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11/23/2014 11:00 PMThe North Haven girls’ soccer team saw its share of ups and downs in a season that ultimately saw the Indians finish with a record of 4-10-2 and miss the Class L State Tournament for the second straight year.
Brittany Collard’s squad started slow by mustering just a 0-0 tie against Hand through its first five games, but then got something going with 4-1-1 spurt in its next six. In that stretch, North Haven twice defeated Cross/Hillhouse/Career (3-1, 3-0), along with a posting 1-0 win against fellow division rival East Haven, a victory versus Hand by the same score, and a scoreless stalemate against Amity. The Indians were now in position to win the Oronoque and possibly make states, but they dropped their final five contests, including a 3-0 loss at Branford that sealed the division title for the Hornets.
“I think it was definitely a roller coaster season. The way it started off wasn’t too promising, but they’re a resilient group of girls and they fought back a little bit and made some noise midseason and we actually played Branford for the division title. But then we took some losses that put us one-and-a-half points away from making states and so it was definitely a bittersweet season,” said Collard, who completed her fourth season as head coach. “The win against East Haven was a pick-me-up, but there were other losses that hurt us later in the season, like losing to Branford at home [4-2 on Sept. 30]. We would have won the division, but instead it went the other way, the second time around was for the title, and Branford is a good team on their home field.”
However, even though her club fell shy of its goals this fall, Coach Collard was still nothing but complimentary of her senior class, which she felt set a template for the program to return to its winning ways of a few years ago, when North Haven won the division title outright in 2011 and shared it in 2012.
“The girls, especially the veterans, set us up for success in the future. The morale of the team was better than last year and we had a more cohesive atmosphere and so hopefully the underclassmen will take that apply it for the next few years,” said Collard, who was assisted by Dave Fazzuoli. “We have a group of underclassmen who want to win really bad and are driven by hard work and so I think we’ll just work on being more diligent, tackling the task at hand, and being more aggressive next year.”
The Indians were led by their dozen seniors, including captains Emily Migliorini and Alexandra Ford, who both patrolled the midfield and who Collard felt played a pivotal part in her squad staying united through the peaks and valleys.
“Emily and Alexandra prepped the girls in the offseason, they were determined, they wanted the girls to have a cohesive atmosphere, and they succeeded,” Collard said. “It’s a grueling season, but they pushed us through the hard drills and they complemented each other very well. We were grateful to have them.”
Another valuable member of the senior class was goalie Victoria Casco, who posted six shutouts to make the All-Oronoque team and gain selection the Senior Bowl. In fact, Casco was so valuable that she was chosen as North Haven’s Most Valuable Player.
One other member of the senior class worked her way to All-Oronoque accolades in defender Jenna Volpe.
“Casco had a very consistent season. She came focused every game and was really the backbone of every single win. She focused and motivated the girls around her with her play and by being vocal,” said Collard. “Jenna Volpe started for me as a freshman, matured quickly, and she’s just a player who you can rely on. You’re never nervous when she’s on the ball because you know she’ll make the right play.”
Collard also presented the Sportsmanship Award to one of her seniors and that went to outside midfielder Erica Acquarullo.
“We were blessed to have Erica on the team,” Collard said. “She didn’t play last year due to injury, but was back on the field this year and was always positive.”
The rest of North Haven’s senior class featured midfielders Erika Ross and Abby York; defenders Erin Ross, Alexis Tomaszewski, and Alyson Milone; plus JV captains Rachel Kelly and Dominique DiBiazo, who played the midfield and defense, respectively.
The Indians’ junior class was led by forward Morgan Heyl, who netted three goals with four assists and recorded the lone tally in the East Haven win. Heyl earned herself a spot on the All-Oronoque team. Junior midfielder/defender Christina DeFalco played for both the JV and varsity clubs and came away with the Most Improved Player Award.
“Morgan is a very composed player who’s smart and is just a workhorse. She’s also a humble player and that’s a great attribute to have,” Collard said. “Christina started off playing mainly JV, but got called up and scored a few big goals, including one against Hand, which was memorable. She’s a positive leader who motivates the girls around her is there for there for right reasons.”
Another athlete in the junior class was midfielder/defender Kristina Holle.
The Indians’ sophomore core was guided by forward/midfielder Natalie Acquarullo, defenders Kristin Lynch and Emily Shea, and midfielder/defender Elya Paolillo.
The team’s freshmen were forward Kate Tullo, midfielder Kylie Brandt, and defender Shelby Tomaszewski.
Tullo collected an honor that Collard created upon becoming head coach in the Rookie of the Year Award.
“Kate was an outstanding freshman who demonstrated quality soccer at the varsity level,” Coach Collard said. “She is a hard-working, respectful player who just puts her head down and dives through. I see a bright future for Kate in our program.”