Family bond root of success

0
286
The Naugatuck boys swim team is off to 4-0 start thanks to a family atmosphere that is accentuated by three pairs of brothers on the squad, from left, Matt and Brian Goggin, Matt and Jeremy Raupach, and Dylan and Matt Triscritti. –KEN MORSE
The Naugatuck boys swim team is off to 4-0 start thanks to a family atmosphere that is accentuated by three pairs of brothers on the squad, from left, Matt and Brian Goggin, Matt and Jeremy Raupach, and Dylan and Matt Triscritti. –KEN MORSE

NAUGATUCK — Team chemistry is vital to success in athletic competition. It’s a delicate formula of one part talent, one part desire and one part trust in one another.

Over the course of a season teams begin to bond and a family atmosphere starts to take hold. That is the root of success and the Naugatuck High School boys swim team is turning into a band of brothers.

The Greyhounds took another step in that process last week beating Seymour, 93-78, Jan. 13 and Wilby, 97-83, Jan. 15.

The family atmosphere for the Greyhounds (4-0) begins with three sets of brothers: Matt and Jeremy Raupach, Matt and Brian Goggin, and Matt and Dylan Triscritti.

“My older brother Alex graduated last year” Dylan Triscritti said. “So the sibling rivalry thing is nothing new to me.”

“We used to have three brothers on the team,” added Jeremy Raupach, who finished sixth in the 100 backstroke against Wilby. “Our other brother Nick use to swim with us but now he just does track.”

Naugatuck put on its best performance of the season against a strong Seymour squad that broke several records in its first meet of the year. But the ‘Hounds were too much to handle as they set over 100 best times.

Evan Bombery and Brian Goggin finished one and two in the 200 and 500 freestyle to set the tone for Naugatuck. Eric Cruz put up his highest numbers of the season to win the diving competition with a score of 184.85 and Omari Solomon swam to first in the 100 backstroke.

“I definitely think the sibling rivalry brings out the best in us,” Brain Goggin said. “When Matt is in the next lane he doesn’t want to lose to me so he really goes all out.”

“I’m not sure what it does as far as team camaraderie goes,” Matt Goggin added. “But it does create a racket as we are the biggest noise makers on the team.”

Naugatuck showed its versatility and overall depth in the win over Wilby. Matt Goggin took first in the 200 freestyle with Sammy Ayash taking second. Nick Fox finished first in the 50 freestyle with Ben Rossi winning the 100 freestyle.

The Greyhounds poured it on with a one-two-three finish in the 500 freestyle with Solomon first, Ayash second and Matt Triscritti third. Another sweep in the 100 breaststroke had Bombery first, Zach Alves second and Jon Lauer third.

“As far as the camaraderie goes, that plays a big part into how a team comes together,” Naugatuck head coach Jim McKee said. “You are here every day practicing and it does become like a family. Everyone is cheering on one another and that’s where you begin to build on that success.”

That brotherly bond has taken hold of the team and extends to the three girls that swim with the boys: Steffanie Dube, Erin Doris and Macie Best.

“We just treat them like one of the guys. After all we are all family and rooting for each other to do our best.” Dylan Triscritti said

Erin Doris swam to third-place finishes in the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly against Wilby and Macie Best knocked 2 seconds off her time in the 100 breaststroke in the Wilby meet.

“Steffanie is working on her dives and will be competing real soon to give us another diver,” McKee said. “Our other two girls are soccer players that’s why they didn’t swim in the fall, but both would be very successful if they swam in the girls season.”

The Greyhounds will get back in the pool Wednesday at Woodland. Naugatuck will host Conard and Pomperuag Friday, before a home meet next Tuesday against Oxford.