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Practice
Woodstock Academy senior goalie Rachel Holden fields a ball in practice recently. Photo by Marc Allard.
There is a new focus for the Woodstock Academy girls’ soccer team.
“We always get held up in the first round of the state tournament,” said senior captain Linda St. Laurent. “Coach (Dennis Snelling) feels that we are losing interest at the end of the year so it’s time to make it more of a goal for the whole season. I think with these girls, it’s going to be such a fun season and we’re going to want to peak at the end.”
The Centaurs have won the last two ECC championship matches.
Last fall, the Centaurs edged past Plainfield, 1-0, in a pretty memorable match.
But that high doesn’t seem to carry over to the state tournament.
After getting a first round bye in the Class L state tournament, the Centaurs were upset at home by Daniel Hand.
It continued a string of defeats in the state tournament where the Centaurs have not won a match since 2013.
“It’s tough because you go from the highest level and you feel like you’re starting at the bottom again and you will be fine. States is a whole new thing. You’re playing stronger teams in States and we underestimate that a little bit,” St. Laurent said.
Woodstock Academy finished 16-2-2 last season.
But there will be some notable absences this year.
Gone is leading scorer Ivy Gelhaus (19 goals, 5 assists); goalie Irene Askitis, midfielder Ashleigh Angle (6 goals, 2 assists); center back Heather Converse (who scored the game winning goal in the ECC championship); forward Aislin Tracey (2 goals, 3 assists); midfielder Regan Stuyniski and forward Isabel Cintron.
Coach Dennis Snelling, entering his eighth season at the helm, is not concerned.
“We return 12 kids that had a big role, are successful and very strong and worked really hard all summer. I’m not too worried,” Snelling said.
The girls benefitted from the offseason conditioning program offered at The Academy. About 10- to-15 of the girls came together on Sundays to run together during the summer while about a dozen worked out in the weight room with strength and conditioning coach Brendan Ostaszewski.
“The younger kids get to know the older kids, get to see the work ethic. It’s more important than the actual skill level, to be able to get along. If they don’t get along, it’s not going to be good. It’s not going to be fun,” Snelling said.
The Centaurs return with junior Peyton Saracina (6 goals last year) at forward along with sophomore Ava Couture and, yes, there is another Gelhaus as freshman Grace Gelhaus will see time on varsity up front. Another newcomer to varsity will be junior Sophia Mawson.
Midfield will be talented and will be represented by a number of classes.
Seniors Kayla Gaudreau (2 goals, 7 assists) and Emma Redfield (1 goal, 3 assists) will be joined by juniors Lucy McDermott and Gillian Price (2 goals, 1 assist) and sophomore Adeline Smith (3 goals).
The Centaurs scored 48 goals last season.
Snelling wouldn’t mind to see a few more go in the net.
St. Laurent thinks that will happen.
“We already have the offense,” St. Laurent said. “Peyton and Grace are working so well together already and a bunch of subs who are also working well there. The outside midfielders are doing a good job of getting the ball into them.”
The defense was more than solid last season.
It allowed only six goals all season until the 4-1 loss to the Tigers in the state tournament.
St. Laurent will be one of the keys to that effort, playing a center back role in the midfield.
“The back is going to be so solid and the midfield is going to hold the ball really well. Altogether, I think we’re doing a very good job of defending every aspect of the field which will help us a lot,” St. Laurent said.
Snelling doesn’t want to lose his senior captain’s influence on the offense which is why he wants to see her in the midfield as well as helping in the back.
Converse is gone, but junior Brynn Kusnarowis – who owns a big foot and scored a pair of long-distance goals last season – will be one of the anchors along with another senior captain, Hallie Saracina, who could also play some midfield.
Other players in the back include junior Caroline Wilcox and several newcomers including juniors Sydney Couture and Ciara Mackinnon, sophomore Stella Brinn and freshman Lennon Favreau.
Rachel Holden takes over for Askitis in the net, she will be backed up by freshman Fiona Rigney.
Gaudreau and Redfield will be the other captains on the team which has gelled pretty well in the preseason.
“Our chemistry is just so strong,” St. Laurent said. “Our captains have all played on varsity for all four years. The freshmen are already so involved and we all feel like a part of the team.”
The team will need the togetherness.
There will be a target on the backs of the Centaurs throughout the ECC season due to the pair of successes the team has enjoyed.
“It’s just kind of an extra thing that we can use in practice to say, ‘These teams are going to come out and have their best game against us because they know they have to’. They may see the list of graduates we have and the target becomes bigger and it’s easier to hit because we had seven starters graduate and there is no way we can bounce back from that. If teams are strong, they had better beat us this year,” Snelling said. “Every year, the goal is to leave (the program) better than when you come in and no matter who leaves, there is still a strong foundation and each class kind of leaves its own legacy.”
The Centaurs open the season against the team they beat in the ECC championship.
Woodstock Academy travels to Plainfield, which played for a Class M state title last season, in a 4 p.m. game Sept. 12.
Girls’ soccer schedule:
Thurs., Sept. 12: at Plainfield 4 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 14: vs. Valley Regional 11 a.m.
Mon., Sept. 16: vs. Waterford 4:15 p.m.
Thurs., Sept. 19: vs. Fitch 3:45 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 21: vs. Burrillville 4 p.m.
Mon., Sept. 23: at East Lyme 6 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 25: vs. NFA 3:45 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 2: vs. Stonington 4 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 4: at Killingly 4 p.m.
Mon., Oct. 7: at Fitch 4:15 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 12: at St. Paul Catholic 1 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 16: vs. East Lyme 3:45 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 19: at Auburn 1 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 22: at NFA 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 25: at Bacon Academy 4 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 29: vs. Plainfield 3:45 p.m.
Marc Allard,
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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