The most successful season in the history of the girls’ lacrosse program at Woodstock Academy came to a close May 28.
The fourth-seeded Centaurs battled against No. 13 St. Joseph, but lost to the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference program, 17-11, in a Class M state tournament first-round match.
Woodstock Academy fell behind early in the match.
St. Joe’s scored four goals in the first five minutes of the game.
“Some of the girls just weren’t ready for the pace of the play,” said Woodstock Academy coach Kathleen Johnson. “We talked about it, but to see if first hand was a little different.”
The Woodstock Academy coach said the difference between an FCIAC team and an ECC school is pretty pronounced.
“It’s drastic,” Kathleen Johnson said. “I’m well aware of how good they were and the talent they had and the conference they play in. They play Darien; they’re like a college team.”
Kathleen Johnson tried to get her team ready for better opponents earlier in the season when she took them to watch a Boston College women’s lacrosse match.
But watching and playing against are two different things entirely.
It took a while for Woodstock Academy to adjust to St. Joseph’s style and talent.
The Cadets (9-8) extended the lead to 6-1.
It was then that Kathleen Johnson made an adjustment of her own.
“We struggled with the draw at first, not with just their speed, but also their height. They towered over us,” Kathleen Johnson said.
She experimented with different personnel and finally put Eliza Dutson in the draw circle.
“She’s super-fast and can jump. She was able to tire (the St. Joseph’s) player out. We went with A(rielle) J(ohnson), Emma C(iquera) and Eliza in the circle and we were winning,” Kathleen Johnson. “It was a huge adjustment and turning point.”
Ciquera responded with one of her own goals early and then added three more to make it a 9-4 game with 10:34 left in the first half.
The problem for the Centaurs was that they could not get over the hump.
The Centaurs could score on their opponents.
But Woodstock Academy could not stop the Cadets from scoring on them as well.
Senior Arielle Johnson got into the scoring column with a pair of tallies before the half, but the Centaurs trailed at the break, 11-6.
The two teams continued to exchange goals in the second half, but the closest Woodstock Academy could get was a four-goal deficit.
“We were pushing, had some bad turnovers and could never get closer than four goals. (Goalie) Kileigh (Gagnon) played phenomenal, made some fabulous saves. We put up a great fight,” Kathleen Johnson said.
Ciquera finished with six goals and had two assists.
Arielle Johnson added four goals in the loss for Woodstock Academy while junior Emma Redfield had the only other tally.
“They are the only three girls who have played club (lacrosse) and that’s interesting,” Kathleen Johnson said. “I think they have seen a faster pace and have participated in a lot of tournaments so the pace of the game definitely set us back. They were fast passers and scorers, different than we’ve seen so far.”
The loss ended the season for the Centaurs with a 15-4 record.
It will be a season to remember for Woodstock Academy.
It captured its first-ever ECC tournament championship last week.
“We were sorry to see the season come to an end because we were still improving. The girls still want to play,” Kathleen Johnson said. “It was a fantastic season with fantastic memories for everyone. I’m proud of the hard work and dedication they put in.”
The team will lose 11 seniors from this year’s team.
“I’m going to miss all of them, but at the same time, we have great girls ready to fill their shoes. They have been waiting for their turn,” Kathleen Johnson said.
The Woodstock Academy coach pointed to sophomore Brynn Kusnarowis, who saw a lot of time against St. Joe’s, as one of the new keys on defense for the Centaurs next season. She will play alongside the likes of Hallie Saracina, Mia Edwards and Caroline Frost in front of Gagnon who is just a sophomore.
Peyton Saracina and Redfield will have to anchor the midfield along with Dutson. Julia Schad will return on attack and is experienced at the X position which is being vacated by Arielle Johnson.
“There is a lot of talent coming back and that’s great to see,” Kathleen Johnson said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy
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caption:
Congratulations
Mason Stewart receives the ECC medalist plaque from ECC golf chairman and Bacon Academy athletic director Kevin Burke after finishing in a 3-way tie for first in the ECC Open boys’ golf championship May 30. Photo by Rich Garceau/The Woodstock Academy.
