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12/26/2019 11:00 PMIt was a great year for North Branford sports in 2019. The Thunderbirds won three Shoreline Conference titles in the spring season and then claimed another conference crown during the fall campaign. There were plenty of other good stories in North Branford. Here is a look at the best of the best from the past year.
Winter
Junior Mackenzie Glenn put together an excellent performance for the North Branford girls’ indoor track team in the 2019 winter season. Glenn delivered several stellar showings in the long jump on behalf of the T-Birds during their postseason meets.
Glenn’s run of success started at the Shoreline Conference Championship, where she reached a distance of 15 feet-9.25 inches to win the long jump. Glenn followed that up with a third-place finish at the Class S State Championship (16-4.75) and a ninth-place finish at the State Open Championship (16-10.75) in the event. Sophomore Nadia Becker took second place in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.87 seconds for North Branford at Shorelines.
The Thunderbirds’ boys’ ice hockey team went on a second-half run to secure a spot in the Division II State Tournament this winter. North Branford won its last five regular-season games to make states, ultimately finishing the year with a record of 9-11-1.
North Branford was led by senior forward Sean McKee, who had 24 goals and seven assists on the season. Sophomore goalie Tyler DiNapoli earned six wins between the pipes while posting a save percentage of .910 and a goals-against-average of 2.83.
The North Branford girls’ basketball team qualified for the Shoreline Conference Tournament in its first year with Head Coach Courtney Manciero. The T-Birds took a 43-32 loss to East Hampton in the Shoreline quarterfinals and finished the season at 7-14 overall.
Spring
The North Branford softball squad continued its winning tradition by claiming its fifth-straight Shoreline Conference championship this spring. The Thunderbirds posted an overall record of 15-9 on the year.
North Branford notched victories over Haddam-Killingworth (7-6), Coginchaug (4-3), and Valley Regional (5-3) on its way to winning the Shoreline title. The T-Birds went on to take an 8-0 loss to Lauralton Hall in the first round of the Class M State Tournament.
Angelina Ramada, Amy Raucci, and Brianna Raccio served as North Branford’s senior captains. Ashley Anderson and Kaylee Velez were the other seniors on Head Coach Nick DiLizio’s squad. Freshman Bella Hills pitched great games throughout the Shoreline Conference Tournament for North Branford.
The Thunderbirds’ girls’ lacrosse team captured its second-consecutive Shoreline Conference crown by netting a 9-6 victory over Old Saybrook in the league final. The T-Birds then dropped a 15-10 decision against Old Lyme in the first round of the Class S State Tournament to finish at 15-4 overall.
North Branford’s senior captains were Jessie Kilburn and Jordan Regan, and Avonlea LeBeau was a junior captain on the team. Mary-Kate Torgerson, Morgan Ryan, and Cayleen Defaranos were the other seniors for Head Coach Lori Connelly’s club.
The North Branford boys’ lacrosse team hoisted the first Shoreline Conference trophy for the first time this year. Head Coach Dave Carpenter’s squad defeated Morgan by a 12-7 score in the title game of the Shoreline Confere nce Tournament.
Following Shorelines, North Branford took a 19-3 defeat versus St. Joseph in the first round of the Class S State Tournament. The Thunderbirds completed their campaign with a record of 12-7.
The North Branford baseball team enjoyed one of its best seasons in recent years with Head Coach Billy Mitchell, finishing with an overall mark of 14-9. The T-Birds reached the Shoreline Conference Tournament and also hosted a game in the Class S State Tournament this spring.
Senior captain Nick Mancini missed a portion of the year due to an injury, but still batted .400 with one home run, 19 runs scored, and seven RBI. Fellow senior Carl Jacobson had a .425 batting average with 18 runs scored and 20 RBI. Juniors John Pollock and Bret Fee, and sophomore Jaden Canelli anchored the T-Birds’ pitching staff.
The North Branford girls’ tennis team had a strong season that featured 15 victories. The T-Birds were one of the top teams in the Shoreline Conference and saw several athletes compete in the singles and doubles brackets at the Shoreline Conference Tournaments. Head Coach Matt Tortora’s team also qualified for the Class S State Tournament.
Junior Sofia Cavalier enjoyed a great campaign as North Branford’s No. 1 singles player. Senior captain Sydney Constantinidi posted a record of 20-0 at No. 2 singles.
Mackenzie Glenn finished first in the long jump for the North Branford girls’ outdoor track team at the Shoreline Conference Championship. The junior set a new personal-best distance with a leap of 17 feet-3 inches to take the Shoreline title.
Fall
The North Branford field hockey team put together another outstanding season this fall. The Thunderbirds went undefeated during the regular season, won their third-straight Shoreline Conference title, and then advanced to the final of the Class S State Tournament. Head Coach Babby Nuhn’s squad finished the year with an overall record of 20-0-1.
In the Shoreline Conference Tournament, North Branford earned a 2-1 win over Valley Regional in the semifinals and a 2-1 victory against Westbrook in the final. In the Class S State Tournament, the T-Birds defeated Wamogo (7-0), Canton (3-1), and Immaculate (3-1 in overtime) to reach the championship game, where they took a 1-0 loss to Granby.
Ava Galdenzi, Ali Barrett, and Melanie Norton served as the senior captains for the T-Birds, and Kelli Jacobson was a junior captain. The other seniors on the team were Bianca D’Onofrio, Emily Olsen, Avonlea LeBeau, Alyssa Waligroski, Izabella Mott, and goalkeeper Jaime Matthews.
The North Branford girls’ soccer squad embarked on a second-half surge to make the Class M State Tournament in 2019. After starting off the year at 0-7-2, the T-Birds went 5-1-1 down the stretch to sneak into states.
North Branford finished with an overall record of 5-9-3 in Pat Kozloski’s final season as head coach. Senior captain Alexie Rosado had 11 goals with nine assists on the year.
The North Branford football team finished its season at 7-3 overall with Head Coach Mark Basil, improving by five victories from the previous campaign. Junior quarterback Brandon Fratta threw 25 touchdowns this year, while junior Tyler DiNapoli ran for 1,055 yards and had 16 total TDs on offense for the Thunderbirds.
The T-Birds’ volleyball team made it to the Shoreline Conference Tournament this fall. North Branford took a 3-0 loss to Hale-Ray in the quarterfinals to finish at 5-16.