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10/12/2020 12:00 AMThe North Branford girls’ soccer team is still finding its footing this fall as the Thunderbirds search for their first win. This past week, North Branford dropped both of its contests by taking a 3-0 road loss against East Hampton on Oct. 6, followed by 5-0 home loss versus Haddam-Killingworth on Oct. 9. First-year Head Coach Doural Scott and his squad plan to keep working to learn the most effective game-plan going forward.
After spending two seasons as the freshman and JV girls’ soccer coach at Daniel Hand High School, Scott was hired on as North Branford’s new head coach this fall. Scott understands that building a program isn’t going to be a quick process.
“For what they have, I think they’re doing exceptionally well. With myself being an experienced player at a high level, I just tried to teach them the mental side of the game,” Scott said. “As far as everything else, they’re performing very well. You can’t build Rome in a day. Practice becomes permanent. They’re going to need some time to rehearse, so it sticks. But they’re doing very well for what they have.”
The 2020 edition of the T-Birds is being led by three captains in seniors Ashlee Amendola and Caty Dow, as well as sophomore Ava Candelora. Coach Scott said that Amendola and Dow are two versatile players who can play all over the field. Scott called Amendola his grittiest player and said that she will excel no matter where she plays. Scott added that Dow is a disruptive force on the defensive side of the ball. Both athletes are center midfielders with Dow focusing on defense and Amendola focusing on offense. Candelora is North Branford’s starting goalkeeper.
North Branford has 12 seniors on its roster. Coach Scott believes that by naming the sophomore Candelora as a captain now, it will allow her to bring leadership to the T-Birds for years to come.
“One of the best commanders on the team. It was a no-brainer that I should give her a captain’s armband,” said Scott of Candelora. “With the team needing help in the future, she is going to be stepping into the leadership role for the next two years.”
North Branford’s senior class also includes Julia Casella, Landon Melillo, Karina Jassil, Zoe Miller, Mallory Preiss, Adrianna Cacopardo, Carly Villano, Alessia Valentino, and Adrianna Lucibello.
The Thunderbirds opened their season by taking a 3-0 road loss against Cromwell on Oct. 2. North Branford then headed to East Hampton on Oct. 6 and took a 3-0 defeat. On Oct. 9, the Thunderbirds dropped a 5-0 decision to Haddam- Killingworth in a home game.
As North Branford looks to turn its season around, Coach Scott said the T-Birds will be focusing on passing and moving the ball forward during their practices. Scott added that the team’s players have been watching professional women’s soccer in order to get a better idea of how they should be managing each position.
“We have been working hard in practice,” Scott said. “We are going to keep rehearsing until it sticks, running it over and over, so it’s in their heads. We’ve been working on give-and-gos, lead passes, and making some runs.”
Despite the three defeats, Coach Scott has been impressed with the T-Birds’ defense. He said that opposing teams have had to work hard to score goals against his club. As North Branford gets ready for its next game, Scott is hoping that the Thunderbirds will continue putting forward a strong defensive effort, while continuing to grow on the offensive end.
“We have been playing very good defense. Teams are not scoring easy goals against us. They have to work for their goals,” said Scott. “I’m going to keep telling the defense to keep working hard and keep developing the offense. I am happy for what I see.”