Falcon fall scoreboard
All-NCCC
Girls cross country
Rachael Rosow
Sara Stokesbury
Molly Hamel
Kelly McIntyre
Madison Zapatka
Boys cross country
Jeff Demers
Field hockey
Volleyball
Ariel Lepito
Boys soccer
Mike Dorney
Conor Lanahan
Drew Montano
Girls soccer
Jenna Donahue
Sarah Gerali
Erica Primovic
All-State
Rachael Rosow (cross country)
Sara Stokesbury (cross country)
Conor Lanahan (soccer)
Drew Montano (soccer)
Sarah Gerali (soccer)
Erica Primovic (soccer)
All-New England
Conor Lanahan (soccer)
Drew Montano (soccer)
Regional All-American
Emily Arciero (field hockey)
Named to the Southern New England Regional team by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association
Team honors
Girls cross country
NCCC champions
1st NCCC championships
2nd Class MM meet
24th State Open
Boys cross country
7th NCCC championships
8th Class MM
Field hockey
NCCC champions
Class M tournament
2R: Avon 6, Waterford 0
QF: Joel Barlow 2, Avon 1 OT
Girls soccer
Class L tournament
2R: Avon 2, E.O. Smith 1, PK
QF: Avon 1, Berlin 0
SF: Avon 1, RHAM 0
F: Avon 2, Farmington 1
Boys soccer
Class L tournament
1R: Avon 1, Fair. Ludlowe 0
2R: Avon 2, E.O. Smith 1, PK
QF: Avon 1, RHAM 0
SF: Avon 2, Branford 0
F: Bunnell 3, Avon 0
Volleyball
Class L tournament
1R: Stratford 3, Avon 0
BOYS SOCCER
Bunnell 3, Avon 0
At Middletown
Avon (15-4-1)
0 0 -- 0
Bunnell (20-2-2) 0 3 – 3
Goals: Freddy Metellus (B), Zach Zurita (B), Isaias Montalvo (B); Assists: Zurita (B) 2, Robert Rivera (B); Saves – Alex Andrews (A) 3, Sebastian Tamayo (B) 7; Shots – Avon, 12-10
Avon 4, Canton 0
At Avon
Canton (6-6) 0 0 – 0
Avon (10-2-1)3 1 – 4
Goals: Drew Montaro (A) 2, Tucker Davey (A), Conor Lanahan (A); Assists: Tyler Bonini (A), Lanahan (A), Jackson Davey; Saves – Alex Andrew (A) 3, Michael Grisevich (C) 11; Shots – Avon, 27-4, Corner kicks, Avon, 6-2
FIELD HOCKEY
Avon 2, Granby 1
At Avon
Granby (6-1)1 0 -- 0
Avon (6-0) 1 1 -- 2
Goals: Maddy Riccardi (A), Caroline Schaefer (A), Leah Giuliano (G); Assists: Emily Arciero (A) 2, Morgan Malone (G); Saves – Nicole Andrew (A) 9, D.D. Soika (G) 3; Shots – Granby, 7-5; Penalty corners – Granby 11-7
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
NCCC championships
At Windsor Locks
Team results – 1. Suffield 31, 2. Ellington 77, 3. Canton 96, 4. Granby 109, 5. Coventry 110, 6. Bolton 118, 7. Avon 134, 8. Somers 227, 9. East Windsor 269, 10. East Granby 271, 11. Stafford 329, 12. Enfield 353, 13. Windsor Locks 425, 14. Sport Medicine and Science Academy 443.
Individual Results: 1. Daniel Moroney, Suffield, 16:23; 2. DJ Labarre, Suffield, 16:27; 3. Jon Cahill, Canton, 16:33, 4. Alex Smith, Ellington, 16:41, 5. Jimmy Clark, Suffield, 16:42, 6. Thomas Cassello, Bolton, 16:57, 7. John Stingle, Granby, 17:04, 8. Connor Gates, Suffield 17:21, 9. Brendan Callahan, Bolton 17:21, 10. Neal Hulstein, Ellington, 17:26; 11. Jake Downham, Coventry 17:27, 12. Alex Norstrom, Coventry, 17:28, 13. Jeff Demers, Avon 17:32, 14. Dylan Chicoine, Granby, 17:34, 15. Patrick Begley, Suffield, 17:40
Final league standings
Teams earn 1 point for each dual meet win and 1 point for each team they beat at the league championship meet.
