Rob McConville is in his second year as head coach of the Hand girls’ soccer program, and he’s seen the team develop quickly under his watch. After finishing with a record of 5-3-2 last year, the Tigers are sporting a mark of 4-1-3 through their first eight games of the 2021 season.

“We have strong upper-class leadership who are looking to push the team as far as we can go,” Coach McConville said. “We have a very tough schedule, and the girls are competing every game, working to get better.”

Hand has been playing solid soccer from the outset of its season. The Tigers claimed a 4-2 victory at Brookfield in their opener, and Coach McConville felt that start was exactly what they needed to begin the campaign.

“We really hit the ground running this year with a big road win versus a strong Brookfield team,” said McConville. “For the most part, we have a very difficult regular-season schedule. We have been challenged so far in almost all of our contests, but have only dropped one game. We are still finding our rhythm as a team.”

Hand continued its strong start to the season by posting a win against Amity and then earning a tie versus Sacred Heart Academy last week. On Sept. 28, Hand hosted Amity and came away with a 3-1 win at the Surf Club.

With her team trailing 1-0, senior forward Maddie Hummel scored the first goal of the game on an assist from junior forward Lydia Doraz to put the Tigers on the board. Sophomore midfielder Rory Parri and senior captain defender Abby Leckey netted the final two goals for the Tigers, both assisted by Hummel. Senior goalkeeper Brooke Salutari made nine saves to help Hand open its week on a positive note.

“I think our best soccer is yet to come this season. I am excited to see when we can get all the pieces in place,” Coach McConville said. “This week, we played two undefeated teams at the top of the SCC and earned a win and a draw. That really helped with our confidence, and the girls feel like we can play and win against anyone we step on the field with.”

Amity came into the game against Hand with the best record in the SCC, but the Tigers dealt the Spartans their first defeat of the season with the 3-1 victory.

“We spend a lot of time dissecting our opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. Then we modify our game approach to both highlight our strengths, while also minimizing the impact our opponents’ key players can have,” said McConville. “We knew [Amity] had three dangerous players, so once we sorted out our defense after they scored the first goal, the girls took care of the rest and scored three unanswered goals to win. It was a total team effort.”

Two days after defeating Amity, Hand played a road game against Sacred Heart Academy and the contest ended in a 1-1 draw. Sophomore forward Lilly McFadden scored the Tigers’ lone goal of the game on an assist from senior forward Mia Forti. Salutari stopped eight shots for Coach McConville’s squad.

“This year there is no learning curve between the players and myself. Our goals for this season are to get better every day through hard work and training,” McConville said. “No one on this team is taking anything for granted after the modifications to last season. We look at each day, whether it is a game or a practice, as an opportunity to get stronger on the field, but also, just as important, to create a bond as a team.”

Leckey and Ella Skonieczny are serving as the senior captains for Hand this season. The Tigers’ senior class also features Salutari, Forti, Hummel, Riley Caruso, Adelia McGuire, Pia Jensen, Lila Sullivan, Karleigh Kokoruda, Sydney Aboulian, and Emily Gervais.

The Tigers’ junior corps includes Doraz, Maddie Coulis, Meryl Sullivan, Maya Howard, Lily Fried, Adelyn Arroyo, Olivia Catala, Aubrey Canth, and Coco Rourke. The sophomores on the team are Parri, McFadden, Lily Paine, and Charlie Lee.

Coach McConville’s ultimate goal for the 2021 season is for the Tigers to finish a complete campaign without any setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The threat of shutdown or modification always looms large, however, the girls worked hard last year through a lot of unknowns, and the focus this year is no different,” said McConville. “Just control what we can control and work when we have the opportunity.”