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09/03/2021 12:00 AMBy the end of last season, 7 of the 11 starters on the Branford field hockey team were underclass athletes. Now, with a roster featuring a bunch of savvy veterans, Head Coach Pete Frye thinks the Hornets are primed to shine and ready to prove just how talented they really are in 2021.
Coach Frye marveled at the difference that a year of experience can make. Frye feels eager to begin the season, and the Hornets will get it started when they host Staples at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11.
“It’s amazing how things can change, even in one year. Girls that were sophomores with very little experience under their belts are now leading the team,” said Frye. “In my four years, I’ve never had a team with numbers in our junior and senior classes. It’s my first year having a much more traditional team. I’m really enthused.”
Branford finished the 2020 campaign with a record of 6-6. The Hornets earned a 2-0 win over Mercy in the first round of the SCC Division A Tournament before taking a 3-1 loss to Cheshire in the semifinals.
This season, the Hornets are being led by three senior captains in midfielders Lenora Longway and Julia McHenry, along with goalie Nina Shamas. Longway and Shamas both made the All-SCC Division A Team last season, and Shamas also earned All-State First Team honors for Branford. Coach Frye said that all three captains bring something different to the field and are doing a solid job as Branford’s leaders.
“They have done such a good job so far. I don’t even know if they realize it, but they’re definitely more mature than you would really assume a high school senior would be,” Frye said. “They have directed the team and directed them appropriately. Nina and Lenora are vocal leaders. Julia is a lead-by-example kind of leader. Together, they’re all a really nice group.”
On offense, Coach Frye expects Branford to lean on junior Scout Engstrom, who was an All-SCC Division A and All-State First Team honoree last season. Frye is planning on moving McHenry, Longway, and junior Lauren Kendrick up from the midfield and on to the attack. Kendrick made the All-SCC Division A Team for the Hornets in 2020. Coach Frye added that sophomore Mia d’Amuri, who saw ample playing time as a freshman, will round out the Hornets’ top-five attackers.
“We’ve played one scrimmage so far, and I’m pretty enthused,” said Frye. “We scored a fair amount of goals and had a bunch of very nice passing sequences. The attack group should be really strong.”
Sophomore Ellie Wieland, another player who saw varsity time as a freshman, is Branford’s starting center midfielder. Flanking Wieland will be senior Katie Laska and junior Aryana Wilson. Laska and Wilson both have plenty of varsity experience, and Coach Frye said that they have thrived as defensive midfielders during their time in the program.
Defensively, the Hornets will be relying on juniors Gianna Bozzi and Lauren McCarthy this fall. Bozzi has been a varsity contributor for the past few years, while McCarthy came on at the end of the 2020 season. Frye complimented both players for their athletic abilities and communication skills on the field.
Coach Frye feels that it’s advantageous to have an All-State goalie like Shamas in the net. Frye said that Shamas is always directing the Hornets’ defense and is capable of saving them from any messy situations.
“Having a good goalie is such a luxury, especially when your goalie is a leader on the team,” Frye said. “Your goalie is the one that calls out the defense. She could see everything. She can clean up and erase a lot of mistakes. It’s such a luxury to have a player who is playing at her level.”
Branford’s senior class also features Ava Brunner, Catalina Brown, and Olivia Salerno. Brown and Brunner play defense, and Salerno plays on offense. Coach Frye is looking for all three seniors to be spark plugs whenever they enter the game.
The same can be said for the sophomore trio of Iva Sekerovic, Reanna Sachs, and Allison McCarthy. Sekerovic and McCarthy are forwards, while Sachs patrols the midfield for the Hornets. Frye said that each member of the trio has impressed in their short time with the program and that he expects all three to gain more playing time as the season unfolds.
Frye is entering his fourth year as Branford’s head coach. Prior to his time with the Hornets, he was the head coach of field hockey at Walsh Intermediate School. Between both roles, Frye has coached numerous athletes on this year’s roster for several years. Heading into this season, Frye said that his players have already proven that they can handle more responsibility and a more complex practice regimen.
“Some of these kids I’ve had for multiple years. It was obvious that they were ready to assume more responsibility. We hit the ground running this year,” said Frye. “We know how to play. We know what these skills are. It’s now the time to improve the speed in which we attack. Things you would cover in the second half of the year, we’re covering now, which is great.”
Branford’s season-opener against Staples is one of a few non-conference games that they Hornets will play on top of their SCC schedule this season. While his team will have to face plenty of tough opponents, Coach Frye said that the Hornets are determined to demonstrate that they belong among the best teams in the Connecticut.
“We’re playing the hardest schedule in the state. The SCC is a meat grinder. Our out-of-conference opponents lost three total games last year, but I have trust in this group,” Frye said. “This is where we need to be. We want to make the State Tournament and see where we go from there. We can compete with any team this year.”
The Branford field hockey team’s roster features senior captains Lenora Longway, Julia McHenry, and Nina Shamas; seniors Ava Brunner, Katie Laska, Catalina Brown, and Olivia Salerno; juniors Lauren McCarthy, Lauren Kendrick, Aryanna Wilson, Gianna Bonanno, Scout Engstrom, Gabriella Morotti, and Gianna Bozzi; sophomores Allison McCarthy, Sophia Taranto, Iva Sekerovic, Rachel Esposito, Lauren Thompson, Mia d’Amuri, Ellie Wieland, Isabella Kelly, Mariah Fazzino, Reanna Sachs, and Julia Bozzi; and freshmen Eliza Burgess, Randee Chobian, Sydney Dahl, Cheyenne Wilson, and Thalia Zweeres.
2021 Branford Field Hockey Schedule
Home games at Branford High School
Saturday, Sept. 11: vs. Staples at 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 14: at Lauralton Hall at 4 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 17: vs. Sacred Heart Academy at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 21: at Hamden at 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 23: at Cheshire at 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 28: at vs. Hand at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 30: at Sheehan at 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 2: Newtown at 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 5: at North Haven at North Haven Middle School at 4 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 9: vs. Shelton at 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 12: vs. Amity at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 16: vs. Lyman Hall at 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 19: vs. Mercy at 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 22: at Guilford at 3:45 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 25: at Wilton at 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 27: vs. North Branford at 5 p.m.