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05/27/2018 12:00 AMThe Hand girls’ lacrosse squad has developed a highly competitive rivalry with Cheshire throughout the past few years. So, when the two teams met once again for the 2018 SCC Tournament title, it was no shock that the game was another close contest that came right down to the wire.
Top-seeded Hand entered the SCC Tournament as the three-time defending champion and advanced to face No. 2 Cheshire for the title at West Haven High School on May 24. The Tigers and Rams went toe to toe until the final horn, but in the end, Hand emerged with a 12-11 victory to claim its fourth straight SCC title and 13th in program history.
Hand built a seemingly comfortable 9-2 lead early in the second half, before the Rams went on a couple of runs to make it a one-goal game. The Tigers held on to their narrow advantage and walked off the field with the gold in their grasp.
“Winning SCCs for the fourth year in a row means everything. We have wanted this from the beginning and put our all into that game,” senior tri-captain Taylor Scully said. “After they scored their first goal, it was our game. The second half, we lost our groove a bit, and we were a little slow. But I knew we were going to hold them, and there was no way we were going to give up [the SCC title] to them in our senior year.”
Senior goalie Mackenzie Larson made 10 saves against Cheshire and was named the SCC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Seniors Scully (4 goals, 4 assists), Emma Sullivan (3 goals), and Riley Kokoruda (3 goals) paced the Tigers’ offense in their championship victory. Scully was named the SCC Player of the Year and made the All-SCC First Team alongside Kokoruda, senior tri-captain Emma Valdez, and fellow seniors Glenna-Kate Gies, Larson, and Dory Howard. Sullivan garnered All-SCS Second Team accolades for the Tigers, who improved to 16-2.
“Winning it again means so much for the seniors who have played all four years. We’ve been working hard for this moment ever since we all played together starting in 4th grade,” said Kokoruda. “It is more than just the title. It represents all our hard work and passion for the sport. We used our determination, passion, and courage to win. We stayed positive and encouraged each other every second of the game.”
Cheshire (15-3) struck first by scoring a goal with 21:38 left the first half, after which Scully assisted Sullivan for the equalizer. With 19:25 to play, Scully gave her squad a 2-1 edge and then scored another just 32 seconds later to make it 3-1, forcing the Rams to call a timeout.
Right out of the huddle, Scully put another one past the Cheshire keeper to extend the lead to 4-1. Scully later fed one to junior Caroline White, who found the back of the net for a 5-1 Tigers’ command. Howard scored with 14:52 remaining in the first half, Sullivan scored from Scully with 7:32 to play, and then Kokoruda buried one from a free position with 5:59 on the clock to push it to an 8-1 advantage. Cheshire finally stopped the Tigers’ 8-0 surge by scoring with 4:51 remaining to make the score 8-2 at halftime.
“In the first half, Taylor had an idea based on something that worked against them in the regular season,” said Head Coach Kevin Siedlecki. “She took note from film of what could work against them, and then that whole first half, Cheshire didn’t have an answer.”
Kokoruda kickstarted the second half by scoring a goal to make 9-2 with 19:48 to go in the game. However, the Rams charged back by netting three consecutive goals to cut the deficit to 9-5. Sullivan created some breathing room by scoring with 14:21 to play, but Cheshire answered back with a pair of goals to make it a 10-7 game with just less than 10 minutes remaining.
“That first goal in the second was huge, but you know it’s not going to be a 10-goal win against a team like Cheshire,” Coach Siedlecki said. “Lacrosse is a game of streaks, but for this team, it doesn’t matter the situation—they play hard and smart. They have the understanding that you have to be positive and give 100 percent no matter what. We played a man down for 16 minutes in the second half, but they played hard, and were able to take time off and sneak the ball by their pressure defense.”
Kokoruda sent home her third goal of the night for an 11-7 lead with 5:59 left. Cheshire rallied yet again by netting three straight goals to trim Hand’s advantage to 11-10 with 2:31 to play, but Scully followed by scoring what held up as the championship-clinching goal with 1:31 remaining. The Rams converted a penalty shot with three seconds left, but it too little, too late, and Hand emerged from the battle having locked down the SCC four-peat.
“This senior class is amazing. They’ve been leaders in the stats and on the field. It’s unbelievable to watch,” Siedlecki said. “The team that has developed out of it has been amazing. The captains have taken on almost another role as coaches as captains. The seniors have won SCCs all four years and have gotten better each year.”
Previously, in the SCC semifinals, Hand defeated No. 5 Guilford by a 17-7 score on May 22. Scully led the way with five goals and five assists for the Tigers, who also received three goals from Gies, two apiece by Sullivan and Howard, plus one each from Kokoruda and sophomores Regan Larson, Lauren Valluzzi, and Lucy Cutler. Larson made 12 saves to get the win.
Hand drew the top seed for the Class M State Tournament and will host No. 16 St. Joseph (10-7) in the first round on Tuesday, May 29 at 5 p.m. The Tigers will have to trek through a deep talent pool right from jump in the Class M bracket, but Coach Siedlecki know that this group of Tigers is always ready for any challenge.
“We started the year wanting to win SCCs and states, but we have a tough draw. St. Joseph went 9-7 in the FCIAC,” said Siedlecki. “We also could see Barlow in the quarterfinals and then you have Pomperaug and Branford on the other side of the bracket. These girls thrive on competition though. There is a lot of fun and energy on this team. They love playing these competitive games. If we play our game and play hard, then we have a real shot at it.”
The Tigers’ roster consists of senior tri-captains Riley Kokoruda, Taylor Scully, and Emma Valdez; fellow seniors Grace Craven, Emma Sullivan, Hilary Houghton, Claire Giles, Dory Howard, Abby Barry, Glenna-Kate Gies,and Mackenzie Larson; juniors Sophia Dickman, Caroline White, and Lena Conway; and sophomores Regan Larson, Lucy Cutler, Margot Doraz, Chloe Silva, Janet Howard, Sophia Sweitzer, Margaret Kallinich, Lauren Valluzzi, Tessie Sheehan, Kate Levis, and Magdahlia Lesnik.