With so many kids who had been entrenched in the program for years, the Haddam-Killingworth boys’ soccer team had the potential to put together a special season in 2017. The Cougars’ experience factor ultimately paved the way to a campaign that saw the team make some big-time history.

H-K finished with a record of 15-3-3 for a season in which the Cougars won a share of the Shoreline Conference Tournament title after playing to a 1-1 tie with Morgan in the league final, marking their first conference crown in a decade and third overall. Head Coach Denis Recchia’s team followed that by posting shutouts over Wolcott (8-0) and Plainville (2-0) in the first two rounds of the Class S State Tournament, before losing to eventual state champion Lewis Mills in the quarterfinals. Recchia said the familiarity factor among his athletes translated to many triumphs for the Cougars last year.

“This team has been waiting to have a year like this for the past couple of seasons,” said Coach Recchia. “We had many juniors and seniors that played together since middle school, and they were building to this moment for a while. Everyone knew from the start that we had to capitalize on this year.”

H-K’s roster featured eight seniors, including co-captains Ben McLaughlin and Gabriel Mangiafico, who were both All-Shoreline Conference First Team and All-State honorees. In terms of both their play and leadership, Coach Recchia said his captains saved the best for their last runs at Haddam-Killingworth.

“The impact of the senior class on this program was humongous. With Ben and Gabriel, it was a blessing to have one of them on offense and the other on defense,” Recchia said. “The seniors were a great group of kids and athletes. Ben and Gabriel had been key players here since their sophomore years, so it was great to see everything come into fruition for them this year.”

The Cougars showcased their depth right from jump when McLaughlin was injured during the season opener and saw limited action in H-K’s first few conference games. However, the Cougars were able to weather the storm following this setback and boosted their confidence in the process.

“We had a much older team with talented players, so this year as a coach, it was one of those seasons where it was easier to get the guys started,” Recchia said. “But early on, Ben was injured in our first game, but it made everyone else step up. But it set the tone for this year knowing we had other guys who could score goals, and that we could win games still.”

Junior Ben Marchetti also made the All-Shoreline Conference First Team for H-K. Junior Tom Williams, senior goalkeeper Jack Spooner, and senior Kyle Crandall earned All-Shoreline Honorable Mention. For team awards, Mangiafico was named H-K’s Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year, with McLaughlin winning the team’s Offensive Player of the Year Award. Colby Whitehead was the Freshman and Varsity Rookie of the Year, and senior Wyatt-John Morrell won the Cougar Award.

H-K will welcome back a strong core of players when it tries to build upon its postseason success next fall. Looking back at the recent season, Coach Recchia commended his athletes for how hard they fought from beginning to end, while never losing sight of their objectives.

“We will still be strong next year. We are losing a strong senior class, so it will be interesting. We still have a lot of offense coming back, so we should be pretty good next year,” Recchia said. “This was my fourth year in the program, so I have known the guys, and it was great to see them accomplish what they knew they could do. The guys kept their eyes on the prize. They went out and got it. They played right with Lewis Mills every step of the way. It was a great year all the way around.”

From the Sidelines

This was Denis Recchia’s second year as the head coach of the Haddam-Killingworth boys’ soccer team.

The Cougars’ varsity roster was comprised of seniors Jack Spooner, Gabriel Mangiafico, Matt Savastra, Ben McLaughlin, Kyle Crandall, Wyatt-John Morrell, Isaiah Smith, and Sam Purdy; juniors Nick Ouellette, Dan Martone, Alex O’Bymachow, Tom Williams, Ben Marchetti, Trent Ferguson, Spencer Williamson, and Nolan Serbent; sophomores Colin O’Brien and Dmytri Mallon; and freshmen Colby Whitehead and Tim Carter.

For the regular season, H-K’s wins came against Amistad (8-1), Valley Regional (3-1), Cromwell (4-0 and 4-0), Hale-Ray (5-0), Westbrook (8-0), East Hampton (7-0), Old Lyme (8-1), North Branford (4-0), Portland (3-1), Waterford (4-0), and St. Paul (8-0). The Cougars’ losses came against Coginchaug (2-1) and Old Saybrook (1-0), and they also earned ties versus Morgan (1-1) and Valley Regional (2-2).