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Sting Finish Dream League with Senior Night Victory

As the Branford Sting stepped on the field to face North Haven in their Dream League Senior Night matchup, many of the team’s athletes knew that it was the last time they’d play lacrosse alongside the teammates they’ve grown up with. Head Coach Billy Alessi wanted to see his outgoing seniors finish their careers in Branford with a win, especially since they didn’t get to play for the high school team this spring. The Sting accomplished that mission by earning a 15-4 victory over the Warriors in a North Division game at North Haven Middle School on Aug. 8.

With the win over North Haven, the Sting completed their Dream League season with an overall record of 4-4 to go with a mark of 3-3 in divisional play. Several members of Branford’s Class of 2019 celebrated their Senior Night by making crucial contributions in the victory.

Karly King and fellow captain Brianna Shaw netted three goals apiece for the Sting. Hailey Brunner scored a pair of goals, while Olivia Vitale, Gabby Gillis, Camdyn Dunn, and captain Issy Mannle each scored one goal. Goalkeeper Brooke O’Leary, another recent graduate, played the entire game in net and made eight saves for Coach Alessi’s squad.

“It was a great night for the seniors. It was kind of their last hurrah. We had all the seniors start, and a lot of them scored,” Alessi said. “It was nice to finish on such a positive, being able to score and have these girls play on their Senior Night.”

The Sting also featured 2019 graduates Ainsley Betzig and Mikayla Brown on the roster this summer. Although the game versus North Haven was not your typical Senior Night experience, Coach Alessi said that his athletes still enjoyed it and had plenty of fun while “getting the closing moment to their great high school careers.” Alessi appreciates the fact that competing in the Dream League gave Branford’s outgoing seniors a chance to shine against high school competition one final time.

“It’s such a big senior group. They’ve been our leaders throughout the whole quarantine. Being able to give them that opportunity to finish was great,” said Alessi. “Having 10 seniors is huge for a program. They’ve been playing since middle school, if not younger, together. It’s really the only way to go out with this town and putting the final chapter to it.”

In addition to giving those athletes a nice sendoff, Coach Alessi also felt that the Dream League provided an excellent opportunity for Branford’s returning players to get more experience and prepare for bigger roles with the high school team next year. Rising junior Isla Lionetti scored two goals for the Sting against North Haven. McClain Cassello, who is going into her senior year, also scored a goal in the win.

Alessi added that rising senior Jocelyn Smestad was one of the Sting’s leaders on defense during the Dream League season. Alessi was also pleased with how goalie Elena Galdenzi, a rising sophomore, performed while sharing time in net with O’Leary throughout the campaign.

“It just gave them the experience they needed. It’s hard to not play for so long. For some of them, this was their only chance to play,” Alessi said. “Missing a year is just a huge loss of maturation. Being able to play a year with the older girls and having the opportunity with some of these seniors can help them on the field and off the field with experience. It was a huge opportunity for them before they are thrown into a huge role next season.”

The Sting’s roster also featured Jennifer Antell, Nicola Colossale, and Alexandra Pombo, who are heading into their senior years of high school; along with Julia Duffy and Ava Brunner, who will be juniors; and Aurelia Keberle, Ava Ferrie, Molly Pombo, Jenny Spencer, and Nina Shamas, who are going to be sophomores.

Even though Coach Alessi was happy that the Sting posted a few victories in the Dream League, he was more concerned about giving the graduating seniors a fond farewell, while also evaluating the players who will be leading Branford girls’ lacrosse into the future. Whether they were savvy veterans or promising up-and-comers, Alessi feels the summer season gave everyone a greater appreciation of playing lacrosse, following the cancellation of the high school season.

“It made them appreciate the game a little bit more. It showed how much they really loved the game and how much they want to play it, not taking anything for granted. It drove them more mentally to a new level of play,” said Alessi, who is an assistant coach for high school team. “Hopefully, it carries over and they continue that drive in the offseason. Four years isn’t the longest, and it’s going to go fast. Hopefully, they make the most of every opportunity they get.”

As he reflects upon the season, Alessi said it means a lot that the Sting finished Dream League play in triumphant fashion and sent out all of their 2019 seniors as winners.

“We definitely wanted to win the last game for them. It got emotional,” Alessi said. “They definitely felt that kind of closure. It started to hit them a little bit that it was their last game, but they were appreciative that they even had that opportunity, that they had that last moment together.”