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Honored
The Woodstock Academy volleyball seniors were honored during Senior Day festivities prior to their match at Griswold. Photo by Adam Bottone.
The Woodstock Academy girls’ soccer team rebounded from a hard-fought loss in their opener against Killingly for a 6-0 win over Windham Tech Oct. 3.
“We knew the Killingly game was going to be fun, emotional, competitive and it was great to have that experience. This game was nice to get everyone in, everyone playing, everybody happy for the weekend,” said Centaurs coach Dennis Snelling.
The Centaurs scored all six of their goals in the first half.
Last year’s leading scorers, Grace Gelhaus and Peyton Saracina, each scored within the first eight minutes of the game with Adeline Smith assisting on the Gelhaus goal and Gelhaus on the Saracina goal.
Saracina and Gelhaus each added goals later on in the first half.
“It was a confidence booster,” Saracina said. “It was a great game by us. We kind of moved (the ball) around in the second half and worked so much better as a team. We all got really good touches on the ball (Saturday).”
That included freshman Kayla Leite.
She played defense in the 3-2 overtime loss to Killingly in the Centaurs’ opener Oct. 1.
She informed Snelling later that she was really a midfielder and Snelling gave her the opportunity on Saturday.
She responded with a pair of goals.
“On the first day of tryouts, when I saw the freshmen, I was very, very pleased. Obviously, Kayla with the two goals (Saturday), never gives up. She’s a great player and I love her way of playing. Rebecca (Nazer) in net, she is just amazing and she is a good field player too. I’m just really impressed with the improvement of last year’s freshmen, now sophomores, too. I’m just really confident in everyone all-around,” Saracina said.
The Centaurs were challenged in their opener. Lucy McDermott scored in the first half but that would be all for the Centaurs until just six seconds was left in regulation.
A Gelhaus shot hit the bar with the rebound fortuitously finding the foot of Caroline Wilcox who put it into the back of the net to send the game into overtime.
Killingly won the match when it scored shortly into the second five-minute overtime period.
Boys’ soccer wins two to start
The Centaurs boys’ soccer team has already doubled its win output of last season.
A 3-1 win over Windham Tech in Willimantic Oct. 3 raised the Woodstock Academy record to 2-0 on the season.
Ty Morgan scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Centaurs to the win over the Mighty Tigers.
Huck Gelhaus added a goal while both Richard Hickson and Eric Phongsa tossed in an assist.
The Centaurs had it much easier in their opener.
They downed Ellis Tech, 8-0, on their home field at the Bentley Athletic Complex.
Eric Phongsa had the hat trick to start the season and also added an assist to his three-goal effort.
Gelhaus (1 assist) and Hickson each had two goals and Andrew Johnson added a tally.
James Phongsa had two assists in the win.
Volleyball splits 2 on the road
The Centaurs volleyball team opened its season with two matches on the road.
The first one went pretty well, a 3-0 victory over New London, Oct. 1.
But the back-to-back matches took its toll Oct. 2 as the Centaurs lost in Jewett City to Griswold, 3-1.
The Centaurs rolled past New London, winning the three sets 25-10, 25-20 and 25-10.
Senior Gabby Garbutt opened the season with a double-double effort, getting 11 kills and 10 digs against the Whalers.
Fellow senior Aurissa Boardman added six kills and 10 digs in the win.
But the Wolverines quickly ended the hopes of an undefeated season for Woodstock Academy.
Griswold won the first set, 25-21, but Woodstock Academy tied the match with a 25-16 win in the second set.
Griswold prevailed with wins of 25-17 and 25-21 in the final two sets.
Senior defensive specialist Marissa Mayhew had 28 digs and three aces behind the service line in the loss for the Centaurs.
Garbutt had 13 kills, 25 digs and 4 aces while senior setter Tabby Bezanson contributed 23 assists.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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