Sports

New Canaan HS Takes CIAC Class L Girls Soccer Championship

The New Canaan High School Rams defeated the Sacred Heart Academy Sharks of Hamden, 1-0, for the CIAC Class L girls' soccer title.

HARTFORD, CT — Utilizing a bend-but-not-break defense, the New Canaan High School Rams made an early goal stand-up Sunday en route to the CIAC Class L state girls soccer championship.

New Canaan defeated Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden, 1-0, in a hard-fought contest on the chilly turf at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford.

NCHS girls soccer coach Rich Hickson said his team was hoping to score more goals, but the defense was key to the game plan.

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"We've been strong defensively all year, but we certainly didn't want to just win 1 nil," said Hickson after the win.

Considering the prior three CIAC girls championships this weekend were wild, close affairs, Hickson said he was confident his squad would avoid any drama and close out the Sharks.

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"We had confidence coming in that we could do the job," he said.

The ninth-seed Rams came into the tournament 11-3-1 and were looking to win the program's eighth title.

Meanwhile, the seventh-seed Sacred Heart Academy Sharks out of Hamden, led by coach Everson Maciel, came into the contest 12-3-1, looking to win the team's second championship.

New Canaan got on the board first with about 25 minutes to play in the first half when sophomore Claire Greisen, the game's most valuable player, powered in a shot in a crowded box and put the Rams up 1-0.

The game settled down at a deliberate pace, with Sacred Heart defending well, but unable to muster any serious chances against New Canaan.

After 40 minutes, the Rams held a 1-0 lead.

New Canaan started the second half fast with two quick chances that saw the ball squeak just shy of the goal in the half's first two minutes.

Sacred Heart pushed a few possessions into Ram territory, with some set pieces in dangerous positions, but New Canaan's defense held for the early part of the second half.

Sacred Heart had a very dangerous chance with 28 minutes to play when a ball found its way right in front of the goal, but a Shark shot pushed just wide to the left.

With about 20 minutes to play, Greisen nearly scored her second goal for New Canaan when she dribbled into the box and fired a shot just wide.

On their ensuing possession, Sacred Heart nearly equalized, but a shot was stopped and smothered by senior New Canaan goalkeeper Chrysoula Gabriel, who had a clean sheet.

In the game's last 15 minutes, play picked up with New Canaan looking to put the game away and the Sharks desperate to equalize, leading to up-and-down action on both sides.

New Canaan nearly iced the game with four minutes to go when a screamer hit the crossbar and a follow-up shot was saved, the slim deficit preserved for Sacred Heart.

With less than two minutes to go, the Rams nearly doubled their lead again, when a breakaway led to a cross and, then, a shot that was just tipped over the crossbar.

That was the last threat of the game as New Canaan bled the clock of time and walked away as champions for the first time since 2009.


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