Girls Soccer faces tough test in Finals

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

NEWINGTON — It all comes down to one match and 80 minutes of game time. At the end, when the clock reads “00:00”, either the Newington girls soccer team or Glastonbury will capture the CCC title. The Indians come into the game with a lot of momentum, having won their last two playoff games by a combined score of 5-0, including a 3-0 win over RHAM to reach the conference final. Even with Newington playing at such a high level, Indians head coach Adam Wilkinson knows his team is in for a tough match ahead this evening. Glastonbury is currently undefeated on the season with an 18-0 record. Not to mention the Tomahawks are capable of scoring just as frequently as the Indians. On average Glastonbury scores just over four goals a game. “It’s a good game,” Wilkinson said of his squad playing the Tomahawks. “[Glastonbury and us are] 1, 2 in Class LL. They’re the reigning champions and they’re a very deep and very talented team. “They’ve got more than double the amount of kids in their school than in ours, but their solid all the way around from the front to the back.” Going into the championship match, Newington has won 13 matches in a row itself, but the team has faced a few unique challenges along the way. On Oct. 23 against Wethersfield, the Indians lost their starting goalkeeper, Jenna Scamlon, for the rest of the season with a torn ACL and dislocated knee cap. “We really didn’t have another keeper at that level of play, but I had a defender who I had keep for me on my premier team in Skylar Couillard,” Wilkinson said. “Everything came together and she’s made some great saves. She’s played really well despite have a couple of torn ligaments in her ankle.” Couillard has notched four shutouts herself with the help of the team’s defense including in their first two rounds of the CCC tournament. Of course, the offense also pitched in as it had all season. “Against South Windsor, we were solid defensively,” the head coach said. “Against RAHM, we scored with nine seconds left in the first half to give us some momentum and we could have easily been down more. Defensively, we just played well.” So, what will Wilkinson tell his players before they take the pitch looking to clinch a conference title? “Treat this game the same as any other one,” he said. “If anyone doubts you, you tell them to look at the season’s results. You deserve to be here and you’ve proved it. Respect Glastonbury, but don’t be in awe of them.” There is no doubt the Indians are in for a tough match, but if the team plays they have the entire season — their only loss was in an overtime match against Berlin, a team that also made the CCC tournament — Newington has an excellent chance of walking off the pitch with a CCC title to their name and a trophy in hand. Courtesy of the NB Herald

Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Girls Soccer in CCC Finals
 previous

Thursday, November 5, 2015
Girls Soccer is runner up in CCC Tournament
next