Date: Fri 08-Sep-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Field-Hockey-History

Full Text:

Field Hockey History

It has been 14 long years since the Newtown High School field hockey has

recorded a winning season and 24 long years since it won a Western Connecticut

Conference championship.

The Lady Indians have been mired in an epic slump since the 1981 season when

they finished 6-5-2 under coach Cindy Van Clief, a slump so epic that the

program has recorded just 19 wins since that time, suffering through 140

losses while battling to 26 ties.

Before the slump, though, the team was good . . . one of the best in the WCC,

as a matter of fact, with three conference championships under legendary coach

Ann Anderson.

The WCC had yet to be formed for field hockey yet, in 1960, the Lady Indians

were priming themselves by finishing 4-0-1. They recorded a pair of wins over

Masuk and one over New Milford, two teams later to join Newtown in the WCC.

Four years later, in the infancy of the league, coach Anderson guided the Lady

Indians to a 6-0 record and their first WCC title. The Lady Indians were not

only undefeated, but they were unscored upon until the final half of the final

game of the season.

The Lady Indians slumped a bit in 1968, the worst under coach Anderson, as the

Lady Indians finished 1-4-4 and had distinct trouble scoring goals, but in

1969 they were back on track with a 4-1-2 record and second-place finish in

the WCC. Liza Fairfield, Pat Farrell and Nancy Tibbets led the team at that

time.    In 1970, the girls returned to championship form, finishing 6-0-2

with the efforts of Pat Farrell, Sara Freeman, Ginny Goertsch, Bonnie Lewis,

Barb Mesinger and Pam Skelton.

In 1971, the Lady Indians were heading towards their second consecutive WCC

title, but could not retain the title, finishing 6-2-2 on the year. The Lady

Indians would finish 6-2-3 in 1972 and 6-2-2 in 1973, finishing second in the

WCC both times. In '73, Newtown was beaten 2-0 by Staples in the state

tournament semi-finals.

The Lady Indians were 9-5-1 in 1975 and 9-5-2 in 1976 under coach Joan

Pennella. In '76, they lost, 1-0, to No. 2 Staples in the state tournament

despite the efforts of All-WCC players Allison Schmidt, Jocelyn Taubert, and

Kathy Kean.

Losing to Staples in the state tournament would become a bad habit. In 1977,

the Lady Indians were 5-5-4 and suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Staples,

and that seemed to send the Lady Indians on a two-year tailspin that saw

records of 4-7-3 and 3-7-4, the last under Linda Dirga, who now coaches the

perennial powerhouse Pomperaug.

In 1980, Newtown went back into the state tournament with a 4-4-6 record. Pat

Whelan (who scored nine of the 12 team goals) and Leslie Mack made All-WCC.  

In 1981, the final winning record, the girls went 6-5-2. They finished with a

1-0 win over Weston on Jill Stahl's goal but lost to Killingly, 2-0, in the

state tournament.

Then the problems began. Two years later, in 1983, the Lady Indians turned in

their first winless season - 0-12-2 - despite the efforts of All-WCC player

Allison Borelli. Newtown got two wins each in 1984 and 1985 before going

winless again, 0-13-1, under Vera Smith in 1986. After a 1-11-2 record under

Kristine Kautz in 1987, the Lady Indians went three seasons with recording a

victory until 1991, when, under coach Owen Gallagher, the Lady Indians

finished 5-7-2, second in the Briggs Division. Meg Eckle, Tracey Willness, and

Kathy Ferris were the tri-captains.

The team stumbled again. It sank to 2-11-1 in 1992 before taking a shot at

respectability in 1993, finishing 4-7-3 under new coach Lisa Poirier. Sara

Patrick, Colleen Pickwick, Amy Giannini, Diane Finnegan, and Tanya Schlump

nearly brought the Lady Indians into the state tournament.

But in 1994, the Lady Indians not only had trouble winning, finishing with an

0-12-3 mark, but they only scored three goals - two by senior Antonia Militano

and one by Melissa Araya.

It's been a long time since success has shined upon the field hockey team, but

after a lot of off-season work and winter ball the Lady Indians seem poised to

take a page out of the past and return to the winning circle.