Prep soccer celebrates 2nd national title
It’s something that Woodstock Academy coach Owen Finberg said never grows old.
A banquet to celebrate a National Prep Soccer championship.
The Woodstock Academy prep soccer team was feted for a second year in a row at the Anya Restaurant in Thompson last week after being named National Champions by prepsoccer.com in December.
“I don’t mind it, it’s a lot of fun,” Finberg said. “There is a level of expectation that brings with it a lot of pressure and you have to enjoy that. Winning is a by-product of doing things the right way and, sometimes, you do things the right way and it doesn’t work out especially in soccer. For it to come together and for us to celebrate as league and national champions is a testament to the group and coaching staff.”
The Centaurs finished with a 14-1-2 overall record and a Prep Premier League championship in addition to the national title.
The night was not only good for the stomachs but also meant some players went home with some hardware to show for their efforts.
Jude Essuman was named the team’s Most Valuable Player.
“It’s a great feeling right now because I was not expecting this. At the beginning of the season, I told myself I was going to do great things to help the team and as a captain, I did my part. I tried to be a good person both on and off the field so that we all helped each other,” Essuman said.
The senior led the team with 13 goals and three assists.
“He had a great season and is a great leader, something that he has grown into. He worked to hold his teammates accountable and holds himself to the standards that we expect. It starts with that example but being a leader is doing so much more than what you are supposed to do,” Finberg said.
Essuman will not be on the Woodstock Academy campus much longer as he will head out to attend Rutgers University in New Jersey where he will play soccer for the Scarlet Knights.
“They’re expecting a lot from me so I’m very prepared to go and get the work done but I’m going to miss Woodstock Academy. I’m going to miss the nice people, teammates and teachers,” Essuman said.
Kevin Christensen and Alvaro Medrano Jr. shared the Golden Gloves honor as both keepers recorded four shutouts for the Centaurs.
“Two great goalies and we’re excited to have Kevin coming back because he played unbelievably well in key moments and has a bright future ahead of him. Alvaro has been an outstanding representative for the team both on and off the field and had another tremendous year for us,” Finberg said.
Jasper Cox received the team’s Most Improved Award.
“Sometimes, you just have to keep working and trust the process; be in the moment, control what you can control and, eventually, things will work out. It took a little while for Jasper but he really took off last spring and this fall, he was just phenomenal,” Finberg said.
Tommy Broderick was the Prep 2 soccer program’s Golden Boot award recipient as he finished with 15 goals and four assists.
Broderick played three sports in high school in Rye, N.Y. and came to Woodstock as a post-grad to concentrate on soccer.
“He knew that it was probably his best path to playing college athletics and using that to help him get into a great school,” Finberg said.
It worked as Broderick recently committed to play college soccer for Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva. N.Y.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
8752: Tyler Hoadley Most improved Player: Jasper Cox
8770: Abel Mickey Watson Most Valuable Player: Jude Essuman
8750: Co- Golden gloves award winner: Kevin Christensen
8747: Prep 2 Golden Boot Award: Tommy Broderick
(2nd person in photos is Woodstock Academy prep soccer had coach Owen Finberg) Photos by Richard Glemawu/Woodstock Academy.
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Commuter Lot Redo: Storm water handled
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Work has begun in earnest on the rehabilitation of the commuter lot off Kennedy Drive.
Currently, according to Town Administrator Elaine Sistare, the storm water management system is being installed. It involves catch basins being installed in the lot and across Kennedy Drive where a filtering system is being installed. The system operates much like a rain garden. Water is filtered naturally in the storm water infiltration basin and then moves, cleaned, into the Quinebaug River.
This project involves putting piping under Kennedy Drive and between the basins and to the filtering pond and then to the river. She said the work will probably take a couple more weeks. Plantings around the areas will come later.
When that is finished work will begin on “modest to mild grading” on the recently purchased Eversource land and the commuter lot. That will involve closing the Canal Street entrance to the lot.
Weather factors in, naturally. Officials said if there are starts and stops in this phase that the town will ask that work be “paused” for the weekend of Fire & Ice event Feb. 8. The commuter lot restrooms, recently victims of vandals, would be unlocked. If however, if they are going “gangbusters,” the town will just let the work proceed.
With several events coming up for the downtown area a couple months after that, Sistare said they town hopes they will be “first in line” for asphalt when the asphalt plants open in April.
“The big picture,” she said is that “we’d like to be ready by spring.”
The project, several years in the planning, has a construction value of $950,000 and is being paid for with federal American Rescue Plan Act funding.
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The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs. The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 860-963-0000.
Dec. 18
Jovani Santo Jr.27, Smith Street, Putnam; second-degree assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct.
Dec. 20
Kayleigh Lyons, 22, North Street, Putnam; risk of injury to a minor.
Bruno B. Maluf, 28, Sunnyside Avenue, Putnam; disorderly conduct.
Dec. 21
Michael Maheu, 39, Thompson Avenue, Putnam; third-degree assault, risk of injury, disorderly conduct.
Juvenile, 17, School Street, Putnam; third-degree assault, disorderly conduct.
Dec. 27
Sonny Barber, 35, last known address - Battey Street, Putnam; three counts of sixth-degree larceny (shoplifting).
Jeffery D. Mylen, 40, South Main Street, Putnam; evading the scene of an accident, operating under suspension.
Jan. 3
Matthew Johnson, 39, Corbin Street, Putnam; operating with unsafe tires, operating with a suspended license, misuse of plates.
Jan. 4
Meghan Boylan, 40, Barber Street, Putnam; disorderly conduct.
Jan. 5
Michael Ferguson, 54, Austin Street, Waterford; disorderly conduct.
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Inducted
John Krot, center, was inducted into the CT American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame. He was honored for his long time service to American Legion Baseball, where he has served (for more than 25 years) and continues to serve as the Zone VI Commissioner. He is the former head football coach and athletic director at Killingly High School and currently serves as AD at Parish Hill High School in Chaplin. Pictured with Krot is Ronald P. Coderre, left, the Past Commander of Post #13 in Putnam and Past District Commander of CT District #4; and Everett G. Shepard III who currently serves as American Legion National Sergeant-at-Arms Shepard is the former Commander of Post #111 in Woodstock, Past CT Department Commander and Past CT Department Adjutant. Courtesy photo.
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