Both Woodstock Academy coach Rich Garceau and golfer Mason Stewart remembered how the senior started.
“From where he was as a freshman to where he is now is special,” Garceau said May 30 after he had just watched Stewart share first-place honors with two other golfers at the ECC Open boys’ golf championship.
“To be honest, he struggled to break 60 (in 9 holes) as a freshman. He could have packed it in,” Garceau said. “That’s the great thing about doing this. You see a kid who wants to get better and they do all the right things to put themselves in this position. I’m thrilled for Mason.”
Stewart shocked himself just a bit.
He shot a 75 to tie Killingly’s Nolan Marcoux and Tourtellotte’s Jared Belanger for the medalist honors.
“I surprised myself. I putted way better than I ever have. I had the round of my life and tied some really great golfers. Nothing to complain about,” Stewart said.
Garceau may beg to differ a bit on that.
Stewart did have some struggles on the course although the coach blamed himself a bit for those.
“The only bad holes he had was when I showed up. So after I realized that, I tried to make myself scarce,” Garceau said with a laugh. “Mason has the ability to scramble. He put himself in some really bad places (Thursday) and was able to put it behind him.”
The highlight for Stewart came where many could see.
Belanger, who was in Stewart’s group, was up on Stewart by a shot going into the 18th hole.
The Woodstock Academy senior had 195 yards in to the par-5 after his drive.
Since he was down wind and it was a little breezy, Stewart opted to drop down from a 6-iron to his seven.
Good choice.
He put the ball on the green, 10 feet from the hole.
Belanger was 25-feet from the hole in the fringe, putted before Stewart, and sank the birdie putt.
“My heart kind of dropped,” Stewart said. “I thought, ‘Well, we just have to make this one.’ I read it and I hit it perfectly. I gave it a big Tiger (Woods) fist pump.”
The eagle for Stewart pulled him into a tie with both Belanger and Marcoux. The Killingly golfer was in one of the first groups to come off the course and was sitting for quite a while alone atop the leaderboard.
Stewart said his short game was on Thursday.
Anything inside 100 yards, he was up-and-down on.
The only place he struggled, at times, was off the tee.
He wasn’t bothered by the breezy, almost raw conditions.
“I liked it,” Stewart said. “The wind wasn’t too much. It helped you on some shots, against you on others. You learn to accept it and play with it.”
The thing about Stewart is that he is a gamer.
“He worked hard,” Garceau said of Stewart’s development. “He did everything he needed to do. He listened to advice which, sometimes, for a kid is an amazing characteristic; be willing to listen and then, put it into action. He got himself out. Instead of sitting around the whole summer, he played tournaments, he practiced chipping in his backyard. He had the desire and some natural athleticism. You put all of that together and, next thing you know, you have an ECC championship golfer.”
The team, as a whole, had its difficulties with the Great Neck course.
The Centaurs finished with a 354 total, 31 strokes behind East Lyme which won its first ECC title since 1973, but good enough for a fifth-place finish.
“I know some of the guys are disappointed with the way they played. I was glad I could come in with a low score so we finished pretty well in the ECC. The difference from the beginning of the year to now, as a group, even off the golf course is a lot better. I couldn’t ask for a better team,” Stewart said.
Owen Borski tied for 19th with an 88 with Liam McDermott (94) in 33rd; Jake Starr (97) in 38th and Robert Maheu (101) in 42nd.
“They were disappointed, they had their struggles and had some of their better scores (Wednesday in a tie with Killingly). That’s fine. Wednesday was great and I was really pleased with finishing strong. The thing that really made me happy was when we got done, went into the clubhouse and were sitting together, that no one seemed to care if they played a bad round. Everybody was thrilled for Mason, knowing where he came from and where he is at now. Now, he’s going to graduate and serve his country in a few weeks. I think it was pretty special to see all the guys rally around him,” Garceau said.
