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10/23/2021 12:00 AMThe Morgan girls’ soccer team has yet to lose a game in the 2021 fall campaign. The Huskies are sporting an unblemished record of 9-0-6 with just one contest left in the regular season, after which they will participate in both Shorelines and states.
Morgan continued its stellar season by notching a pair of ties in last week’s action. The Huskies earned a 1-1 tie versus Haddam-Killingworth and then played Old Saybrook to a scoreless draw to stay undefeated.
Head Coach Steve Sullivan said that one of the keys to Morgan’s success is the performance of its defense and senior goalkeeper Angelina Comiskey. The Huskies have only yielded six goals all season, while outscoring their opponents by a 38-6 margin.
“We’ve been very competitive in all our games this year. We’ve also been banged up and playing through a lot of injuries, so I give these girls credit for working hard every day and persevering through the pain,” Coach Sullivan said. “I credit our backline for being so consistent all season long for us. They’ve kept us in every single game, and we wouldn’t be where we are without them.”
Two of those defenders are senior captains Jessica Flanagan and Julia Tanner, who serve as the metaphoric glue of the team. Senior Natalia Comiskey and junior Emily Smith also making key contributions on defense. Senior Cailin Steahle is providing the Huskies’ back line with added support off the bench.
“They’re all physically strong with great speed, but the key to them is how they work as a unit and communicate so well,” said Sullivan. “I’ve had many coaches mention how dominant they are in the air.”
Morgan started off last week by playing H-K to a 1-1 draw in a road game on Oct. 18. Junior Eve Gardner scored the Huskies’ goal on an assist from senior captain midfielder Taylor Maher in the eighth minute of the game. Morgan held on to its lead until the Cougars tied the score with a goal in the 57th minute. Comiskey made eight saves for the Huskies, who outshot H-K 15-9.
“Taylor made nice move in the midfield and split a ball through the defenders, which gave Eve a clear shot on net. Eve ended up tucking the ball away in the back of the net and that was a good start to the game,” Coach Sullivan said of Morgan’s goal. “H-K ended up scoring early in the second half on a ball that was bouncing around the box from a corner kick. Sometimes that happens. We just couldn’t clear it out.”
Three days later, Morgan had a road game versus Old Saybrook and battled the Rams to a 0-0 tie. Comiskey stopped all six shots that she faced in goal.
“We ended up outshooting Old Saybrook 10-6, but we just couldn’t find the back of the net in this game. I think we generated our opportunities effectively on offense, so I was pleased with the overall outcome,” said Sullivan. “We’ve been very fortunate to score a lot of goals this year. There are games that we are going to come up a little short, but we can’t hang our head on that.”
Sullivan is in his fifth season as head coach of the Morgan girls’ soccer program. Sullivan believes that this year’s team is among the best he’s ever coached at the high school level.
“This team is right up there with some of the best teams I’ve coached at Morgan,” Sullivan said. “We have the potential to go a long way in the Shoreline Conference Tournament and State Tournament. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish.”
Morgan’s roster for the 2021 season features senior captains Taylor Maher, Jessica Flanagan, and Julia Tanner; along with fellow seniors Cailin Steahle, Natalia Comiskey, and Angelina Comiskey. The juniors on the squad are Caeley Ayer, Logan Pernal, Eve Gardner, Katelyn Martin, Kim Cordova, and Emily Smith.
The Huskies’ sophomore class includes Madelyn Sacta, Samantha Way, Glenda Zhiminaicela, Chloe Jackson, Maeve Madura, Emely Andino, Katerine Toledo, Lillian Tanner, Mia Digiandomenico, and Lilliana Torres. Morgan’s freshman class features Gabriella Navarra, Lilliana Luciani, Paige Monty, Ashlee Brown, Melanie Pugo, Jocelyn Roman, Rachel Spaziano, Olivia Ruotolo, and Liliana Novicki.
Morgan’s assistant coaches are Jessica Choronzy, Bill Lindsay, and Fred Franzoni. Coach Sullivan said that he feels extremely fortunate to have three tremendous coaches helping out the Huskies this season.
“They’re invaluable to what we accomplish here and have helped me out a lot along the way,” said Sullivan. “We all see different parts of the game, and that’s part of what has made us so successful here at Morgan.”