Naugatuck Top 5 Teams, Games, Plays

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Top Five Teams of the Decade

1. 2001 Boys’ Soccer: The decade’s first state championship at NHS; t-most wins of the decade (19-1-1); 1 All-American, 2 All-New Englanders, 5 All-NVLers
2. 2002 Boys’ Soccer: The decade’s only undefeated NVL and state champion at Naugy (19-0-1); 1 All-American, 1 All-New Englander, 3 All-NVLers
3. 2001 Football: Naugy’s only NVL football title and best record of the decade (10-1); last Greyhound squad to beat Ansonia; 7 All-NVL picks
4. 2002 Girls’ Soccer: First NVL champion in school history; best record of the decade (17-1); posted 15 shutouts and allowed 1 goal in 16 regular season games
5. 2008 Softball: Naugy’s first NVL softball crown since 1981; best record of the decade (23-4); Class LL finalist; 3 All-NVL picks

Top Five Games of the Decade

1. 2001 Boys’ Soccer vs. Westhill, Class LL Final: The Hounds won the first of two straight state titles by a 3-2 score over Westhill, clinched by Brian Mariano’s flip throw-in goal
2. 2001 Football vs. Ansonia, Thanksgiving: Naugatuck’s only win over Ansonia this decade, 14-13, clinched by Pablo Couvertier’s 2-point conversion run in the fourth quarter
3. 2002 Boys’ Soccer vs. Newtown, Class LL Final: Fabian Rodriguez sent the game to overtime with a 30-yard goal and Rich Reddington clinched a 3-2 win with a header in double OT
4. 2008 Softball vs. Seymour, NVL Championship: The Greyhounds clinched their first NVL title in 27 years when Alana Wesche stranded two runners with a strikeout to win, 4-3
5. 2002 Girls’ Soccer vs. HC, Snapping the Streak: Naugy traveled to Oronoke Rd. and ended Holy Cross’ 33-game NVLwinning streak dating to Nov. 1998 with a dominant, 2-0 victory

Top Five Plays of the Decade

1. 2001 Mariano’s title-clinching throw-in: A 40-yard, 360-degree front flip throw-in found the net for the game-winner over Westhill, earning Mariano an ESPY nomination
2. 2001 Couvertier’s conversion beats Ansonia: After Matt Paradisi’s 66-yard TD pulled the Hounds within one, Couvertier followed Jesse Culbertson to the end zone for the win
3. 2002 Mariano’s national title-winning dive: Already an All-American his junior year, Mariano’s diving performance impressed the national judges, earning him the national title
4. 2007 Dean’s perfect game vs. Holy Cross: Striking out 12 of 21 batters, Pat Dean needed just 66 pitches to wrap up his second no-no in a week in the 2-0 win over the Saders
5. 2008 Wesche’s strikeout wins NVL title: Wesche stranded two Seymour runners in scoring position by striking out the final batter of the game to clinch the NVL crown