Stewart is going to enlist in the Army.
The season was not over for the Centaurs.
They went back out on the course for another 18-hole endeavor at the Division II state championship June 3. The tournament ended too late for this edition.
Earlier in the week, The Centaurs earned a split with Killingly, 3 ½ - 3 ½ .
The tie with Woodstock Academy meant Killingly shared the ECC Division II regular season title with Waterford.
Both sported a 4-1-1 divisional record and both the Redmen and Lancers tied one of their matches with the Centaurs (0-4-2).
Stewart and Killingly’s Marcoux shared a point, both shot a 4-over par 40.
Borski (42), McDermott (47) and Maheu (43) scored wins for Woodstock Academy while Killingly (17-1-2) took the two team aggregate points.
The Redmen just edged the Centaurs in total strokes, 168-171. The Centaurs finished the regular season with a 9-6-2 record.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy
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Robert F. Clemens,
WWII vet
PUTNAM — Robert F. Clemens, 93, of Putnam died May 31, 2019, at Matulaitis Nursing Home. He was born Oct. 30, 1925, in Putnam, son of Charles H. and Ellen (Sandstrom) Clemens.
On Nov. 16, 1946, Bob married the love of his life, Jeannette Gosselin. They were married more than 63 years when she died in 2010. Together, they built their home and raised their family on Munyan Road where he resided until April 29, 2019. He and Jeannette loved family times, dancing, gardening and traveling to all 50 states. Bob also enjoyed woodworking and shared that love by co-leading the 4-H Club, The East Putnam Live Wires.
Bob was a WWII veteran and member of American Legion Post #13, VFW Post #1523, Putnam Lodge of Elks #574, Survivors of Iwo Jima Association, Putnam Grange #97 and a past president of both the West Thompson Cemetery Assn. and the local AARP.
Bob worked at Whittemore’s Greenhouse and then began his career as a truck driver for G.L. Place Trucking. In 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Pacific Theater with the 5thMarine Division, which spearheaded the invasion of Iwo Jima. In 1946 he returned to work at G.L. Place until he bought the trucking rights and began R.F. Clemens and Sons Transportation in 1969. In 1984 he retired and sold the business to his sons.
He leaves his children, Linda Picciarelli (Vincent) of Brooklyn and Florida, Robert Clemens Jr (Cora) of Putnam, Roxanne Swidrak (John) of Florida and Lebanon, Mark Clemens (Bette) of Putnam; nine grandchildren: Maryann Picciarelli (David Labossiere), Amy Jankins (Brian), Heather Picciarelli (Bounti Phommachanh), Mindy Diamantopoulos (Christopher), Tami Stein (Nathan), Lori Solazzo (Matthew), Ryan Clemens (Sarah), Leslie Brothers (Shaun), Michael Swidrak (Tiffany Reynolds); 19 great0grandchildren: Ashley, Kayla, Emma, Evan, Ella, Cash, Jayden, Abigail, Dylan, Courtney, Lucas, Quinn, Brendan, Hannah, Camryn, Gabriel, Madison, Natalie and Lilly, as well as, Nathan, Madison, Chris, Lyv and Cam; sister Ethel Parker of Dayville; sister-in-law Pauline Woodis, brother-in-law Richard (Dick) Richmond. He was predeceased by three siblings, Harry, Charles, and Elizabeth (Betty).
The Funeral was June 4 at the Putnam Baptist Church with burial with military honors in W. Thompson Cemetery. Donations: Hospice and Palliative Care of NECT, PO Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260; or Putnam Baptist Church. Smith and Walker Funeral Home 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Roger V. Bourdeau
THOMPSON — Roger V. Bourdeau, 64, of Church St, died peacefully May 29, 2019, at the UMass Memorial Healthcare, Worcester. He was the husband of Paula (McQueen) Bourdeau. Born in 1954 in Ware, Mass., he was the son of the late Robert and Josephine (Lorence) Bourdeau.
