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07/05/2020 12:00 AMThe Haddam-Killingworth girls’ soccer squad had a season to remember with first-year Head Coach Mike Shea last fall. After graduating just two seniors from team, the Cougars are ready to pick up where they left off in 2020.
H-K claimed the Shoreline Conference Tournament title on its way to finishing with an overall record of 15-5-1 in Coach Shea’s debut campaign. The Cougars bid farewell to senior captain Ashley Duncanson and fellow senior Rebecca Fisher, who were both defenders, from the 2019 club.
“Last year, we did pretty good. I think we did a lot better than people expected us to do,” said Shea. “It was my first year as head coach for the team, and they were coming off a season where they only had four wins, so expectations weren’t incredibly high. But we came out and won a conference title and qualified for states in the process, so that was a great experience.”
Senior striker Kedarjah Lewis is returning to the pitch for H-K on the heels of a season that saw her score a team-high 19 goals to go with four assists. Lewis earned All-Shoreline Conference First Team honors and also made the All-State First Team by virtue of her performance.
Along with Lewis, the Cougars are bringing back midfielders Kaitlyn Parri and Morgan Madore, who are the team’s senior captains. Parri had four goals and 18 assists as a junior captain last year, and Madore recorded eight goals with four assists on the campaign. Junior striker Yumi Imai scored the second-most goals on the Cougars with 16 last season. Parri was an All-Shoreline Conference First Team honoree, while Madore and Imai both garnered All-Shoreline Second Team accolades.
“We had such a strong attack last season, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do this coming season. We have a core group of girls returning, and I know they are confident in their abilities,” Coach Shea said. “The challenging thing will be trying to replace our two defenders, because they were both very good. That just means we need others to step up.”
Lewis had a huge year as a sprinter/jumper for the H-K girls’ indoor track squad this winter, solidifying spots on the All-Shoreline Conference and All-State teams. Coach Shea believes that Lewis’s experience in track will benefit her on the soccer field during the fall season.
“Kedarjah uses her pace to her advantage. I think she learned a lot, too, from doing track,” Shea said. “She played midfield before I took over the team and, every time she goes out on the field, she improves. She’s a very talented player.”
Senior outside midfielder Autumn Walton, who had nine goals and two assists last season, is also a key athlete for the Cougars. Walton earned All-Shoreline Conference Honorable Mention in her junior year.
“Autumn is another great player for us, and she’s versatile in the sense that I can play her anywhere on the field,” said Shea. “We have a lot of talent returning, and she’s one of our top players.”
Coach Shea is optimistic that there will be a season this fall, although the possibility of a coronavirus resurgence could hinder those hopes. As of this time, H-K has decided that no teams will practice this summer, despite the CIAC’s ruling that schools can practice in groups of 10 athletes or less, as long as they are socially distanced and abide by CDC guidelines.
“To me, it’s really early to even think about,” said Shea. “We can plan all we want. You look at the surge in the South, and I’m really hoping it doesn’t come back here. We’ll see what happens when schools open back up. Student safety is my No. 1 concern.”
2020 Haddam-Killingworth Girls’ Soccer Schedule
Thursday, Sept. 10: vs. Parish Hill at 3:45 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 12: at Hamden at 11 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 15: at Portland at 3:45 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 17: vs. Old Saybrook at 3:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 22: at North Branford at 4 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 25: vs. Coginchaug at 3:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 30: at Cromwell at 6 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 2: vs. East Hampton at 3:45 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 5: vs. Westbrook at 3:45 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 8: at Old Lyme at 4 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 12: vs. Hale-Ray at 3:45 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 15: vs. Valley Regional at 3:45 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17: at Coginchaug at 11 a.m.
Monday, Oct. 19: at Morgan at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 21: vs. North Branford at 3:45 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 29: at Hale-Ray at 3:45 p.m.