The Hand field hockey team is on to the semifinals of the Class M CIAC State Tournament following a 3-2 thrilling victory over Simsbury on Nov. 10. Simsbury struck first and took a 1-0 lead into the halftime break. Hand responded with 3 unanswered goals and held off a furious final effort from the Trojans down the stretch to punch their ticket to the semifinal round.

As the game reached the final 3 minutes, Hand held a commanding two goal lead until Simsbury scored from an incredible angle on the baseline. Suddenly the pressure was fully on the Tigers to fend off an equalizing goal for the final 2 minutes. Head Coach Sue Leckey was glad they had built the 2-goal cushion. She was also glad she had All-SCC goalkeeper, junior Faith Minickene, in net who recorded 8 saves on 10 shots.

The win was undeniably a team effort, and like so many Hand field hockey games this season, the box score is crowded. Junior Kelly Kilbourn opened the scoring with a goal assisted by senior Anna Flanagan. Senior Addison Kosiewicz scored next with an assist from junior Kelly Kilbourn. All-SCC junior Jordan Kells scored her goal unassisted.

In front of Minickene in goal, strong defense has been played all tournament by All-SCC senior Olivia Ameika, junior Rebecca Snyder, sophomore Morgan Mastrobattisto, senior Grace Barrett, senior Anna Flanagan, sophomore Hannah Rich, senior Kennedy Courtney and senior Shawn Staak.

Coach Leckey sees the Tigers’ depth as a strength and a difficult aspect for other teams to prepare for. “I think that our girls have come to know that they are much stronger when they are using each other,” Leckey said. “I think we present a problem for teams because you can’t just shut down any one part of our team and beat us, because there’s somebody else who’s going to step in.”

Hand opened the state tournament with a 3-0 shutout over Avon. The Tigers’ offensive depth was again on full display with goals from sophomore Addison Kosiewicz, junior Jordan Kells, and sophomore Bridget Waters. Assists came from senior Kennedy Courtney, senior Anna Flanagan, and senior Grace Barret. Goalkeeper Faith Minickene tallied 6 saves in the shutout victory.

“I think the girls are playing really good team hockey right now,” Coach Leckey said, “trusting each other and playing up to what they are capable of. We’ve grown as the season’s gone on and I think they’re in a nice groove right now.”

A trio of seniors has helped spark the Tigers’ offense and provided scoring opportunities up front. They are led by Erin Funk, Liberty Rogers, and Paris Cartelli along with junior Katie Flanagan.

Coach Leckey is proud of this group of seniors and feels their growth this year has mirrored the team’s growth as a whole. “They’re a tremendous group of seniors,” Leckey said. “They all contribute in different ways, they’re super positive and they’re all on the same page for what they hope to accomplish. They work together as a team which is really important, and just like the team has gotten better, the seniors have continued to improve.”

After three early season losses the Tigers have certainly found their stride, ending the regular season with a 6-1 record since

Oct. 1. Coach Leckey is proud they have been playing their style of hockey and translating that into wins on the field.

“We’re certainly glad we’re where we’re at, and pleasantly surprised,” Leckey said. “I think if we play our game and play really good hockey, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win and that’s what you hope for at this stage in the game.”

Waiting for them in the semifinals, Hand finds a familiar opponent — the Branford Hornets, a fellow SCC member and the

No. 4 seed. The two schools squared off early this season on Sept. 27, ending in a scoreless draw. Coach Leckey acknowledges that the familiarity is an added wrinkle to their biggest game of the season thus far.

“It’s also different because it’s a league rivalry,” Coach Leckey said of preparing for the upcoming rematch. “It almost feels like there’s more on the line than just a state game.” Coach Leckey continued about Branford, “they’re good, so we know we have to play our game, we know they’re really well coached, we know they’re hungry and we know they’re really hard workers, so we just need to outwork them and be patient with our game and capitalize on opportunities.”

In past seasons Hand has ended each practice with a cheer including the dates of that year’s state tournament, using it as a season long goal and motivator. This year the team has not done that, choosing instead to truly focus on each game individually. Coach Leckey thinks this year’s squad sees success in each moment by looking right in front of them and winning the game of the day.

“I think this was a group where we couldn’t look that far out, we had to look right in front of us, and we’ve just continued to look right in front of us. I do love setting that goal and reaching for it, and it’s been quietly in the background, but our vision has been on what’s next, and I think that was fitting for this team and probably necessary.”