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North Haven Ties Hamden on Senior Night Season Opener

As the North Haven boys’ soccer team takes the field for the 2020 season, Head Coach Reid Chieffo and his athletes understand that there are still question marks facing fall sports this year. Due to the uncertainties surrounding the season, North Haven decided to hold Senior Night when it hosted Hamden for its opener, and ultimately came away with a 3-3 tie on Oct. 2.

North Haven’s senior class features nine players who are all starters. Forward Eduardo Cienfuegos de Paz and midfielder Justin Falasco are serving as North Haven’s captains. The team’s other seniors are forwards Kasey Mongillo and Luke Franco; defenders Raymond Lewis, Tyman McFadden, Tanner Powell, and Robert Vaughan; and goalkeepers Matt Casey and Rafe Lawless.

Coach Chieffo said that having a large senior class not only helps North Haven in terms of its experience on the field, but that it also helps having so many seniors who can show the younger players what they should be striving for.

“We played 16 players against Hamden. A lot of guys are getting in. For those players, being able to play with seniors that are all starters, it’s a great experience for the younger guys,” said Chieffo. “It’s really competitive. We’re trying to build a real competitive culture. Practice is where it starts. They have to earn their time. We put everybody’s position on a board and show the kids where they stand. It’s their opportunity to show they can play with these guys. The bar is set high.”

North Haven took a 2-1 lead into halftime when it faced Hamden. During the break, Coach Chieffo emphasized that it was important for North Haven to continue attacking offensively and keep creating opportunities with the ball.

“I wanted them to stay aggressive. It seemed like at the end of the half, we were getting a little tired. We weren’t controlling the ball as much, and you could see Hamden was pressing and picking up their intensity,” Coach Chieffo said. “The message was to go after them and score some goals. We can’t just pack it in and defend for 40 minutes. We just need to play smart and go after them.”

The two teams traded goals in the second half as North Haven took a 3-2 lead into the final minutes. Hamden netted the last goal late in the game, and the two sides settled for the 3-3 draw. Casey made 14 saves in net for North Haven.

Coach Chieffo was impressed with his team’s performance in earning a point with the tie. Hamden has fielded a strong team throughout the past few years, and Chieffo felt that the contest proved a good challenge to start the season.

“I was pleased. Hamden is a very good team and very consistent over the last couple of years. It was a good test,” said Chieffo. “We struggled playing with a lead. We’d get up, they’d come back. We’d get up, and they’d come back again. They had a little bit more of the possession. Learning to play with the lead is going to take some confidence, but we proved we can play with one of the better teams in the league. Overall, I’m very pleased. I’m hoping we can build on this. It’s a good start.”

Cienfuegos de Paz scored a pair of goals for North Haven versus Hamden. Mongillo had the other goal for Coach Chieffo’s club. Chieffo said that North Haven did a solid job of generating scoring chances and will continue working at how to finish those opportunities.

“Offensively, we were very dangerous on the counterattack. Lots of scoring opportunities, which is good to see,” Chieffo said. “We scored on our three shots. We had plenty of opportunities to build on a lead. Offensively, I’m happy overall. They seem to be excited with the formation we’re playing. It produced a lot of opportunities, which is all you can ask for. Now we just have to fine-tune it and capitalize on those opportunities.”

With the first game in the books, Coach Chieffo said that it felt great to be back at the field again. North Haven has games against Cheshire, West Haven, and Whitney Tech on the schedule this week. Chieffo said that his team will look to build off of the Hamden game and come out stronger in its next contest.

“I know the guys have a lot to play for this year, and they’re really looking forward to it,” said Chieffo. “We have some things to work on offensively and defensively, but we have shown that we can play with the best.”