1. Suffield 26, 2. Ellington 24, 3. Canton 22, 4. Bolton 18, 5. Granby and Coventry 17, 7. Avon 16, 8. Somers 12, 9. East Granby 9, 10. East Windsor 8, 11. Stafford 6, 12. Enfield 5, 13. SMSA and Windsor Locks 1
Avon 19, East Granby 44
Avon 15, SMSA 50
Avon 15, Windsor Locks 50
Winner: Jeff Demers (A) 17:35 for 3.0 miles at Colt Park in Hartford, 2. Alex Moyer (EG) 18:23, 3. Will Schroeder (A) 18:28; 4. Tyler McCutcheon (A) 18:36, 5. Michael Oberhausen (A) 18:38; 6. Matt Mascoli (A) 18:48, 7. Justin Alessio (A) 18:55, 8. Max Pierce (A) 19:15, 10. Ponzani (A) 19:22
Record: Avon 9-4
Suffield 15, Avon 44
Suffield 18, Canton 40
Suffield 15, East Windsor 50
Canton 27, Avon 30
Canton 15, East Windsor 50
Avon 15, East Windsor 50
At Suffield
Winner: D.J. Labarre (S) 16:46 for 3.1 miles at Rogers Park, 2. Dan Moroney (S) 16:54; 3. Jon Cahill (C) 17:07, 4. Jimmy Clark (S) 17:37, 5. Connor Gates (S) 17:40, 6. Patrick Begley (S) 17:52, 7. Jeff Demers (A) 18:08, 8. Tyler Fitzpatrick (C) 18:11, 9. Peter LeDuc (C) 18:12, 10. Michael Oberhausen (A) 18:31, 11. Sean Deneen (A) 18:34, 12. Benjamin Gee (S) 18:37, 13. Jarrett Choinaud (C) 18:37, 14. Brendan Kirshbaum (S) 17:38, 15. Will Schoeder (A) 18:42
Records: Suffield 12-0, Canton 9-1, Avon 6-4, East Windsor 3-7
Avon 28, Granby 29
Ellington 27, Avon 30
Ellington 26, Granby 29
At Ellington
1. Alex Smith (E) 16:02 for 2.9 miles at Ellington, 2. John Stingle (G) 16:28, 3. David Bergeron (E) 16:58, 4. Jeff Demers (A) 17:01, 5. Ethan Lang (G) 17:08, 6. Sean Deneen (A) 17:15, 7. Spencer Lebel (E) 17:20, 8. Michael Oberhausen (A) 17:20, 9. Dylan Chicoine (G) 17:24, 10. John Kuehn (E) 17:24, 11. Alex Tessier (G) 17:27, 12. Matt Mascoli (A) 17:31, 13. Tyler McCutcheon (A) 17:47, 14. Justin Alessio (A) 17:55, 15. Eric Spencer (A) 17:55
Records: Avon 3-2, Ellington 4-0
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
NCCC championships
At Windsor Locks
Team results – 1. Avon 39, 2. Suffield 56, 3. Bolton 100, 4. Ellington 100, 5. Granby 108, 6. Canton 161, 7. Coventry 204, 8. East Granby 235, 9. Stafford 239, 10. Somers 275, 11. Enfield 311. No team score – Windsor Locks, East Windsor, Sport Medicine and Science Academy
Individual results – 1. Ellie Jean, Coventry, 19:04 for 3.1 miles at Windsor Locks, 2. Rachael Rosow, Avon 19:34, 3. Sara Stokesbury, Avon, 19:44, 4. Elizabeth Rigby, Suffield 19:54, 5. Samantha Nyser, Bolton, 20:09, 6. Ashley Piccirillo, Granby 20:10, 7. Molly Hamel, Avon, 20:12, 8. Monique Labarre, Suffield, 20:21, 9. Alexa Cipka, Granby, 20:32, 10. Kayla Sgarlata, Ellington, 20:34, 11. Katie McIntyre, Avon, 21:06, 12. Hannah Gardocki, Suffield 20:59, 13. Josie Gerber, Ellington, 20:34, 14. Stephanie Dantos, Granby 20:58, 15. Katie Ravenola, Suffield, 20:59
Final league standings.
Teams earn 1 point for each dual meet win and 1 point for each team they beat at the league championship meet.
1. Avon 26, 2. Suffield 24, 3. Bolton 22, 4. Ellington 20, 5. Granby 18, 6. Canton 16, 7. East Granby 12, 8. Coventry 11, Stafford 11, 9. Somers 9, 10. Enfield 6.
Avon 15, East Granby 50
Avon 15, SMSA 50
Avon 15, Windsor Locks 50
Winner: Rachael Rosow (A) 19:18 for 3.0 miles at Colt Park in Hartford, 2. Sara Stokesbury (A) 19:37, 3. Molly Hamel (A) 20:40, 4. Katie McIntyre (A) 20:57, 5. Madison Zapatka (A) 21:55, 6. Christie Goldie (A) 23:02, 7. Julia deSimas (A) 23:03, 8. Maeve Reiss (A) 23:05, 9. Carolyn Roar (EG) 23:09, 10. Emily Hebb (A) 23:53, 11. Sarah Lim (A) 24:14
Records: Avon 13-0
Avon 27, Suffield 28
Avon 15, Canton 48
Avon 15, East Windsor 50
Suffield 15, Canton 50
Suffield 15, East Windsor 50
Canton 15, East Windsor 50
At Suffield
Winner: Rachael Rosow (A) 19:57 for 3.1 miles at Rogers Park, 2. Monique Labarre (S) 20:03, 3. Sara Stokesbury (A) 20:04; 4. Liz Rigby (S) 20:09, 5. Molly Hamel (A) 20:41, 6. Hannah Gardocki (S) 21:07, 7. Katie Ravenola (S) 21:18, 8. Katie McIntye (A) 21: 25; 9. Katelyn Carr (S) 21:39, 10. Maddie Zapatka (A) 21:41; 11. Ellen McGann (S) 21:51; 12. Gabby Rusczk (S) 21:52, 13. Sandra Looney (S) 21:53, 14. Erin Kost (S) 21:58, 15. E. Reynolds (S) 22:01
Records: Avon 10-0, Suffield 11-1, Canton 6-4, East Windsor 0-7
Avon 21, Granby 38
Avon 18, Ellington 39
Ellington 27, Granby 32
At Ellington
Rachael Rosow (A) 19:06 for 2.9 miles, 2. Sara Stokesbury (A) 19:40, 3. Kayla Sgarlata (E) 19:40, 4. Ashley Piccirillo (G) 19:53, 5. Alexa Cipkas (G) 20:01, 6. Madi Zapatka (A) 20:31, 7. Molly Hamel (A) 20:40, 8. Katie McIntyre (A) 20:47, 9. Stephanie Dantos (G) 20:56, 10. Josie Gerber (E) 21:06, 11. Jen Husltein (E) 21:20, 12. Rachel Blinn (E) 22:00, 13. Sarah Lim (A) 22:29, 14. Kristin Goldie (A) 22:29, 15. Maeve Reiss (A) 22:40
Records: Avon 5-0
Girls soccer
Avon girls rally to win Class L title
Collinsville Press.com
MIDDLETOWN, Nov. 26 – Senior Erica Primovic scored a pair of second half goals as the Avon High girls soccer team rallied from a one-goal halftime deficit to beat arch-rival Farmington Saturday night, 2-1 to win the Class L state championship at Middletown High.
