For the second straight year, the Haddam-Killingworth boys’ soccer team locked horns with Morgan in the championship game of the Shoreline Conference Tournament last week. While the Cougars didn’t come away with a title like they did last season, H-K still hung tough with the Huskies and showcased why they have the potential to be a forced to be reckoned with in the Class M State Tournament.

After winning seven of its last nine games to make the final, 3rd-seeded H-K squared off against top-seeded Morgan with the Shoreline title at stake at the Indian River Complex in Clinton on Nov. 3. Last fall, the two teams shared the conference championship after playing to a draw. In the 2018 edition of the Shoreline final, Morgan claimed the crown outright by earning a 3-0 victory versus the Cougars.

Morgan led 1-0 at halftime and then started to pull away by netting of goals in the latter portion of the second half. Despite the loss, Head Coach Denis Recchia feels good about the way his team is playing as H-K gets ready to dive into states this week.

“The best thing about these guys was how they came together,” said Recchia, whose squad has an overall record of 11-6-2. “The [5-1 loss] to Morgan in the regular season was a good turning point for us. In the Shoreline semifinals, we were also down to Valley Regional twice and won on penalty kicks. It was a great accomplishment to just get back to this game after the seniors we lost from last year.”

Trent Ferguson made seven saves in goal for the Cougars, who were outshot 19-5 by Morgan. Ferguson earned a spot on the All-Shoreline Conference Second Team for Haddam-Killingworth this season. Seniors Ben Marchetti and Thomas Williams made the All-Shoreline First Team, while senior Dan Martone and sophomore Colby Whitehead garnered Honorable Mention recognition. Coach Recchia heralded his athletes for going on a second-half surge to get back to the conference final for the second year in a row.

“These guys really came together as a group,” Recchia said. “We lost some guys to injuries this year, but the guys have stepped up to fill those roles. We’ve had great leadership here, and the guys here care.”

H-K and Morgan were scoreless through the first 20 minutes of play in the Shoreline final. The Huskies (14-2-2) then broke the ice when Zach Tuccitto assisted David Saturno for the game’s first goal and a 1-0 edge with 17:03 remaining before halftime. Morgan took its one-goal lead into the break.

The Cougars looked for an equalizer in the second half, but Morgan increased its lead to 2-0 when Jhonnyer Paida scored for the Huskies with 15:53 to play in the game. Saturno followed by notching his second score of the contest to make it 3-0 with 11 minutes left.

Earlier in the Shoreline Conference Tournament, Haddam-Killingworth edged out No. 6 seed Cromwell by a 2-1 score in a first-round home game on Oct. 30. Marchetti and sophomore Tim Carter scored the goals for H-K in the win.

The Cougars advanced to face No. 2 seed Valley Regional in the semifinal round and earned a 3-2 victory after winning the deciding penalty-kick session by a 4-3 margin on Nov. 1. Marchetti and senior Alex O’Bymachow scored Haddam-Killingworth’s goals during regulation. Carter buried the winning penalty kick for the Cougars.

“We played Cromwell three times in a week, so to get that win in Shorelines was tough,” Coach Recchia said. “Valley is a great team and has had an excellent year. We were down after they scored on some set pieces, but we had a gut-check moment at halftime and responded.”

The Cougars are playing in the Class M State Tournament that gets underway this week. H-K is the No. 18 seed and will play a first-round game at No. 15 seed Nonnewaug at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

“Class M will be tough and might be the hardest division in the state top to bottom,” said Recchia. “We don’t have the best seed, so it will be a fight and challenge. But playing in the Shoreline Conference, which is well-respected, has helped us prepare, I think.”