Andie Carroll, Media Editor
@acarrollcourant
Field Hockey:
2016 record: 14-4-1
State Champions in 2016
Captains: Sophie Wood, Elizabeth McCarthy, Sierra Smith
New head coach: Kelly Marks
The NC Rams field hockey team comes out this season hot after winning the State Championship last year. Their season has already gotten going with their first game on the September 9th against St. Joes. The Rams destroyed the Cadets, beating them with a 8-1 win, led by new senior captains Sophie Wood, Elizabeth McCarthy, and Sierra Smith.
Although the girls lost some talent from the seniors last year, such as Ellery Barren, Mariana Ferreira, Grace Manges, and Cameron Dayton, the new younger players have filled the void. The team also has to adjust to the change of having a new head coach this season, Kelly Marks, who will hopefully help the girls improve as players and as a team.
Sophie Wood, senior co-captain of the team, looks to create a cohesive group this season. “We are really excited for all the team bonding we have planned for this season because as a team if we can connect and be like a family off the field, then our performance and chemistry on the field will only benefit,” she said.
Football:
2016 record: 11-1
State Champions in 2016
Captains: Sean Knight, Grant Morse, Jake Ciancio, Seamus O’Hara
The New Canaan Rams football team has big expectations following them as they have won the State Championship for the last four years. Led by coach Marinelli, the boys are looking to turn that four into a five and continue to build upon their football legacy.
This year’s team will be led by four new captains Sean Knight, Grant Morse, Jake Ciancio, and Seamus O’Hara. Along with a lot of experienced returners, the team lost some important players such as Ryan O’Connell, Tom Root, James Freyre, and Teddy Hood. Although the boys are off to a rocky start after losing to St. Joes in the first game of the season 38-35, the team is ready to get back to their winning streak.
Girls Soccer:
2016 record: 6-6-4
Captains: Julia Ozimek, Braedan Dial, Zoe Jones
The girls soccer team this season is built of a strong and experienced group looking for a place in the postseason. Although they lost some key players such as Madison Starr and Kelly McClymonds, the girls’ strong senior class is looking to lead this year’s team to victory.
This season the girls will be led by senior captains Julia Ozimek, Braedan Dial, and Zoe Jones. With their first game of their season behind them against Danbury, they weren’t able to pull away against the Hatters and the game ended in a 1-1 tie.
Senior co-captain, Julia Ozimek, is excited to see what the season has to offer and how the team will perform in their games. “I feel like this year we are more team oriented than individually focused, which will help us definitely in our games,” she said.
Volleyball:
2016 record: 7-13
Captains: Carson Allsteadt and Hayley Salvatore
With a new coach and the loss of 9 players from last year, the girls volleyball team is young and ready for change. Some of these key players that they lost were Francesca Guynn, Molly Rochlin and Maggie Tensen. Last year with a record of 7-13, the girls missed States by just one game.
After Coach Palmer resigned during the winter, the Athletic Board hired new head coach for the team, Kevin Mariano, from Joel Barlow High School. Hopefully he will be able to work with new captain’s, Carson Allsteadt and Hayley Salvatore, to help the girls develop as a team and make it to states this year.
Carson Allsteadt, senior co-captain, believes that the team this year has a lot of potential for success. “I think we are just as good, if not better, than we were at the end of last season,” she said. “I believe we will surprise many teams this year with our improvement,” she said.
Girls Swim and Dive:
Captains: Anne Farley, Caroline Sweeney, Lizzie Colwell, Karlie Bucci, Liz Gehnrich
This year’s girls swim and dive team is another extremely young team that is looking to make an impact this season. Even though the girls lost some great swimmers and divers such as Katie Kushner, Maddie Smith, and Gwyneth Thalacker, with such a big incoming freshman class, there is a ton of new talent. The goals for the team this year are to win some big meets and have a great postseason by getting a lot of girls entered into the championship meets.
Senior Co-captain, Caroline Sweeney, is excited to see how this year’s team can compete. “Overall, I am super excited for this season and I can’t wait to see what everyone will accomplish,” she said. “It’s a cliche, but this team really is like a family and it’s really something special!” she said.
Boys Cross Country:
2016 record: 9-6
Captains: Henry Asker, Alex Urbahn, Max Koschnitzke
With the Boys Cross Country season just underway, the team has already come out with a bang placing seven runners in the top ten against Westhill, Ridgefield , and McMahon. This leaves them with a 3-0 record to start the season.
Even though the team lost important runners such as Michael St George, Abhinav Pal, and Jake Grigsby, the boys are looking better and faster than ever before. New senior captains Henry Asker, Alex Urbahn, and Max Koschnitzke are ready to lead this team deep into the postseason.
Henry Asker, senior co-captain, believes that the team mentality this year will help the boys perform better in their meets as they have a variety of strong runners who are not just seniors. “This year, our depth comes in handy because it means we run strong as a pack, which can help us score better overall,” he said.
Girls Cross Country:
Captains: Cali Brannan, Chloe Mcauliffe, Leigh Charlton, Megan Waldron
This year’s Cross Country team is looking for some great performances from experienced returners. Although they lost great runners such as Drew Davis and Lauren Carlson, new captains Cali Brannan, Chloe Mcauliffe, Leigh Charlton, and Megan Waldron are looking to lead the team with some great times.
Junior Elaina Tiller is looking to also make good times and contribute to the team as she finished third overall in a meet against Ridgefield. So far the girls are 2-1 on the season and looking to continue to improve upon their times and their record.
Boys Soccer:
2016 record: 4-9-3
Captains: Wes Farley, Kent Williams, Stephen Curiale, Grant Carlson
The Boys Soccer team this year is made up of a strong and experienced group with only one Sophomore on the roster this season. This group of 27 is looking for a deep postseason run and an improvement on their success after last season.
This year’s team will be led by four senior captains Wes Farley, Kent Williams, Stephen Curiale, and Grant Carlson. Although the team is 1-2-1 on the season after losing to Danbury and Greenwich in the first two games of the season, the boys are looking to improve upon their record and win some of the tough games on their schedule.
