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.

Youth Soccer

Wilton Girls U10 White are Chelsea Piers CT Girls 2009/2010 Winter Youth League 2019 Champions

Wilton Girls U10 White played in the Chelsea Piers Winter Youth League over the past three months in the 2009/2010 Girls division. The Wilton GU10 White team went into the finals as the strong number one seed for their division. This past Saturday, they played in the championship game against New Canaan.

Wilton started off with a measured first half, ending 1-1 with a strong goal by Abby Savage. Then the team came out more aggressive in the second half, with Wilton dominating direction of the ball. Maddie Pendergast scored two goals, before Abby Philippon added the final goal for the team.

Key defense by Caitlyn Tsai and Gabby Torres limited New Canaan’s attacks, reversing many plays to help set up new Wilton attacks. Great goalkeeping by Mia Timnev and Kate Mesh during the entire season allowed only one goal in the championship game (and only six during the entire season). Strong midfield play by Harper Crawford, Naomi Cronley and Taryn Czick stressed New Canaan’s defense. There was lots of tension with five different penalty kick opportunities!

Special thanks to EJ Crawford and Edgar Torres for coaching the team this winter. Well done, Wilton!

Pictured above:  (front row L-R) Gabby Torres, Caitlyn Tsai, Taryn Czick, and Abby Savage; (back row L-R) Kate Mesh, Maddie Pendergast, Naomi Cronley, Abby Philippon, Harper Crawford, and Mia Timnev

Wilton Travel Softball

Wilton 12U Travel Softball Opens 2019 Season with Double-Header Sweep vs. New Canaan

For incoming coach Kate Nadler, Sunday, March 17, provided an evening of ‘firsts’–it was her first time coaching a girl’s travel softball team, it was her first opportunity to watch her travel softball squad play outside of the Cider Mill School gym, and it was her first taste of victory in what hopes to be a successful season for Wilton Softball.

Coach Nadler’s 12U travel softball team opened its season by sweeping a double-header against New Canaan at the Total Sports Academy in Seymour, CT, in impressive fashion, winning Game 1 by a score of 11-0 and matching that offensive output in the second game, winning by a score of 11-4.

Wilton’s pitching staff was the star of Game 1, holding New Canaan hitless over four scoreless innings. Starter Gracie DiBuono-Krafick was dominant, yielding only one walk to New Canaan over three innings and striking out nine batters. For the night, “DK” went 1-for-2 with a single, three walks, an RBI and two runs scored. Not to be outdone, reliever Sadie Klyver closed out Game 1 by recording a fielding assist and striking out a batter, while allowing only one walk in her inning of work. Klyver also picked up a single on the evening and scored a run.

In the second game, Lauren Davis and Grace Guglielmo took over where the Game 1 pitchers left off. “LD” started Game 2 and, after struggling a bit with her command in the first inning, found her groove in the second inning. She finished the evening with four strikeouts, including three strikeouts in a row on nine pitches to close out the second inning. “Googs” made short work of the New Canaan offense to close out the game, allowing two walks and no hits while striking out one batter. Both pitchers were also big contributors on offense–“LD” was 3-for-5 over the two games with an RBI and a run, and “Googs” was 1-for-2 with a double and three walks.

The pitchers’ batterymates also made their presence felt on both offense and defense. Katie “Pig Pen” Kelly caught five of the seven innings, throwing out a potential base stealer at third base, and her teammate Lucy “Lucky Seven” Thomas caught the remaining two innings, recording a crucial put-out at home plate in Game 2. Both catchers’ bats were on fire, with Kelly going 2-for-4 with two walks, two RBI and a run scored, and Thomas racking up three hits in five at-bats with a team-leading four RBI.

Coach Nadler was impressed with the determination of her team, which stormed back after trailing by three runs in Game 2. The two-game kick-off provided plenty of proof that the Wilton 12U girls play a team-oriented game in which every player is expected to contribute. Second baseman Julia “Jules” Nanos made the defensive play of the day by throwing out a baserunner at home plate, while also contributing a single, two runs and two RBI. Center fielder Marin “MB” Burke hit the hardest ball of the night–a line drive right to the left fielder–but also picked up a hit and scored two runs. Left-fielder Lauren “Speedy” Sanfilippo led the team in runs scored (four), had a single and a walk, and recorded a tough out on defense. And the Schwartz twins–first baseman Abby “Killer” Schwartz and third baseman Allie “Schwartztop” Schwartz–kept the lineup moving, with Abby walking three times and recording two RBI and Allie walking twice and scoring twice.

Congratulations to Wilton Softball and Coach Nadler!

Hockey

Champs Now–Hopefully Foreshadowing Future Wins

Cider Mill 4th grader Kevin Macken‘s squirt club hockey team won the state championship, under guidance from assistant coach John Meserindino–who also happens to be the head coach of Wilton High School’s varsity hockey team. Macken’s parents, John and Chrissy, took this picture to remember in the hopes that one day Kevin will again play for Coach Meserindino in about five or six years. GMW looks forward to publishing that photo when they get to recreate it!