Canton’s Kylie Delos, shown last year, has three goals in three games, including the game-winning stroke against Avon.
CANTON, Sept. 18 – The buzz and excitement is still making its way through the hallways at Canton High. The win by the Canton football team on the final play of the game to beat Avon for the first time ever, 16-13, happened nearly a week ago.
“People are still talking about it,” said Margaret Bristol, a physical education teacher at the high school. “Now, people are talking about the field hockey team, too.”
The Canton High field hockey team, a group that won two of 13 games and scored just nine goals last fall, stunned two-time defending NCCC champion Avon on Monday afternoon with a 1-0 decision.
Senior Kylie Delos scored her third goal of the season on a penalty stroke with 6:56 remaining in the game to give Canton the lead. Sophomore goalie Natalie Nardello made 10 stops in net to earn the shutout as the Warriors beat Avon for the first time since 2007. The host Falcons had gone 9-0-1 against Canton since that time with five shutout victories.
It was the first win of the season for the Warriors (1-2, 1-1 NCCC), who have already put five goals into the net under their first-year coach. Delos, the center midfielder for the Warriors, has three goals, including a pair of penalty strokes, while freshman Erika Nedderman and sophomore Kaelyn Oliver have scored the other two goals.
“Their confidence is a little bit better,” Bristol said. “They’re a group of hard working girls. It was a great game. It was an intense game. We gave the girls goals to focus on and things they needed to improve on such as marking up in the circle and keeping your sticks down.”
Canton played well defensively, limiting Avon’s shots on goals. The Falcons had 15 penalty corners but had a tough time getting shots on the net. Canton’s Deirdre Kronschnabel was excellent on defense breaking up Avon penalty corners. Junior Maggie Bidwell and sophomore Sarah First played well with Kronschnabel.
There are just 22 girls in the Canton High program – not enough to field a junior varsity team. The Warriors have fives seniors, three juniors, six sophomores and seven freshman in the program. Two freshmen start. They got the job done against Avon (0-1, 0-1 NCCC).
“We were riding the wave that the football team set the week before,” Bristol said. “I think that set the tone for us.”
Canton hosts Enfield on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. before traveling to Granby on Monday for a night game at 6:45 p.m. on the new artificial turf field at Granby High.
Avon hosts Granby in a big matchup Thursday at the high school beginning at 4 p.m.
Canton opened the season with a 4-2 loss to defending Class S champion Haddam Killingworth on the road as Hall of Fame coach Patsy Kamerica won her 400th career game. Nedderman and Delos (stroke) had the goals for Canton. In game two, Canton dropped a 4-2 decision to Suffield on their artificial turf field. Oliver scored in the first 30 seconds and Delos scored off a penalty corner but the Wildcats rallied for the win.
Canton 1, Avon 0
At Avon
Canton (1-2) 0 1 — 1
Avon (0-1) 0 0 — 0
Goals: Kylie Delos (C); Goalies: Natalie Nardello (C) 10, Natalie Sawicki (A) 4
You must be logged in to post a comment Login