Sports
South Windsor High Girls Soccer Looking Forward to Successful Season
Bobcats look to build on last year's state Class LL quarterfinal appearance.
When we last left the South Windsor High girls soccer team, the Bobcats were trudging off the field in November 2012 after a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to eventual champion Newtown in the state Class LL tournament.
After falling behind 2-0 to Newtown in the first half, South Windsor clawed back with a goal, but, despite several chances late in the match, the equalizer never materialized.
Still, despite the shocking defeat at home, South Windsor enjoyed a terrific year, having lost only to Glastonbury twice during the regular season en route to a No. 3 seed in the state tournament and a 15-3 overall record.
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The tearful reaction after the loss was but one indication of South Windsor’s intent, to win the state title by defeating chief rival Glastonbury in the final game,
That the dream end to the season did not materialize did nothing to diminish what the players and head coach Ed Duclos have achieved in two years, including a 26-4-4 record and an undefeated regular season in 2011.
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Duclos and company have a tough row to hoe if they are to duplicate their recent success.
Indeed, the backbone of the team - the defensive back four that yielded just 9 goals in 18 matches lost three starters. The Bobcats also lost powerful All-State striker Christine Allard to graduation.
But it seems that Duclos is being modest when he lists Glastonbury, Manchester, East Catholic and Wethersfield as the teams to beat in the Central Connecticut Conference East.
South Windsor may have some work ahead on defense, but the philosophy - swarming the ball, tracking back and giving as little space as possible - will likely remain the same.
What’s more, the Bobcats return plenty of talent, include All-CCC defensive midfielder Kat Comeau, defender Auna Harvey, forward Rebecca Karlins, midfielders Dani Karpiej, Colleen Bouquot and Becca Russo and goalkeeper Hanna Basile.
That’s a formidable group of players that could help the team advance deep into the state tournament.
Duclos agrees.
“If we can stay healthy, develop some depth, and continue to improve daily, we will be a contender in states,” Duclos wrote.Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
