Page 243 - WHS FH 2014

Wilton Loses to Hand in Class M Field Hockey

Championship

Anthony Parelli
Saturday, November 15, 2014

WETHERSFIELD -- Sometimes if you play
well for 59 minutes, that one minute will come
back to bite you.
Such was the case for Wilton Saturday
afternoon at Wethersfield High School, as the
Warriors dropped the CIAC Class M field
hockey final 2-1 to Daniel Hand High School.

Hand (17-2-1) scored in the 40th minute
when Kathryn Omdahl banged in a loose ball
in front of the cage and then less than a minute
later Samantha Pavano connected from deep in
the shooting circle.
"You learn the hard way that you have to play
all 60 minutes," Wilton coach Deidre
Hynes said. "I think if we just came out a little
stronger in the first half it would have been a
different ending."

However, instead of lying down and feeling
sorry for themselves, the Warriors (16-3-1)
responded three minutes later when Kristen
Godin took a cross from Meg Cunningham to slice the lead in half, but they were never able to find the
equalizer. It looked as if Wilton scored with two minutes remaining in the contest, but the goal was waved off
when referees ruled it went off a foot.

"If we played the first half like we did the second I think it would have been a different outcome," Hynes said.
"I think we were too reactive in the first half just seeing what they did, second half when they got those two
goals really quick, I think we woke up, but we ran out of time."

That lesson is one Hynes hopes the Warriors carry with them as she has an abundance of youth on her squad.
Despite being the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Hynes felt there was doubt surrounding a program that
graduated eight seniors a year ago. Wilton will only graduate four this year.

"Some people didn't think we would be here," Hynes said. "The fact that we were the one seed gave them
confidence that they needed but this is a tough lesson that the underclassmen learned. I'm sure it's going to stay
with them a long time and make us even stronger in the future."

Goals: D-Kathryn Omdahl, Samantha Pavano.
W-Kristen Godin. Assists: W-Meg Cunningham.
Goalies: D-Melanie Rennie (1 save); W-Amanda Hendry (1 save). Shots: D-3; W-2.