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Galdenzi's OT Goal Sends T-Birds to State Final

The North Branford field hockey team advanced to the Class S State Tournament final after earning a 1-0 overtime victory versus Immaculate in a semifinal game at Cheshire High School on Nov. 19. The 2nd-seeded T-Birds improved their overall record to 20-0-1 as they prepared to play top-seeded Granby (17-0-1) for the championship at Wethersfield High School on Nov. 23 (after press time).

North Branford faced one of its toughest tests of the season when the squad took on No. 3 seed Immaculate in the Class S semis. After the game remained scoreless through regulation, the two clubs went to overtime to decide the winner.

Senior captain Ava Galdenzi, who was recently named the Shoreline Conference Player of the Year, corralled the ball at midfield and drove hard to the goal with a little more than four minutes left in the OT period. Galdenzi put a reverse flick on target from about five yards out that beat Immaculate goalie Lauren Oskam for the game-winning goal, sending North Branford to the state championship game for the second time in three seasons. The Thunderbirds won the Class S title in 2017.

Defense was key for both teams throughout the game. North Branford dominated possession against Immaculate and didn’t let the Mustangs get anything going on offense. Senior goalie Jaime Matthews made two saves to earn the shutout in net for the T-Birds, who outshot Immaculate by a 13-2 margin for the game.

Senior captain Melanie Norton had a pair of scoring opportunities during the first half, but both were saved by Oskam. The Thunderbirds kept the pressure on the Mustangs and finally broke through in overtime to move on to face Granby in the final.

The win proved to be a redemption victory for the T-Birds, who had taken a 3-1 loss to Immaculate in last year’s Class S quarterfinals. The last time that North Branford and Granby played each other was in the 2017 Class S state final, where the T-Birds notched a 2-1 victory to claim their fourth state championship. This marks the third-straight state final appearance for Granby, which lost to Immaculate in last year’s title game.

North Branford had won its first two games of Class S State Tournament in order to make the final. The T-Birds earned a 7-0 victory versus No. 15 Wamogo in the first round and then posted a 3-1 win against No. 7 Canton in quarterfinal action.

The Thunderbirds qualified for the State Tournament by netting a record of 15-0-1 in the regular season. Prior to states, North Branford won the Shoreline Conference Tournament as the No. 1 seed. The T-Birds recorded a 2-1 win over No. 4 Valley Regional in the semifinals and then topped No. 2 Westbrook by a 2-1 decision in the final to take the league title for the third-straight campaign.

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.