Woodstock Academy coach Jeff Boshka couldn’t have been happier.
His second-year girls’ ice hockey program had just gone toe-to-toe with an established Auburn Rockets team and it held its own.
Unfortunately, the Centaurs finished behind on the scoreboard, 4-2, in the season opener for both at the Jahn Ice Rink at Pomfret School.
“They have been around for 12 years and this is just our second and we were hanging with these guys? That was exciting,” Boshka said.
Not only hanging, but, at times, dominating. Tied at two, The Academy took 10 shots in the final period, the Rockets only had four.
However, two of the Rockets’ shots went in, the Centaurs failed to find the net. “The potential is what we talked about after the game,” Boshka said.
“The potential is great as they develop their skill level individually and then, as a team, learn the system that we are trying to implement. Even (Auburn coach Peter Laprad) said he has had his girls for a while and they know the system. We’re still trying to establish the systems.”
The Rockets looked as if they would run away and hide early. Just 30 seconds into the game, captain Julia Siemen stuffed one past Centaurs’ goalie, Marie Gravier, off an assist from Brooke Lyden to make it 1-0.
The Centaurs rebounded and began to dominate the control of the puck. They got a break when the Rockets were penalized late in the period and the power-play unit capitalized.
With nine seconds left, junior captain Ellie Jellison took the puck off the boards to the right and almost behind Auburn goalie Colleen Fellows.
“We say when you’re within the goal area – we call it ‘the red zone – we should be shooting. She didn’t have the greatest angle, but you take the shot. Everybody else is supposed to be crashing in,” Boshka said.
In this case, no one had to crash. Jellison’s shot rebounded off the back of Fellows and into the net to tie the game. The Centaurs forged ahead in an unlikely manner just 2 ½ minutes into the second period.
Having successfully fought off a 5-on-3 advantage by Auburn, the Centaurs were still short-handed when they found themselves on the attack. Jellison again took a shot, but this time it was redirected into the net by Emma Ciquera to put The Academy up, 2-1.
Auburn tied the game on a 3-on-1 break just over five minutes later with Carianne Fortier taking it from her own blue line and putting it into the Centaurs net.
It didn’t dampen the Centaurs’ spirit. “We were positive. We were going for the win. It was doable, within reach. All of those concepts were out there,” Boshka said. Fortier put in what proved to be the game-winner with 9:52 left in regulation.
The Centaurs put a barrage of shots on Fellows, but came away empty as the senior goalie was up to the task. Amalia Monson added an empty-net goal with 44 seconds left for the final.  “We need to crash the net more. We’re getting shots, but we need to get in and get rebounds. The key is when you’re not shooting, you’re busting to the net to get that rebound,” Boshka said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director

Legal Notice
Tax Collector’s
Office
Town and Fire
District
of Pomfret
Legal Notice is hereby given to the taxpayers of the Town and Fire District of Pomfret that the Supplemental Motor Vehicle and Second Installment of Real Estate and Personal Property tax bills on the Grand List of October 1, 2016, are DUE AND PAYABLE January 1 , 2018.  The last day to pay without penalty is February 1, 2018.
Per State Statute, interest will be charged at 18% annually (1.5% per month), with a minimum charge of $2.00 per each entity (Town and Fire are separate entities) on all delinquent payments postmarked February 2, 2018 or later.
Make all checks payable to Pomfret Tax Collector and mail to:  Pomfret Tax Collector, 5 Haven
Road, Pomfret Center, CT 06259.  If a receipt is desired, please enclose a stamped, self­
addressed envelope.  For more information or to pay online, go to www.pomfretct.gov.
Tax Office Hours are:  Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Town Hall is closed on Fridays.  If you have any questions, please call 860-974-0394.
The Town Hall will be closed January 1, 2018, and January 15, 2018.

