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11/10/2019 11:00 PMThe North Branford field hockey team has achieved the Shoreline Conference three-peat. The Thunderbirds claimed their third-straight league title by earning a 2-1 win against Westbrook in the Shoreline Conference Tournament final at the Indian River Complex on Nov. 7. North Branford has an overall record of 17-0-1 as the team opens play in the Class S State Tournament this week.
Head Coach Babby Nuhn knew that Westbrook would prove a formidable opponent based on the two teams’ previous meetings this year. North Branford notched a 1-0 win over the Knights on Oct. 2, after which two clubs battled to a 2-2 tie on Oct. 23. Coach Nuhn wanted the T-Birds to concentrate on executing their game-plan, instead of focusing too much on winning back-to-back-to-back championships.
“We didn’t emphasize a three-peat. We emphasized our game,” said Nuhn. “We knew Westbrook would be tough, so we didn’t look at trips. That wasn’t our focus. Our focus was on our game and trying to bring energy and positivity into what we had to do, which was beating a strong team.”
North Branford and Westbrook were locked in a 1-1 tie at halftime. Just 33 seconds into the second half, senior Bianca D’Onofrio scored a goal to give the Thunderbirds a 2-1 lead. Senior captain Melanie Norton set up D’Onofrio when she put a shot on net. The ball bounced off the pad of Westbrook’s goalie and found the stick of D’Onofrio, who sent it home for the game-winning score.
Senior goalie Jaime Matthews made two saves for North Branford. Norton, junior captain Kelli Jacobson, junior Aly Kendrick, and senior defender Avonlea LeBeau thwarted many of Westbrook’s offensive opportunities to help Coach Nuhn’s club prevail.
“It’s not just one player or one position. I feel we’re super blessed with talent, speed, and selflessness,” said Nuhn. “We have 10 kids that can score, and everybody is playing offense and defense. They’re just playing for one another. It’s not about individual stats, and that’s what we’ve been working on.”
Senior captain Ava Galdenzi got North Branford on the board by scoring the first goal of the game during the opening half. Galdenzi was presented with Shoreline Conference Player of the Year honors following the contest.
“Ava Galdenzi does more than score,” Coach Nuhn said. “Her stickwork is impeccable as she weaves throughout her opponents to try to set up scoring opportunities for her teammates.”
Two minutes after Galdenzi’s goal, Westbrook scored its lone goal of the game to make it 1-1 at the break. D’Onofrio broke the tie by scoring early in the second half, and the T-Birds held off the Knights the rest of the way to win the Shoreline Conference Tournament for the fourth time in team history.
Prior to the Shoreline final, North Branford defeated No. 4 seed Valley Regional by a 3-1 score in the semifinal round on Nov. 4. Sophomore Olivia Toto scored a pair of goals for the T-Birds. Norton capped off the game with an insurance goal to send North Branford to the final.
Valley Regional had taken a 1-0 lead by scoring the first goal of the game. Coach Nuhn said the Warriors’ goal provided a wakeup call for her squad.
“They ended up scoring on us first, and it was a reality. Everybody was putting pressure on us, and it rallied us and brought the team together,” Nuhn said. “One thing I attribute to our success is our maturity and focus. We did the job with a mature, focused, team-oriented attitude. They all have it.”
Toto tied the game by scoring a goal and then gave North Branford a 2-1 lead by netting her second goal of the contest. Norton added the third goal on a corner, and that was more than enough for goalkeeper Matthews and the T-Birds’ defense.
“Melanie was all over the field. Another player, Aly Kendrick, was solid,” said Nuhn. “They were strong reasons we kept Valley Regional out of our zone and pushed for more opportunities for us to score. They were super aggressive.”
North Branford opened play in the Class S State Tournament this week. The Thunderbirds, who are the No. 2 seed, played a first-round match versus No. 15 seed Wamogo on Nov. 12 (after press time). If North Branford wins that game, it will face the winner of No. 7 Canton and No. 10 Valley Regional in the quarterfinal round on Thursday, Nov. 14. The semifinals take place on either Tuesday, Nov. 19 or Wednesday, Nov. 20, and the championship match is at Wethersfield High School on Saturday, Nov. 23.
• The North Branford field hockey team’s roster consists of senior captains Ava Galdenzi, Ali Barrett, and Melanie Norton; seniors Bianca D’Onofrio, Emily Olsen, Avonlea LeBeau, Alyssa Waligroski, Izabella Mott, and Jaime Matthews; junior captain Kelli Jacobson, juniors Sophia Anastasio, Emma Serenson, Aly Kendrick, Sofia Votto, Amanda Nuzzo, and Gabby Gibilisco; sophomores Olivia Toto, Mia Oliverio, Saoirse Burke, Samantha Helwig, and Braeden LeBeau; and freshmen Gianna Palma, Avery Kendall, Mia Park, and Payton Kamienski.
• Head Coach Babby Nuhn is assisted by Evaun Boatman, Lori Connelly, and Kathy Galdenzi. Gabriella Barone serves as the team’s manager.
• Last year, North Branford earned a 2-0 win versus Westbrook in the Shoreline Tournament final. Two years ago, the T-Birds took the title by defeating Valley Regional by a 2-1 score in overtime in the title game.