Clockwise from top left:

Abington: Elizabeth Shorey, 2.

In Abington. More photos on page 6.

Left: Final touches on float for Putnam's vets.

Putnam's memorial bridge.
 

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Qualify
This year’s Woodstock Academy girls’ golf team became the first, as a team, to qualify for the girls’ state tournament which takes place on June 4 in Trumbull. Photo by Joel Tretheway/The Woodstock Academy.


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Team qualifies
for States
The Woodstock Academy girls’ golf program got some really good news May 24.
Barring some unforeseen circumstance, their 188-224 win over Norwich Free Academy May 23 at the Quinnatisset Country Club likely qualified them for the girls’ state tournament.
It’s the first time ever the Centaurs, as a team, have qualified for the tournament.
“A few weeks ago, we didn’t it was possible,” said Woodstock Academy coach Earl Semmelrock. “We always put it up as a goal because you have to make goals. It shows that even when we had Roxanne (Garceau), who made (the state tournament) as an individual that you can’t do it alone. You need four decent scores to make that happen.”
The Centaurs (10-4) have started to see that.
“Everyone is contributing. I think we have had seven girls who posted scores that helped in a varsity match somewhere,” Semmelrock said.
Junior Linda St. Laurent has become the leader of the team on the scoreboard.
St. Laurent turned in her third consecutive seven-over-par 43 in the win over the Wildcats.
“She hasn’t played much competitive golf,” Semmelrock said. “This is just her third year of playing nine holes of high school golf and then, she doesn’t play much. She has the potential to be really good if she just puts her mind to it.”
Semmelrock said St. Laurent has a goal to play soccer in college but he thinks she should not pass on playing golf at the next level.
“She’s posting scores that will get her some looks,” Semmelrock said.
Ask St. Laurent what has changed and she’s a bit flummoxed herself.
“I’m feeling pretty good but, honestly, I don’t know what’s going on,” the junior said.
Semmelrock did suggest an adjustment that has helped St. Laurent.
She has shortened her swing with her driver.
St. Laurent was battling a slice off the tee early this season.
“She had a big, loopy swing like John Daly so I corrected it. I had her cut it down to a more controllable swing and she still hits the ball farther than most girls and can get around the course like that,” Semmelrock said. “She’s starting to become a complete player by figuring out the speed of her putts, eliminating three and four putts and making some birdies along the way.”
The Woodstock Academy coach said St. Laurent has the capability of shooting even lower.
She triple-bogeyed the first hole she played in one of those 43 efforts and had a pair of double bogeys in another.
“She’s shooting 43 in a myriad of different ways. When everything comes together on one day and she eliminates those mistakes, you can see the potential to shoot in the 30s or even par,” Semmelrock said.
St. Laurent said the team came together as a whole against NFA.
She played alongside senior Katherine Harrington, who was celebrating her final regular season match as a member of the Centaurs, and shot a 46.
Kailey LaChappelle brought in a strong performance as well with a 47. Ciara McKinnon, the Centaurs’ fifth player, then carded a 52 to bring the score down to 188.
It’s the first time Woodstock Academy scored under 190 this season and it was important.
It reduced the team’s average to 68.6 and moved them past Conard in the rankings into the 20th spot.
The top 20 teams qualify for the state tournament and Conard can’t get past Woodstock Academy as its season is over.
“It’s pretty cool,” Semmelrock said. “I’m not excited about a 2 ½ hour bus trip. We have to be there at 7:30 in the morning just outside of New York City.”
The state tournament will be played on Tuesday, June 4 at Tashua Knolls Golf Club in Trumbull.
Prior to that, the Centaurs finished up the regular season with a rematch with the Wildcats May 28 at the Norwich Golf Course. The match ended too late for this edition.
The Centaurs then host the ECC championship tournament May 30 at Quinnatisset.
The Centaurs have beaten each ECC team twice each this season and are looking to recapture the trophy that Waterford took away last season. The Lancers will have Caroline Petchark in the field, likely the individual favorite to win the event, but do not have a complete girls team this year leaving just East Lyme, NFA and Bacon Academy to challenge Woodstock Academy.
“I feel like we have to be a little concerned about being overconfident. We’ve shot such low numbers that it’s getting into our head. I know some players are thinking they have to shoot in the 40s and that just throws you off your game,” St. Laurent said.
But there is a factor beyond just winning matches or making the state tournament that has motivated St. Laurent.
“I’m trying to prove to coach, because he doesn’t know if he wants to come back next year, that we really want him back,” St. Laurent said.
Semmelrock admits that he has considered retirement.
“I’ve told them that my level of commitment is going to be directly related to theirs. If they show me they’re committed and want to get better, then it’s a good chance that I will be back,” Semmelrock said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy
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Winners
The Woodstock Academy girls’ lacrosse team members proudly displays their first-ever ECC tournament championship plaque at E. Lyme High School. Photo by Jeremy Useted/Woodstock Academy.


