Northwest Catholic hosted Daniel Hand on Friday in a CIAC Class M first round girls soccer tournament game.

Submitted

The opening round of the Class M State Tournament brought thrills to West Hartford as the No. 12 seed Northwest Catholic Lions hosted the No. 21 seed Daniel Hand Tigers on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. This was a rematch of last year’s nail-biting first round in Madison, where the Lions edged out the Tigers in double overtime, 2–1.

From the opening whistle, the weather was impactful, with strong swirling winds challenging both teams and altering shots and passes. Despite the gusty conditions, Northwest Catholic set the attacking tone early. Maddie Rudy, Samantha Casper, Maeve Staunton, Mya Montoney, and Lily Johnson each forced dangerous moments with corner kicks and shots, either slightly off target or denied by Daniel Hand’s goalkeeper, Eliza Jobson.

The Tigers countered with their own offensive bursts, but the few attempts were snuffed out by Lions’ keeper, Abby Casper. The deadlock persisted through halftime, with neither side managing to convert their opportunities.

The story remained largely unchanged after the break. The Lions continued to dominate possession and chances, but struggled to find a way to finish. Midway through the second half, Daniel Hand made their breakthrough. Capitalizing on a throw-in, Rory McConville fired a deep effort that was parried by Abby Casper, but the rebound fell kindly for Alice Agovino, who slotted home to give the Tigers a 1–0 lead.

Trailing in the closing minutes, Northwest Catholic refused to relent. With just eight minutes left, a free kick routine set up Allie Loveless for a shot that was saved by Jobson. The ensuing chaos saw Montoney’s follow-up blocked by a Tigers handball in the box, earning the Lions a crucial penalty.

Staunton stepped up, waited out Jobson’s dive, and calmly finished into the left side netting to tie the score, 1–1. The tension only increased as the Lions pushed for a winner, nearly scoring in the final minutes, but the Tigers held strong to force overtime.

Extra time brought more drama – but no breakthrough. Both squads produced chances, but neither could alter the scoreline, leading to the ultimate test: penalty kicks.

Northwest Catholic’s Abby Casper, no stranger to shootout heroics, delivered under pressure just as she did last year’s tournament at Bacon Academy. Staunton set the tone for the Lions by converting her penalty kick, and Casper immediately made a clutch save. Although Loveless’ attempt was stopped by Jobson, Casper responded with a second save, and Johnson’s powerful finish swung momentum further towards the Lions.

Casper’s third penalty save brought the crowd to its feet, and when Montoney calmly sealed the deal, the Lions had secured a hard-fought victory.

With the win, Northwest Catholic advances to the second round, where they will host No. 28 seed Northwestern on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m. Northwestern is coming a 4-1 win over No. 5 Wilcox Tech.

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