Roger worked in sales for several businesses including Safety-Kleen, R. Sparrow Hicks, Loomis Real Estate, and Lundgren Honda. Roger loved listening to and playing music. He enjoyed singing, collecting records and played a variety of instruments. Roger loved going on road trips and spending time with family.
In addition to his wife, he leaves children, Jessica Aguilar (Omar) of Anaheim, Calif., Christopher Bourdeau (Lorena) of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Matthew Bourdeau (Alyssa) of Boston; two sisters Diane Arnesen of Hampden, Mass., and Joan Callanan of Pasadena, Calif.; two grandchildren, Declan and Penelope. He was predeceased by his brother Richard Bourdeau.
The Funeral Mass was June 5 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale. Valade Funeral Home and Crematory, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Glenn ‘Drifty’ Dumas
PUTNAM — Glenn “Drifty” Dumas, 57, of Arthur St., died peacefully May 28, 2019, at home. For 28 years he was the husband and soul mate of Donna (Waterhouse) Dumas. Born in 1962 in Putnam, he was the son of Ernest Harvey Dumas and the late Theresa (Sarette) Dumas.
Glenn owned and operated Thompson Tool in N. Grosvenordale for 12 years. He worked as a tool maker for Whitcraft and others machine shops over the years. He took pride in the work he created.
Glenn was an active member and permittee for the Thompson Rod and Gun Club and an active member of Valley Springs Sportsman’s Club. He was an avid outdoorsman, enjoyed golfing, boating and riding his motorcycle. He especially loved taking cruises through the Caribbean with his wife Donna. A favorite destination of his was Aruba.
Glenn was a most generous and charitable man, who would provide his DJ services to any good cause. He also enjoyed coaching basketball for the youth of the community. Glen was known to always be smiling, a “happy-go-lucky” guy.
He leaves two sons, Michael Hart of Danielson and Timothy Hart (Ashley) of Chaplin; two brothers, Ronald Dumas (Donna) of Florida, Arthur Dumas (Audra) of Colorado.; two sisters, Diane DiVincenzo (Richard) of Putnam, Joyce Dumas and partner George Tsirogianis of Massachusetts; two grandchildren, Nora Anderson and Anson Hart.
A Celebration of his Life will take place at 1 p.m. June 9 at the Thompson rod and Gun Club. Donations: Disabled American Veterans or the Thompson Rod & Gun Kids Fishing Derby. Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Judith A. LaCapra
THOMPSON — Judith Anne (Orrall) LaCapra, 62, of Lambert Rd., died May 4, 2019, of a sudden heart attack at home. She was the wife of William A. LaCapra. Born Dec. 25, 1956, in Melrose, Mass., she was the daughter of the late John and Charlotte (Crosier) Orrall.
She enjoyed her family, her animals, her home, cooking and gardening. She especially enjoyed helping seniors and veterans while working at the Market Basket.
Judy graduated from Lynnfield High, Lynnfield, Mass., in 1975. She attended New England College 1975-1977, where she met her husband. Judy graduated magna cum laude from Hartford Art School, University of Hartford in 1981.
On Aug. 4, 1979 at the Centre Congregational Church in Lynnfield, Judy was united in marriage to William A. LaCapra.
Judy spent most of her career working in the food industry. She opened and operated ECS Graphics in Prospect from 1986-1990, where she produced weekly food flyers for many of the area’s independent grocery stores. From 1991-1995 she was a store associate at One Stop Deli in Woodstock. She then joined United Natural Foods from 1997-2005 as advertising production coordinator. Judy was currently working at the Market Basket grocery store in Oxford, Mass., starting in the kitchen and then moved to the front end of the store. She was employed there for the last six years.
She leaves her husband of 40 years, William A. LaCapra of Thompson; her sister Nancy Marquis (Wayne) of Danvers, Mass.; sister-in-Law Kathy Orrall, N. Andover, Mass.; sister-in-Law Lori LaCapra, S. Windsor; brother -in-Law George LaCapra (Suzanne) of Watertown; sister-in-law Nancy Iagrossi of Del Ray, Fla.; uncle Roy Orrall, Winchester, Mass.; uncle Robert and aunt Nancy (Crosier) McKersie of Arlington, Mass. She was predeceased by her brother Peter Orrall.
