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06/06/2021 12:00 AMThe North Branford girls’ lacrosse team entered the 2021 season with only a few players who had any varsity experience. Instead of that inexperience being a burden, the Thunderbirds were blessed to have a talented crop of new faces who guided the club to its third-straight Shoreline Conference title.
After earning a 16-2 win versus Morgan in the semifinal round, No. 2 seed North Branford squared off against top-seeded Old Saybrook in the championship game of the Shoreline Conference Tournament at the Indian River Complex in Clinton on May 27. Old Saybrook was undefeated coming into the game and had earned two wins versus North Branford during the regular season. However, with the league title on the line, North Branford claimed a 9-3 victory over Old Saybrook in the final to achieve the Shoreline Conference three-peat.
Head Coach Lori Connelly knew that the T-Birds would need to continue playing as a cohesive team in order to beat Old Saybrook in round three. Connelly’s hopes were realized as North Branford defeated the Rams when it mattered most.
“The message all season has been together, unity, and that one player is not going to win it for us. We all have to play our game and work together,” Coach Connelly said. “We knew they had beaten us twice during the regular season, and we wanted to go out and show them we could win. They wanted to go out and prove themselves. They were really pumped. It gave us a bump of motivation.”
The Thunderbirds jumped out to a 6-2 halftime advantage over Old Saybrook. Coach Connelly said that North Branford executed its new zone defense to perfection during the first half, allowing for greater levels of chemistry on the field.
“We play a zone defense and, like they have all season, they were on fire. Everybody was in tune with each other and had a chemistry they never had before,” said Connelly. “I was a little worried going into halftime—with the seven-minute break—if they’ll be able to come out and recapture that. They were all positive and kept their heads high. We would rather win and be exhausted than have energy and lose.”
North Branford went on to outscore Old Saybrook 3-1 in the second half to get the 9-3 victory and win Shoreline Conference title for the third year in a row. Senior Zoe Miller scored three goals for the T-Birds in the win. Senior captain Gabrielle Gibilisco scored two goals, while juniors Braedan LeBeau and Olivia Toto both had a goal with two assists. Junior Marissa Raffone and freshman Keana Criscuolo added one goal apiece for the T-Birds, who were bolstered by 14 saves in net from senior captain goalkeeper Sofia Votto.
“We’ve won it in the past, but every year is different. It’s a different group of kids. We were super excited and happy. If you asked me when we started what the season would hold, we truly didn’t know what to expect,” Connelly said. “This group never let us down. They started to believe in each other. They never slowed down. They were really excited.”
The Thunderbirds outscored Morgan and Old Saybrook by a combined total of 25-5 in their two Shoreline Tournament contests. Coach Connelly was impressed by Votto’s performance in goal, along her team’s defense as a whole, throughout North Branford’s championship run.
“Sofia was a driving force for us all year. She came in focused, but from high D to low D, it was an entire team effort,” said Connelly. “They controlled the game, they limited their shots. When the defense let up, Sofia was there to back them up. Other times, they didn’t even let shots get off. It was an entire defensive effort. Everybody contributed and played their best.”
Votto, Gibilisco, and defenders Karina Jassil and Briana D’Onofrio served North Branford’s captains this season. Connelly said that all four athletes brought their own forms of leadership to the T-Birds and proved crucial to the team’s success.
Gibilisco, LeBeau, and Toto were only three returning players who had any varsity experience coming into the year, and Toto was the only returning starter. Coach Connelly felt proud of her team for overcoming that obstacle and said that the T-Birds had a roster full of selfless players who accepted their roles and shined in them.
Following the Shoreline Conference Tournament, North Branford entered the Class S State Tournament as the No. 5 seed and hosted No. 12 Weston for a first-round game on June 1. The T-Birds took a 14-10 loss against Weston to finish with an overall record of 15-4 on the campaign.
Connelly has been with the North Branford girls’ lacrosse program for the last 18 years and has served as the head coach for the past 17 years. As she reflects upon what the T-Birds achieved this season, Connelly said that she will always remember this team for its willingness to adapt and its refusal to give up.
“They were coachable. They worked hard. And even when we worked hard, when it was time to be fun and silly, we were fun and silly. They didn’t feel the pressure. They went out and gave everything they had,” Connelly said. “They improved every game and were my first group who actually bought into the zone defense. They lost a season of lacrosse, but they came out and never looked back. I’m really proud of them.”
The North Branford girls’ lacrosse team’s roster includes senior captains Sofia Votto, Karina Jassil, Briana D’Onofrio, and Gabrielle Gibilisco; seniors Leigha Sullivan, Zoe Miller, Zoe Hughes, Madelyn Humphrey, and Landon Mellilo; juniors Olivia Toto, Saoirse Burke, Braeden LeBeau, Lexi Maracelli, Mia Oliverio, Skylar Treichel, Marissa Raffone, Grace Marra, and Samatha Helwig; sophomores Ally Farrell, Mea Riordan, Gianna Palma, Ashley Manning, Paulynna Sim, Natalya Guerrero, Victoria McDermott, and Mia Park; and freshmen Sophia Toto, Mikella O’Brien, and Keana Criscuolo.