The Westbrook field hockey team is two years removed from winning Shoreline Conference and Class S state titles. Last season, the Knights notched a record of 9-5-5 and qualified for both the Shoreline and State tournaments. This year, Head coach Janet Dickey and her squad are hoping to get back to those lofty heights of 2016. After a strong start to the season, Westbrook looks poised to make another run.

Westbrook currently sports a 4-0 record after securing wins in both of its contests last week. On Sept. 20, the Knights defeated an up-and-coming Morgan squad by a 1-0 final on the road. Two days later, Westbrook scored another 1-0 win against Fitch-Ledyard in a home game.

Coach Dickey always expects to see improvement from her teams as they gain more experience, although she admits that the Knights’ undefeated start to the 2018 season is a pleasant surprise.

“I always expect to take a step up, but I’m happy and surprised with how quickly they got going this year,” said Coach Dickey. “I knew that only losing one senior last year, we wouldn’t have to fill a lot of roles. They’ve all worked hard together. They went to camp together and played indoor together. They’ve worked very hard as a group, and that’s paying off now.”

Both of Westbrook’s recent victories required some hard-nosed play to eke out the game-winning goal. Coach Dickey got to see Shoreline Conference opponent Morgan for the first time this season, and she was impressed with how well the Huskies played. Junior Lexi Koplas scored the lone goal of the game when she put one into the back of the net in the first half. Koplas is one of Westbrook’s strongest offensive threats, and Coach Dickey said that she’s found her groove on the field, even though field hockey is still a relatively new sport for her.

“Lexi Koplas is only a second-year player for us, but she is our top scorer, and that was her fourth goal on the season,” said Dickey. “She plays left wing very well. She knows her role there. She has a great nose for the ball and is a great all-around athlete.”

Last year, Westbrook had a difficult time finding enough offense to break scoreless ties and earn those extra points in the standings. However, it seems like that experience helped the players on the squad find that extra edge. The Knights’ defense managed to hold the fort in those low-scoring contests last season. That was the case in the recent Morgan game, where sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Horne only needed to make one save to get the shutout.

“Last year, were unable to get a ball in the net to get out of those 0-0 ties,” Dickey said. “Lauren had one save in the Morgan game. Our defensive unit does a good job keeping pressure off Lauren.”

Later in the week, the Knights faced off against non-conference squad Fitch-Ledyard and came away with a 1-0 victory on Sept. 22. Westbrook’s depth proved crucial as Coach Dickey kept a rotation of substitutions moving to keep her attackers fresh. Junior Alivia Ciarcia came off the bench and scored a goal in the second half off of an assist from fellow junior Olivia Hartzell. Coach Dickey believes that her bench may be the deepest it has ever been.

“It’s been a great year with people off the bench who are qualified to go out there and play well,” Dickey said. “We don’t have a lot of drop-off when we hit the bench. I can’t tell you the last time that I felt like that.”

Another key to the Knights’ success this season is the steady leadership they are receiving from senior captains Avery Bauman and Katherine Dahl. Bauman and Dahl were named junior captains last year, when Westbrook had only one senior on the team. Now, the duo is picking right up where they left off.

“Avery and Katherine were junior captains last year. They came into this season as senior captains,” Coach Dickey said. “They’re great leaders on and off the field, and they’re great organizers. Their work ethic is fantastic, and they give what you would expect out of great leaders.”

Both captains are part of a solid midfield for the Knights that also includes Alex Young. Many plays start developing in the midfield, and the midfielders’ ability to move the ball and get around defenders helps create openings on the attack.

“Avery, Alex, and Katherine are the main midfield unit,” said Dickey. “Alex is a drop center forward. She has defensive responsibilities in the midfield, and she’s one of top assist-ers on the team right now. We need her to shoot a bit more, though. Avery is doing a lot of ball-handling and dishing, too.”

Defense is another strength for Westbrook, and that was apparent during the team’s two shutout victories last week. Seniors Jamie Merola and Carolyn Bauman, junior Kendall Orlowski, and sophomore Bailey Roberts lead the Knights in the backfield. Goalkeeper Horne has made a good habit of constantly communicating from in front of the net.

“Kendall Orlowski is the sweeper and a deep back. She’s just solid, along with Bailey and Jamie. Bailey was stopping any run that Fitch was trying to make against us. She’s getting better every game,” said Dickey. “Carolyn is in the middle and makes great runs up the field when she has an opening. As a unit, they all play really well together. Plus, Lauren is getting more vocal in the goal. Last year, she had someone directing the traffic in front for her, and now she’s the one doing that.”

Coach Dickey knows that her team will still face several stiff tests as the season wears on, including an upcoming matchup against the reigning Shoreline Conference and Class S state champion North Branford. Dickey just wants her athletes to stay focused on executing their game-plan and playing the best field hockey they can. She believes that everything else should take care of itself after that.

“We’ve just got to bring our A-game every game. We have to worry about getting our job done and, if we do that, then we have a good chance of competing,” said Dickey. “I tell the girls to worry about us. We need to do what we do well, and then, we can worry about everyone else.”

From the Sidelines

The Westbrook field hockey team’s varsity roster includes senior captains Avery Bauman and Katherine Dahl; seniors Carolyn Bauman, Ingrid Bauman, Alana Bochanis, and Jamie Merola; juniors Alivia Ciarcia, Lexi Koplas, Olivia Hartzell, Kendall Orlowski, and Alex Young; and sophomores Elizabeth Gallagher, Megan Greaves, Lauren Horne, Brooke Neri, and Bailey Roberts.

Janet Dickey is in her 27th season as head coach of the Knights. Emily McCabe-Algers is Westbrook’s JV head coach and a varsity assist.

In last year’s Shoreline Conference Tournament, the Knights took a 2-1 overtime loss to Valley Regional in the semifinals. In the Class S State Tournament, No. 8 seed Westbrook defeated 9th-seeded Waterford 1-0 in the first round, before losing to North Branford in the quarterfinals.