The North Branford field hockey team has certainly asserted itself impressively in the Shoreline Conference for close to the past decade. Yet the 2024 edition of the squad was something else, as not only did the girls keep the consecutive string of league titles alive, but they did it with arguably the most proficient showing in program history.

The Thunderbirds entered the Shoreline Conference a dominant No. 1 seed after posting a 12-1-2 regular season mark in which they were not only undefeated in conference play, but they did not let up a single goal in any Shoreline matchup.

After beating No. 4 seed Old Saybrook in the tournament’s semifinal with a 4-0 shutout on Oct 25, the Thunderbirds met third-ranked Haddam-Killingworth for the crown on Oct. 28 at Indian River Complex in Clinton. North Branford made sure the league final was no exception to the regular campaign and prevailed with a 3-0 win. North Branford has now captured eight straight conference crowns with a dynasty dating back to the 2017 season.

“Of course, every team has their goal to win a championship. However, when we met at the beginning of the season in August, our team was determined that their first goal was to work together in a united way. This was a priority,” said Head Coach Babby Nuhn. “We take one game at a time and try to genuinely focus and try to improve our skills and strategies each and every practice and game.”

North Branford, now 14-1-2 overall on the campaign, finished the regular season outscoring its league rivals 27-0, and then for the entire slate, it only surrendered 11 tallies.

“It means a lot to us to have kept the winning streak going. We've been working hard since July, and to capitalize on that hard work makes it worth it,” said senior captain Lily Ardito. “Our younger players have had to really step up this year, and our veteran players have been good leaders. We're working well as a team and have an awesome coaching staff; they make sure we're prepared for every game. We pride ourselves on being a well-balanced team, so letting in no goals is a total team effort.”

Ardito got the scoring started on the night for North Branford with a tally at 10:33 of the first quarter for what would stand as the game’s deciding goal. At the 8:03 juncture of the second stanza, senior Daytona Kamienski found the back of the net to give her group a 2-0 edge. Senior Alivia Schmidt capped off the offensive output following a feed from classmate Sam Ferraro at 12:29 of the third. From there, the defense held firm–as has been typical of them all fall long–and the girls rode out the clock to the crown.

“Winning a Shoreline championship for the fourth year in my high school career is an amazing feeling. The atmosphere is just great with family and friends cheering in the stands; everyone is loud and just enjoying every moment of the game,” said Schmidt. “Winning is more than just a trophy, it's a testament to consistent hard work, dedication, and teamwork. Our team has had a winning mindset for the last four years. We work hard every day and continue to improve, along with adapting to new and different teams. We continue to stay focused on our goal: winning. I'm so proud of my team and dedicated coaching staff. It has been great being a part of such a strong, resilient team.”

North Branford outshot the Cougars, 8-2, while juniors Ashlyn O’Rourke and Madi DiStefano shared the blanking in the cage with one save apiece.

Nuhn explained that Ardito has taken on the responsibility of being the sole steward on the team in stride. She never relents an inch or complains about her obligations while showing her heart for the sport and her squad.

“It is quite difficult to be a captain, much less a lone captain,” said Nuhn. “Lily leads on and off the field in such a selfless style. She is an excellent role model in every sense of the word. She oozes her passion through every action taken for the team. She is the first one at practice and the last one to leave.”

Earning First Team All-Shoreline honors for the T-Birds were seniors Schmidt, Ardito, and Riley Cole. More impressively, Ardito was named the conference’s co-Player of the Year with Westbrook’s Brooke Ouellette. Senior Joanna Lamot, sophomores Aubrey Weld, and Autumn LeBeau saw Second Team recognition. Nuhn also shared Coach of the Year honors for the league with her Westbrook counterpart Janet Dickey.

Now, the Thunderbirds look to defend their subsequent title from 2023 in the Class S State Championship. The tournament kicked off with No. 3 seed North Branford hosting No. 14 Nonnewaug on Nov. 5 (after press time). A win there puts the Thunderbirds in the quarterfinals on Thursday, Nov. 7 against either No. 6 Granby Memorial or No. 11 New Fairfield.

“It is imperative to peak at the right time. We are learning each day to become stronger teammates, to support each other, and work together,” said Nuhn. “A team must be committed physically, mentally, and socially in order to achieve success. Like any family, we have navigated through some challenges, but we are emerging as a solid, united team.”

O’Rourke, who has played a pivotal role in so many of the Thunderbirds’ shutouts on the scoreboard this year, explained that the girls staved off the pressure as the defending title holders. Yet the focus is now on the next foray and moving towards the pinnacle of the sport and what they play for.

“Honestly, getting to play with this team all year has been an honor. We knew that we had a target on our back going into this game, so we made sure to bring the energy,” said O’Rourke after the Shoreline title win. “We focused on our foot work and just staying calm during the game in order to perform well. It means so much to win Shorelines again and continue the streak with an eight-peat. We have improved our communication so much that I had help on and off the field, which helped with passes leading to goals. It meant a lot for us to win this, but we are getting ready for states and now have a new goal. We are now looking to continue this energy through states.”

Assistant coaches for North Branford this year are Kathy Galdenzi, a program alum now on staff for 12 years; four-year fixture and another former player of Nuhn’s in Sabrina LeMere Bonito; former Thunderbird Cheryl Torino Canada (now in her fifth year on the sidelines); plus volunteer coach Lori Connelly.

The 2024 North Branford roster is comprised of seniors Ardito, Ferraro, Schmidt, Lamot, Kamienski, Cole; juniors O’Rourke, Isabella Warren, DiStefano; sophomores Mallory Harper, Katheryn Zulawski, Ava Angiollo, Siena Podzikowski, LeBeau, Mia Harper, Laila Delfino, Valentina Spinelli, Taylor Dalip, Eliza Pinette, Weld, Iris Troque, Peyton Cameron, Juliana Stimpson; plus freshmen Alexa Durkin, and Ava Ferrucci.

2024 North Branford Field Hockey Regular Season Results

Sept. 6: North Branford 1, Westbrook 0

Sept. 10: North Branford 4, Old Saybrook 0

Sept. 13: North Branford 1, Haddam-Killingworth 0

Sept. 16: North Branford 5, Valley Regional 0

Sept. 19: North Branford 2, Morgan 0

Sept. 24: North Branford 1, Westbrook 0

Sept. 27: North Branford 1, Old Saybrook 0

Oct. 1: North Branford 3, Haddam-Killingworth 0

Oct. 7: North Branford 2, Sacred Heart Academy 2

Oct. 8: North Branford 7, Morgan 0

Oct. 12: North Branford 4, Stonington 4

Oct. 15: North Branford 2, Valley Regional 0

Oct. 17: North Branford 1, Amity 0

Oct. 19: East Lyme 4, North Branford 3

Oct. 22: North Branford 2, Branford 1