When asked if his team met its preseason goals, Guilford girls’ soccer Head Coach Scott McMahon answered an emphatic, “absolutely”, and who could blame him.

After compiling an impressive 14-2 regular season mark with their only two losses coming to Cheshire in the slate’s opening and closing matchups, the Indians then went 7-0 in postseason play, allowing only three goals in that playoff run, to defeat Branford for both the SCC and Class L state titles—the program’s eighth state crown overall and first since 2003.

“Our first goal was to have whole team, from starters to all players on bench, pulling and pushing for each other to be their best; we had a very close team,” said McMahon, whose squad also won the SCC Hammonasset Division with a perfect 6-0 mark. “We also wanted to give up less than a goal a game [17 tallies surrendered in 23 games], win our division [25 goals for, none against in six divisional tilts], make the final of SCC Tournament, and make at least the semifinals of the state tournament. The biggest accomplishment this year was the SCC and Class L championships in same year, a nearly unprecedented accomplishment.”

Along that state championship road, Guilford had a group of 16 stellar seniors, led off by co-captains in central defender Emma Smith and left midfielder Gabi Sejourne (6 goals, 5 assists). Rounding out the class were Liz Rubbo, Bridget Hackett, defenders Tori Loukakes, Lauren Renz, Maya Morduch-Toubman, and Shauna McLaughlin; midfielders Rachel Winer, Julia McMahon, and Stephanie Maiorino; forwards Nikki Basilicato, Kyera Bryant, Grace Wagner, and Lindsey Updyke, along with reserve goaltender Claire Weil (over 200 minutes; 2 goals allowed).

“Emma Smith was the steady leader of defense communicating responsibilities and developing her two new outside defenders [juniors Paige Dostie and Zoe Demitrack], while Gabi Sejourne may have been most consistent player on team from game No. 1 to 23,” said McMahon on his captains. “We had huge contributions and energy from Julia McMahon. Lauren Renz was always there to maintain our defensive level. Behind them were Rachel Winer, Grace Wagner, Lindsey Updyke, Maya Morduch-Toubman, Shauna McLaughlin, and Stephanie Maiorino, who contributed by making this the best and deepest team ever at Guilford. A special contribution was made by Claire Weil, who backed up [junior starter] Emily Stephens in goal and was instrumental in Emily's development this season.”

With the Indians’ team postseason success came multiple solo awards. Junior midfielder Julia Carr (team’s leading scorer with 19 goals, 15 assists), Basilicato, and Loukakes (who made the Senior Bowl) made the New Haven Register’s All-Area squad, as McMahon was named Head Coach of that same area team. Basilicato (also earning a spot in the Senior Bowl) and McMahon were named MVPs of the SCC and state tournaments, receptively.

For All-State Team membership, those honors went to Carr, Basilicato, and Loukakes, and the Indians boasted six athletes on the SCC All-Hammonasset Division squad in Carr, Basilicato, Loukakes, junior forward Allison Stephens, Bryant, and Smith. Sejourne also notched an Academic All-State Team nomination with her 4.37 grade-point average.

In terms of squad awards for Guilford (69 goals for with only 17 allowed in 13 shutouts), Carr won the team MVP and Golden Boot accolades as the group’s leading scorer, Emily Stephens was the Sportsmanship Award recipient, and Julia McMahon took home the Coaches’ Award.

In defense of their two crowns next fall, the Indians return six starters with Carr, Emily Stephens, 12-goal scorer Allison Stephens, Demitrack, Dostie, plus junior Maddie Weil at midfield. Additional varsity letter winners returning are juniors of center midfielder Olivia Watrous, center defender Marieke Page, and outside midfielder Caroline Miller; plus a JV and freshman program will supplement this group led by freshmen Andrea Basilicato and Kayley McLaughlin, along with sophomore Grace Clancy.

“Expectations are high; there is tremendous talent in the underclassmen. The ultimate key to our success will come from how far these girls improve and how hard they work this offseason,” said McMahon. “If our second seven or eight players can push the first eight, then we can reach championship levels once again.”

In closing, McMahon said this squad showed the ultimate example of teamwork and its payoffs.

“It is hard to say anything that would do this season justice. This was an amazing group of girls led by an amazing group of seniors who represented themselves on and off the field as true leaders,” said McMahon. “This group showed the program how to respond maturely to setbacks, how to stick together and wish the best success for their teammates, even at the detriment to themselves, and how to persevere. It was an honor to coach them and to see them all have the success they deserved.”