As the final seconds ticked down, the athletes on the Branford girls’ lacrosse squad rushed the field with overflowing emotions. There were tears, hugs, high-fives, kudos galore—all the signs of a team that had just accomplished something special and, in this case, something unprecedented. The reason for this outpouring was because the Hornets had just claimed their first state title in program history by beating Pomperaug 15-8 in the Class M State Tournament final at Law High School in Milford on June 10.

“We just won states!” exulted junior LanLe Crotty amid the celebratory frenzy.

Branford and Pomperaug were both making their initial appearance in a state final, and the Hornets’ victory marked the first time that a school from the Southern Connecticut Conference won a state championship in girls’ lacrosse. Branford had taken a 13-12 overtime loss at Pomperaug during the regular season, but gained a big-time measure of revenge with the state title at stake by scoring goals in droves, while stifling the Panthers’ attack. The 4th-seeded Hornets finished their season with a record of 17-5, while No. 2 seed Pomperaug went 17-3.

Lacrosse has been blooming in Branford throughout the past two decades, and Head Coach Jackie Ceccolini, who was a member of the high school program from the get-go, saw her team come out of the state final smelling like a rose.

“It feels pretty amazing. I’ve been a part of this program since it started back in 1999, being an athlete at the school, so just to be here this entire time and see the growth of the sport, it’s an extremely rewarding feeling,” Coach Ceccolini said. “I am so proud of them. They’re a team that just constantly escalated since the beginning of the season. We just got better and better and, tournament play, they just turned it up.”

The Hornets took a quick 2-0 lead before Pomperaug netted three straight goals to go up 3-2. However, Branford dominated the game from that point on. The Hornets scored the last five goals of the first half to take a 7-3 lead into the break and then buried a pair early in the second half for a 9-3 advantage. Pomperaug got as close as 10-5, but the Hornets retaliated with five goals in a row on their way to the win.

Sophie Spencer netted six goals and had one assist for Branford, while fellow junior midfielder Autumn McHenry had three goals with three assists. Crotty also scored three goals, junior Sabrina Torcellini had a pair of goals, and senior captain Ashlee Smestad added a goal for the Hornets.

“It’s completely amazing. This team’s been together since 3rd grade, with a couple of new players. This a team that wanted to get in the state championship,” said Smestad. “We’ve been working so, so hard, and every offseason. We’ve been together since we were so young. This is the perfect way to end it. It was amazing. Branford lacrosse finally got what it deserved, and that’s a state championship, and we’re so happy about it.”

Smestad was part of a ferocious attack that kept Pomperaug on its heels throughout the contest, but Branford’s defense played an equally pivotal part in the landmark victory. The Hornets’ defensive core of senior captain Morgan Gilman, juniors Grace Paleski, Emma Pierson, and Caroline Erickson; and freshman Karly King flustered the Panthers’ offense by preventing them from getting many clear looks at the net. And when Pomperaug did see an opening, Branford’s sophomore goalie Jill Ciarlegio stood tall and turned those shots aside. Ciarleglio, who was in her first year as the Hornets’ starting keeper, made eight saves, including several key ones when it was still anyone’s game early on.

Gilman said the Hornets studied up on Pomperaug entering the state final and felt that played a huge part in them winning the rematch. The captain also handed out some high praise to her club’s first-year varsity netminder.

“She just got thrown into varsity this season, and she really did step it up this game, and we’re all so proud of her,” said Gilman on Ciarleglio. “It’s honestly one of her best games yet.”

Ciarleglio came up with a couple of big stops in the opening minutes of the game to keep it scoreless. Four minutes and 16 seconds in, McHenry broke the ice by scoring a goal for a 1-0 Branford lead. Ciarleglio made another nice save a few minutes later, and then Spencer bounced one past Panthers’ goalie Dana Jeannette Gridley to make it 2-0 with 17:28 left in the first half, causing Pomperaug to call timeout. The Panthers responded by scoring three goals in a 46-second span to go take a 3-2 lead, but it was all Branford from that point forward.