Pamela N. Gaumond
Tax Collector

Dec. 21, 2017
Jan. 4, 2018
Jan. 25, 2018

The first game of the season is always difficult.
It was just a little more emotional for the Woodstock Academy girls’ basketball team Dec. 12 as it opened with a 33-24 win over Montville at the Alumni Fieldhouse.
The team has dedicated this season to senior Mackenzie Cayer’s father, Brett, who died at the start of the school year after a short bout with cancer.
Prior to the game with Montville, a moment of silence was held in honor of Brett Cayer who was a regular at all of the girls’ games. “It’s hard because I think about him all the time. He’s looking down at us and he’s proud of us,” Mackenzie Cayer said.
The team will wear his initials on their uniforms this season.
The Centaurs (2-1) followed up the season-opening Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II win with a victory over Fitch and a loss to RHAM.
Centaurs get past Montville
Coach Will Fleeton was worried because the first game of the season is always a concern. A coach never knows how his team will come out of the gate.
In this case, the Centaurs came out pretty slow. The Academy had just two baskets from the floor in the first half. Jamie Woods hit a layup and Cayer sank a 3-pointer. But that Cayer basket came with 3 minutes, 12 seconds left in the first quarter and it was the last basket of the first half for the Centaurs.
The Centaurs led, 7-5, at the end of the first quarter, but the two teams were tied, 12-12, at the half.
“It was a really rough first quarter,” Fleeton said. “I think we had some opening-season jitters and I think with the dedication, mentally, we were a bit in the clouds. We settled in the second (quarter). I thought we looked more comfortable, but then, we couldn’t make a shot to save our lives.”
Montville came out of the locker room and scored five points in the first 3:11. Alexis Michon came off the bench to score her only bucket of the game and Lauren Velazquez added her only bucket, a 3-pointer, to give the Indians a 17-14 advantage.
The Centaurs fought back to take the lead on a pair of free throws by Cayer (6 points) and a three-point play by Woods, who led the team with 14 points. The Academy held the 21-18 lead at the end of the third quarter and finally took control of the game with a 7-2 run, highlighted by an Aislin Tracey (5 points) 3-pointer.
“We take them how we can get them,” Fleeton said. “It was definitely not a pretty one.” Woods said, despite the early struggle, she feels confident in the Centaurs ability. “I’m happy with what I’m seeing. We’re a good group of girls and we’re going to have a good season,” Woods said.
Centaurs top Falcons
The Centaurs were hoping for a better offensive performance against Fitch than in their first outing. They got that and more. After scoring just 33 points in the season opener, The Academy more than doubled their output in a 74-34 win over Fitch at the Alumni Fieldhouse.
“I was confident (against Montville) that there was just a lid on the basket. We didn’t do many things differently, I expected that eventually it would go in. I was just praying that (Thursday) was the night,” Fleeton said.
He didn’t have to wait long to find out if that was going to be the case. The Centaurs scored on the opening tip. Heather Converse tipped it forward to Kalianna Dingui who put home the unchallenged layup with the game just five seconds old.
It was the first of seven points in the first 5 minutes, 9 seconds for Dingui who also added a 3-pointer in that stretch. Converse was just as effective, getting 10 points and the Centaurs reeled off 23 of the first 25 points in the game.
“We wanted to come out and speed up the game a little bit. We had two points in transition (against Montville) and we can’t do that and expect to win. I told the girls we were lucky to get that win considering the easy shots we missed. So, getting off to that fast start (Dec. 14) was important,” Fleeton said.
The Centaurs led by 20, 37-17, at the half after Woods scored six of her game-high 16 points in the second quarter.
The Centaurs finished things off by scoring 12 of the first 13 points in the third quarter. Olivia Perry added 15 for the Centaurs, 12 in the second half, while Dingui finished with 14 and Converse 11.
Sachems nip Centaurs
Converse tied the game with a pair of free throws. But RHAM’s Anna Berry scored on a layup with six seconds to play to give the hosts a 34-32 win Dec. 16.  Woods again led the Centaurs with 15 points while Cayer contributed eight.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director