Centaurs 

clinch 

share of ECC 

Div. II title

The Woodstock Academy senior Hannah Walley thought it was only fitting.

The last time the Centaurs volleyball team won an Eastern Connecticut Conference divisional title was 2000, the same year the majority of the five seniors on the team were born.

The Academy clinched a share of the Division II title with Killingly with a 3-0 win over Montville on Senior Day Monday.

It was the 12th straight win for the Centaurs (15-3, 7-1) and eighth straight by shutout.

Walley played a key role. Starting libero Maddy Gronski was struck by a ball in practice the day before and, as a precaution, coach Adam Bottone held her out.

That meant the senior had to put on the yellow jersey. “It was definitely a little intimidating,” Walley said. “Maddy (347 digs) is one of the best liberos in the league.” Walley delivered not only on the floor where she had 15 digs, but also behind the service line where she had 14 service points on a night when few of her teammates were consistent in that regard.

“Some people may think replacing Maddy is a tough assignment, but Hannah’s defense has been tremendous for us all year. I had no doubt that she was going to perform well,” Bottone said.

But what he was most happy about was Walley’s ability to get the ball over the net. She did not have a service error and had momentum-building runs behind the line in the second and third games.

While the Centaurs posted wins of 25-10, 25-12 and 25-13 and were never threatened by the Indians (5-13, 1-7), 13 service errors prevented them from pulling away early in all three games.

“That’s a lot of service errors to have especially when we have been serving the way we’ve been and facing an Avon team (Wednesday) and gearing up for the postseason, that number is not going to fly,” Bottone said. “But we’re happy with the win and happy to share the divisional championship with Killingly.”

Sammie Orlowski had 24 assists and Paula Hernandez tossed in 12 kills in the win for the Centaurs.

Woodstock 3

Waterford 0

WATERFORD — Oct. 25 Caroline Eaton had 10 kills and 14 service points to lead the Centaurs to the shutout victory over the Lancers (10-5, 2-4 ECC Div. II). Setter Sammie Orlowski added 24 assists while Libero Maddy Gronski had 18 digs for The Academy (13-3, 6-1) which has now won 10 straight matches.

Woodstock 3

Killingly 0

The Woodstock Academy’s volleyball team pulled into a first-place tie atop the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II with a 3-0 win over previously undefeated Killingly Oct. 16. The Centaurs (12-3, 5-1 ECC Div. II) posted victories of 25-17, 25-20 and 25-18 over the Redgals to keep their winning streak alive at nine straight matches. Sophomore Paula Hernandez led the way with 16 kills and 12 points while Caroline Eaton added 13 kills. Setter Sammie Orlowski had 35 assists.

Ally Conde paced Killingly (15-1, 5-1) with nine kills while Riley Allen added six.

Cross Country

The smile on Stella DiPippo’s face couldn’t have been much larger.

The freshman had just tackled the Eastern Connecticut Conference championship at the Norwich Golf Course and finished in third in 21 minutes, 27 seconds.

It led the Centaurs to a fifth-place finish as a team overall and second in ECC Division II behind undefeated Stonington which placed third as a team.

DePippo’s time was just a little over a minute behind winner Mady Whittaker of Montville and just 45 seconds behind last year’s winning time of 20:42 by Woodstock alum, Sylvia Lawrence.

It came on a course noted for its difficulty especially for a freshman seeing it for a first time.

“It’s really tough, there are so many hills. You go up one and it seems like there are just so many more,” DiPippo said of the course.

What made it even tougher, in DiPippo’s mind, was that it is a championship race and the pace is already faster than most other races she has run. Add in the hills and it makes for an exhausting experience.

But DiPippo said she was ready thanks to the efforts of coaches John Ywarsky and Joe Banas.

“They told us to push it on the hills a lot because we did a lot of hills (in practice) and we were definitely prepared. They wanted us to use that to their advantage,” DiPippo said.

DiPippo hung in early, racing in the top seven in the first mile before moving up to third.

“I was so surprised to have just two people in front of me,” DiPippo said.

Senior Hannah Matsas, who placed 14th, wasn’t surprised.

“Stella in third, that’s the most amazing place we’ve had for a freshman as long as I can remember. She has a lot of years to improve and I think, one day, she will get first (place),” Matsas said.

Ywarsky said he saw DiPippo climbing the final hill that leads into the last mile of the race.

