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Ella Musumeci, left, and Maya Orbegozo. Photos by Marc Allard.
The smiles were evident on the faces of Woodstock Academy seniors Ella Musumeci and Maya Orbegozo.
Here the two were, in the final week of March, and instead of sitting in the classroom learning the rules of the game or trying to chip on the common in front of the school waiting for the snow to melt- they were getting ready to tee off for a practice round at the Woodstock Golf Course.
“No snow,” Musumeci said. “We’re back at it and can open up a little earlier this year than last year. It feels great to be back out here again. I just love to golf. Sitting in class, it’s like, ‘Oh wow, I have practice later and I have to work on these shots,’ and it’s something I just love.”
Orbegozo took a year off from golf as a junior to get a little more club soccer time in.
She decided after her senior soccer season that she wasn’t going to play soccer again in the spring and would turn her attention back to golf.
Centaurs coach Earl Semmelrock is glad she did. The senior will likely be his top player this season and it’s not like she should be all that rusty. Orbegozo has been playing golf, in a manner of speaking, all winter long.
“I’ve been playing at Bears Virtual Golf in Danielson this winter, big shout out to them; they have helped me a lot with my game. I’ve been taking lessons. I’m happy to be back with the team. It’s going to be a great season,” Orbegozo said.
The Centaurs finished with a 6-9 record last season and finished third in the ECC championship match.
It’s a good thing the Centaurs were able to get outside quickly.
Their first match of the season is scheduled for Wednesday in East Lyme and then they travel to Waterford on Thursday before taking a week off for spring break.
That includes Orbegozo who was the sixth player on the Centaurs team that won a Division II state championship in 2021.
Add to that Musumeci, fellow senior Shannon Cunniff, junior Isabella Siwiko and sophomores Lily Bottone and Sophie Gronski who had solid debuts as freshmen a year ago. Sophomore Isabel Mawson and freshman Lilly Moran will also likely see varsity play.
There are several other players, giving Semmelrock his biggest turnout in a while.
The varsity players will work and play at the Quinnatisset Country Club with the JV staying at Woodstock.
“I’m excited about what we can do and when I look at the other teams in the league and see who has graduated from last year, I think we will be in a pretty good spot,” Semmelrock said.
Speaking of those teams, there are more of them this season in the ECC.
In addition to the Centaurs, Norwich Free Academy, East Lyme and Bacon Academy, Waterford will field a team again this season, Stonington returns to the fray and Killingly will have a co-op team with Ellis Tech for a first time.
“I don’t know what to expect as far as how they will play because I haven’t seen a couple of teams in the past. It’s all good. We’re trying to grow the sport and this bodes well for us. The Killingly/Ellis Tech co-op has a good player. We also won’t have as much travel since we have matches around here and won’t be going out west as much. That’s good,” Semmelrock said.
Semmelrock said the goal is to retake the title.
Woodstock, going into last year’s championship match, had won five of the last six titles. Unfortunately, NFA wrested it away from the Centaurs a year ago for the Wildcats’ first title since 2014.
“We missed it last year for the first time in a while and I think the girls have that as a goal and it’s within reason. It’s really up to them how they do and how they want to attack the season,” Semmelrock said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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