Hall hosted a second round CIAC Class LL tournament game in West Hartford on Monday night, but after a scoreless tie through overtime, they lost in a PK shootout.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Paul Palmer. Photos by Paul Palmer and Craig Rosenberg

After putting up a Herculean defensive effort for 80 minutes of regular time and 20 minutes of extra time, the Hall girls soccer season ended in the cruelest way, in a 4-2 penalty kick shootout loss to Ridgefield in the second round of the Class LL tournament.

The visiting Tigers were on the prowl from the opening minutes of the game, dominating possession time, time in the other team’s zone, and shots on goal.

Sienna Calabro, Katelyn Hurlock, and Alexa Reilly and company were tough along the Titans’ backline, as was senior goalie Mabel Cook. Hall tried to generate offense with Maya Reilly, Kyra Baun, and Aliza Schleif trying to put together counter attacks. Ridgefield had its first, best chance just 15 minutes in, but Cook was able to tip the high ball to herself and secure it above the on-charging attackers. Minutes later, the Tigers nearly connected on a great through ball that got past the Hall defense but it was just out of reach of Olivia Baglio’s rush.

It was 23 minutes into the 40-minute half before Hall managed any sustained ball control across the midfield stripe.

The dominance that Ridgefield had was matched only by the determination of the Hall defense to keep them from scoring. Thirty-six and a half minutes in, Ridgefield had two good chances to score. The first came on a hard, high shot that Cook pushed over the cross bar, giving the Tigers a corner kick. That ball was sent to the far post but was knocked wide by Zoe Demarais’ header.

At the halfway point it was scoreless, and Hall had one shot at goal – which did not come until there was 39 seconds left to play. Baun and Paige Keena logged lots of yardage fighting for balls in the midfield and quickly turning from defense to offense.

Ridgefield took the second half kick and immediately resumed its relentless offensive attack on Hall. Just under 4:30 in, a Hall misplay on a clearance led to a 25-yard chance for Ridgefield that went wide of the post. About nine minutes in, Hall found its offense rhythm and managed to move the ball and hold the ball in the offensive end.

The Titans had several good throw-in chances from deep in Ridgefield territory, but could not muster any chances on net. One of their better opportunities did come about two minutes later when Alex Ackerman used a nifty inside/out move to lose her defender and open space for her shot. It was the first time that the Tigers goalie Riley Keane was challenged and she was up to it.

Much of the game was played in the midfield area, with Ridgefield trying to use through balls to work over or around the Hall defense, and the Titans clogging the area and challenging on every ball. When the Titans transitioned from defense to offense, they would send the ball long down the sidelines for either Schleif, Reilly, or Kiki Melick to try and run onto.

The second half saw a much more active offense from the host side, creating more opportunities and getting more shots on goal. Ridgefield still had the better of play and about 17 minutes in Cook was once again called on to make a big punch save with traffic around her goal. At the halfway point, Baun and Ackerman combined on a nice passing play that ended with a through ball heading into the Ridgefield box. Keane had to come off her line and take possession of the ball to shut down the chance.

Where Ridgefield tried their luck going high on Cook in the opening half, the Tigers were taking more low shots in the second half, but Cook was still up to the task. One minute past the halfway point, she had to drop to her knees and smother a short hop shot from distance that skipped on the turf.

Both sides kept pushing for the game winner as the clock wound down, and Hall may have had its best chance of the game to score when Baun sent a dangerous ball on goal from the left side. Keane went up to grab the ball but dropped it right in front of a Hall attacker, but the goalie was able to pounce on the loose ball first to keep things scoreless.

The regulation 80 minutes was not enough to decide who was going to move on to the quarterfinals. Another 20 minutes of overtime also produced no result, leading to the heartbreaking climax of penalty shots.

Keena opened things for Hall with a score, but Ridgefield answered. Hall’s next two shooters were stopped by Keane as the Tigers shooters stayed perfect. With Ridgefield up 3-1, it was Schleif stepping up to the spot and converting to make it 3-2. Next up came Alexandra Rose who managed to slide the ball under a diving Cook to the goalie’s right side to give the 12th-seeded Tigers the win over the No. 5 seed Titans.

Hall ends the season with an outstanding 12-1-3 regular season mark and  a trip to the CCC Tournament that ended in a shootout loss in the semifinal. They should be loaded in 2025 with returning talent for head coach Scott Ferguson. The biggest void may be in finding a replacement for the graduating Cook in goal who helped lead a stingy defense all season long that gave up just 10 goals in the regular season and posted a whopping 12 clean sheets.

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