Sports Highlights 2013

Sports Highlights January 31, 2013

Sports Highlights

two

the cheshire herald, JaNUarY 31, 2013

Sports Highlights

Seniors Lead Girls’ Soccer To Top Of Housy Again

allen Paul/cheshire herald

Goalkeeper Natalie Reynolds (right) leaps up to swat the ball away. last fall brought closure for cheshire girls’ soccer. the lady rams said goodbye to six seniors and head coach andrew ashworth, who resigned after his second season. “i enjoyed working with the girls, including the seniors. the program will miss those six girls,” said ashworth.

Before this turnover, chs reclaimed their eighth housatonic division title (6-0-2; 12-4-2 overall) in the last 10 years. Both of their ties (0-0; 2-2) came against shelton, the rival who ended their four-year reign in 2011. “it was a goal at the beginning of the season,” stated ashworth. in the regular season, cheshire dropped just two games (1-0, 5-2), both against hamden. While sweeping the first two games with daniel hand, chs (second seed) lost 2-1 in the southern connecticut Conference quarterfinals. The lady rams received the seventh seed for the class ll tournament, falling 1-0 against New Milford in the first round. “it’s nice winning a championship, but we wanted to go further in the (post-season) tourna-

ments,” reflected Ashworth. hosting games on the turf at alumni Field allowed cheshire to showcase their speed. in her second season as a starter, sophomore alexandra Pelletier used her quickness to net a team-leading 17 goals. she added seven assists.

Pelletier and classmate Kathleen castrilli (four goals, assist) both netted their first hat tricks in an 11-0 shutout of lyman hall. an all-class ll/all-housatonic choice, Pelletier was team MVP and became the first player since 2005 to receive all-New england. she joined senior Kelsie carlette as New Haven Register all-area. “ali (Pelletier) is an excellent player,” said ashworth. “her athleticism carries her to places that most people can’t get to. i know she’ll continue to work hard.” carlette (all-housatonic; seven goals) and fellow captain Jenna hart (four goals, two assists), along with classmates Nicole stauffer (all-housatonic; eight goals), lauren como (four goals), claudia Martinez (goal, two assists), and juniors lily dolyak (two goals, team-best

10 assists) and leah chamberlin (two goals and assists apiece) were upperclassmen at forward and mid-field. Como, Carlette, and stauffer each had four assists. carlette, who played with her second anterior cruciate ligament injury in the 2011 post-season, rehabbed for her fourth year as a starter. she moved from forward to mid-field, teaming with Hart.

“Kelsie has been nothing but a great person to be around. she showed great character through adversity,” explained ashworth. “everybody respected Jenna, as well. she will be a big loss.” stauffer got off to a fast start offensively, adding her first hat trick against Wilbur cross (6-0).

Unfortunately, in the first meeting with lyman hall, stauffer went down with an injury. At first thought to be a season-ending setback, she received a positive second opinion and returned after missing four games. “it was good to get Nicole back,” added ashworth. “she is capable of scoring goals from anywhere. it was a shame that the injury limited her mobility at the end of the season.”

Starting for the first time at mid-field, Dolyak joined Stauffer as new members of the all-housatonic team. “i’m disappointed that i won’t be around to work with lily next year,” stated ashworth. “she has great technical ability with the ball. i was delighted with the way she responded after riding the bench as a sophomore.” ashworth feels classmate ally lamberti, the left defensive back, will be a great captain with dolyak next year. i always found ally to be a delightful girl,” said ashworth. “she will have a great season next year.” chamberlin, castrilli, Martinez, and sophomore Victoria schoenwald (assist) supplied

Jim Brandolini/cheshire herald

Senior Kelsie Carlette battles for the ball on Senior Night. points off the bench. como, who started the previous two years as a defensive back, was shifted into the mid-field for her final season. She scored her first goal off of a header.

“We tried to build a position for her in the mid-field,” said Ashworth. “then for states, we put her back on defense.” the defense gave up just 16 goals. For the majority of the season, senior lizzie Jentzen and lamberti teamed with sophomores Kacey conlon and hannah Perez (two goals, assist). Jentzen, a three-year starter, was defensive Player of the Year. “lizzie just worked hard and showed great effort,” stated ashworth. “she was very consistent.”

Perez missed her freshman year to acl surgery, but didn’t waste time making an impact in the 2012 season. her versatility was displayed in the second meeting with host hand. Perez moved up the field to score her first two goals and also defended in the 3-1 road victory. “hannah was a constant on the bench when she was injured. then, she became the player

we all thought she could be as a sophomore. she was pleasant and well-rounded,” explained ashworth. “Kacey (conlon) wants to play even if she was injured. she was a big reason why we defended as well as we did.”

When lamberti was ill, classmate erin albrecht substituted for her. sophomore alicia Gray also contributed to the backfield. “i thought the defense played well together,” ashworth said. the unit was dealt a blow when junior goalkeeper Natalie reynolds (six shutouts) was injured during the rematch with shelton.

Gray replaced her and didn’t allow a goal in the second half. “it was one of the turning points of the season,” recalled ashworth. “You could sense there was disappointment from Natalie’s injury.” reynolds didn’t return to the lineup, so the staff asked sophomore carolyn Giusti to transition from forward into a goalkeeper. she had two shutouts, receiving the smitty award. “carolyn did amazingly well, considering she isn’t a goalkeeper,” said ashworth.

CONGRATS TO THE CHS GIRLS’ SOCCER PROGRAM! eight-time housatonic division champions Good wishes to seniors Kelsie carlette, Jenna hart, lauren como, lizzie Jentzen, claudia Martinez, and Nicole stauffer. the girls are in great hands with new captains, juniors lily dolyak and ally lamberti!

the cheshire herald, JANUARY 31, 2013

Three

Sports Highlights

Tennis Teams Face Similar Turnover

Last spring, Scott Matthews became CHS girls’ tennis head coach. This year, it is the boys’ team that is transitioning to new leadership.

Chris Pappas is excited to build on the success of retired coach Jim Matthews, who compiled a 256-53 record in 15 seasons. His boys won three state team titles (1997-98, 2002), nine Housatonic Division crowns, and 12 state championships in doubles.

“His accomplishments are unbelievable,” explained Pappas, of Jim Matthews. “I can’t compare myself to what he has done. He got Cheshire to a better place than when he came into it. He set a level of excellence.”

Pappas actually coached CHS girls from 1997-2003.

“I left when I graduated law school from Quinnipiac,” reflected Pappas. “I still worked as a tennis pro at North Haven Health & Racket Club.”

His 2013 team will be minus six graduates. Tanner Barros, Usama

Choudhry, and Jeff Lee started alongside captains Tyler Hajjar, Drew Henderson (Cheshire Kiwanis Sportsmanship Award), and Brad Mahar (Most Improved).

The cupboard still isn’t bare by any means. Senior Bryan Adams, who will play at Bucknell University (Lewisburg, Pa.), and junior Jeremy Reichentahl return in the top singles spots. Both were 2012 All-SCC Division I. “Jim always placed a lot of responsibility in his captains,” stated Pappas. “I think that will make the transition easier.”

A captain with classmate Blake Wetmore, Adams (All-State/ MVP) has compiled a 30-3 record in his first three years. He has started every year at number one.

Adams won his first 22 matches last year, 25 dating back to 2011, before falling in three sets to Amity freshman Jason Seidman in the Class LL semifinals. In four meetings with Seidman, Adams is 3-1.

“He has obviously accom-

Cheshire girls’ golf has senior experience on their side in 2013.

Four of five starters are back for what the girls hope is a sixth straight State Open berth.

“I’m hoping we all gel and have a good year,” stated Head Coach John Williams. “I’d like to also fit some other girls into matches to prepare for next season when these girls graduate.”

Cheshire is coming off a 13-6 season in which they took third in the Southern Connecticut Girls’ Golf League regular season (93) and fourth (408) in the annual tournament hosted by Hawk’s Landing in Southington.

Their stroke differential (64.47) qualified for the State Open. Seniors Andra Frappier (seventh, 86), Emily Larkin (108), Meg Robles (109), Maggie Kulpa (112), along with graduated captain Elizabeth Beaudoin (119), combined to earn 13th place (415) at Orange Hills Country Club.

Beaudoin, who received the Cheshire Junior Women’s Club Leadership Award, is the only

player not back this season.

“We wouldn’t have done it without Maggie Kulpa. She decided to come out the first time last year and posted some great scores for us,” reflected Williams, of his Rookie of the Year.

Frappier, who returns as captain with Larkin, is preparing to finish the strongest career in CHS history. She has played number one since joining the program.

Frappier is a three-time All-State/ All-SCGGL honoree/New England qualifier and two-time SCGGL Champion.

Frappier secured medalist status in eight of 14 matches last season. She plans to sign with Fairleigh Dickinson University (Teaneck, N.J.) later this year.

“Andra has been a great leader,” said Williams. “Her chipping is very good. Putting is where she wants to improve, so she can try to win the state championship.”

Larkin, the number two player and two-year starter, joined Frappier in last year’s Dennis GuiSee GIRLS, page 9

Senior Golfers Ready For Last Ride

Cover Identification

Cover photos, in descending order are junior Michelle Federico (field hockey), senior captain Tiffany Wang (swimming), and junior Anthony Carbone (#8; football). Photos by Allen Paul and Jim Brandolini. Stories by Greg Lederer.

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Allen Paul/Cheshire Herald

Bryan Adams (above) makes contact with his racket. At right, Anna Toscano follows through on her swing. plished a lot in his first three years,” said Pappas.

Reichentahl, also a starter since his freshman year, went 14-5 in 2012. Hajjar, Barros, and Lee vacate singles positions.

Senior Casey Barry and junior Nick Anthony are returning starters in doubles. Barry has played the last two years at number one, teaming with Mahar last spring.

Anthony played with Lee and Choudhry in the second spot.

“The boys’ game is different than the girls because you have two doubles teams instead of three in the lineup,” explained Pappas. “They all play hard.”

Wetmore battled injuries last

season, but classmate Andrew Carroll stepped up when given matches. Sophomores also saw action. Jack Ajello and Abdullah Choudhry, along with Ricardo Valentin and David Light, had chemistry in doubles. Reilly Eldredge competed in singles.

The Rams went 16-3 last year and reached the SCC final where they lost 4-3 against Amity. All of the matches between the rivals were decided by a point.

“I’m can’t wait to get started this year,” Pappas said.

CHS girls lost an identical six starters to graduation. Alex Hirt, Taylor Strange, Erica Larson, and Katie Seggerman had been three-

Tracey Harrington/Cheshire Herald

year starters.

Senior captains Meredith Bryden, Lindsey Garibaldi, and Anna Toscano are the most experienced players left over.

“It is a big change, but it just means we have to work harder to keep our reputation in Connecticut,” said Garibaldi. “We trained together in the summer and right now in the winter to get ready.”

