Lady Tomahawks still facing tests

Kate Smith, Brittany Uricchio and Maddy Gray are all among Glastonbury players trying to get their head on the ball in the Tomahawks' 1-0 win at East Catholic on Oct. 16. Photos by Steve Smith.

After a 1-0 victory at East Catholic (7-2-2) on Oct. 16, the Lady Tomahawks improved to 12-0, and have given up just two goals in their campaign, but the team is not thinking about a repeat as state Class LL champions… at least not yet.

Glastonbury’s goal came in the second half, when a corner kick fell in front of the feet of senior captain Kate Smith, who was able to tuck it neatly into the bottom corner of the net.

The East Catholic game was also the team’s narrowest victory, and coach Finochiarro said the Tomahawks made it harder than it was. “We had a lot of chances, and we just didn’t finish,” he said. “They played real tough and their goalie made a lot of nice saves. We should have shot the ball a little bit lower. I think we could have gotten it in a couple of times.” 

The game could have easily been 3-0, as a flurry in front of the net resulted in EC’s goalie, Elizabeth Brasa, grabbing a loose ball a hair before it crossed the line, and a later shot by Glastonbury striker Kristen Dragotta just barely caught the crossbar and stayed out.

Despite the method leading to the goal, Finochiarro said corner kicks are an area in which his team needs to improve. “We have to start working on our corner kicks,” he said. “It’s the time of year where we have to focus on our set plays.”

Finochiarro said East Catholic was the first of many upcoming tests the Tomahawks will face before the state tournament. “We still have South Windsor and Wethersfield,” he said, “and then we’ve got the CCC tournament this year. We’ve got some tough games still, that’s for sure.”

Finochiarro said the team’s overall depth is a key strength, and the mindset is “one day at a time.”

“We can make changes off the bench, and we’re not losing too much skill,” he said, adding that thinking about the team’s streak or last year’s title is not part of the game plan. “We don’t really look at that. We just kind of look at who’s next, practice the next day, and trying to get a little bit better. We just try to stay focused. We don’t talk about undefeated or what happened last year. It’s a whole new group. We’ve got a lot of young players and we’re very talented.”

Glastonbury plays at East Hartford on Oct. 19, and hosts Weaver on Oct. 23.  For a complete schedule, visit www. casciac.org.