Page 185 - WHS FH 2014 Memory Book - Megan Cunningham

the course of those 16 corners in the final 30 minutes. “Our defense doesn’t get enough credit,” said New
Canaan coach Erin Gildea. Our corner defense was huge.

“I think Wilton has the best corners in the
league and we didn’t panic, but we
worked together. Everybody from defense
to mids to forward, we were playing full
field.”

The Rams came out and hit the Warriors
in the mouth right away, scoring when the
game was just 71 seconds old. New
Canaan sophomore Ellery Baran was left
alone in the middle of the circle and had
time to receive the ball, control it, aim and
shoot to beat Wilton goaltender Amanda
Hendry ( 1 save on 2 shots) in the left-
hand corner. “I just saw there was a ton of
space,” said Baran, who scored her eighth
goal of the season. “I stopped the ball,
controlled it and took a hard shot. I was very surprised how open I was. I wanted to go to a corner, so I went left
corner because I know my post (player) there is very strong.” Armed with a 1- 0 lead, New Canaan — which
fell 4- 1 to Wilton in the season- opener back in September — just had to hold on. With 13: 17 left in the first
half, the Rams defense — along with goaltender Sarah Klearman (6 saves) — stepped up huge.

Wilton’s Megan Cunningham drove through the circle and fired a shot on Klearman, who made the initial save
and then two follow- up saves from in close to keep the Warriors off the board. As time was running out in the
first half, Wilton was awarded its second corner of the game and in a foreshadowing of things to come
Klearman kicked aside Delaney Baxendale’s drive, ending the first half with New Canaan holding on to its one-
goal lead. “In the last couple of weeks, we just haven’t been finishing,” said Hynes. “We’ll see if we can fix it
in the next couple of weeks. We’re young, so they’re learning the hard way. You have to show up for 60
minutes, not just 30 or 40 minutes.”

Wilton dominated the second half, keeping the pressure on in the circle and forcing eight corners in the first
nine minutes of the half. One of the Warriors best opportunities came with 24: 15 left to play when Kristen
Godin sent in a shot on goal that was bound for an open cage. New Canaan defender Rhian Ball cleared the shot
aside for her ninth defensive save of the season and keeping the goose egg of the board. “That was just
beautiful,” Gildea said. The Warriors still had eight more penalty corner opportunities, but never really came
close to scoring. “It was just focus. We weren’t focused,” said Hynes. “Either we messed up the insert, or we
didn’t receive it, or we couldn’t get off a shot. At different times, different parts of the corner went
wrong.” Wilton was playing without one of its top scorers, winger Delaney Chase (concussion) who was injured
in the team’s regular season loss to Greenwich.

Hynes refused to use that an excuse. “We’ve had some injuries and sicknesses in the last couple of weeks, but
I’m not making excuses,” the veteran coach said. “We should be able to adjust to that. Everybody is used to
playing different positions.” New Canaan will look to take the same approach it took against Wilton into the
league’s title game. The Rams will be playing in their first FCIAC title game since 2009, when it lost to Darien
in the final. New Canaan hasn’t won a league title since repeating as champs in 1999-2000. “I’m just so proud
of them,” said Gildea. “It was a complete team effort. They dug deep, played with heart and fought. They
deserved it.”

Wilton will go back to the drawing board, eyeing its fourth straight Class M state championship, as a shot at an
FCIAC title will have to wait another year.