Cheshire seeks a return to the SCC and Class L Tournaments.

See LADY, page 9

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the cheshire herald, JANUARY 31, 2013

Four

Sports Highlights

Girls’ Swim, Dive Wins Back SCC Under Mascolo There is a saying that legacy never dies. With a coaching change for the first time in the program’s 37 years, the 2012 Cheshire girls’ swim and dive team more than lived up to stellar teams from the past.

Dan Mascolo, who succeeded retired head coach Ed Aston, led Cheshire to a 9-1 record and the school’s 18th Southern Connecticut Conference Championship (1,314 points). They finished second in Class LL (555) and seventh within the State Open (199).

“I thought it was a great experience,” said Mascolo. “The girls did a great job battling all year long and got to see great times.

They finished where I hoped at the start of the season.”

Mascolo entered the program with the advantage of having already coached the majority of girls growing up in the Cheshire YMCA Sea Dog Swim Club.

“It made me more like a returning coach than a new one,” explained Mascolo, who still coaches the Sea Dogs. “There was only a handful of kids who I had to get a feel for.”

Cheshire started fast by winning the first nine meets, setting up a clash of unbeaten teams in Orange. For the second straight year, Amity defeated visiting CHS (96-88).

“The dual meet season is fun and exciting, but we put the emphasis on the end of the season,” Mascolo said.

Cheshire had conceded the SCC regular season title for the second straight year, but they gained redemption in the title meet at Southern Connecticut State University. Unlike the 2011 final when their rival ended Cheshire’s 17-year reign, they unseated Amity (1,037.5) to regain their familiar top spot.

“That (SCC) meet was great,” reflected Mascolo. “The girls swam faster than we thought they would.”

Senior Taylor Deubel (100yard breaststroke, 1:08.2) and sophomore Sara Barlok (100yard backstroke, 59.91) claimed their first SCC individual crowns, adding another gold medal with their 200-yard medley squad (sophomore Lindsay Smalec, senior Jenna Cannata; 1:51.16).

Barlok also led off for the 200yard freestyle team (Cannata, senior Maegan McGee, sophomore Ellie Senft; 1:44.24) that took runner-up. Smalec also secured second in the 200-yard individual medley (IM; 2:14.7) and 100yard butterfly (1:00.42). Barlok and Smalec shared New Haven Register All-Area with Deubel.

“Lindsay and Sara are both hard workers who set a strong example for their teammates,” stated Mascolo. The sophomore class definitely has depth to it.”

Numbers were key again this fall. Senior Molly Condron (AllSCC; third, 1:01.68) and junior Laura Mongillo (fifth, 1:02.15)

followed Barlok’s SCC backstroke victory. Junior Denise Costello (200-yards, fourth, 2:00.68) and Cannata (50-yards, sixth, 25.69; 100-yards, fifth, 56.17) were top freestyle scorers.

“It is always good when you can have three or four strong swimmers in an event,” explained Mascolo. “They got better by working off each other.”

That depth helped Cheshire overtake Amity (517) again at Class LL. Deubel led the way with a runner-up finish in breaststroke (1:06.04) and another best time in the 200-yard IM (seventh, 2:12.79). She claimed bronze with the 200-yard medley team (third, 1:50.55).

Due to mononucleosis, she watched the 2011 meet from the stands at Wesleyan University.

“Taylor was putting up times that she had never seen before.

She wanted to make the most of her senior year,” said Mascolo.

Smalec joined Deubel as AllClass LL in the 200-yard IM (2:11.1). She also went under a minute to secure fifth in butterfly (58.89).

“Lindsay and Laura (Mongillo) gave us versatility,” added Mascolo.

Cheshire collected more sixth places from Cannata (50-yard freestyle, 24.83; 100-yard freestyle, 53.8) and Condron (backstroke, 1:00.61), along with the 200- (1:41.53) and 400-yard (senior Tiffany Wang, McGee,

Photos by Allen Paul/Cheshire Herald

Jenna Cannata (above) was voted team MVP as a senior. Below, sophomore Lindsay Smalec pushes forward in the butterfly.

Costello, Smalec; 3:42.99) freestyle squads. Mascolo felt Class LL was Cannata’s best meet ever.

“She had a great freshman year, but didn’t hit those times as a sophomore or junior,” said Mascolo. “She blew away her best times this year. Jenna would be nearly passed out by the end of practice because of the hard work she put in.”

Teammates took notice by voting Cannata as their MVP. Wang, McGee, Barlok, Senft, and freshman Lauren Pasinski joined her as top sprinters. McGee returned from a year hiatus to compete among eight seniors.

“I was very impressed by my seniors in and out of the pool, especially my captains (Cannata, Condron, Wang),” stated Mascolo. “What blew me away was that there was no drama this year.”

Senft was awarded Most Improved while her senior sister Maggie received the Cheshire Junior Women’s Club Leadership Award and Record Journal Scholar Athlete.

“Ellie worked so hard for her breakthrough,” stated Mascolo.

Ellie Senft was among 10 girls qualifying for the State Open at

Yale University. Deubel, who will swim at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., contributed to the team’s sixth places in breaststroke (1:07.71) and 200-yard medley relay (1:51.26).

Cannata (Bryant UniversitySmithfield, R.I.) and Condron also plan to compete at the collegiate level.

The diving team started the year with a new coach (Patty Conte), along with no seniors or freshmen. Sophomore Erin Mostoller reached the SCC (seventh, 263.35) and Class LL (ninth, 297.4) levels again. When a State Open spot opened up, she made her first appearance there and placed 23rd (264.95).

“I don’t think she thought about the State Open when the season started, so it was great to see her realize her potential,” explained Mascolo.

Junior diver Theresa Cashore was 13th (223.9) in the SCC. “Patty raised the bar for our divers and did an outstanding job,” said Mascolo.

Cheshire will return next year under the captainship of Costello, Mongillo, and classmate Alison Sklanka.

GIRLS SWIM AND DIVE

scc champions again, Way to Go Girls! head coach dan Mascolo, your first season was awesome! thanks to assistant drew dichara and diving coach Patty conte.

class ll runner-up We’ll Miss You seniors; Jenna, Molly, tiffany, taylor, McKenzie, Maegan, Maggie, and cJ!

the cheshire herald, JaNUarY 31, 2013

Sports Highlights

Track And Field Embraces Depth

Soccer Builds Cohesion

the second time was the charm for cheshire boys’ soccer in 2012. the rams won only one of their first seven games while filling spots vacated by graduated players, but they came back to avenge three early losses and qualified for the class ll tournament. “as coaches, there is nothing that gives us more pleasure than seeing the improvement,” stated head coach artur Branco. “We had difficult times and couldn’t find our groove, but then we started putting things together.” the rams (7-6-4; 3-2-3 in housatonic division) pushed host Newtown into overtime in the class ll First round before falling 2-1. the game capped the career of nine seniors. “i thought we could have beaten Newtown, however, the ball didn’t bounce our way,” said Branco. senior captains alex Bauer, Nick Berardi, sam donahue, devin lerner, and Matt Mueller were the most experienced varsity players to start the season.

“With any team, captainship is very important. We relied on their leadership,” stated Branco.

Bauer (MVP) and sophomore sal rubano (Most improved) were recognized from a new defense. “alex was the most valuable day in and out. he gave us what we expected every game,” explained Branco. “sal got to the point where he was an important element of our team.” lerner helped lead the defense. sophomore Zach Winch (two goals) and junior Griffen andes alternated on the left side. Junior Joe Phillips added versatility. “it will be tough replacing devin. he was a factor at both ends of the field,” added Branco. cheshire had a new goalkeeper

allen Paul/cheshire herald

Matt Mueller led Cheshire boys’ soccer with 11 goals. after graduating two players the year before. sophomore Matt skydel started the season in net and then first-year senior Evan colechia (cheshire Kiwanis club sportsmanship award) took the spot. colechia earned four of the five shutouts. “evan could have well been Most improved,” said Branco.

“What he did is something i’ve never seen in my high school career. he commanded the box with his size and athleticism.” donahue (all-housatonic; goal, two assists) anchored the center mid-field with new starters, classmate Ben Gallo and freshman Jake Goldstein (two goals, assist). in his third season starting, donahue became the first two-time recipient of the ram award. “it says wonders about him. sam embodies the characteristics of the player we want to coach. he controls the game and is responsible off the field,” stated Branco.

Gallo moved up from defense.

“We felt of all the players we had, Ben could be most effective at mid-field. As he learned the position, we got better,” said Branco. “We were extremely pleased with Jake (Goldstein). With his natural instincts, we see him as a

Five

key player going forward.”

Berardi (team leader with nine assists; five goals) and Mueller (team-best 11 goals; two assists) used speed and technical ability up top, totaling 43 points. Graduation factored into Mueller’s move from mid-field to forward where he debuted with a hat trick in a 4-2 opening win over North haven.

Mueller netted both game-winners against sheehan (2-1, 1-0), also breaking ties against lyman hall (3-2) and Xavier (1-0). “i think it was a good move because we needed that spark up front,” reflected Branco. “Matt can be a pest to his opponents. he is gritty and aggressive.”

Berardi, a four-year starter and all-housatonic selection, netted his final goal to tie the Class LL First round 1-1. he later played alongside donahue in the senior Bowl.

“Nick was a threat day in and out. he is very strong one-on-one with a defender,” stated Branco.

Ross Caterino supplied his first goal and assist. Fellow seniors Billy Janes, and Matt Mendonca also saw the most time of their careers as seniors.

While falling short of defending their housatonic title, See CHS, page 9

With 18 events making up outdoor track and field, CHS Head coach Barbara hedden feels fortunate to have a deep group of girls back this spring. “the beginning of the spring is cold and hard to get things started, so that experience can really help us,” explained hedden. “i think our senior captains Jenna hart, saparja Nag, and hannah Purtell have a good balance of leadership. as juniors, they stood out as individuals who helped the underclassmen.” sophomore alexandra Pelletier and junior selina sampieri (Field MVP) return as top scorers on the track and in the field, respectively. In her first season, Pelletier ran the 400-meters (13th, 59.61) at the state Open. she earned runner-up (58.95) at class ll. “ali showed toughness to run one of the most challenging races on the track,” stated hedden.

Pelletier added the bronze medal (1:01.36) at the southern connecticut conference east sectional. she was additionally a class LL qualifier in the 200-meters and

anchored her 4 x 100-meter team (Kristin cabrera, Katie cavallaro, sampieri). By working on her starts, hedden feels she will only improve in the 100-meters. “ali is an exceptional athlete and will be one of the top sprinters in the state,” said hedden. sampieri burst onto the scene last spring in pole vault, tying 2012 graduate taylor Goldaper for the school record of nine feet and six inches. Goldaper won her first individual crowns (East Sectional, nine feet; scc, nine, six) last season. sampieri placed third (eight, six) at east sectional. “selina is a phenomenal athlete. For a first-year pole vaulter, it was incredible for her to tie the record,” stated hedden.

