My Beyond the Beat colleague, Sean Patrick Bowley, tweeted at me during the CPTV Sports Championship coverage on Saturday and said “you are in your glory.”
He was absolutely right. As you may or may not know, I played field hockey for Syracuse University, and simply love the game. While I had a successful playing career; there was something I never won: a high school state championship.
To me, getting to see the pure joy and overflowing pride, from both student athletes and coaches, was simply magic. And I know I wasn’t the only fan who felt it.
The CIAC Field Hockey “Championship Saturday” at Wethersfield High School evolved as the day progressed. Each of the three games seemed to be more thrilling than the last, but in every game, we took away the same message: “no individual is greater than the team.” Every newly crowned champion agreed. A strong, bonded team was the key to a title.
All day we saw underdogs prevail in their own right. For the first time in recent years, there was no defending champion in the title game for a chance at a repeat. Instead we saw a No. 7 seed, a No. 1 seed and a No. 6 seed take home the hardware. It was a day for the underdogs. It was a day where belief and effort would not be denied. The day was magic.
Class M Final: No. 1 Joel Barlow (17-1-1) and No. 7 New Canaan (15-3-1)
It was a brisk morning and fairly quiet at the venue for most of the game; the stands filled with proud families.
After depending on defense for much of the first half, New Canaan took control offensively at the sound of the second half whistle.
About five minutes into the half, New Canaan found the back of the cage. The sole goal of the match came from the stick of junior Camaren Dayton, on a deflected ball inside the circle.
Joel Barlow had some huge scoring opportunities down the stretch, including consecutive penalty corners in the final minutes, but the Rams defense stood strong.
It was the same strength this team exhibited throughout the entire season. New Canaan didn’t have its full starting line-up until the state tournament. Head Coach Erin Gildea relied on young players to step up at different points of the season. On the field after the game, players were screaming “we worked for this.” That hard work and ‘team-first’ mentality earned New Canaan the Title.
New Canaan 1, Joel Barlow 0
Class S Final: No. 1 Thomaston (17-1) and No. 3 Haddam-Killingworth (17-2).
The bottom line in this game: making the most of the opportunity.
This game was a thriller. The fans were loud and non-stop all game long. The action on the field was back and forth. Thomaston struck first, on a penalty stroke from Alexa Millius. The place erupted.
But, Haddam-Killingworth immediately marched down the field to even the score. After earning a penalty corner, H-K capitalized. Julia Kostek got the ball to Isabella Cosenza, who hit in the equalizer.
And then, in the second half, the game was fairly quiet. The ball was stuck in the midfield for the majority of the period, until captain Morgan Sanson fought to a loose ball with five to go.
The senior, who has already won three other state titles (2 in basketball, 1 in softball), broke past two defenders and entered the circle, pulling around the keeper and slipping the ball into the cage.
She said she wanted to make sure she could get a title in field hockey. Her game-winning goal ensured it. HK had no answer.
Thomaston celebrated the moment intimately with their fans. Numerous players on this team have several state championships, but this one was pretty special.
It was built on belief. It was the first field hockey title for Thomaston, and so this team marked history.
Thomaston 2, Haddam-Killingworth 1
Class L Final: No. 6 Wilton (15-4) and No. 5 Cheshire (14-2-2)
Wilton hit some serious traffic en route to the game, so the scheduled start was pushed back about 35 minutes, to allow for ample warm-up time. Cheshire had its warm up CD blasting on the loud speakers, and had been eagerly waiting to get started.
In fact, it’s fair to say most fans were antsy for the Class L title to get underway. I guess Wilton just didn’t want to see the season end so soon. After all, this game took more than regulation.
Wilton dominated possession from the opening whistle, but each team saw some scoring chances. Cheshire was dynamic defensively and saw a ton of pressure. Each squad held its own for 60 minutes, resulting into overtime.
In overtime, the importance of team is heightened. The game changes to a 7 vs. 7 format. And here, it comes to down to depth and guts. Wilton’s head coach Deidre Hynes-Ormond, expressed how much she trusted her players in this do-or-die situation and was confident with the depth and experience on her squad.
It showed. Senior Jillian Mahon scored after receiving a cross ball inside the circle. She was marked and had a keeper to beat, but was able to execute and lift Wilton to a Class L Title.
What ensued: Cow bells, joyous cheers and our final field rush of the day.
Wilton 1, Cheshire 0 (OT)
By Erika Wachter
Special contributor to CPTV Sports
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