BEACON FALLS — Unless the season ends in the state championship game, most teams have something to think about during the offseason. The what-could-have-been scenarios can play out over and over again until the next season arrives.
At 15-2-1, the Woodland girls soccer team rolled into last year’s NVL tournament looking to defend its first league title since 2004. Then, Holy Cross came along and knocked the Hawks out of the tournament on PK’s in the semifinals. The season ended in the second round game of the Class M tournament with a 2-1 loss to Immaculate.
The Hawks come into this season with that fresh in their memory and looking to settle the score.
Woodland lost a lot of talent from last year’s squad but returns a solid leadership core of seniors and some younger players who gained experience last season.
Among the players lost to gradation was starting goalie Jenna Pannone.
“Losing a player like Jenna Pannone is huge,” said Woodland head coach Cait Witham, who is entering her fifth year at the helm with a 65-15-3 record. “She was a large part of our defense starting in goal for the last three years.
“You can’t replace that kind of player, but we do have a player who gained a lot of experience behind Jenna and is ready and more than capable to meet the challenge and take over the role as goalie.”
The player behind Pannone Witham is referring to is junior Alanna Carasone, who saw a lot of action the past two years in the net and will step up to lead the Hawks’ defense.
Woodland also established a defensive backfield last year that allowed just six goals in 18 regular season games.
“We return our entire back line,” Witham said. “Jenna wasn’t the only reason we only gave up six goals. We also have a group of juniors who gained experience last year, and the expectation is even higher this season.”
Senior Eliza Smith leads the way with juniors Haley Wolfanger and Michealla Mastropietro, and sophomore Olivia Kotsaftis.
“We relied on Jenna a lot over the past few years,” Smith said. “Now, it’s up to us to step up and show we can get the job done and help Alanna in the net. We have a strong group of younger players and they are pushing the older players. That is making us a better team, being so competitive.”
On the offensive end, Woodland returns All-NVL forward Haley Andrews and versatile senior Megen Sirowich.
The Hawks will also look for the continued development of juniors Juliana Vilano, Julia Casimiro, Julia Accetura, Nicole Sherman and sophomore Jillian Barbarito to help steer the Hawks back to another NVL tournament run.
“We lost a lot from our offense graduating Sam Plasky and Gillian Hotchkiss,” Andrews said. “They really pushed the ball up the field. But we have a lot of younger players who gained a lot of experience last year and they are ready to take on a bigger role this year.”
Woodland will also look to a strong group of seniors in Kerrigan Shaw, Shannon Pruzinsky, Briana Iannicelli, Maeve Kennelly and Alexis Mierek to fill in some of the roles left by graduation. Juniors Mia Piccolo and Karly Laliberte will vie for a spot as well.
“Last year, we played nine freshman and sophomores,” Witham said. “There are always roles to fill, and the more competitive we become as a team the better we are going to be.”
Woodland will get the season underway on Sept. 9 at Seymour for an 11 a.m. contest. The Hawks will get right after it the following week when they host Watertown on Sept. 12 and visit Naugatuck on Sept. 15.
