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10/19/2023 05:11 AMFor the Hand field hockey team in its 2023 campaign, it is business as usual with the Tigers off to another hot start. However, this hard-working bunch is anything but complacent and will not rest on any laurels until they attain the ultimate tangible target in a championship.
In 2022, Hand went 11-4-1 for the regular season, earning the 5th seed for the Class M State Tournament. There, the Tigers bested No. 12 Avon (3-0) in the first round and No. 4 Simsbury by a 3-2 decision in the quarterfinals, prior to a tough 1-0 loss to 9th-seeded Branford in the semis. Hand additionally reached the SCC Tournament semifinals to finish with an overall record of 14-6-1 for the campaign.
This season, the Tigers have picked up right where they left off by establishing themselves as one of the top title contenders for both SCC and state supremacy–racing out to a 11-0 mark and that includes a 9-0 record in games counting toward the league standings. Head Coach Sue Leckey explained that with that midseason resume, Hand is well on its way to fulfilling its desires, though the Tigers must stay grounded and focused, in addition to bettering themselves and taking in some entertainment and laughs along the way.
“The goals for the team are to qualify for SCC playoffs and compete for a title, as well as to qualify for states, and to stay in as long as possible,” said Leckey. “We are taking it all one game at a time, [while] playing hard together and supporting each other. We hope to focus on getting better every day, and we hope to have a lot of fun on our journey.”
Jordan Kells is one of two senior captains on Hand’s roster. A midfielder, Kells returned to the Tigers after being the squad’s leading scorer from the 2022 campaign en route to being an All-SCC and All-State Team selection. Countering her on attack as the other half of the captain equation is fellow classmate Jacqueline Kennedy—a three-year varsity veteran.
Rounding out the lineup of final-year players are goalkeeper Faith Minickene (joining Kells on the All-State club a year prior), along with Nicole Quain, Kelly Kilbourn (midfielders), and Katie Flanagan (at attack), and then bolstering Minickene on the defensive line are Becca Snyder (center defender), Mary Baker, and Norah Shea.
“Jordan Kells is arguably one of the best players in the state this fall,” said Leckey. “She is dynamic on the field and can create opportunities and finish in the circle. She is a great teammate, unselfish and motivational with her dedication and work ethic. Faith Minickene in goal has great instincts and can keep the Tigers in any game.”
Hand’s junior class is also right on par with its older teammates, featuring varsity competitors of defensive standouts Morgan Mastrobattisto, Nora Hughes, and Hannah Rich, along with Bridget Waters at the center of the midfield, plus forward Lucy White.
Claire Rickleman has emerged out of the sophomore portion of the roster as a starting defenseman, and then additional contributing sophomores include attackers Millie Gobleck, Maggie Lavin, Ellie Flynn, Scarlett Marino, and defender Lexi Guerette.
Within conference action, the Tigers await critical contests with the usual suspects in terms of title-contenders along the shoreline, plus non-league adversaries that will all serve as barometers to assess where Hand stands when it comes to withstanding the pressure of postseason play.
“Our key games this season are against the perennial powerful SCC teams—Branford, Guilford, and Cheshire—as well as two very strong out of league opponents in Glastonbury and Hall,” Leckey said. “The Tigers are off to a strong start with big wins over Glastonbury and Guilford. We have big challenges this week with Cheshire, Sacred Heart Academy, Branford and Hall all coming up soon. The SCC Tournament will be a fight, and the State Tournament has tough competition coming from the SCC as usual, but also East Lyme and New Canaan.”
Leckey has been at the helm for the Tigers since 2002 and, this season, she is joined by first-year varsity assistant coach Gigi Niekrash, JV Coach Kelly Scott (also in her inaugural campaign), and third-year Freshman Coach Sasha Gauley.
The 2023 Hand field hockey team’s roster is comprised of seniors Snyder, Kilbourn, Quain, Baker, Kells, Kennedy, Shea, Flanagan, and Minickene; juniors Waters, Mastrobattisto, White, Rich, and Hughes; sophomores Braelyn Frey, Brynn Poole, Ashley Fiorella, Flynn, Neila Paradiso, Gobleck, Guerette, Daisy Drought, Eva Rose, Marino, Claire Harriman, Rickelman, Grace Brown, Jane Barrett, and Lavin; and freshmen Avery Waters, Dillon Staak, Maria Hickey, Addison Shearer, Emma Malec, Rachel Lehman, Isabel Papuga, Makayla Perreault, Evelyn Lavigne, Maria Tinajero Clark, Peyton Palo Mack, Ella Bodner, Rachel McCartney, and Katelyn Woytowich.
2023 Hand Field Hockey Regular Season Results and Schedule
Sept. 8: Hand 6, Masuk 0
Sept. 11: Hand 8, Lyman Hall 0
Sept. 13: Hand 1, Guilford 0
Sept. 21: Hand 3, Amity 1
Sept. 23: Hand 1, Glastonbury 0
Sept. 26: Hand 7, Hamden 3
Sept. 29: Hand 7, Sheehan 1
Oct. 3: Hand 2, Shelton 0
Oct. 6: Hand 11, Mercy 0
Oct. 11: Hand 1, Cheshire 0
Oct. 13: Hand 1, Branford 0
Tuesday, Oct. 17: at Sacred Heart Academy at 4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 19: vs. Lauralton Hall at 6 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 20: vs. Hall at 6 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 23: at North Haven at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 25: vs. Cheshire at 6 p.m.