'Unmasking the hidden need' - Valley Press

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Back to the semis for Simsbury By David Heuschkel Sports Editor SIMSBURY – The Simsbury field hockey team advanced to the Class L semifinals for the second straight year and third time under fifth-year coach Brooke Bulmer. She would agree there’s no better way to get there than at the expense of your rival, mutual respect aside. The No. 4 seeded Trojans beat No. 5 Glastonbury, 1-0, last Friday at Holden Field. Stephanie Rosenberg scored midway through the first half and Allison Renwick made seven saves as Simsbury shut out the Tomahawks for the second time in 12 days. It was the second year in a row that Simsbury eliminated Glastonbury in the quarterfinals after beating them in the regular season. “We always get pumped up for Glastonbury. Always,” Bulmer said. Simsbury (14-1-2-1) was considered a long shot to upset topseed and defending state champion Darien in the semifinals on Tuesday. The Blue Wave (16-1-1-0), whose only loss was to New York power Lakeland/Panas, has won five state titles in the last six years. Bulmer described Darien as “a college team” and therefore saw her team as the heavy underdog. She was planning to gather the team on Monday night to watch “Miracle,” hoping the movie about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team would inspire the players. At the same time, she acknowledged it would take a near-miracle to pull off the upset. The teams had two common opponents – Fairfield Warde and Ridgefield. Simsbury played Fairfield Warde to a scoreless tie in the regular season and needed penalty strokes to beat Ridgefield, the No. 13 seed, in the first round of the tournament. Darien beat Fairfield Warde, 4-1, and Ridgefield, 3-0, this fall. Simsbury hasn’t been to the finals since tying Stamford to share the Class L state title in 2008, Bulmer’s second year as an assistant under her predecessor, Pam Hammersmith. “I told these girls at the beginning of the season we have pretty low expectations,” Bulmer said. Simsbury lost nine starters from last year, a group that included All-State players. So returning to the semifinals was somewhat unrealistic, if not unexpected. Even the players had their doubts. “This was a nice surprise,” said Rosenberg, one of 12 seniors. “I wasn’t so sure,” Bulmer said. “I’m always hopeful and they’re always a good group. We go to camp, Photo by David Heuschkel After scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over rival Glastonbury, Simsbury senior Stephanie Rosenberg put her arms around teammate Christina Caldwell (5) and the No. 4 seeded Trojans embraced the daunting challenge of playing top seed Darien in the semifinal. they always do the right things, they’ve worked hard, and they’ve really gelled together as a team. But you never know.” When the Class L pairings came out, Bulmer had a feeling she might see Glastonbury in the quarterfinals. She received a text message from Glastonbury coach Maureen Perkins, knowing it was a likely scenario. Simsbury beat Glastonbury 1-0 Oct. 28. Allie Woodruff, who scored the only goal in that game, set up Rosenberg on a penalty corner in the rematch last Friday. Woodruff sent a near-perfect insert to Rosenberg, who ripped a shot past Marie Casey at the 23:47 mark, making it look as easy as she made it sound afterward. “I took a shot and it went in,” Rosenberg said. Two days earlier in the firstround match, Rosenberg converted the second of three penalty strokes by the Trojans in a 1-0 win (3-2 on PS) over Ridgefield. “She’s got the most beautiful drive on the team,” Bulmer said. Lewis Mills soccer: won and done Photo by David Heuschkel Lewis Mills junior Zachary Ventres moves upfield in the first half of a 5-1 win over Killingly in the opening round of the Class M boys state tournament. The No. 3 seed Spartans weren’t able to move out of the second round, losing 1-0 to No. 14 Ellington Nov. 8. PIT SQUAD LACROSSE CLUB 2013 PRIDE INTENSITY TOGETHER A NEW INDOOR BOY’S LACROSSE PROGRAM WINTER INDOOR LACROSSE 2013-2014 Who: 5th/6th Graders & 7th/8th Graders What: Weekly Lacrosse Clinics and/or Games When: Session 1: Nov. 24th - Jan. 24th Session 2: Jan. 24th - March 21st Where: Clinics at Valley Sports Center, Canton, CT Games at Sportsworld, East Windsor, CT Registration and information at www.pitsquadlax.com 26 The Valley Press November 14, 2013 By David Heuschkel Sports Editor BURLINGTON – As if the thought of winning a state championship wasn’t enough motivation, the Lewis Mills boys soccer team had some extra incentive as the Class M state tournament began last week. “We definitely have been hearing all around school that the girls team has a chance to beat us. That’s been motivating us,” senior Ryan Finley said. For years, the boys and girls teams at Mills have heard the Berkshire League isn’t a strong conference. The best way to refute that perception is to make a strong run in the state tournament. Both did that a year ago, advancing to the semifinals in their respective bracket. As the No. 1 seed in Class M this year, the girls were expected to contend for a state title after going 16-0 in the regular season. By outscoring opponents 107-6, the Spartans averaged more goals a game (6.69) than