Hall stands atop the state in Connecticut field hockey

Coming off a 9-7-2 season with eight seniors returning, Hall (West Hartford, Conn.) field hockey coach Carlie Dailey was anticipating a good season this fall, but perhaps not as good as it's turned out so far.

Hall is 9-0-1 after defeating Central Connecticut Conference West rival Simsbury, 1-0 in overtime on Oct. 11, and is sitting on top of the state Class L standings and at the top of the CCC West with Northwest Catholic at 2-0.

"Going into this season, we were expecting to do very well with the returning players," said the second-year coach Dailey.

"You never know what you're going to get from the younger players, but we do have two freshmen as well, and they together (with the rest of the team), they're working really well. Great chemistry on the field and off the field. I think they're just having fun."

The good play starts with Hall's defense and its junior goalie, Kathleen Keegan, who has allowed just one goal this season, while her offense has scored 26.

"Our defense is definitely amazing, and it starts with our goalie," Dailey said." She just lives field hockey. She holds herself to a high standard and has very high expectations. She really expects a lot of herself. She's a good person for the other girls to go to ask questions because she's so vocal on the field. And you really need that in a goalie because she can see everything."

A goalie needs skilled defenders and Keegan has those in right back and senior captain Bea Lynch, junior center back Christine Taylor and junior left back Anna Zinzarella. Lynch and Taylor have made defensive saves throughout the year, Dailey said, and she recalls one in particular.

"In the Fermi game (a 2-0 win on Sept. 19), it was one-on-one and Christine was the only one left back at about the 35 or 40-yard line," Dailey said. "She just went in and did a beautiful block tackle and totally broke up the momentum when we were outnumbered."

On offense, Hall looks to junior center forward Jenna Behan (five goals) along with senior left forward Maeve Manley and senior right forward Shelly Wilson. Dailey said the Warriors also have freshman Caroline Grant and sophomore Kailey Kennedy, who are interchangeable in any of the forward line positions.

"Because our team is such an age-diversified group, everybody finds somebody to guide in the right direction," Dailey said.

Dailey calls the Simsbury game "a crazy, crazy win."

"Obviously, it was a huge defensive game for us," said Dailey, whose team broke the scoreless tie with 8 1/2 minutes left in the OT. "Our defense and our goalie just stuck it out. Either during halftime or just before the overtime the girls were saying 'Let's get a goal. We owe it to the defense.'

"In the overtime, Helen Chavey (a junior midfielder/defender) worked the ball up on the right side of the field, had a long hit, worked it into the circle on her own and shot the ball and continued to follow and was able to get a rebound and hit it right in the goal," Dailey said.

"I know she prefers defense, but she's just too fast and too conditioned to be stuck on the defensive line."

Hall has quite a few challenges coming up in its back-loaded schedule with Farmington (8-3-0-1), Glastonbury (9-1-1) and Northwest Catholic (8-1-1) over the next 10 days.

"It was an eye-opener to play against (5-1-2) Avon (a 0-0 tie Oct. 10) and Simsbury (7-0-2-1) and see the talent that's out there, what we're really going against and what we're matched up for," Dailey said. "Our season is back heavy. You get what you get and you work with it."

Dailey will be looking to her senior leadership and in particular her captains Lynch, Morgan Kennedy and Christin Spring, to help the Warriors get through this tough stretch.

"Their communication with me has been great. Their communication with the rest of the team has been great," Dailey said.

"They've been leaders on and off the field, and great friends for the girls to go to, which helps when anyone has a question or is interpreting something the wrong way or internalizing something that shouldn't necessarily be internalized.

"You can see the older players encouraging (the underclassmen) to play a little bit smarter instead of harder. That comes with age."

Paul Rosano, the former assistant sport editor of The Hartford Courant and sports editor of The New Haven Register, is a MaxPreps contributor. He may be reached at pjrosano@cox.net.