by Greg Lederer
Herald Staff

For better or worse, many football fans will remember the New England Patriots’ 2007 season for a single performance in February. The Patriots carried an unblemished 18-0 record going into Super Bowl XLII, however, the New York Giants stunned them and sports fans with a 17-14 victory in Glendale, Ariz.
The Cheshire High School girls’ soccer team experienced similar heartbreak last fall, ending a record-setting campaign with their first loss in the Class LL state tournament. The Rams talked about what got them to the top seed and now they seek to build toward similar success in 2008.
Six graduates, including leading scorer Amanda Carvalho, were critical in helping Cheshire earn its fourth Housatonic Division/Southern Connecticut Conference title in five years. While the Patriots compiled the second perfect record in NFL history, the Rams enjoyed the school’s first undefeated regular season. Simsbury halted that momentum in the Class LL second round and gave Cheshire its second consecutive tournament loss through penalty kicks (4-1 for 2-1 loss).
“It was tough especially in penalty kicks. We couldn’t settle it on the field,” said Colby Gibbs, a senior captain with Emily Ranando. Gibbs is the lone holdover from the starting line-up of the 2005 Class LL title game. “I was nervous during my freshman year, and I still am. Hopefully, we can get back there for my senior year.”
Despite graduating four starters, Cheshire Head Coach Tony Crane sleeps well at night due to a number of returning letter winners. The defense and mid-field areas will provide experience as Cheshire builds chemistry among their young forwards.
“You lose three or four players, and it’s tough for schools to handle that in a year,” said Crane. “We can fill in the blanks.”
Depth is key to a stingy defense that will be replacing 2008 graduate Meghan Foehl. An All-Housatonic selection, Gibbs is credited for her consistency and how she protects the middle at sweeper.
“Colby Gibbs is the quintessential leader and captain,” said Crane, who feels her experience will help young defenders like sophomore Kira Yasuda. “She is a great kid and a solid defender that can go on to play in college.”
Juniors Casey Nowakowski and Kylee McIntosh combine size, strength, and speed alongside Gibbs. Crane likes the synergy of the returning trio, and they will collectively benefit junior goalkeeper Erica Correa. In a daunting task, Correa had to follow record-holder Jackie Fede between the pipes and immediately step into the lineup as a freshman.
“It’s tough to fill the shoes of a great goalkeeper because Fede set the bar very high,” said Crane. “Erica knows the position is hers now, and she is becoming more vocal. I’m looking for her to be All-Housatonic this year.”
The Rams yielded only 12 goals over a 17-1-1 record last year as Correa and 2008 graduate Clare Samuelson totaled 11 shutouts. Crane plans to build play out of the back this fall, asking McIntosh and Nowakowski to utilize their versatility downfield.
“They are excellent defenders and the next step is to go forward,” said Crane. “We need our outside defenders to adjust and become more offensive-minded.”
The strategy developed from the graduation of outside mid-fielders Jamie Weiss and Mariah Downey. The pair were initiators last year and controlled play through their ability to cross the ball.
“They were huge for us. Luckily, there is more than one way to play this game,” said Crane. “We have technically skilled mid-fielders and will take advantage of that.”
Crane considers this mid-field group to be the best he has seen at Cheshire. Maggie Riddle, Sally Leahy, and Ranando round out the senior class and feel chemistry is one of their key strengths.
“It feels great,” said Ranando, of the depth. “I know that I have a whole bench behind me.”
Maturing behind many standout players, Crane is excited to watch Ranando take the opportunity to start this fall.
“When we watch scrimmages, Emily is so hard to get off the ball,” said Crane. “It’s just hard to take the ball away from her, and she is blossoming as a senior.”
Crane also appreciates the ball security of Riddle and feels her presence relaxes everyone. Junior Amanda Roke (Most Improved Player) and sophomore Cailynn Harding add further depth to a focus on distribution and dissecting defenses with precise passes.
“She (Roke) has physically grown and is a better all around player,” said Crane, who feels Nicky Iadarola has the potential to make a similar impact to what Harding did as a freshman. “She (Harding) is becoming a leader and will only get better.”
Leahy’s return is an added bonus for the team. She cracked the lineup in her sophomore season, but suffered an ACL tear last summer and had to sit out the season.
“Sally is looking unbelievably good. She is back to top form,” said Crane.
Scoring the ball will be a point of emphasis for the second straight pre-season. The Rams entered last year looking to find someone to step into the scoring void left by graduated captains Lauren Nowakowski and Rachel Schuyler. Carvalho answered those questions during a breakthrough season in which she tripled her scoring from the year before and broke a single-season record with 33 goals.
Carvalho earned MVP honors after scoring both goals in their SCC final shutout of Mercy.
“We would look to find Amanda to finish our chances,” said Crane. “It is hard to replace 33 goals, but we are technical and should score by committee.”
Junior Marnee Dupont and sophomore Molly Dupont started alongside Carvalho and will be looked upon for increased production. Junior Caitlyn Criscuolo also provided a key spark down the stretch last year.
“They saw how to finish,” said Crane, of watching Carvalho. “They realize that you can take a shot, and we want them to be aggressive.”
Defending titles is one of the program’s goals. Cheshire will battle Amity (Sept. 22, Oct. 17), Lyman Hall (Sept. 19, Oct. 14), Sheehan (Sept. 16, Oct. 10), and Shelton (Sept. 26, Oct. 22) for the Housatonic crown.
“Our goal is to win the SCC, Housy (Housatonic), and at states. We want it all,” said Ranando.
The Rams open against East Haven on Sept. 9 at 3:45 p.m.