Playing at home in unseasonably cool temperatures under cloudy skies, the Old Lyme girls took control of their CIAC Class S state quarterfinal game against Ellington High School Thursday afternoon and ultimately claimed a 17-11 victory.
Coach Emily Macione had nothing but praise for her team “across the board,” saying, “I’m really, really proud of the girls from beginning to end.” She noted that each team member had excelled in every way, “from winning draws and taking care of the ball on offense, to pressuring on the ride and in the midfield, and finally making some clutch defensive stops on the other end.”
Macione pointed out that Ellington was “an opponent we didn’t know” since they do not play in the same conference as Lyme-Old Lyme, so “You never know what’s going to happen … but we did know it was going to be a tough game”
Adding, “Our goalie Hannah Guenther made some incredible saves today, and I just felt like from one end of the other, the girls hustled,” Macione concluded, “Their collective hustle made the difference in who earned the victory.”
Asked about the flow of the game, Macione responded, “In the first half, it was back and forth, but in the second half, we were able to pull away a little more because of that commitment, and how the girls were supporting each other in all aspects of play on the field.”
The Wildcats will now meet Canton, who defeated Weston 12-6 today, on Tuesday, June 7, at a time and place to be announced. This is the third year in a row that Old Lyme have reached the semifinals — they were defeated in the previous two and so Macione and her girls must certainly be hoping the ‘third time’s a charm!’