This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
10/31/2021 12:00 AMField Hockey
The Branford field hockey team split its last two matchups of the regular season before defeating Hand in an SCC quarterfinal game last week. The Hornets now stand with an overall record of 12-4-0-1 on the year.
In its first game of the week, Branford took a 2-0 road loss versus Wilton on Oct. 25. Senior goalie Nina Shamas made five saves for the Hornets in the game.
Two days later, the Hornets returned home to face North Branford and came away with a 1-0 victory. Junior Scout Engstrom scored the lone goal of the contest unassisted at the 7:30 mark of the fourth quarter.
Shamas made three saves in net to get the shutout. Head Coach Pete Frye said that seniors Julia McHenry, Katie Laska, Cat Brown, Olivia Salerno, Aba Brunner, and Lenora Longway played wonderful games for the Hornets, along with juniors Lauren Kendrick and Aryana Wilson.
Then on Oct. 30, No. 4 seed Branford hosted No. 5 Hand in the quarterfinal round of the SCC Tournament. The Hornets claimed a 2-1 win against the Tigers in the contest to advance into the semis.
With Branford down a goal, Longway tied the game when she scored on an assists from McHenry and junior Lauren McCarthy in the second quarter. Then in the third quarter, junior Scout Engstrom netted the Hornets’ second goal on an assist by Longway. Both of Branford’s goals came off of penalty corners.
Shamas made one save in goal for the Hornets, who were bolstered by standout performances from Kendrick and sophomores Reanna Sachs and Gianna Bozzi.
Branford played an SCC quarterfinal game at top-seeded Guilford on Nov. 1 (after press time). With a win, the Hornets would have faced the winner of No. 2 Cheshire and No. 3 Sacred Heart Academy in the SCC final on Nov. 3 (after press time).
Following SCCs, Branford is participating in the Class M State Tournament that begins on Monday, Nov. 8 and continues through the title game at Wethersfield High School on Saturday, Nov. 20.
Girls’ Soccer
The Branford girls’ soccer team finished its regular season with a tie versus Foran and then lost to Mercy in an SCC Tournament quarterfinal game last week. The Hornets now have a record of 10-4-3 on the year.
Branford hosted Foran for its regular-season finale on Oct. 25. The Hornets and the Lions battled to a 1-1 draw at Branford High School.
Then on Oct. 30, No. 5 seed Branford opened up the SCC Tournament by playing a first-round game against No. 4 seed Mercy at Xavier High School. The Hornets dropped a 1-0 decision versus the Tigers at Xavier High School.
Branford will be playing in the Class L State Tournament that begins on Saturday, Nov. 6 and runs through the championship game at Dillon Stadium in Hartford on either Saturday, Nov, 20 or Sunday, Nov. 21.
Boys’ Soccer
The Branford boys’ soccer team gained a split of its last two regular-season games to finish with a record of 4-10-2 for the year. The Hornets lost to Fairfield Prep and then defeated North Haven during the final week of their campaign.
On Oct. 25, Branford took a 3-0 road loss against Fairfield Prep at Fairfield University. Then on Oct. 27, the Hornets played a road game versus North Haven and claimed a 4-1 victory in their regular-season finale.