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11/11/2018 11:00 PMBoys’ Soccer
The Old Saybrook boys’ soccer team is on its way to the semifinals of the Class S State Tournament after posting a pair of shutouts in its first two games of tourney play last week. The Rams blanked both Wheeler (2-0) and Windsor Locks (3-0) in home games to advance to the state semis and move to 13-4-3 on the year.
As the No. 6 seed, Old Saybrook earned a bye through the first round of the Class S bracket. On Nov. 8, the Rams went up against 11th-seeded Wheeler and recorded a 2-0 shutout over the Lions to reach the quarterfinals. Old Saybrook received key offensive support from senior Paddy Ryan and junior Jack Colella, who both scored a goal in the victory.
Wheeler presented a difficult matchup for the Rams and turned in an outstanding defensive effort, but in the end, the Lions couldn’t keep Old Saybrook off the board for 80 minutes. After nearly 72 minutes without a goal, Colella kicked a rocket into the net from inside the box for a 1-0 lead with 8:03 remaining in the game. Five minutes later, Ryan scored an insurance goal to put the Rams up 2-0. Old Saybrook’s defense was anchored by senior captain Carlos Chacon, while sophomore goalkeeper Matt Rothman made a pair of saves.
Two days later, Old Saybrook faced No. 19 seed Windsor Locks and prevailed via a 3-0 shutout to advance to the semis. The Rams received goals from Colin Schulmeister, Ryan, and Colella to propel them to victory against the Raiders. The Rams took 15 shots on goal and saw Rothman make four saves in net.
Old Saybrook took an early lead on Schulmeister’s first goal of the year to go up 1-0 at the 13:54 mark. After intermission, Ryan extended the lead to 2-0 by scoring a goal three minutes into the second half. Colella put the game of reach by netting a goal for a 3-0 lead with 12:56 remaining in the game.
Old Saybrook Head Coach Sam Barnes has liked what he’s seen from his team throughout the season. He was especially pleased with how the Rams performed during their State Tournament games last week.
“This team has worked hard all season, and now it’s paying off,” said Barnes. “I am extremely impressed with the effort our Old Saybrook players have displayed in the tournament, and I’m proud to be their coach.”
In the Class S semifinal round, the Rams will face No. 2 seed Litchfield (15-2-1). The game begins at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at Falcon Field in Meriden. If the Rams prevail, they will advance to face the winner of No. 4 seed Morgan and No. 9 Notre Dame-Fairfield in the final on Saturday, Nov. 17.
Field Hockey
The Rams competed in the Class S State Tournament last week, when they faced off against North Branford for a first-round game. No. 11 seed Old Saybrook took a 1-0 loss in overtime against the 6th-seeded Thunderbirds on Nov. 6. The Rams finished their campaign with an overall mark of 10-7-1.
Old Saybrook played Shoreline champion North Branford tough from start to finish. The game centered around defense, and neither team could put the go-ahead goal on the board during regulation. Ultimately, North Branford netted the game-winning score during the overtime period to come away with a 1-0 win and advance to the quarterfinals.
Football
The Old Saybrook-Westbrook (OS-W) football team took a defeat against Haddam-Killingworth in a matchup between Pequot Conference Sassacus Division rivals last week. The Rams hosted the Cougars and lost a 42-12 decision at Old Saybrook High School on Nov. 10. OS-W dropped to 4-4 overall and 4-2 in the division with the loss. H-K is now 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the division.
Senior captain Dan Almada scored a pair of touchdowns for the Rams in the game. Almada ran for a touchdown and also caught a TD pass from junior quarterback Jack McDowell.
Haddam-Killingworth opened the scoring with a 37-yard run for a TD to make it 6-0 in the first quarter. Later in the quarter, the Cougars punched one in from the goal line and then converted a 2-point conversion to make it 14-0. In the second quarter, H-K scored on another 1-yard run for a 20-0 advantage. The Rams started battling back with an 11-yard touchdown run from Almada to cut it to 20-6.
After halftime, H-K scored on a 24-yard run and added the 2-point conversion to make it 28-6. The Cougars scored again on a 14-yard run before the end of the quarter to increase their lead to 34-6. In the fourth quarter, H-K scored on a 55-yard touchdown run and converted another 2-point conversion to bring the score to 42-6. At the end of the game, Almada caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from McDowell to make it a 42-12 final.
OS-W has two games remaining in the 2018 season. The Rams are hosting non-conference opponent Woodstock Academy (1-8) at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, followed by their annual Thanksgiving Week showdown against divisional foe Morgan (3-5, 2-5). The Rams’ season finale against the Huskies takes place at the Peters Complex in Clinton at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21.