Primovic ripped a pair of shots past Farmington goalie Courtney Hofer in the second half to lift the Falcons (16-1-2) to their first state championship since 2003. Primovic, who will play at the University of Hartford next spring, has scored a team-high 20 goals this season.
No. 8 Farmington (12-4-3) took a 1-0 lead with about 20 minutes gone in the first half on a rocket off the foot of senior Amber Manning. The Indians controlled much of the play early in the second half as they were looking for their first state title since 2005.
But No. 2 Avon began to find some gaps in the Farmington defense. With about 21 minutes left in the game, junior Hunter McCarthy chipped the ball forward to Primovic, who was surrounded by three defenders. But Primovic was able to create enough space to control the ball and rip it into the left side of the net to tie the game at 1-1.
The goal energized the Falcons, who added the game winner about eight minutes later. Senior Grace Lennon carried the ball down the right sideline and made a nice, looping cross into the front of the net. The ball bounced once, Primovic got a toe on it and then she ripped it into the left side of the net for a 2-1 edge.
Farmington began to press in the final minutes and had two good opportunities, including a nice shot from 30 yards with about 3 minutes remaining and a shot to the left corner of the net that Falcon goalie Kaylan Conrad deflected away with 3 seconds left in regulation.
It was Avon’s third straight trip to the Class L championship game. They had dropped title games to RHAM and New Canaan the past two seasons.
Boys soccer
Bunnell tops Avon for first state title
Collinsville Press.com
MIDDLETOWN, Nov. 26 – A year ago, the Bunnell High boys soccer team made its first-ever appearance in the state finals. It was a disappointing contest for the Bulldogs, who dropped a 2-0 decision to New Canaan. However, nearly the entire team returned this season determined to change the outcome.
Bunnell-Stratford scored a goal 53 seconds into the second half and added another two goals to earn a solid 3-0 decision over No. 7 Avon and capture its first-ever state championship Saturday afternoon at Middletown High.
The No. 2 Bulldogs (20-2-2) took advantage of a defensive lapse to break a scoreless tie. After an Avon player was called for a foul, Bunnell’s Zach Zurita quickly tapped the ball to teammate Freddy Metellus, who ripped a shot from 40 yards away for a 1-0 lead. "We pretty much caught the defense sleeping," Metellus told the Connecticut Post. "They were trying to set up and Zach played it short ball and I decided to have a hit."
Bunnell made it 2-0 when Zurita beat two defenders to the ball and ripped a past Andrews with about 17 minutes left. It was his 43rd goal of the season and his 11th goal in the state tournament. Isaias Montalvo added a third goal off another assist from Zurita with about four minutes remaining.
“They scored some great goals,” Avon head coach Patrick Mulligan told MSG Varsity. “That kid smashed that ball into the lower corner, what are you going to do but applaud? The second goal was also a great goal. We had to push and that made us a little thin in the back. We created a few chances but were unlucky. I thought we had them on their heels a little bit in the second half.”
Avon (15-4-1) had chances. Conor Lanahan had a few good shots on goal but Bunnell goalie Sebastian Tamayo was up to the task with seven shots to earn the shutout. Tyler Bonini had a few opportunities along with Max Leopold. The Falcons did play without its leading scorer, Andrew Montano (32 goals), who was suspended for violating school rules.
The Falcons earned a spot in the finals for the first time since 2004 and had been beaten by the eventual Class L champion for the past three seasons. On this day, the Falcons were beaten by a team that was nationally ranked at one point this season and could be voted the No. 1 team in the state later this week. Pomperaug won the Class LL title but Bunnell beat the Panthers, 4-0, in the Southwest Conference championship game earlier this month.
