With an undefeated regular season, this year the varsity field hockey team broke records and made history. No. 1 New Canaan’s dynamic season came to an end on Saturday in the highly-anticipated state championship against Wilton at Wethersfield High School.
The girls won the state final game against Wilton with an exciting 3-1 victory. Sophomore Izzy Schuh scored two of the three goals. Her second goal came off of an assist by senior captain Zoey Bennett (Johns Hopkins University commit) at beginning of the 4th quarter, giving New Canaan a 2-1 lead. With just under five minutes left in the 4th quarter, senior captain Molly Mitchell (Colby College commit) capitalized on an opportunity and scored New Canaan’s third and final goal.
Minutes later, the clock ran out and New Canaan varsity field hockey was named the 2021 Class L State Champions. “Winning the state championship was the result of the time, hard work, and dedication every single player put into the team throughout the season,” Zoey said. “We could never have done it without the members of our team and our amazing coaches, MC, Megan, and Vienna.”
The defense has played a vital role in the team’s successes this year, only allowing six goals the entire season. Leading from the back, senior captains Keira Cooney, Rachel Gilio (Denison University commit), and sophomore Jane Holland have consistently shut down rival offensive opportunities. With fantastic saves by goalie Grace Gilman (Lehigh University commit), the team entered the finals with an impressive record of 20-1.
The team’s undefeated regular season was one for the books – not since the 1980s had New Canaan’s field hockey team achieved such a feat. New Canaan was on a tear, winning sixteen straight games, including a thrilling 2-1 win against Darien, who was also undefeated at the time.
During the regular season game against Darien, the Rams fell behind 1-0. However, Izzy Schuh tied it up and junior Shawna Ferraro hammered home the game-winner late in the 3rd quarter. “It’s always a big game when we play against each other, whether we have an undefeated record or not,” Rachel said. “It will always be extremely competitive.”
The team qualified for FCIACs, where they were seeking their first title since 2014. Unfortunately, the team fell short in a double-overtime loss in the finals against Darien.
Undeterred, New Canaan defended their home field with a striking win against No. 8 Greenwich in the Class L quarterfinal game. With an impressive pass from senior captain Molly Mitchell (Colby College commit), junior Shawna Ferraro scored in double overtime and the team started their quest for a state championship.
Following Greenwich, the girls met Glastonbury in the state semifinal where their strong offensive, led by senior captains Molly Mitchell and Zoey Bennett, senior Carolyn Baran, as well as juniors Polly Parsons (Cornell University commit), Shawna Ferraro, and sophomore Izzy Schuh, dominated in a 2-1 win. This victory brought them to their state final game against Wilton where they emerged as state champions.
“After playing four years on this team, winning the state championship was the best possible ending to have,” Zoey said. “To be able to go that far in playoffs and bring a state title to the school is very rewarding.”
