Criscuolo Earns Desire and Dedication Award for T-Birds’ Girls’ Soccer
Sarah Criscuolo has worked hard and accomplished a lot a member of North Branford’s girls’ soccer, indoor track, and outdoor track squads. One of Sarah’s biggest achievements came with the soccer team following the recent fall season, when she was presented with the Desire and Dedication Award for the Shoreline Conference champion Thunderbirds.
“I was really honored and a little surprised, because it’s really awesome to finally receive feedback that your team feels that you were a leader,” says Sarah. “All the girls believed I worked hard during the season and was dedicated to the sport. My goal was to show the underclassmen and even the juniors how hard work and dedication pays off. Even if you’re not an All-Shoreline or All-State player, you can still love the game and play hard. It shows off.”
Sarah played the right back position for North Branford this fall. She proved a key cog of an exceptional defensive unit that displayed seamless chemistry on its way to posting 12 shutouts, while allowing just eight goals all year.
“The back four, or five if you count [goalie Allie Augur], started working together the beginning of my junior year. We’ve gotten to know how each other plays. Morgan Violette plays next to me, and we have our communication down. If I step up, she covers, and I cover her when she steps up. At times, the four of us didn’t have to communicate, because it was second nature to us,” Sarah says. “It was definitely comforting to have those three other girls on my line. It was very cohesive and all felt natural.”
Sarah has played defense throughout her soccer career, starting in North Branford’s youth program. Her previous experience on the back line helped Sarah become an effective defender at the high school level.
“I think my biggest skill would be that I really don’t give up on the ball, which is important on defense,” says Sarah. “The last thing you want is for them to get a shot on goal. You have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Head Coach Pat Kozloski was impressed with how Sarah progressed from her freshman year through her senior season. He adds that Sarah wasn’t timid when it came to speaking up as a senior captain.
“She did the little things correctly and was able to start as a junior and senior. Going through [playing JV for her first two years] made her appreciate playing and kept her working on her game and asking questions,” Kozloski says. “I think that rubbed off and was definitely a benefit for us. She was a tough player and certainly a vocal leader being a senior captain.”
Sarah loved holding her leadership role for the T-Birds and says that winning the Shoreline title was a great way to cap off her career with the team.
“Being captain for this team definitely made me become even more of a leader on and off the field. It made me a more positive person on the field, and positivity goes a long way. When everyone is freaking out, you need to keep a sense of calmness among your team,” she says. “Winning the Shoreline Conference was affirming what we were able to do. We worked for it and deserved it.”
Sarah competes in the sprinting events for North Branford’s indoor and outdoor track squads. For indoor, she does the 55, the 4x200 relay, and the 4x400 relay. As a member of the outdoor squad, Sarah runs the 100 and the 200, along with the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
“Coach Pat recommends soccer players take up indoor track, which is a reason I considered doing it in the first place,” says Sarah. “I’m really happy I decided to do it, because it opened up opportunities as an individual, in addition to being a part of a team. It gets you to explore yourself and gives you the confidence to find out who you are as an athlete.”
Sarah has come a long way as a soccer player throughout her time at North Branford. She extends great gratitude to Coach Kozloski and her teammates for helping her realize her potential.
“A big part of my soccer career has been the team I played on. A lot of the girls I played with since I was young and on the travel team with the town helped me be successful as a player and the team as a whole,” Sarah says. “Coach Pat from beginning to now is more open to communication and understanding the girls, and that has helped us succeed.”