Page 253 - WHS FH 2014 Memory Book - Megan Cunningham

pass by Kristen Godin rolled through the arc. The game’s first goal came with 20:34 left to play, after Hand’s
outstanding defender Hannah Leckey dribbled the ball into the arc, forcing Amanda Hendry to make save, with
Kathryn Omdahl knocking in the rebound. The Tigers were right back on the attack, as a good push up the side
and pass by Cameron Ruberti resulted in a scramble in the arc. The ball rolled out to a wide-open Sam Pavano
near the top of the arc, and she blasted a rocket into the right side of the cage with 19:42 left to play. Wilton
played its best hockey of the game in the final 20 minutes, after Hand made it 2-0.

The Warriors cut the lead to 2-1 on Godin’s goal with 17:16 left on a perfectly executed penalty corner. On the
play, Meg Cunningham sent the initial pass out to Jillian Mahon, who passed back to Cunningham on the end
line, where she rolled a pass into the crease that Godin knocked past goalie Mel Rennie. The Warriors picked up
their play the rest of the way, but Hand did a good job on defensive side defusing attacks.
The Warriors appeared to have tied the game with 1:59 left, after a strong push into the arc by Cunningham led
to a scramble in front, but the referee ruled the ball had gone off a player’s leg and the goal was disallowed.

Coach Deirdre Hynes felt the Warriors hurt themselves with their slow start. “If we played the first half the way
we played the second half, I think it would have been a different outcome. We just played a little bit reactive in
the first half, kind of waiting to see what Hand did, and I still think we did an okay job of controlling the ball,”
she said. “In the second half, when they got those two
goals really quick in that minute, I think then we woke
up, and then, unfortunately, we ran out of time. “We
learned the hard way that you’ve got to play 60
minutes, and you’ve got to finish.”

“I thought that we didn’t come out as strong as we
normally do, but I’m proud because my team picked it
up so much and they went out there and fought to the
very last second,” said Cunningham, one of the four
senior captains along with Godin, Baxendale and
Caroline Taverna. “I thought it was a very good game.
They had very good skill and it was a good fight.”

Hand finished with a 3-2 edge in shots at goal, while
Wilton had a 7-5 edge in penalty corners. Hendry and
Rennie were each credited with one save.

Coach Hynes said that lost in the success of the
Warriors’ season was the fact that this was an entirely
different team than last year’s state champs, with eight new starters and only four seniors. Making it back to the
championship game was not a foregone conclusion when the season began.

“I think some people underestimated this group because I graduated eight seniors. There were some people who
didn’t think we’d even be in this spot,” she said. “They had to grow up quickly this year.” She said Saturday’s
loss would provide motivation for the returning players next season. “This is a tough lesson these
underclassmen learned, so I’m sure it’s going to stay with them a long time, and this is just going to make us
stronger in the future,” she said.

For Cunningham, the loss ended a four-year varsity career during which the Warriors totaled an unbelievable 79
wins and four trips to the state finals. On Saturday after the game, her thoughts were on what this year’s young
squad had accomplished.
“I’m definitely upset we didn’t come out with the win, but honestly, by the way everyone played, how I feel
coming of the field, coming off the season with this team, I definitely feel like we won,” she said. “We have
improved so much, and it hasn’t been easy, and we knew it wouldn’t be easy. But I honestly couldn’t be
prouder of who I’ve been with. It would have been better if it ended with a win, but it feels like one.”