This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
05/26/2016 12:00 AMCarolyn Caminear helped Branford girls’ lacrosse have a solid season last spring by scoring 20 goals for a team that won 10 games. This year, Carolyn and company are raising both the stats and the stakes as she’s netted 52 goals while guiding Branford to a 14-2 record. The Hornets have knocked off some perennial heavyweights along the way and are bringing a boatload of momentum, plus some elevated expectations, into the postseason.
“This is my senior year and I’m glad knowing that I can leave with one of the best seasons we’ve had,” says Carolyn, a senior captain attacker. “I hope this can inspire girls to come to the high school and understand that we’re not just mediocre. We’ve set the bar higher and that’s great for the future of lacrosse in Branford. The team is finally trying to achieve more instead of just being OK with half wins and half losses. Now, we want to be a winning team.”
Carolyn, who was Branford’s Most Improved Player last year, says that one of the biggest reasons behind the team’s success is its tight-knit chemistry. She likes how her Hornets are an unselfish club with athletes who know the right time to either strike the net or dish it to a teammate for the score. Of course, Carolyn if often going for the goal as one of Branford’s attackers and Head Coach Jackie Ceccolini says she has all the tools to baffle opposing goalies.
“Carolyn is a quiet assassin on the field,” says Ceccolini. “She has stepped up huge for us this year. She is extremely fast and has the quickest release shot I have ever seen. Carolyn has been extremely successful finding the back of the net this season.”
Coach Ceccolini adds that Carolyn is “an exceptional student-athlete” who “leads by example by her play on the field.” Carolyn has had the opportunity to lead two Branford teams as a senior captain. She captained the girls’ soccer squad last fall and is now reprising that role in lacrosse. Carolyn isn’t the type of captain who screams and shouts. Instead, she enjoys connecting with her teammates by offering encouragement.
“I was definitely excited to find out I was a captain for both sports. I’m not the most outgoing person and tend to be quiet, so it was a new experience to come out of my comfort zone, but it was really good for me to have to express myself and speak up,” Carolyn says. “One of the biggest things I’ve learned from being a captain is to always be positive, whether you’re winning or losing. A good attitude is what makes a team better and keep getting better.”
Girls’ soccer coach Jen Kohut says that Carolyn led her squad by “always giving 100 percent” and appreciates how she’d set up teammates for goals by playing the ball to them from her outside-midfielder position. Carolyn earned All-Oronoque honors and was named Branford’s Best Offensive Player in her senior season. As a sophomore, she started in the SCC and Class L championship games. For her freshman campaign, Carolyn was in uniform when Branford beat Shelton to win the SCC title. All of these achievements mean the world to Carolyn, who’s been a fixture on the soccer field from the age of 4.
“All-Oronoque was very sentimental to me, especially since I’ve been playing soccer almost my entire life. It was a goal my senior year to get it and I was really excited,” she says. “Definitely, the championships that I got to be part of and starting those games was a great experience. To start out as a freshman on JV and work my way to varsity shows that I put in the work instead of it just being handed to me. I earned it and to start in the SCC and state championships my sophomore year is one of the memories I’ll always remember.”
Carolyn has also been a competitive Irish step dancer since she was five and goes to the Lenihan School of Irish Dance. She’s twice competed with her team at the Irish Dancing World Championships and has also competed both with her team and individually at the regional and national championships. For her senior project at Branford, Carolyn choreographed a routine for one of her teammates at the school.
When her senior year comes to a close, Carolyn will get ready to head off to the University of Vermont, where she’ll study either environmental science or biology. No matter how far she travels from Branford, Carolyn will always cherish the thrill of playing for her hometown Hornets.
“I love playing sports in high school and the whole team aspect is awesome. I love getting together with my friends and being out there at practice every day,” Carolyn says. “One of my favorite experiences is playing on our home field. I’ll never love a turf like our one at Branford, especially with how our student section gets excited when they come to support us. I just really enjoy it. That’s what I’ll miss the most about high school.”