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Guilford Boys’ Soccer Stood Together During 2017 Season

For the second straight season, the Guilford boys’ soccer team came up one game shy of playing for a state title this fall. However, through the wins, losses, and another deep postseason push, the Indians created a tight team dynamic where everyone was on the same page, setting the table for Guilford to take it a step further in future campaigns.

Head Coach Joe Maher’s squad posted a regular-season record of 14-1-1 and then lost to Career-Hillhouse on penalty kicks in the SCC Tournament quarterfinals. Guilford then entered the Class L State Tournament as the No. 3 seed and defeated No. 30 seed Weston in the first round (5-1), No. 14 Wethersfield in the second round (4-2), and No. 11 Branford in the quarterfinals (3-0). After that, the Indians faced Hand in the state semifinals and took a 1-0 defeat at West Haven High School on Nov. 13. Guilford finished the year with an overall record of 17-3-1.

Coach Maher said those 17 victories largely stemmed from the efforts of a superb group of upperclassmen who galvanized a strong sense of camaraderie throughout the entire roster.

“We had a great mix of returning players with our juniors and seniors. They had a great personality that a lot of the team took on and they brought in the younger kids to it,” Coach Maher said. “They all blended well together. We just came up three goals short in our three losses.”

Within the Indians’ 14 regular-season wins, they notched a pair of victories versus eventual SCC and Class L state champion Hand, as well as two wins against SCC runner-up Fairfield Prep. Coach Maher praised his players for their ability to always give their best until the very last moments of every contest, even in defeat.

“Beating Hand twice during the regular season was a huge accomplishment, no matter what division or league they are in,” Maher said. “We also had two big wins against Fairfield Prep. We split the season series with Cheshire and, in the second game, it was 1-1 with three minutes left, and we just made a mistake that led to their goal. In those six games, the kids really stood up and played well.”

Senior Ethan Skinner was the lone captain for the Indians, netting All-State, All-SCC First Team, and New Haven Register All-Area Team accolades. Skinner led a senior class that included Justin O’Leary, Mete Yanbul, Tim Weil, John Hess, Tom Mitzelfelt, and Sam Dombroski—a veteran core of athletes who understood the privilege of playing in big-time matchups, as well as the daily work ethic it took to reach those games.

“Ethan was one of the best leaders I’ve had at Guilford,” said Maher. “We had seven returning seniors this year, and each of them had two or three years of prior varsity experience. They knew what it took to win in the regular season and states. They came in with a focus and determination from day one.”

Junior goalkeeper Ian Slattery, who made All-State, the All-SCC Second Team, and All-Area this year, headlines a quality cast of returning athletes for the 2018 campaign. Despite having so much turnover from this year’s senior class, Coach Maher remains optimistic about his team’s up-and-coming prospects.

“When you are looking at an All-State goalkeeper that will be a senior, right off the bat, that is a defensive advantage,” Maher said. “We have other players that were freshmen, sophomores, and juniors with a quality amount of playing time. We have a good core of kids coming back and are solid in goal, so we have a promising outlook for next year.”

While he would have loved for Guilford to make either the SCC or state final, Coach Maher said he’s anything but disappointed with the body of work from the 2017 Indians—a team that gave its all on the pitch every day and did so while displaying the grace of true sportsmen.

“We expected to be undefeated, and we came pretty close to that. I was shocked that we could beat Hand and Prep on the road,” said Maher. “They fought until the end. I was happy with the outcome of a majority of our games and the effort they gave. I was proud of the kids and how they handled themselves. Even after the defeat to Hand in states, they did it with class.”

• The Indians’ varsity roster was comprised of seniors Ethan Skinner, Justin O’Leary, Mete Yanbul, Tim Weil, John Hess, Tom Mitzelfelt, Sam Dombroski; juniors Ian Slattery, Nicholas Palumbo, Ben Panagoulias, Ryan Leiby, Hugh Medvecky, Liam O’Brien, Braden Stephens, Eric LePeak, Ellis Riccio; sophomores John Kosh, Jake Conklin, Noah Kosh, Matthew Morre; and freshmen Niall O’Brien, Anthony Ippolito, and Aidan Buchanan.

• In the regular season, Guilford defeated Bacon Academy (2-1), Fairfield Prep (2-0 and 1-0), Cross (2-1 and 3-1), East Haven (5-0 and 7-0), Notre Dame-West Haven (2-0), Xavier (1-0 twice), Cheshire (3-1), Hand (1-0 and 2-1), and East Lyme (2-0). Guilford tied Notre Dame-West Haven 1-1 and lost to Cheshire 2-1.

• Joe Maher completed his 24th year as head coach of the Indians. Jeff Sullivan and Curtis Gullette were assistant coaches for Guilford this fall.