they allowed all season. The last time the girls were a top seed, they went all the way to the championship game in 2010. This time the Spartans didn’t get out of the second round, losing to No. 16 Weston 3-1 Nov. 6 at Nassahegan Field. The Mills boys went 11- 0-5 in the regular season and, Are you ready for Winter? Make sure your car is... winterize now. Heavy Duty Towing General Repairs Body Work • Painting Frame Straightening 24 Hour Wrecker Service Complete Auto/Truck Repairs Edward Motor Service, Inc. Phone (860) 673-2631 or (860) 673-2446 Cell 860-883-9269 16 New Britain Avenue, Unionville • Family Tradition Since 1948 like the girls, won their second straight Berkshire League title. The third-seeded boys had no trouble advancing, beating No. 30 Killingly 5-0 behind a goal and two assists by Finley. Freddy Marinelli, Kyle Baron, Austin Gilbert – all sophomores – Jordan Sokol, a junior, each scored a goal for the Spartans. Nonnewaug was the last Berkshire League team to win a state title (2002) and just the third one since the CIAC tournament began in 1948. The others were Lewis Mills in 1997 and Litchfield in ’63. Mills coach Ben Kulas, who was a freshman on the ’97 Spartans, knew little about his first-round opponent. He knew Killingly was in the Eastern Connecticut Conference and played in a lot of close games – three ties and six were decided by one goal. “I didn’t know anything about these guys,” Kulas said. “You can’t even Google them. They’re like ghosts.” Mills controlled the midfield in the first half, taking an early lead on goals by Marinelli in the eighth minute and Baron 6:22 later. “We tried to change some things tactically at halftime to put some pressure on them,” Killingly coach Roland Frecheett said. “I think we did, but after about 15 minutes we lost our legs. That was the difference in the second half.” Sokol finished a cross by Finley with 23:41 left to make it 3-0. Less than five minutes later, Finley collected a ball in the box and scored. Gilbert’s goal, assisted by sophomore Jack Nepomuceno, put the game out of reach with 7:28 left. “We knew we wanted to get the first goal in the second half early. I thought they actually outplayed us in the first 10 minutes of the second half,” Kulas said. “In the end, I think our fitness played a key role. We were able to wear them down. They gave it their all. They were going pedal to the floor, but you can tell those guys were gassed.”
Another tough opener for Avon By David Heuschkel Sports Editor AVON – It wasn’t easy. Winning that first game in the state tournament never is, Avon girls soccer coach Jim Murray said. Being a high seed, drawing a first-round bye, playing at home, it doesn’t matter. The Falcons always seem to be tested in their tournament opener. Sure enough, Avon came from behind to beat Sacred Heart Academy 2-1 Nov. 6 in a Class L match at Fisher Meadow. “The tournament is so different than the regular season. One bounce of the ball doesn’t go your way and you’re done,” Murray said. “You have to make sure you finish your opportunities.” Juniors Hannah Davey and Michaela Marcus scored for the Falcons. Avon has won eight straight openers, the difference Photo by David Heuschkel Avon junior Hannah Davey moves through the midfield in Avon’s 2-1 win over Sacred Heart Academy Nov. 5. Three days later, the Falcons were eliminated by Guilford, 3-1 in the Class L tournament. being one goal in five of them. From 2001-12, Avon has won five state titles, lost in the final twice and advanced to the semifinals three other times. Over that 12-year stretch the Falcons went 10-2 in opening games of the tournament, winning seven of them by one goal or on penalty picks. Last year as the No. 2 seed, Marcus scored in the second overtime to beat No. 31 Bethel. Two years ago, the Falcons were the second seed and beat E.O. Smith (No. 15) on PKs. “The first game you play in the tournament is always the toughest,” Murray said. “You really haven’t played a game like this when everything’s on the line. You got that first-game jitters.” Even for someone who has coached more than 500 games at Avon, Murray said he is not immune to being nervous. “If I wasn’t nervous, I probably shouldn’t be coaching,” he said. “I’m nervous for every game, but I’m more nervous for these tournament games than any other games. I’ve been doing it for 28 years as a girls coach.” As the No. 5 seed in Class L, Avon (15-2) got a first-round bye. That allowed Murray and his longtime assistant, Jeanine LaBrosse, to scout their first opponent. On Monday, LaBrosse watched Sacred Heart senior Angela Ciaramella score three second-half goals in a 4-1 win over E.O. Smith. Murray said he saw Sacred Heart play two years ago when the Pacers were the top seed in Class L and Avon was No. 2. Sacred Heart lost in the first round. “I get around to scout what other teams do,” said Murray, who keeps a spiral notebook with box scores clipped from newspapers. “You just try to mentally prepare your kids for the best they can do. But you never know what’s going to happen in a game. Like that first goal, who would have thought that we would drop the ball and they would toe it in?” Avon goalie Emma Carlone wasn’t able to hold onto a ball and a scramble ensued. Kathryn Mortati shot