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11/07/2020 11:00 PMField Hockey
The Branford field hockey team won its regular-season finale and then triumphed in the first round of the SCC Division A Tournament last week. The Hornets now have an overall record of 6-5 on the year.
Branford claimed a 3-2 victory at Lauralton Hall in its last game of the regular season on Nov. 5. Senior Andrea Amarante scored a goal off a penalty corner as time expired in regulation to win it for the Hornets. Sophomore Lauren Kendrick and junior Lenora Longway had the assists on the goal. Sophomore Scout Engstrom netted a pair of goals in the victory. Freshman Ellie Wieland had an assist on Engstrom’s second goal.
Junior goalie Nina Shamas made seven saves for Branford. Head Coach Pete Frye said the Hornets were also bolstered by great games from senior Alisa Gueco, sophomores Gianna Bozzi, Lauren McCarthy and Kendrick, and freshmen Reanna Sachs and Raiyn Fries.
On Nov. 7, Branford opened play in the SCC Division A Tournament by hosting Mercy for a first-round contest. The No. 4 seed Hornets posted a 2-0 shutout versus No. 5 seed Mercy to advance into the semifinal round.
Amarante scored Branford’s first goal on assists from junior Julia McHenry and Engstrom. Fries netted the Hornets’ second score with helpers coming from Amarante and Engstrom. Shamas made six saves for the Hornets, who received standout performances from Gueco, Kendrick, Longway, and sophomore Aryana Wilson.
Branford was scheduled to face No. 1 seed Cheshire in the semifinals of the SCC Division A Tournament on Nov. 9 (after press time). If the Hornets won, they advanced to the championship game on Nov. 11 (after press time).
Girls’ Cross Country
The Branford girls’ cross country team finished in third place when it competed at the Southern Connecticut Conference Division A Championship at East Shore Park in New Haven on Nov. 4. The SCC held four divisional meets for its girls’ cross country teams last week. In addition to crowning divisional winners, the SCC merged the performances from those meets to tabulate the team standings for the SCC Championship. The Hornets came in 15th place in the SCC standings.
Junior Isla Lionetti turned in Branford’s top showing by timing in with a mark of 23 minutes and 4 seconds for the 5K race. Lionetti finished in 10th place the SCC Division A Championship and placed 32nd for the SCC Championship.
Sophomore Hannah Jackson posted a time of 23:42 to finish 14th in the divisional meet and 49th in the conference meet. Junior Bella Finta ran a time of 25:37 to take 19th place in Division A and 79th place for the SCC overall.
Sophomore Taylor Tracy finished with a time of 28:59 to take 25th place in the divisional meet and 124th in the SCC standings. Senior Maddie Steinman ran a time of 31:15 to finish 30th for the SCC Division A Championship and 133rd in the SCC Championship.
Boys’ Soccer
The Branford boys’ soccer team was on the road to face Career-Hillhouse for its final game of the season on Nov. 3. The Hornets claimed a 4-2 victory at Bowen Field to finish with a record of 4-4-1 for the year.
Girls’ Soccer
The Branford girls’ soccer squad finished the regular season with mark of 5-3-2 after gaining a split of its final two games.
On Nov. 2, the Hornets played Career-Hillhouse at Bowen Field and won the game by the tally of 9-0. Then on Nov. 6, Branford took a 1-0 road loss versus Guilford.
Branford is the No. 3 seed in the SCC Division B Tournament. The Hornets were slated to face No. 2 seed Daniel Hand in a semifinal game on Nov. 11 (after press time). With a win, Branford would move on to the final on Friday, Nov. 13.
Girls’ Volleyball
The Branford girls’ volleyball team picked up its third win of the season when the Hornets defeated Daniel Hand on Nov. 3. The Hornets also took two recent defeats and finished the regular season at 3-8 overall.
Branford started off the week by losing a 3-1 decision to Sacred Heart Academy in a road match on Nov. 2. The very next day, the Hornets were back on the road to face Hand and claimed a 3-2 victory versus the Tigers. Branford finished its week by taking a 3-0 loss against Jonathan Law in another road tilt on Nov. 7.
The Hornets are the No. 5 seed in the SCC Division C Tournament and were scheduled to face No. 4 West Haven in the first round on Nov. 9 (after press time). With a win, Branford would have advanced to face top-seeded Guilford in the semifinals on Nov. 11 (after press time). The final is on Friday, Nov. 13.