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07/08/2019 12:00 AMComing into the 2019 season, the Guilford boys’ lacrosse team featured a solid offensive core that was determined to create some firepower on the field. To the Indians’ delight, their defensive unit brought that same intensity to the turf and helped Guilford enjoy a great year that featured 16 victories and a couple of notable playoff runs.
Head Coach Brian White’s club went 13-3 in the regular season and earned the No. 2 seed for the SCC Tournament. Following a first-round bye, the Indians dispatched No. 3 seed Xavier by a 17-7 score in the semifinals to advance to the conference final, where Guilford took a 13-7 defeat against top-seeded Fairfield Prep.
In the Class M State Tournament, Guilford entered the draw as the No. 4 seed and notched an 18-4 victory over No. 13 Foran in a first-round matchup. The Indians followed up win by defeating another SCC foe, No. 12 seed North Haven, by an 11-3 score in the quarterfinal round. Guilford went on to take a 17-7 loss versus top seed and eventual champion New Fairfield in the semifinals, finishing the campaign with an overall record of 16-5.
Coach White felt confident that Guilford had the go-to guys on offense even before the opening faceoff of the campaign. However, as the preseason preparation wound down, White saw several other key components come into focus.
“We had a really interesting year, and we knew we had some strong talent returning, especially on offense. The question mark was where the other pieces would fall,” Coach White said. “The guys were very competitive through the preseason. [Junior goalkeeper] Devlin Ahlefeld did great all year and kept getting better. [Junior defender] Owen Nizolek was great on defense. [Midfielders] Tyler Filley and Miles Gabriel stepped up as seniors. We started to click right around the postseason, and it was great to get to the state semis.”
Senior attacker John DeLucia proved an exemplary captain for the Indians this year. DeLucia shared the captain’s hat with fellow attacker Jack Dacey, a junior. Dacey served as just the second junior captain in program history—preceded by DeLucia in 2018.
“Jack was always doing the right things, and John was a really special kid with his leadership,” said White. “They were both great student-athletes, and John won the U.S. Lacrosse Bob Scott Award for Connecticut for his leadership, play, and work in the community. He was the first Guilford player to win that, and he was a high-character kid.”
Guilford saw many thrilling moments on its way to the SCC final and the state’s Final Four. Coach White noted that the Indians turned strong performances while tangling with a trio of top conference rivals.
“Any time you play a rival, it’s fun, so the kids were really amped up for the Hand game. It was great to win that one, and John DeLucia scored the clinching goal for us. Hand is athletic and well-coached,” White said. “The Xavier games were very intense, and we beat them twice this year. It’s also always fun to compete with Fairfield Prep, and we had moments where we were right there with them.”
DeLucia, Dacey, and Gabriel earned spots on the All-SCC First Team for Guilford this season. DeLucia was also honored as the SCC’s co-Player of the Year. Filley and Nizolek garnered All-SCC Second Team distinction on behalf of the Indians. Additionally, DeLucia, Dacey, Gabriel, Filley, and Nizolek solidified spots on the All-State Team.
In terms of Guilford’s team awards, DeLucia was named the Indians’ overall Most Valuable Player, Dacey took home the Offensive MVP Award, and Ahlefeld won Defensive MVP honors. Senior midfielder Isaac Jillson was presented with the Coaches’ Award for Guilford.
While it will be hard to say good-bye to a sensational senior class that left its stamp on the program, the good news is that Guilford is slated to return the vast majority of its lineup in the 2020 season. Coach White feels optimistic going forward as the Indians will aim to use their experience to their advantage during the next championship chase.
“When these seniors came in as freshmen, they didn’t win a game on their freshman team, but then these seniors just went further in states than any other team in the past 10 or 15 years before them. They were dedicated and likeable people and did things other teams couldn’t do in the past,” said White. “We are bringing a lot back next year. We bring back our goalie and entire defense. We bring back about 75 percent of our roster, so if we play well, then who knows what can happen?”
From the Sidelines
Guilford’s assistant coaches this year were Scott Davidson, Brad Sullivan, Jeff Sullivan, and Thomas Woods.
This year marked the fourth meeting between Fairfield Prep and Guilford in the SCC Tournament final since 2013.
During the regular season, Guilford defeated East Lyme (13-4), Fitch (16-2), Branford (16-3), North Haven (9-4), Lyman Hall (19-6), Notre Dame-West Haven (12-10), Hand (6-3), Newtown (8-7), Shelton (16-5), Xavier (14-10), Trumbull (11-6), Barlow (12-5), and Cheshire (8-5).
The Indians’ losses came against Fairfield Prep (14-8), Weston (9-6), and Simsbury (8-7).