New London Sports Roundup: Whalers Triumph In Crucial Football Game

High school

There was a fair amount of anticipation for Saturday's football showdown between New London and Ledyard. Both teams had 6-2 records and similar strengths, but in the end the game went to the Whalers, coming away with a hard-fought 7-0 victory. The single touchdown was all the more remarkable in that Ackee Barber, the New London quarterback who made it, was still in the midst of recovering from an injury, according to The Bulletin. New London High School's 7-2 record puts them in a good position for the CIAC tournament, whose quarterfinals begin on Nov. 27. The team gets a bit of a break this week, with only one more game left in the regular season: the traditional Thanksgiving game against longstanding rival Norwich Free Academy.

Other NLHS fall sports will have to wait until next year to try for the state tournament. Neither soccer team made the CIAC bracket and the volleyball team also fell short.

The Williams School boys' cross country team completed a "Triple Crown" season, winning the CISAC and SENE championships before a Saturday win at the New England Championship, defeating Hyde by a single point. The girls' team finished third in this championship. The girls' soccer team won its first game in the SENE Tournament, defeating Lincoln 3-2 on Nov. 5, but lost 2-0 to Marianapolis on Friday. The field hockey team was knocked out of the CISAC Playoffs with a 3-2 loss to Hamden Hall on Nov. 5.

College

The Coast Guard Academy has reason to celebrate after capturing the ECAC Division III men's soccer title over the weekend. The Bears defeated Western New England 1-0 in the first round and Roger Williams 2-1 on Saturday, then again defeated Roger Williams in the Sunday final after a scoreless game was decided by penalty kicks with the Coast Guard prevailing 4-2. In cross country, the men's team took 15th place in the New England Division III Championship while the women's team took 17th place. Leigh Anne Brazier was named to the NEWMAC All-Conference volleyball team.

After a stellar volleyball season, Connecticut College qualified for the NCAA tournament while the school itself was chosen to host the regional bracket. The Camels defeated Framingham State 3-0 in the first round on Friday, but lost 3-2 to UMass Boston on Saturday. The Conn College men's cross-country team finished eighth at the New England Division III Championship on Saturday while the women's team finished 20th.

At Mitchell College, the cross country teams finished their seasons at the NCAA New England Regional on Saturday. The men's team finished 49th, while four women competed individually since the roster was too small to register a team. Three volleyball players - Amanda Garcia, Arianna Thomas, and Nicole Terni - received the NECC volleyball honors of Rookie of the Year, NECC All-Conference Second Team, and NECC All-Conference Honorable Mention, respectively.

Conn College and Coast Guard cross country teams will compete in the NCAA Division III Championship this coming Saturday. The colleges are also getting a start on winter sports with ice hockey, basketball, and swimming and diving competitions underway this week.

Other competitions

New London triumphed in the Southern New England Youth Football Conference Senior Super Bowl on Sunday, according to The Bulletin. The team ended an undefeated season with a 32-0 shutout of Montville for the title. Ledyard defeated New London 34-0 in the Micro division, according to The Day.

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