CIAC roundup
Avon girls earn spot in 3rd straight L final
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
MIDDLETOWN, Nov. 18 – Senior Erica Primovic scored on a penalty kick midway through the first half and the Falcon defense allowed just two shots as No. 2 Avon earned a spot in the Class L championship game for the third straight season with a 1-0 victory over defending champion RHAM.
Primovic was taken down hard by a Sachem defender with 21:41 remaining in the first half. She slammed a shot into the net to give Avon (15-1-2) the only goal it would need. It was her second successful penalty kick shot of the tournament. She had a PK in Avon’s successful shootout win over E.O. Smith in the first round.
“I’ve been working with a soccer coach on penalty kicks,” she said. “You take responsibility and take your kick. I didn’t think twice. (Coach Jim) Murray is always telling us to pick your spot. I stayed with it.”
Avon will face the winner of Friday’s game between arch-rival Farmington on the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Indians beat Bethel, 1-0.
For the second straight game, the Falcon defense was outstanding, allowing just two shots. Goalie Kaylan Conrad made two saves to earn her 10th shutout of the season. “The pace was a little quicker for us (on artificial turf),” Murray said. “But we didn’t concede a good shot. Sarah Betancourt did an outstanding job on their top player.” Sweeper Molly Brown anchored the defense along with Betancourt, Sarah Gerali and Grace Lennon.
Avon had 14 shots on goal and has gotten better as the tournament has progressed. It was their third game in less than a week after taking off nearly 10 days due to the power outages following the Oct. 29 snowstorm.
“We’re getting better,” Primovic said. “We need to be more consistent and work together as a team. We can’t play as individuals. Today, we did very well passing to our feet.”
Playing on artificial turf didn’t hurt either. “We tend to slide tackle a lot (on grass),” Primovic said. “That hurts on turf. It forced us to pass more. I hope we play on turf again in the finals.”
Avon 1, Berlin 0
AVON, Nov. 15 – Caroline Smith scored off a feed from Erica Primovic with about nine minutes left in regulation to lift the Falcons in the Class L semifinals for the fourth straight year with a 1-0 win over Berlin. G Kaylan Conrad had three saves to earn her ninth shutout of the season.
BOYS SOCCER
Avon 1, RHAM 0
AVON, Nov. 16 –Drew Montano drilled a penalty kick into the net with 16:58 remaining in the second half to lift the Falcons (14-3-1) with a 1-0 victory over RHAM in the Class L quarterfinals on Wednesday. The No. 7 Falcons (14-3-1) advance to face Branford in the semifinals on Saturday in Waterbury.
Avon 2, E.O. Smith 1 (PK)
AVON, Nov. 14 – Goalie Alex Andrews made two saves in the penalty kick shootout as Avon prevailed in a shootout, 3-0.
The visiting Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the first half on a penalty kick. But the Falcons tied the game when Drew Montano scored midway through the second half. Avon outshot E.O. Smith, 12-1 in the second half but goalie Xavier Fegan was up to the task with 16 saves. In the penalty kick shootout, Conor Lanahan, Max Leopold and Tyler Bonini scored for the Falcons.
FIELD HOCKEY
Joel Barlow 2, Avon 1, OT
AVON, Nov. 14 -- Joel Barlow's Samatha Macchio scored with 3:40 remaining in overtime to enable Barlow to eliminate Avon in a stunning 2-1 Class M quarterfinal victory in Avon on Monday. Barlow took a 1-0 lead but the Falcons tied the game on a goal from Elle Crane in the second half.
Class L girls soccer
Avon girls survive on penalty kicks
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
AVON, Nov. 12 – Seconds matter, especially in high school athletics. These aren’t seasoned professionals. They are teen-age athletes. Nursing a one-goal lead throughout the second half, the No. 2 Avon High girls soccer team tried to run out the clock in their second round Class L contest with No. 15 E.O. Smith from Storrs. They nearly succeeded.
But despite being draped by an Avon defender, E.O. Smith sophomore Karina Larson took the ball across the goalmouth and at the last second fired a shot that bounced off Falcon goalie Kaylan Conrad to tie the game at 1-1 with seven seconds left in regulation forcing overtime.
That goal gave them another 20 minutes of overtime to try and win. But Avon wouldn’t yield and finally eliminated the pesky Panthers on penalty kicks to earn a 2-1 victory and advance to the Class L quarterfinals on Tuesday at Fisher Meadows at 2 p.m. against either Berlin or Wilton.
Avon (13-1-2) prevailed on penalty kicks, 4-2. Jenna Donahue, Erica Primovic and Catherine Jordan each had successful penalty kicks for the Falcons. Sophomore Youn Jae Baek clinched the victory by scoring low to the right side.
“They had to dig deep mentally and emotionally,” Avon coach Jim Murray said. “To get a win after giving up a goal with seven seconds left in regulation is outstanding. This is a great group (of players), a very positive group. They work hard.”
Primovic made a great play in the first half to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead. She got the ball at midfield and drove to the goal, beating two or three defenders along the way for her team-leading 17th goal of the season.
But Avon couldn’t add to its total.
“We had opportunities to score in the first and second half and in overtime but we couldn’t get it done,” Murray said. “It’s unfortunate it came down to penalty kicks.”
Avon had several corner kick opportunities in the final two minutes of overtime but couldn’t get a clean shot on goal. E.O. Smith goalie Rachel Gagnon played an outstanding game.