There will be a celebration of her life for family and friends with the date and location forthcoming. Donations: Northeast Animal Shelter.org and the American Heart Association. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
M. ‘Jimmy’ Vaida
EASTFORD — Mitchell “Jimmy” James Vaida of Eastford died May 21, 2019, after a brief illness.
Mitchell was born on March 3, 1953, in Springfield, Mass., to Mitchell and Dale Vaida. He spent his youth in Collingswood, N.J., moving to Connecticut in the early 1990s to be near family.
Mitchell was a gentle soul who had a green thumb, a great palate and a passion for cooking and food. His joy was to share his love of food with everyone. He was an avid gardener who loved to share his vegetables and world-class salsa with all who knew him. A meal prepared by Mitchell was a special treat. He loved music and dancing and the company of friends.
He leaves his sisters: Sylvia Dumm (Oregon), Patricia Lower (Texas), Gayle Penney (New York) and a brother Bryan Vaida of Connecticut; nieces, nephews and cousins. Mitchell is also survived by his very good friend Carol Ruh. Burial will be at a later date.
Joseph Cleary Sr.,
Air Force vet
DANIELSON — Joseph (Joe) A. Cleary Sr., 81, died June 1, 2019 at the Day Kimball Hospital, Putnam. He was the husband of the late Tatjaina (Kaulins) Cleary who died in 2000.
He was born in Gardner, Mass., son of the late Edward Cleary and Emma (Perry) Sutela and lived in Danielson for the past eight years prior to that living in Webster. Joe was a U.S. Air Force veteran. He was the Fleet maintenance director for Sweet Life Foods in Northborough. He did mechanical work all his life. He was a member of the N. Grafton Auxiliary Fire Dept.
He leaves his daughters, Nancy Entwistle (Mark) of Millbury, Mass., Pamela Mort (David) of Douglas, Mass.; a son Andrew Cleary (Tina) of Georgia; his companion Elaine Couillard of Danielson; a brother Reino Sutela of Washington; 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a son, Joseph Cleary Jr. and a sister and brother. Donations: Hospice of NE CT, 320 Pomfret St. Putnam, CT 06260. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Nancy C. McCombs,
Marine vet
KILLINGLY — Nancy C. McCombs, 79, died May 29, 2019, at William W. Backus Hospital, Norwich. She was the wife of Boyd L. McCombs who died in 2017.
She was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., daughter of the late Morris Nuttall and Evelyn (Fawley) Nuttell and lived in Killingly most of her life. Nancy was a U.S. Marine Corp veteran. Nancy drove school bus for the town of Killingly for many years. She was a member of the Betty Putnam Chapter 106 Order of the Eastern Star.
She leaves a son, James Budarz and his companion Carol Jones.of Griswold; two stepsons, Bret Chamberline of New York and Bart Chamberline of Mystic; four grandchildren and one great-grandson. She was predeceased by a brother, Everett Nuttall of Pomfret. Donations: The Betty Putnam Chapter 106 Order of the Eastern Star. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Lillian Ozaniak
DUDLEY/WILSONVILLE — Lillian M. (Chupka) Ozaniak, 87, died May 27, 2019. She was the wife of John A. Ozaniak who died Dec. 21, 2013.
She leaves her daughter Patricia Cahill of Dudley with which she made her home; a son Steven Ozaniak (Cathy) of Webster; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; a brother Paul Chupka (Elizabeth) of Kentucky; a brother-in-law Adam Ozaniak (Terry) of Webster; a sister-in-law Auore Ozaniak of Webster. She was predeceased by her brother-in-law Stephen Ozaniak.
She was born in Hartford, daughter of the late John Chupka and Mary (Waslconsky) Chupka living in Dudley since 2014, prior to that living in Wilsonville since 1953.
