This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

North Haven Scores Two Big Wins in Playoff Chase

After winning both of its games last week, the North Haven field hockey team enters the final week of its regular season just one win away from qualifying for the Class M State Tournament. As her squad prepared for its last two contests, Head Coach Kim Bouffard said that North Haven needs to keep adhering to its game-plan of effective communication and proper positioning on the field.

North Haven claimed victory in each of its recent two matchups to improve its record to 4-7-2-1 this year. North Haven is facing Hand and Shelton in its last two regular-season games this week.

North Haven started off last week by earning a 3-1 victory at Sheehan on Oct. 19. Sophomore Catherine Bianchi scored two goals for North Haven, while senior captain Noelle Carmody had a goal with an assist in the win. Sophomore Sydney Pitcher also had an assist for North Haven, which saw sophomore Nola Coyle make 15 saves to get the shutout in net.

Coach Bouffard said that Coyle made a few huge saves at the end of the first half to help North Haven preserve its lead.

“What we have been practicing all week, they executed the game-plan. What we needed to do, where we wanted the ball—everybody contributed offensively and defensively,” Bouffard said. “The goalie made a game-saving save at the end of the second quarter. A one-on-one, she made a beautiful save. It changed the game in our favor. If Sheehan scored, we could have been in trouble.”

North Haven followed up its win versus Sheehan by notching a 1-0 home victory over Mercy on Senior Night on Oct. 21. The game stayed scoreless until there was just three minutes remaining, when Carmody scored the lone goal of the day on an assist from Bianchi. Coyle stopped 12 shots in goal for another shutout.

“It was a great team win. We are trying to fight for a spot in the SCC and states. Every win right now is critical. They know that. To have that on our Senior Night was great,” said Coach Bouffard. “They really executed this week’s practice plan. I couldn’t be more proud. They came up big and were able to hold them for the last three minutes. They played picture perfect.”

North Haven’s senior captains are Carmody, a forward; Juliana DeAngelo, who plays midfielder; and Shea Saracino, who has missed the entire season due to an injury. Coach Bouffard said that all three captains are great leaders who serve as an extension of the coaching staff. Bouffard added that each member of the trio has done a tremendous job of guiding the younger athletes on the team.

North Haven’s senior class also features Hayly Caruso, Erin Johns, Ellie Kerzner, Emma Kircaldie, and Grace Santamauro. While many of the seniors hadn’t played on the varsity level prior to this season, Coach Bouffard said that every member of the class has been instrumental in terms of forming the team’s strong chemistry.

“Most of our seniors didn’t have a lot of varsity experience. It was an inexperienced senior class,” Bouffard said. “They had great team chemistry. That plays a role. Everybody rooted for each other whether they were subbed in or not. They have been a great bunch of girls to work with. They have really stepped up in helping the younger players.”

Aside from seniors, Coach Bouffard has also been impressed with the play of sophomores Bianchi, Pitcher, and Nola. Bianchi is one of North Haven’s top scorers, while Pitcher makes crucial contributions on both offense and defense as a key sub for the club. Bouffard added that Nola is an athletic goalie who is playing a huge role for North Haven in her first year as a starting keeper. Overall, Bouffard said that North Haven’s future looks incredibly bright.

As her team closes out the regular season, Coach Bouffard said that North Haven will continue focusing on its communication and positioning, just like it did in last week’s victories. With a playoff spot up for grabs, Bouffard knows that North Haven needs to continue succeeding in those areas in order to punch its postseason ticket.

“They really communicated well, calling out passes, knowing where their teammate was. We really focused on positioning this week. They knew where they needed to be. They knew where the ball was going and how to get there,” said Bouffard. “We focused on positioning and communicating, and they really excelled. We were passing with a purpose.”

The North Haven field hockey team’s roster features senior captains Noelle Carmody, Juliana DeAngelo, and Shea Saracino; seniors Hayly Caruso, Erin Johns, Ellie Kerzner, Emma Kircaldie, and Grace Santamauro; juniors Madison Bowes, Emma Colella, Mollu Lillis, Summer Mastriano, Aurora Mazzanti, Hailey Rollier, Morgan Senberg, Jessica Van Oss, and Abigail Wydra; sophomores Catherine Bianchi, Ava Chagnon, Nola Coyle, Samantha Ide, Grace Martin, Sydney Pitcher, Isabella Russo, and Ava Salzano; and freshmen Ava Balisciano, Abigail Colella, Clare Cullagh, Libby D’Angelo, Regan Dower, Emily Ludovico, Molly Martin, Ellie Perrotti, Maya Redman, Emma Sola, Katherine Sola, and Kendall Washington.