Avon roundup
Falcon field hockey team has little trouble with Waterford in tourney win
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
AVON, Nov. 11 -- Just two weeks earlier, the Avon High field hockey team had lost their first game of the season to Granby by a 2-1 score, snapping a 13-game winning streak. But the Falcons had little time to mourn the loss. In less than 18 hours, they were back on the field and ended their regular season with a 2-0 win over Stonington.
Hours later, heavy, wet snow fell across Avon and Connecticut plunging the state into a 10-day power outage that brought the state, the town, the school and high school athletics to a standstill. More than 831,000 customers of Connecticut Light and Power lost their electric service, including every customer in Avon. The high school became a shelter for residents and it took up to 11 days to restore power.
Avon hit the field Friday for its first game since the snowstorm and flourished with a 6-0 win over Waterford in the second round of the CIAC Class M tournament. Maddy Riccardi had three goals while Emily Arciero had a goal and three assists. Elle Crane had a goal and one assist while Nicole Rodiec added a goal for the Falcons, now 15-1.
“We just wanted to play as hard as we can,” Avon coach Terri Ziemiecki said. “It is just about wanting it and doing your best.”
The Falcons (15-1) had three practices this week in preparation for the game. With no school last week, there were no practices. With no power, it was hard to communicate. Some families stayed in town. Many left town to stay with relatives, in a hotel or a second home.
The success of the team was established earlier this year. “We knew we had to play our game – hustling and good passing,” Arciero said. “That is our formula – be efficient on offense.”
Avon advances to the Class M quarterfinals on Monday at 2 p.m. when they will host No. 6 Joel Barlow (13-2-2) at the high school.
The Falcons have advanced as far as the semifinals in three of the last four years. A year ago, Hand eliminated Avon in the semifinals, 1-0. Avon’s 15 wins is the most in a single season since 1995 when the Falcons lost in the Class S finals to Canton. The school record for most wins in a season is 17 set in 1984 when Avon won its second straight Class S championship.
BOYS SOCCER: Conor Lanahan’s goal was the difference as the No. 7 Avon High boys soccer team (12-3-1) eliminated No. 26 Fairfield Warde at Fisher Meadow on Friday. It was the first game in over two weeks for the Falcons. Alex Andrews made two saves to earn the shutout for Avon. The Falcons will host No. 10 E.O. Smith (10-3-4) on Monday at 2 p.m. at Fisher Meadows in the Class L quarterfinals.
Avon roundup
Avon booters stop Canton winning streak
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
AVON, October 21 – The Canton High boys soccer team had won five straight matches and six of its previous seven games before taking on Avon Friday night under the lights. They found an opponent that was quicker and more skilled and that foiled the Warrior offense, that got off just four shots.
The Falcons snapped Canton’s winning streak with a 4-0 victory. Drew Montaro scored two goals, including a penalty shot, to lead Avon (10-2-1, 10-2-1 NCCC) while Conor Lanahan added a goal and an assist. Tucker Davey also scored.
Lanahan gave Avon a 1-0 lead by taking the ball right down the field through the heart of the Canton defense. Canton goalie Michael Grisevich (11 saves) stopped Lanahan’s initial shot but he kept driving toward the net and popped the rebound into the net with 24:40 gone in the first half.
When an Avon player was held in the penalty box, Montaro took the penalty kick and scored his 27th goal of the season for a 2-0 lead with 15:29 remaining in the first half. Montaro made it 3-0 when he fired a rocket into the left corner of the net as he moved across the field with 3:24 remaining in the half.
“Drew has been phenomal but we’ve been strong right down the middle with (Conor) Lanahan, (Tyler) Bonini, (Michael) Dorney, (Zac) Cesaro and (Alex) Andrew in net,” Avon coach Patrick Mulligan said. “And we have some great players around them.” Bonini and Lanahan are in the midfield with Dorney and Cesaro at defense.
FIELD HOCKEY: Ranked No. 4 in the state coaches poll, Avon remained undefeated with a thrilling 1-0 win over No. 2 Glastonbury on Saturday. Maddy Riccardi scored for the sixth time in the last four games off an assist from Elle Crane against the Tomahawks. Goalie Nicole Andrew made 10 saves for her fifth straight shutout win. Riccardi had three goals in a 3-0 victory over Enfield. Avon is 11-0 overall and 9-0 in the NCCC.
GIRLS SOCCER: The Falcons improved to 11-1-1 with a pair of wins over Somers, 5-0 and Canton, 3-1. Leading scorer Erica Primovic (15 goals) had three goals in the win over Somers and added a goal against Canton.
VOLLEYBALL: The Falcons spikers snapped a two-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over Enfield. Avon is 9-5 overall and 7-3 in the league.
Avon High roundup
Avon girls race to Nonnewaug Invit. title
WOODBURY, Oct. 15 – The Avon High girls cross country team continues to collect championship hardware. The Falcons ran tough to outlast Pomperaug, 32-43 and win the 53rd annual Nonnewaug Invitational. Avon had four of the top nine runners and five of the top 12, led by sophomores Rachael Rosow (19:21) in second place and Sara Stokesbury (19:25) in third place.
