MaxPreps 2013 Soccer Early Contenders: Glastonbury girls

When you play high school soccer in Glastonbury (Conn.), there's a lot to live up to. The history of success on both the boys and girls side is enormous. The youth program in town, the Hartwell Soccer Club, is in its fifth decade of operation, and sports nearly 3,000 members.

"(The players) understand that there's 30-plus years of other girls putting on those Glastonbury shirts and working hard," said Glastonbury girls coach Joe Finocchiaro. "They realize the history and tradition that we've been trying to build, and hopefully we can continue that tradition."

No reason to believe they can't.

Glastonbury is one of 10 fall girls teams to be honored as a national title Early Contender, presented by adidas and Dick's Sporting Goods. With two straight CIAC Class LL final appearances in the book and numerous players returning from last year's team, it would be news if the Tomahawks weren't in the mix again in 2013.



A year ago, Glastonbury won its first 19 games before falling 2-1 to Newtown in the Class LL championship game. The season prior to that, the Tomahawks went unbeaten (17-0-2) in winning the state crown in the CIAC's largest division. They have been to the finals three times in the last four years and were ranked as high as seventh in the country late in 2012 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.

See all the 2013 Fall Soccer Early Contenders

Connecticut hasn't been the easiest place in the world to play soccer the last two falls. Both seasons have been disrupted by crippling October snowstorms. Then, of course, there was Superstorm Sandy to deal with last year.

Little, however, has stood in Glastonbury's path to success.

"This season will be kind of a rebuilding season for us," said Finocchiaro, whose soccer pedigree includes time as a player with national junior college power Ulster (N.Y.) Community College and North Carolina-Wilmington, as well as with the USL's Wilmington Hammerheads.

"Although we have many key spots filled, we have more available opportunities for players looking to start moreso this year than the last few seasons. The group is focused and determined to compete. Through hard work and perseverance, many of these players know what it takes for them to achieve their goals."



See the entire Glastonbury photo gallery

Local outlook: “Glastonbury is poised to be a state power once again. It returns eight starters from last season’s CIAC Class LL runner-up. But Class LL will be tougher this season, as a new CIAC rule has moved two-time Class M champion Northwest Catholic, Class M runner-up St. Joseph and six-time champion Suffield into the division."
- Ned Griffen, New London Day (@MetalNED)
{PAGEBREAK}

Enrollment: 2,220

Athletic director: Trish Witkin

2012 finish: 19-1 (No. 2 in final NSCAA Northeast Region rankings; as high as No. 7 in national rankings; CIAC Class LL tournament finalist)

Head coach: Joe Finocchiaro

Years at school: 5

Career record: 85-4-5

Notable team achievements: The Tomahawks have reached the state Class LL final in each of the last two seasons - winning in 2011 - and have been to the final three times in four years.

Notable soccer alumni: Erica Robins, All-New England/American University; Kerriann Welch, All-American (first in more than a decade)/Central Connecticut State; Mckenzie Hollenbaugh, All-New England/Boston University.

Notable non-soccer facts about school: The Glastonbury athletic department was awarded the CIAC's Michaels Achievement Cup in both 2011 and 2012 for its exemplary work and overall program performance in the state of Connecticut. Award recipients are scored on a number of athletic department-related criteria, including sportsmanship, athletic participation, athletic scholarship, trained and professional personnel, equitable opportunities, chemical free initiatives and athletic achievement.
{PAGEBREAK}

Key Player losses:

Kate Smith (UConn)



Katie Connolly (U. of Hartford)

Kristen Dragotta

Melissa Andrade

Michelle Woodhouse

Key Returners:

Jr. GK Audrey Apanovitch



Sr. GK Ciara Boucher - Captain

Sr. Mariza Gionfriddo

Jr. Taylor Walker

So. Emily Bivona

So. Madison Lamagna

Jr. Madeline Gray



Sr. Sydney Keane - Captain

Sr. Jillian Ramsay

Sr. Audrey Spencer - Captain

Sr. Eren Cosgel

Sr. Lauren Geist

Jr. Alyssa Frederickson



Jr. Brittany Uricchio

So. Rileigh Queen

Jr. Lindsay Shettle

Jr. Sara DiCenso

So. Mara Cosentino

Sr. Madeline Riggot



Rising Contributors:

Sabrina Glaser

Ariana Fluet

Christine Marshall

Alexandra Goss

Kristen Hughes

Evelyn Spencer
{PAGEBREAK}

Toughest Games: South Windsor and Manchester in Central Connecticut Conference divisional matches; Tolland and Northwest Catholic in CCC crossover games.



Question Marks: The back line needs to be reconstructed. Over the last two seasons, Glastonbury has lost some key players there. Also, a secondary goalkeeper needs to be established.

National Look: Former U.S. National Team captain and Olympic Hall of Fame member Kristine Lilly played her high school soccer in Connecticut in the late 1980s, helping set a standard for the girls game that has only grown with time. The large-enrollment schools in the state can play with anyone. Girls soccer is arguably Connecticut's most competitive team sport on the national level.

In Summary: "We were pretty young last season. We started three freshmen and only four seniors. Our keeper was a junior. Our JV team had many solid young players that are now ready to make the next step up. With new additions to the Class LL state tournament (several teams that draw from outside their school boundaries will be bumped up a division or more) it should make things more difficult for all participating teams, which should make for some thrilling matchups this season."
- Head coach Joe Finocchiaro
{PAGEBREAK}