Each week, GOOD Morning Wilton will run news of weekend results and scores from Wilton Youth sports teams. Please send all stories and updates, along with a photo to editor@goodmorningwilton.com by noon on Monday of each week. Stories received after the deadline may not be included. Results write-ups will be grouped by sport and published in the order they are received.
Softball
Wilton Softball 10U Blue Travel Team Wins Sunrise Cottage Tournament.
In the 10U bracket of Ridgefield’s Sunrise Cottage Softball Tournament, the Wilton 10U Blue Travel team went 2-0-1 in Saturday, April 28 pool play, which was good enough to earn them the number-two seed and a trip to the championship game against the 3-0 Connecticut Fury. On Wednesday night, May 2, they defeated the Fury 3-2 to win the tournament. The bracket featured seven travel teams from New Canaan, Fairfield, Wilton, Ridgefield and Wolcott.
Wilton rolled to victory in its first two games of the tournament, defeating the New Canaan Pride 9-4 and the Ridgefield Rebels 14-8. Pitchers Grace Couch and Sofia Samai kept the Pride off-balance throughout the game; and a six-run third inning highlighted by doubles by Emma van Heyst and Annie McMahon sealed the victory for Wilton in their opening game. Against Ridgefield, pitchers Kaitlin Feldman and Couch threw strikes and enjoyed good defensive support to hold the Ridgefield offense in check. All Wilton batters got on base and scored at least one run. Kayleigh Whitters, Sarah Morris and Allison Rayment all had perfect games at the plate.
In their third game of the tournament, Wilton tied the New Canaan Rams 5-5 in a back and forth affair. Samai threw a strong three and two-thirds innings before handing the ball to Couch to finish the game. Ava Gaudio, Grace Qudeen and Ellie Qudeen all scored in the third inning to give Wilton a short-lived lead. Trailing 3-5 with two outs in the top of the last inning, Wilton scored two runs on singles by van Heyst and Grace Qudeen and a double by McMahon to tie the game. Couch struck out two in a scoreless bottom of the inning to secure the tie and number-two seed.
Due to rain on Saturday night, all Sunday games were canceled and the championship game between Wilton Blue and The Connecticut Fury was rescheduled for Wednesday, May 2, a change only made possible when The Connecticut Fury organization demonstrated true class and sportsmanship by refusing to accept trophies in the mail based on their first-place-finish in pool play.
In the championship game, Wilton scored its only runs in the first inning. Ellie Qudeen fouled off a number of potential third strikes to work a leadoff walk. After stealing second and taking third on a wild pitch, she scored on van Heyst’s single. Van Heyst stole second and was moved to third by Gaudio’s groundout to second. Grace Qudeen knocked in van Heyst with a single, stole second and took third on a passed ball. McMahon then plated Qudeen with a groundout to the right side.
From there, Wilton protected its lead for the rest of the game through a combination of great pitching and defense. Couch pitched a brilliant complete game, striking out twelve batters. Catcher Ellie Qudeen was flawless behind the plate, blocking nearly every pitch in the dirt and keeping an aggressive Fury running game in check. First basemen van Heyst and Gaudio both had great days defensively, as did second baseman Grace Qudeen and shortstop Sophia Viggiano. Couch secured the win in the final inning by striking out the final two Fury batters with the tying run on third base.
Rowing
Wilton Rowers Among Medalists at Sculling Championships
Wilton athletes were among several local junior rowers from New Milford-based GMS Rowing Center to win Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at the Mercer Lake/ISA Sculling Championships, hosted by Princeton National Rowing Association and held on April 21-22 in West Windsor, NJ. The Mercer Lake/ISA Sculling Championships is a large regional Regatta which attracted nearly 50 teams and over 585 crews this year from all over the Northeast and Mid Atlantic states, participating in over 40 events.
