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North Haven Putting the Pieces Together on the Pitch

With only 18 players in the program, the North Haven girls’ soccer team is focused on fundamentals and finding the right system in the 2021 season. As his team gets ready for its first game, Head Coach Gary Collins feels confident that North Haven can make a run to the State Tournament if his players continue to grow as they have been during the early goings.

“We have very low numbers. We have no JV team. Players have an opportunity to showcase themselves in a small setting. We had a good offseason,” said Collins. “Right now, we’re just figuring out what’s the best system and style they should adapt to to make the season more successful. We’re focusing on what’s going to work best for us as a team.”

Last year, North Haven finished with a record of 1-6 and saw several games get canceled due to quarantine. North Haven begins the 2021 campaign with a home game against Lyman Hall on Friday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.

North Haven will be led by senior captain Ada Forbes and junior captain Giavanna Damone, who play forward and midfielder, respectively, this season. Last year, Damone earned All-SCC Division A honors for North Haven. Coach Collins said that both captains have gained the trust of their teammates and are two players who everyone on the club looks up to.

“Giavanna played through a hip injury last year. She never complained about it. The players looked at that as a strong point. She’s a strong kid,” Collins said. “Ada is the same thing. She brings hard work. They both look after their teammates and have them play the right way. They push their teammates through difficulties. They were both good choices.”

With Forbes primed to provide offense, Coach Collins will be looking for junior Lily Coish to step up on the attack for North Haven. Collins said that Forbes and Coish are the two most seasoned attackers on the team and put in a lot of work during the offseason.

Sophomore Rebecca Ford will be moving to the attack after playing midfielder last fall. Freshman Olivia Coish will be asked to fill in on offense, while fellow freshman Andrea August has been impressive in practice and could see more playing time as the season unfolds.

Damone is returning to her starting midfield spot for North Haven. Sophomore Cameron Ryan is also in the midfielder’s mix. Coach Collins said that he is still looking to find the best combination for his team at that position.

“We have one more scrimmage to find the right mix, the right pairing in the midfield. We’re going to have to figure out who is the best fit and who is going to get us going forward, who can make good decisions offensively and defensively. We need a balance,” said Collins. “We have solid players with technical skills. It’s just about them highlighting their talents.”

On the defensive side of the ball, junior Ilana Blumenthal is slated to be an essential defender for North Haven this year. Freshman Hannah Bernardo will also play a key role on defense. Blumenthal and Bernardo both patrol the middle of the defense, and Coach Collins said they are playing well off of each other and communicating effectively at practice.

Juniors Juliana DiMartino and Samantha Adams, sophomore Molly Marottolo, and freshman Alison Palmieri are all expected to take on larger roles on defense throughout the season.

North Haven’s has three goalies on its roster in seniors Sophia Chagnon and Annalise Moulis, as well as sophomore Erika Fronte. All three keepers have been rotating thus far, and Coach Collins has been pleased with the efforts of each member of the trio.

From the veterans to the newcomers, Collins has been focusing on the fundamentals with his players during the preseason. With a relatively young team, Collins wanted to concentrate on North Haven’s strengths, instead of overwhelming anyone too quickly. While North Haven may have a small roster, Coach Collins is using that as a way to spend more time working on each individual’s game.

“We’re doing basic fundamental training with this group. We have freshmen that know the game pretty well. It’s just a matter of bringing them to the next level,” Collins said. “We don’t want to overwhelm them with a lot of high tactical work. We do what is in their strengths. When you have a small group of players, you can spend a lot of time correcting mistakes.”

Coach Collins said that his athletes are buying into the team-first culture that he’s trying to build at North Haven. If his players continue to put in the work, Collins believes that the team can have a successful year in 2021.

“We want to be really competitive. We have a good shot of getting to states,” said Collins. “Once we get that game-shape fitness down, we can do a lot of good things. We can do a lot of good things and be competitive with a lot of teams. I think we can have a winning record and get ourselves into states again.”

The North Haven girls’ soccer team’s roster features senior captain Ada Forbes; seniors Sophia Chagnon and Annalise Moulis; junior captain Giavanna Damone; juniors Samantha Adams, Ilana Blumenthal, Lily Coish, and Aisling Pretty; sophomores Erika Fronte, Juliana DiMartino, Rebecca Ford, Anna Mortali, Cameron Ryan, and Molly Marottolo; and freshmen Andrea August, Hannah Bernardo, Olivia Coish, and Alison Palmieri.