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12/09/2018 11:00 PMThe Westbrook field hockey squad proved a formidable force in the Shoreline Conference in 2018. The Knights posted an overall record of 14-3-2 and made it back to the Shoreline Conference Tournament final after having lost in the semifinal round last year.
Westbrook earned the top seed in the Shoreline Tournament behind its regular-season record of 13-1-2. The Knights defeated Old Saybrook 2-1 in the semifinals and then took a 2-0 loss against North Branford in the championship game. Westbrook also qualified for the Class S State Tournament this fall, losing to Canton in the first round.
Head Coach Janet Dickey felt proud of Westbrook’s accomplishments, but sees room for improvement for next year. The Knights were dominant throughout the regular season, although Coach Dickey believes their success also created a challenge in terms of seeing potential flaws.
“It was awesome. A 14-3-2 record is nothing to sneeze at. We were the best team in the Shorelines during the regular season, but you have to coach hard no matter how far up in the standings you are,” Dickey said. “You have to fix the little things or they will be exposed at some point. It was hard to see those weaknesses because we kept winning. I think that was a hard lesson to learn.”
The biggest playmaker on the field for Westbrook this year was senior Avery Bauman. The senior captain midfielder earned numerous awards, including making the All-Shoreline Conference First Team, the All-State First Team, and the New Haven Register All-Area Team. She was also named the Patsy Kamercia Shoreline Conference Player of the Year and won Westbrook’s Most Valuable Player Award. Bauman led the Knights in scoring with 12 goals and four assists, and made a positive impact both on and off of the field.
“Avery’s a great role model for the whole team, especially the underclassmen,” said Coach Dickey. “The kids look up to her and try to emulate her. That’s a great thing because her work ethic is impeccable, and she’s a kid who loves to play the game.”
Fellow senior captain midfielder Katherine Dahl helped Bauman lead Westbrook, while displaying great dedication toward improving her game. As a result, Dahl earned the Knights’ Most Improved Player Award this season.
“Katherine worked very hard to improve her game and implemented the changes we asked of her every day. She was a great role model on motivator on and off the field,” Dickey said. “This was only her third year of playing, and she always had an aggressive first step to the ball. That’s hard to teach girls who have many years of experience to do.”
Junior Lexi Koplas turned in a nice performance in her second year on the squad. Koplas scored 11 goals to go with an assist on her way to garnering All-Shoreline Conference First Team recognition.
“Lexi definitely holds her own out there. This is only her second season,” said Dickey. “She’ll have a lot of responsibility on her next season. All the juniors will be trying to help replace the seniors who are leaving.”
One of Westbrook’s biggest strengths was the solid play of sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Horne, who made the All-Shoreline Conference First Team and the All-State First Team. Horne only allowed nine goals all season as she and the Knights’ defense recorded a total of 12 shutouts.
“Lauren had some big saves in really big games. She has quick hands and feet, and she has no idea how good she really is. It’s awesome,” Coach Dickey said. “She just goes out and plays. She just sees the ball and stops it.”
Two other players who loomed large on defense were senior Carolyn Bauman and junior Kendall Orlowski. Bauman earned All-Shoreline Conference Second Team honors, and Orlowski secured a spot on the All-Shoreline First Team. The duo made it difficult for Westbrook’s opponents to even get a chance at Horne in the net.
“Carolyn is a fantastic player and fast. She’s really good at tipping the ball, and she has a fantastic hit to get it upfield and to the outside quickly. We were able to transition to attack quickly,” Dickey said. “Kendall is non-traditional style. She’ll do anything she can to keep an attacker from getting in front of her. It might not be picture-perfect, but she gets it done.”
Junior Alex Young also made her presence known on defense this season. Young collected All-Shoreline Conference Second Team accolades for her efforts.
As for the Knights’ future, Coach Dickey feels confident in her returning athletes. Despite the loss of some key seniors, Dickey thinks that Westbrook will be strong in 2019 following the experience of this season. Dickey also knows that the support the Knights receive at every game keeps people signing up for the team.
“I’m really looking forward to next year, especially to see if the kids take that motivation from the postseason this year into August and look to change that outcome,” Dickey said. “I also want to thank all the parents and the teachers that come out to watch us. It’s nice to have a crowd at our games. That makes us feel good. It generates interest.”
From the Sidelines
The Westbrook field hockey squad’s varsity roster includes senior captains Avery Bauman and Katherine Dahl; seniors Carolyn Bauman, Alana Bochanis, and Jamie Merola; juniors Alivia Ciarcia, Lexi Koplas, Olivia Hartzell, Kendall Orlowski, and Alex Young; and sophomores Marguerite Bartlett, Cierra Brundage, Elizabeth Gallagher, Megan Greaves, Lauren Horne, Kiley McCarthy, Brooke Neri, Bailey Roberts, and Karen Sicha.
Janet Dickey finished her 27th season as head coach of the Knights. Emily McCabe-Algers is Westbrook’s JV head coach and varsity assistant coach. Senior Ingrid Bauman served as the team manager this year.
The Knights notched regular-season wins against Somers (7-0), Valley Regional (2-0), Morgan (1-0), Fitch-Ledyard (1-0), North Branford (3-0), Haddam-Killingworth (4-0 and 4-0), Old Saybrook (2-1 and 1-0), Canton (1-0), Morgan (7-1), and Killingly (1-0). Westbrook’s lone loss of the regular season came against Granby Memorial by a 1-0 score. Westbrook earned ties versus Valley Regional (0-0) and North Branford (1-1).
In the Shoreline Conference Tournament, the top-seeded Knights defeated No. 4 seed Old Saybrook 2-1 in the semifinals, before taking a 2-0 loss to No. 2 seed North Branford in the final.
In the Class S State Tournament, No. 4 seed Westbrook faced No. 13 seed Canton in the first round and dropped a 2-0 decision.