Sampieri finished in the top 10 of class ll pole vault (10th, nine feet) and triple jump (seventh; 32, 10). cavallaro (high jump) and cabrera (long jump) also attended the meet. “selina can jump and throw javelin. she also has the speed to be a sprinter,” said hedden, who See CHS, page 8

CHS Looks For Points Without Scinto

the 2012 outdoor season was a special one for Jake scinto representing chs boys’ track and field team. Scinto went unbeaten

against connecticut residents in the high, long, and triple jumps, holding school records in all three See DVARSKAS, page 8

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the cheshire herald, JaNUarY 31, 2013

six

Sports Highlights

Girls’ Lacrosse Returns From Record-Setting Year chs girls’ lacrosse broke new ground as a program last season. in winning a school record 16 straight games, they established the best record (20-3) in school history and won consecutive southern connecticut conference Tournaments for the first time. the season culminated in the school’s first Class L final against Greenwich, a team that had beaten cheshire 17-6 earlier in the season. despite playing without injured starters alyssa hague (Union college-schenectady, N.Y.) and senior Kathleen Kalbian, cheshire rallied to tie the cardinals 8-8 with 10:25 left, yet came up short 9-8.

“We had not been there before, so it set a new benchmark for where we want to be,” explained head coach dan Warburton. “We never thought about winning a state championship and that team showed how close we are. it can be accomplished.” cheshire will strive for that elusive crown without a recordsetting group. the class of 2012 broke the mark for career wins (67-19; 24-2 in scc) at chs and became the first class to make the SCC final each season. They led the 2012 team to a 7-0 record in the scc, beating Guilford 18-9

in the title game. captains Maria Blois (Quinnipiac University), hague, and alexis sansone (hofstra University-hempstead, N.Y.) were four-year letter winners.

Blois was named team MVP twice and scc Most Outstanding Player, receiving her first all-american honorable Mention. hague (coaches award) and sansone (lacrosse award/Ncaa scholar athlete) joined Blois as all-class l and all-scc First teams, along with connecticut high school coaches association senior all-stars.

“You have a group of seniors who accomplished some amazing things. It will be tough to fill those holes, but i think we can be very competitive,” stated Warburton. “every year, our goal is to win the league and make a solid run in the state. We have people in place to help us reach those goals.”

Blois impacted each aspect of the game.

“We have a lot of people who can put up numbers, but we’ll miss Maria’s game sense. she had intangibles,” stated Warburton.

For the first time at CHS, seven girls tallied at least 20 goals last spring. Blois (65 goals, 38 assists, junior emma Farrel (53, 20), Kalbian (49, 26), hague (43, 10),

Jim Brandolini/cheshire herald

along with seniors alison hoynes (34, 16), christy Myjak (32, 11), and Nicole stauffer (22, 11) had career-high numbers.

“We scored 41 more goals (328) than we ever have before,” said Warburton. “i’ve never seen it spread out so much.”

Kalbian, who will attend stevens institute of technology (hoboken, N.J.), has played varsity since she was a freshman. she contributes through the draw offensively and defensively like Blois. Kalbian (all-class l and all-scc First teams), along with lauren como, hoynes, and Myjak, are captains this year.

“Kathleen will be one of the best players in the state,” stated Warburton. “she does a lot of things for us.” stauffer (super Junior/Most improved) also offsets graduation losses in the mid-field. Her height and speed factored into her team’s success in transition last spring. “i think she has developed a lot of confidence,” Warburton said.

Warburton feels fortunate to have all three attack players (hoynes, Myjak, Farrel). hoynes and Myjak have started since they were sophomores. alison’s sister, Kayla, graduated in 2012.

“Attack and mid-field will be our deepest areas of the field,” said Warburton. “alison and christy have a lot of experience coming back as captains.”

Farrel, who rivals the state’s hardest shooters, more than tripled her points from freshman year. she was awarded all-class l and all-scc second teams. “it’s great to have someone with her ability for two more years. emma will only improve,” added Warburton.

For the second straight season, CHS has to fill the shoes of graduates on defense. como is the starting low defender back. sansone moved down last year to also play alongside Natalie Barnett (Keene state college-N.h.). like como, Madeline tenenbaum is a returning senior de-

allen Paul/cheshire herald

Above, Alison Hoynes shoots through a pair of defenders in the 2012 SCC final. Kathleen Kalbian (below on left) had 75 points last year. fense. “i always knew lauren could be a good defender. she has great feet,” explained Warburton. “We think she will be a great leader.” chs has had to adjust to not having senior Kelsie carlette for two seasons. carlette injured her anterior cruciate ligament twice, but as a sophomore, she posted three goals and an assist, receiving Most improved.

“Kelsie is an amazing athlete and was a big part of our 2011 team,” added Warburton.

One of the keys to the season will be finding a new goalkeeper.

Not only did cheshire graduate cortney andes (all-scc second team; eastern University-st. david’s, Pa.), but they also lost junior Maxine McGee who moved away. sophomore alexa carbone is the only returning goalie.

“Often, you have a goalie per class, so to have two classes without one is unusual,” said Warburton. “With her experience, alexa has a good shot of seeing time. there have been girls express-

ing an interest in trying out, too.

We’ll see what happens.” like Farrel, classmates Michelle Federico (11 goals, two assists) and Maddy levy (three goals) played key roles as sophomores. Both started the class l final in a revamped lineup. “that experience will only be positive,” added Warburton. classmates Olivia larson (two goals) and danielle chambrelli (five goals, one assist) added their first points last year. chs hopes familiarity helps in their run toward a third straight scc tournament title. Out of conference, they (top seed) defeated Conard (12-7), Ridgefield (12-7), and William hall (12-10) to reach their first state final last year. hague and Kalbian were both injured during the semifinal. “competing against the teams we faced in the playoffs shows we can play with the best in connecticut,” said Warburton.

Jillian Olderman, a graduated manager, is also playing at curry college (Milton, Mass.).

Cheshire Girls’ Lacrosse Have a great 2013 season.

Good luck after graduation to our seniors!

From the Cheshire Lacrosse Club

the cheshire herald, JANUARY 31, 2013

Sports Highlights

Jim Brandolini/Cheshire Herald

Tom Dupont posted 25 goals and 17 assists last spring.

The depth of the Cheshire boys’ lacrosse program will be key to their prospects in 2013. Fifteen graduates vacated spots at all three levels, following a 9-11 season (5-5 in Southern Connecticut Conference) last year.

“We’ve lost some really good players in the last couple years, but we have kids coming back who have played a lot of lacrosse and are working hard toward having a great year,” said Head Coach Rich Pulisciano.

CHS will aim to build chemistry with a new defense. Kevin Pasquale (one assist; University of Connecticut), Nick Palladino (one goal; Springfield CollegeMass.), Connor Rand, Nick Velleca, and Sean Murphy (Most Improved) are graduated long poles.

Pasquale was Defensive MVP and All-Class L First Team, joining attack Tyler Violano (Eastern Connecticut State University) and long-stick mid-fielder Dylan Baumgardner (Quinnipiac University; seven goals, assist) as

All-SCC First Team/Connecticut High School Coaches Association Senior All-Stars. Baumgardner, a ground ball leader, received the Tyska Award.

“Defensively, those guys set the example for these returning guys to follow,” said Pulisciano.

Pulisciano expects a big year from the lone returning defensive starter, Tim Covel (All-SCC Second Team; one assist). A 2012 All-SCC Second Team selection and senior captain with Tom Dupont, Covel has battled injuries since starting as a sophomore.

“He can’t get hurt. We need his ability and experience on the field,” said Pulisciano. “Tim is a bright kid who will do great things at Connecticut College, too.”

Classmates Chris Capone, Erik Pierson, Tyler Sheehan, and junior Tyler Bailey have played short-stick mid-field and used long poles. Anthony Delbuono is another senior defenseman.

“The guys understand the game

Seven

Boys’ Lacrosse Is Reloading of lacrosse,” stated Pulisciano.

“We just have to find where the right pieces belong.”

For a lot of teams, graduating a two-year starting goalie the caliber of Will Devine (Coaches Award; 261 saves) and classmate Marco Iovanna (Cheshire Kiwanis Club Sportsmanship Award; six saves), would be a tall order. Fortunately for CHS, junior Jared Lawson (68 saves) was solid when starting three games in place of an injured Devine last year. Senior Alex Lord also added a save last season.

“I can’t remember the last time Cheshire had a problem with goalies,” reflected Pulisciano.

“Me being a former goalie myself, it is nice seeing these kids develop from my youth camp up to the high school.”

Offensively, CHS lost 168 points to graduation. Kevin Adams (Colgate University; 51 goals, 24 assists) and Violano (31, 22) were leaders on attack.

Adams was a two-time Offensive Player of the Year, receiving AllClass and SCC First Teams/Academic All-American. He led in goals, assists, and points for the last two years.

“Kevin really found the back of the net. He is a tough loss,” stated Pulisciano. “Tyler and (classmate) Spencer (Hackett) picked up their offensive games in the last two seasons. We will be a work in progress to start out.”

Dupont, like Adams, will enter his third season as a starter and will run the offense on attack.

His junior season included a career-high 25 goals and 17 assists, along with All-SCC First Team.

“Tom has come a long way,” said Pulisciano. “He has gotten bigger, stronger, and faster.”

Seniors Chris Trasacco (13 goals, 10 assists) and Jake Nesdale (five, one) totaled 29 points on attack last season. Senior John Klemenz (10, eight), juniors Matt Samuelson (eight, seven) and Ben Hamel (three goals), and sopho-

more Matt Blois (five, three) return experience to the mid-field.

Blois played extensively as a freshman in similar fashion to Samuelson.

“Nick Graikoski is a senior who got injured last year and returned at the end of the season.

He has been working in the fall,” added Pulisciano.

Controlling face-offs is annually a point of emphasis. Hackett (Sacred Heart University; AllSCC First Team; 21 goals, nine assists), Tyler Carbone (two assists), and Baumgardner won 157 face-offs in their final year. Senior Dan Brennan emerged to win 57 of 96 attempts and Klemenz controlled 10 opportunities. Pulisciano feels that underclassmen such as Blois and classmate Jack Cunningham can add depth.

“You need possession of the ball to win games. It’s that simple,” said Pulisciano.

Last year’s team ended the regular season with a four-game slide, but came back to defeat Xavier 12-10 in a SCC quarterfinal. Cheshire (fifth seed) tied the

semifinal against Fairfield Prep 4-4 in the fourth quarter, but the Jesuits netted the last three goals of the game. Fairfield swept the SCC regular season/tournament.

“The kids played unbelievably in that game,” reflected Pulisciano. “Every year, you are looking at Fairfield Prep in the SCC. I don’t have to get the guys excited for those games.”

