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10/19/2020 12:00 AMField Hockey
The Branford field hockey team improved its record to 3-2 on the season after scoring a pair of home victories last week. The Hornets defeated Sheehan by a 4-1 final before netting a 3-1 win versus Mercy in last week’s action.
Branford opened up its week by posting a 4-1 win over Sheehan in a home game on Oct. 12. Sophomore Scout Engstrom scored two goals for the Hornets, while junior Lenora Longway had a goal to go with two assists.
Engstrom scored on an assist by Longway to give Branford a 1-0 lead in the first period. Freshman Raiyn Fries followed with a goal just 36 seconds later to make it 2-1 through one.
After Sheehan scored a goal in the second period, Branford came back with two goals in the third take a 4-1 advantage. Engstrom scored the first goal of the frame from Longway, who went on to net an unassisted goal that solidified the victory.
Junior goalie Nina Shamas made 14 saves for Branford, which outshot Sheehan by a 14-9 margin. Head Coach Pete Frye also credited junior Julia McHenry, sophomores Aryana Wilson and Lauren Kendrick, and freshman Reanna Sachs for playing great games to help Branford prevail.
On Oct. 15, Branford hosted Mercy and triumphed by a 3-1 final. Senior Andrew Amarante netted a pair of goals for the Hornets, including the game-winning score during the third period.
Mercy scored the first goal of the game in the first period, but Branford came back with a goal in the second to make it 1-1 at halftime. McHenry scored the goal for the Hornets on assists from Longway and sophomore Gianna Bozzi. Amarante gave Branford a 2-1 edge when she scored on an assist by Fries in the third period. Later in the frame, Amarante found the back of the cage on an Engstrom helper to make it 3-1.
Shamas made five saves in net for the Hornets, who outshot Mercy by a 21-6 differential. Coach Frye said that Kendrick, Bozzi, and junior Katie Laska all turned in standout performances in the game.
Girls’ Soccer
The Branford girls’ soccer team moved to 3-1 after defeating Wilbur Cross in its lone game of the week. Branford recorded a 6-0 shutout versus the Governors at Bowen Field in New Haven on Oct. 14. All three of the Hornets’ wins have come via shutout this year.
Sophomore Ava Ferrie scored Branford’s first two goals of the game against Cross with the second coming off of an assist by freshman Lucy Moran on a give-and-go. Junior Kendall Infantino made it 3-0 when she finished off a corner kick that was played in by Ferrie.
The Hornets saw three freshmen score goals during the second half. Tess Ferrie scored on an assist from Infantino; Brenna Murphy scored from Ava Ferrie; and then fellow freshman Emma O’Connor scored an unassisted goal for a 6-0 Branford advantage.
Junior Macey Girard got the start in goal and made one save for Branford. Sophomore Molly Pombo stepped into the net to play the final 15 minutes of the game.
During the previous week’s action, Branford took a 3-1 home loss to Daniel Hand on Oct. 6 and then claimed an 11-0 victory against Career-Hillhouse on the road. Ava Ferrie scored for the Hornets on a penalty kick in the Hand game. Ava Ferrie went on to score three goals in the win against Career-Hillhouse, while freshman Tess Ferrie netted a pair of goals for Head Coach Jen Kohut’s club.
Girls’ Volleyball
The Branford girls’ volleyball team hit the court to play a couple of matches last week. The Hornets took a loss to Guilford and then lost against North Haven to move to 1-2 on the season.
On Oct. 14, the Hornets hosted Guilford and lost a 3-0 decision at Branford High School. Two days later, Branford played a road match versus North Haven and was defeated by a 3-0 score.
Boys’ Cross Country
The Hornets’ boys’ cross country squad took a loss to Hamden in a recent road meet and now has a record of 1-4 on the season. On Oct. 14, Branford ran against the Green Dragons and lost a 20-35 decision at Hamden Middle School.
Junior Wes Raymond led the pack for Branford by taking third place with a time of 17 minutes and 42 seconds. Junior Cheng Wu finished sixth with a mark of 18:42, and junior Patrick Zdunek finished in seventh place at 18:45. Senior Brennan Hynes took ninth place with a time of 19:09, while freshman Sam Coppola placed 10th at 19:12 for Head Coach Kevin Connell’s team.
Girls’ Cross Country
The Branford girls’ cross country team returned to the trails for a road meet with Hamden on Oct. 14. The Hornets took a 20-35 defeat against the Green Dragons at Hamden Middle School to move to 2-3 on the year.
Sophomore Hannah Jackson took fourth place by running a time of 21 minutes and 57 seconds for the Hornets. Junior Bella Finta finished in fifth place with a time of 22:21, while senior Steph Toste placed seventh at 24:47. Sophomore Marina Smiarowski came in eighth place (24:59), and fellow sophomore Taylor Tracy finished 13th with a time of 27:17.