Gorman becomes Conard’s all-time leading goal scorer.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Paul Palmer

Senior day is always special and memorable for players. On Wednesday, Conard’s Nicole Gorman made sure she’ll never forget her senior day as she scored seven goals and along the way became the all-time leading goal scorer in Red Wolves girls lacrosse history as Conard beat crosstown West Hartford rival Hall 17-5.

“It feels great,” said Gorman after the game.” I know how good Kate (Shaffer, the previous record holder) was. I am surrounded by great teammates.”

Conard coach Meg Cersosimo was worried that with senior day, and the Hall/Conard rivalry, it might be too much pressure on Gorman. “This game is already emotional,” she said. “I didn’t tell her how close she was to the record.”

The coach may not have told her, but Gorman’s teammates knew what was up, breaking out signs with congratulations for her along the sidelines.

The Wolves came out strong and scored the game’s first seven goals in the first before Hall answered with their own with :19 to  play. Sophomore CC Cersosimo got things started 90 seconds in when she converted on a Courtney McPhee assist. Gorman got her first goal of the day 33 seconds later when she cut across the face of the goal and fired in  her shot.

After Cersosimo netted her second on an 8-meter free shot, it was senior Olivia Hole’s turn as she deposited a nice flip shot after coming around the side of the cage to beat goalie Corinn Fabas. Hole would make it 5-0 less than halfway into the first before Cersosimo lowered her shoulder, absorbed some hits, and crashed the goal to make it 6-0 with 5:10 to play. Forty-eight seconds later it was Gorman again ripping a blistering shot under the crossbar on a helper from Hole.

“We have so many great players that complement each other,” said Conard’s head coach. “They are always together on and off the field building that chemistry.”

The Titans would get their first with :19 to go in the opening 12 minutes when Alice Krug beat senior Kiara Morales who got the start in net.

Junior Maya Nanayakkara took over in the Conard goal in the second and was there when Hall got its first good chance of the period. After the save she outletted to Gorman who ran the field and buried the biscuit at the other end. That goal tied Gorman with Shaffer for the school’s all-time goal-scoring mark. Her shots are among the hardest in the girls game and she is confident shooting from any angle with power and accuracy.

The Wolves had a chance to score again but Fabas shut down Cersosimo’s 8-meter try.

The next goal would be the record-breaker for Gorman. Hole pushed the ball up field and  found Gorman at the elbow. She took Hole’s pass, moved into a shooting position, and dropped down with the ¾ shot to make it 9-1 on career goal 187.

Hall came out flying in the third quarter, starting with Anya Leshem in the draw. She battled a tough Hole, winning the draws 4-3 in the third. Those led to more possessions for the Titans and they took advantage.

Two and a half minutes in, Lucy Gwiazdoski came in and appeared ready to shoot. She drew Nanayakkara’s attention, getting the junior goalie to move to her. She then dished the ball to Tegan Cohane who had an open side of the net and made no mistake with it.

Hall scored the next goal when Aliza Schlief and Leshem passed the ball up field after a Conard turnover and Leshem found Krug for her second goal of the game top make it 9-3.

“Hall is a good team,” Meg Cersosimo said of the 11-3 team. “They have great athletes and I think it’s good for us to be challenged like that.”

Hall head coach Kristen Mullady’s roster has just one senior and she said her team continues to improve every game. “We have players without a lot of experience but they are athletic. We are such a different team today then we were on day 1 and are much more confident.”

Just under halfway into the period it was Nanayakkara halting the Titan run on goals when she took Sam Shannon’s 8-meter shot in the ribs and covered the loose ball. Conard went on a long offensive possession after the save and Gorman scored again to make it 10-3.

Less than a minute later it was Hall responding as Claire O’Donnell went right down the middle of the Conard defense  and fired in the goal. The Red Wolves responded with Hole – who had six goals – who found Cersosimo in the middle. She went one way and then the other with the ball before scoring.

The final score of the third period came off a Hall turnover. McPhee raced across midfield with the ball, finding Cersosimo, She carried into the middle of the field and located Hole unmarked next to the cage. Hole took the pass, cut in front of the goal, and scored to make it 12-4.

In the fourth Gorman would pick up goal No. 6 on the day when she took her 8-meter play after being fouled and scored. Hole would get goal 14 for Conard, and two minutes later Cersosimo was shut down by the Hall defense trying to cut around the net. She reversed directions and found Hole on the other side. The senior delivered a high shot that beat Fabas.

Jacqueline Capone would pick up the next goal for Conard and Leshem would break the Wolves’ scoring streak when she beat Nanayakkara with a high, hard shot with 6:49 to play. For Leshem it was a rare opportunity when she was able to get a good look at goal before a wall of defenders closed in on her.

“They were (on) Anya,” said Mullady of her junior scorer. “We didn’t get her the ball as much as we wanted.”

The scoring was closed out on a pair of plays where Hole picked up the assist. First it was hitting a cutting Gorman with a perfect pass, and then with 2:20 to play she found Caitlin Walsh cutting into the middle from the top and Walsh made no mistake to make it a 17-5 game.

The win gives Conard a 15-1 record in the regular season that is largely the result of hard work and familiarity among the players. “It’s almost the same team as last year,” Gorman said. “We know what we are capable of after our loss to Staples.”

Both teams have qualified for States and will also play in the CCC post-season tournament starting on Tuesday, with Hall on the road at Simsbury and Conard hosting either Avon or Northwest Catholic. “We have to stay focused on what’s gotten us here,” Cersosimo said of her side. “We have to play with respect for the game, a ‘we’ before ‘me’ attitude and tons of energy. If we stay true to who we are, we will be fine.”

For Gorman, playing in her final season and playing along side her sister Ashley, the goal has changed from past years. “We have a chance to be great. I don’t want to play a New Canaan and lose. This year we have a chance to beat the New Canaans.”

New Canaan is the defending Class LL champion  and is currently ranked third in the GameTime CT girls lacrosse poll and second in the CIAC rankings.

GAME NOTES

Conard’s 11-game win streak has helped them become the only non-Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC) team to be in the top 5. The Red Wolves are fifth in both Class LL and in the GameTime CT poll, moved up a spot after the huge win over Staples last week that saw the Wreckers fall to eighth.

Seniors honored before the game

Conard:

• Olivia Hole (school’s all-time leading point scorer)
• Courtney McPhee
• Nicole Gorman (school’s all-time leading goal scorer)
• Kiara Morales

Hall:

• Anna Witinski

Nicole Gorman now has 190 goals in her Conard career.

Conard finishes the regular season at 15-1. Last season, including playoffs, they were 17-3 ending the year ranked seventh in Class LL.

Hall finishes the regular season at 11-3. Last year they were 9-7 on the season and finished the year 11th  in Class L.

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