She was a graduate of East Douglas High, Class of 1950. She was a hairdresser for 51 years, working at Carrie’s Beauty Salon. She was active at St. Anthony of Padua Church singing in the Church Choir and with the group singing for the Pope in Rome.
Donations: Team Barbara Alzheimer’s Assoc., 100 North Pkwy. Suite 105, Worcester, MA 01605; Hospice; or the Community Cat Connection, 289 Thompson, Rd., Webster; or Central MA Hospice, 191 Pakachaoag Ave., Auburn, MA 01501. The Mass of Christian Burial was May 31 in St. Anthony of Padua Church, with burial in St. Joseph Garden of Peace, Webster. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Sheldton Service
WOODSTOCK — A Celebration of Life for Wayland N. Sheldon Jr., who died May 6, 2019, will be held at 1 p.m. June 9 in the Agriculture Building at the Woodstock Fairgrounds, Rt. 169, Woodstock. Please bring your own chairs. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Edwards service
PUTNAM — Hazel Edwards, 94, of Putnam, died on Jan., 23, 2019, in Putnam. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. June 8 at the Congregational Church of Putnam, Main Street, Putnam, with burial to follow in Grove Street Cemetery. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St. Putnam.
Faucher celebration
PUTNAM — A Celebration of Life honoring Bob Faucher will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. June 15 at the Putnam Elks Lodge on Edmond Street. The Elks will perform their Ritual for Deceased Members at 1. Following the ritual, attendees will be invited to share a few words, a memory. Burial will follow in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in N. Grosvenordale. Light refreshments served. Casual gathering.
Gendron service
DANIELSON — George L. Gendron, Jr. 85, of Danielson, died, Oct.15, 2018. A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. June 14, 2019, at Holy Cross Cemetery on Maple Street, Danielson, followed by a brunch at the United Methodist Church, 9 Spring St., Danielson. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
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THOMPSON — Senior Kelly Heney of Douglas, Mass., has known for a while that she wanted to do something impactful to leave her mark at Marianapolis. She decided to combine her love of softball and her Dominican heritage to collect softball and baseball equipment to be donated to local youth sports in the Dominican Republic this spring.
“I wanted to do something that was a little bit different and would make more of a personal impact,” Kelly said. Kelly’s mother Carlixta is originally from the Dominican Republic. Through family members, Carlixta was connected with Frank Medina of Club Deportivo y Cultural Los Saludables, INC in Santo Domingo. The organization aims to keep local youth off of the dangerous streets through participation in sports.
In the late fall, Kelly began collecting equipment at Marianapolis. To cover the cost to ship the items, she held bake sales. As captain of the softball team this year, Kelly wanted to get her team involved as a way to bond before the season began.
“One of the biggest reasons I wanted to do this was my team,” she said. “I feel like the softball team hasn’t had as many traditions in the past and I thought it would be nice to instill some traditions before I graduate.”
In the end, Kelly was able to fill four large boxes with equipment which included more than 20 bats, 25 gloves, two sets of catcher’s equipment, helmets, cleats, and sneakers. Over March break, Kelly, her mother, and brother Philip ’21 traveled to the Dominican Republic to visit family, but also to ensure that the equipment was delivered.
“It was hard to see the fields they play on and their conditions,” Kelly said. “As a softball player you go to a certain field and think oh this field isn’t great, but their baseball fields are complete dirt and have barbed wire on top of the walls. Sometimes you don’t realize how lucky your life is compared to somebody else.”
She also explained that the hardest part was that there wasn’t enough equipment to give something to every child. “All of the boys were so excited to get the stuff,” she said. “It was worth it just to see their faces.”
Kelly hopes that this tradition will continue with the softball team after she graduates. “I would love to thank those who helped me make this possible, especially those who donated, my team, and my family. I feel it’s important to give credit, especially to the Marianapolis community, since I had a lot of help making this possible,” she said.
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