a 1-0 lead by converting a second-chance goal. Gabrielle Sturgeon sent a ball on target that North Branford’s junior goalie Jordan Regan kicked aside, although Cheryl Latona corralled the loose ball, and pocketed it into the lower-right corner of the cage to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. The Thunderbirds seemed a little out of sorts after falling behind, but following a few words of wisdom from Coach Nuhn at the break, they came out surging in the second half.
“I told them to settle down, relax a bit, and just have fun and enjoy this experience,” Nuhn said. “They were really wound up in the first half. We had one other [instance of falling behind against Valley in the Shoreline final], and I reminded them what that game taught us. From that experience, we brought it to the next level here.”
Raucci scored for North Branford 9:28 into the second half to even the score at 1-1. Raucci said that Coach Nuhn’s halftime chat boosted the confidence of everyone on her squad.
“We were all obviously frantic at halftime. Nuhn tried her hardest to calm us down,” Raucci said. “We had nothing to lose. We came this far and know the season is done no matter what after today. She told us she believed in us and we’re all great players, so why can’t we do it?”
Just a few minutes after Raucci tied it, North Branford took the lead on a highlight-reel goal off the stick of Ava Galdenzi. Sophomore Ali Barrett took a high shot from the right side of the goal, and the ball deflected up to the weak side. Galdenzi was there and slapped the ball out of midair and into the Granby net to give North Branford a 2-1 advantage with 17 minutes left in the contest.
“Ali Barrett dribbled it down the field, the goalie deflected it in the air, and so I hit it in from the air,” said Galdenzi. “It meant so much. The entire season we’ve been working together and trusting each other. The goal since day one was to win states. To have our goal come true is amazing.”
Now holding a one-goal edge, North Branford spent the rest of the match trying to kill the clock. That came with a few scary opportunities in the defensive zone, but a solid effort by the T-Birds’ defense kept the ball away from Regan in goal. Granby had three penalty corners that created scoring chances in the final 14 minutes of play, yet North Branford’s defense stepped up big every time. With 2:30 to go, a Granby corner led to a scrum right in front of North Branford’s net, but senior captain Danielle Ramada helped clear the ball out of harm’s way to preserve the T-Birds’ lead.
“When they had the corner, we couldn’t do anything about it,” Ramada said. “It kind of put our focus in on defending and realizing they usually do direct hits, so we took advantage and went all out and played the way we were supposed to play.”
North Branford’s overall defensive effort on the day was fantastic. Granby managed just two shots on goal in the game.
“We know they play the same formation we do, so we wanted to keep in mind that they have two wing forwards that pop up, so we played a little bit more defensive because of that, and it ended up working out,” Ramada added. “We always have two people down the opposite wing defender and the sweeper, me, so we set up defensively, while also covering our offensive side and ended up working down.”
When the clock struck zero, North Branford’s players stormed the field in celebration as sticks went flying in all directions. It was a fitting finish for the Thunderbirds’ storybook season.
“Honestly, I have no words. I thought this year would be special, but never in a million years did I think this would be the outcome. We worked together, took it one game at a time. We’re a family and we fight, but never on the field; that’s where we come together,” Ramada said. “I don’t have words. I’m just so grateful for this. Our leadership has been great from all grades from freshman to senior. Our coach has been saying all year, ‘We’re all for one. We don’t have one superstar.’ That’s what it’s been, and that’s what wins championships.”
Raucci said she knew in her heart that North Branford had right combination of ability and chemistry to pull off its undefeated season that featured a pair of championships.
“We always talk about how we didn’t come this far just to come this far. That’s kind of our motto, saying we know we have the skills. We didn’t want to get into the tournament thinking we want to win a game. We’re this far. Let’s win it. We’re all so close, and our chemistry is great, so we knew we had a great chance,” Raucci said. “It felt really great. [Assistant coach Evaun Boatman] turned to me when we were receiving our medals and said, ‘You guys just won the state championship and finished the season undefeated. That’s unheard of.’ This felt really great to know we’ve done that.”
No matter what adjective one uses to describe it, the T-Birds’ field hockey team’s 2017 season will be forever cemented in the North Branford history books.
“We’re blessed over here at North Branford,” Coach Nuhn said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more. It is a picture perfect situation, and we’re thrilled.”
From The Sidelines
The North Branford field hockey team’s Class S State Tournament roster consists of senior captains Danielle Ramada, Emmy Norton, and Zelda Galdenzi; junior captain Amy Raucci; fellow juniors Angelina Ramada, Adriana Perez, Isabella Palma, Julia Pietrogallo, Kaylee Velez, Emily Neubig, Cayleen Defaranos, and Jordan Regan; sophomores Ava Galdenzi, Bianca D’Onofrio, Emily Olsen, Ali Barrett, Avonlea LeBeau, Alyssa Waligroski, and Melanie Norton; and freshmen Kelli Jacobson, Alyssa Kendrick, and Sophia Anastasio. Head Coach Babby Nuhn’s coaching staff features varsity assistants Evaun Boatman, Lori Connelly, and Kathy Galdenzi. The team managers are freshmen Mia DeLoughery and Erica Piercey.
North Branford went 15-0-1 during the regular season. The Thunderbirds recorded victories versus Haddam-Killingworth (3-1 and 1-0), Stamford (3-1), Morgan (7-2 and 7-0), East Lyme (4-0), Westbrook (5-0 and 2-0), Old Saybrook (3-2 and 3-2), Watertown (4-2), Valley (2-0 and 4-2), Stafford (6-0), and Waterford (1-0). The T-Birds also recorded a 2-2 tie against Sacred Heart Academy.
North Branford was then crowned champion of the Shoreline Conference Tournament by posting a 3-0 win versus Old Saybrook in the semifinals and a 2-1 overtime victory against Valley Regional in the championship game.
In the Class S State Tournament, the Thunderbirds defeated Old Saybrook 3-1 in the first round, Westbrook 6-0 in the quarterfinals, and Stonington 2-0 in the semis prior to defeating Granby Memorial.
This marked North Branford’s fifth appearance in a state final. The Thunderbirds beat Haddam-Killingworth 1-0 in overtime in the Class S final in 2006 and were crowned co-champions following a 0-0 tie with Pomperaug in the Class S final in 1981. North Branford’s other state final appearances have all been in Class M. North Branford blanked New Milford 2-0 in 1980 and lost to Stonington by a 2-1 score in 1987.