Fall Sports Highlights for 10.16.17

Reduced in number due to injury and long weekends, the Martlets fell to a fast Kent squad. The Black and Gold could only muster eight runners to face the Lions on their beautiful but challenging course. Looking strong, Bethany Winters '20 led the Martlets crossing the line fifth overall followed closely by Michelle Wu '21and Maggie Chaves '19. Gabi Drumm '18, Jennifer Jerand '19, Valeria Osorio '19 and Martina Daniele '19 completed the First Team roster for Westminster.

 

The Kent School course is one of the most scenic and challenging in the league, with soft field paths leading to steep, rock-strewn trails. With a healthy crowd of spectators due to Kent’s Parents Weekend, the Martlets came ready to compete. Although a few Kent boys jumped to a lead at 200m in order to block the narrow trail, Westminster’s captains, Emmett de Kanter ‘19 and Teagan Stedman ‘18 would not be denied, and both had established commanding leads by ⅓ of a mile into the race. De Kanter went on to set a course record on this newly established 5K course; Stedman took second; and Kieran Haug ‘21 came in third to lock in the team victory for the Martlets. Kent took the next spot, followed by four more Westminster runners. Daniel Pinckney ‘20 was especially tough in the final mile to take fourth for the team, followed by Elliott Kennard ‘19, Daniel Chey ‘18 and, for his first First Team finish of the season, John Kuzminskas ‘18. When we last raced here two years ago when it was a shorter course, only three Westminster runners broke 20 minutes; this year, the top six broke that mark. The Second Team took the top five spots against a large field of 80 runners from the three schools. Led by surging Will Rizzo ‘21 and steady Connor Seeley ‘18, the Westminster pack outpaced a lot of blue- and red-clad opponents in the final mile to own the Second Team competition. Other scoring runners today were Andrew Doucette ’18, Alex Ellis ‘20 and Ryan Szykowny ‘18. James Manderlink ‘21, a newcomer who has also been looking great in practice, moved into the first displaced spot and #13 on the team with a tough-minded race.

The Martlets played a great game with the defense and midfield making it very hard for Hotchkiss to create chances. In attack, Westminster struggled against the Hotchkiss defense. A lot of possession did not translate into many scoring chances. This was a superb battle between two very closely matched teams. Hotchkiss scored with two minutes left from a short corner. The coaches are delighted with the Martlets work rate, effort and team cohesion. It was a tough loss for a game that was so evenly matched.

 

The Martlets played their best field hockey of the season tonight. The energy and communication made a strong platform for inter-passing and tight defensive plays. The Martlets scored twice in the first half and then went further ahead with a nicely worked corner and a deflection by Emma Lange '18. Westminster played very well against Hotchkiss on Oct. 11, but this was the fulfillment of potential that the team had been waiting for. A great win. The team plays Deerfield in four days. Goals were made by: Greta Baker '19, Lilly Holmes '18 and Emma Lange '18.

 

The Martlets worked hard in their game against Hotchkiss. When they brought the ball up the sidelines, they found a lot of success bringing it into their offensive end. In the first half, the team kept it in the offensive circle for much of the time. There were shots on goal but the timing didn't allow them to land one in the net. In the second half, Hotchkiss fought back. The ball was often in the defensive end. The defense (Layla Ennis '19, Jacq Autorino '20 and Eva Pfieffer '21), without subs for the game, gave a ton of effort to keep it out of the net despite being tired. The midfield also worked hard to keep the ball from going into the goal. Ally Marenco '18 had many saves and a great clear at the end of the game when the team needed to get it out of its defensive circle. In the end, neither team scored but Westminster should be proud of its effort. It was a well-played game.