Cheshire has reached the state tournament every year under Pulisciano. CHS (16th) beat New Milford 12-6 in a 2012 qualifier and were then eliminated 7-3 at top-seeded Simsbury. They finished with 181 goals and 106 assists.

Submitted photo

Tim Covel (left) defends against SCC rival Fairfield Prep.

CHESHIRE BOYS’ LACROSSE BEAT !

PREP

HAVE A GREAT SEASON! GOOD LUCK TO SENIORS, COACH P & STAFF...

... From the Cheshire Lacrosse Club

RAM PRID E

the cheshire herald, JaNUarY 31, 2013

eight

Sports Highlights

CHS Has Options In Multiple Events

continued from page 5 likes sampieri’s potential to be a heptathlon athlete. “they (cavallaro, cabrera) have more experience and should come into their own to become exceptional.”

Ve r s a t i l i t y is a strength of hart, who added hurdling to her repertoire last year. cavallaro and junior Brooke Phillips also hurdle.

“Jenna is wellrounded and willing to try new things,” explained hedden. “i’d like to see her become a state level athlete in the 300-meter hurdles.” despite graduating carla Bellantonio and Nicole adam (cheshire Junior Women’s club leadership award), cheshire has strength in numbers. hart and junior Kimmi Grove ran together on both the 4x400- and 4x800meter relays last season. hedden believes Nag can reach the class ll standard for the 400-meters like Grove. “saparja can help us in the jumps,” said hedden.

Juniors denise costello and theresa cashore add experience in middle distance. costello ran for the first time last year, earn-

ing seventh in the class ll 1,600-meters (5:24.43).

“With her work ethic, i’m sure she will be a state contender,” hedden said. hedden expects Purtell to pick up leadership from graduated track MVP amanda chang, the east sectional runner-up (3,200-meters). “hannah has made huge strides. she can run from 800- to 3,200-meters and relays,” stated hedden. hedden wants seniors emily Gomes and Brittney Gunneson to be able to perform shot put, discus, and javelin. Gunneson threw javelin at class ll last spring. her sister Kelly Gunneson captained that team with chang, adam, and Goldaper. “they will be the people the younger throwers look to for guidance,” said hedden, of Gomes and Brittney Gunneson. senior ariel Greene, who transferred back to chs from Mercy, also plans to throw. as a sophomore at chs, Greene qualified for the State Open in discus. chs went 8-2 in dual meets last year. they were top 10 at east sectional (fourth, 80 points) and scc (sixth, 44), recording 16th (15) in class ll.

Alexandra Pelletier is sprinting in the image above.

We Keep Cheshire Insured...

Go Rams!

in 2012, cheshire boys’ golf entered the season with varsity inexperience. they won’t have that issue this spring. after returning just two starters the year before, cheshire will have their top five back. Seniors eric dietrich and Mike stanton, juniors Jake ecke and tom arisco, and sophomore chris simione contributed to a 15-3 record (5-3 in housatonic division) last spring. “i thought we played well down the stretch and having experience on these courses will give us a good start to this season,” stated head coach dan lee. “all the guys had a chance to play in the summer, too.” dietrich, who captains his golf and basketball teams under lee, returns as one of the state’s best.

In his only second season, he finished third in the southern connecticut conference. dietrich

shot the same score (75) in earning all-state at the state Open. his 0.5 stroke differential factored into being MVP. dietrich has already accepted a division i scholarship from the University of connecticut. “he has really worked hard, particularly in the last two summers,” explained lee. “eric not only leads us on the course, but (also) off it. he will be a great captain this year.” dietrich teamed with ecke to capture first place at the 31st Jack stigberg Memorial tournament (Wolcott) last year. chs previously won in 1997 and 2008. “eric and Jacob hadn’t played a tournament together, so they really stepped up and represented our team very well,” added lee. a single stroke separated simione (84) and ecke (85), along with stanton (92) and arisco (93), at the scc championship

(sixth, 336). lee found it hard to signal one player out as Most improved last year, but settled on arisco. “the common thread is that we have kids who work on their games,” explained lee. “that being said, tom’s improvement stood out for us. regardless of how good he has become, tom wants to get better every day.”

Mike Yavorek (cheshire Kiwanis club sportsmanship award) graduated last season, but senior andrew Brown provides the team with another upperclassman.

“Having seniors is beneficial to your team,” said lee.

The Rams finished third in the housatonic and eighth (319) within connecticut last spring.

“Our first goal is to win the housy and then scc,” said lee. “hopefully, that will help us going into the state tournament.”

continued from page 5 events. he added the New england and National titles in high jump, receiving the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

Now that scinto (Princeton University-N.J.) has graduated among a strong senior class, cheshire plans to build a new group under first-year head coach allen dvarskas. after working as an assistant, dvarskas was recently hired to succeed tom lewoc. “it will take another 20 years if ever for us to find another athlete like Jake. i think collectively we have guys who will step up this

year,” said dvarskas, who also coaches the girls’ indoor team. “i’m nervous personally. You want to do a good job and make sure it is a fun experience.”

Junior thrower chibueze Njoku joined scinto at the state Open, finishing 22nd in discus (108 feet, nine inches). he was third (128 feet, nine inches) at class ll. chs lost Njoku’s brother tochukwu, and James holtman to graduation, but Nick Jakowenko has throwing experience. dvarskas feels that Jakowenko and senior Joe Nowak can score in jumps without scinto and fellow graduate Max Fleischmann.

“Nick and (classmate) sagar Nakrani will be our captains,” added dvarskas. “i know the kids like working with them.”

Nakrani, seniors sam Brown and Brendan donovan, and junior trey Phillips bring experience from cross country to the distance team. Nakrani (3,200-meters, 10:07.82) and Phillips (800-meters, 2:04.31) placed fourth and fifth, respectively, at last year’s southern connecticut confer-

ence east sectional. “they are running well indoors,” stated dvarskas. sprinters Yi Zhang, andrew Fischer, and Michael ligi (cheshire Kiwanis club sportsmanship award) have graduated from the sprints. rahmi roundtree also moved away, but senior Brandon Wild and sophomore Frank Fusco are back.

Junior liam Nicoll was fourth in the east sectional 400-meters (53.24). Juniors Michael Milici and Yadi lukashenko can also help middle distance without 2012 graduate andrew Panther.

Junior dave holtman, James’ brother, is the most experienced pole vaulter, following the graduation of david Gomes and isaac Packtor. Gomes, who competes at central connecticut state University, captained last year’s team with scinto and dalton Bassett. cheshire’s senior class placed well at the 2012 east sectional (second, 103), scc (fourth, 62), class ll (sixth, 44.33), and state Open (third, 30). the rams were 6-4 in dual meets.

Dvarskas Takes Over New Team

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the cheshire herald, JaNUarY 31, 2013

Sports Highlights

Boys’ V-Ball Wants To Extend Success

While chs varsity boys’ volleyball was going 45-0 (school record) in the last two years, their junior varsity peers were similarly unbeaten in the regular season.

Now that chs has graduated a record-setting class (10 players) and core of their first two Class l title teams, the coaching staff is looking for previous JV personnel to pick up the baton. “i think a lot of people feel we are done (with our title reign), but we fully expect to be back contending for another state championship,” said head coach sue Bavone. “this JV group didn’t lose either, playing the same boys their age.”

Bavone feels the pace of the game will be the biggest adjustment to the varsity level. “i’ve always felt you need good coaches at the JV level,” explained Bavone. “(assistant) Jared (Ocoma) knows volleyball from playing at cheshire and syracuse (University). he coaches them the same way he would varsity, so they know what is expected of them.” evan colechia, a senior captain with Zhihan Zou, will be the only starter returning to his varsity position at outside hitter. a 2012 all-southern connecticut conference second team selection, colechia produced 155 kills, 11 blocks, 29 digs, and 19 service aces in his first full year as a starter. he hit the winning kill (13 total) in the Class L final, a 3-1 win over Ridgefield at Shelton. “he rose to the level of the seniors around him. The state final was a great example,” stated Bavone. chs graduated top hitters ryan cuppernull and Nate howard, both of whom were connecticut high school coaches association senior all-stars and all-class l/ all-scc First team honorees. cuppernull was also connecticut Player of the Year, scc Most Outstanding Player, and recipient of the cheshire Kiwanis club leadership award. “ryan’s loss will be felt around the court. he was strong in every

position,” reflected Bavone.

No boy had cracked 1,000 kills until howard (1,019) last spring.

“We can’t replace Nate’s size (six feet and 11 inches tall) and the intimidation factor. he gave us points before stepping onto the court,” Bavone explained. “We’ll be a smaller team this year.”

Bavone looks for juniors anthony carbone and Patrick lindner to emerge as varsity outside hitters. seniors Ben Gallo and luke Yasuda are the most experienced middle hitters after cheshire lost Matt Ward (allscc First team) and James Planinshek (all-scc second team; Most improved) to graduation.

Ward and fellow graduate tyler sweigard were Most Outstanding defensive Players.

“Middle is a tough spot to play.

James and Matt did a lot of little things for us,” Bavone said.

Bavone feels the hardest player to replace will be three-year starting setter ray Brumleve, who graduated as the first Ram to crack 2,000 (2,135) career assists. he also set the single-season mark (790) in 2012.

Brumleve, cuppernull, and howard shared Most Outstanding Offensive Player.

“You take for granted when you have a veteran setter. ray was very athletic and had great body control,” said Bavone. “it’s going to be different without him. that being said, (junior) ted li is taller than ray, so he could give us a blocking dimension this year.” as usual, passing will be key to the team’s success. Bavone saw sweigard, who had a career-high 18 digs against Ridgefield, as an unsung hero last year. “it is tough losing tyler,” said Bavone.

Bavone likes Zou’s versatility defensively. “he is one of our best passers and i can see him being in the back row,” stated Bavone. “(senior) scott romano hopes to get in and play libero. (Junior) eric cusano is another passer.” chs looks to extend their twoyear unbeaten streak in the scc

CHS Beats Guilford To End Drought

continued from page 5 cheshire beat Guilford 1-0 to end a five-year drought against them.

Gallo assisted on Berardi’s gamewinner. The first meeting ended in a scoreless draw. “that rivalry goes a long way back. You should be proud when

you beat a team of their stature,” said Branco. “We should have won the housy (housatonic) again. it gives us something to strive for next season.”

Phillips, along with classmates Bryan carter and colin haensel, will captain the program in 2013.

continued from page 3 mares tournament at lyman Orchards Golf club. the girls took a share of second place (41). “emily had trouble with her swing at the start of last season, but then she heated up. We are going to need her,” stated Williams.

Kulpa, robles, and Molly

Pritchard started for the first time as juniors.

“Megan was injured during cheerleading in the fall, but she expects to play. i hope to have her shoot 50,” added Williams.

