(Peter Hvizdak – New Haven Register)
Kylee Clifton of Morgan, left, and Arianna Heonis of Old Saybrook fight for control of the ball during first-half girls soccer action Monday morning October 10, 2016 at the Indian River Complex in Clinton. Old Saybrook won 2-1.
CLINTON >> None of the girls on the Old Saybrook roster has ever advanced to the Shoreline Conference soccer tournament.
On Monday, the Rams took a big step toward gaining that precious postseason berth. Old Saybrook went on the road to defeat Morgan 2-1 at the Indian River Complex.
“These Shoreline games are really important for us,” junior Allison Bruehwiler said. “That’s our goal, to make it into the Shoreline tournament. Last year, we didn’t even make it into the (state) tournament.”
Bruehwiler, a junior, scored both goals for the Rams (5-2-4, 4-1-4), one in each half. The defense did the rest.
“Our defense has stepped in every game,” Old Saybrook coach Berkeley Cecchini-Bond said. “This is a good road victory. They are a very tough team. Hopefully, this fuel us for the next game.”
PHOTOS: Old Saybrook vs. Morgan
The Shoreline playoffs has expanded to six teams from four this season and begins on Oct. 29. So Old Saybrook, the only team in the league to tie Old Lyme, the reigning three-time champions, has a very good chance to be one of the six.
But even a first-year head coach knows not to get caught looking ahead and Cecchini-Bond, who took over for Larry Bright (now at Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden) understands the importance placed on each game.
“I don’t overestimate or underestimate any team,” Cecchini-Bond said. “I make sure they know the team that shows up to play is going to be successful if they play the whole game. We wanted to focus on our game today, now we focus on our game Thursday (against Westbrook). What do we do now to prepare?”
Said Morgan coach Megan Kilbride: It just didn’t click. You can’t just call it an off-day because not everybody can have an off-day on the same day. Somebody has to make a decision.”
Morgan (5-5-1, 4-3-1) still controls its own destiny to gain a Shoreline tournament bid and attempt to reach the final for the second straight year. But less than 48 hours after a 1-0 loss to Sheehan out of the SCC, the Huskies were not up to snuff for Monday’s early start.
“Saturday was the best game I ever saw them play,” Kilbride said. “Sometimes, our players are panicking and there’s no need to panic. … We have five games left, three of which are for the league. We just make it harder on ourselves.”
Morgan did not record a shot in the opening half. Old Saybrook only had a couple until the final minutes. Bruehwiler broke the scoreless deadlock with 2:44 left in the opening half when she beat Morgan goalkeeper Kate Driscoll to a ball and scored.
“The first one, I just took it down the side and thought I was going to take a long shot, but it would have went right to her (Driscoll), so I took it closer and toe-poked it in,” Bruehwiler said.
The Huskies gave Old Saybrook keeper Kelsey True some work in the second half, but couldn’t get the equalizer. Bruehwiler missed her first opportunity for a two-goal advantage in the 54th minute, firing wide left.
When she got a wide-open opportunity just 4 minutes later, Bruehwiler didn’t miss.
“I was at top of box waiting for the ball to come out and it came right to me. I saw the huge space (to the left), so I took it,” Bruehwiler said.
Said Cecchini-Bond: “She comes every day ready to score. She is hungry for goals and she has a lot of support.”
Alyssa LeMay cut the deficit in half with 14:43 left off of Robyn Vuilleumier’s assist. In the final minutes, LeMay met resistance from Ram defenders and went down in the penalty box, but no whistle came.
“I do think it was a foul. I think if it was outside the box, they (the referees) probably would have called it,” Kilbride said. “It wasn’t what caused the result of the game. It didn’t cause us to not tie or not win because there were so many other opportunities where we should have gotten it done.”
Old Saybrook 2, Morgan 1
(at Clinton)
Old Saybrook 1 1 — 2
Morgan 0 1 — 1
First half—OS: Allison Bruehwiler (Maggie Smith) 37:16; Second half—OS: Allison Bruehwiler 57:33; MO: Alyssa LeMay (Robyn Vuilleumier) 65:17;
Shots—OS: 9; MO: 7;
Saves—OS: Kelsey True 4; MO: Kate Driscoll 3;
Records—Old Saybrook 5-2-4 (4-1-4 Shoreline); Morgan 5-5-1 (4-3-1)
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