Third Girls’ Field Hockey travelled one town north to take on the JV team from Granby. The Martlets proved up to the task, keeping the Bears scoreless for the first half. The Martlets played tough in the second half too but weren't able to keep the Bears off the scoreboard. After Granby went up by one, the Martlet offense had a wonderful series of passes in transition that ended with a pretty goal by Halli Keenan '21, assisted by Ellie Suit '20, to tie the score. The Martlet defensive unit of Alisa Toner '21, Jacq Autorino '20, Tatum McBreen '21, Andrea Warrick '21, Jenna Kosior '21 and goalie Kyani Jemmotte '20 worked hard all game, turning back multiple shots by Granby. During a Granby corner play, Clara Ekholm '20 had a beautiful defensive save to "steal" a goal back from the Bears. Unfortunately Granby scored two more later in the half and the final score was 1-3 but the Martlets battled to the end.

 

The Martlets had an exciting win over Deerfield on Oct. 11. After a tie score of 0-0 at the half, the girls stepped up their game in the second half and started moving the ball quickly and effectively through the midfield. Celia Sotirhos '21 scored both goals assisted by Alisa Toner '21 and Olivia Zhang '20. Kyani Jemmotte '20 had a shut out in goal.

Third Girls’ Field Hockey faced a tough team at Hotchkiss during the school’s parents weekend. The Bearcats got on the board early in the first half as the Martlets took a little time to adjust to the grass field. After the goal, the Martlet defensive and midfield players picked up the tempo and created several scoring chances before halftime. In the second half, the play was more even as the Martlets got the ball to the Bearcats goal many times but were unable to score. With only two extra players on the bench, the Martlets tired and gave up another goal in the last two minutes.

The Martlets hosted Hotchkiss Oct. 11 on their home field for a high-scoring game that consisted of unevenly distributed scoring between the two halves. Hotchkiss came out strong with two goals within the first 20 minutes of play, but Westminster answered one of those goals when Paige Phillips '20 found Ella Varano '21 for a solid finish. However, three quick Hotchkiss goals, all in the span of two minutes, gave the visiting team a large margin going into the second half. The 5-1 Hotchkiss lead was extended by two more goals early into the second half. The Martlets then kicked it into high gear, scoring three unanswered goals at the end of the game. Emma Davis '18, Georgia Swank '19 and Katy Maxon '18 all found the net in the final 11 minutes of play, but the visiting team withstood this too-late second half surge and left Simsbury with a 7-4 win over Westminster.

The Martlets hosted Williston Northampton for the third and final game under the lights on Hovey Field. Williston and Westminster battled for balls in the air, but Williston came up with many of the 50/50 wins. Fifteen minutes into the first half, the Martlets gave Williston too much space to play outside their defensive 18-yard box and sent one into the Martlet net. Despite some promising through balls, chances in the midfield from the Martlets and key saves from goalkeeper Allison Kijanka '20, the score remained 0-1 favoring the visiting team.

Westminster would host The Master’s School on another great weather day. In front of a great crowd the Martlets looked to climb back into the game late, but Westminster would just run out of time.

 

Westminster headed up Route 91 to take on Deerfield on an overcast afternoon. The home team would score first, off a tipped free kick from about 35 yards out. Westminster would have equal the possession in the first half and a couple opportunities but Deerfield's All-American keeper would own his 18-yard box. Second half would see a lot of the same, both teams playing some good prep school soccer. Deerfield would get a well-taken second goal off a run from one of their players just outside the six-yard box. Westminster — pressing late — would give up an odd man rush that Deerfield would capitalize on. Chanler Miller ‘18 and Nate Pane ‘19 played a solid game in the midfield. Holding down the back line was speedy and always tough to play against Sean Clarke '19. Peyton Knuaf '19 had a solid game in net with five saves but also was extremely busy coming out and getting balls both on the ground and long throw-ins.

Westminster would host Salisbury on another hot fall day. The Martlets would start the game with two quality chances inside the six-yard box but couldn't convert on either. Both team got up and down the field during the first half exchanging good possession time and chances. Salisbury would counter off a good Westminster chance at the start of the second half to put them up 1-0. Only a few minutes later, there would be a play that found a Salisbury player alone with the ball 40 yards from goal and no Westminster goalie in the net. The visitor would show great poise and place the ball over all players and into the net. Some later breakdown by the home team would cost them. 