“When andra didn’t play in the league tournament last year, Molly stepped in and did a good job.”

Girls Share Chemistry

Nine

Lady Rams Are Training For 2013

allen Paul/cheshire herald

Senior co-captain Evan Colechia is Cheshire’s lone starter back.

regular season and tournament. they swept Xavier for the club’s third tourney title in 2012. the rams (23-0) proceeded to sweep rival amity and Glastonbury to reach the Class L final. at the end, alfred Kroqi received the coaches award for the example he set for young players. “the seniors set the bar high for these guys coming up,” said Bavone. “they don’t want to drop the ball on our success.”

continued from page 3 With a 4-11 record (1-6 in division i), they missed the scc playoffs for the first time last spring.

“We are really young, so we are going to work on developing our team and lineup,” said toscano. this will be the fourth straight year that cheshire will have a new number one in singles. larson played there last spring, earning MVP. seggerman and fellow graduate emily roberts played at the second and fourth positions. at mid-season last year, toscano and Bryden switched between singles and doubles. senior Jess Joseph rotated with roberts. “it was different playing at number three (singles). i was getting tough matches,” reflected toscano. “i’ve played singles and doubles my whole life, so i have no preference this year. i’ll go wherever scott needs me.” like in singles, chs will reload in doubles. hirt and strange, who shared captainship with theresa Fitzpatrick last season, earned 2012 all-scc d-i at the

top spot and made the state Open. “the biggest thing i learned is that you need to work hard to earn things,” added Garibaldi. “they really wanted to get better.”

Garibaldi has started since her sophomore year. She finished last season teaming with Bryden (Most improved) at number three. “i think i’ll be playing with Meredith again,” stated Garibaldi, who is hitting with Bryden in the off-season. “she is a tall player who is strong at the net. Meredith has a great serve and backhand.

Not only does she make me more competitive, but she is also honest and challenges me.”

Fitzpatrick’s departure opens up the second doubles position. her partner, senior Maegan McGee, plans to instead focus on swimming this spring. after winning a match together in 2012, senior Katherine Pier and junior Katie Freitag add experience to a young roster.

“I definitely want to encourage the girls, so they keep playing after we graduate,” said toscano.

cheshire soccer club ClubS P R I N G 2 0 1 3 S E A S O N REGISTRATION DEADLINES U11 - U19:

March 1, 2013

U8:

March 8, 2013

U10:

March 8, 2013

U-8 Age Group: born between 8/1/04 and 12/31/06, boys & girls participate in a team-oriented, developmental program (Friday practice, Saturday games - 5v5 format).

U-10 Age Group: born between 8/1/02 and 7/31/04, boys & girls participate in an in-house league program (Monday practice for girls/Thursday practice for boys, Saturday games - 8v8 format).

U-11 – U19 Age Groups: born between 8/1/93 and 7/31/02, recreational and/or competitive (“comp”) travel teams (practice days TBD, games on weekends).

• The U-11 and U-12 age groups play in an 8v8 league format within the South Central District • The U-13 and above age groups play in an 11v11 league format within the South Central District

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

www.cheshiresoccerclub.org

the cheshire herald, JaNUarY 31, 2013

ten

Sports Highlights

Football Overcomes Adversity Questions surrounded cheshire football last year. how would the rams respond following the resignation of head coach Mark ecke? could they replace the contributions of a school record 26 graduates?

While smaller in quantity, 12 seniors were determined to leave on a positive note. the rams rallied around coach don drust, achieving the school’s first winning season (6-4; 2-2 in southern connecticut conference division i east) since taking the 2009 class ll crown. chs was 5-5 in the previous two years.

“Going 6-4 isn’t where we want to be at cheshire, but coming into the year, no one thought our record would be close to that,” said

drust, a 1999 chs graduate and member of the coaching staff since 2007. “i believe this senior group set a lot of things in play here for these underclassmen going forward.”

Drust emphasized finishing games strong. On three occasions, cheshire rallied from halftime deficits to win home games. among these comebacks was a 48-13 victory over Notre dameWest Haven, their first rivalry win since 2009. cheshire shut out host Branford (20-0) and hamden (33-0), along with east haven (39-0) on senior Night.

“We feel scc is the most competitive conference in the state,” stated drust. “to be the best, you

the 2012 Powder Puff classic between cheshire and southington resulted in another nail-biter. chs gave up just one touchdown on defense, but it was enough for southington to win 13-10. the lady Knights scored a five-yard run with 3:58 left.

The Lady Rams saw a field goal attempt come up just short with 39.3 seconds remaining. southington has a 8-6-1 advantage in the senior flag football series. “defensively, it was one of my best teams,” said head coach George Gihuly, who has coached Powder Puff for 35 yea2rs. “the girls got so much experience. they enjoy football now.”

Kathryn Vitale led the ground game with 124 yards on 34 car-

ries. she put chs ahead on a two-yard run with 3:40 left in the second quarter. Nicole stauffer added the extra point (7-0).

“We lost a couple running backs before the game, but Kathryn stepped up,” stated Gihuly. southington got on the scoreboard with 53.3 seconds left in the first half, returning an interception to the end zone. cheshire broke the 7-7 tie on a 12-yard field goal from Stauffer with 1:55 left in the third quarter.

Kierstyn Bourdeau and emily Kolodecik anchored the defense. lauren Fountain, lauren Frascarelli, emily Gomes, Kim labbe, catherine Pearsall, Marisa Pisani, alicia torello, and Vitale joined them as captains.

Powder Puff Goes Down To The Wire

Photo courtesy of Joey Jones

Kathryn Vitale jumps through an arm tackle.

have to beat the best. there is never a dull week.” drust credits senior captains Matt escoto (defensive Player of the Year), sam Pascale, and Vin sansone (Offensive Player of the Year) for keeping the team together. sansone and Pascale, along with sophomore Jack cunningham, were selected all-scc d-i east and New Haven Register all-area. “all three captains are great young men who will play in college,” drust stated. “they are natural leaders. those guys don’t have to open their mouth to get people to follow them.”

While starting at safety in his sophomore and junior years, sansone hadn’t played varsity quarterback until his final season. He scored running and throwing the ball.

“Vin led this team on and off the field. He adapted to a lot of different things and kept working hard,” said drust. sansone’s receivers included classmates tim covel, Beau Bartone, and Kevin dietrich and juniors Mark dietrich and Owen rockwell. covel, who was named Record Journal scholar athlete and received the cheshire Kiwanis sportsmanship award, missed the apple Valley classic due to injury. “it is heartbreaking because tim is such a good guy,” added Drust. “The first thing he did after the injury was tell the underclassmen that you have to enjoy every time you are on the field.”

Bartone was a team leader at safety. after chs lost 38-13 on thanksgiving at southington, Bartone was voted defensive MVP (interception).

“Beau brought a level of toughness,” said drust. “he helped show guys that you can fly around and make plays. that resonates through a team.”

Pascale, sophomore andrew Yamin, and cunningham represented an explosive backfield both running and catching the ball. Pascale received all-class LL for the first time, along with the tommy didomizio Memorial award and cheshire Junior Football scholarship. “sammy brings something to

Jim Brandolini/cheshire herald

Quarterback Vin Sansone hands off to classmate Sam Pascale. the table that not a lot of guys can do,” explained drust. “he worked hard in the weight room and gave everything he had on every single play. You can’t replace that element.”

At linebacker, Yamin finished as the leading tackler. like Pascale and Yamin, cunningham was another versatile performer. he sparked the team with his kick-off and punt returns. cunningham was the team leader in interception, making his first two against ND-WH. “they are two great guys,” said drust, of Yamin and cunningham. “Jack is an exceptional kid who understands the game so well. andrew has great instincts on the field.” they both ran behind a different offensive line from the year before. escoto, seniors colin harding and Matt Gardiner, junior Joe strollo, and sophomore cullen clairmont contributed in the new unit. escoto, harding (Outland award), junior dan lisath anchored the defensive line.

“Matt (escoto) grew more and more each year. to have a defensive lineman make 60 tackles is unheard of,” stated drust. “colin has always had a lot of ability, but had to learn to do what was right on and off the field. He grew up a lot this year.”

Pascale had his strongest season on defense. after missing the majority of his junior year to injury, Gardiner was a leader at middle linebacker.

CHESHIRE JUNIOR FOOTBALL AND CHEERLEADING “Where The Tradition Begins”

www.cheshirejuniorfootball.com

“he has all the attributes of a great football player when he is healthy. there is a lot of tread left on the tires for college,” said drust, of his Most improved recipient.

Junior anthony carbone contributed heavily despite playing with a cast on his hand. Mark dietrich joined Bartone at safety. colin thorne and tony Marcucilli also started as sophomores.

“We had a lot of underclassmen step up,” reflected Drust. senior tyler sheehan paced the team with tackles on special teams. Junior tyler Bailey, the back-up quarterback, emerged as the place kicker and punter. “tyler showed us what cheshire high school football means to him,” explained drust. “he will do anything for the team.” shortly after southington ended Cheshire’s five-year win streak, drust was promoted from interim to head coach.

“Just like going into last season, every year to lead this program is an honor,” stated drust. “i don’t believe there is a better place than cheshire high school. i’ll do whatever i can to make their decision the right one.” cheshire opens the 2013 season with a visit to a new foe, Fairfield interscholastic athletic conference member Ridgefield. Strollo will lead them as captain.

“Joe is exactly what a captain is supposed to be,” added drust. “the football community, his teammates, coaches, and players respect him.”

the cheshire herald, JaNUarY 31, 2013

eleven

Sports Highlights

Field Hockey Extends Success When Cheshire field hockey graduated 21 girls in 2011, they weren’t forgotten. that group gave the 2012 team something to strive for the following season. to the surprise of prognosticators around the state, cheshire (20-3) came within a single win of earning three championships for the second year in a row, falling 4-0 to darien in the class l final. CHS had never won consecutive southern connecticut conference regular season or tournament titles before this team, who extended the program’s conference win streak to 30 games (school record). “it showed what those (graduate) seniors gave to the other girls,” said head coach eileen dunham. “When people looked at our team on paper, they didn’t think we could get very far.” cheshire carried an eight-game win streak into the Class L final.

Nine girls finished one win shy (65-15-2) of tying the mark for victories by a single class. “they (darien) are a powerhouse,” said Dunham. “It was fitting they got number one because they deserve it. We hoped we could be the team to beat them, but it wasn’t our day.”

By starting the season 8-0, cheshire extended the school’s record win streak to 29. two milestones came in an 8-0 win over Sheehan. Junior mid-fielder Michelle Federico had five assists to set a new chs mark, helping the school reach 550 wins.

“You could see the doubt going into the season, but as they started winning, they believed in themselves,” reflected Dunham. “it wasn’t a surprise anymore.”

