Avon tops Brookfield in opener; Ziemnicki wins 300th career game

Avon High coach Terri Ziemnicki, shown earlier this season, won her 300th career game Tuesday.

AVON, Nov. 5, 2013 – Junior Emily Stross scored off a corner for the second straight game as the Avon High field hockey team won their Class M tournament opener with a 1-0 decision over No. 13 Brookfield on Tuesday afternoon.

Stross deflected in the shot from Hannah Deppe on a corner hit from All-American Caroline Schaefer late in the first half. The No. 4 ranked Falcons (12-3-2) outshot Brookfield by a 13-1 margin and had a 19-1 edge in penalty corners.

The victory sets up a Class M quarterfinal match with No. 5 New Fairfield (12-3-1-1) on Thursday at 2 p.m. at Avon High.

Goalie Natalie Sawicki earned her 11th shutout of the season in goal. Defender Sarah Katherine Mascoli played well for the Falcons.

The victory over Brookfield (7-6-3-1) was the 300th career win for Avon coach Terri Ziemnicki, now in her 24th season. Ziemnicki, whose Falcons have never missed qualifying for the CIAC tournament, has a career record in field hockey of 300-97-44-6.

Ziemnicki is glad that pressure of getting her 300th win is behind her team.

She saw her players get a little tight in the waning minutes of a 2-1 loss to Simsbury in the regular season finale. Simsbury scored two goals in the final 1:28 including the game-winning goal with nine seconds left.

“I told them not to win the game for me but to play because you love the game,” she said. “Do the things you can do and that will get you there. I’m glad we have the win. Now, let’s move on.”