The girls had their hands full against a speedy and skillful Bearcat squad, but the home team took an early lead when Cecilia Raymond '20 was in the right spot for a Susie Mahoney '20 cross in the fourth minute. Despite multiple good chances on both ends of the field, the remainder of the half remained scoreless. The visitors turned the tide, establishing a territorial advantage that led to an early goal of their own, five minutes into the second half. Just six minutes later they doubled their total on a long high shot. After a couple of good chances to tie the game fizzled, Raymond scored her second of the day after winning a footrace and placing a nice shot low to the far side of the net at the 60-minute mark. Unfortunately, it would be Hotchkiss who would take the final lead, scoring again from long range in the 67th minute. On the day, Maddie Dwyer '18 had another very strong game in central defense, while the midfield tandem of Ridgely Green '20 and Lauren Way '20 did a nice job of distributing the ball and initiating attacks.

 

The girls took to the Hovey Field turf on a beautiful afternoon and ended their three-game skid with an impressive performance against Williston. The game began as a back-and-forth midfield battle with both teams making deep forays into their offensive ends. The Martlets were unable to convert on a series of golden opportunities, but midway through the first half Susie Mahoney '20 got behind the Williston defense yet again and found the back of the net. Despite keeping the pressure on, the home side had to settle for a 1-0 lead at the half. The suspense wouldn't last long, as Cecilia Raymond '20 scored twice in the first nine minutes after the intermission, once on a breakaway, and once after taking a neat through ball from Ridgely Green '20. Ellie Bailey '21 converted a Becca Gavel '18 corner kick in the 69th minute, and Mahoney took a pass from Maddie Dwyer '18 and blasted a left-footed shot in the 77th minute to close out the scoring. Supplementing the potent offense, Dallis Alvarez '18 and Abby Davis '20 played solid games at outside back to keep Williston largely at bay.

Deerfield jumped out front with a breakaway goal in the eighth minute and scored again in the 53rd to go up 2-0. Westminster fought hard defensively but struggled to get the ball forward for much of the game. With eight minutes to play, Walker Stevens '19 dribbled in along the end line from the left side and squeezed a shot that ricocheted off the near post into the keeper and into the goal. The Martlets threatened multiple times in the closing minutes but couldn't find the equalizer. Elton Paintsil '18 and James Plumb '18 played excellent defense off the bench, and keepers Alex Gadowski '18 and Malcolm Kleban '20 combined for 12 saves in a fast and physical game.

  

SK Lee '18 started the scoring with two goals in the first six minutes, the first a toe flick assisted by Walker Stevens '19, and the second a left footed shot across the face of the goal and into the side netting. In the 32nd minute, Grant Noble '18 found Jake Monroe '20, who hit a strong left footed shot to go up 3-0. In the second half, Elton Paintsil '18 dribbled out of the back, beating several opponents one-on-one before playing a give-and-go to Henry Mitrano '19. Paintsil then rifled a shot from the right top corner of the box that flew past the keeper and into the net. Monroe returned the favor by assisting Noble, who scored in the 52nd minute and again in the 60th on a loose ball in front of the cage. The defensive core of Zach Tarazi '18, Peter Hall '18, Alex Biedron '18 and Paintsil held the Salisbury attack at bay and frequently got involved with the Martlet attack.

Westminster lost to Renbrook School on a beautiful fall day; a rare Thursday afternoon game. They played hard for the full 70 minutes, even though they were down 3-0 at the half. Ondine Finley '19 played most of the first half and led the defense. Captains Nadia Lee '18 and Amanda Liu '18 also put in many minutes and helped to energize Westminster's play. The team did a much better job both in controlling the ball and getting first to goal kicks.

 

Fourth Boys’ Soccer lost to Granby High School 1-3 on Oct. 10 in a game that was much closer than the score indicated. William Mell '21 continues to be very strong in goal and Westminster's lone score came, again, from Peter Sanger '21. Rex Flinn '21 and Wes Oltsch '20 played well too.

Fourth Boys’ Soccer worked very hard for two halves against a very talented Avon Old Farms fourths team but couldn't score. Zach Burelle '20, Charlie von Stade '21 and Harry Stevenson '20 all worked very hard to control the ball.