Federico broke the season assist record (21) in a class l semifinal, adding the first two goals of a 5-1 win over simsbury. Federico, who had two goals and an assist in 2011, also contributed 19 goals as a junior. her honors include harrow sports-National Field hockey coaches associa-

tion all-southern New england region/all-class l and all-scc First teams/New Haven Register all-area and team MVPs. Federico and Olivia larson will be senior captains this fall. “the way she (Federico) worked out of season paid off,” said dunham. “she is so intense and loves the game. Michelle plays for her teammates and it shows in her records.”

Forward emma Farrel (twotime Offensive Player of the Year/ class l second team/all-scc First team/New Haven Register All-Area) and Federico were both selected to the inaugural connecticut high school coaches association Junior all-star Game. Farrel was the team goal leader (21) for the third straight year, depositing the game-winner (1-0) against daniel hand in the SCC final. She had both goals in the team’s 2-1 comeback win against south Windsor in a class L quarterfinal.

With her 11 assists, Farrel is seven assists and 22 points from breaking career records at chs. “it is going to be incredibly devastating to lose her after next year,” stated dunham. “emma is so good at scoring. she is a oncein-a-blue-moon-kid.”

While chs scored 73 goals, a senior-laden defense gave up just 16 total and 75 percent fewer shots than 2011. lindsey Bonitz (all-scc First team) and emily hague (all-scc second team) started together for the second straight year, both garnering allclass l second teams and New Haven Register all-area. sara Ilnicki, who filled the final back position, and goalkeeper lauren Fountain were new starters. “they were critically important to our team,” said dunham.

Bonitz set chs records for single-season (17) and career (21) defensive saves. hague supplied seven in 2012. “they are going to be nearly impossible to replace,” said dun-

ham, of her defensive Players of the Year. “there was never a time when i doubted their ability.” dunham feels the Poise, leadership, attitude, You, excellence respect award (P.l.a.Y.e.r.), given to Bonitz, is the program’s greatest honor. “she does well academically, athletically, and socially,” explained dunham. “lindsey is smart and efficient on the field.”

Fountain had the same number of shutouts as 2012 graduate Maria Blois the year before. in the scc tournament, chs didn’t yield a goal (6-0) in three games. “lauren did a good job. she knew what she had around her and stepped up when she had the chance,” said dunham.

With the SCC semifinal between chs and Branford scoreless after two overtimes, junior back-up Maddy levy replaced Fountain for penalty strokes. levy made two saves to help chs outlast their rival 4-2. “stopping two shots is huge and that will give her confidence for next season,” dunham said. dunham feels her team will miss senior forward Miranda

Photos by allen Paul/cheshire herald

Above, junior Emma Farrel prepares to hit the ball into play. Senior captain Lindsey Bonitz (below) received the P.L.A.Y.E.R. Award.

Garcia, a four-year letter winner, who had seven goals and assists each in 2012. Garcia received the cheshire Junior Women’s leadership award.

“She has that field hockey fire.

You could see every day at practice that she wanted this to be her best season,” explained dunham. a three-year starter like Farrel and Federico, junior Kathleen lima had a career-high 10 goals and six assists. “she uses her hockey background to make so many plays that don’t show up in her stats,” stated dunham. senior Maggie Kulpa (three assists) started for the first time at mid-field. Kulpa, along with Bonitz, Garcia, and hague, captained the program.

“Maggie is smart and that translated to her improvement every year,” said dunham, of her Record Journal scholar athlete.

Juniors Olivia larson (six goals, eight assists) and danielle Bellantonio (two goals and assists apiece) also became starters. larson was rookie of the Year at

forward. Bellantonio, who rotated with sophomore Mikayla crieger in mid-field, was Most Improved.

“Olivia got better and better. she worked so hard last summer,” said dunham. “danielle has had the skill and drive, but this year she started putting it all together.” sophomore erica stauffer (four goals, three assists) and crieger (three goals and assists apiece) also played heavily on varsity. sophomores Kya O’donnell (two goals) and sara como (assist) joined senior emily dooley (assist) with their first points.

“We have a lot of girls with potential coming up,” dunham said. dunham credits their progression to her staff. “sandi (Vermuelen) is going to come back after doing a great job with our goalies. Michelle (libby) is so good at developing young athletes and, after their freshmen years, sarah (izzo) builds on their experience at JV (junior varsity). Melissa (dePaolo) and Maria (Blois) wanted to give back to this program as volunteers,” added dunham.

CONGRATS TO THE RECORD-SETTING CHS FIELD HOCKEY TEAM Thank you to Head Coach Eileen Dunham and her staff of Sarah Izzo, Michelle Libby, Sandi Vermeulen, Maria Blois, and Melissa DePaolo!

Good luck to seniors Lindsey Bonitz, Miranda Garcia, Emily Hague, Maggie Kulpa, Emily Dooley, Lauren Fountain, Sara Ilnicki, Megan Robles, & Miranda Scaramozza!

First Defense of SCC regular season/tournament titles Back-to-back Class L final berths

the cheshire herald, JaNUarY 31, 2013

twelve

Sports Highlights

Cross Country Says Goodbye To Large Senior Classes

Photos by allen Paul/cheshire herald

(From left) Natalie Wickenheisser, Hannah Purtell, and Kimmi Grove contributed to a deep girls’ varsity team. In the image on the right, senior Sagar Nakrani was named boys’ MVP. chs head coach rob schaefer couldn’t believe his eyes at last year’s state Open. his girls’ cross country team had placed sixth (241 points), the last qualifying spot for the New england championship, at Wickham Park in Manchester. they marked their second straight trip to regionals by securing 19th (507) in North scitutate, r.i. “it’s very remarkable,” recalled schaefer. “i knew we would have a good season, but it is tough to replace four varsity runners from the year before. these girls were very inspired by what the previous seniors had accomplished.” seventeen seniors became the first class to win four straight housatonic division titles, sweeping host amity 20-36 and shelton 20-35 to cap an unbeaten dual-meet record (7-0; 4-0). they claimed third (90) within the southern connecticut confer-

ence and took fourth (148) at the class ll championship. “it never gets old winning the housy (housatonic). i’ve coached a lot of years when we came up short against amity,” said rob schaefer. “this class went 31-1 over four years, only losing to Guilford (in 2011).” seniors Kathleen Kalbian (four-time MVP), Juliana lewis (cheshire Junior Women’s club leadership award), hannah Purtell (two-time Most improved), and Maddie tenenbaum captained this team.

“They all fulfilled the role in different ways and complemented each other,” explained schaefer. the fall season capped a stellar career for Kalbian, who like her sister irene, ran number one for four years. Kalbian (New Haven Register all-area/Record Journal scholar athlete) won three races as a senior. she earned all-scc/all-housatonic (fourth,

19:43.84), achieving all-class ll (seventh, 19:58) again.

“We’ve always relied on her and she has delivered,” stated schaefer. “those honors aren’t easy to attain.” cheshire used depth behind Kalbian. Junior Kimmi Grove (14th, 20:15.98), Purtell (17th, 20:30.66), and sophomore Natalie Wickenheisser (18th, 20:35.29) were also all-housatonic. Grove, who was hampered by a back injury as a sophomore, just missed out all-scc and all-class ll (13th, 20:27). she had never led the varsity until taking 47th (20:42) at the state Open. “it shows what Kimmi could do when she is healthy. she works so hard,” said schaefer.

“Kimmi will captain us next year with (classmates) hyeonju Kwon and taylor Bond.” schaefer felt that Wickenheisser was inspired by sister tori, who captained the 2011 team.

“We have her for two more years,” added schaefer.

Purtell, senior Julie trifone, along with sophomore Kendra Brown, were also new to varsity. at New england, Purtell (23rd, 21:07.55) and Kalbian (17th, 20:47.21) cracked the top 25 connecticut residents. “hannah wasn’t happy with the way she was running at the start of this year, but nothing was going to stop her from a successful season,” explained schaefer. trifone was a key addition coming over from field hockey. after winning scc junior varsity (21:24.46), she finished the season in the varsity lineup.

Brown (45th, 22:05.31) followed sophomore liz cunningham (37th, 21:46.38) at scc.

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the state Open (129th, 22:04). “erin saved those races for us,” said schaefer. “i’m certain liz will be back healthy next year.” chs boys had hopes of returning to the state Open in 2012.

While injuries kept them short of their team goal, cheshire (7-2; 3-1 in housatonic division) was still represented for the first time since 2008. senior sagar Nakrani (91st, 17:41) and junior lucas Marcouiller (46th, 17:16) both ran individually.

“We were disappointed to not make the state Open as a team, but due to injuries to (junior) trey (Phillips) and (senior) dante (anastasio), it made it hard for us,” reflected Head Coach Jim Bennett. “We did enjoy seeing sagar and lucas run there for the first time.”

Nakrani, a captain with anastasio, sam Brown, and Brendan donovan, was among the team’s top two finishers in every dual meet. he paced the way for the first time at scc, earning his first all-scc/allhousatonic honor (ninth, 16:40.5). Nakrani also received New Haven Register allarea, Record Journal scholar athlete, and team MVP. “sagar has had the right perspective as a runner and leader,” said Bennett.

Marcouiller (Most improved) was all-housatonic after taking 14th (16:55.66) in the scc meet. he paced his team in the dual meet finale in which CHS split against shelton (21-38, win) and host amity (15-47, loss). Marcouiller also placed 32nd (17:16)

at class ll, followed four spots later by Nakrani (17:18).

“We were very pleased with lucas,” added Bennett. “his progress dates back to his sophomore year when we told him he was capable of running with the top guys. he put a lot of work in over the summer, so now his physical gifts are shining.”

Following a strong off-season, Phillips was expected to run number one. He finished fourth (16:42.5) in the haddad Windham invite, but suffered a knee injury and didn’t return until class ll (59th, 17:41). anastasio injured his hip after the same meet and came back at scc.

“We felt bad for dante being a senior, but he persevered for us,” said Bennett. “if not for his injury, i know trey would have had a big season. he still has that opportunity next year.”

Bennett was pleased with the way his team stepped up without them, taking fifth at SCC (133 points) and 10th (266) in class ll. sophomore Mark Fusco (69th) and Brown (70th) finished consecutively with the same time (17:49) in class ll. sophomore russell adam (77th, 17:54) and junior Ben Kaplan (102nd, 18:14) followed them.

“We were pleased with our progress,” added Bennett.

Fusco became chs number one runner in the only home meet at cheshire Park. Bennett feels the future is bright with adam, steven caldwell, and ryan shalagan joining him in the sophomore class. chs graduates 16 seniors. donovan, who took 68th (18:24.68) in scc, was the choice for the cheshire Kiwanis club sportsmanship award.

“We’ve been fortunate to have loyal, hard-working captains like Brendan,” stated Bennett.

Kaplan and Marcouiller will captain next year’s rams.

