The Conard field hockey team hosted Greenwich on Saturday in West Hartford.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Paul Palmer

It took 299 minutes and 7 seconds for anyone to score on Conard’s girl’s field hockey team this season. That’s four complete shutouts and 59:07 scoreless minutes before Georgia Sasser of No. 4 Greenwich managed to score the game’s only goal to beat the No. 10 Red Wolves 1-0 on Saturday.

The game did not disappoint as two of the five unbeaten Class L teams in Connecticut faced off with one another. Each team had chances to score, and also highlighted some terrific defense in what looked like a game that would end in a scoreless draw.

Sasser’s goal started with a great centering ball hit by Clara Cahill into a group of players. Conard goalie Isa Ripepi – who was outstanding all game long – came off her line and managed to get a foot on the ball, but it was knocked back across the face of the cage and in a scramble Sasser was able to knock it in from her knees.

“This is the first time I can remember when we played a Fairfield County team and had a chance to win,” said Conard head coach Sara Witmer after the game. “They (Conard) played phenomenal, but I think we got a little tired at the end.”

Ripepi was on her game from the opening minute. She blocked off Greenwich’s first scoring chance less than five minutes in when she blockered away Delfi Rotella’s rising shot from in close. Both sides had periods of possession in the opening 15 minutes of play, but neither team could get the game’s first goal. At one point Conard successfully defended three consecutive penalty corners for the Cardinals.

Conard’s backline of Nola Ricard, Kelsey Collard in the middle, and freshman Reilly Bankoff was solid nearly all day. Bankoff was moved into the starting lineup when Mackenzie Sweeney was ruled out with a finger injury suffered in the team’s win over South Windsor. The freshman played with poise and confidence and more than held her own against one of the state’s best teams.

“Reilly is a super athlete,” said her coach Witmer. “She is confident and fast and brings speed to our defensive line.” Her efforts, and the solid skill playing and ball movement by Richard and Collard, frustrated Greenwich time and time again. The defensive effort was also helped out by the two-way play of midfielder Berkeley Hess who broke up multiple promising opportunities by Greenwich, often turning them into chances for the Red Wolves to transition into the offensive end.

“Berkeley is the heart of the team,” Witmer said. “This is her third season with us and this is her third different position we have asked her to play. She steps in wherever she’s needed.” One of her best plays on defense came off a Greenwich penalty corner with 6:50 to go in the half. Hess managed to stop the initial shot on goal and Ripepi was there to kick away the rebound shot and keep the sheet clean.

With just over 90 seconds to go Greenwich had its best chance of the half when Ella Burchell got behind the defense and was fed a pass by Sessa, putting her all alone with Ripepi. The senior goalie was once again up to the task and made the save.

“Isa is aggressive when needed and is very agile,” Witmer said of the second-year starter. “She can take risks as she is fast enough to get back into position.”

Ripepi is frequently off her line, cutting down angles and giving attackers less time to take their shots. She has quick reflexes and a solid ability to kick the ball clear and relieve the pressure on her goal. Among her saves in the second half was career save number 100, with more to come in the second half.

Up front, the Cardinals were doing a good job of shutting down Conard’s top goal scorer Gigi Smith. But the junior forward took advantage of her own hard work in the defensive zone carrying the ball up-field and transitioning her team to offense while relieving the pressure on the defense on multiple occasions.

After the halftime break, Smith nearly put the Red Wolves on top but her shot hit the far post following a nice pass from Hess off a penalty corner just 2:13 into the third quarter. Just about halfway into the third, Greenwich had some of its best sustained offensive pressure, but Ripepi and teammates were able to withstand.

The Cardinals were led up front by Rotella who used her quickness and ball control skills to set up chances at the goal. On one save Ripepi was forced to go all out on her side, make herself as big as she could to take away the goal and force the shot wide.

Then with under a minute to play it was the visitors getting the one chance they needed and Sasser became the hero for Greenwich. Even then, Conard still had another chance – make that two chances – to tie things when they drew a penalty corner as the clock was expiring. Smith let go a solid shot on net that Greenwich goalie Tatum Wunderlich had to make the save on. The Cardinals were unable to control or clear the ball and Conard forced another penalty corner. This time the ball ended up on the stick of Hess but her shot through a crowd of on-rushing defenders went just wide.

“This is a confidence builder,” said Witmer after the nail-biting loss. “There is a lesson in every loss and this showed us where we need to step up, but we should be confident in our abilities.”

Those abilities and that confidence will be tested over the next four games as they take on Canton, Glastonbury, Avon, and Granby Memorial who are a combined 13-2-1 on the season.

Game notes

• Entering the game Conard was one of only 4 teams in Class L to be unbeaten and untied. (No. 1 Staples, No. 2 Darien, and No. 3 Fairfield Ludlowe all from the Fairfield County Interscholastic Conference.)
• Conard is ranked 10th in Class L but has a higher winning percentage than four of the teams seeded immediately in front of them, including 3-2 Hall ranked No. 8 and No. 9 Cheshire that Conard defeated 4-0 on Sept. 10.
• On the season the Red Wolves are 4-1 having outscored opponents 23-1.
• Their winning margin in the opening four wins was just under six goals per game.

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.