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Sabrina Torcellini takes possession of the ball as Leah Pendl-Robinson (29) and Karly King (20) move in.
The Branford field hockey team has made it a habit of winning the past several years. Last season the young Hornets won 19 games and made it to the state championship game before falling to perennial power New Canaan 1 – 0.
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Coach McGuirk talks to her players during halftime.
Branford’s Hall of Fame coach Cathy McGuirk said after that game, “Don’t hang your head. You played a very good team tonight and you played very hard. I’m very proud of you.”
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Coach Cathy McGuirk with co-captains Britney Bunbanlu (left), LanLe Crotty, Autumn McHenry. and Sabrina Torcellini.
There’s always disappointment when you are defeated, but at the same time maybe she was thinking ahead to this year when many of her outstanding players were going to return giving her Hornets reason to believe they’ll be back.
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Just past the midpoint of the season the club has a 8 – 1‑0 – 1 record and is playing well once again. “We are very happy with their performance so far,” said McGuirk, speaking for herself and her longtime assistants, husband John and Robin Axtell (pictured).
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Co-captain Britney Bunbanlu redirects a Hamden shot on goal early in the game.
“We have some very talented players and when they are on the field, they want to score out front and kids behind that do what we practice. They give a 110 percent all the time and they cheer for each other all the time. They have great harmony.”
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Co-captain Autumn McHenry disrupts a Green Dragon pass.
Coach McGuirk knows what she’s talking about. You don’t have 548 career wins and not be able to judge talent and desire. Her career record is an astonishing 549 – 133-64 – 11. She is now in her 40th season at the helm.
The Hornets have played a number of successful schools in the Southern Connecticut Conference, including Cheshire, which they have split with this season, Lauralton Hall, Amity, Sacred Heart Academy, Hamden, and Hand whom they lost to in overtime.
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Margaret Martin mixes it up with a Hamden player for possession of the ball.
The game covered by the Eagle was last week against a talented Hamden team with a 5 – 3‑1 – 1 record. The Hornets were paced in that game by senior co-captain LanLe Crotty with two goals and an assist, senior co-captain Sabrina Torcellini with one goal and two assists, and sophomore Molly Zaffino with a goal and assist.
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Junior Carly Shea brings the ball up field.
Branford led 3 – 0 at the half and scored another goal midway through the second half to go up 4 – 0. Hamden scored their only goal with 36 seconds left to prevent the shutout. Goaltender Erica Klarman kept the Green Dragons at bay with seven stops.
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The Team
The Hornets’ next game in this Friday at Lyman Hall at 3:45 p.m.
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