Molly Hamel (6th), Katie McIntyre (9th) and Madison Zapatka (12th) rounded out the top five for the Falcons. Pomperaug had runners finish in fourth, seventh, eighth, 11th and 13th place.
On the boys side, Jeff Demers finished nine to lead Avon to a fourth place finish. In other races, Dan Innes won the junior varsity boys race and Julia deSimas finished second in the girls junior varsity race.
BOYS SOCCER: The Falcons (9-1-1, 9-1-1 NCCC) have won eight straight matches after beginning the season with a 1-1-1 mark after three games. Drew Montano has been on fire with 22 goals in the last eight games, including four in a 4-0 win over East Granby. The Falcons have allowed just two goals in the last eight games and goalie Alex Andrews has six shutouts in that span.
GIRLS SOCCER: Caroline Smith had a goal but Ellington put an end to Avon’s seven-game winning streak by tying the Falcons 1-1 last week. Smith has scored eight goals in the seven games. Erica Primovic leads the team with 11 goals. The Falcons are 9-1-1.
FIELD HOCKEY: After its thrilling win over Granby, the undefeated Falcons (7-0, 7-0 NCCC) followed up that victory with a 4-0 shutout over Stafford. Alana Pulling, Emily Arciero, Sarah Katherine Mascoli and Kelsey Burton had goals while Maddy Riccardi added three assists.
VOLLEYBALL: Defending Class S champion Coventry snapped Avon’s seven-match winning streak with a 3-0 victory last week. The Falcons (8-4, 6-3 NCCC) had been on a roll with a 3-1 win over Newingotn, a 3-0 shutout victory over Conard and a close 3-2 decision over Bolton.
CREW: High winds cancelled most of the Head of the Connecticut Regatta Sunday in Middletown. The Falcon boys team never made it to the water. The Avon High girls varsity eight was on the Connecticut River when large waves filled the Falcon crew boat with water. No one was hurt but the race was cancelled shortly afterwards.
Cross country
Avon High girls finish regular season at 13-0
HARTFORD, Oct. 12 – Sophomore Rachael Rosow remained undefeated in dual meets with her 10th straight victory as the Avon High girls cross country finished undefeated in the regular season for the second time in three years. The Falcons (13-0) had nine of the top 10 finishers as they shutout East Granby, Windsor Locks and Sport Medicine Science Academy by scores of 15-50.
Avon swept the top five spots in the race with Sara Stokesbury, Molly Hamel, Katie McIntyre and Madison Zapatka coming in behind Rosow. Avon was 12-0 in 2009 and had several undefeated seasons in the 1980s and 1970s.
In the boys race, Avon (9-4) beat East Granby, 19-44 and swept Windsor Locks and SMSA by scores of 15-50. Jeff Demers earned the victory as Avon put nine runners in the top 10. Will Schroeder took third, Tyler McCutcheon was fourth and Michael Oberhauser was fifth.
Both teams will race in the Nonnewaug Invitational Friday in Woodbury before the NCCC championship meet next Friday at Windsor Locks.
Field hockey
Avon meets challenge, stops Granby's 34 game winning streak
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
AVON, Oct. 10 – The Avon High field hockey team won its first five games of the year and then got a week off due to rain and the Yom Kippur holiday.
Falcon coach Terri Ziemiecki took the opportunity to raise the level of play of her squad. “I’m glad we had a week off,” she said. “We had a really good week of practice. We raised the bar. And we put it into action.”
Avon scored a pair of goals off deflections to end two-time defending Class S champion Granby’s 34-game winning streak with a hard-fought 2-1 victory Monday afternoon.
Sophomore Caroline Schaefer scored off a pass from Emily Arciero with 9:25 left in the game to give the Falcons the lead. And then the Falcon defense was able to hold off Granby (6-1, 5-1 NCCC) to earn the victory.
Avon goalie Nicole Andrew made nine saves, including a point-blank save with about 2:50 left in the game. The Bears had several penalty corner opportunities but couldn’t get off good shots thanks to an aggressive Avon defense.
This was Avon’s first real challenge of the season. Granby, which was ranked No. 3 in last week’s state coaches poll, had shutout their last five opponents, outscoring them by a 39-1 margin.
“I told them it doesn’t matter who we are playing,” Ziemiecki said. “Just play your best. Prove it to yourself. Prove it to me.”
Avon (6-0, 6-0 NCCC) took a 1-0 lead with 10:37 left in the first half when Arciero ripped a shot about four feet off the ground that teammate Maddy Riccardi redirected into the goal. Granby tied the game with 2:35 left in the first half when Leah Giuliano was left all alone on the post next to Andrew.
Granby’s Morgan Malone drove in for the shot that bounced off Andrew’s pad to Guiliano, who stuffed it into the net. Granby outshot the Falcons, 7-5 and held an 11-7 edge in penalty corners.
“Every game, we look to play our best,” Arciero said. “We did a good job of getting on the post and scoring. We put a lot of heart into the game, as we always do.”
NOTE: While Granby's winning streak was significant and dating back to 2009, the school record is 67 wins in a row from 1969-74. ... Avon was ranked No. 7 in the latest state coaches poll.