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the cheshire herald, JaNUarY 31, 2013

thirteen

Sports Highlights

Cheshire Softball Retains Hoag Kathleen hoag enjoys working with her softball senior class so much that when her twin sister, Maureen disorbo, decided to step down as head coach last spring, Kathleen wanted to stay on for the 2013 season. “i thought the girls deserved a better send off then a new coaching staff. i went through that as a player and it was hard,” said hoag, who assisted her sister for eight years. “i feel like we are going to be contenders this year, so maybe there are more expectations on me as head coach. i’ll put more time in because the girls deserve it.” hoag and disorbo started playing softball at age 6. they belong to the lyman hall hall of Fame. “after college, we got back together to coach. i’m going to miss her, but in a lot of respects, not much has changed,” said hoag. “Maureen and i shared equal responsibilities, so it will be an easy transition this year.” the lady rams graduated just three players (caroline Kushner, Julie Becker, chelsea Mongillo) from the 2012 team that went 13-9 (4-4 in housatonic division). cheshire (20th seed) upset Pomperaug (13th) 3-1 in the class ll First round, but fell 9-0 in the next round at Masuk (fourth). “there aren’t a lot of big holes that we have to fill. That being said, there is always someone who surprises you,” stated hoag.

“We have so much depth.” senior captains Nicole d’amato (2012 MVP) and lauren Fountain are entering their fourth year as starters. d’amato moved up to varsity mid-way through her freshman season and has persevered through injuries to be a key pitcher. in 134 reg-

ular-season innings last spring, d’amato gave up just 32 earned runs and 20 walks. she struck out 114 batters while allowing 120 hits. “she has really made a big commitment to getting better,” said hoag. “Nicole has a nice repertoire of pitches. she throws harder than the majority of the pitchers we see and has great movement.” hoag is confident about her w o r k ing with classmate Kierstyn Bourdeau behind the plate.

B o u rdeau, a Junior allstar with d’amato, led chs with 45 assists last spring.

“Kierstyn has been working hard on her defense. she has changed her footwork to get quicker and better at blocking to avoid passed balls,” said hoag.

In her first year as a starter, Bourdeau (Offensive Player of the Year) was integral in the cleanup spot. in batting .356, she had 12 runs scored, 23 hits (home run included), and 19 rBis (team leader). Bourdeau joined 2012 graduate caroline Kushner as all-class ll/all-housatonic. “she is at her best in the clutch situations,” stated hoag. another senior, Fountain has been a fixture at first base. She also contributed 11 runs scored, 14 hits, and six rBi last season.

“We need her presence in the

field,” added Hoag. “I know she will keep the team together.”

Kushner, a four-year starter and 2012 captain with Becker, is the only departure from last year’s infield. She led in runs scored (19), hits (25), and batting average (.362) last season.

Kushner was selected for the chsca and Federation softball Umpires of Greater New haven scholar athlete senior all-star Games. Becker competed in the latter contest. “caroline was a formidable adversary from the moment she stepped on the field,” Hoag said.

Junior Bryanna Mcintosh, a two-year starter, may remain at second base or shift over to replace Kushner at shortstop. “every year, Bryanna surprises me with another element of her game,” Hoag reflected. “She read the play so well last year without having to get the signal on the base paths.” like Mcintosh, sophomore third baseman casey harding (.279, 13 runs scored, 19 hits, 12 rBis) was an immediate starter. she batted in the leadoff spot, along with receiving defensive Player of the Year.

“Physically, casey performed day in and out,” said hoag. “You teach her something once and she gets it. she is a natural athlete and so coachable. anyone would be lucky to have her.”

Fellow sophomores Olivia Odermatt (Most improved; one hit) and Sara Como (13 hits, five RBIs) grew up as infielders before learning outfield positions in 2012. Both scored four runs.

Odermatt made only one error.

“Olivia would like to get back in the infield. We want to see more offensive production,” stated hoag. “i’m going to need her (como) bat in the lineup.” senior Kathryn Vitale (nine runs and hits each, three rBis) started in center field when Mon-

Photos by allen Paul/cheshire herald

Lauren Fountain (above) returns for her senior year at first base. To the left, fellow co-captain Nicole D’Amato throws the pitch. gillo had mononucleosis in 2012. “she has worked at being a good outfielder,” said Hoag.

“Kathryn tracks the ball really well. she has a great swing, but has to work out the kinks. Bryanna and Kat give us great speed.” hoag wants base runners to set the table for Bourdeau, junior alexa dileo (nine runs scored, 14 hits, 10 rBis), and d’amato (five, 11, five), who all hit home runs last spring. another starter since her freshman year, dileo drew a team-best 11 walks from the designated player position. “alexa has college home run kind of power. People see her and their mouths drop open. her presence is intimidating, but she is so soft spoken,” stated hoag. cheshire hopes to win back the housatonic title after their four-

Good luck to the CHS Softball team and Coach Hoag for the 2013 season!

From The Friends of Softball

year reign (school record) was snapped last year. For the first time since 2005, they missed the southern connecticut conference tournament. cheshire won their lone scc title in 2002. “there is a sense of urgency. this is the last hurrah for the seniors,” said hoag. “the state championship is within our grasp, if we put the work into this year.”

the cheshire herald, JANUARY 31, 2013

Fourteen

Sports Highlights

CHS Aims To Rebound In 2013

After reflection, Cheshire baseball head coach Bill Mrowka felt his 2011 team should have finished around the .500 mark. The Rams lost 10 games by three runs or less, resulting in a 4-16 record (1-7 in Housatonic Division).

“We didn’t get much offensive production (.220 batting average). We only scored 50 runs while giving up 112,” recalled Mrowka. “It was definitely a frustrating year.”

Mrowka feels what transpired was a test of how to handle adversity. He credited the example set by graduated seniors Jordan Kubilus, Tim Budd, Connor Clark, Nick D’Annolfo, Justin Klanica, Vik Lyall, Collin Murphy, and Adam Rider.

Kubilus was their ace pitcher and captained the team with Budd, the catcher.

“Jordan threw a lot of innings and deserved better than his record (1-8, 3.38 earned run average, team-best 26 strikeouts). We didn’t give him run support, but he never once got down on anybody. I think that is a lesson for our returning guys,” said Mrowka. “Do you point fingers or work harder? Nobody wants to go 4-16 again. We can definitely be competitive this year.”

In a tough season last year, players emerged as contributors to build around in 2013. Junior center fielder/pitcher Dan Schock led the Rams in batting average (.333), hits (20), runs scored (nine), home runs (one), RBIs (10), and stolen bases (six).

“He really broke through batting leadoff,” said Mrowka.

On the mound, Schock posted the lowest era (2.37). He had a 1-2 record, surrendering 28 hits and striking out 24.

Schock carried that momentum into the summer, recording a nohitter for the Cheshire American Legion Senior team.

“Dan had a great summer. He

walked too many guys (24) last spring, but in the off-season, he worked on his mechanics,” stated Mrowka.

Kubilus threw 58 innings last spring and the next closest was Schock with 23.2. With Kubilus now at Albertus Magnus College, upperclassmen will be asked to expand their roles.

Junior Ethan Lonardelli posted a 2.44 era in 2012. He gave up 15 hits and seven walks, ringing up 16 strikeouts and a save.

“Ethan is a strong left-hander with a good work ethic,” added Mrowka.

When he is not pitching, Lonardelli plays at first base. He supplied 14 hits and three RBIs last season, scoring four runs.

Junior Kyle Waldron (seven hits, two RBIs) can move between first and third. Classmate and fellow infielder Alex Augusto (two hits, one RBI) and Waldron each scored three times in 2012.

“We threw guys into the fire,” reflected Mrowka. “Kyle came into varsity halfway through and batted cleanup. He keeps growing and will also pitch for us.”

Seniors PJ Watson (2.8 era, eight strikeouts) and Christian Colp (3.5, one strikeout) gave up three hits each last spring, combining for seven innings of relief.

Classmate Zach Goul pitched four innings, striking out two and allowing six hits.

“We can help the pitchers by cutting down on our errors (35),” explained Mrowka.

His son Cooper was playing varsity shortstop in the pre-season last year before a back injury wiped out his freshman year.

“Cooper’s injury was a big loss for us. Hopefully, he will be healthy,” said Mrowka. “(Junior) Wes Robertson can help us behind the plate or in the middle infield.”

Senior Kyle Hodgdon (two hits and RBIs each, one run) and

Junior Dan Schock led the 2012 team in earned run average.

Robertson have backed up Budd (Western New England University-Springfield, Mass.).

“Tim (Budd) could receive, block, and throw smoothly,” explained Mrowka. “It’s a tough loss, but we have guys who’ve handled our pitchers before.”

Kubilus, Rider, Lyall, Budd, Klanica, and Clark totaled 36 hits and 29 runs scored last year.

“We are going to ask guys to

step up,” Mrowka said.

CHS will return without senior Vin Sansone. Another football player, senior outfielder Matt Gardiner (four runs scored, 10 hits, one RBI), hasn’t decided about this season.

Mrowka feels senior Kevin Mirando can be an outfield leader.

“Kevin has worked hard and done it by example,” stated Mrowka. “He never complains.”

Jim Brandolini/Cheshire Herald

Mrowka wants the program to strive to return to the Southern Connecticut Conference and Class LL Tournaments, along with improving last year’s fifth place finish in the division.

“We are always tournament tested by the end of the year,” said Mrowka. “We know it’s a tough division and we welcome that challenge because we play the best teams.”

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the cheshire herald, JaNUarY 31, 2013

Fifteen

Sports Highlights

Girls’ V-Ball Wins Locally, Breaks Through In Class LL

cheshire girls’ volleyball head coach sue Bavone doesn’t believe in rebuilding years. so even after chs graduated all but two starters from the 2011 team (231), she still expected to field a competitive squad within connecticut last fall. the girls did more than that in the course of a 22-2 season. cheshire (second seed) outlasted Fairfield Ludlowe 3-2 to reach their first Class LL final since winning the crown in 2007. chs was swept 3-0 by top-seeded darien, but represented the only team to make the semifinals in each of the last three years. “i’m pretty impressed with that aspect,” said Bavone. “We take pride in consistently being a top team in the state.”

This semifinal win was emotional since cheshire had been swept by the eventual champion in the last two semis. chs led 1-0 and 2-1, but after a rally by Fairfield Ludlowe, they found themselves two points (13-10) from elimination in the fifth game. this time, they answered with a 5-0 spurt to victory. sophomore Jill howard hit her only kill of the match and then junior eryn dorsey served the last four points. “that was one of the most exciting matches. We were tired of being out in the semis and finally cracked that ceiling,” added Bavone. “My only disappointment came from not representing ourselves the same way in the final. it would have been good to pressure them (darien), but i’m proud of what we accomplished.”

