The Valley Regional field hockey team may have entered the 2023 campaign as one of the more youthful groups in the Shoreline Conference, but the Warriors certainly earned their wings by flying high and perching themselves as the up-and-coming club in the league.

Head Coach Julie Labbadia and the Warriors notched five victories in their 16-contest regular season slate to finish with a record of 5-8-3. Valley’s mark was not good enough to qualify for the Shoreline Conference Tournament, though the 20th-seeded Warriors wound up in the Class S State Tournament and took a 2-1 qualifying round loss to No. 13 Haddam-Killingworth to finish 5-9-3 overall.

Labbadia remarked that for her first year into the field hockey fray, she couldn’t have asked for better results with a well-rounded squad that hit all its preseason objectives, while also garnering a great deal of respect within one of the better leagues in Connecticut.

“This year, the goals we had were to qualify for the state tournament, be competitive in our league, and to create a positive team culture where our newer players felt comfortable to take risks and our more experienced players felt empowered to lead and teach,” said Labbadia. “I believe that we did accomplish all of our goals this year. We qualified for the state tournament during our last home game against NFA. We were competitive in our league; we tied two conference teams who had beat us early on in the season. I am the most proud, though, of the culture that was built this year led by our three tremendous captains. The third, fourth, and fifth seed in the Shoreline Conference this year came down to some very close games. We play in a competitive league with great coaches, so it is always exciting.”

The Warriors provided some thrills in high-stakes matchups against top-tier teams, including going down to penalty strokes in the states showdown, in addition to giving the Shoreline’s second-place club all it could handle.

“In the qualifying round of the state tournament, we played the 13th seed and took them to shootouts,” said Labbadia. “We had some really close games against tough opponents. We played a hard-fought 2-1 game against Old Saybrook.”

The trio of senior captains that helped ignite Valley’s competitive fire at the top were Madeline Siegel at sweeper, midfielder Abigail Reardon, and Clara Shea up front at forward on offense. No matter their turf tasks or assignments, each girl brought their own unique skill sets and leadership qualities to the table.

“Madeline Siegel held down our defense at sweeper, directing the girls and getting the ball out of the circle. She knows the game very well and has aspirations to play in college. She is always working hard in the offseason, learning as much as she can on her club team,” Labbadia said. “Abigail Reardon is an amazing midfielder. She is the hardest worker on the field, tenacious to the ball, and is always playing with urgency. She is always giving 200% effort. She knows how to transfer the ball up field well. Clara Shea is our leader on the forward line. She also knows the game very well, and has outstanding ball-handling skills. She works really well with the other forwards, creating openings and opportunities in the circle. She is always really mindful of giving our younger players a good experience as new players on the team, because she knows what it is like to be in their shoes.”

In her final comments on the captains, Labbadia maintained that each athlete really established the expectations for the entire team on a daily basis by holding nothing back and leaving it all out there.

“Beyond knowing the game very well, our three captains really set the tone for our team,” said Labbadia. “They came to practice every day with a mindset of working hard and taking the game seriously. Because our team is so young, they have been really patient with the newer players, and have taken the time to teach them and guide them on and off the field.”

Siegel and Reardon both notched First Team All-Shoreline accolades, while being named additionally as Shoreline Conference Scholar Athletes. Siegel also earned a spot on Second Team All-State, plus sophomore Belle Rice maneuvered her way to an Honorable Mention for the All-Shoreline squad.

The page will begin to turn to 2024 for the Warriors, and while the seniors have penned their final chapter, they leave a quintessential legacy behind that will certainly be inherited by a young, primed, but experienced underclass.

“We are excited about next year's team. We may have lost our three fabulous captains, but they have done such a great job of preparing our underclassmen to take over for that,” said Labbadia. “We have seven starting sophomores and one junior who are ready to lead next year. All of our players are excited and determined to take on varsity roles next season. As we reflected on the season this year, the underclassmen reflected that they felt included, and that we were all a cohesive unit.”

Unity was well and present throughout the program this fall through all 17 contests and numerous practices, along with some crucial community events. The youth came to play this campaign, thanks in large part to the seniors setting the stage for a comfortable atmosphere, where the girls could play without pressure and be themselves.

“We worked with Chester Parks and Recreation and hosted a clinic for three Sundays in a row that culminated in a Youth Day Game, where the youth participants came and warmed up with us before our game. They were really excited to hear their names called. Hopefully it gives them a glimpse into playing for our team one day,” said Labbadia, assisted by Valley softball skipper Olivia Whitehead this year. “Our players really worked as a unit this year. It started out of necessity because our team was so young, so we needed the more experienced players to step up and teach the younger players. Because we empowered the captains to make it a safe environment and communicate that it was okay to try new things, make mistakes, and put themselves out there, it allowed everyone on our team that space to grow and trust each other through the good and bad.”

The 2023 Warriors’ roster is comprised of seniors in Siegel, Reardon, Shea; junior Lucy Resnisky; sophomores of Catalena Goldberg, Emily Bachand, India Sharp, Gabriella Sweet, Coralina Giuliano, Isabella Jacoby, Addie Guzalis, Rice, Emily Atwood, Amelia Giantonio; and freshmen Scout (Hawley) Kornacki, Marina Morgan, Violet Fritz, Penelope Martel, and Upel Lhamo.

2023 Valley Regional Field Hockey Regular Season Results

Sept. 11: Valley Regional 6, Morgan 1

Sept. 14: Westbrook-Old Lyme 2, Valley Regional 0

Sept. 19: Old Saybrook 4, Valley Regional 1

Sept. 21: North Branford 3, Valley Regional 0

Sept. 30: Immaculate 3, Valley Regional 0

Oct. 2: Valley Regional 4, Morgan 0

Oct. 5: Westbrook-Old Lyme 0, Valley Regional 0

Oct. 7: Valley Regional 4, Waterford 0

Oct. 10: Old Saybrook 2, Valley Regional 1

Oct. 13: North Branford 3, Valley Regional 0

Oct. 14: Valley Regional 1, Woodstock Academy 0

Oct. 17: Haddam-Killingworth 1, Valley Regional 0

Oct. 18: Somers-Rockville 1, Valley Regional 0

Oct. 23: Valley Regional 2, Somers-Rockville 2

Oct. 24: Valley Regional 1, Haddam-Killingworth 1

Oct. 26: Valley Regional 2, Norwich Free Academy 0