Centaur girls
are lacrosse
ECC champs
Under pressure.
It was the best way to describe Woodstock Academy goalie Kileigh Gagnon May 23.
Stonington’s Kate Johnson, who had 104 points coming into the ECC tournament championship match, had several free position shots in the closing minutes of the game.
Only one got through.
Gagnon’s excellent work helped the fourth-seeded Centaurs capture their first-ever ECC title with an 11-9 win over No. 3 Stonington at E. Lyme High School.
“I just kept telling myself, ‘Watch the ball’ and I wasn’t going to let her intimidate me. She is an amazing player. I just moved to the ball, moved as quick as I could, and everything worked out,” Gagnon said.
The Bears got close in the second half, but were never able to take the lead or even tie the game.
When the final buzzer sounded, Woodstock Academy coach Kathleen Johnson went running out on to the field, hands raised in a victory salute to her team.
The lacrosse team joins the Woodstock Academy girls’ volleyball and girls’ soccer team as teams that put up ECC tournament championship banners in the Alumni Fieldhouse this season.
“It’s so special. It’s the first ECC (tournament) win. Now, we get to go on the gym wall and it’s a first for girls’ lacrosse. It’s really fun for us and meant a lot for us to win,” said senior Emma Ciquera.
The Centaurs (15-3) started early against the Bears.
Stonington struck first when Emma Sabbadini came out from behind the Woodstock Academy goal, spun around two defenders, and tucked the ball into the net just 1 minute, 5 seconds into the game.
The Centaurs tied the game when Ciquera went on a 40-yard gallop four minutes later and her solo effort produced the tying goal.
Woodstock Academy won the draw and just 12 seconds later, Ivy Gelhaus found Arielle Johnson for the goal that put the Centaurs ahead to stay.
Peyton Saracina followed with two consecutive goals within 24 seconds of one another off assists from Arielle Johnson and Ciquera.
Megan Detwiler briefly cut the lead to two, but Arielle Johnson answered to put the Centaurs back up, 5-2.
Arielle Johnson was strong not only in front of the net but in the middle of the field where she effectively battled both Kate Johnson and Kathryn Logel and won her share of draws.
“It helped our confidence to know that we could win some draws, because I knew they were strong there. We battled hard in the circle, did a great job there, and draw control is so key,” Kathleen Johnson said.
The two teams exchanged goals before the half with Gelhaus getting her only tally of the game to put the Centaurs ahead, 6-3, at the break.
“Our goal was just to come out strong,” Arielle Johnson said. “We had to set the pace. Stonington is very good at maintaining the ball and keeping possession. We knew we had to counter that and just come out fast. We have so many fast girls in the midfield, they are all so athletic, and we had to take advantage of that.”
One of those fast players, senior Aislin Tracey, gave the Centaurs their biggest lead coming out of the brief halftime.
Tracey scored her 17th and 18th goals of the season within 53 seconds of each other just minutes into the second half to put Woodstock Academy up, 8-3.
The expected comeback by the Bears (15-3) followed.
Kate Johnson scored two goals off free position opportunities and Sabbadini scored her second of the game and, all of a sudden, the Bears were back within two with plenty of time, 15 minutes, left on the game clock.
“Very concerned,” Kathleen Johnson said of the situation. “I told the girls it comes down to heart and guts.”
The Woodstock Academy coach said the talk in the timeout that followed Sabbadini’s goal was that the team does interval training at practice and the Centaurs should just consider it an extension of that.
“We got this,” Kathleen Johnson said she told her team.
Emma Redfield and Ciquera scored to boost the advantage to four goals again with 12 minutes left.
Kate Johnson and Sabbadini scored again for the Bears to cut the Centaurs lead to two, but Ciquera scored her 66th goal of the season with 3:52 left to give the Centaurs the 3-goal advantage.
Ciquera, who finished with three goals and one assist, was named Most Valuable Player.
“I was surprised to be named MVP because I feel I couldn’t really do it without my teammates. I think a lot of other people should have got it,” Ciquera said.
Arielle Johnson disagreed with that.
“I’m so proud of Emma. MVP. She definitely deserves it and Kileigh played outstanding. We couldn’t have won without her,” Arielle Johnson said.
Four years ago, saying they wanted to win a title was just that, a saying, a lofty goal that was out of reach at the time.
The dream became reality May 23.
“I think it’s been a goal for us since freshman year,” senior Arielle Johnson said of the lacrosse title. “Every year, we have got better, made new goals and achieved them. At the beginning of the year, this was our goal and our motto is ‘Whatever it takes’ and we did whatever it takes to win.”
The Centaurs advanced to the final with a 16-5 semifinal victory over top-seeded Montville May 21.
Ciquera scored four goals and added an assist to lead the Centaurs in scoring against the Indians.
Arielle Johnson (1 assist) and Gelhaus (61 goals this season) added three goals each.
Redfield added a pair of goals while Tracey, Saracina, Rachel Canedy, and Eliza Dutson added a goal apiece.
The Centaurs season continued May 28 when they hosted St. Joseph in a Class M state tournament first round match at the Bentley Athletic Complex. The game ended too late for this edition.
Boys’ Lacrosse
The Woodstock Academy boys’ lacrosse team ran into a strong opponent in their first foray into the state tournament since 2016.
The Avon Falcons, the 15th seed out of the Central Connecticut Conference, struck early and often May 24 on their home field and downed the 18th-seeded Centaurs, 16-4, in a Class M qualifying round match.
The loss ended the Centaurs’ season at 8-9.
“I would say eight wins is progress the program can be proud of,” said coach Michael Noel. “We need players that are going to make the commitment to improve their game in the offseason. Hopefully, we return next year with improved skills and take another step forward.”
Avon (9-7) had nine goals by the middle of the second quarter and led 10-3 at the break.
“Avon was a good attacking team full of athletes. We had a tough time keeping up with their speed especially in transition,” Noel said.
Sophomore Guerin Favreau scored a pair of goals, both of those came in the first half, to give him 43 on the season.
He also assisted on both of the other Centaur goals. That raised his assist total to 29 and gave him 72 points for the year.
Senior Ethan Holcomb, who will be headed to Keene State to play Division III college lacrosse,  had the other two goals to give him 28 on the season. Add his 29 assists to that total and Holcomb finished with 57 points on the year.
Senior Ethan Haass, the team’s third-leading scorer with 31 points, added an assist in the game.
Seth Libby (29 points) and Austen LeDonne (13) rounded out the top five scorers for the season.
While the loss ended the season, at least, the Centaurs were able to play one more game than they had in the recent past.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy


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WOODSTOCK — The Woodstock Middle School honor roll for the second quarter includes:
Grade 6
High Honors: Juliet Allard, Liliana Bottone, Emma Brody, Olivia Dahl, Bella Ducat, Ava Golden, Kira Greene, Madeline Jezierski, Emily Jurnovoy, Matthew Letourneau, Bailey Nordman, Grace Pokorny, Freya Robbie, Brock Swabby, Kendra Wilson. Honors: Gunnar Basak, Regan Benedict, Nathan Billings, Katelyn Bruce, Cassidy Chabot, Ryder Chaput, Benjamin Cross, Josh Cunniff, Jacqueline Dearborn, Mila Ganias, Brooke Goodell, Phoebe Griffin, Sophie Gronski, Matthew LaBonte, Emma Manis, Matthew McClure, Xandar Miller, Eva Monahan, Anna Morse, Kaya Nichols, Evan Quinn, Cameron Robida, Isabella Selmecki, Emily Smock, Bailey Sweeney, Avery Thienel, Kaelyn Tremblay, Leah Wasielewski, William Wasko. Recognition: John Bennett, Maxx Corradi, Ayla Gorgone, Kyle Grist, Elmer Hebert, Sawyer Hull, Samantha Keller, Marie Mairson, Madison Matthews, Matthew Montanez, Keira Notis, James Rice, Owen Rigney, Haley Whitehouse.
Grade 7
High Honors: Peyton Bentley, Emily Cournoyer, Summer Espeseth, Campbell Fraser, Gavin Grant, Sophia Hernandez, Sydney Lundt, Emma Massey, Sarah McArthur, Sophia Petrella, Evan Rhault, Ava Simoes Honors: Claire Beck, Beatrix Donovan, Allison Griswold, Joel Koleszar, Kayla Leite, Alexandra Mattioli, Seamus McDermott, Timothy O’Sullivan, Kaelin Soukaloun, Talia Tremblay, Madison Whitehouse. Recognition: Madison Brown, Gabriel Cooke, Amelia Haynes, Madison Hill-Rickell, Ava Hovestadt, Samantha McDowell, Reegan Reynolds, Noah Sampson, Lucas Theriaque, Henry Wotton.
Grade 8
High Honors: Charlotte Adase, Maxwell Auker, Carah Bruce, Gabrielle Couture, Shannon Cunniff, Caroline Da Silva, Kirsten Deorsey, Katie Fortin, Annika LeBoeuf, Bryn Miller, Paige Owens, Braiden Saucier, Concetta Sumner, Alexandra Taylor, YiYue Wang. Honors: Brooke Bergevin, Morgan Bonin, Summer Chaput, Alexis Danila, Bodie Defocy, Baden Eaton, Lennon Favreau, Magnolia Hart, Brian Jameson, Dylan Mayo, Makala McDermott, Ellie Nunes, Kylie Quercia, Sophia Quinn, Amelia Racicot, Randall Rawcliffe, Fiona Rigney, Wyatt Robbie, Natalia Sarette, Adam Thompson, Nicholas Webster, Liam Wilcox, Abdullah Zameer. Recognition: Aaron Allard, Abigail Armstrong, Kristen Ash, Payton Barna, Mitchell Child, Brianna Connors, Ethan Craig, Amanda Currie, Jade Desmond, Penelope Esposito, Kara-Lynn Hebert, Olivia Jendrewski, Jacob Jurnovoy, Clinton Kallgren, Kaden McCullough-Murphy, Abigail Morse, Elias Newall-Vuillemot, Ethan Pokorny, Lillian Rossi, Carter Saracina, MacKenzie Starr, Matthew Wasielewski, Patrick Webster.

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