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Centaur team
qualifies for
state tourney
The Woodstock Academy girls’ lacrosse team continues to reach heights this season that it rarely or never has in the past.
The Centaurs qualified for the state tournament for just the second time in the history of the program with a 14-4 win over Griswold May 5.
May 3 the Centaurs handed Waterford a 12-8 defeat, their first-ever win over the Lancers in the sport.
In between, May 4, the Centaurs downed Northwest Catholic, 13-7.
The three wins improved the team’s record to 8-1, the best start in the history of the program.
“I’m so proud of my girls, they just work so hard and they’re so athletic,” said Woodstock Academy coach Kathleen Johnson.
The win over Waterford raised the Centaurs record to 2-0 in the Eastern Connecticut Conference which is important for another reason; the Centaurs are bidding to become the first team in program history to qualify for the ECC tournament.
“An incredible win,” said the only senior on the team, Madison Brennan. “We have never beaten Waterford in Woodstock Academy history in girls’ lacrosse. This was just outstanding.”
The two teams were tied at the half at six.
Freshman Bridget Horst scored all three of her goals to help the Centaurs rally from an early 5-3 deficit.
“At halftime, I wasn’t feeling so well so I knew I had to come in hard and come in strong and that’s what I did,” Brennan said.
Needless to say, following the game, Brennan said she felt “amazing.”
Arielle Johnson broke the tie when she took the rebound of a Brennan shot and stuffed it into the net just 2 minutes, 53 seconds into the second half.
Brennan followed less than a minute later with a goal off an assist from Emma Redfield to make it 8-6. Brennan then raced nearly the length of the field by herself and put the ball in the net with 13:35 left and Ivy Gelhaus tacked on another to make it 10-6.
Waterford did rally.
It scored the next two goals, but Arielle Johnson wasn’t about to let this one slip away. She came in from behind the right side of the net to poke one in with 6:04 to play and followed that up with one from the left side with 5:41 left to account for the winning margin.
“I think it was a momentum changer,” Arielle Johnson said of the two late goals. “Honestly, though, I think it was the whole team defense that really stepped up and it was just awesome to see. Everybody contributed to the win and that made it more special.”
Another key, according to Kathleen Johnson, was moving Emma Ciquera to the draw.
“We were only 50-50 on the draw (in the first half), so I switched things around. Emma is one of my best players because she can do everything. I knew she could push it and taking Bridget off (the draw) and putting her on the side and Ivy (Gelhaus) is so quick and is a lefty that it would give us an advantage,” Kathleen Johnson said.
Arielle Johnson said the win should also help the Centaurs reach their ultimate goal.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
“We’re trying to make the ECC (tournament) and they are a top ECC team so to beat them it sets us up to, hopefully, make the tournament. This is the best our team has ever been so it’s awesome to see everyone improving,” Arielle Johnson said.
Horst scored four goals while Brennan and Arielle Johnson added three goals each in the win over Northwest Catholic.
“Madison has unbelievable speed and, sometimes, I play her at attack because if we can get that first pass to her, it will turn into a fast break and a transition opportunity for us. It’s great that I have so many great players that I can have so many others in the circle and on the draw because it frees up Maddie and puts her in a specialty position,” Kathleen Johnson said.
Horst also scored three goals in the win over Griswold while Brennan, Ciquera and Gelhaus had two each. Arielle Johnson (1 goal) and Ciquera also added two assists in that win.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director