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11/13/2021 11:00 PMWith only 17 players and three seniors on its roster, the North Haven girls’ soccer team had to change the way that it prepared for each game this season. North Haven’s extra preparation ultimately turned out to be a strength that helped the team win its first two games in the Class L State Tournament to reach the quarterfinals.
North Haven earned wins versus Bullard Havens (7-1) and Ledyard (3-1) in the opening rounds of states to advance to the quarterfinal round. North Haven was eliminated from the tournament with a 3-0 loss to Waterford on Nov. 12.
As the No. 21-ranked team, North Haven knocked off two higher seeds in order to reach the Class L quarters. After playing a grueling SCC schedule during the regular season, Coach Collins felt confident that his squad was ready for states.
“We went in with some confidence. We went in with a good mindset. We had a good week of practice,” Collins said. “We worked really hard to get to this point. We played some tough teams coming out of the SCC. We were battle-tested.”
North Haven was on the road to face No. 12 seed Bullard Havens in the first round of the Class L tourney on Nov. 8. North Haven came away with a 7-1 victory in the game, led by three goals from senior captain Ada Forbes, two scores by junior Lily Coish, and one goal apiece from sophomore Rebecca Ford and freshman Andrea August.
Coish had two assists for North Haven, while Ford and junior captain Giavanna Damone each had one assist. Senior goalie Annalise Moulis made three saves in net.
“Once the game started, we took control quickly. We didn’t want to do anything over the top,” said Collins. “It was a comfortable win for us. It helped us get prepared for the second-round game.”
In round two, North Haven hit the road again to take on No. 5 seed Ledyard on Nov. 10. Ledyard got on the board first, but North Haven responded by scoring three unanswered goals, all from the foot of Forbes, to claim a 3-1 victory. Coish had more two assists to help North Haven prevail. Moulis stopped five shots in goal.
“It was all preparation. We did a lot of work preparing. We worked on the offensive side of the game,” Collins said. “We went down a goal, which is what I expected in games like that. We wanted to sustain the pressure and figure out where we could beat them. It was a high-intensity game. They weren’t aware of what we had.”
North Haven’s run in the Class L State Tournament ended when the team took a 3-0 loss at No. 4 seed Waterford in the quarterfinals. North Haven finished its season with an overall record of 9-10.
With a smaller roster, most of North Haven’s practices took place on just one half of the field this year, since the team wasn’t able to put together full scrimmages or work on true game-type environments. However, what initially seemed like a curse turned out to be blessing as Coach Collins’s club was able to focus on improving its defense and creating better offensive attacks. Following a 3-0 home win over West Haven on Oct. 1, North Haven started to see just how good of a team it could be this season. North Haven wound up qualifying for states by earing a 9-0 victory versus Career-Hillhouse in its regular-season finale.
“With 17 players, most of the stuff you have to do is on a half field. It helped us prepare better to set defense and how to attack in the final third. We had to use our imagination in terms of game-type situations,” Collins said. “I knew we could have pulled off at least seven wins. After West Haven, things changed a little. We started to see the opportunity we were creating. We realized we could make states.”
When Collins became North Haven’s head coach, the team’s current seniors were sophomores. Collins remembers watching Forbes and realizing that she had the potential to become one of the best offensive weapons in the SCC. With hard work and determination, Forbes was able to do just that, as the senior forward finished her North Haven career with 56 total goals and secured a spot on this year’s All-SCC First Team. Coish and freshman Hannah Bernardo both garnered All-SCC Second Team honors for North Haven.
North Haven’s two other seniors were the team’s goalkeepers, Moulis and Sophia Chagnon, who each saw starting time throughout the year. Coach Collins said that both goalies are hardworking players who wanted to get better every day and filled the netminder’s role with aplomb.
Holding the 21st seed, North Haven was little under the radar as the team opened play in states. With a relaxed attitude on the pitch, North Haven was able to prove the doubters wrong and go on a run that gives the program some momentum heading into next year.
“They didn’t take themselves seriously. It allowed them to relax and play without pressure. They had fun with it. They had fun at practice,” said Collins. “Even against Waterford, we knew we were playing a tough team, but we didn’t add extra pressure. No one expected us to be there. We stuck with the routine and had some fun with it. It’s a great legacy for them. Most teams don’t get this opportunity.”
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 Juliana DiMartino, Anna Mortali, Rebecca Ford, Cameron Ryan, and Molly Marottolo; and freshmen Andrea August, Hannah Bernardo, Olivia Coish, and Alison Palmieri.