Avon field hockey advances with shutout win over East Lyme

Avon’s Lauren Jeandell fires the ball toward the goal in Tuesday’s Class M tournament game in Avon.

AVON – Shelly George and Olivia Jackson had goals as the Avon High girls field hockey team captured its Class M tournament opener with a solid 2-0 win over East Lyme on Tuesday.

The victory propels No. 6 Avon (13-2-1) into the quarterfinals where they will meet No. 3 Nonnewaug (14-2-0-1) on Thursday at 2 p.m., in Woodbury.

“We played well,” Avon coach Terri Ziemnicki said. “It wasn’t our best game of the year but the girls worked hard and worked together. They played well enough to win.”

Avon dominated the game against the Vikings (7-9-1) from the Eastern Connecticut Conference. The Falcons had a 17-3 edge on penalty corner opportunities and had 14 shots in the game. The Avon defense gave up just two shots.

Avon’s Molly Sanderson (8) and Emily Stross (33) don’t leave this East Lyme player with much room to move in Tuesday’s Class M tournament game in Avon.

George put Avon on the board with 10:06 gone in the first half off a penalty corner. She took the pass from Rachel Moore and got it past Vikings goalie Allison Rose. With 8:30 remaining in the first half, Avon made it 2-0 when Olivia Johnson scored her second goal of the year off a pass from Emily Stross.

Avon goalie Natalie Sawicki made two saves late in the second half for her 11th shutout of the season.

NOTES: Avon was tied for fourth in the final regular season coaches poll, released a week ago. Simsbury was No. 1 in the latest poll with Glastonbury second and Wilton ranked third. … It was Avon’s first game with East Lyme since a 3-0 win over the Vikings in the first game of the 2010 Class M tournament. … Nonnewaug eliminated No. 14 New Fairfield with a 2-0 victory on Tuesday. Nonnewaug lost two games to BL champion Lewis Mills (once in OT) and one game to Thomaston.