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Yellowjackets Keep Establishing Themselves as Contenders

One of Head Coach Jake Hackett’s biggest goals for the East Haven girls’ soccer team this year was for the Yellowjackets to make the playoffs. With strong leadership from the seniors and the younger players’ willingness to adapt, the Yellowjackets were able to achieve their goal by qualifying for the Class L State Tournament on the last day of the regular season.

“Our goal every year is to shake things up in the SCC. We worked hard to get where we’re at in the division,” Coach Hackett said. “Our goal is to always make the SCC and State tournaments and have a good of a run as we possibly can. We wanted to continue getting better every day.”

East Haven started the 2021 season by losing three of its first four games. Following a 2-0 loss to Sheehan, the Yellowjackets had a conversation and discussed the areas where they needed to improve.

“After the Sheehan game, we ended up getting together as a team and had a talk. We spoke about how this wasn’t what we wanted to do. We had to really reassess our goals and get together as a team,” said Hackett. “From that point forward, I thought we played great. Before then, we weren’t jelled as a group. The level we competed at every day is something to be very proud of.”

After that chat, the Easties won three of their next six games and also earned ties in two of them. Coach Hackett said that East Haven’s 1-1 tie against Mercy and 2-0 win versus West Haven were two big highlights for the team during the regular season. Even in the team’s two defeats against Guilford, Hackett felt that the Yellowjackets battled hard and delivered two strong performances in a pair of one-goal losses.

East Haven needed to defeat Hamden in its regular-season finale in order to qualify for states this year. The Yellowjackets claimed a 5-1 win behind two goals from senior captain Emily Pycela, along with one goal apiece by senior captain Kate Pycela, junior Gianna Mendez, and sophomore Gianna Castellano. Sophomore Seralyn Lendroth made 10 saves to help the Easties clinch their place in states and finish the regular season with a record of 6-8-2.

Coach Hackett said that the Hamden victory was not only a huge win for this year’s team, but also the entire school and greater East Haven community.

“That win proved our character. We refused to give in. We refused to give up. The girls refused to quit and said that there was no way we were going out like this. We fought and played really hard,” Hackett said. “That performance against Hamden was the pinnacle of how much we have grown, how we battled and how much better we got every day. It’s a meaningful step for the members of this year’s team and the kids coming up.”

East Haven entered the Class L State Tournament as the No. 22 seed and took on No. 11 Ellington for a road game in first-round action. East Haven scored first on a goal from junior midfielder Sydney Herard, but Ellington answered back with a goal to tie the game and then scored two goals during overtime to come away with a 3-1 win.

Despite the loss, Coach Hackett felt proud to see the Easties play their hardest all game and leave everything they had on the field. Throughout the season, East Haven operated using the Mirror Principle. The essence of it is that when you go home every day, can you look yourself in the mirror and say that you gave everything you had? Following the Ellington game, Hackett was proud to hear that everyone on the team had successfully answered yes to that question.

“The girls were all bought in. We knew what we needed to do. We spent plenty of time preparing for it. We played very well. Unfortunately, we had a few girls pick up injuries. But we had the next-player-up mentality,” said Hackett. “We had some players step up and give it everything they got. We didn’t win the game, but I was very proud of the program that day. Everyone stepped up.”

East Haven was led by a senior class of seven athletes this year. Emily Pycela, Kate Pycela, Emily Mazzucco, and Anajha Nelson served as the senior captains for the team. Mazzucco earned All-SCC First Team honors, while Emily Pycela was named to the All-SCC Second Team with Mendez.

Mazzucco, Kate Pycela, and fellow Alex Castro each played on the defensive side of the ball for East Haven. Coach Hackett said that all three seniors made crucial contributions to East Haven’s effort on that end of the field.

Senior Jocelyn Lucero patrolled the midfield for the Easties this season. Hackett said that Lucero worked hard every day to improve and exceeded all expectations as a senior.

Emily Pycela was one of East Haven’s top offensive players with her performance as a forward during the past four years. Pycela scored more than 40 goals throughout her career with the program.

Nelson, a forward; and Szewc, a midfielder; were also valuable contributors for the Yellowjackets. Coach Hackett said all of his seniors are team-first players who served as excellent role models for the younger athletes on the squad.

“I threw these girls in headfirst as freshmen. They grew ever year, and their impact on the program is huge,” Hackett said. “We can replace positions, but we can’t replace people. They are paramount to what we have been doing as a team and have set a great pathway for the rest of the players.”

East Haven has named Mendez, Herard, and fellow current junior Gabby Gaetano as its senior captain for the 2022 season. Coach Hackett called Mendez an exceptional talent that you can build a team around. Hackett added that Herard is an anchor of East Haven’s midfield and that Gaetano has continued to get better every year since starting as a freshman. Hackett said that all three captains are strong leaders who will continue helping East Haven succeed next year.

Coach Hackett is also looking for several of the club’s younger players to take a step forward in 2022, including Castellano, who he expects to become more of a focal point of the Yellowjackets’ attack. Other key players returning for East Haven will be current sophomores Valerie Sortito, Natalie Brown, and Mya Fenn, as well as freshman Hannah Dudley. Hackett said that he’s eager to see how Lendroth keeps improving as a goalie after starting in net for the first time as a freshman this season.

Throughout the past few years, Coach Hackett has seen East Haven make a name for itself as an emerging team in the SCC. As the team looks to build off of this season, Hackett is hoping that the younger athletes learned a lot this fall and can keep the Yellowjackets’ momentum going next year.

“We want to continue being a strong team in the SCC. It has taken us time to get to a place where we’re competing every game. We’ve crawled our way up from the bottom, and now we’re in a good spot,” said Hackett. “The younger players in the program will continue to learn from the older players. They’ll take those lessons and use them when it’s time to step up. Our future is bright, and I’m proud of all the work our team has put in.”

The East Haven girls’ soccer team’s roster features senior captains Emily Mazzucco, Anajha Nelson, Emily Pycela, and Kate Pycela; fellow seniors Emma Szwec, Jocelyn Lucero, and Alex Castro; juniors Sydney Herard, Gianna Mendez, and Gabby Gaetano; sophomores Seralyn Lendroth, Natalie Brown, Valerie Sortito, Violet O’Hara, Maya Fenn, and Jasmin Pinos; and freshmen Keyonna Davenport, Valery Orrego, Hannah Dudley, and Dalexa Pereanez.