Cross country
Avon girls nip Suffield
to remain undefeated
SUFFIELD, Oct. 5 – It was just one race but it sets the tone for the NCCC championship meet two weeks from now in Windsor Locks. The Avon High girls cross country turned in a gutsy performance to nip host Suffield, 27-28 and remain unbeaten at 10-0. On the boys side, Suffield ended Canton’s 38-meet NCCC winning streak with a decisive 18-40 victory.
The NCCC championship meet is Friday, Oct. 21 at Windsor Locks High School and the results of this meet leave the Avon girls and Suffield boys in the driver’s seat to win conference championships. Each team receives one point for each dual meet win in the league and one point for each team they beat at the NCCC championship meet.
Avon (10-0) is looking for its first league title since they shared it with Suffield and Granby in 2009. They beat Suffield with a balanced effort from their top five runners. Sophomore Rachael Rosow remained undefeated in dual meets with a six-second win over Suffield’s Monique Labarre.
Sophomore Sara Stokesbury outsprinted Suffield’s Liz Rigby at the end to earn a key third place finish while Molly Hamel finished fifth. Katie McIntyre took eighth while Maddie Zapataka finished strong in 10th place. Anyone of Avon’s top five slip one spot and the Falcons end up with a loss.
“I see a lot of determination,” Avon coach Al Daddario said. “They want to win. They battle every step of the way.”
Avon has one regular season meet left on next Wednesday and they will be heavily favored to sweep East Granby, Windsor Locks and host Sport Medicine Science Academy in Hartford.
In the boys race, Suffield (12-0) was savoring its first win over Canton in two years. The Wildcats had five of the top six runners in the race. Only Canton’s Jon Cahill (17:07) broke into that pack with his third place finish. Tyler Fitzpatrick and Peter LeDuc were eighth and ninth, respectively for the Warriors while Jarrett Choinaud took 13th place. But with Choinaud finishing in front of group of four Avon runners helped Canton top the Falcons, 27-30.
“It really wasn’t one of our better races,” Canton coach Bill Sarmuk said. “We were slower than we thought. We thought we had prepared them to run on a flat course but they were running on empty tanks.”
Having lost to Suffield earlier in the season at the Stratton Brook Invitational, the Warriors knew it would be a stretch to hang with Suffield. But they thought they could run faster. “We’re not disappointed,” he said. “We’re looking to peak in a few weeks.”
Avon girls capture
first Bellringer title
AVON, Oct. 1 – The Avon High girls cross country team placed four runners among the top eight finishers to win its first Bellringer Invitational title on Friday in East Hampton. Avon had finished second to the host Bellringers for three straight years.
Sophomore Rachael Rosow took second behind Coventry freshman Ellie Jean, who clipped 15 seconds off the course record set by Avon's Claire Smith in 2009. Jean won the race in 20:03 with Rosow coming in at 21:19. Avon's Sara Stokesbury took third with Molly Hamel in fourth place and Katie McIntyre taking eighth. Avon outlasted East Hampton, 34-43.
On the boys side, the Falcons took fourth, led by Matt Mascoli in 14th place in 19:30 for the 3.1 mile course. Jeff Demers was second for Avon in 19th place. Michael Oberhausen was third for the Falcons in 19th place.
Avon roundup
Boys soccer on a roll with 3 straight wins and 20 goals in the net
AVON, Sept. 29 – After a challenging opening stretch to open the season, the Avon High boys soccer team has won three straight games, outscoring their opponents by a 20-1 margin.
The Falcons opened the season with a 5-0 win over Bolton but stumbled in a 1-0 loss to powerful Suffield before battling Granby to a 0-0 tie for a 1-1-1 start after three games.
Since then, Avon whipped Enfield, 7-0, routed Windsor Locks, 7-1 and blanked Stafford, 6-0. Drew Montano scored nine of his team-leading 12 goals in that stretch. The remaining players on the team have combined for 13 goals. Max Leopold and Jackson Davey have three goals each.
GIRLS SOCCER: The Falcons are off to a strong 5-1 start. Early-season highlights were a 2-0 win over Suffield – its first victory over the Wildcats since 2006. But in the next game, the Falcons were blanked by Granby, 1-0 – the first win over the Bears over Avon in over 10 years.
Since then, the Falcons have rolled over Enfield, 3-1, Stafford, 4-0 and Windsor Locks, 3-0. Erica Primovic is the leading scorer after six games with six goals. Caroline Smith has three goals while Britt Douglas and Hunter McCarthy have two each. Goalie Kaylan Conard has four shutouts.
FIELD HOCKEY: Avon is 4-0 and ranked No. 8 in the first state coaches poll of the season. Maddy Riccardi leads the team with five goals including the game-winner in a 1-0 win over Stafford on opening day. Caroline Schaefer has three goals, which she scored in a 7-2 rout of Somers.
VOLLEYBALL: For years, the Falcons have been chasing five-time league champion Coventry. In those five seasons, Avon’s only NCCC losses were to the Patriots. But it is a younger and less experienced Falcon squad on the floor this fall. Bolton beat Avon for the first time in school history with a 3-1 victory earlier in September, 25-22, 20-25, 25-17 and 25-20.
Coventry blanked the Falcons, 3-0 last week but Avon (3-3, 2-2 NCCC) rebounded with a 3-0 shutout win over Ellington and a 3-1 win over Newington earlier this week.
