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11/14/2020 11:00 PMRegina Sullivan was unsure of exactly what to expect entering her first season as head coach of the Guilford girls’ soccer team, but still had great expectations for a club that had claimed conference and state titles in 2019. While there was no State Tournament this year, Guilford reinforced the fact that it’s one of the top squads in its conference by winning the SCC Division B Tournament.
On Nov. 13, top-seeded Guilford set its sights on another title when it faced No. 3 seed Branford in the championship game of the SCC Division B tourney at Kavanaugh Field. After the two sides played scoreless soccer through 80 minutes of regulation, senior captain Moira Kellaher netted the game-winning goal when she scored off an assist from sophomore Arianna Tomassi 4:15 into the overtime period, giving Guilford a 1-0 victory versus the Hornets.
The win marked the seventh time that Guilford has won an SCC postseason title. Coach Sullivan’s club finished the year with an overall record of 8-1-3.
“I think it was a really good game,” said Sullivan. “At the end of the day, I think both teams had a lot of chances in regulation, but we really started to find our groove in the second half. We maintained possession well, and we missed a lot of chances in regulation.”
After alternating between senior goalkeepers Olivia Ste. Marie and Julia Rubbo throughout the season, Coach Sullivan gave Ste. Marie the start against Branford and stuck with her for the entirety of the game. The decision worked out as Ste. Marie made six saves for the shutout, but Sullivan credited both goalies for how well they each played in net all year.
“They’ve each played in every game this season. Olivia started the game against Branford, and she played very well in the first half, so we decided to stick with her the whole game,” Sullivan said. “Both keepers were great all season, and both girls deserve all the credit for getting us to the title game.”
Guilford had a bye through the first round of the SCC Division B Tournament and then started off the draw by hosting No. 4 seed East Haven for a semifinal contest on Nov. 11. Guilford had recently played East Haven to a 1-1 in a regular-season game, but with everything on the line in SCCs, Coach Sullivan’s club posted a 4-0 shutout over the Yellowjackets.
Senior forward Sophia Gabriel scored three goals for Guilford in the victory, while sophomore midfielder Kat Baseggio also scored a goal. Ste. Marie and Rubbo shared the goalkeeping duties, making four and two saves, respectively.
“We played really well in that game against East Haven,” said Sullivan. “We capitalized on most of our opportunities and played strong in the back, limiting their chances on offense.”
Above all, Coach Sullivan said that she was most pleased about how well her team performed while dealing with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic in her first season. With so many uncertainties throughout the year, Sullivan was happy that her players got to experience a season and then make the most of that opportunity.
“I’m absolutely thrilled for the girls. Coming off a state championship and dealing with COVID, these girls set goals without really knowing what kind of season they were going to have, if any. But they met all of their expectations,” said Sullivan. “They wanted to win the league, and they wanted to win the SCC Tournament, and they did both. They also wanted states, but we weren’t able to have that, unfortunately.”
Guilford is going to graduate 10 seniors from this year’s team, including both goalies, Kellaher, and fellow captains Taylor Gambardella and Lexie Greene. Even though her team will be losing many key athletes, Sullivan is already looking forward to getting back to work on the heels of another historic season.
“I’m very excited for next season,” Sullivan said. “It’s been an absolute positive and thrilling experience in my first year with the team. We have so many talented athletes. We don’t need to rebuild. We just need to reload. We are really excited for the future. Hopefully, we will be back to some form of normalcy by next season.”
Guilford’s roster includes senior captains Taylor Gambardella, Moira Kellaher, and Lexie Greene; along with fellow seniors Julia Rubbo, Olivia Ste. Marie, Sophia Gabriel, Kelsey Lynch, Sophie Watrous, Rachael Amatruda, and Sarah Jennings; juniors Olivia McMahon, Amelia Rattet, Brenna Fissell, Taylor Farace, Abby Moore, and Gabby Sansone; and sophomores Evelina Rini, Kat Baseggio, and Arianna Tomassi.