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09/16/2018 12:00 AMThe Valley Regional field hockey team had to make several adjustments last season, when an influx of young talent helped get the Warriors advance to the Shoreline Conference Tournament final for the second straight year. As the 2018 season gets underway, the Warriors are hoping that the young players who learned on the fly in 2017 will provide a veteran presence for the squad this fall.
Thus far, Valley is off to a 2-1 start that included 2-0 defeat against Westbrook and a 2-0 win over Somers last week. Head Coach Beth McCabe-Powers feels that her team is making strides as the Warriors dive into a difficult conference schedule.
“We’re moving in the right direction, and we’re hopeful in the talent we have. Everything looks good so far, and I’m super encouraged,” said McCabe-Powers, whose squad went 10-4-3-1 last season. “Kudos to our league this year. We’re in a tough league. Most leagues have a team or two that’s an easy win, but there’s none of them in this league.”
On Sept. 15, the Warriors grabbed their second win of the year with a 2-0 victory over Somers. After a scoreless first half, junior Riley Millburne put one in the back of the net on assists by senior captain attacker Annie Cooper and freshman attacker Abby Amara. Later in the half, sophomore attacker Tory Rider—who led the team in scoring last season—scored a goal off a helper from junior Grace Proctor to make it 2-0. The Spartans’ goalkeeper was under siege throughout the match, ultimately making 21 saves. Warriors’ senior captain goalie Mia Cost made one save to earn the shutout.
McCabe-Powers was happy to see her team bounce back after losing to Westbrook the previous afternoon. Valley pressed the attack and limited the shots against its defense. That proved a winning formula for the Warriors.
“It was nice to get the win. We are more skilled than they are, and we out-possessed and out-shot them,” McCabe-Powers said. “They play a style of defense that is difficult. They put all 11 back in the circle. That makes it difficult to score, but we could have executed our corners a bit better. We were still super happy to have the win.”
When the Warriors’ mettle gets tested this year, they will be looking for leadership from their senior captains, who are Cooper, Cost, defender Olivia Kollmer, and midfielder Francesca Pisanzio. All four athletes play a different position on the field, but McCabe-Powers said they mesh together well as a leadership unit.
“They’re all super nice girls. I don’t just say that because I’m their coach. All of them worked hard this summer to be the best they could be for this season,” McCabe-Powers said. “Franny and Annie are the more boisterous ones, while Olivia and Mia lead quietly. They are a good team of four leaders, because they all kind of approach it differently and complement each other.”
Valley also expects its young front-line offense to be a strength this year. McCabe-Powers hopes to see Rider take the next step following her stellar freshman season. Fellow freshman Amara is also contributing for Valley on the attack, while sophomore Leah Bargnesi is seeing some time up front, as well.
“Tory has definitely upped her skill level greatly. I often say that attacking players come in two varieties: pretty or gritty. Tory is more of the gritty side, but everyone needs a little gritty in their game,” Coach McCabe-Powers said. “Abby Amara has the pretty side down. She has incredible ball-handling and passing for a freshman. Leah Bargnesi has been playing attack for us this season, too. Her skill has improved a lot, as well.”
Prior to defeating Somers, the Warriors took a 2-0 defeat at Westbrook on Sept. 14. Westbrook scored one goal in each half, while taking 12 total shots on net. Cost held her own by making 11 saves. Valley was unable to get many chances on offense as Westbrook held the Warriors to just one shot on goal in the contest.
While Coach McCabe-Powers wanted to get a win against Westbrook, she was still pleased with the Warriors’ effort. Valley and Westbrook typically play close games, including in last year’s Shoreline semis, when Valley notched a 2-1 overtime victory. McCabe-Powers’s sister, Emily Alger, is an assistant coach for Westbrook.
“That’s what happens when your twin sister is one of the coaches on the other team. Our teams’ styles are really similar,” McCabe-Powers said. “It was a couple of broken corners where they got their scores. If you take those away, it was a very evenly matched game, but when you over-hit on your corners, you’re vulnerable.”
With the 2018 season in full swing, McCabe-Powers believes that as long as the Warriors keep working hard, they will once again be one of the top teams in the Shoreline Conference.
“We’re looking forward to having a successful season. Obviously, we miss Emily Peterson and the other graduating seniors, but the core of our team returned and we added some talented freshman,” she said. “We are hoping to have a similar season, if not better.”
• The Valley Regional field hockey squad’s varsity roster features senior captains Annie Cooper, Mia Cost, Olivia Kollmer, and Francesca Pisanzio; juniors Madison Alio, Awdrie Carnelli, Iris Chirinos, Jill deJongh, Grace Gibson, Riley Millburne, Kate O’Brien, Olivia Pelkey, Elena Peterlik, and Grace Proctor; sophomores Leah Bargnesi, Taylor Harpin, Tory Rider, Paige Thomas, and Lauren Wegman; and freshman Abby Amara. Freshman Lana Bargnesi is the team manager.
• Head Coach Beth McCabe-Powers is in her 13th season as head coach for the Warriors. Valley’s assistant coach is Randy Netsch.
• In the 2017 Shoreline Conference Tournament, the Warriors posted a 2-1 overtime victory over Westbrook in the semifinals and then took a 2-1 loss to North Branford in the final. In the Class S State Tournament, Valley lost a 2-0 decision to Canton in the first round.