Page 115 - WHS FH 2014

“We really need to clear up our basics, we weren’t focusing as a team and we were lacking in our intensity,”
said Jillian Mahon, a junior forward. “We were all just, “We need to do this.” We want to win and we’ve
worked so hard, we knew we had to leave it on the field for the last eight minutes.”

Norwalk, had taken a 1-0 lead seven and a half minutes inot the game on its lone penalty corner.
Alex Whalen inserted the ball to Sam Bartusch at the top of the circle and Bartush ripped a drive on goal that
Whalen re-directed to beat Wilton goalie Amanda Hendry (2 saves) for a 1-0 lead.

“What we talked about before the game was coming out strong and we did that,” said Norwalk head coach Kyle
Seaburg, whose team slipped to 5-6-0-1. “We made the plays, but we got away from that and started to be more
concerned with what they were doing. If you sit back against a team like Wilton, they’re going to make you pay
for it.”

Norwalk goalie Samantha Troetti made five saves in the first half to keep her Bears in the lead. The first 20
minutes of the second half was played top of circle to tope of circle with neither team drawing a penalty corner
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or a shot on gaol. On Wilton 13 penalty corner of the game, though, the Warrios finally found the back of the
cage. During a scrum in front of the Norwalk net, Kristen Godin slid a pass to Delaney Chase, who knocked it
into the net short-side to tie the game at 1-1. Ninety-one seconds later, the Warriors had the lead.

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On Wilton’s 14 courner, Mahon inserted the ball to Caroline Ferro. The ensuing shot bounced off of Troetti’s
pads toward the opne post where Mahon was there with an open cage. “ I stuck my stick out and just hit it back
it,” said Mahon. “ There was one defender there trying to step in so I just one touched it in.”

Norwalk tried to answer, but while it
penetrated Wilton territory on a
regular basis it wasn’t able to get the
ball in the circle until the closing
seconds. That’s when Allie Hall
slipped a pass to Marissa “Mouse”
Mastrianni, whose shot went just
wide hitting the side of the cage.

“The kids don’t give up,” said
Seaburg. “We need to create
opportunites and create corners
because we work so hard on those.
When we do that, we can score. It
would have been a real sweet win,
but we’ll build on it and hopefully
we’ll still be playing when it’s cold
(in the playoffs).”

Norwalk – which is still in the battle
for an FCIAC playoff shot – hosts
Farield Ludlow on Thursday on its
Senior Night. Game time is 7:30pm.
Wilton is on the road the same day,
traveling to Stamford for a 4:30 pm
game.