it past Carlone, giving Sacred Heart a 1-0 lead midway through the first half. “Emma was really upset when she let that ball in,” Murray said. “She hesitated and made just a minor mistake, but she recovered and played a great 65 minutes.” Davey tied it with 11:46 left in the half. Marcus put the Falcons on top 8:19 into the second half. Granby’s comeback falls short By David Heuschkel Sports Editor GRANBY – Momentum is everything in volleyball. The trick is to sustain it for long stretches, long enough to carry a team over the top. When it swings the other way, as it tends to do, it can push a team to the brink as it did with Granby Memorial in the Class M state tournament against Foran last Friday. Granby, the No. 3 seed, lost the first games and Foran’s bus was warming up for the trip back to Milford. Trailing by seven points in the third set, the Bears appeared to be on the verge of being swept by the No. 6 Lions. As it turned out, the outcome was far from being decided. It came down to a fifth and decisive game. It came down to a controversial call that went in Foran’s favor that sent the Lions to the semifinals and ended Granby’s season, though not without the Bears displaying resiliency until the end. Trailing 14-8 in the fifth game, Granby reeled off six straight points to pull even. On the next volley, Foran returned a ball that dropped on the near sideline, a few feet where Granby coach David Sprowson was seated. The down referee, who was watching for a net violation, deferred to the line judge, positioned along the far backline. He ruled the ball was in, point for Foran. The Lions won the next point, a return volley that hit the top of the net and dropped on the other side, giving them a 16-14 victory and secured a spot in the semifinals against No. 18 Rocky Hill. “We were ready to go to the finals,” Sprowson said, confident his team would beat Rocky Hill (12-10). Sprowson did not question the questionable 15th point even though he later said the ball was out. “I don’t want to complain about it. It happens both ways,” Sprowson said. “There were a couple of points that went our way. …Calls happen, but we had another point after that. It kills some momentum.” Addressing his team after the match, Sprowson said none of his players mentioned the call that went against the Bears. “I brought it up afterwards, that it wasn’t something in their head,” he said. “They agreed points go both ways.” Trailing 9-2 in the third set, the Bears strung together five straight points. Foran bumped its lead back to four, 12-8, but Granby responded with 11 straight points and closed the game with a 17-1 run to extend the match. Playing with renewed confidences, the Bears rolled to a 25- 15 win in the fourth game. The gym was rocking and Foran was reeling, but the Lions regrouped and jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the fifth game. Just as it had done earlier, Granby came back. Cali Holt had two blocks on one volley and finished with a kill, trimming the deficit to 9-6. Emily Betterton followed with a service ace, but Foran scored five of the next six points to make it 14-8. Cali Holt, Casey Hunt and Kaylee Jerman – all juniors – were named All-NCCC. Of the 10 players on Granby’s tournament roster, seven were juniors and two sophomores. “We’re not losing a single person out of our starting lineup,” Sprowson said. “So we’ll go again for it next year.” NEWINGTON OIL COMPANY We will beat anybody’s price! New customers receive 10¢ off per gal. WHY PAY MORE? 860-728-1234 VISA, MasterCard, COD next day delivery Keeping it in the family Submitted photo The Farmington U12 girls travel soccer team defeated Orange 5-0 to win the Fall CT State Cup Nov. 2. The Cup is named after Patricia Hennig. Her son Art is a coach and granddaughter Sarah plays on the team. Front row from L to R: Francesca Mangiafico, Sophie Shack, Sarah Hennig, Ava Ferrari, Caroline Leary, Olivia Hoxley. Middle row: Gillian Fulton, Emily Benson, Kaitlyn White, Carolyn Ives, Kyla Gallagher, Olivia Klinzmann, Olivia Demircan, Erin Shea. Top row: coach Julie Hennig, coach Art Hennig, Rylee Fountain, Caroline Rutenberg, Sydney Caccamo, Katie Powell, Coach Jon Rutenberg. THE CHIMNEY GUY, LLC FOR ALL YOUR CHIMNEY & MASONRY NEEDS 860-651-0574 Toll Free: 1-866-CHIMGUY Call for a FREE Estimate! Visit our website for special coupons & offers www.chimney-guy.com • CT HIC#0627254 MA HIC #176030 CSIA #5667 CSIA #8151 November 14, 2013 The Valley Press 27
Page 1 and 2: Vol. 5, Edition 46Valley Thursday N
Page 3 and 4: Heminway retires after three decade
Page 5 and 6: PRESSARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Courtesy ph
Page 7 and 8: 1 Art show The Granby Land Trust an
Page 9 and 10: State Rep. John Piscopo shakes hand
Page 11 and 12: Past, present BOF members honored f
Page 13 and 14: PRESSNews Veterans Day celebrated C
Page 15 and 16: Glassman re-elected, majority on BO
Page 17 and 18: Photo by Sloan Brewswter Nancy Fell
Page 19 and 20: GUEST COLUMN: CLUES ACROSS 1. Rever
Page 21 and 22: Lila Mae to ‘pop up’ in Blue Ba
Page 23 and 24: PRESSKIDS Baking for a cause Avon B
Page 25: PRESSSports 300 reasons to smile Gr
Page 29 and 30: PRESSPOLICE NEWS Children on the ne
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