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10/21/2019 12:00 AMThe Old Saybrook field hockey team is headed back to the Class S State Tournament for the second straight season after last week’s action. The Rams got in by virtue of a scoreless tie against East Lyme after stopping a three-game skid. With just a handful of games left in the regular season, the Rams are battling to claim a spot in the Shoreline Conference Tournament, as well.
Old Saybrook played a pair of games last week and came away with a tie and a loss. The Rams dropped a 2-1 home decision against Valley Regional on Oct. 15. Then on Oct. 19, Old Saybrook clinched a states’ berth with a 0-0 tie on the road against East Lyme. Last week’s results moved the Rams to a 6-5-1 record on the season.
Though the Rams didn’t have much offense this week, they had their chances. Head Coach Nancy Gatta hopes that Old Saybrook’s luck in getting the ball in the net changes. The Rams’ defense is keeping them in games, as was evident in the loss against Valley.
“It was a close game. Valley scored and then went up 2-0 in the first half. We scored halfway through the second half, and we really put the pressure on for a while” Gatta said. “We put 18 shots on the keeper, but she stopped us and we couldn’t convert. We were in the circle, but we could not finish. We’re doing the right things. Hopefully, this week we get some goals and some momentum heading into the tournament.”
This year marks Coach Gatta’s first full season with the club after taking over for the Rams when they were 1-3 four games into the 2018 season. After going 10-5-1 last season, Old Saybrook still has a chance to match that mark with wins in every game down the stretch. Gatta has watched an incredible turnaround for a team that struggled prior to her arrival, and she believes that all her athletes needed was a bit more moral support to make it happen. It also helped that Gatta came bringing some impressive Rams’ field hockey bonafides to the job.
“The kids were really looking for someone to believe in them. I’ve been involved in field hockey for 36 years. So I think I just wanted them to believe in themselves and have pride in the program,” Gatta said. “I’m an Old Saybrook grad from ‘89, and we were field hockey state champions. I wanted them to see it was possible. I think they started believing in themselves. That helped last year, and the momentum carried into this year.”
This season has featured a more full team-oriented attack from the Rams. Last year, the team relied on Mandy Beck for the heavy lifting on offense, and she drew the opponents’ focus. This season, many players have had to pick up that slack, and Coach Gatta enjoys seeing that type of play from her squad.
“Last year we had the luxury of having a player like Mandy Beck on the team. That one player is gone, and now the players are taking it upon themselves to be something special on the field together,” said Gatta. “Mandy was a dynamic player and a lot of attention was given to her. Now our players keep having to pick up a role and find their place. It’s nice to see.”
The Rams also feature three senior captains who have been outstanding on and off the field in creating a winning environment. McKenna Gibson has been leading quietly on the field with her outstanding play, while Wendy Bowden has been like a wall at goalie. Izzy Sigersmith is the Rams’ third captain, and she has been leading from the sidelines due to injury.
“McKenna’s a silent steady leader on the field and a very solid player. She’s like the quarterback of the team leading the game. She’s involved in almost every play. She’s a center back in the midfield,” sais Gatta. “You can hear Wendy from everywhere on the field yelling and shouting out to the defense when they need to be marking. She can see the whole field, so she is really directing people where to go. Izzy’s out for the season with an injury, but she’s still been pretty active. She’s at every practice and every game on the sidelines being vocal, supportive, and encouraging. She’s taking on the leadership role.”
The Rams have also received some great play on the attack from junior Taylor Stone. She leads the team with eight goals to go along with two assists. Gatta says that Stone’s a tough cover. Her skills combined with fellow junior Kayla Holt at left wing make a formidable pair up front.
“Kayla Holt’s incredible at the left wing position. She carries the ball up the field, and it’s so much fun to watch her play. She’s got really good speed and really good stick skills. Playing on the left side of the field is playing into the strong side of the defense. I don’t know how she does it,” said Gatta. “Taylor’s the fastest person on the team, and she has a really strong hit. She’s been working on that a lot this season. If Kayla gets up the field and gets a shot off, Taylor’s in position to get a rebound and hit it in. She’s a hungry player.”
Additionally, the Rams have been relying on the play of some sophomores after losing Sigersmith for the year. The underclass athletes like Grace Adams have really stepped up and proven themselves as varsity players.
“Grace Adams has started every game as a forward, and she has five goals. She’s also doing very well at the forward position,” Gatta said. “Her and Taylor are working side by side on the field. It’s big to have people like her step up.”
Coach Gatta believes that it has been in the backfield where that Rams have had their most success. The defense combined with Bowden in the cage have stifled many opponents.
“Our defense has been pretty great. It’s something I’ve been focusing on since I was a big defensive player myself,” Gatta said. “Plus, Wendy is just phenomenal. She works so hard in practice. She want 200 shots and all types of shots at her at practice every single day. She gets so sweaty and tired, but she feels like she’s earned those shut outs when we get them.”
Coach Gatta feels good about Old Saybrook’s performance so far. Her expectations were for the team to qualify for the state tournament and battle for a spot in the Shorelines. With the Rams’ injuries, Gatta feels great about her team’s results. The Rams just have to finish strong now.
“I wanted us to be at least a .500 team and qualify for states and Shorelines. I think we’re going to exceed the expectation I had for the season,” Gatta said. “We have a bunch of people playing who didn’t play varsity last year. Five or six starting players from last year left, and we have a senior captain injured and out for the year. All things considered, we’ve done pretty well. We have H-K and Morgan coming up this week. Those are two big games. If we can beat Morgan again that should get us into the fourth position, and that would get us into Shorelines.”
• The Old Saybrook field hockey team’s varsity roster includes senior captains Wendy Bowden, McKenna Gibson, and Izzy Sigersmith; seniors Rachel Baldi, Lindsey Dizenzo, Darby McGarrahan, and Leah Wysocki; juniors Kristina Alsante, Kaitlyn Chapps, Taylor D’anna, Kate Helden, Kayla Holt, Kendall Kollmer, Grace Laskowski, Catherine Potter, and Taylor Stone; and sophomores Grace Adams, Alexandra Coty, Chelsea Heinke, and Libby Stuart.
• This is Head Coach Nancy Gatta’s first full season at the helm for the Rams after taking over four games into last season. Gatta’s coaching staff includes assistant coach Sarah Thompson.
• For the remainder of the season, Old Saybrook has a home game with Granby Memorial and road games against Morgan and Westbrook.