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04/07/2019 12:00 AMBoys’ Lacrosse
The Hand boys’ lacrosse team is off to a 1-1 start this spring after gaining a split in its first two games of the campaign. The Tigers posted a victory against Conard and then took a loss versus Glastonbury during the opening week of their season.
Hand started its year by netting an 18-6 victory over Conard on April 1. Jack Flanagan scored six goals, while Tom Swank had five scores and an assist for the Tigers. Tripp Bordiere scored four goals and added a pair of helpers. Also contributing to the victory were Shane Reiner (2 goals), Conner Bergere (1 goal, 1 assist), Tom Ferrick (3 assists), Liam Regan (1 assist), and Ryan Flynn (1 assist). Griffin Fitzmaurice made seven saves in goal, and Clay Harden had four stops for Hand, which outshot Conard by a 40-20 margin.
The following day, the Tigers lost an 11-6 decision against Glastonbury.
Last year, Head Coach John Orlando’s squad finished with 14 victories after advancing to the Class M State Tournament final for the fourth straight season.
Girls’ Lacrosse
Hand won its first two games this year by claiming victories against Hall and Amity. The Tigers are led by first-year Head Coach Will Mraz this season.
Hand opened the year by posting a 9-4 win over Hall on March 30. Amy Woods had two goals with an assist, Kacie Wines also scored two goals, and Lauren Valluzzi added three assists in the victory. Goalkeeper Lena Conway made six saves to get the win in net for the Tigers, who had 27 shots on goal and collected 26 ground balls.
Then on April 4, the Tigers defeated Amity by the final score of 12-3.
Boys’ Tennis
The Tigers have raced out to a 2-0 start on the spring after winning a pair of matches last week.
Hand began its campaign with a 6-1 victory over Guilford on April 2. The Tigers then swept South Windsor by a 7-0 score the following day.
Hand is coming off a perfect 2018 campaign that saw Head Coach Dawn Fagerquist’s squad post a record of 17-0 during the regular season, including 14 wins via a 7-0 sweep. In the SCC Tournament, the Tigers blanked Amity 7-0 in the final to win their fourth conference title and put a bow on a 20-0 record. Hand went on to finish in first place at Class L State Championship to earn the fifth state title in program history and its first since 2014.
Girls’ Tennis
Hand began its year by claiming a 5-2 victory over Lauralton Hall on April 2.
Sam Riordan, Lindsay Riordan, and Annie Barrett earned victories on the singles court for the Tigers. Hand’s wins in doubles were notched by the teams of Anna Lang and Claire Langille, as well as Bella Vejar and Paige Van Ostenbridge .
Last spring, Head Coach Kitty Palmer’s club finished the regular season with a perfect record of 17-0. After that, Hand entered the SCC Tournament as the defending champion and earned a 5-2 win versus Amity in the championship to claim the SCC crown for the second consecutive year.
Then in the Class L State Tournament, the 2nd-seeded Tigers posted 7-0 victories over Ridgefield and Guilford to reach the semifinal round, where they took a 6-1 defeat against Darien for their first loss since the 2016 Class M State Tournament final. Hand finished the year with an overall record of 22-1.
Boys’ Volleyball
The Tigers are 2-1 on the year after winning two of their first three matches.
Hand started its spring by blanking Westhill 3-0 on March 30. Then on April 3, Hand defeated Shelton by the score of 3-1. Zach Cifarelli had 25 assists and one kill, Matt McSweeney notched 12 kills with six blocks and two aces, and Jeremy Long chipped in with six kills, four blocks, and three aces for the Tigers.
Hand then dropped a 3-0 to Barlow on April 5.
In 2018, Head Coach Marc Figlar’s team notched 10 wins on the regular season to earn a berth in the SCC Tournament, where the Tigers posted a 3-1 win against Cheshire to capture their first conference crown. Hand finished the year at 12-10 overall taking a first-round loss versus Farmington in the Class M State Tournament.
Softball
Hand completed its first week of the spring with a 1-1 record after splitting two games.
The Tigers defeated Mercy by the final score of 7-4 in their season opener on April 3. Three days later, Hand lost 7-5 against Lauralton Hall.
Last year, Head Coach Mike Niekrash’s team finished with a record of 20-4 after qualifying for the SCC Tournament and then advancing to the semifinals in the Class L State Tournament.
Boys’ Outdoor Track
The Tigers split a tri-meet to start off their year at 1-1. Hand defeated Sheehan (108-42) and took a loss against Shelton (76-74) on April 2.
In 2018, Head Coach Tim Geary’s squad finished second for both the SCC East Sectional and SCC Championship meets, followed by a third-place finish at the Class MM State Championship.
Boys’ Golf
Hand lost a close match against Hamden in its first contest of the year on April 3. The Tigers dropped a 158-161 decision to Hamden on a day that saw Jake Bennett turn in a score of 37 for Hand.
Last season, Head Coach Jim Holleran’s team finished fourth at the SCC Championship and then posted a third-place showing for the Division II State Championship.