“It was a thing of beauty. I thought she was going to catch (second-place finisher) Lily Anderson (of Stonington) too. She was hot on her heels,” Ywarsky said.

Ywarsky said the final team total of 128 was pretty good.

The team’s goal was to break into the top five and the Centaurs accomplished it.

They had hoped to catch Stonington (89 points) and tie the Bears for the Division II crown.

“We will get them next time,” Ywarsky said.

That may not be any time soon.

With Putnam rejoining the ECC next season, it’s likely the Centaurs will be bumped into the upper echelon of the league with NFA, East Lyme, Fitch and Ledyard.

“That’s great because it’s fantastic competition,” Ywarsky said. “It’s like a championship meet every week.”

There is, of course, at least one more meet this season.

The Centaurs will participate in the State Class championships on Oct. 28 at Wickham Park in Manchester.

Ywarsky said the experience on racing at Wickham Park earlier in the month and in the ECC championship should help his younger runners.

“We’ve run Wickham before so it’s not a new course like (Norwich) was,” Ywarsky said. “It will be great to see what they do, but it’s really a mystery. Moving up to (Class) L, all the teams we will see are from west of the river. RHAM (of Hebron) is the only one even close to us so I have no idea what will happen.”

Ywarsky said he took last year’s times in “MM” where The Academy placed fifth and put them into the Class L competition. The Centaurs would have finished 12th.

“We’ll see. That’s why we run the races,” Ywarsky said.

Woodstock runners in ECC championship: 3. Stella DiPippo; 14. Hannah Matsas; 34. Emily McClure; 39. Alexia Bourbeau; 41. Megan Gohn; 44. Amelie Pressel; 56. Iris Bazinet.

Soccer

Woodstock 3

Old Saybrook 0

The girls’ soccer team honored its seniors and then went out and celebrated Oct. 21 with a 3-0 win over Old Saybrook.

Prior to the match, the Centaurs recognized seniors Olivia Perry, Isabel Barrett, Kennedy Davignon, Katie McLoughlin, Ciri Miller, Naomi Rivard, and Makara Sorel in pregame ceremonies for their contributions to the program.

“I think last year we played Old Lyme and lost on Senior Day so this was nice. It makes the whole day a little more special when you win and the seniors got to play a lot, too,” said coach Dennis Snelling.

The Centaurs had plenty of opportunities early but had to wait until just 10 minutes, 13 seconds were left in the half to get on the scoreboard.

Aislin Tracey was in the right place at the right time.

“It was a great cross from Regan (Stuyniski) and I just followed the ball and touched it in,” Tracey said.

But Tracey wasn’t done. She came back with 26:38 left in the match, took a one-touch from Ivy Gelhaus and drilled it through the hands of Old Saybrook keeper Kelsey True for her third goal of the season.

“She has a nose for the ball. She is always in the right spot and finds a way to get open,” Snelling said.

The Centaurs added a third goal with just 27 seconds left when True tried to punch a direct kick by Makara Sorel out, but it spun in the opposite direction for Sorel’s fifth goal of the year.

The win raised the Centaurs record to 11-4.

“It’s fine,” Snelling said of the record. “We had a harder schedule this year than last and we’re similar in rankings in the state to last year. That’s a positive, because we got better experience.”

Woodstock 0

Old Lyme 3

OLD LYME – The last 4 minutes, 57 seconds of the first half will be one Centaurs coach Dennis Snelling will rather forget. The Woodstock Academy gave up three goals in that span and lost to the Wildcats. Irene Askitis had two saves for the Centaurs (10-4).

Field Hockey

Woodstock 0

Immaculate 2

The Centaurs dominated possession, but couldn’t find the back of the cage and lost to Immaculate, 2-0, in a non-league contest Oct. 21.

“We played really, worked hard, played together as a team which we do best, but just couldn’t finish,” said coach Lauren Gagnon.

The Mustangs (12-1-2) scored a goal in each half.

Caroline Wax tallied in the first for the Centaurs while Celia Prevez added a second half goal. Madison Halas added an assist for Immaculate.

The Centaurs (4-8) didn’t allow many shots on keeper Olivia Stanikmas (3 saves), but that’s because freshman Eliza Dutson made seven defensive saves.

“She’s an absolute animal,” Gagnon said. “She puts it all on the line. One of these days, she is going to get nailed when she is down playing on the ground, but she’s not going to let you get to the goal.”

Marc Allard

Sports Information Director

 

..