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10/15/2018 12:00 AMFootball
The Hand football team stayed undefeated on the season by demolishing SCC Tier 1 opponent West Haven 47-6 at the Surf Club on Oct. 12. The Tigers improved their record to 5-0 this year and have won 16 games in a row dating back to last season. Hand is also ranked No. 3 in the GameTimeCT/Register Top 10 Football Poll.
Quarterback Phoenix Billings completed 11 passes on 14 attempts for 207 yards and two touchdowns through the air for Hand. He also led the team in rushing with 108 yards and a score on six carries. Colin McCabe ran 12 times for 52 yards and three TDs to help the Tigers blow out the Blue Devils (3-2).
Early in the game, West Haven mishandled a punt near its own end zone, and Hand capitalized by recording a safety for 2-0 lead with 7:34 left in the first quarter. McCabe scored on a 2-yard TD run a little more than a minute later for a 10-0 advantage following a 2-point conversion. With 1:32 to play in the opening frame, Billings ran for a 47-yard score that put the Tigers up 17-0.
Billings later connected with Chris Bartosic (5 catches, 69 yards) on a 24-yard TD toss and 25-0 lead after another successful 2-point conversion with 8:50 to play before halftime. After that, Billings threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Haberman (2 receptions, 71 yards) to make it to 33-0 following another 2-point conversion with four minutes to go before intermission. With 2:13 left in the half, McCabe took in a 10-yard TD run to give the Tigers a 40-0 command at the break. McCabe added an 11-yard touchdown run for Hand after halftime as the Tigers coasted to the win.
Additionally on offense, Ian Butler reeled in four receptions for 67 yards for Hand. Jack Flanagan led the Tigers in tackles with 10 on the night. Recording sacks in the victory were Kade Doverspike (1.5), McCabe (1), Ben Corniello (1), and Isaiah McNeilly (0.5). As a defensive unit, Hand made 16 tackles for a loss of yardage against West Haven.
“It meant a lot to get this win. It’s name recognition when you play a program like West Haven, which is well-coached. We wanted to make a statement and we did,” Tigers’ Head Coach Dave Mastroianni said. “Our balance on offense comes from having so many kids that can do damage. We’re fortunate to have so many skilled position players. Our offensive line allows us to do anything. We knew our defensive line would be great this year, and they’ve been as good as advertised.”
Hand will next travel to Foran (1-4) on Friday, Oct. 19 for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Hand is currently ranked second in the Class L State Playoff rankings. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.
Girls’ Soccer
The Hand girls’ soccer squad notched two recent victories in SCC Hammonasset Division action and has earned a spot in the Class L State Tournament. The Tigers stand with an overall record of 6-3-3 and are 4-1-1 in divisional play.
Hand defeated Hammonnasset opponent East Haven by a 2-1 score on Oct. 8. With the Tigers trailing 1-0 in the second half, Chloe Silva tied the game for Hand when she converted a goal on a nice pass from Kayla Howard. Francesca Antoni was also credited with an assist on the goal. With less than 15 minutes left in the game, Chloe Thompson scored the game-winner for Hand when she drilled a ball into the near post off a passing sequence from Silva and Julia Kuhn. The Tigers outshot the Yellowjackets 14-4 in the victory.
“We didn’t play with any urgency in the first half and, as a result, we spotted East Haven a goal,” said Head Coach David Dikranian. “But I was really happy with our energy in the second. We really worked hard and created a lot of chances to score. It was the effort and energy we needed against a tough East Haven team.”
The Tigers captured another divisional victory by doubling up Lyman Hall 4-2 the following day. Tara Henry scored two goals to lead Hand its win over visiting Lyman Hall. Silva and Howard each had a goal and an assist, while Thompson had two assists for the Tigers, who outshot Lyman Hall 16-7.
“I was happy with how we played, especially after playing the previous night,” said Dikranian. “It was nice to see everyone get in and contribute.”
On Oct. 13, Hand dropped a 1-0 decision against East Haven.
Boys’ Soccer
The Tigers played to a draw with Xavier in their lone game last week. Hand now stands at 7-1-2 overall and is 3-1-1 in SCC Housatonic Division play.
Hand and Xavier battled to a 2-2 tie on Oct. 9. Xavier opened the scoring early in the first half after a breakdown in the Hand defense allowed Henrique Araujo to nip in and poke the ball home. Hand fought back and, after having two goals waved off for fouls, finally found an equalizer when good work from Chris Porte on the flank led to a cross for Scott Testori to thump home.
The second half picked up where the first left off, with both teams pushing for the lead. Xavier converted when Araujo scored with just more than six minutes remaining in the contest for a 2-1 edge. However, the Tigers once again showed their grit and determination and came back to tie the game when a Jason Wallack cross found Testori, who headed it into the Xavier goal. Neither squad could nab the game-winning score and the contest finished tied at 2. Clayton Knibbs finished the game with seven saves in goal for Hand.
“The game was a very intense and difficult one. Xavier pressed very intelligently and with a lot of intensity. We found it difficult to break the lines and relieve the pressure,” said Head Coach Greg Cumpstone. “This was a really big test for us and, although I think we weren’t at our best for much of the match, I am very proud of the boys for continuing to battle and to believe, even when we went down on two separate occasions. We did not panic and, on both occasions, dug deep to find equalizers. Both teams had their moments, and a draw reflects the evenness of the contest.”
Boys’ Cross Country
Hand wrapped up its dual-meet season by splitting a tri-meet versus Guilford and Law on Oct. 10
The Tigers defeated Law (19-41) and took a loss to Guilford (24-31) at Eisenhower Park. Carson Hines came in fourth place with a time of 17:45, while Connor Parthasarthy placed sixth at 17:58 for Hand, which finished with a record of 5-3 on the regular season.
Girls’ Cross Country
The Tigers concluded their dual-meet season at 7-1 after splitting a meet with Law and Guilford last week.
Hand earned a win versus Law (18-38) and lost to Guilford (22-33) at Eisenhower Park in Milford on Oct. 10. Anna Steffen finished in second place by clocking in with a mark of 20 minutes and 19 seconds for Hand. Madison Rotermund took fourth place (21:00), and Jade Law finished ninth (22:05) for the Tigers.
Field Hockey
The Tigers improved to 8-3-2 overall after notching a pair of wins last week.
Hand defeated Mercy by a 4-0 score to start its week on Oct. 10. The Tigers then took down Lauralton Hall by a 4-1 final on Oct. 12.
In the win over Lauralton Hall, Hand was bolstered by two goals from Jacqui Sandor and one apiece from Erickson Richard and Kathryn Donahey. Sandor also had two assists for the Tigers, who saw Donahey, Grace Hartmann, Richard, and Lucy Cutler all contribute an assist. Karen Newton made two saves for Hand, which outshot the Crusaders 15-3.
Girls’ Volleyball
The Tigers grabbed a victory this past week and are now one win away from making states. Hand stands at 7-8 overall and is 3-3 in the SCC Hammonasset Division this season.
The Tigers knocked off Sheehan by the final score of 3-1 (25-13, 18-25, 25-20, 28-26) on Oct. 10. Allie Nelson had 10 kills, and Emily Thornbury recorded 13 kills in the win. Kylie Corniello handed out 30 assists, whole Mikayla Vitale had 15 digs for Hand.
On Oct. 12, the Tigers dropped a 3-0 decision against Cheshire.