The Conard girls lacrosse team hosted the CCC West final game in West Hartford on Thursday, defeating Simsbury 11-5.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Paul Palmer. Photos by Paul Palmer and Craig Rosenberg

Senior Nicole Gorman – playing with a fire in her soul – scored four times as the Conard Red Wolves came back from a 2-0 early deficit to Simsbury to win the CCC West girls lacrosse title.

“We got caught on our heels early,” said Gorman. “They threw their punch and we threw ours harder.”

It was Gorman who would be involved in the first two goals for Conard, and score four in all to lead her team. “Nicole takes one play at a time and tries to dominate it,” said coach Meg Cersosimo of her senior co-captain.

Some of the Conard fans might have been a little scared when the Trojans put the first two goals of the game on the board – something that the Red Wolves are accustomed to doing. Anna Stockwell scored twice from the 8-meter mark – the first just over two minutes in. It could have been more, but Conard goalie Maya Nanayakkara had a big save to keep it close.

After Simsbury’s second goal it was Gorman getting involved on offense that helped spark the comeback. With 1:26 to play she fired a laser pass from 20-yards out to teammate Aubrey Montresor for the first goal. Thirty-four seconds later it was senior co-captain Olive Hole finding Gorman cutting to the net and things were tied.

Then, with :03 to play, Jacqueline Capone benefitted from a great effort by defender Annabel Tracy to give Conard the lead they would never surrender. On the play Tracy, carried the ball from her own defensive zone, dodging Simsbury players, and flat outrunning others until she had it in the offensive end. She handed it off to Hole, who fed Capone, who scored to make it 3-2.

“I knew we had it in us and we would get going,” said Nanayakkara. “We always know what we need to do.”

But for parts of the first Conard look like anything but in the know. They were tentative at times and their offense was flat, which is the complete opposite of how the Red Wolves usually start their games. “I loved the challenge (of being down),” said Cersosimo. “I want to see how they respond and for them to know it is okay if things don’t go to plan as long as you pivot and adapt,” she added.

That is exactly what her team as they not only took back the lead, but they also kept Simsbury off the scoreboard for the entire second quarter and took at 5-2 lead into the break. The difference between the start of the game and the rest of it was the flow that Conard returned to. Never panicking, never losing their composure, and getting back to the things that carried them to a 16-1 record.

Just over one minute into the second it was Hole – who had four assists – setting up in her office behind the goal and finding Gorman for the score. They had chances to increase the lead but Gorman’s low shot was saved  by Simsbury goalie Callie Frey, and then she forced CC Cersosimo to go high on her 8-meter shot.

The Red Wolves picked up their next goal from another transition  from Tracy. She carried the ball into the offensive zone again and this time drew a yellow card foul that put Conard on the player advantage. It didn’t take long for Hole to find Cersosimo with the pass and this time she would not be denied. Simsbury had done a good job on one of Conard’s top scorers, marking her tightly and with physicality. “CC was face guarded and everyone else  just stepped up,” said Conard’s head coach.

The defense also benefitted from the two-way play of Paige Sweeney. On several occasions she raced up field with the ball, beating Trojan players and setting up her team on offense.

Simsbury opened the second half with a good chance from the 8-meter just one minute in, but once again it was Nanayakkara making the save, this time on Charlotte Diviny. Once again it was Gorman turning up the offense and scoring her teams sixth goal. Simsbury would answer three minutes later when Madeline Francis scored on an 8-meter try. Frey would stop a Conard 8-meter, but with 3:03 to play it was Gorman driving her 8-meter shot low past Frey.

Conard would get another goal with under a minute to play when Ashley Gorman was quick of the 8-meter line to score with :24 to go in the third. Her goal gave the Red Wolves an 8-3 lead.

The Red Wolves would open the final period with two goals in the opening two minutes of play. Cersosimo scored first just :41 in and then it was Capone scoring an unassisted goal. After Nanayakkara’s stop on a great scoring chance by Diviny, it would be Capone scoring again, this time on a strong solo effort. She started about 30-yards out from goal, beating her primary defender, then crossed in front of the goal, fighting off defenders before scoring her team’s final goal of the game.

Simsbury picked up an 8-meter from Diviny and then a nice goal that went high and to the right of Nanayakkara by Francis to make it an 11-5 final and give Conard back-to-back championships.

“This feels great,” said the Conard goalie. “Back-to back is indescribable.”

“Simsbury is a great team and we knew we were going to have to give our all,” said Gorman. “Now we have to continue this into states.”

A celebration followed the handshakes as the players and coaches gathered to be handed the trophy and championship banner, The trophy actually had a short trip as it was already sitting in the Conard trophy case inside the school and just had to be walked out to McKee Stadium.

Two of the more memorable moments came when CC Cersosimo and her mother, Meg, had a long hug on the sidelines, and then the Conard players doused the coach with a bucket of ice. The other was when the players burst into a chorus of Happy Birthday for assistant coach Rob Cersosimo – CC’s grandfather. Amidst the joy, Meg Cersosimo had a special message for all her players. “I said look at each other. Teams like this don’t happen very often. You are all good team players.”

As the No. 5 ranked Red Wolves prepare for the state tournament, their coach reflected on what it is that has allowed this team to overcome everything that goes into a season that has just one loss, a  13-game win streak, and a conference title. “They are ready for the challenges,” she said. “Games don’t happen, you make them happen and they make it happen in every practice and every game. They prepare on their own and are confident.”

Conard will open the Class L State tournament at home on Tuesday when they host 12th-seed Trumbull. Despite their record, their quarterfinal matchup is most likely to be on the road at No. 4 Ridgefield if the Tigers handle Brien McMahon in their opener. The winner there is likely to have a semifinal matchup with No. 1 seed Darien on the 10th.

Game notes

Thursday’s final was a rematch from a year ago when Conard also beat Simsbury.

Conard scoring:

• N. Gorman 4-0
• Hole 0-4
• Capone 3-0
• Cersosimo 2-0
• A. Gorman 1-0
• Montresor 1-0

State tournament notes

In addition to Conard playing in the state tournament  the Hall girls lacrosse team is seeded eighth and will host No. 9 Farmington on Tuesday at 5 p.m. with the winner advancing to play top seed Simsbury, which has a first round bye.

On the boys side of the state tournament, No. 4 Conard hosts Wethersfield on Wednesday, and with a win will meet the winner of Simsbury vs. Northwest Catholic at home on June 7.

Hall’s boys’ lacrosse opens on the road as the No. 11 seed Titans face No. 6 Bethel on Wednesday.

In volleyball, the No. 1 Conard boys team – that is the only unbeaten in the state and CCC Champion will host – or perhaps get a bye – in the opening round when pairings are announced.

In baseball, Hall was also playing for a CCC title on Thursday night against Southington in a night game in Bristol. The Titans are the fifth seed in Class LL through the regular season.

Ranking and pairings for the state tournament will be released Friday with games starting Saturday in a qualifying round.

And in softball, Conard finished the regular season at 15-5, ranked 11th in Class LL and will play in the states. Rankings and pairings will be released on Friday.

The updated pairings and ratings for baseball, softball, and volleyball will be found on the We-Ha.com site and on X @WeHartford.

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