Printer Friendly Version - Thunderbirds Grew Together to Produce a Solid Season

Senior captain Braeden LeBeau and the North Branford girls’ lacrosse team put together another solid season that featured 14 victories during the spring of 2022. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound Photo courtesy of Kelley Fryer

Senior captain Marissa Raffone helped lead the North Branford girls’ lacrosse squad to an overall record of 14-6 and a fourth-straight appearance in the Shoreline Conference final this year. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound Photo courtesy of Kelley Fryer

Sophomore Keana Criscuolo earned All-Shoreline Conference and All-State First Team honors on behalf of the T-Birds’ girls’ lacrosse team for the 2022 campaign. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound Photo courtesy of Kelley Fryer

Ashley Manning came away from her junior season with the Thunderbirds having garnered All-Shoreline and All-State Second Team accolades on behalf of North Branford. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound Photo courtesy of Kelley Fryer

Senior Grace Marra finished off her career with the North Branford girls’ lacrosse team by receiving a couple of nice distinctions, one of which was the T-Birds Gamechanger Award. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound Photo courtesy of Kelley Fryer

The North Branford girls’ lacrosse team entered this year having several key contributors and then had to deal with numerous injuries throughout the season. However, as the T-Birds battled together, they came together as a team and put together the latest in a line of strong seasons for the North Branford girls’ lacrosse program.

The Thunderbirds finished their year with an overall record of 14-6, completing the regular season with a mark of 12-4. Senior captain Braeden LeBeau said that North Branford was focused on building off of its recent success during the early part of the season. The T-Birds were coming off of a campaign that saw them claim their third-straight conference title. LeBeau said that this year’s team knew it had potential and was prepared to show strong of a squad it could be.

Unfortunately for North Branford, the team was hit by a wave of injuries during the regular season, oftentimes seeing a good portion of its starting lineup sidelined. Despite all the road blocks, LeBeau said that the regular season allowed the T-Birds to grow together as a team and provided an opportunity for multiple athletes to step up.

“During the regular season, we were battling a lot of short-term and long-term injuries. At one point, we had seven or eight of our starters injured,” LeBeau said. “There was a lot of struggle, but everyone stepped up. It’s not about who scores the goal. It’s about scoring and playing together.”

LeBeau felt that North Branford showed its true potential when the team posted a 20-13 win at Valley Regional in its second regular-season matchup against the Warriors. The T-Birds then faced Valley for a third time in the semifinals of the Shoreline Conference Tournament and came away with a 16-13 victory. North Branford went on to take a 14-12 loss to Old Saybrook in the Shoreline Conference final.

North Branford then entered the Class S State Tournament as the No. 7 seed. The T-Birds notched an 11-10 win against No. 10 seed Tolland in the first round of the state draw before taking a 15-13 defeat against Old Saybrook in a quarterfinal contest.

LeBeau said that the Thunderbirds weren’t sure what to expect as they headed into the playoffs. In the end, the T-Birds put their best effort into every game and worked together to pick up a victory in both postseason tournaments.

“The first game of Shorelines against Valley was a really big game for us. We rallied together,” said LeBeau. “Even though we lost in the Shoreline championship, it was a great team effort. Everyone really played their hardest. With what we started with, there was so much growth from every player.”

In their first game of the year, the T-Birds were still trying to figure out the right combination for success. Numerous players were asked to step up, predominantly on the defensive side of the field. LeBeau, who played low attack and took the draw, was happy to see that everyone was up for the task and willing to do whatever it took to help North Branford succeed this spring.

“The first game, no one really had a set position. There was a lot of movement on the defense and in a couple attack spots. We were trying to see what worked,” LeBeau said. “As we played more games together, a lot of the girls were able to step up in some of the positions our coaches were putting them in. A lot was asked of the defense and goalies, and they stepped up big-time towards the end of the season.”

This year, LeBeau served as a senior captain for North Branford alongside fellow seniors Olivia Toto, Marissa Raffone, and Saoirse Burke. The T-Birds’ senior class also featured Skylar Treichel, Mia Oliverio, Grace Marra, Samantha Helwig, and Lexi Marcarelli.

LeBeau and Raffone were both named to the All-Shoreline Conference First Team alongside sophomore Keana Criscuolo. Marra and junior Ashley Manning secured spots on the All-Shoreline Conference Second Team. Oliverio earned All-Shoreline Conference Honorable Mention. LeBeau and Criscuolo were each selected to the All-State First Team on behalf of North Branford. Raffone and Manning were All-State Second Team honorees.

All four of North Branford’s senior captains received team awards at the end of the season. LeBeau was honored as the Thunderbirds’ Most Valuable Player, Burke was named the Most Defensive Player, Raffone was named the Most Aggressive Player, and Toto won the Desire and Dedication Award.

Oliverio was named the team’s Most Improved Player for this season, while Treichel won the Most Improved Player Award for her entire career. Marra received the T-Bird Gamechanger Award, and fellow senior Helwig was named the Most Coachable Player. Criscuolo won the Most Offensive Player Award, while junior goalie Ava Candelora was named the Rookie of the Year for Head Coach Lori Connelly’s squad.

Each player’s accomplishments showed just how deep and talented of a roster North Branford had this season. However, even with all of their accolades, LeBeau believes that the T-Birds’ biggest strength was their ability to put the team first. North Branford succeeded as its players turned their individual accolades into team achievements.

“We knew that everyone’s accomplishments were for the success of the team. We were just happy to win as a team. There was no focus on who scored the most goals. It was always a team effort,” said LeBeau. “We were always happy and proud to be a part of the team. It led to our success. All the girls bought into the camaraderie and knew that we had to be one unit.”

LeBeau has been a member of the North Branford girls’ lacrosse team since her freshman year. As she looks back at her four years with the Thunderbirds, LeBeau feels proud to have competed in a program that’s dedicated to producing quality lacrosse players.

“Our coaches and teammates expect a lot from each other, but we know that we’re capable of doing great things,” LeBeau said. “Even coming in as a freshman, you’re getting pushed really hard. It’s all about growth and improving your skills in the game.”

The North Branford girls’ lacrosse team’s varsity roster for the 2022 season featured senior captains Saoirse Burke, Braeden LeBeau, Olivia Toto and Marissa Raffone; seniors Skylar Treichel, Mia Oliverio, Grace Marra, Samantha Helwig, and Lexi Marcarelli; juniors Ava Candelora, Ally Farrell, Mea Riordan, Ashley Manning, Natalya Guerrero, Victoria McDermott, Mia Park, and Gianna Palma; sophomores Morgan Lucibello, Sophia Toto, Gianna Gamble, Mikella O’Brien, Kate Vaspasiano, Tea Ferrucci, Keana Criscuolo, and Callie Holzer; and freshmen Alivia Schmidt, Riley Cole, and Samantha Ferraro.