Led by five seniors, CHS won a school-record fifth straight housatonic division title (8-0) and ninth southern connecticut conference crown (record). they shared both honors with amity.

chs started 13-0, including a 3-1 win over amity, but the spartans came back to be the only team to beat them (3-2) in the regular season. it was their only defeat (4-1) in five-game matches. due to weather complications, the third match between them in the SCC final was canceled. They were named co-champions again.

“It was frustrating because first we would have liked to play for the title and avenge our loss,” said Bavone. “it would have also allowed the girls to get their nerves out in a championship setting.”

Middle hitter amanda Palladino, a senior captain with Meredith Bryden, and sophomore setter sarah rodgers were named co-Offensive Players of the Year and members of the New Haven Register all-area team. in her second season as a starter, Palladino was a dominant hitter. she posted a team-leading 312 kills, 117 blocks, serving 30 aces and adding 36 digs.

Palladino, who shared all-housatonic with Norwegian transfer lisa Walle and sophomore Maria Buzzelli, was the program’s first all-class ll First team selection since 2004. she represented her team in the connecticut high school coaches association senior all-star Game. “i’m so proud of her as a player and person. she embraced being a captain and once we hit states, she turned it up,” explained Bavone.

“Without her, (sophomore) Jill howard is going to have to be our go-to middle next year.”

Walle, another middle hitter by trade, was moved outside. she compiled 185 kills, 23 blocks, 54 aces (team-best), and 79 digs. “lisa was a nice addition who served and hit for power,” said Bavone. “i could always count on

her to be aggressive.”

Walle served 11 of the last 12 points of the 3-1 victory over staples in the Class LL quarterfinal.

Staples won the first game, yet chs served out the next three on extended runs.

“We served well other than the (Class LL) final,” stated Bavone.

“We cut down on our errors.” a server and passer off the bench in 2011, Bryden (57 kills, 31 aces, 19 blocks) became a starting middle in place of 2012 graduate Kelly Gunneson (southern connecticut state University).

“Meredith was unselfish in moving to a new position. We already had a plethora of passers,” said Bavone, who gave her the coaches award. “she was slowing down opposing middle hitters at the end of the year.” dorsey became a starting outside hitter at mid-season, producing 50 kills, 79 digs, and 25 aces. come next fall, she will be the third sister of her family to cap-

Jim Brandolini/cheshire herald

al Valerio/cheshire herald

Amanda Palladino, displayed above setting the ball at the net, was a co-captain. Sarah Rodgers (below) led in assists. tain the lady rams.

Junior Becca ligi will also join dorsey as a 2013 captain. last season, she used her versatility to add 85 kills, 79 digs, and 23 aces. sophomore Jillian haberli (76 kills, 18 digs, 13 aces) provided power hitting after training rigorously to improve her footwork. howard (26 kills, 14 blocks) and junior eva Whelan (17 kills) also came off the bench. rodgers (Most improved; 51 aces, 17 kills, 85 digs) led with 606 assists. chs started out rotating junior Kathleen hastie and rodgers before settling on one setter. rodgers, who succeeded three-year starter Gina Buzzelli (trinity college), set a careerhigh 45 assists at amity. “she did a good job spreading the ball around. sarah showed toughness playing varsity because the majority of opponents were upperclassmen,” said Bavone.

Bavone feels that hastie will be a good right-side hitter next fall

after cheshire graduates Brittney Gunneson. a two-year starter, Gunneson had 84 kills, 24 blocks, 41 aces, 51 assists, and 30 digs.

“Brittney was valuable since she could set and hit for us. her serve also pressured a lot of other teams,” stated Bavone. like rodgers, Buzzelli was a sophomore replacing a graduated captain (libero Kerry chavoya). she responded with a team-best 242 digs, 28 coming in a 3-2 win at Mercy, and 34 aces in earning defensive Player of the Year.

“Maria kept the ball in play for us,” said Bavone. “the good thing is that sarah and Maria still have room for improvement.” senior sarah crooker (cheshire Junior Women’s club leadership award; 41 digs) and junior Phoebe carmichael (79 digs) saw their most time in the back row. “i liked how the upperclassmen meshed with the younger girls. We had great chemistry this year,” added Bavone.

Cheshire Girls’ Volleyball Continues Strong Tradition For Head Coach Sue Bavone In 2012! ¬School record 5 straight Housatonic Division Champions ¬SCC record 9 tournament championships ¬First Class LL Final Since 2007 We love our seniors: Amanda Palladino, Meredith Bryden, Sarah Crooker, Brittney Gunneson, and Lisa Walle.

Lisa, you only spent one season with us, but we hope we were your family away from home in Norway.

the cheshire herald, JaNUarY 31, 2013

sixteen

Sports Highlights

Winter Teams Stay Busy

Boys’ Basketball (8-4; 5-1 in housatonic division) Senior captains: tim covel, eric dietrich, erik Pettit After graduating four of five starters from last season, chs has transitioned from a half-court style to an up-tempo approach.

With their current five-game win streak, cheshire leads the race for a second straight housatonic title.

Junior point guard collin Jordan is the lone starter back. his dribble penetration has created three-pointers for, among others, senior brothers Kevin and eric dietrich, along with Pettit and juniors reid duglenski, Jon rizzo, and tom arisco. sophomore andrew Yamin has provided versatility at both ends.

Fellow first-year starter, junior tyler Post, and covel have provided a low post presence. cheshire uses a deep bench.

Girls’ Basketball (8-7; 4-2) Senior captains: lauren como, emma Gorham, Molly Jalbert. cheshire entered this season as two-time defending housatonic champions. despite two losses, they are still alive in the chase. the team started 6-3, sweeping Hillhouse for the first time. Junior point guard Missy Bailey has persevered through injuries to lead in points and assists. como is a top outside shooter like Bailey and guards the best perimeter player. lauren’s sophomore sister sara como plays up front with Jalbert, Gorham, and sophomore Jill howard. Juniors lily dolyak, Bryanna Mcintosh, Kya

Photos by allen Paul/cheshire herald

Senior Andrew Brown (above) skis around at Mount Southington. Senior basketball player Lauren Como (right) scores between defenders.

O’donnell, along with sophomore Kelly Glatt, are seeing their most minutes in the backcourt.

Cheerleading Senior captains: Whitney lorello, Marisa Pisani after starting the season at last saturday’s Wolcott invite, chs looks to defend their first Southern connecticut conference title on Feb. 2 (10 a.m.) at shelton.

Upcoming competitions include Quinnipiac University (Feb. 16), sachem classic (Feb. 23; North haven), New england Open (March 2; east haven), and state Open (March 8-9; hillhouse).

Before their winter season, fall awards were given to junior Monica Finkle (Most dedicated), along with sophomores Olivia Valente (Most improved) and avery York (cheshire Junior Women’s club leadership award).

Boys’ Ice Hockey (2-10) Senior captain: tom dupont Senior assistant captains: tyler lima, scott romano it has been a frustrating winter for cheshire, who have lost six games by a goal each. they beat tri-town (6-2) on Jan. 21 and Guilford (2-1) five days later. the defense, led by dupont, has been solid. romano has compiled 258 saves in his first season

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as a starter. classmate Jack Naramore (48) and junior Joey solla (19) have also received action.

Junior luke Vendetto (four assists) leads with six goals. sophomore Ben Klanica (five goals) and junior Jonathan hauser (two goals) have five assists. Senior tyler lima (team-best six assists) and junior alex Bausch (one assist) have three goals. dupont and junior dan Purslow have three and four assists, respectively. chs needs six more wins to make the division i tournament.

Girls’ Ice Hockey (7-6) Junior captain: abbie lange lange, along with sophomores lauren Blackwell, alexa carbone, Bailie Violano, and freshmen emily Gotowala and rachel Kozak, have helped the amity/cheshire/North haven co-Op team enjoy a current four-game win streak. alexa’s father tony is an assistant on the staff.

Indoor Track and Field Senior captains (Girls): Jenna hart, saparja Nag, hannah Purtell Senior captains (Boys): sam Brown, Pat Germain, Nick Jakowenko, andrew Perrotti On Jan. 23, chs visited New haven’s Floyd little athletic center for the scc east sectional. Junior selina sampieri claimed first for pole vault (10 feet), breaking her school mark. senior Kathleen Kalbian took second in the 3,200-meters (11:47.91) and 4x800-meter relay (hart, junior Kimmi Grove, Purtell; 9:57.44). the 4x400-meter team (Grove, senior Nicole stauffer, junior Michelle Federico, hart; 4:24.85) also took second. liam Nicoll (300-meters, 36.91) and the 4x800-meter team (sophomore Mark Fusco, junior

Ben Kaplan, senior sagar Nakrani, junior trey Phillips; 8:39.34) won their first titles. The girls and boys took third (68 points) and fifth (40) places, respectively.

Skiing (boys, 4-1; girls, 0-3) Senior captains (Boys): andrew Brown, alec cunningham, Mike harris Senior captain (Girls): Kelsie carlette cheshire boys got off to strong start on Jan. 9, posting a score of 295.45 at Mount southington. Brown (ninth, 47.86), harris (13th, 48.47), senior Matt Bossy (15th, 48.83), cunningham (19th, 49.37), junior ryan Bogrette (23rd, 50.34), and sophomore Joe Urbano (26th, 50.58) all scored. after missing her second season to anterior cruciate ligament surgery, carlette won her 2013 debut (48.56). sophomore liz cunningham (14th, 51.38), freshman Meghan diamond (16th, 51.48), sophomores Jennifer Brown (33rd, 55.22), Katherine dePalma (49th, 59.7), and Morgan hernandez (51st, 60.00) filled out the top six for the Lady rams (326.54). teams need at least a .500 record to make the state Open.

Boys’ Swim and Dive (5-4) Junior captains: Brian Johnson, Pat Morley, Jonathan Jin Qian after graduation cut the rams

to seven athletes, 16 freshmen have strengthened the numbers they lacked in recent years. head coach Fran connolly has never had junior captains before. classmate alex Bauer has lowered his times in his second year.

Freshmen Karl Bishop and Kyle shadeck have joined Johnson and Morley as top point scorers. Freshmen alex cheruk, Michael Goodrich, and Matt Pinciaro have swam on many relays.

The Rams seek to finish well in dual meets and peak at class l.

Wrestling (9-11) Senior captains: dan Massucci, tim homan While forfeiting weight classes in dual meets, chs has been a strong tournament team anchored by 12 seniors. Massucci (138 pounds), senior Josh hunihan (160), juniors Jake cervero (132) and lucas swan (126) and Gabe Vega (170), took first place in the Fairfield Ludlowe Tournament on dec. 15 of last year.

On Jan. 19, cervero won the New Milford tournament. seniors steve Bergeron (145, 152) and dan Mayer (145-152), along with juniors Joe Villano (113) and sophomore erik ravenberg (106), have scored key points. a concussion kept homan (170) out until Jan. 23.

Cheshire hopes to take five or six wrestlers to the state Open.

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