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07/23/2018 12:00 AMThe Valley Regional girls’ lacrosse team posted its best campaign in quite some time this spring. On their way to an overall record of 9-9, the Warriors qualified for the Shoreline Conference Tournament and made it to the Class S State Tournament, as well. This year marked the first time that Valley qualified for the postseason since 2010.
Head Coach Cory Needleman’s squad started off by losing four of its first five games, but Valley soon got going and turned its fortunes around by winning six in a row after that stretch.
“I’m so proud of all the girls. They really put in the effort and the time to have a good season. It was a bit of a rocky road at first, but they put it together,” said Needleman. “They helped each other out and came together as a team. They wanted to learn.”
In the midst of the win streak came one of Valley’s most important games of the season: a 17-11 victory over undefeated Woodstock Academy on April 28. The victory gave the Warriors a glimpse of what they accomplish this year.
“For that Woodstock game, we traveled a long way. It was hot out, and they were undefeated. We thought it would be tough, but we came out, and we just clicked,” Coach Needleman said. “The girls had so much fun passing well and hustling. We beat them, and it was a real turning point of the season for us. Once we figured out we could beat them, we thought we could beat anybody.”
The Warriors rallied around each other on the strength of their effective senior leadership. Valley’s three senior captains—Kathryn Burr, Hilary Gahran, and Jaime Jaillet—all brought something different to the table, and that was reflected in the team’s season-ending awards.
Burr earned All-Shoreline Conference Second Team honors and also took home the Warriors’ Most Valuable Midfielder Award. Coach Needleman believes that Burr filled an important role as a playmaker and strong leader on the field for Valley.
“Kathryn was a force to be reckoned with. She’s exceeded all my expectations. She’s going to go far in life. The girls really looked up to her and looked to her to step up her game whenever necessary,” said Needleman. “She would get things done. She’s one of the hardest-working players on the field, and she has a drive to get the ball and help her teammates. She made the plays happen. You need someone like that on the team.”
Jaillet won the Warriors’ Most Valuable Defenseman Award this season. Coach Needleman said that Jaillet kept the defense coordinated whenever her senior captain was on the field.
“It was evident if she ever came off the field. You could tell the defense wasn’t communicating well. She controls and takes charge of the defense,” said Needleman. “She was a captain for the whole team, but she really made the defense her family. People on defense would look to her for guidance, and she encouraged people.”
On offense, Gahran shared the Most Valuable Attacker Award with freshman Tory Rider, who had a breakout campaign. Needleman saw those two athletes work well together and felt it was important for Rider to get some experience playing alongside Gahran.
“Hilary’s a quiet type who’s a bit hard on herself. When she gets going she though, she’s unstoppable. Her and Tory really connected on attack. They just quickly moved the ball and it was on the net,” Needleman said. “Hilary’s stick work over the years has really improved, too, and that made her such a good player.”
Rider’s 69 goals and 32 assists were a huge part of the Warriors’ success this year. Rider was recognized with All-Shoreline Conference First Team honors and also made the All-State Second Team.
“She’s just a naturally gifted athlete. She makes it look easy. She’ll do a stutter step and not even know that she’s doing it,” said Needleman. “She understands the game really well. She’s a huge part of our attack, especially as a freshman.”
Junior Allie Ruel also had a phenomenal year and was named Valley’s Most Valuable Player for her strong all-around play. Between Ruel, Gahran, and Ryder, the Warriors’ offense was a force to be reckoned with.
“Allie’s just a phenomenal player. Everyone else knows who she is. We couldn’t take her off the field, because everything would fall apart,” Coach Needleman said. “Wherever the ball is, she’s there. She’s all over the field. She holds the team together. She’s the glue.”
Freshman Hanley Ferrucci was named Valley Regional’s Most Improved Player. Needleman said that Ferrucci brought a fun-loving attitude to the field, yet was always ready to work hard.
“Her character speaks volumes. She’s laughing and having a good time, but when it’s time to get serious, she is,” Needleman said. “She ended up in tough roles. She’d never played before this season and, by the end of the year, she was starting.”
Junior goalie Mia Cost earned Valley’s Sportsmanship Award for her calm demeanor in the net. Coach Needleman felt that Cost did a great job playing the most difficult position.
“The goalie is the hardest job on the field. You have to give her credit. She would push through so much and be able to keep going,” said Needleman. “She held us in a lot of games. She stepped up. She was always happy.”
As for next season, Coach Needleman thinks the Warriors can get even better if they continue receiving an influx of young talent.
“We’re building the team up,” she said. “We knew it would take a little while, but we’re getting there.”
From the Sidelines
The Valley Regional girls’ lacrosse team’s roster included senior captains Kathryn Burr, Hilary Gahran, and Jaime Jaillet; seniors Maya Gold, Isabel Hosley, and Carly Thompson; juniors Mia Cost and Allie Ruel; sophomores Maeve Collins, Celia Ghilani, Kate O’Brien, Elena Peterlik, and Madden Riley; and freshmen Tory Rider and Abigail Shakun.
Cory Needleman finished her third season at the helm of the Warriors. She’s assisted by Randy Netsch, who helped start the lacrosse program at Valley in 2001.
The Warriors’ regular-season wins came against Haddam-Killingworth (18-3, 17-6), Morgan (19-6, 18-9), Woodstock Academy (17-11), Avon (18-7), Suffield (16-8, 20-8), and Montville (20-8). Valley’s losses were against North Branford (20-10 and 14-3), Tolland (12-11), Old Lyme (14-11 and 12-10), and Old Saybrook (18-13 and 16-14).
In the Shoreline Conference Tournament, Valley went up against eventual champion North Branford and took a 15-4 defeat.
In the Class S State Tournament, the 13th-seedeed Warriors faced No. 4 seed New Fairfield and lost a 21-6 contest.