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06/29/2017 12:00 AMThe Branford girls’ lacrosse team won its first state championship in program history this spring, and junior Sophie Spencer was at the forefront of the Hornets’ attack throughout the season. In fact, Sophie recorded a ridiculous total of 90 goals on the year, including nine in the team’s Class M State Tournament semifinal win over East Lyme and six more when the Hornets beat Pomperaug to take the state crown.
In addition to Sophie’s natural ability, Branford Head Coach Jackie Ceccolini says that one of biggest reasons for her midfielder’s success is the fact that she’s a true student of her sport.
“Sophie is a critical part of our team. She is a midfielder, meaning she’s involved in every play and hardly comes off the field. The best thing about Sophie is the bigger the game, the better she plays. She thrives off competition,” says Ceccolini. “She’s a player that is always trying to learn the sport and often watches college lacrosse games. Lacrosse is a game where you can have an advantage if you have a great sense of the game. It’s something not easily taught, but she immerses herself in the game. Her knowledge inspires the players around her to want to be the same.”
Sophie’s smarts on the field allow her to constantly be in the right place at the right time, so she can score a ton of goals for the Hornets. The fact that she’s an avid lacrosse player who competes throughout the year is another pivotal factor in her offensive efficiency.
“It is my lacrosse IQ that helps. When I cut through the eight-meter box, I know when I should get the pass, and I know where my teammates want me to be. So many times during the season, we connected and it worked,” Sophie says. “It’s hard being a midfielder and having to run up and down the field. I love to watch college lacrosse games and that helps me. I also play year-around, so playing with a lot of other amazing girls helps me out, too.”
Sophie earned All-SCC and All-State distinction for her performance during the recent campaign. Both accolades mean a lot to Sophie, but she’s even more excited with the fact that she’s going to be a captain for next year’s team.
“I’m really honored. It’s always been my goal since I was a freshman. It is such an honor to be recognized as one of the best players in my conference and state,” she says. “I’m so excited to be captain. It’s always been something I wanted to be. I can’t wait to work with people in the preseason and during the season. I think it’s going to be hard, but I think I have leadership skills that will help me learn with [fellow captains Sabrina Torcellini and Autumn McHenry]. I think we’ll work together well, like we did this season.”
Sophie was actually a gymnast while growing up. Although she started playing lacrosse in the 3rd grade, she didn’t fully commit to the sport until she hit a growth spurt when she was in 8th grade.
“I got too tall for gymnastics, so I guess I was meant to play lacrosse,” says Sophie. “In 8th grade, I quit gymnastics to focus on lacrosse. That’s when I realized I was better at lacrosse and just liked it more. That’s where my friends were.”
When she isn’t on the lacrosse field, Sophie is a member of Branford’s girls’ cross country squad. She will also be a captain for that team in her upcoming senior year.
“When I was younger, my older brother did it, so I decided to join the team. It’s a really good way for me to keep in shape for lacrosse, and I made great friends, plus the coaches are awesome,” says Sophie, who ran for Branford at the conference and state meets last fall. “It’s really hard, but it’s a great sport to keep me motivated.”
Still, it should come as no surprise that Sophie’s life in sports will be on lacrosse field after she graduates from Branford. Sophie has already committed to Quinnipiac University. The recruiting process was a bit of a whirlwind for Sophie, but in the end, she’s happy that she’s going to be a part of a Division I program right in her own backyard.
“Last year, I was committed to Central Connecticut State University. I loved the coach and committed there, but she got the head coaching job at Quinnipiac and gave me the opportunity to de-commit from Central and commit to [Quinnipiac],” says Sophie. “I loved the school just as much and committed. I’m really excited to play there. I already met a lot of the girls I’ll be playing with, and I’m very excited to play at the next level.”