The Hand field hockey team took a loss against Branford in the semifinals of the Class M State Tournament last week. On Nov. 15, the 5th-seeded Tigers went up against No. 9 Branford in a Class M semifinal matchup at Guilford High School and lost a 1-0 decision the Hornets. Hand finished with an overall record of 14-5-1 on the season.

Branford scored the lone goal of the game on a penalty corner at the 5:40 mark of the second quarter when the Hornets faced the Tigers in the state semifinals. Branford was able to hang on to its one-goal lead through the rest of the game to get the 1-0 victory and advance to the Class M championship.

Hand posted a record of 11-4-1 during the regular season this year. The Tigers then entered the SCC Tournament as the No. 3 seed. Hand claimed a 6-0 win over No. 6 Sacred Heart Academy in a quarterfinal game before taking a 1-0 loss to No. 2 seed and eventual champion Cheshire in the semis.

Following SCCs, Hand opened play in the Class M State Tournament as the No. 5 seed and notched a 3-0 victory versus No. 12 seed Avon in the first round. The Tigers then defeated No. 4 seed Simsbury by a 3-2 score in the quarterfinals to advance to their semifinal contest with Branford.

—Chris Piccirillo