The boys varsity soccer team hosted North Branford and came out firing– pulling off a blowout win of 9-1 to keep the 5 game win streak going. The win included goals from 8 different scorers, including Luciano Girardi with 2 goals, and Nick Dutra, Felipe Dutra, Brendan Cassella, Nico Sokolowski, Reggie Duque, Brandon Flores, and Jerry Duque all with a goal each. When asked about the win, Nick Dutra responded, “It felt awesome to go out there and be able to score in front of the home crowd whilst contributing to the win.” The Old Saybrook boys’ soccer team then headed into September 27th with a head full of steam as Valley Regional came to town for a Friday night game under the lights. Wyatt Parker said, “Previous to the game the tension between us and Valley Regional was high and we knew we had to play hard.” Valley Regional was ready to “Dethrone the Rams” but ultimately came up short with a score of 5-0. Felipe Dutra (2), Reggie Duque (1), Josh Roslonek (1) and Liam Roberts (1) all scored in the win. The boys dismantled Valley and this win grants them a 7-1 record for the season as of 9/27.
On Thursday September 26th, the girls varsity soccer team traveled up the river to play on Valley Regional’s brand new turf and in an intense match, the girls pulled away with a 4-3 victory. The team then traveled to Portland on 10/3 and came away with a massive win to continue a 6 game winning streak. It was Portland’s “Pink Out” game to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Even with Portland’s high energy, the team persevered and beat the Highlanders 1-0. Ari Fox was the solo scorer of the game. They now sit at a record of 7-3-1. (As of 10/6) The girls varsity team looks to make their way up the Shoreline rankings with games against Coginchaug (10/8) and defending conference champions Morgan (10/10). Zoe Parakilas, a sophomore on the team, has high hopes for these matches. She says, “Our team has bonded a lot since the beginning of the season so that should give us an advantage in these upcoming games and give us a boost for a potential postseason run.”
On 9/23, the girls varsity field hockey team also faced Valley Regional and won 3-1 with goals from 3 seniors, Grace Desmond, Ayla D’Anna, and Hannah DePuma. Planning for the future, the Rams took the day off on 9/24 and headed to the middle school to try and grow the youth field hockey programs in Old Saybrook. In recent years, field hockey players have decreased well below soccer and basketball in our town. The current Rams team is trying to change that dynamic and they are starting to recruit potential players for the next couple of years. Chelsea Garvey, a sophomore on the team, has always been trying to encourage new players to join, even before the team went to the middle school. She says, “Since it is such a small team, the friendships you make are very strong and those friendships can provide you with many more high school opportunities.” Later in the week on September 27th, the Rams faced their long-time cross-conference rivals, the North Branford Thunderbirds. However, they lost 1-0 in an upsetting overtime game. Despite their loss, senior Ella Noack said, “I thought it was one of our best games yet.” This game shows that the Rams can compete against difficult teams because North Branford is ranked 3rd in the state for Class S.
MSW (Morgan, Saybrook, Westbrook) Football season is underway. The boys had home field advantage in Morgan on 9/27 as North Branford took the trip. MSW Football unfortunately lost a close 31-34 game. On the bright side, Old Saybrooks very own Senior Captain, Wes Percival scored a long catch and run for a touchdown. This loss brings them to an 0-3 season record as they look to turn things around.