Silver Medals were won in the Mens Second Varsity Quad by Jeffrey Schlyer of New Milford, Robby Schetlick of Bronxville, NY, Kevin Lenihan of Wilton and Patryk Fancher of Bethel; and also the Mens Second Varsity Double by Blake Evans of New Fairfield and Liam Jenkins of Wilton.
Bronze medals were won in the Mens Varsity Quad by Blake Evans of New Fairfield, Nico Salazar of Ridgefield, Oliver Peacock of Wilton, and Jenkins of Wilton; the Mens Varsity Lightweight Quad by Chris Cyr of New Milford, Jake Addison of Southbury, Jay Kineon of Wilton, and Paris Liston of Newburgh, NY.
Soccer
Wilton Girls U12 White Shuts Out New Canaan 4-0
The Wilton Girls 2006 White team triumphed over New Canaan with an impressive score of 4-0. Goals were notched by Ella Breitenbach, Megan Dodman, Melissa Ongley, and Sienna Magazino. The offense was rounded out with the aggressive play of Maddie Phelan and Caitlyn O’Grady, who continuously put pressure on the opposing team. The strong defensive performance of Caroline Luce, Grace Biondo, Julia Steenbock and Sara Fernandes provided numerous stops. Strong goal tending by Magazino and Breitenbach sealed the win.
Wilton Girls 2009 Blue Defeat New Canaan, 2-1
For the first half, running uphill on a field with a pronounced slope and a steady 15 mph wind blowing in their faces, Wilton 2009 Blue girls battled New Canaan to an action-packed scoreless tie. Wilton used aggressive ball tackling and selfless passing to set-up numerous scoring opportunities with Clara Fielden, Audrey Lepore, Kate Wickersham, Ally Phelan, Andie Langeland, Victoria Jankowski, and Sophia Solomon contributing to the offense. Sadie Sherman, Casey O’Connor, and Alexandra Jankowski protected the net defensively. During the hard-fought half, both teams repeatedly pressured opposing goal tenders with point-blank shots being turned aside on opposite ends of the field including a bullet by Ally Phelan, who intercepted New Canaan’s always dicey defensive misstep of passing the ball across their own goal mouth. Wilton’s goalie Maddie Rayment shut down New Canaan’s attack through aggressive goal tending highlighted by a diving one-handed stab to deflect the ball away from an otherwise wide-open net.
With the wind at their back and high-and low ponytails whipping in the breeze Wilton found the back of the net early in the second half as the right-footed O’Connor scored with a left-footed shot that caught the New Canaan goalie completely off guard. Within minutes New Canaan posted its only goal to even the score. With time winding down each team pressed hard for a tie-breaking goal. Wilton second half goal keeper Phelan was fearless between the posts including a diving play on a New Canaan 3-0 breakaway where she threw her body in front of the ball to make the save as a New Canaan player collapsed on top of her. In the end, Rayment sealed Wilton’s victory with a blistering shot while sprinting full tilt at New Canaan’s goal keeper.
Wilton Boys 2009 Blue Squashes Monroe, 5-3
The Wilton Boys 2009 Blue team defeated a tough Monroe squad on Saturday, with a score of 5-3. Wilton scored first on a Gavin Levenherz goal. Liam Backman added another goal with an assist by Conor Filip. In goal, Jack Mulfinger made five stops in the first half. The Wilton boys led 2-1 at the half. In goal for the second half, Mario Coppola, made four hard stops while the offense added to the Wilton lead. Sean Kaliski scored on an aggressive, heads-up rebound goal. Ryan Vermeulen scored after the team moved the ball well up field and a second Filip assist. Jake Albanese scored the team’s final goal by driving up field, taking a shot from the wing, and driving in his own rebound. Joshua Comiskey made numerous tackles during the game, as well as taking a hard shot on goal that led to the Kaliski score. Caio Thakur and Giacomo De Paola provided relentless attacking motion up field throughout the game and kept the Monroe keepers under pressure.