CROSS COUNTRY: It’s the 50th season of boys cross country for the Falcons, who have posted a record of 3-2 in its first five meets. Jeff Demers has been the lead Falcon runner.
The girls cross country team continued on its quest for a NCCC championship by easily whipping Somers and Enfield by 15-50 scores on Tuesday. Rachael Rosow won her third dual meet of the season and the Falcons had nine of the top 10 runners in the three-team race. Avon (7-0, 7-0 NCCC) races Suffield in a big meet for control of the league championship on Wednesday in Suffield. Canton and East Windsor will also be at the meet.
CREW: The first meet of the fall season at the GMS Regatta on Lake Lillinonah in New Milford was cancelled due to high water and the fast-flowing Housatonic River. But the Falcons are getting prepared for the 13th annual Head of the Riverfront on Sunday, Oct. 2, in Hartford along the Connecticut River. The event is hosted by Riverfront Recapture.
Cross country
Avon girls remain undefeated, close races for boys
ELLINGTON, Sept. 20 – The Avon High girls cross country made a statement Tuesday. Facing defending league champion Ellington and a strong Granby squad, the Falcons put five runners in the top seven finishers and eight in the top 15 to remain undefeated (5-0, 5-0) with a 21-38 win over Granby and an 18-39 win over Ellington. Avon’s Rachael Rosow set a hard pace from the beginning and pulled away after about a mile. Sara Stokesbury caught Ellington’s lead runner Kayla Sgarlata at the finish to take second place.
On the boys side, Avon slipped past Granby, 28-29 thanks to Justin Alesso and Eric Spencer beating the Bears’ No. 5 runner. Jeff Demers led the Falcons with a fourth place overall finish in 17:01 with Sean Deneen taking sixth overall in 17:15. Ellington outlasted the Falcons, 27-30 with the Knights’ fifth runner, John Kuehn finishing strong and taking 10th overall in 17:27.
Both teams will be competing Wednesday at the Coginchaug Invitational in Durham.
Strong start for Avon runners in opener
Collinsville Press.com
AVON, Sept. 16 – The season is young and the hopes are high for the Avon High boys and girls cross country teams. The campaign got off to a fine start last week on the sandy paths of Winding Trails in Farmington.
The Avon girls placed five runners in the top seven as they easily beat Bolton, 21-48, Stafford, 15-50 and Coventry, 15-50. The Avon boys did well nipping Coventry, 29-30 and shutting out Stafford, 15-50. But they came up short in a 25-30 defeat to Bolton.
Coach Al Daddario has a young girls team that he hopes can contend for its second NCCC championship in the past three years. The Falcons (3-0, 3-0 NCCC) shared a piece of the championship in 2009.
The Falcons looked sharp in its season opening sweep. Sophomore Rachael Rosow remained undefeated in dual meets with her sixth career victory, racing over the 3-mile course in 19:31. Sophomore Sara Stokesbury was second in 20:20.
Freshman Molly Hamel was fourth in 20:46 with junior Katie McIntyre (21:20) and sophomore Madison Zapatka (21:47) rounding out Avon’s top five runners.
“It’s a young team,” Daddario said. “We always try to beat Ellington and Suffield but it’s an uphill climb. Our runners worked hard this summer and it really shows. If they stay with it and peak at the right time, we’ll be all right.”
Defending league champion Ellington looms as the favorite. The Knights have virtually their entire team back and last fall, they had eight straight runners finish second through ninth place to beat the Falcons, 20-41. Can the Falcons break up the pack and score some points? Avon ran against Ellington on Tuesday.
On the boys side, coach Gene Macy is hoping his Falcon team can take the next step and stand among the elite teams in the NCCC. Avon finished tied for second in the league in 2005 but hasn’t come closer than fourth place since.
Macy is banking on a competitive spirit to drive his team. He has 39 runners on the team, ensuring that no spot in the seven-man varsity lineup is secure.
“We really would like to crack into that top three in the conference,” he said. Two-time defending champion Canton, Suffield, Ellington and Bolton loom as the teams at the top of the league.
Junior Jeff Demers was Avon’s top runner Wednesday, taking third in 17:02. Senior Matt Mascoli was seventh in 17:30 while senior Sean Deneen was ninth in 17:39. A second off the pace was junior Mike Oberhausen in10th place. Senior Eric Spencer (14, 18:14), sophomore Jack Wendler (15, 18:21) and Conor Wise (18, 18:36) rounded out the top seven for the Falcons.
Avon beat Coventry by a point thanks to Spencer beating out a Coventry runner by six seconds for 14th place. But against Bolton, the Bulldogs were took strong with three runners among the top five and five in the top nine finishers.
Teams earn one point for each team they beat in a league dual meet and one point for each team they beat at the league championship meet in October in Windsor Locks.
Avon held the meet at Winding Trails because Fisher Meadows was unavailable due to the recent flooding of the Farmington River.
On Saturday, Avon participated in the 33rd annual Haddan Windham Invitational. The Falcon girls looked sharp, taking second in the Varsity II race with 69 points. Cheshire won the race with 56 points. Rosow finished second in 19:31 while Stokesbury was sixth in 20:11. On the boys side, the Avon boys took seventh in the Varsity II race.
