NORWICH - It’s been a rough start to the season for The Woodstock Academy’s volleyball team, but it finally got its first taste of success Sept. 13.

The Centaurs traveled to Norwich Free Academy and downed the Wildcats, 3-1.

It was the first win in three matches for Lyman which played tough, but fell to East Lyme in its season opener and then lost to defending Class S state champion, Lyman Memorial.

Sept. 11 it was a hotly-contested match with the Wildcats, too.

The Centaurs took the opening game, 25-23, but then lost 25-22, to the Wildcats.

The Centaurs closed it out with a pair of 25-20 victories.

Caroline Eaton led the way for the Centaurs with 21 kills, Katie Papp added seven. 

Natalie Low added 13 kills and had 15 service points.

Kayley Ericson had 17 digs for the Wildcats (0-2) while Danielle Tirocchi had 19 kills.

Woodstock 3

Plainfield 0

WOODSTOCK – Libero Maddy Gronski had 19 digs and Natalie Low had 25 service points to lead Woodstock Academy to a 3-0 shutout victory over Plainfield Sept. 15.

Samantha Orlowski had 15 assists for the Centaurs (2-2) who won the games, 25-15, 25-8, 25-16. Plainfield fell to 3-2.

Field Hockey

East Lyme 4

Woodstock 2

EAST LYME – Freshman Rachel Cannedy and junior Hannah Wotton scored goals for Woodstock Academy, but it wasn’t enough to derail East Lyme, which prevailed 4-2 on Sept. 14 in a girls’ field hockey contest.

Avery Jones assisted on the first goal for Woodstock while Natalie Crouse added an assist on Wotton’s goal. Olivia Stanikmas had eight saves in goal for the Centaurs (1-1, 1-1) while Clara Siegmund had three defensive saves.

Caroline Healy had two goals for the Vikings (1-2, 1-1 ECC). Kristen Healy and Katie Durkee both had a goal and an assist.

Woodstock 4

Fitch 2

Sophomore Avery Jones played varsity field hockey for Woodstock Academy last year.

She tried hard, but never found the net. She won’t have that same feeling this season.

Jones scored the first goal of the season for the Centaurs and then added the last as well in a 4-2 season-opening victory Sept. 12 over the Fitch-Ledyard cooperative.

“Getting these two goals is going to boost my confidence a little bit,” Jones said.

Jones scored the first goal off a feed from Clara Siegmund. The ball bounced up and over Falcons’ keeper, Erin Ritter.

“She’s been working really hard in the offseason, getting in the weight room and did a couple of camps and showcases. She’s been really busting her butt and it’s paid off,” Woodstock Academy coach Lauren Gagnon said.

Jones first goal came 13 minutes into the game and was followed just 1:41 later by a second goal from Lindsey O’Dea who redirected a shot by Rachel Canedy into the net to give Woodstock a 2-0 lead.

But that lead disappeared when Zoe Pearse scored with 11:11 to play in the first half and against just 1:06 into the second to tie the game.

“We could have easily shut down, but we didn’t,” Gagnon said,

Natalie Crouse put the Centaurs ahead to stay on a second assist by Siegmund with 17:37l eft. Jones added the insurance goal with 4:01 to play.

The Centaurs had the better of the play, outshooting Fitch-Ledyard, 27-6.

“We let a lot go off the end line so we’re going to be working on tipping off the posts and getting in front of the keeper and disrupting the direct shot. We had a lot of opportunities. More shots than we’ve ever taken in a first game of the season. That’s great. But, we have to capitalize on those opportunities,” Gagnon said.

Boys’/Girls’ Cross-country

Freshman Stella DiPippo had a stellar debut for the Centaurs.

She crossed the finish line in 22 minutes, 4 seconds, and senior teammate Hannah Matsas (22:35) finished in second to lead the Centaurs’ girls to a 22-35 win over Bacon Academy in Colchester Sept. 14.

The boys lost to the Bobcats, 19-36.

It was the season-opening dual meets for both programs.

Aria Gianfriddo finished fifth for the Woodstock girls.

Matt Roethlein was best for the Centaurs.

He finished second in 18:30, 38 seconds behind the winner, Andrew Janus of the Bobcats.

Evan Gianfriddo finished seventh for Woodstock.

Girls’ Soccer

The scoreless string continued for the Woodstock Academy girls’ soccer team which won its fourth straight match by shutout.

Ashleigh Angle scored the only goal of the match Sept. 16 when she put the ball in the net off a pass from Kayla Gaudreau just 11 minutes, 17 seconds in for Woodstock (4-0).

The Centaurs finished with 10 corner kicks, but were unable to capitalize on any. 

Woodstock outshot Pittsfield (1-3), 14-2.

Sept. 14

Woodstock Academy kept its shutout streak intact, raising it to three consecutive matches, as the Centaurs shutout Killingly, 6-0.

Ivy Gelhaus scored the first of her two goals just 3 minutes, 1 second into the match.

Ciri Miller, Bridget Horst, Isabel Barrett and Kayla Gaudreau also tallied Woodstock Academy.

The Centaurs (3-0, 2-0 ECC Division II) outshot the Redgals (0-2, 0-2) 20-9. Irene Askitis made two saves and Rachel Holden added three.

--- Marc Allard,

Sports Information Director

 

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