Pomperaug had possession in the Hornets’ zone with a few chances to go up by two, but those opportunities never materialized, and Branford made the Panthers pay. Smestad started a surge of seven straight Branford goals by putting one home to tie it up with 8:10 left in the half. Two minutes later, Crotty bounced another one in and the Hornets had the lead for good at 4-3. With 4:40 remaining in the half, Ciarleglio made her save of the game by denying Pomperaug’s Justine Troiano after she had gone coast to coast, preserving the Hornets’ one-goal edge. Spencer followed by scoring three goals in the final 1:44 of the half to stake Branford to a 7-3 halftime advantage.

“The key to victory was us winning the draw, Jill Ciarleglio came up with some amazing saves, we put the ball in the back of the net, our defense clicked today, and it was amazing,” Spencer said.

The Hornets came out of the break hungry for more and promptly popped in a pair to make it 9-3. McHenry scored one minute in and then Spencer fired one home a minute later to finish off Branford’s seven-goal blitz. Pomperaug got one back and appeared to have another, but it was waved off due to a charging call to keep the score at 9-4. Crotty’s wraparound goal made it 10-4 before Pomperaug scored with 15:54 remaining.

Branford answered with five consecutive goals to blow it open behind a 15-5 command. Crotty, Spencer, and McHenry all found the back of the net one final time, after which Torcellini got in on the act by notching a pair of scores to put Branford up by 10 with 4:59 to play. Pomperaug scored the last three goals, but it was too little, too late, as Branford emerged with the 15-8 victory and the Class M crown.

“Teamwork and heart, you get where you want to be,” Smestad said. “It shows that anything is possible. I never thought I’d be here, and it’s an amazing, amazing feeling.”

While the 2017 edition of the Hornets will forever be the one that brought the first state title to Branford, Coach Ceccolini was quick to credit everyone who’s been part of sport’s growth in town, and so it was only fitting that they all got to celebrate together on a beautiful afternoon.

“As you look around, you’ll see a lot of the moms and dads that were coaches when these girls were in youth, so they’re just as proud as we are and the girls are, because we’ve all had a hand in this,” Ceccolini said. “It’s really like a whole town effort, and so it’s a great feeling today.”

Branford had sealed its spot in the state final by posting a 16-13 victory versus top-seeded East Lyme in the Class M semis at Guilford High School on June 6. Spencer scored nine goals to lead the Hornets, who led 11-9 at halftime and outscored the Vikings 5-4 in the second half. Torcellini netted three goals with an assist, while Smestad and McHenry both scored a goal to go with two assists. Junior Haley Maercklein had a goal with an assist, and King added a goal. Ciarleglio came up with seven saves in net for Branford, which avenged an 11-9 loss against East Lyme in its season opener.

From the Sidelines

The Hornets’ roster consists of senior captains Morgan Gilman and Ashlee Smestad, fellow seniors Charlee Grady, Kaitlin Parker, and Gabby Piscitelli; juniors Caroline Erickson, Sophie Spencer, LanLe Crotty, Haley Maerckelin, Erin O’Brien, Sabrina Torcellini, Hailey Manware, Emma Pierson, Britney Bunbanlu, Erica Klarman, and Autumn McHenry; sophomores Carly Shea, Jill Ciarleglio, Jessica Amarante, and Grace Paleski; and freshmen Brianna Shaw, Karly King, and Brooke O’Leary. Head Coach Jackie Ceccolini is assisted by JV Head Coach Melissa Carney, Billy Alessi, Joe Alessi, and Christina Smith

During the regular season, Branford went 12-4 and recorded victories against Haddam-Killingworth (12-6 and 15-11), Guilford (12-6), Sheehan (17-2), Old Lyme (10-9), Masuk (13-4), Old Saybrook (19-7), Mercy (20-6), Barlow (7-4), Law (17-6), Hand (13-12), and Amity (17-4). The Hornets also took defeats against East Lyme (11-9), Cheshire (12-9), Lauralton Hall (13-12 in overtime), and Pomperaug (13-12 in overtime).

In the SCC Tournament, Branford defeated Guilford 14-13 in the quarterfinal round before taking a 13-12 loss to Cheshire in the semifinals. The Hornets defeated Foran (15-3) and Farmington (18-5) in the first two rounds of the Class M State Tournament prior facing East Lyme and Pomperaug.