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09/18/2015 12:00 AMAfter reaching the pinnacle by winning SCC and state crowns last fall, Hand field hockey knew it would enter this year with a big target on its back. Through the formative stages of the regular season, the Tigers have already shown they own a viable arsenal of talent that can once again take them to the top.
In 2014, Hand claimed its first SCC championship in four seasons by topping league newcomer Lauralton Hall. The Tigers then went on a thrilling Class M State Tournament run as the No. 2 seed—allowing only one goal in each of their four contests en route to knocking off top-seeded Wilton for the program’s first state title. While saying good-bye to 15 seniors from that sensational squad, Hand has sent a message to the state that it’s in no mood to relinquish its top seat as the Tigers blanked their first two opponents in league heavyweights Lauralton Hall (2-0) and, most recently, Guilford by a 5-0 final on Sept. 15.
“We haven’t really talked about team goals as it’s hard to follow up a year like last year, but I think it’s legit for this team to set goals. Yet I think this team will mature nicely and compete with a majority of the teams out there,” said Head Coach Sue Leckey. “We are young on defense and in the backfield, but they are athletic and will grow. We have 15 seniors again with 11 of them being forwards, so they just have to put the ball in the net. Everyone is lacking in some experience, whether on the field or with each other as a team, and we are just trying to find players into the right positions and jell.”
Playing at Guilford (0-1-1), Hand and the Indians stood at a scoreless standstill at halftime until the Tigers broke out in the second half with a five-tally flurry in an 18-minute span. Senior co-captain Sam Pavano finished the night with two goals, while assisting on another pair. Freshman Taylor Leckey also helped on a pair of scores. On the defensive side, sophomore netminder Kylie Gargiulo made four saves.
“Nothing really changed for us after halftime. I think we just kept doing what we were doing and they just let up a little bit. The game was pretty even until the last seven minutes or so,” said Coach Leckey. “Sam and [senior] Cameron [Ruberti] are strong players. Sam has a crushing hit that can get us on the scoreboard, while Cameron has a ton of speed and athleticism. We also have a sophomore goalkeeper that is a great athlete and will be a great keeper down the road. We are trying to get her experience and the first two games have gone a long way for that.”
In the decisive second half, Ruberti broke the deadlock at the 18:12 mark, when she found the back of the cage following a feed from Pavano. Pavano then increased the lead to three by scoring at 13:59 and 9:04—connecting with Leckey twice and having senior co-captain Alli Buller also help on the latter tally off a corner. Senior Kirsten Duncan got involved in the scoring action less than two minutes later at 7:33 with Cami Hobin taking ownership of the dish. Finally, with 2:15 to play, senior Erin Maxwell capped off the evening with a goal thanks to assistance from Pavano.
“We will get this team to be strong, but it will be a rocky road with a lot of individual and team ups and downs, but that’s part of what it takes,” said Leckey. “For someone like Sam, it will be a different game for her after playing alongside two All-American players [Hannah Leckey and Erin Mammele] last year and to now be the lone All-American and play in that role of elevating others, it is a different perspective from last season. We graduated nine starters, including two of the most dominant field players in Connecticut, but we have the lessons of what it took in effort and teamwork to win last season and we have a team of girls that truly respects each other and loves the game of field hockey. They will have to work hard to put together a team that will be ready to compete against some of the best teams in Connecticut.”
The road to returning to postseason prominence will not be easy for the Tigers as they still have rematches with the Crusaders and Indians, in addition to conference clashes against powers Branford and Cheshire, plus upstarts Hamden and Mercy. Additionally, Hand will take on some strong non-conference adversaries in two-time Class S state runner-up Granby Memorial, as well as Darien, which has held the Class L crown three years running after sharing it with Glastonbury last season. Still, Leckey is confident that her girls have the will and competitive nature to grow and take on all comers.
“We really have a tough schedule, but I think we will battle. So far, we played even with Lauralton Hall and even with Guilford through three-fourths of the game. If our goalkeeper battles, which she will, we will be OK,” Leckey said, as the Tigers moved to 2-1 with a 1-0 loss at Cheshire on Sept. 19. “We have hard-working kids here and have solid seniors that want to succeed. We also have young kids that are able to step up. We hope to be in the SCC Tournament and the final, which will be a tall order, and we also look to compete well in states.”
From the Sidelines
Hand outshot Guilford 16-4 while the Indians earned seven penalty corners to the Tigers’ five.
The Tigers finished 20-2-1 overall last season in winning both the SCC and Class M titles.
Sue Leckey, who begins her 13th season as Hand head coach with a career mark of 184-40-18 entering this fall, was honored by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association as the Coach of the Year in 2014 for field hockey back on May 14.
Leckey is assisted by assistant head coach Mike Niekrash, JV coach Carly Ruberti, and freshman coach Amy Zupan.