On Saturday, Mar. 2, at Terry Conners, the New Canaan High School girls hockey team took the CT state title after their 2-0 victory over Hall Conard. This is the team’s third state victory in the past four years and the win rounded out their near-spotless record to 24-1.
The state game came after the girls’ loss to Darien in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Atheletics Conference (FCIAC) final, where they fell one goal short with a score of 4-3. According to senior captain Madzie Carroll, the entire team was determined to avenge their loss. “We were extremely driven to win States. We, as a team, believed that we were the best team in the state and we were dying to prove that,” she said.
Photo by Tucker Radecki
Senior captain Olivia Hompe agrees that States brought out the best of the team and showed everyone what they were capable of. “I think even though we had a tough loss in FCIAC finals, our play during States definitely showed our true character,” she said. “We were able to step up under the pressure and play to our fullest potential.”
The team also did well coping with all of the attention surrounding their consistent victories. Out of the rink, goal-keeper Nathalie DeNey appeared in the media for her outstanding performances in the net, but tried her best to block out the distractions and focus on the game. “With the huge crowds and pressure to perform, if you let yourself get caught up in it, you won’t be your best,” she said. “My job is simple, I just tune it all out and follow the puck.”
However, the constant attention does sometimes get to the team. “The press and attention towards our record makes it even more pressing and sometimes we find ourselves focusing on not losing rather than winning, which can be a potential downfall,” Madzie said.
Photo by Tucker Radecki
According to Olivia, the key is to just keep looking forward and not let any pressure become a factor in the game. “We knew that if we just focused on our future and what we knew we could do we were going to be successful,” she said.
The win at States was hardly their only success of the season. Madzie believes that it is the team chemistry that is a huge factor in their achievements. “What people don’t know is that our team had a lot of chemistry both on and off the ice. There was never any fighting or clique issues which I think is very unique,” she said.
There were also many individual successes throughout the season. Nathalie, despite being a standout herself, said to keep an eye on freshman Catherine Granito. “She came in and was just a fireball,” she said. “Catherine has been so valuable and will only get better over the years which is really exciting.”
Nathalie added that the captains were also key players during the season. Seniors Olivia, Madzie and Corbett Ripley will be graduating this year, leaving the team with big shoes to fill. Yet, Nathalie looks forward to another great season complete with many wins and accomplishments on the ice.
“I know everyone on the team has learned so much this season, and I can’t wait until we step back on the ice next winter,” Nathalie said. “The most important thing I took away from this experience and team is that if you work hard and passionately, you can accomplish anything.”
