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Lacrosse
team
tourney-
bound
For the first time since the current crop of seniors were freshmen, the Woodstock Academy Centaurs boys’ lacrosse team will play in the Class M state tournament.
The Centaurs last appeared in 2016 when they lost a qualifying round game to Masuk.
They promised themselves a return trip with a 14-4 win over Montville May 11 to raise their record to 7-6.
“I’m extremely proud of this group that has worked hard all year,” said Woodstock Academy coach Michael Noel. “They set out with the goal of making the tournament and they did it with three games still to play.”
The Centaurs didn’t waste any time in the win on the road over the Indians.
Guerin Favreau scored the first two goals for Woodstock Academy.
The sophomore put his first home with 7:21 left in the quarter to give the Centaurs the lead for good. His second came just 32 seconds later and he would finish up the hat trick before the end of the first quarter.
Favreau added two assists, giving him 31 goals and 23 assists on the season. Ethan Haass also finished with three goals before the end of the quarter and Austen LeDonne, who added two assists, capped things off just before the horn sounded to give Woodstock Academy a 7-0 lead.
“It was nice to see them with good energy and enthusiasm for a Saturday morning away game. They knew it was important to come out strong and not let up,” Noel said.
Seth Libby scored twice in the second quarter and Ethan Holcomb added another just before the half to make it 10-1 in favor of the Centaurs.
While Holcomb had only the one goal, he assisted on six others for Woodstock Academy.
Libby also finished with a hat trick while Gabe Geyer, Jackson Chambers (two assists) Ian Nielsen also scored.
The Centaurs set themselves up for their seventh win with a 12-10 victory over the Rockville-Stafford cooperative program May 8.
Favreau finished with six goals and an assist while Holcomb contributed two goals and three assists.
Haass and Libby scored twice and Alex Wojciechowski tossed in a pair of saves.
Goalie Colin Liscomb made 16 saves.
“We knew the game was going to be competitive and the team remained focused and worked hard for four quarters. We are going to need more of that for our last three games,” Noel said.
The Centaurs did have a rough go against Waterford. The Lancers handed them a 15-6 loss.
Holcomb had three goals and two assists in the loss while Favreau (1 assist), Libby and Haass also scored.
The Centaurs have games remaining at Fitch (Tuesday), Norwich Free Academy (Thursday) and St. Bernard-Wheeler (Saturday).
“I personally think our record could be better at this point. We have the talent and the desire but we need to avoid the self-inflicted errors and maintain our composure at all times,” Noel said. “I told the team that they shouldn’t be satisfied with just qualifying for the tournament. A winning record is something achievable and they need to focus on these next three games.”
Girls’ Lacrosse
The Centaurs girls’ lacrosse team found the going a bit rougher at E. Lyme than it was at home against the Vikings.
In their second meeting of the season, E. Lyme handed the Centaurs a 16-6 loss May 9.
The Centaurs had posted a 5-4 win over the Vikings on their home field earlier in the season.
The win by East Lyme just about ended the hopes of the Centaurs winning at least a share of the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division I title.
East Lyme can clinch the title with a victory over winless Norwich Free Academy, but the Centaurs will come away with a second-place finish in their first year as a member of Division I.
“As a coach you are never satisfied because you are always setting new goals and helping your athletes reach their potential,” said Woodstock Academy coach Kathleen Johnson.
The Centaurs (12-3, 4-2) got a pair of goals from Emma Ciquera in the loss, giving her 54 on the season.
Ivy Gelhaus, Emma Redfield, Arielle Johnson and Peyton Saracina all had one goal apiece.
The Centaurs did bounce back May 11 to score an 18-6 win over NFA in Norwich.
Saracina did almost half the damage as she scored eight goals.
“Peyton is a great athlete as well as her sister Hallie. Our defense does not receive enough credit for our success. We would not have the success we have had this year without them,” Johnson said.
Ciquera and Gelhaus (53 goals) scored four goals each in the win while Arielle Johnson and Aislin Tracey also scored and Rachel Canedy had an assist.
“Every win is a good win. Every player contributed to our win,” Kathleen Johnson said.
Woodstock Academy finishes off the regular season May 15 with the annual Senior Day game against Montville.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy
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