Suffield (West Suffield) is far from the soccer pitches of some of the elite programs in Fairfield and New Haven counties. That's why the northern Connecticut town often gets overlooked in the grand soccer scheme of things.
The Suffield girls soccer team is coming off a year in which it went 18-0-2 and was co-champion in Class M with Northwest Catholic (West Hartford), its fifth state championship in school history, all since 1998. The Wildcats started in typically strong fashion this year dominating their first five opponents and earning the No. 1 ranking in the coaches small school poll.
So last Tuesday's matchup with traditional Northern Connecticut Conference rival Avon, No. 4 in the large school poll, shaped up as Suffield's first big test.
Though competitive, it didn't turn out that way. Played at night before a large crowd at Avon, the match was controlled for the most part by Suffield, which took a 3-1 halftime lead before winning 4-1 for head coach Dave Sullivan's 199th career coaching victory. Sullivan picked up his 200th on Saturday in a 6-0 victory over Ellington.
"I know everyone still thinks of Suffield as a small town and I don't think people realize in the other parts of the state how successful the program has actually been for 12 years," said Sullivan, who took over in 1998. "We expect, whoever we play, we're expecting to win. Will that happen every time, obviously not, but we come into every game no matter who we're playing, that we're capable of winning.
"Avon's always a tough game. They went to the finals in L last year with pretty much the same team and we have a similar, same team. We have a couple of younger players."
Sullivan said Avon had the better of the play in the first half despite his Wildcats taking a 3-1 lead.
"We just counter-attacked them a couple of times and caught them off-guard," Sullivan said. "And the second half, we controlled the game and scored one more. It was a hard fought game and I'm sure we're going to see them again. We see them the last game of the season, and I'm sure both teams should do well in the tournament."
Sophomore All-State forward Alexa Keney struck first for Suffield with a goal at the 5-minute mark, assisted by senior center midfielder Ally Pasquariello. Keney added a second, also assisted by Pasquariello, at 11:30. Pasquariello, an All-New England selection last year, scored one of her own just before the half, and senior sweeper Stephanie Guminiak capped the scoring on a corner kick for Suffield.
"(Keney) is one of the fastest players I've ever had and I've had four or five Division I players," Sullivan said. "I think the Alexa and Ally combination is hard for any team to defend."
Keney's first goal came on a cross. As the Avon goalie came out, Keney flicked a header over the goalie's head from about 16 yards. The second was on a through ball from Pasquariello. Keney took on two defenders from about 30 yards, and when the goalie came out, she slotted it in the corner from 12 yards.
Coaching is ingrained in Sullivan's family. Dave's father, Dan, was a three-sport coach at Windsor Locks, including soccer for 39 years. David played forward at Suffield and then four years at Boston College before becoming the boys soccer coach at Suffield from 1990-1994, winning one state title. His older brothers, Brian, Mark and Danny — who all played at the University of Hartford — and younger brother Corey (Rhode Island) all played on soccer scholarships and have all coached with the Suffield Soccer Club.
After a break from coaching and leaving Suffield in 1994 to move to Maine, Sullivan came back. Since the boys program had a coach at the time, he was offered the girls job, which he said he supposed to only coach for one year.
"People ask me why do you stay on, I have three kids of my own," Sullivan said. "I would never do it anywhere other than Suffield. I know all the kids. It's a great community. One of the keys is that Suffield is a soccer town and it makes a big difference. We have a great travel program. Everybody in the whole community gets involved in soccer so it makes it that much more rewarding.
"For the girls, we had a packed house the other night at Avon and when we have a home night game, very rarely in the state do you see a packed house (as we have) for girls soccer, unfortunately. At home we always have (a large crowd). People think if you have a program that's successful, it's all hard work, but we have a great time while we're doing it. If it wasn't fun for me, I wouldn't be doing it. It's fun for the girls, it's fun for me. My family gets involved with it so it just makes it that much more rewarding."
STORY LINES*
Warde (Fairfield), No. 9 in the large school girls soccer poll, played top-ranked
New Canaan to a scoreless tie with Rams keeper Holly Berwick (six saves) and Warde keeper
Brielle Lanese (seven saves) credited with shutouts. Both teams are still unbeaten.
*
Staples (Westport) boys soccer should move back into the coaches large school Top 10 after its 1-0 victory over top-ranked Norwalk, which suffered its first loss. Staples is 4-2.
Max Hoberman provided the winner, assisted by
Mikey Scott.
* Muck and mire was the order of the day in two of the weekend's big football matchups, which saw No. 1
Xavier (Middletown) defeat No. 4
Cheshire 9-6 at Cheshire. Xavier running back
Mike Mastrioanna gained 262 yards rushing and scored his team's only touchdown, the first given up by the Rams this season.In Southington, the high-flying offense of
Windsor was grounded but junior wide receiver/defensive back
Aaron Berardino came up big with a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Warriors' 12-8 win.
*
Staples (Westport) put to rest, at least for the moment, which team is the one to beat in the FCIAC with a dominating 34-14 victory over previously unbeaten
Ridgefield. The Wreckers blew it open in the fourth quarter as the Tigers committed three turnovers and Staples quarterback
Chester Pajolek and running back
Tyler Jacobs each scored on rushing touchdowns.
TOP PERFORMERS* Matt Zampini,
Xavier (Middletown) soccer: Scored the game's only goal with less than 6 minutes left in a victory over Hamden.
* Austin Peloso and Danny Marsh,
Farmington soccer: Keepers combined on a 3-0 shutout of Southington with four saves.
* Elsie Bernachie,
Southington volleyball: Made 40 digs in the top-ranked and undefeated Blue Knights' 3-1 victory over No. 9 and previously unbeaten Farmington.
*
Bryan Castelot,
Bunnell (Stratford) football: Threw for 440 yards and five touchdowns in a 61-28 victory over New Milford.
LOOKING AHEAD* In large school boys soccer, No. 3 E.O. Smith (7-0) takes on No. 4 Hall (5-0-2) on Friday at home; and No. 2
Simsbury (4-0-2) hosts No. 8 Farmington on Tuesday, the second of a three-game week for the Trojans.
* In large school girls soccer, No. 1
New Canaan (5-0-1) meets No. 3
Westhill (Stamford) (3-2-2) Thursday in a home night match.
* In football,
Trumbull travels to
Bridgeport Central, both 3-0, in a premier FCIAC matchup Friday; and No. 9 in the coaches poll Windsor (3-0) hosts
Glastonbury (2-1) in a big CCC Division I game.
