The Conard girls lacrosse team hosted Farmington on Thursday afternoon in West Hartford.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Paul Palmer

Over the last 21 seasons the winner of the State girls lacrosse Class LL or L title has come from the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC). Right now, there are seven FCIAC teams ranked in the top eight … the lone exception is the Conard Red Wolves stand in fifth place, with an identical 11-1 record to No. 1 Darien.

Conard has been steamrolling the competition this year with the exception of a lone loss to Amity, and an 8-7 win over Newtown. The secret to the success is the strength of the team from front to back and that was on display again Thursday when Conard topped Farmington 17-1.

Once again it was the balance of the Wolves that carried them to the win. Seven different players scored one or more goals, the defense held Farmington scoreless until just over three minuets to play on an 8-meter, and Conard’s possession and patience game on offense wound down the River Hawks.

“The offense came together and worked the ball before finding the open girl,” said middie Jackie Capone, who scored three goals and shined along with fellow midfielders Courtney McPhee and Ashley Gorman. “They don’t come out of the game,” said head coach Meg Cersosimo of her three midfielders. “They are workhorses and we play an aggressive defense and then turn it into a tremendous transition.”

Conard’s success starts and ends on the faceoff with Olivia Hole. The senior dominated again against Farmington, getting the ball drawn to her teammates. “Olivia is smart,” said Cersosimo. “She is one step ahead and thinking about where she wants to put the ball.”

That is what Hole managed to do all game long for the Wolves, and she credits her teammates and the team’s practices. “We do so many reps together in practice it is easier on the draw,” Hole said. “We work so well together and I trust my draw team (CC Cersosimo and Capone) so much.”

Taking draws isn’t all she can do. Hole also scored four times, including the games opener 43 seconds in on an assist from Caroline (CC) Cersosimo. The offense once again put on a clinic in passing, patience, and the art of making the cut at the right time. It helps when you have three career 100-goal scorers up front in Cersosimo, Nicole Gorman, and Hole. Combined with the midfielders it seems at times like Conard lulls the opposition to sleep with its passing before someone will make the perfect cut into the shooting lane. “We focus on the open girl,” said Capone. “It’s not always about taking the best shot you see, but finding the open girl.”

The home side added five more goals in the opening 12 minutes with Cersosimo and Gorman scoring on their free shots from the 8-meter, then Gorman would score on an assist from Cersosimo, and then it was Capone finding Cersosimo for the fifth goal at 3:12.

Farmington had a good chance to score when they had a free shot, but they chose to pass and Conard goalie Maya Nanayakkara managed to deflect. The ground ball was picked up by Annabel Tracy who raced out of the defensive zone leaving Farmington players in her wake. She turned defense into offense and carried the ball over midfield where it ended up in Cersosimo’s pocket and she deposited it in the net with :43 to play in the first.

As the second period began it would be the Gorman sisters – Nicole and Ashley – getting involved in the scoring again. Ashley Gorman was able to knock the ball from a Farmington player’s stick in the Conard offensive zone. Ashley Gorman would be on the scoring end of the next goal at 8:28, before Nicole Gorman found Hole cutting into the middle and fed her the ball. Hole faked one shot and then fired on the second move for the goal.

With just under five minutes to go it would be Cersosimo and Hole teaming up on a great passing play to score goal number 10. Cersosimo was on the goalie’s left side and as she moved out with the ball, Hole slid into the open space and delivered the goal. “I try to be one step ahead off the ball, watching my marker and the defense move, then I find the open spot,” Hole said of her goal scoring. Conard added two more before intermission with Capone picking up an assist on one and scoring the other.

Nanayakkara had her best series on defense in a span of just under a minute in the third. Clare Cosentino of Farmington managed to find space in tight on the net, but the Conard goalie made the save. Then it was Nanayakkara denying an 8-meter chance from the River Hawks to keep the shutout in tack. With 5:31 to go in the third, Nicole Gorman scored one of those goals you had to see to believe. After sprinting most of the field with the ball she pulled out just outside the 8-meter mark. Instead of playing her tight, the defense backed off, opening up a big shooting lane and Gorman – who looked to be trying to pass – instead dropped down and ripped a rocket into the back of the net to make it 13-0.

The passing ability of Conard defender Caitlin Walsh led to the next two scores. First it was an assist on Ashley Gorman’s goal at 3:33, then she picked up another on Hole’s goal at 2:40 to make it 15-0. Ashley Gorman would pick up another when she scored with :30 to play for the Wolves.

Farmington pushed to try and get on the board and 40 seconds into the final frame they had a golden chance with an 8-meter chance. But goalie Kiara Morales stood tall and took it off the mask for the save. She then made another stop when her clearing attempt was knocked down by a Farmington player who managed to get off a quick shot. Conard would get its final goal when Hole and Cersosimo teamed up again down low for the score.

 The visitors broke the shutout with 3:46 to go when Rachel Bergin converted on her 8-meter chance and beat Morales high.

After the game, Hole talked about what is helping Conard stay focused and successful. She pointed to the t-shirt she and the other players were wearing that say “sisterhood.”

“We always say team and sisterhood are the most important things. We are so close on and off the field.” 

Game notes

The top scorers for Conard:

• Hole 4-0
• N. Gorman 4-3
• Cersosimo 3-5
• A. Gorman 3-0
• Capone-3-0

The Red Wolves have four games remaining on their regular season schedule. First it will be No. 11 Glastonbury on the 13th, then it will be Newington followed by a showdown with Class LL No. 6 Staples as they host the Wreckers on Saturday the 17th and conclude with an always entertaining game against Hall. The Titans are 8-2 and No. 8 in Class L.

On the season Conard has scored 185 goals and allowed 70 (18 of those in the 18-11 loss to Amity). That averages out to a scoring just over 15 goals scored per game against just 6.3 goals allowed.

They have allowed 10 or more goals just once (Amity) and five or fewer in seven games, but they have not had a clean sheet this season.

They have scored a minimum of 11 goals in every contest except one: an 8-7 win over Newtown.

Conard is 7-0 against CCC opponents and are 1 of 3 unbeatens along with Lewis Milles and Glastonbury in the conference. The Red Wolves are in first place in the CCC West with a two-game lead over Simsbury.

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