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12/01/2018 11:00 PMThe Guilford field hockey team displayed the hallmarks of a championship squad throughout the 2018 season, featuring a roster full of selfless athletes who showed an unwavering dedication to succeeding as a group. This philosophy set the stage for a historic year that saw Indians procure a couple of postseason crowns by claiming both the Southern Connecticut Conference and Class M state titles.
Head Coach Kitty Palmer’s club finished with a record of 13-2-1 for the regular season. After that, Guilford defeated Sacred Heart Academy, Hand, and previously unbeaten Cheshire to win the SCC Tournament for the first time, securing the title with a 3-1 win versus Cheshire in the final.
As the No. 3 seed in the Class M State Tournament, Guilford earned a first-round bye, before defeating both No. 6 seed South Windsor and No. 7 seed Hand by 1-0 scores to advance to the final for the third time since 2012. In the championship bout, the Indians notched a 3-1 victory against Sacred Heart Academy at Wethersfield High School on Nov. 18, resulting in the program’s first outright state title and its second overall. Guilford finished the year with a record of 19-2-1.
Ironically, Coach Palmer said that an early season defeat gave the Indians the boost they needed to embark on their championship journey this fall. When her team earned a tie versus perennial SCC stalwart Hand, Palmer knew there was something special brewing in Guilford.
“We had a rough start against Stonington to start the season. But it was a wake-up call and showed us that we had to work harder,” Coach Palmer said. “We also had a 1-1 tie against Hand. I thought that if we could play well in big games like that, then we could win out, so that game was a huge turning point. We always fight Hand tooth-and-nail, but we were just a little bit better at crucial times.”
Guilford earned several pivotal wins against some formidable SCC opponents this season. Coach Palmer said the Indians showed a lot of character while navigating such a challenging schedule, but were never in need of pep talk, because they always gave a 100-percent effort.
“We beat Branford 3-0 this year, and it was then when I thought that this team wasn’t stopping,” said Palmer. “Defeating Sacred Heart Academy on the road is tough, but the girls refused to lay down. I don’t remember a game this year when I had to ask them to play harder.”
Co-captains Emily Torre and Mariah Cretella led a deep and talented senior class for the Indians that also included Celia Mariconda, Renee Sanacora, Cassie Clayton, Mia Tilton, Julie Reynolds, Olivia Hay, Janie Danaher, Erin Norton, Jess Smith, and Kelsi Putnam. Coach Palmer was pleased to see her seniors achieve so many victories these past few seasons, while fostering the close-knit culture that her program is known for.
“These girls had great team records throughout their four years. It was a special group,” said Palmer. “They wanted to be a part of the team, no matter what. They were enthusiastic and cheering on the other girls, whether they were playing or not. They had no egos.”
Torre and Danaher both made the All-SCC First Team, the All-State Team, and the Academic All-State Team for Guilford this season. Mariconda, junior Ella Stanley, and sophomore Hannah Tillier, garnered All-SCC Second Team recognition on behalf of the Indians.
Guilford will have to reshuffle its deck on defense and in the midfield when it tries to defend its conference and state crowns next year. The good news is that the Indians are returning goalkeeper Eve Young, who recently completed her sophomore season; along with Maddie Epke, who had a great freshman year; plus fellow forwards Tillier and Stanley.
“We will be looking for more defensively,” Palmer said. “We will look to find some midfielders and defenders, but our JV team also went undefeated this fall, and only allowed three goals.”
In closing the book on Guilford’s groundbreaking 2018 campaign, Coach Palmer said she will always appreciate how the Indians attacked every challenge, yet stayed humble while experiencing so much success.
“We don’t go anywhere this year without the girls doing what they did. They just had a mindset different from previous teams here. There was no superstar; just a lot of stars,” said Palmer. “They never looked nervous on the field and gave their full effort.”
From the Sidelines
The Guilford field hockey team’s 2018 varsity roster featured senior captains Emily Torre and Mariah Cretella; fellow seniors Celia Mariconda, Renee Sanacora, Cassie Clayton, Mia Tilton, Julie Reynolds, Olivia Hay, Janie Danaher, Erin Norton, Jess Smith, and Kelsi Putnam; juniors Ella Stanley, Sarah Minuit, Nicole Auger, Jaime Neleber, Ava Bucci, Sadie Smith, Lexi Hitchcock, Lily Mackey, Mia Suchy, Megan Fernandes, Catherine Larrow, Caitlyn Cunneen, and Lauren Duffy; sophomores Hannah Tillier, Anabel Lota, Madden Cunningham, and Eve Young; and freshman Maddie Epke.
Head Coach Kitty Palmer finished her 37th year as head coach of the Indians. Palmer’s assistant coaches were JV Head Coach Kiernan Willis, freshman Head Coach Ben Willis, and volunteer coach Tara Slowik.
The Indians finished with a record of 13-2-1 for the regular season, posting victories against Lyman Hall (7-0), Mercy (7-0), Sacred Heart Academy (2-0), Lauralton Hall (2-0), Glastonbury (5-0), North Haven (5-0), Sheehan (6-2), Enfield (3-1), Amity (2-1), Hamden (6-0), Branford (3-0), Shelton (5-0), and Haddam-Killingworth (7-1). Guilford also played Hand to a 1-1 draw and took losses against Stonington (4-3) and Cheshire (1-0).
In the SCC Tournament, Guilford captured its first conference title by defeating Sacred Heart Academy 4-0 in the quarterfinals, Hand 2-0 in the semis, and Cheshire 3-1 in the championship game. For the Class M State Tournament, Guilford earned a first-round bye, then edged No. 6 seed South Windsor 1-0 in the quarterfinals and No. 7 Hand by a 1-0 final in the semis. The Indians went on to take the state title by earning a 3-1 win over Sacred Heart Academy the final.