By Janice CalviRuimerman
(April 17, 2023) — It was a banner game for Haddam Killingworth High School Girls Lacrosse Goalie Gabrielle (Gabby) Williams on Thursday, April 14, 2023, under the lights on Morgan’s home turf. The game started off with an immediate loss of possession and Morgan scoring their first goal, but that did not shake the net as Gabby defended several shots on goal and a plethora of penalty shots consistently throughout this game.
The rivalry between these two teams was palpable as the stands roared against aggressive penalties and yellow card hand-outs. The Cougars defense was on fire in Clinton as first year player, Senior Julia Favalora, fell easily into sync with her defensive line. In a multi-pass play Te’a Norman gained possession from Morgan, passed to newcomer Julia Favalora, who pushed the ball upfield creating space to pass to Sophomore Ava Ramino who spotted teammate, Sophomore Seanna (SeaSea) Ruimerman who quickly scored to Morgan’s dismay. This play sent the spectators to their feet and invigorated the Cougars, who soon took an aggressive lead.
Defenders Te’a Norman, Peyton Tyler and Brigitte Battistoni held the Morgan line as best as they could as whistles blew. Long passes by Senior Captains Sophie Ramino, Georgia Cancroft and Jenna Whitmer coupled with ground ball containment by Jamie DiNapoli made certain the ball came back to the Blue and Gold. With the support and encouragement from a full HK Cougar Den in Clinton, these girls displayed tremendous will and passion to deliver a long game, a precise passing game, and a victory despite the impact of multiple power plays for Morgan’s field advantage. The coaching phenomena of Reilly and Cassidy pushed these girls to a strong victory regardless of being down a penalized player for most of the second half. This was a true win with one hand tied behind their back!
Goals for this game were earned by Senior Captain Audrey Wrinn – 2; Juniors Aly Campbell – 1 and Samantha (Sammy) Ruimerman – 1; and Sophomores Ava Ramino – 2, Seanna (SeaSea) Ruimerman – 5. Great game, Lady Cougars. Way to defend your goal!
See the full season’s game schedule on HKHS Athletics website.
